I was having a great discussion with a few friends this week about Christianity, and God. One of the things that was brought up was the question of whether or not everyone “automatically has the Holy Spirit” or not. I believe it is pretty firmly established in the Orthodox Faith that you do not have the Holy Spirit until you are baptised (and chrismated?). However, no one should just hear, “It’s firmly believed by the Orthodox Faith that XXX” and just take that as Gospel… ‘Cause it ain’t. Instead, why not let’s look at the Gospel?
Acts 19:1-7
1It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
7There were in all about twelve men.
Now this is interesting to me on two notes: 1, that Paul felt the need to re-baptize them, which I’ve always heard was unnecessary, but maybe since they were only baptized with John’s baptism of repentance and not with the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ it was ok or necessary. 2, that once they had been baptised Paul laid his hands on them and it was at that point that they received the Holy Spirit.
These men were already disciples and believers of God, and they didn’t have the Holy Spirit!
But what significance does Paul’s laying on of hands have here? Why did he do that? Again, it’s “firmly established in the Orthodox Faith as a sacrament”, yeah, but why?
It just seems like the thing to do. In Acts 6:6 the disciples lay their hands on men of God already full of the Holy Spirit (Stephen, who was the first martyr, was noted in Acts 6:5 immediately before this as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”). So it can’t just be by laying on of hands that the Spirit is passed, and laying on of hands is used for more than just passing the Holy Spirit.
In fact, if you look at Acts 10:44, Simon Peter was preaching to Corneleous the centurian and those in his house. They were not Jews, but Gentiles. Peter was telling them the story of Jesus and saying, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” and:
Acts 10:44-48:
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
45All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
47″Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
48And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
So here we see that God is not limited to baptism or laying on of hands in order for us to receive the Holy Spirit. However, it is also just as firmly established that the Holy Spirit is passed on through hearing words spoken by, or through physical contact with, someone who already has the Holy Spirit.
Check out Acts 8:14-17, in it the disciples do have to lay their hands on the believers to transmit the Holy Spirit, even though they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
What do we know for sure? The disciples themselves, despite having walked with, touched, and eaten with Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit until after Jesus had gone. Jesus promised it to them (in Acts 1:5 saying, “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” and then in Acts 1:8 saying, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;…” It was not until days after Jesus had ascended into heaven that the disciples received the Holy Spirit. It’s a pretty dramatic event, and happens in Acts 2:1-6:
1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
Peter, when full of the Holy Spirit and preaching to seemingly three thousand people immediately following receiving the Holy Spirit, and possibly while the disciples are speaking in tongues, says in response to the multitude asking what they should do after hearing the message of Jesus and being peirced to their hearts:
Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
So, it seems to me that not all have the Holy Spirit by default, but rather, that upon hearing of Christ, and repenting, they can receive it whether by baptism or by laying on of hands or by hearing about Jesus from one who has the Holy Spirit.
Now, I want to note that you have just read the worst possible version of “how one receives the Holy Spirit”. I’m just some kid who hasn’t even read the whole Bible yet. Some monk somewhere after praying and fasting for like 12 years wrote some brilliant thesis on this that would blow mine out of the water (I’m sure). I just don’t know where that thesis is…
If you are interested in reading/learning more about the Holy Spirit, a great place to start is your Bible. Also, you could go to the OCA’s page on the Holy Spirit.
