"Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:5).
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4).
God is holy (I Peter 1:16). In fact, God alone is holy in Himself. Furthermore, God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and there is only one Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:4). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 3:16-17 with 6:19-20). One of the titles of the Holy Spirit is "Spirit of God" (Romans 8:9).
The titles "Holy Ghost" and "Holy Spirit" are interchangeable, with the KJV ordinarily using the former but sometimes the latter (Luke 11:13; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30…). The original Greek text, however, uses only one phrase, pneuma hagion. All major translations since the KJV have uniformly chosen "Holy Spirit" since it is more understandable for modern English readers.
This title for God emphasizes His holiness and His spiritual nature. The Bible uses it most frequently in reference to the part of God's activity among and in mankind that only a Spirit can perform. The New Testament particularly associates the Holy Spirit with God's work of regeneration and His dwelling in man (John 3:5; 14:16-17).
This is a vital New Testament experience with God. The KJV speaks of being "baptized with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 1:5). With in this phrase comes from the Greek word en, which can also be rendered in, as both TAB and NIV note.
The word baptism means plunging, dipping, or immersing. By using this terminology, the Bible depicts the experience as a complete immersion in the Spirit of God. At the same time, the Bible describes a person who receives this experience as being filled with the Spirit. These are complementary (not contradictory) illustrations, for when an empty container is completely submerged into liquid it is not only surrounded but also completely filled with the liquid. These descriptions communicate the idea that a person who receives the Holy Spirit achieves a close personal union with God. He lives in constant contact with God, and God becomes a part of his life. He becomes a temple in which God dwells, and the Spirit of God affects his every thought and action.
The Book of Acts describes the baptism of the Spirit in many ways: "filled with the Holy Ghost" (2:4); "the promise of the Holy Ghost" (2:33); "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (2:38); "the Holy Ghost fell on all them" (10:44); "poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost" (10:45); "received the Holy Ghost" (10:47); and "the Holy Ghost came on them" (19:6). The epistles explain that the Holy Spirit dwells in us (Romans 8:9).
All these phrases simply identify the same New Testament experience in different ways. When empty human vessels are baptized in the Spirit, they are filled with the Spirit. When God pours out His Spirit on people, the Spirit comes on them, they receive the Spirit, and they are filled with the Spirit. When God gives the Spirit, He fulfills His promise and men receive the Spirit. The following chart demonstrates the equivalence of all these phrases.
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| Baptized | Came on | Fell on | Filled | Gift | Received | Poured | |
| Came on (upon) | 1:5, 8 | ||||||
| Fell on | 11:15-16 | 10:44-47; 19:2, 6 | |||||
| Filled with | 1:5; 2:4 | 1:5, 8; 2:4 | 2:4; 11:15 | ||||
| Gift | 11:15-17 | 2:38; 19:2, 6 | 10:44-45 | 2:4; 11:17 | |||
| Received | 1:5; 2:33 | 19:2, 6 | 10:44, 47 | 2:4, 33 | 2:38 | ||
| Poured out | 10:45; 11:15-16 | 1:8; 2:16-18 | 10:44-45 | 2:4, 16-17 | 10:45 | 10:45, 47 | |
| Promise | 1:4-5 | 1:4, 8 | 1:4-5; 11:15-16 | 2:4, 33 | 2:38-39 | 2:33 | 1:4; 2:16-17 |
Some of these descriptions compare the Holy Spirit to water, and Jesus described the Spirit as living water that would quench spiritual thirst (John 4:14; 7:38). However, the Holy Spirit is not actually a fluid but is God Himself. The Bible also associates the Spirit with fire (Matthew 3:11) and wind (John 3:8), but the Spirit is not literally fire, wind, or water.
This phrase appears in Acts as the equivalent of "baptized with the Holy Ghost," with both describing the initial experience of receiving the Spirit of God to dwell in one's life.
Some time after Pentecost a number of Spirit-baptized believers came together for a prayer meeting and were filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 4:31). God met with these believers in a mighty way and renewed their original experience. When Peter spoke to the Jewish religious council he was "filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 4:8). Paul, "filled with the Holy Ghost," prophesied that the sorcerer Barjesus would be blind for a time (Acts 13:9). From these instances we see that filled may mean a special, momentary endowment of power to one who has already been baptized in the Spirit. Today, many speak of this endowment as being anointed by the Spirit.
