Signs Shall Follow

Pentecostals rely on Mark 16:17-20 to convince people the church can still speak in tongues. Many at the same time say Mark 16:9-20 were not part of the original scriptures. They would be hypocrites to accept vs 17-20 and not 9-20. Of course they do this to down play water baptism.

They also tend to ignore the word follow.

Mar 16:17  AndG1161 theseG5023 signsG4592 shall followG3877 themG3588 that believe;G4100 InG1722 myG3450 nameG3686 shall they cast outG1544 devils;G1140 they shall speakG2980 with newG2537 tongues;G1100

Pentecostals tend to say the word believe speaks of all believers of all time, the context is the early church and certainly the book of Acts bears this out. Mark 16 is speaking of sending the Apostles to preach so that the context bears out their presence.

In every example of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit an Apostle or Apostles were present..

Acts 2 - pentecost

Acts 6 - deacons had hands laid on them

Acts 8 - Philip worked miracles but Apostles laid hands

Acts 10 - Peter and Cornelius

Acts 19 - Paul in Ephesus

There are examples of non-apostles working miracles such as Philip, but all who did were started in the presence of Apostles. Philip had hands laid on him by apostles.

The house of Cornelius shows that tongues and prophesying started at the presence or introduction of Peter.

The word follow shows the gifts came after the presence of the Apostles. The word follow actually means to trace by or to be in close proximity.

What destroys the Pentecostal argument is the word follow does not require the apostles to receive the Baptism each time, it would only be near or in close proximity. That is why the house of Cornelius could be baptized in the spirit before being saved, the phenomenon occurred in the presence of believers and not always to believers.

The Holy Spirt chose the wording carefully, he chose "Will follow" those who believe not "be in" those who believe. A person did not have to be saved yet to be baptized in the Spirit. They did have to be saved to be sealed with the Spirit. They could be baptized simply by being in the presence of apostles.

Miracles took place just from touching a handkerchief of an apostle, the apostle could be traced in proximity to the event.

Baptized and Sealed are different administrations of the same Spirit. One required personal belief, one was done to bring about belief.

Eph 1:13  InG1722 whomG3739 yeG5210 alsoG2532 trusted, after that ye heardG191 theG3588 wordG3056 of truth,G225 theG3588 gospelG2098 of yourG5216 salvation:G4991 inG1722 whomG3739 alsoG2532 after that ye believed,G4100 ye were sealedG4972 with that holyG40 SpiritG4151 of promise,G1860

the gifts (Offices and specific gifts) were a grace to bring about belief so that others could be fellow heirs.

Eph 3:1  For this causeG5484 G5127 IG1473 Paul,G3972 theG3588 prisonerG1198 of JesusG2424 ChristG5547 forG5228 youG5216 Gentiles,G1484

Eph 3:2  IfG1489 ye have heardG191 of theG3588 dispensationG3622 of theG3588 graceG5485 of GodG2316 which is givenG1325 meG3427 toG1519 you-ward:G5209

Eph 3:3  How thatG3754 byG2596 revelationG602 he made knownG1107 unto meG3427 theG3588 mystery;G3466 (asG2531 I wrote aforeG4270 inG1722 few words,G3641

Eph 3:4  Whereby,G4314 G3739 when ye read,G314 ye mayG1410 understandG3539 myG3450 knowledgeG4907 inG1722 theG3588 mysteryG3466 of Christ)G5547

Eph 3:5  WhichG3739 inG1722 otherG2087 agesG1074 was notG3756 made knownG1107 unto theG3588 sonsG5207 of men,G444 asG5613 it is nowG3568 revealedG601 unto hisG846 holyG40 apostlesG652 andG2532 prophetsG4396 byG1722 the Spirit;G4151

Eph 3:6  That theG3588 GentilesG1484 should beG1511 fellowheirs,G4789 andG2532 of the same body,G4954 andG2532 partakersG4830 of hisG846 promiseG1860 inG1722 ChristG5547 byG1223 theG3588 gospel:G2098

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Gifts were given to some to help others be saved. Signs followed some to help others come to belief.

There is really no proof some gifts existed past the infancy of the church.

Notice revelation of God's word required you to be a prophet or apostle. There is no new revelation today that would be tied to salvation, since the revelation that saves was revealed to them.

Those who discount water baptism were tricked because of their misunderstanding of Holy Spirit baptism, Baptist and Pentecostal. Pentecostals were tricked as well.

Their belief that Mark 16:17-20 says you get the Baptism of the Spirit when you believe enough is not taught in the passage. It says miracles would follow those who believed who were present, being done in their proximity.

There is no promise all Christians would work miracles.