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Acts 6:6
These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
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Acts 2:4
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
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Mark 16:17
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.
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1 Timothy 5 22
Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
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2 Timothy 1 6
This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
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Acts 8:17-19
Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.“ Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed,“ so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
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Acts 9:17
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said,“ Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
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Acts 10:45-46
The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,
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1 Corinthians 14 1-1 Corinthians 14 25
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives— especially the ability to prophesy.For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful.Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody.And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning.But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me.And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said.For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying?You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.It is written in the Scriptures:“ I will speak to my own people through strange languages and through the lips of foreigners. But even then, they will not listen to me,” says the Lord.So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers.Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say.As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring,“ God is truly here among you.”
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1 Corinthians 12 28-1 Corinthians 12 30
Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles?Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!
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Acts 13:1-2
Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon( called“ the black man”), Lucius( from Cyrene), Manaen( the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul.One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“ Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”
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1 Corinthians 12 8-1 Corinthians 12 11
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.