Receiving the Holy Spirit at Confirmation

[Cary.Melvin]

Do Anglicans believe that an individual Christian receives or gets baptised into the Holy Spirt at confirmation?

Also who ministers Confirmation? Your Bishop? Your Priest? Someone Else?

Thanks,

[pmcleanj]

The outward and visible sign of Confirmation, is the laying-on-of-hands by the Bishop.

The inward and spiritual grace of Confirmation is the strengthening of the Holy Spirit for the work of ministry.

[Mysterium_Fidei]

Confirmation is usually reserved to a bishop, but a priest can confirm. I was confirmed by a Roman Catholic priest, and my confirmation was accepted in the Episcopal Church though the minister of my confirmation was not a bishop.

[alban]

Do Anglicans believe that an individual Christian receives or gets baptised into the Holy Spirt at confirmation?

Confirmation isn't receiving the Holy Spirit, or baptism. Confirmation is one of the sacrements which the Church acknowledges whereby an individual is
, as pmcleanj stated, an individual is strengthed by the Spirit. For an Anglican baptism and confirmation are distinct occurences.

[ahab]

I didnt receive the Holy Spirit at confirmation, I received it when I came to believe and accepted that Jesus should be Lord of my life.


:)

[Augustinian]

I didnt receive the Holy Spirit at confirmation, I received it when I came to believe and accepted that Jesus should be Lord of my life.


:)

:amen:

[Simon_Templar]

This is sometimes a confusing issue (the "receiving" of the Holy Spirit) because it involves distinquishing between different roles played by the Holy Spirit, in a sense.

It is clear from scripture that anyone who has Christ, has the Holy Spirit, however, it is also clear in scripture that the "indwelling" or "baptism" of the Holy Spirit is a different event that does not occer, necessarily at salvation/water baptism.

No one can be saved unless the Holy Spirit is already with them, convicting them and calling them to salvation. The Holy Spirit is also at work in water baptism imparting grace that joins us with Christ. However, It is clear that there is another, above and beyond, working of the Holy Spirit in our lives that is seen by the church as the sacrament of chrismation (in the east) which means "annointing" and linquisticly carries the conotation of annointing with grace and/or gifts. In this sacrament the Holy Spirit is imparted to the believer in a new way, above and beyond what they had previously experienced. This is what I believe Jesus meant when he said of the Holy Spirit "he has been with you, but he shall be in you".
In the western church, "chrismation" is known as "confirmation" because it is the confirmation of ones membership in the universal church and the kingdom of God because it is the Holy Spirit that seals us as believers. To some degree, I think the west has lost its focus on the annointing aspect of chrismation because we call it confirmation... this name tends to suggest simply confirmation as a member.. and so thats how many tend to view confirmation... simply as the membership process for joining a local church.

The "charismatic" movement in the west has recognized an element of what confirmation/chrismation should be.. but it has gone far overboard in some other areas.. particularly in focus.. its focus has become "the gifts" and the "empowerment" rather than the purpose for which the gifts are given, and for which we are empowered.

[Colabomb]

Do Anglicans believe that an individual Christian receives or gets baptised into the Holy Spirt at confirmation?

Also who ministers Confirmation? Your Bishop? Your Priest? Someone Else?

Thanks,
I believe we are Baptized in the Holy Ghost, when He decides to Baptize us.