Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20040922.htm

APPLYING THE BELIEVER'S POSITIONAL RICHES IN CHRIST
Part XXXIII: Applying The Truth That Believers Possess Every Spiritual Blessing In Christ
(Ephesians 1:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. Some Christians claim that we who trust in Christ for salvation must seek a "Second Blessing" from God after salvation, one reportedly often accompanied by "speaking in tongues" , cf. Joseph Dillow, Speaking in Tongues: Seven Crucial Questions, p. 9. An authority on this view, the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, ed. by Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee, p. 40, holds the Bible supports this belief in the King James Version by referring to it in Acts 1:5b and 11:16b as the baptism "with the Spirit" in contrast to the 1 Corinthians 12:13 baptism that is "by one Spirit" (where the Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ at salvation). This view holds the Spirit baptism in Acts occurs after salvation with sign gifts like tongues speaking where the 1 Corinthians 12:13 event occurs at salvation. Thus, some urge us to seek God's full blessing as believers by being baptized with the Spirit after salvation, cf. Charles Hunter, "Receiving The Baptism With The Spirit," Charisma & Christian Life, July 1989, p. 53-55.
    2. However, besides what illumination is supplied by looking into the Greek New Testament itself, the 33rd positional truth that every believer possesses the instant he first trusts in Christ as his Savior corrects this view, that truth being the believer possesses every spiritual blessing in Christ, cf. Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. III, "Pneumatology," p. 265. We view this truth with the Greek text for insight:
  2. Applying The Truth That Believers Possess Every Spiritual Blessing In Christ, Ephesians 1:3.
    1. The Apostle Paul wrote to the entire Ephesian Church that God the Father had "blessed" them with "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" in Ephesians 1:3!
    2. From the Ephesians 1 context, we know this truth is a positional truth that occurs at salvation:
      1. The blessings in Ephesians 1:3 are connected to God's choosing each believer before time began to be holy and without blame one day in His heavenly presence, cf. Ephesians 1:4-5:
        1. The word "before" in Ephesians 1:4b is katenopion, and, throughout the New Testament, refers not to God's figurative view, but His literal presence, Moulton & Geden, Conc. to the Grk. Test. , p. 539.
        2. Thus, the blessings in Ephesians 1:3 are in accord with (v. 4a) what we will have when in heaven.
      2. Now, every believer at salvation is sealed unto getting into God's heavenly presence according to Ephesians 1:13-14 so that the believer is unconditionally eternally secure (as we before learned).
      3. As the believer's possessing the Ephesians 1:3 blessings exists in keeping with what he will have in his final destiny in heaven, and as he can not lose his salvation from the point of faith in Christ onwards, the spiritual blessings he has in Ephesians 1:3 are positional, meaning the believer possesses every spiritual blessing in Christ that he can ever have starting the instant he is saved !
    3. Since the believer possesses every spiritual blessing in Christ the moment he is saved, there is no need for him to have a fuller or a "Second Blessing" after salvation to make him more complete in Christ!
    4. Viewing the Greek New Testament text at Acts 1:5b, 11:16b and 1 Corinthians 12:13 allows for this conclusion and indicates the lack of evidence needed to support a "Second Blessing" theological stance:
      1. The United Bible Societies, Nestle and the Kilpatrick editions of the Greek New Testament text all agree that the preposition translated either "with" or "by" the Spirit in the King James Version at Acts 1:5b, 11:16b and 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the same Greek word, en (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966 ed.; Nestle-Aland, eds., Novum Testamentum Graece and Nestle-Kilpatrick, eds., Hay Kainay Diathaykay ).
      2. Then, the reputable NIV and ESV footnotes show this word can be rendered in Acts 1:5b, 11:16b and 1 Cor. 12:13 in conflict with the "Second Blessing" stance: the NIV shows en may mean "with" in all three cases and the ESV (as Acts 11:16b cites Acts 1:5b) shows en may mean "in" in all three cases!
      3. Thus, one can not use the KJV's renderings of Acts 1:5b, Acts 11:16b and 1 Cor. 12:13 to claim that the Spirit's baptism in Acts differs from that of 1 Corinthians so as to promote a "Second Blessing"!
Lesson: We believers unconditionally, permanently possess every spiritual blessing in Christ the moment we trust in Him so that we do NOT need a "Second Blessing" with tongues speaking.

Application: (1) May we rely upon the Spirit to use His full blessings in life and service. (2) May we not build a belief on one translation without checking the context and various, reputable translations! and!