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converts to the faith of Jesus (pbuh) were hallowed with
the Holy Spirit, and that there were numerous Unitarian
Christians who led a saintly and righteous life. On the
day of the Pentecost -that is, ten days after the Ascension
of Jesus Christ (pbuh) - the Spirit of God descended
upon the disciples and other believers numbering one
hundred and twenty persons, in the form of tongues
of fire (Acts ii.); and this number, which had received
the Holy Spirit in the form of one hundred and twenty
tongues of fire, was increased unto three thousand souls
who were baptized, but were not visited by the flame of
the Spirit. Surely one definite Spirit cannot be divided
into six-score of individuals. By the Holy Spirit, unless
definitely described as a personality, we may understand
it to be God’s power, grace, gift, action, and inspiration.
Jesus (pbuh) had promised this heavenly gift and power
to sanctify, enlighten, strengthen, and teach his flock;
but this Spirit was quite different from the Periqlyte
who alone accomplished the great work which Jesus
(pbuh) and after him the Apostles were not authorized and
empowered to accomplish, as we shall see later.

(d) The early Christians of the first and second
centuries relied more upon tradition than upon writings
concerning the new religion. Papias and others belong
to this category. Even in the lifetime of the Apostles
several sects, psecudochrists, Antichrists, and false
teachers, tore asunder the Church (1 John ii. 18-26; 2
Thess. ii. 1-12; 2 Peter ii. iii. 1; John 7-13; 1 Tim. iv. 1-3;
2 Tim. iii. 1-13; etc.). The “believers” are advised and
exhorted to stick to and abide by the Tradition, namely,
the oral teaching of the Apostles. These so-called
“heretical” sects, such as the Gnostics, Apollinarians,
Docetæ, and others, appear to have no faith in the fables,
legends, and extravagant views about the sacrifice and
the redemption of Jesus Christ (pbuh) as contained in