Other verses use the term "filled" to describe the continual dwelling of the Spirit in one who has been baptized in the Spirit. The seven men chosen to assist the apostles were "full of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:3, 5). Paul exhorted the Ephesian church to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). The latter verse is an exhortation to Spirit-baptized believers to let the Spirit continually control them. In this sense, to be "filled with the Spirit" is basically the same as to "walk after the Spirit" (Romans 8:4), meaning to receive daily guidance and power from the Spirit.
Even when a backslider repents, he is not "baptized" with the Spirit again, but refilled. Due to the backslider's faithlessness and disobedience, he is disinherited, but he is not "unborn." The historic fact of his regeneration and justification is still a reality. When he repents he does not need to be "born again" another time. He does not experience a second baptism of water or a second baptism of the Spirit, for the original baptism of water and Spirit becomes effective again when he repents. Instead, he is simply restored to a justified status and entitled once again to inherit eternal life as an obedient son of God.
In sum, the phrase "filled with the Spirit" can convey any one of these three meanings in apostolic church usage: (1) the initial Spirit baptism; (2) the daily guidance and power that the Spirit grants to Spirit-baptized believers who continue to yield to Him, and (3) subsequent experiences that renew the initial experience.
We must distinguish the baptism of the Spirit from all Old Testament experiences with God. The filling of the Spirit in Acts is different from the filling of the Spirit that John the Baptist had. It is a new experience for a new church. (See later section.)
As the chart indicates, every description of the work of the Spirit in the initial experience of salvation can be equated with the baptism of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is the same as the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5; Chapter 4 - Birth of Water and Spirit.) The Spirit first begins to "dwell" in a person's life when he is baptized with the Spirit. Any other alternative would not be logical. For example, how can the Spirit dwell in a person if he has not received the Spirit, if he has not been filled with the Spirit, if the Spirit has not come upon him, or if the Spirit has not fallen upon him?
First Corinthians 12:13 settles any doubt in this matter: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." The Greek preposition translated by is en - the same preposition used in Acts 1:5. We could translate the sentence as, "With one Spirit we are all baptized into one body" or "In one Spirit we are all baptized into one body," as the NIV indicates in a footnote. The Greek phrasing demonstrates that Paul referred to the same experience Jesus had promised in Acts 1:5. Thus, the baptism of the Spirit is part of salvation and not an experience subsequent to salvation.
Most theologians recognize the essentiality of being filled with the Holy Spirit, that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is part of the new birth. Bloesch said, "We insist that the baptism of the Spirit must not be distinguished from the new birth" [73] Another non-Pentecostal theologian, Anthony Hoekema stated, "If we have been born again, we have the Spirit, since only the Spirit can regenerate us." [74] He also wrote, "Baptism in the Spirit is not an experience distinct from and usually subsequent to conversion… but is simultaneous with conversion and an integral aspect of conversion…. All Christians have been Spirit-baptized. Spirit-baptism is… identical with regeneration." [75]
The baptism of the Spirit is the means by which we receive Christ into our lives. There is no separation between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Christ dwells in us by the indwelling of the Spirit (Ephesians 3:16-17). "The Lord is the Spirit," and the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:17-18, NIV). It is impossible to receive Christ on one occasion and receive the Spirit on another, for there is only one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4; I Corinthians 12:13). When we are baptized in the Spirit we receive Christ into our lives.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is just the beginning of a continual life of being filled with the Spirit. It is not an experience only for the select few, nor is it a post-conversional experience received only after long tarrying and agonizing. Rather, it is part of conversion and it comes with repentance and faith. A person who receives the Spirit has not reached a point of perfection, but has simply begun to live a Christian life. After being baptized in the Spirit, he must seek to be renewed continually by submitting to the leading of the Spirit, letting Him have full control, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Some people teach that the Spirit baptism is a second or third "work of grace," meaning an instantaneous experience subsequent to saving conversion. Most Protestant denominations regard the baptism of the Spirit as part of conversion and deny the existence of instantaneous works of grace thereafter. The Holiness movement of the 1800's taught that there was a second work of grace after conversion, called sanctification, in which a person is completely purified of indwelling sin.
In the early 1900's, many Holiness people received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with tongues and classified that experience as a third work of grace. Others who received the Spirit baptism held that sanctification is a continual process throughout a person's Christian life, and so classified the Spirit baptism either as a second work of grace or as part of conversion itself. In light of our analysis of biblical teaching and terminology, we con dude that the baptism of the Spirit is neither a second work nor a third work but part of conversion and regeneration.
