INTRODUCTION
"What is the baptism with the Holy Spirit?" "Should I seek this experience?" These questions are becoming increasingly common as many modern churches propagate their conflicting views of this doctrine. Surely every child of God should desire to come back to the Bible for a fresh look at this subject. I. THE BIBLE RECORD
A. The Bible does not contain nearly as much on the baptism with the Spirit as one might suppose. There are several mentions of the prophecy that our Lord would baptize with the Spirit and a record in the book of Acts of the fulfillment of this prophecy. The doctrinal epistles of the New Testament contain no command for anyone to seek this experience and in fact never mention it. This of course sheds an interesting light on the teaching of those who believe that every Christian is to seek this experience.B. In searching the Bible record we should note that the New Testament contains five mentions of the prophecy that our Lord would baptize with the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11-12, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16-17, John 1:33, Acts 1:4-5). It is interesting to note that this prophecy is mentioned once in each of the historical books of the New Testament. (7) (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts).
C. In the book of Acts we have four instances of groups being baptized with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:1-11, we have an event that may be clearly identified as the baptism with the Spirit (Acts 1:5, 2:33). The events of Acts 10:44-46 may also be viewed as a baptism with the Spirit in light of Peter's words to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:15-17). We are also safe in considering the events of Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 19:1-7 to be of the same nature.
D. In examining the Bible record we cannot help but notice that in each case the circumstances were very different. The sound as of a rushing mighty wind and the cloven tongues like as the fire were only manifested on Pentecost (Acts chapter 2). In Acts chapters 2, 10, and 19, they spoke with tongues but did not in Acts chapter 8. In Acts chapters 8 and 19, the baptism is associated with the laying on of hands but in Acts chapters 2 and 10 it is not. The Circumstance that each case had in common was that in every instance the Spirit was poured out on a distinct and different group. Each outpouring was accompanied with signs that confirmed the reception of the Holy Spirit by that particular group. Let us now examine the purpose of this baptism.
II. THE "BAPTISM" A NEW DISPENSATION(8) OF THE SPIRIT.
A. The baptism with the Spirit was the initial dispensation of the Spirit in New Testament power and blessings to the various groups mentioned in Scripture (Luke 24:49). John the Baptist taught that only Messiah could baptize with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11). This was because the gift of the Spirit had to be purchased for us by the Lord Jesus. The workings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is a great part of Christ's salvation. The sending of the Spirit was proof that Christ's redemptive work was finished and accepted by the Father, and that Christ Jesus was glorified in Heaven (Acts 2:33, Galatians 3:13-14).B. In each recorded case of the baptism with the Spirit a different group received this blessing. In Acts 2 it was bestowed upon the Jewish saints. In Acts 8 the Samaritan believers were thus baptized. Samaritans were despised by Jews as half-breeds. In Acts 10 the Gentiles received the baptism with the Spirit. Acts 19 records how it came upon those who knew only John’s baptism.(9)
III. THE "BAPTISM" AS A SIGN.
A. The baptism with the Spirit was not only a bestowal of the Spirit but also an important sign. John the Baptist made it clear that they could recognize the Messiah by His ability to baptize with the Spirit. As stated before, the baptism with the Spirit proved Jesus to be the risen and glorified Lord (Acts 2:33).B. Notice now that the baptism with the Spirit not only verified the claims of Christ but also the authority of the local church. On the day of Pentecost (the feast of first fruits), Jews from all over the Roman Empire were gathered to worship God in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-11). There they encountered the first church made up of Christ's humble disciples. The Jewish Temple which had been the Father's house (Matthew 21:13, Matthew 23:38) was now left desolate by God from a spiritual aspect. The Christian assembly was now the House of God (I Timothy 3:15). Compared to the grandeur of Herod's Temple the little band of disciples was not impressive. Who would believe that this little assembly was now the place of divinely ordained worship?
