There are number of posts of this important subject. This series covers the 4 main objections.
Extracted and Adapted from Kenneth Hagin book “Tongues after the Upper Room”
Objection #4: ‘Only the apostles could pray for people to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit’
Some people use Acts 8:14-17 to prove that the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues was only available for the Early Church as long as the original apostles were still alive. These people mistakenly maintain that only the apostles could minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit to people.
However, this passage in Acts proves the contrary is true.
ACTS 8:14-17
- Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
- Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:
- (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized i n the name of the Lord Jesus.)
- Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
People who hold to the argument that tongues ceased with the last apostle say, “The apostles received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and then they were able to pass on the Holy Spirit to others. But those folks in turn couldn’t pass the Holy Spirit on to anyone else.
These people contend, “That’s the reason Philip didn’t try to pass the Holy Spirit on to the Samaritans after he got them saved. Philip couldn’t minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit because he wasn’t one of the original apostles. So Peter and John had to come down to Samaria to lay hands on the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. But when the last apostle died, the ability to minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit to others ceased!”
But that argument just isn’t in line with the Word. We are going to talk at length later about the five recorded instances in the Book of Acts where people were filled with the Holy Spirit. But I want to make this particular point here: In two of the five instances where believers received the Holy Spirit, they received without the laying on of hands. And on one of the other three occasions, the person who ministered the
baptism in the Holy Spirit wasn’t even an apostle! I’m talking about the “certain disciple at Damascus” named Ananias (Acts 9:10) who went to Saul of Tarsus (soon to be called Paul) and laid hands on him that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).
Once after preaching at a meeting, I sat down on a chair on the platform and began laying hands on folks as they came by me in a line to be healed and to receive the Holy Spirit.
As I asked each person why he or she had come forward for prayer, a certain man in the line spoke up and asked, “Do you claim to be an apostle?” Everyone could hear this man’s question over the microphone.
“No, I’m not an apostle,” I replied, “and I don’t claim to be one. I’m sure I don’t have the qualifications.”
“Well, then, what are you doing laying hands on folks to receive the Holy Spirit?” the man asked me.
Of course, the minute the man said that, I had him located. So I said, “Oh, I see that you really know your New Testament.”
“Oh, yes! We speak where the New Testament speaks, and we are silent where it’s silent.”
“All right,” I said. “Now, do you say that the New Testament teaches that no one but the original apostles could minister the infilling of the Holy Spirit to people? In other words, do you believe that only the 12 apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and not the 120?” “Yes!” the man replied.
“And you also believe that these apostles had the power to pass the ability to minister the Holy Spirit on to someone else by laying on of hands—but that when the last apostle died, all of that ceased?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well,” I said, “the only difference between me and you is that you claim to speak where the New Testament speaks and to be silent where it is silent, but you’re lying about it. On the other hand, I do speak where it speaks, and I’m silent where it is silent.”
“What do you mean?” the man asked. “What about Ananias in Acts 9?” I asked. “Ananias wasn’t an apostle.”
This man said, “I don’t exactly know what you’re talking about.”
I opened my Bible to Acts 9 and read the following verses:
ACTS 9:10-12,17
10 And there was A CERTAIN DISCIPLE at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him , Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen i n a vision a man named Ananias coming i n , and PUTTING HIS HAND ON HIM that he might receive his sight. . . .
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and PUTTING HIS HANDS ON HIM said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
“Now answer me please,” I said to the man, “was Ananias an apostle?”
“I didn’t know that was in there,” the man said.
“You see, you’d better be careful when you say that you speak where the New Testament speaks! Nowhere in the Bible does it say that only apostles can minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit.”
As the man started to walk away, I said, “Wait a minute! Before you leave, you asked me if I was an apostle and tried to prove that I had no right to lay hands on folks to receive the Holy Spirit because I am not an apostle. But I just proved to you from the Word that people who are not apostles can lay hands on others to receive the Holy Spirit.”
I continued, “You wanted to know by what authority I minister by the laying on of hands, and I want to tell you. I lay hands on folks to receive the Holy Spirit by the same authority by which the ‘certain disciple at Damascus’ named Ananias laid hands on Saul of Tarsus. It says in verse 10:’ to him [Ananias] said the Lord in a vision
The word disciple just means “a follower of the Lord.” This man Ananias was not an apostle. He was not a prophet. He was not an evangelist. He was not a pastor. He was not a teacher. He was just what you and I would call a “layperson,” and he was directed by the Lord Jesus Himself, the Head of the Church, to go lay his hands on Saul to receive the Holy Spirit.
I believe God put this account in the Bible because He knew we’d face this argument from some folks—that only the apostles could minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit and that when the last apostle died, that was the end of it. People who argue that way are left speechless when they find out what the New Testament actually does say!
So I said to the man, “I lay hands on folks to receive the Holy Spirit because the same Jesus who appeared to Ananias in Damascus told me, ‘I want you to go lay hands on believers to receive the Holy Spirit.’
“That is the authority by which I minister by the laying on of hands—the Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church! If you want to argue and fuss about it, I suggest that you go argue and fuss with Jesus, because He’s the One who told me to do it.” With that, I sent the man on his way.
I want to make one more point about what happened when Jesus told me that He had given me the ministry of laying on of hands for the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
I wasn’t necessarily happy about that news. I said to Jesus, “Dear Lord, I get enough criticism just from folks getting filled with the Holy Spirit in my church. As sure as I start laying hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit, I’ll get criticized even more!
Lord, I don’t believe I want to do that. I just wish You’d give this ministry to someone else.”
Well, Jesus sure did let me have it on that one! He asked me, “Who called you? Did I or did people?”
“Well,” I said, “You did!”
Then He asked me, “To whom shall you give an account for your ministry—unto Me or unto people?” “Why, unto You, Lord!” I said.
Then the Lord said, “It is written that all must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to give an account of the deeds done in the body [2 Cor. 5:10]. On that day, you will stand before Me and give an account unto Mel And all those who have criticized your ministry will also give an account unto Me for what they said about it. After all, it is
My ministry, and when people criticize your ministry of laying on of hands, they are criticizing Me.”
Jesus continued, “So you leave those people in My hands. They will have to give an account to Me for what they said. Meanwhile, I have given this ministry to you, and you’re going to have to give an account unto Me as to whether you have or have not fulfilled this ministry I have given to you.”
“Well, Lord, I guess I better do something about it then.” “Yes, you certainly had,” Jesus replied.
“But what do I tell people?” I asked.
Jesus gave me the three instances in the Book of Acts where people received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Then He simply said to me, “Give people the scriptures.”
So that’s exactly what I’ve done! Thank God for the Word of God! It’s so clear and concise and plain.
Living as a Christian in this World 