The New Testament church began on the Day of Pentecost after Christ's ascension. John the Baptist did not start the church but only prepared the way for Jesus. Jesus declared John to be as great as any prophet, but then He said, "He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he" (Luke 7:28).
Everyone who participates in God's rule today, which is accomplished by His indwelling Spirit, has greater spiritual privileges, blessings, and power than John had. John preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:1-2); the message of the kingdom began with him (Matthew 11:11-13; Luke 16:16). However, he did not participate in the fulness of that kingdom, for the fulness of grace came only through Christ (John 1:16-17). He did not have the baptism of the Spirit, but he preached that Jesus would baptize with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11).
Jesus did not found the New Testament church during His earthly ministry, but He spoke of the church in the future tense: "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). He told the disciples shortly before His ascension that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit would give them power, and then they would become witnesses (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8).
The New Testament church dates from the Day of Pentecost rather than from John's preaching or the Lord's earthly ministry. God had designed a new covenant with man, and this covenant required Christ's death and resurrection before it would come into effect. This new covenant or new testament (both covenant and testament in the KJV come from the single Greek word diatheke) includes the promise of the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31-33; II Corinthians 3:3-6).
Before the new covenant could come into effect, Jesus had to die: "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator" (Hebrews 9:15-16). Jesus became the mediator of the new covenant by His death, and His resurrection made the death effective (Romans 4:24-25). Therefore, the Holy Spirit was given only after Christ's death and resurrection: "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39); "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). The New Testament church began on the Day of Pentecost, after Christ's death, burial, and resurrection made the new covenant (testament) available.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a new experience given to the New Testament church after Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension (John 7:39; 16:7). Just before Christ's ascension He promised the Spirit as a new, future experience to be received by His disciples while they tarried in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:4-8). This promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 33).
No one before Acts 2:1-4 received this experience. The new covenant is a "better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (Hebrews 8:6), one of which is the promise of the Holy Ghost. After Hebrews 11 lists many great men of faith in the Old Testament, it closes by stating that they had not received the promise: "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40).
The prophets predicted the gift of the Spirit and desired to participate in its glory, but God reserved the Holy Spirit baptism for the New Testament church: "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you… Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven" (I Peter 1:10,12).
That the Spirit of God dealt with men in many different ways in the Old Testament is clearly stated in Scripture. Men of God were moved by the Holy Ghost (II Peter 1:21). The Spirit of God anointed chosen vessels for specific purposes. However, beginning with Pentecost, God made a new experience and a greater dimension of His Spirit available. Today we can have His abiding presence in our lives, imparting power to overcome sins in a way unknown under the law (Romans 8:3-4). This inner power of the Spirit is a key factor that distinguishes the new covenant from the old (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 11:19). Before Pentecost, men were not regenerated (born again) in the New Testament sense; they did not have the Spirit baptism described in the Book of Acts.
Before Pentecost, John the Baptist, his mother Elisabeth, and his father Zacharias were "filled with the Holy Ghost" at specific times (Luke 1:15, 41, 67). Their experience, however, was not the experience of the New Testament church, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given. John did not have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, nor did his disciples (Luke 3:16, 7:28; Acts 19:1-6). In Luke 1, the phrase, "filled with the Holy Ghost," describes an Old Testament experience in which God's Spirit moved on people at a particular time for a particular purpose. In John's case, the Spirit anointed him and separated him from his mother's womb for a special ministry just as He had done with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). John's parents were temporarily endued with power of the Spirit to give prophetic utterances. Only after Pentecost does "filled with the Holy Ghost" specifically refer to the New Testament Spirit baptism, which first became available at that time.
Although the Old Testament prophets did not receive the Spirit baptism, they did record God's promises concerning the coming of the Spirit (I Peter 1:10-12): "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28-29). Peter quoted this prophecy and applied it to the baptism of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-18).
God promised a new covenant in which He would write His laws upon the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:31-33). This promise is fulfilled by the outpouring of the Spirit, who writes the laws of God on our hearts (II Corinthians 3:3-6) and who gives us power to fulfill the righteousness of the law (Romans 8:3-4). God said, "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19; see 36:26). In another prophetic passage He stated, "Neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:29).