C. The baptism of this first church with the Spirit certainly verified their claims. The sound as of a rushing mighty wind gave audible evidence of the Spirit's coming to the church. The appearance of fire was a symbol of God's presence. The tongues were also a sign to the unbelieving Jews (I Corinthians 14:21-22). These signs accredited the Lord's church and rendered the Jews excuseless should they reject their claims concerning the gospel. (Hebrews 2:1-4).(10)
The Baptism with the Spirit in Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 10:44-46 was the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Samaritans and the Gentiles. Again the baptism acted as a sign but this time it was for the saved Jews. This was necessary because even the Christian Jews of this time limited salvation to their own people. The Baptism of the spirit upon the Samaritans and the Gentiles gave Divine proof that they could also be saved and added to the churches of Christ apart from becoming Jewish proselytes. This is plainly seen in Peter's defense of his actions before the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:1-19). He used the baptism of the Spirit in Acfs chapter 10 as proof that the Gentiles were partakers of the same blessings that the Christian Jews had received. Had the household of Cornelius received the Spirit in the same way we do today neither Peter nor the Jerusalem Church would have been convinced that they were partakers of the gospel blessings. In this regard we see that tongues were a sign not only to the unsaved unbelievers but also to the saved Jews who did not believe in the salvation and grafting in of the Gentiles. CONCLUSION
In conclusion we might sum up some of the points brought out in this lesson and also state some of the deductions that maybe drawn from these points.
1. The baptism with the Spirit was the outpouring of the Spirit upon various peoples.
2. This dispensation of the Spirit was possible because of Christ’s finished work. Indeed it was Christ who did the baptizing (Acts 2:33).
3. This baptism was not bestowed on a day-by-day basis to individuals but rather it was given to a distinct group at a distinct time.
4. Once given this experience was not repeated, for the coming of the Spirit to any group was permanent. The signs that surrounded any certain baptism were sufficient to accredit that group once-and-for-all (Acts 11:15-18). The author for instance would never seek baptism with the Spirit because the Gentiles received this over nineteen hundred years ago as recorded in Acts chapter 10. It was sufficiently attested by signs at that time.
5. No one ever sought this experience nor was anyone ever commanded to seek it. It was given by God in His time. (Note how in Acts chapters 8 and 10 that both Philip and Peter were accosted by God for a certain work at a particular time in connection with the baptism).
6. This experience is not possible today unless someone can prove that there is a particular class of mankind who has never received the baptism with the Spirit. As the Jewish, Gentile, and Samaritan Christians have already received the baptism this would be impossible. _____________
Notes
7. A common error held by many modern Bible teachers is the claim that I Corinthians 12:13 refers to the baptism with the Spirit. One needs only to carefully read the verse and the folly of this claim is exposed. In the baptism with the Spirit:
1) Christ is doing the baptizing.
2) The Spirit is the "element" into which the baptizing is done.In I Corinthians 12:13:
1) The Spirit does the baptizing. 2) The body of Christ is the "element" into which we are baptized.
The context of I Corinthians 12:13 is the local church. People with various and differing spiritual gifts are added to the local church that it may function as a body. Paul uses the human body with its various members to illustrate how the local church operates. The baptism by which members are added to the church is obviously "water baptism."
This in no way contradicts the statement in I Corinthians 12:13 that the Spirit does the baptizing. In John 4:1 we are told that Christ baptized yet verse 2 goes on to explain that the actual act of baptism was performed by the apostles. John in essence was saying that the baptism was carried out by Christ's leadership and authority. Likewise I Corinthians 12:13 refers to water baptism being administered by the leadership of the Spirit. He alone can, through the new birth, make one a candidate for baptism and He alone can lead a church to baptize such a person.8: Because the word "dispensation" is used in different ways in theology, it might be well to explain that we are using the word according to its primary sense which is "a dispensing or distribution."
9. See addendum on page 63.
10. The authentication of the Lord's church by the baptism with the Spirit may be clearly illustrated by comparing the history of the church with that of Solomon’s Temple.
1) David collected the materials for the Temple - John the Baptist collected the materials for the church.
2) Solomon built the Temple - Christ built the church.
3) Solomon dedicated the Temple with a sacrifice - Christ redeemed the church by the sacrifice of Himself.
4) After the dedication the symbol of God's presence came to manifest God's acceptance of the Temple and His intention to dwell there. After Christ's death the Spirit descended on Pentecost to manifest that the church was the house of God.================= Go to Chapter Twenty-one of Holy Spirit Study
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