Quote:
Originally Posted by TRFrance
(from a September 2006 news release by the Assemblies of God entitled "Pentecostal Discipleship - a desperate need in the AG ")
"During the annual Assemblies of God General Presbytery meeting held this past August in Springfield, Missouri, statistics were presented that revealed an alarming trend in the Assemblies of God that brought immediate action.
According to AG Assistant General Superintendent Charles Crabtree, last year only 25 percent of new converts followed Christ in water baptism, with only 20 percent receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“If we continue this trend,” Crabtree states, “in 10 years, we will have a very small percentage of Pentecostals in the Assemblies of God.”
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I wonder what percentage of the first century converts were water baptized and what percentage received the HGB (Holy Ghost Baptism).
After Jesus rose from the dead, He was seen at one time by over 500 believers. Many of these were still alive 25 years later when the Apostle Paul mentions them in
1 Cor. 15:6. However, only about 120 believers were gathered together on the Day of Pentecost and received the HGB (compare
Acts 1:14-15 with
Acts 2:1-4). There is no record of when or if the 380 other believers received the HGB. 120 out of 500 is a little less than 25 percent.
We do read that about 3000 accepted the Word preached by Peter on that day of Pentecost (May 28, AD 30) and were water baptized (probably self-immersed in the mikveh sites at the Temple) but there is no record as to whether or not these 3000 received the HGB.
Going on through the Book of Acts there are about 20 accounts of folks receiving and accepting the Gospel message and in most cases there is no mention as to whether or not they were baptized in water and/or baptized in the Spirit.
Maybe 25 percent of Christians receiving the HGB fits the pattern of the early church in the Book of Acts.