John the Baptist preached the promise of the Holy Spirit baptism: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matthew 3:14). John did not preach that the Spirit was only for a select few, but for everyone who repented and received his baptism. God gave John a sign whereby he would recognize the One who would fulfill the promise (Jesus): "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost" (John 1:33).
Jesus both promised the Spirit baptism and commanded His disciples to receive the Spirit, as the following quotations demonstrate:
This last passage teaches several very important things: (1) The Holy Spirit is promised to all who believe on Jesus. (2) Belief in Christ must be in accordance with the teaching of Scripture, not divorced from it. (3) To believe is not just mental assent at a certain point in time, but continual believing, as the use of the present tense indicates. (4) The gift of the Holy Ghost to which Jesus referred did not come until after His glorification, which was accomplished by His resurrection and ascension. He specifically meant the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, and this is the experience all believers should receive.
Shortly before Christ's death He emphasized to His disciples that the Holy Ghost would come after He left them. Furthermore, He said the Holy Ghost would be Himself in another form - in Spirit rather than in flesh: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:16-17).
Jesus reiterated the promise of the Spirit after His resurrection and turned it into a command. He commanded His disciples, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). They did not receive the Spirit at that time, as Luke's account makes clear. "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" (Luke 24:49); "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. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence… But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Other accounts of the Great Commission record the Lord's promise to be with His disciples until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20) as well as His promise to give all believers power to cast out devils, speak with new tongues, be victorious over serpents, be protected against poison, and pray successfully for the healing of the sick (Mark 16:17-18). All these promises come to pass through the indwelling power of the Spirit.
The New Testament church continued to proclaim the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a promise and a command to all. Peter preached the promise on the Day of Pentecost with the support of all the apostles (Acts 2:38). Paul emphasized the need of the Spirit (Acts 19:1-6). He wrote, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9). Paul defined the kingdom of God as "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).
The New Testament consists of four divisions: (1) Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), (2) Church History (Acts), (3) Epistles (Romans to Jude), and (4) Prophecy (Revelation). The Gospels are historical accounts of the life, teachings, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. None of them describes the establishing of a church; they describe the One who would establish the church upon His person, teaching, and work. The Book of Acts is a narrative history of the New Testament church, describing its beginning in Jerusalem and its spread to all Judea, Samaria, and the Gentile world. The Epistles are letters of instruction and admonition written to born-again believers to help them in Christian living. While the Epistles do contain references to the initial conversion experience, they assume the readers have already been born of water and the Spirit. The Book of Revelation is also addressed to established churches and believers, revealing God's plan for the future.
Acts is the only book in the Bible to contain historical accounts of people who received the new birth experience in the New Testament church, including all accounts of Christian water baptism and Spirit baptism. Because of the nature and purpose of the book, it contains most of the direct evidence relative to the question, "How can I be saved?" The Book of Acts is the pattern and norm for the New Testament church, not the exception. If Acts is not the norm, then the Bible gives no example of what the church should be like. The five accounts of the Spirit baptism in Acts are not exhaustive, but representative of the way in which God poured out His Spirit across the entire spectrum of humanity.
In obedience to Christ's command, approximately 120 disciples returned to Jerusalem after His ascension to await the baptism of the Spirit. Included in this number were the twelve apostles (with Matthias replacing Judas), Mary the mother of Jesus, the brothers of Jesus, and several women (Acts 1:12-26). It appears that they were gathered in an upper room on the Day of Pentecost, a Jewish feast day that came fifty days after the Passover. (The Greek word pentecoste literally means "fiftieth day") On this first Pentecost after Christ's ascension, the 120 received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues (Acts 2:1-4).
Some people contend that only the twelve apostles received the Spirit, but this is demonstrably incorrect: (1) Jesus gave the promise to all those at His ascension, not just to the Twelve. (2) All the 120 went to the upper room to await the fulfillment of the promise, and we find no record that any of them left. (3) In Joel's prophecy, which Peter applied to Pentecost, God said He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, including sons, daughters, young men, old men, servants, and handmaidens (Acts 2:1648). This certainly describes more than the Twelve; all 120, including the women, received the Spirit.
