LUKE 24:49
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but TARRY ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
ACTS 1:4,5
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not
depart from Jerusalem, but WAIT for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have
heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST
not many days hence.
Tarrying Is Not a Formula For Receiving the Holy Spirit
It is true that Jesus made both of these statements to His disciples before the Day of
Pentecost. However, if these verses were a formula for receiving the Holy Ghost, we would not
have any right to take the word "Jerusalem" out of the text. Jesus told the disciples not only to
wait, or "tarry," but He said to wait in Jerusalem. Why didn't He say to tarry in Bethlehem? Why
didn't He say to tarry in Jericho? Because it was necessary that they wait in Jerusalem in order
for the Church to have its beginning there.
What were the disciples waiting or tarrying for? They were waiting for the Day of Pentecost to
come, for that is when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church. They were not waiting
or tarrying in order to get ready or to prepare themselves to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
If that had been true, the Bible would have said, "When they were fully ready, the Holy Ghost
came." But it doesn't say that. Acts 2:1 says, "And when the DAY OF PENTECOST was fully
come. . . ." That is what they were waiting for ¦— the Day of Pentecost.
ACTS 2:1-4
1 And WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, they were all with one
accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of
them.
4 And they were all FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, and began to SPEAK WITH OTHER
TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Then reading in Acts chapter 8, notice that when Peter and John went down to pray for the
Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, there is not the slightest hint or suggestion that Peter
and John taught the Samaritans to tarry or to wait before they could be filled with the Holy
Spirit.
ACTS 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the
word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, 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.)