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To: blue-duncan
what happened at Pentecost [...]?

At Pentecost Jesus, as promised, breathed the Holy Ghost into his disciples and charged them to go, teach the Gospel and baptize others:

1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

12 And they were all astonished, and wondered, saying one to another: What meaneth this? [...] 14 But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them [...]

41 They therefore that received his word, were baptized; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

(Acts 2)

What we have here is the birth of the Church, which becomes a tower of Babel in reverse. The body of the disciples receive the Holy Ghost from Jesus and go forth to baptize others. They become pastors of the sheep.

This commission of the Church, sometime solely in the persons of the eleven Apostles and sometime including other disciples, is also described in all the gospels. It consists of the charge to baptize, take confessions and teach others.

16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And seeing them they adored: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

(Matthew 28)

14 At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again. 15 And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.

(Mark 16)

45 Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. 46 And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day: 47 And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(Luke 24)

21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

(John 20)

Washing of regeneration has nothing to do with baptism

Wrong. Baptism is regeneration, and, of course, uses water:

3 Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again? 5 Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

(John 3)


1,395 posted on 01/13/2006 4:21:17 PM PST by annalex
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To: annalex
there were at least 120 people on whom the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost not just the Apostles and they all manifested the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not there when this occurred, He had ascended 10 days before. The Apostles received the Holy Spirit just like the rest of those who had waited in the upper room. It was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel and Jesus promise that the Comforter would come on all believers.

The quote from John to Nicodemus concerning "born of water" was a reference to the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit not baptismal regeneration which would have been a foreign concept to Nicodemus. The ordinance of baptism that Jesus instituted after His resurrection would have no meaning here since Jesus had not died, been buried and resurrected and He had not disclosed His death at this time. The word for "washing" of regeneration in Titus 3:5 is lutron, the same as used in Ephesians 5:26 "washing" of water by the Word. Lutron is never used for baptism. Baptizo is the Greek for baptism. Lutron, in those verses and "born of water", refers to the cleansing of sin by the Holy Spirit in regeneration by the Word of God, not baptism.
1,432 posted on 01/13/2006 5:36:49 PM PST by blue-duncan
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