We can assume that an additional 3000 received the Spirit in response to Peter's sermon, as shown by the following: (1) Peter promised the gift of the Holy Ghost to all who heard his word (Acts 2:38-39), and 3000 received his word gladly (Acts 2:41). Peter began his sermon by explaining what had just happened to him; he ended it by offering the same experience to his audience. (2) The 3000 believed his message and applied it to their lives, and he preached that the gift of the Holy Ghost was available to them. (3) The 3000 were baptized (Acts 2:41). Even if this means water baptism alone, the Spirit was promised to all who would repent and be baptized in water. (4) The 3000 were "added unto them," namely to the 120 who had just received the Spirit. We conclude, as does The Pulpit Commentary, that 3120 received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. [76]
The 3120 were all Jews and Jewish proselytes, for much later Jewish Christians still were not certain that Gentiles could be saved (Acts 10-11). Some could have been proselytes - Gentiles by birth but Jews by conversion (Acts 2:10). The 120 were mostly Galileans, but the 3000 included Jews from many different countries who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:5-11).
The company of believers later came together to pray and were "all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 4:31). This was not a first-time Spirit baptism but a renewal and an anointing of the Spirit-baptized Jewish believers.
In conclusion, the Day of Pentecost represents the first occurrence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, specifically, the first outpouring on the Jews.
The second recorded Spirit baptism (i.e., outpouring of the Spirit on people for their first time) occurred in Samaria. Racially and religiously, the Samaritans were a mixture of Jew and Gentile and thus constituted a class of people distinct from either.
Philip the evangelist (one of the Seven, not one of the Twelve) took the gospel to Samaria. The Samaritans listened to him, saw miracles (including healing and casting out of evil spirits), had great joy, believed his message and were baptized in water in the name of Jesus. However, despite all this they had not received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:6-16).
This incident reveals that the baptism of the Spirit is a definite experience not to be confused with and not necessarily accompanying miracles, great emotion, mental belief, repentance or water baptism. When the apostles heard what was happening in Samaria, they sent Peter and John. When Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans and laid hands on them, they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17).
The Samaritans did not receive the Holy Ghost until Peter and John laid hands on them. Apparently they were not fully prepared earlier. They had "believed Philip," but evidently they had not committed themselves totally to Christ. When Peter and John arrived, prayed for them, and laid hands on them, their faith increased to the point of receiving the Spirit.
This story does not teach that one of the twelve apostles had to bestow the Holy Ghost, for Paul was filled with the Spirit when Ananias prayed for him (Acts 9), and the Ephesians received the Holy Ghost when Paul prayed for them (Acts 19). Similarly, the laying on of hands is riot an absolute requirement, for the 120 received the Spirit without this act (Acts 2), and so did Cornelius (Acts 10).
The laying on of hands has the following significance and purpose: (1) it demonstrates submission to God's plan and leadership; (2) it symbolizes the bestowal of God's blessing, promise, and calling; and (3) it helps instill faith in the seeker.
The experience of the Samaritans demonstrates that one can believe to a certain extent and even be baptized in water and yet not receive the Spirit. There is no salvation without the Spirit (Romans 8:9), 50 the Samaritans needed the baptism of the Spirit to complete their salvation, as the case of Simon the Magician exemplifies. Hoekema says, "The Samaritans were not true believers when Philip baptized them, and therefore did not receive the Spirit for salvation until the apostles laid hands en them… . Could it not be that the whole point of the narrative is to teach that salvation is impossible without the Holy Spirit?" [77] Most other Protestant commentators agree that the Samaritans were not saved until they received the Spirit. [78]
God arrested Saul of Tarsus (Paul) by a light from heaven, but we find no indication that Paul was saved at this moment. Rather, the Lord told him, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do" (Acts 9:6). God sent Paul to Ananias in order for Paul to receive his sight and "be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 9:17). When Ananias laid hands on Paul and prayed for him, Paul immediately received his sight, arose, and was baptized (Acts 9:18).
We can safely assume Paul received the Holy Ghost at this time although the Bible does not specifically describe Paul's Spirit baptism. But we know the Lord's stated purpose must have been accomplished. Paul's writings and ministry confirm that he indeed received the Spirit. Again Hoekema's analysis is useful: "We conclude that Saul's conversion was not an instantaneous happening but a three-day experience. Saul's being filled with the Spirit at the end of the three days, therefore, must not be understood as a 'Spirit-baptism' which occurred after his conversion, but as an integral aspect of his conversion." [79] Bloesch agrees that Paul's new birth occurred when he received the Spirit at his baptism by Ananias. [80]
The next account of the Spirit baptism centers around Cornelius, a Roman centurion (captain over one hundred men) who lived in the city of Caesarea. He was devout, feared God, gave much alms, prayed to God often, and even had an angelic visitation. Despite all of these qualities and honorable activities, he was not saved. The angel told him to send for Peter, "who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:14). Probably he had repented but had not received the Holy Spirit and so was not saved.
