One of the things that has been kind of intriguing for me in my study of the book of Acts is order of events and accompanying signs related to the coming of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that there is no one pattern that is normative for the church.
Here’s a summary of what I find. Look up these passages and see if you would list it differently.
Acts 2:1-4 Filled with Spirit then spoke in tongues
Acts 2:38 Repent, be baptized, forgiveness, receive Holy Spirit
Acts 8:14-18 Received the Word, layed on hands, received the Spirit
Acts 9:17-18 Apostle Paul – hands layed, received Spirit, baptized
Acts 10:44-48 Holy Spirit fell, tongues, then baptism
Acts 11:14-18 Heard the word, Spirit fell, God granted repentance
Acts 15:8-9 God knew the hearts, bore witness, purified hearts by faith (this all refers back to Cornelius’ conversion.)
Acts 19:1-6 Baptism, hands layed, tongues
I’m not sure what to make of all this except to say that Acts is a time of transition between the focus on the Jewish faith and worship and the gospel going to the gentiles. To me it makes it obvious that we shouldn’t be dogmatic about how things are supposed to happen. God has a way of doing things according to His own will and purpose and He doesn’t fit into our man-made categories.
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