Hi hmike,
Thanks for your post-please see below.
"I can't tell if there is any disagreement here or not. As I understand the New Testament, a person receives the Holy Spirit and is born again in response to faith in Jesus as the Christ, Son of God in the flesh (1 John). I do not see that this has to be accompanied by speaking in tongues. The presence of the Holy Spirit can be manifested in many ways, not always so spectacular."
OK the Bible says we receive the Holy Spirit or are 'sealed' with Him on believing i.e. being born again and saved.
However, the 'baptism of the Spirit' is a separate thing. One of the main outward signs that this has taken place is speaking in tongues or prophesying.
"There are problems with making doctrine out of the events in Acts:
-There is no mention of tongues accompanying most conversions mentioned. Maybe it's an argument from silence, but wouldn't it have been important enough to mention if it happened?"
Well if you have understood that one receives the Spirit on believing but can receive baptism in the Spirit at any time afterward then I trust this makes more sense now?
"-Whenever tongues accompanied conversion, at least one apostle was involved. You would have to say that it would be necessary to have an apostle to lay hands on someone for this to happen which is impossible today since the apostles have been gone for 1900 years."
No, anyone can be converted and receive Spirit baptism at the same time. In fact it is preferable! One does not need to be an apostle. Neither do many of us believe that the apostles ended 1900 years ago. Paul outlined many roles here
Ephesians 4:11
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Any nowhere said they would finish until 'perfection comes' see here
1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
That is why you still see people speaking in tongues, laying hand on people etc. as the New Testament details.
"-In the particular scripture you referred to, Acts 19, the Ephesians only knew of John the Baptist and the baptism of repentance—they didn't even know of Jesus."
Those who received John's baptism of repentance were in a position before Jesus had died.
So they had repented but this is the first step in being saved.
2 Corinthians 7:10
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
But one need to do this
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
More good verses on salvation.
Romans 5:9-11
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Titus 3:5
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Regards,
Stephen