Cornelius was not a Jew, either by birth or conversion, but a Gentile. Upon God's direct command, Peter went to Caesarea and preached to Cornelius, his kinsmen, and his friends. While Peter was preaching, his Gentile listeners all received the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues (Acts 10:44-46). Peter identified this sign as the baptism of the Spirit - the same gift that the Jews received on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 11:15-17). This is a very significant account, because it marks the first time that Gentiles were baptized with the Spirit.
When Paul met about twelve disciples of John the Baptist in the city of Ephesus, he asked, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2). They answered, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" (Acts 19:2).
Possibly these disciples had never heard John preach about the Spirit baptism, or more likely, they did not know the time had actually come to receive the promised experience. They were probably saying, "We have not heard whether the Holy Ghost is given yet," (See John 7:39, which literally says "The Holy Ghost was not yet" but which the KJV translates as "The Holy Ghost was not yet given.") At any rate, Paul next asked these men, "Then what baptism did you receive?" (Acts 19:3, NIV).
When he found that they had received only John's baptism, he rebaptized them in the name of Jesus. Then he prayed for them and laid hands on them, upon which they received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:6).
It is enlightening to see Paul's approach to these "believers." He was not content until he asked two very important questions: (1) Have you received the Holy Ghost? and (2) How were you baptized? He taught them and worked with them until they were baptized in the name of Jesus and received the Holy Ghost with the sign of tongues.
This incident is extremely important to us today because it provides strong evidence that baptism in the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Spirit with tongues were the norm for the entire New Testament church. Not only is this evident from Paul's two questions for "believers," but it is also apparent from the very fact that God chose to record this incident. If it were not for Acts 19, the other accounts could possibly be explained away as unusual, one-time events. For example, Acts 2 records the birth of the church among the Jews, Acts S records the extension of the gospel to the Samaritans, and Acts 10 records its extension to the Gentiles. However, no such special circumstances existed in Acts 19; Acts 19 shows that the baptism of the Holy Ghost with tongues is for all who believe on Jesus.
Hoekema attempts to explain away Acts 2, 8, and 10 as described above and then admits that Acts 19 is "probably the most baffling of all the passages in Acts associated with glossolalia [speaking in tongues]." [81] Nevertheless, he attempts to explain why the Ephesians needed this experience while we supposedly do not: "(1) The faith which these Ephesian believers had when Paul first came to them was not full-orbed Christian faith but a faith which was quite incomplete. (2) There were special circumstances which made the bestowal of glossolalia on these Ephesian disciples necessary" [82] These "special circumstances," be contends, were: (1) They had not heard about the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost and thus needed tongues to convince them that it had in fact occurred. (2) They were a prominent group of believers who were to form the nucleus of the Ephesian church, yet they did not have an adequate understanding of Christianity. For the sake of the Ephesian church, this nucleus needed tongues to complete their understanding.
It should be noted that all of this reasoning applies with equal force today. The baptism of the Spirit is still necessary to complete Christian faith. Tongues are still needed as a sign of the outpouring of the Spirit. People still need to be convinced that the Spirit has been given. The Spirit is still necessary to transform a small group of believers into the nucleus of a local church. Whatever reasons God had for giving the Ephesians the baptism of the Spirit, those reasons are still valid for individuals and local congregations today. If anything, we have a greater need today for people to come to a complete Christian faith and to understand that the Spirit has indeed been poured out on the church.
Our study of these five cases demonstrates two important concepts this chapter has emphasized: (1) The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of salvation for the New Testament church age (the new birth) and not a separate experience subsequent to salvation. (2) The baptism of the Spirit is for all people in the New Testament church age (from Pentecost to the Second Coming of Christ), not just for a special group segregated from us by race, nationality, time, or position.
Some people object to the teaching that the baptism of the Spirit is essential on the basis of people in the Gospels who were saved without receiving the Spirit, such as Christ's disciples before Pentecost, the thief on the cross, and others whom Jesus forgave of sins. However, these examples occurred under the Law and in a unique transitional period in salvation history. The Holy Spirit was not given, and the New Testament church did not exist until the Day of Pentecost.
