The Bible tells us, “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’  And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” (Acts 1:6-8).  Jesus and His followers had gathered together on Mount Olivet (see Acts 1:12).  Some believe that there were more than five hundred there that day because Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that He was seen by more than five hundred on one occasion, but this passage doesn’t necessarily mean that it was this time.  It doesn’t say it wasn’t but it also doesn’t say that it was so we won’t make assumptions.

What we do know is that Jesus told them to wait for this promise.  And so they returned to the upper room where they had been staying to do just that.  They waited together.  In fact they waited for ten days until the arrival of the Day of Pentecost (we know that it was ten days because He was crucified the day before the Passover and Pentecost is fifty days after the Passover.  In Acts 1:3 we are told that He had been seen by them for forty days.  We just have to do the math right?).  This was the day of the arrival of the Holy Spirit – Their source of power.

There are two schools of thought concerning this day.  One says that it is the beginning of the Church and that the experience was marked by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance because they needed that gift to share what they received with all those from other countries and regions in town for the Pentecostal Holy Day.  The other school of thought says that it was a second, divine work consequent to salvation and the filling of the Holy Spirit was marked by speaking in tongues and is forever after that.  So I am getting ready to get into trouble by both groups with this article because as usual I am certain that the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.  I most definitely believe that the coming of the Holy Spirit was an anointing for power to witness but I also believe in the gifts of the Spirit.  Nowhere in scripture is there a definite passage that tells us the gifts have stopped.  The one coming closest is found in 1 Corinthians 13:10 which tells us “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”  The school of thought saying the gifts have gone claim that the “perfect” in this passage is the Bible.  Of course the Bible is the perfect Word of God but the scripture had been around before this writing even though not completed.  The complete context of this passage goes on to tell us in verse 12 that we are looking into a mirror but see only dimly.  But when the perfect has come we will see face to face.  That will only happen when Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom on this planet.  That will be perfect and then of course there will be no further need for spiritual gifts.

The other group says that we can only be filled with the Holy Spirit if we have spoken in tongues.  I believe that speaking in tongues is one of the spiritual gifts and still exists.  But again there is nowhere that tells us that this is always the evidence of the indwelling for power that comes from the Holy Spirit.  In the book of Acts there are six places where the Holy Spirit fell as on Pentecost (and I don’t have time in this article to speak of them all).  Three of them were accompanied by tongues but the other three don’t say what they were accompanied with.  Again some make an assumption that if three of them were marked by tongues then they all were.   But we should not base any doctrinal teaching on an assumption.  Besides, saying that this experience is always accompanied by tongues makes us seek for the gift of tongues not the power-baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The evidence is the power to boldly become witnesses for Christ.  It could be evidenced by any of the spiritual gifts as well as the desire to tell others about Jesus.

The Day of Pentecost was an important day also known as the Harvest Feast.  It was a day when the people stayed in tents or booths near the fields so that they could be closer to their work of harvesting the crops.  On Pentecost they were to set aside their work to celebrate the provision of God and throw a feast for all the people.  Many Jews came into Jerusalem on this day to celebrate the feast from all the areas in which they had migrated.  So there were people from many countries in town, people who spoke different languages.  The ability to speak other unlearned languages was necessary on this occasion to powerfully witness to these people.

The waiting together was rewarded with a baptism in power.  When we come together for Christ, instead of fighting and bickering about this occasion, then we move into position when the Lord can fill us with His Spirit and we can become bold witnesses with our lives and our words - Witnesses to win souls into the kingdom.  And that is more important than any doctrinal teaching.  We can come together for power.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.