His Touch on the Mouths: New Perspective on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

At Pentecost there was no fire the divided tongues like fire came down to each one of the disciple and they spoke different languages that all the people there could understand what they say without translators. In the OT times God sent his prophets by touching the mouth and put his word into his mouth so that he might declare it to his people. Therefore the prophet was the spokesman of God and are usually called “the mouth of the Lord.” Jesus the Word as well as God came into this world as the great prophet for the ministry of the word. He taught the kingdom of God to his people and trained his disciples to be the prophets after his departure. The risen Christ appointed his disciples for the prophets giving them the ministerial task of the word and asked the Father to seal them as his prophets. Thus the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was the installation ceremony for the disciple to be the new covenant prophets as was for the prophets of OT times. The disciples were to go out to the end of the earth to proclaim his word. Those baptized by water are simultaneously baptized by the Holy Spirit and are given the office of the new covenant prophet.