Different Biblical terms.

Here are the different terms used in the Bible to describe the same blessing. They are interchangeable, and refer to the same event, but they show different aspects of it:

Let's start with the different terms used to describe what happened on the Day of Pentecost to the disciples and followers of Jesus: (This was after Jesus had died, had been raised from the dead, and was now seated in heaven).

John the Baptist said that he was baptising people with water, but that the Christ would baptise with the Holy Spirit. This is recorded in all four of the Gospels and repeated in Acts twice. (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, Acts 11:16).

The word 'baptise' means "to dip or emerse", so we can be dipped or emersed into the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said that this was the gift that God the Father had promised for those who would wait together in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:4)

Peter said that Jesus had been raised to life, and exalted in heaven, where He had received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and those people all around had seen and heard the result of this. (Acts 2:33)

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come on those gathered there in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:8)

Try to personalize all of these descriptions - the Holy Spirit will come upon you.

Luke records in Acts that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4)

The prophet Joel in the Old Testament, quoting from the Lord, said that the Spirit would be poured out in the last days, and Peter quotes from this prophesy showing that the Spirit had just been poured out. (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:18)

Also at the end of Peter's sermon, he tells the crowd that what they had just heard and seen was the out pouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:33)

Peter challenges the crowd to turn to Jesus Christ so that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then he says that this gift was for them, for their children, and for any that the Lord calls to Himself. (Acts 2:38)

After Jesus had been raised from the dead, He appeared to His disciples and followers, and said that they should wait until they had been clothed with power. (Luke 24:49)

Peter went to Cornelius a centurion, and he preached to a large crowd of people who weren't Jews. Suddenly the Holy Spirit came on all of them who had heard Peter's message, and they all spoke in tongues and praised God. Peter realised that this was the same as what happened to them on the day of Pentecost. Let's look at the different terms that were used to describe this event:

The Holy Spirit came upon all those who heard, (and who understood the message). (Acts 10:44)

When Peter went back to Jerusalem he had to explain to the others what had happened, so he said that the Holy Spirit had come on the Gentiles (non Jews) just as He had come on them. (Acts 11:15)

When Jesus was at the river Jordan, this was a comparable event to the day of Pentecost:

"....how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit...." (Acts 10:38)

When anyone was anointed, the anointing oil was poured onto the head and it ran down onto the body. So Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit being poured upon Him.

"....God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power..." (Acts 10:38)

Jesus unrolled the scroll of Isaiah at Nazareth and read "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me..." Then He said "Today this scripture is fulfilled...." (Luke 4:18)

A seal means to set a mark on someone, to give a gift, or hold an event so as to guarantee something.

An engagement ring is the 'mark on someone' and it is a 'gift' to their fiancee, and the engagement party is held to celebrate the coming wedding. All this is a guarantee that the wedding will take place. (Except that this can breakdown because of the human element).

But with God, the seal of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our marriage to Christ in heaven.

The baptism of the Spirit upon a believer is God's mark on someone, and it is God's 'gift' to the believer, and the event is our engagement party to Jesus.

Don't worry if you can't remember a date - the important thing is that we know that God has filled us with His Spirit.

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us,......"

".....and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

(1) "you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children...." Romans 8:15

(2) "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, `Abba, Father.' " Galations 4:6

(4) "Jesus said ... 'If a man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive." John 7:38-39

(5) [a] "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth." John 14:16-17

[b] "But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things.." John 14:26

[c] "When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me..." John 15:26

[d] "Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you, ... He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement..." John 16:7-8

(6) "..God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." Romans 5:5