Well in the earliest days of the Church- the Apostles did decide this- when they knew they needed to lay hands on someone to receive the Holy Spirit (as they had not yet)ohio jones wrote:Valerie wrote:Did the Church eventually set a pattern, baptism and to receive the Holy Spirit?How does it happen in the Anabaptist Churches? I mean, for a Believer to receive the Holy Spirit?It's not up to a church to decide when someone receives the Holy Spirit, nor does He read the label before deciding when to move in.Not sure how in the Anabaptist Churches one receives the Holy Spirit-
This is just one example from Acts 8 & Acts 19 :
…14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Acts 19:
…5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.…
In other words, the Church by way of the Apostles, did make decisions to lay hands on a Believer to receive the Holy Spirit-wasn't this one of the differences between John's Baptism, and Jesus'?
I realize different sects understand these things differently- is why I was asking in the Mennonite Church if one is prayed over like the Apostles did, to receive the Holy Spirit, or if it is just assumed or what have you-