By this we see how incongruous it was to the apostles that people should believe God's word and be baptised in water, and not at the same time, or during the same period, be baptised in Holy Spirit. We also see that they did not hesitate to set about rectifying the contradictory situation. This they did lest a permanent breach be made between two things that God has joined together, and irreparable doctrinal harm be done to truth and the Church. Nevertheless we may be thankful that this thing happened so soon in the history of the Church, for through this unintended divergence from God's new pattern, an opportunity is granted us to observe the major difference between water baptism and Baptism in the Spirit.
It is as though by this the Holy Ghost has for our sakes sharply distinguished between things that differ. He is showing us that although the fundamental experience of the Baptism in (with, by) the Holy Spirit is graphically portrayed unto us by the action entailed in baptism in water, it is not to be confused with it. It must not be thought that because a person is baptised in water, he or she is therefore baptised in Spirit. Not ten thousand immersions in water could give a person the Holy Ghost, as though it were then and only then or thereby that a person is or can be baptised in Spirit.
So here the two events are kept distinctly apart, lest that which took place at Jerusalem should cause confusion, and by false emphasis spread error for ever upon this earth where error more readily finds acceptance than truth. What God did at Samaria was for the benefit of the whole Church; perhaps not the least part of His reason for keeping these two things separate then, was for the sake of spiritual clarity.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.