During the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, He upheld the old covenant as the path to eternal life (Luke 10:25-28) and commanded His followers to obey the Law of Moses (Matthew 19:16-19; 23:1-3, 23). He told an adulteress, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11), leaving her with the Law as a moral guide. He told one leper He healed, "Go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded" (Matthew 8:4), and He told ten other lepers, "Go shew yourselves unto the priests" (Luke 17:14).
Those who accepted Christ's message were saved under the old covenant while they waited for the new covenant and the promised Holy Spirit. They were saved in harmony with the Law not in contradiction to it. For example Jesus served as both sacrificial lamb and high priest for the thief on the cross. Before Pentecost, God expected people to follow the Law; after Pentecost God expects them to follow the gospel for the New Testament church age.
A few people hold that the baptism of the Spirit was only for the apostles or the apostolic age. However, the Spirit was promised to and received by men, women, young, old, Jew Samaritan, and Gentile. Joel promised this experience to all flesh in the latter days (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16-1 8). If Pentecost was in the latter days, then all subsequent history is also. Peter told the crowd at Pentecost, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). He expressly promised the gift to their children, which included some not yet born and also some who would live past the days of the twelve apostles.
"All that are afar off" included those distant from the Day of Pentecost both in space and in time. The call of the Lord extends to everyone - to "whosoever will" (Revelation 22:17). The example of the Ephesians shows that the baptism of the Spirit is for everyone and was not just given once to each national group as an unrepeatable experience. Indeed, the Bible promises the Spirit to all believers (John 7:38-39; Acts 11:15-17) and to all who ask (Luke 11:13).
Those who say the Book of Acts is not for today have the burden of proof. If Acts is not the pattern for the New Testament church, what is? Where in the Bible does God retract His promises relative to the baptism of the Spirit? Where does the Bible say the experience of the Book of Ads is not for today? We must conclude that the promise of the Spirit is still ours today.
Some claim that people in the Book of Acts were saved without receiving the Spirit. For example, the Bible does not explicitly record that the following received the Holy Spirit: the 5000 who believed after the healing of the lame man (Acts 4:4), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8), Lydia (Acts 16), and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16). However, this is an argument from silence. No verse says they did not receive the Spirit. The Bible simply does not go into detail to describe all these conversions. Just as the Gospels record only representative miracles and events in Christ's ministry for lack of space (John 21:25), 50 Acts describes only a sampling of the important conversion experiences. God inspired Luke to choose five accounts of the Spirit baptism that would have great symbolic significance for later ages. Luke recorded enough to establish a precedent for every situation so that it was not necessary to record every other case or to describe other conversions in detail.
Even so, there is still evidence that all converts received the Spirit. The 5000 "believed" and Lydia "believed," and true belief leads to receiving the Spirit. The eunuch and the jailer both received an experience that caused rejoicing, which probably was the result of the baptism of the Spirit.
In sum, five key examples include the baptism of the Spirit as part of conversion, and these five cases represent all classes of people. A number of other conversion experiences are not told in detail, but the accounts of many of them imply the baptism of the Spirit while none specifically excludes it. We conclude that the five examples were meant to establish the pattern. The less specific cases should be read in light of the five examples given to us. Under no circumstances can mere silence or lack of a complete description overthrow the clear evidence of the five cases Acts records.
Since the baptism of the Holy Spirit is part of salvation and is available to us today, the Spirit is not difficult to receive. God promises His Spirit to all who ask (Luke 11:13), believe (John 7:38-39), and obey His Word (Acts 5:32). The seeker must have faith in God's promise, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Peter promised the Spirit to All who would repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). The example of the Samaritans shows that in the absence of complete faith, water baptism cannot automatically bring the Spirit. Moreover, the example of Cornelius shows that the Spirit can come before water baptism. The recipient must totally submit himself to God, willing to do anything God requires. At that point of complete submission and released faith, God pours out His Spirit. If the recipient has not been baptized in water in Jesus' name, he is commanded to do this as soon as possible.
Repentance is necessary. For the Holy Spirit to dwell in a life, that person must turn from sin and separate himself from spiritual uncleanliness (II Corinthians 6:16-7:1). Only God can make him righteous, but he must express a desire to turn from sin and receive pardon, ask for God's help in turning from sin, and surrender totally to God.
