Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-01-07
LESSON FOR JANUARY 9
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Good teaching demands the use of
the concrete; objective teaching is
fundamental and essential The incar-
nation is Gods objective teaching,
God manifest" (a) to reveal him.
self, John 1873; (b) to take away sin,
] John S:5; tc) to destroy the works
of the devil, John 3:8. So likewise
Pentecost is great objective lesson.
This chapter has been divided as fol-
lows: % The Coming of Power tvv.
1.13), (2) The Empowered Witness
tvv 1886, (3) A Powerful Result wv.
s7-47).
I. Power, IA. At the end of our
last lesson the disciples were in
prayer. The Lords promise (1:5) was /,
conditioned upon obedience. At last
the day" arrived hev 23:15-21).
Their hearts we're fused and the fun
damental requirement for service, the
baptism of the spirit. came upon them.
There has been no need since then to
tarry any time at all to receive a
like blessing. Lack of unity has much
to do with our not receiving the spirit
now and the consequent lack of power.
Suddenly from out of heaven came a
mighty sound ". q and it is such a
wind that the church needs today
There were three manifestations at
this time and one other subsequently
(see 2:44, ABA, 35; 5:4). "a Wind
Let US keep clear the difference be-
tween symbol and spirit. The mani
festation was "as wind" Wind is mys-
terious. universal and mighty, but like
Elijah on the mountain God is not
alone as a mighty tempest The
sound filed the whole house. Wind
is figurative of judgment (Jer. 1922.
Hos. 13:15) of the Spirit (John 3:S),
also of heresy (Eph. 4:1S). This last
suggests the vagaries and limitations
suggested or abetted by Satan to keep
us from the truth (2) Fire. This
symbolizes power. light, heat and puri-
flying. but the fire was not the spirit
nor do we recall another such mani
festation since (3) Tongues. The fire
took the form of tongues which parted
or portioned themselves out to leach
one of them" though Peter is alone
subsequently more prominent. The
blessing was individual. leach one;"
1t was also for "all;" and was a full
fillment Of the fathers promise. This
passage emphasizes that the disciples
we're in complete possession. all Of
their faculties being given over to the
spirit Therefore the absurdity of say
ing that the spirit can only have been
received by those who pass through
a given experience or evidence a
given manifestation. (Read Cor. 14).
Every manifestation of the spirit is
always that of some new power for
Christ u Cor. 14:2-19).
The disciples spake not in their wis
dom but as given utterance, so ought
we.
II. PerpIexity, w. s-1s. The ques-
ton may arise. had the spirit been
seen before? and the answer is ''yes'
Matt. 3:16, Jno. 1922. What then
was new? The answer to this is the
program of power The first evidence
of power was the gathering of the peo-
pie ". 81. The disciples at once testi-
fed to each of the sixteen classes men
toned Old of the mighty works of
Cod" Not of the gift. but the giver,
a different sort of testimony than that
given by many who today profess to
have the gift of tongues. The second
result was an amazed people, per
plexed." for them as now the world
cannot understand the spirit-filled
man. These spirit-filled men forget
self and were lost in their testimony
". III.
1t is Of interest to note that they did
not even say much if anything about
the spirit himself. Their testimony.
for which many later gave their lives.
was regarding Gods mighty work of
the resurrection of Jesus from thu
dead (vv. "a, 32).
The spirit-flled man is sure to en-
phasize this mighty work and the evi-
dence of the spirit in a mans life is
his loyalty to a crucified, risen and
ascended Lord.
The work of the spirit is thus to
testify John 1926, 16:14).
A third result was that people mis-
understood and charged drunkenness,
fact seized upon later by Paul to
teach us the truth (Eph. 5:18). The
only sure cure for intemperance, or
any other evil. is an milling of the
holy spirit The final and complete
fulfiliment of the prophecy (vv. 1921,
Joel 2:2S. 29) of which Pentecost was
partial fulf1llment will be in the day
of the Lord" But then. as now, all
who call upon him shall be saved ".
13. Rom. 1913. Some mocked,"
even as today ridicule or parody are
the enemy's choicest weapons. Pente-
cost is an event well attested, that
marked the ushering in of new dis
pensation, that was misunderstood, but
one that can be verified by experience.
| Pentecost was a revelation, mani
festation of new spiritual kingdom,
distinctly Christian. that exposes sin
and exalts the son.
| Pentecost is prophecy of real
/ Christian unity. of spiritual admins
! tration, of Christ's intercession and an
| evidence of an abiding presence.
! When we are spirit-filled the Lord
Jesus Christ will occupy the whole
horizon of our experience. our testi
mony and will control our service The
! spirit-filled servant can exclaim "The
Lord (Jesus) is my shepherd" he is
Lord. he is my shepherd; he is, not
has been or will be. but he is my shep
herd.
The gift of the spirit must not be
confused with the spirits gifts" q
Cor 12) whereby we are enabled to do
the work he directs in order to glorifv
the son-not the church, nor man, nor
a religious experience. but the Lord
Jesus (Gal. 2:20, II Tim t:O.
\ L.