If someone will repent and have faith, God will give His Spirit, even though that person may have some false concepts in other areas, such as water baptism. In such cases, God grants His Spirit to lead the sincere person into further truth. God is not looking for reasons to deny the seeker, but He will give His Spirit to anyone who meets the conditions of repentance and faith as set forth in His Word.
If someone wants the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he should come to God with faith, believing His Word and expecting to receive the promise. He should repent from his sins by confessing them, asking pardon, pledging to do God's will (with His help), and totally surrendering to Him. He should determine in his mind that he wants God's Spirit that very day, regardless of what God may require of him in the future. After he repents and makes this total commitment, he should begin to praise God for hearing and answering prayer. Then, the Spirit will come in, take complete control, and inspire the seekers to speak in a language he has never learned. Often, the laying on of hands after repentance helps the seeker focus his faith at a point in time and receive the Spirit. This was a very common practice in the Early Church, although it was not a prerequisite for receiving the Spirit.
It is not wise to emphasize expectation and praise until the seeker has repented, for no matter how much he praises God he cannot receive the Spirit without repentance.
Receiving the Spirit is only as difficult as the seeker makes it. It takes only as much time as he needs to repent and surrender completely to God, which may be just a moment. Tarrying for long periods of time or seeking many times is not necessary. Those who do not receive the Spirit either lack faith to receive or have not fully repented and yielded every area of their lives to God. The 120 on the Day of Pentecost had to wait seven to ten days for the first outpouring, but since that time the Spirit has been freely available to all.
If people are taught how important it is to receive the Spirit baptism, how simple it really is to be filled with the Spirit, and how to prepare their hearts, they usually receive the Spirit easily. If the necessity of the Spirit baptism is taught many people will be filled. On the other hand, if the experience is merely presented as an optional blessing, most people will not. If repentance and faith are taught, most seekers will receive the Spirit in the water of baptism or when hands are laid upon them after repentance.
Young children, the elderly, the uneducated, the educated, the poor, and the rich all receive the Spirit. Buddhists and others from non-Christian backgrounds often receive the Spirit on their first visit to a Christian church. The accounts of Cornelius and the Ephesians both show that a person can receive the Spirit instantly, at the moment he repents and believes.
When a person is baptized in the Spirit, he receives the Spirit of Christ in his life on a permanent basis (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 3:16-17). He becomes a part of God's spiritual family, and God's Spirit begins to guide him. The Bible describes this in several ways: (1) By the Spirit we are born into the kingdom of God (John 3:5); (2) the Spirit adopts us into the family of God (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:5-6); (3) the Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13); (4) the Spirit sanctifies us (I Corinthians 6:11; I Peter 1:2); (5) the Spirit is the seal of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13); and (6) the Spirit is the earnest (pledge, guarantee, first installment) of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). In short, receiving the Spirit is part of our salvation. Of course, as Chapter 4 - Birth of Water and Spirit discussed, we should not sharply separate the baptism of the Spirit from water baptism since they join together to complete the new birth and bring all the benefits of salvation.
In addition to being part of salvation, the baptism of the Spirit brings power (II Timothy 1:7), which includes: (1) power to witness and be a living testimony that Christ saves from sin (Acts 1:8); (2) power to overcome sin, live righteously, and mortify the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:4, 13); and (3) resurrection power when Christ comes for His church (Romans 8:11).
The Spirit brings rest and refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12; Acts 3:19), and gives a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The Spirit becomes a teacher, a guide into all truth, and an illuminator of the Word of God (John 14:26; 16:13). He also becomes our intercessor and way of access to God (Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 2:18). Finally, the Spirit works in our lives to give the ninefold fruit of the Spirit; namely, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 5:5; 14:17).
All these works of the Spirit reinforce the doctrine that receiving the Spirit is essential to salvation. Without all the above workings of the Spirit, we cannot successfully live a victorious Christian life that is pleasing to God. Anyone who tries to be saved without receiving God's Spirit is attempting to be saved by his own efforts and is doomed to failure.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the normal, basic New Testament experience with God. It is the birth of the Spirit. God has promised this experience to all who will believe Him and has commanded all to receive the Spirit. A person can receive the Spirit today by simply repenting of sin, having faith in God, and asking God for His gift. Once he receives the Holy Spirit, He will give him power to overcome sin and live a holy life. If a person lets he Spirit continually fill (control and guide) him, he will bear the fruit of the Spirit and truly live a Christ-like life.