Whenever the Holy Spirit is the topic of discussion, sooner or later the conversation will get around to Holy Spirit Baptism. In the religious world, there is utter confusion and misunderstanding concerning this baptism, its purpose, who receives it, why it was given, and who can administer it.
Some claim that all people who wish to be saved must be baptized with the Holy Spirit; others affirm that no one today is baptized with the Holy Spirit. In some places, people are taught to pray to God for this baptism. Does God's word mention this baptism? Absolutely! Yet, many fail to "rightly divide the word" concerning the WHO, WHEN, and WHERE of this baptism. Please open your Bible and your mind, and let us examine what the pages of the holy scriptures teach us concerning this important subject.
In Joel 2, we read: "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams; and also on My menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls." {Joel 2:28-32}
"Come to pass afterward." After a heathen nation's punishment of the Jews, their deliverance, and the coming of Christ, then would come the outpouring of the Spirit.
"On all flesh." Includes all nations and peoples -- both Jews and Gentiles. This is the world's view of the word. Look at some other passages where it is used in a similar fashion: Genesis 6:12; Deuteronomy 5:26; Job 12:10; 34:14,15.
"I will pour out My Spirit." To "pour out" signifies communication in rich abundance, such as a rainfall or a waterfall. The prophet Joel is sometimes called the "prophet of Pentecost."
On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the first gospel sermon, he began by quoting Joel's prophecy. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophecy. Peter told them so, beginning in verse 16. After quoting the prophecy, Peter explained to his audience that they were witnessing the things about which Joel spoke. Was this "pouring out" a baptism? Later in this article, an examination of the text in Acts 2:1-4, provides an easy answer to that question. Remember, the apostles were to begin to preach in Jerusalem -- to the Jews. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." {Acts 1:8}
About Holy Spirit baptism, John the Baptist said: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." {Matthew 3:11} "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." {John 1:33} John spoke of two baptisms -- the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire. What, exactly, is baptism? Simply put, it is "an immersion, covering, or burial." To receive baptism, one must be "immersed."
John promised that Jesus Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He -- and none other-is the agent. No passage in the sacred text ascribes to any other, the authority to administer this special baptism. The Holy Spirit is the element involved in this baptism. "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." {Acts 1:5,8}
One of the most important points concerning Holy Spirit baptism is that it is a promise, not a command! We obey commands -- not promises. Jesus made this promise to a select group of people; He did not command them to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. There is no book, chapter, and verse that command it. The apostles, as we previously studied in John 14, 15, and 16, received some special promises concerning the Holy Spirit. Then, the Lord instructed them to "tarry" in Jerusalem until the power came upon them. The Holy Spirit was promised to, and came upon, them -- not us. Every creature, in every nation, is commanded (Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 15,16) to undergo water baptism. The scope is entirely different.
Christ, without human aid, administered Holy Spirit baptism. For proof, read:
- Matthew 3:11 "He shall baptize...;"
- Acts 2:33,34 "He hath shed forth this..."
- Acts 11: 15-17 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
In all these passages, God was the means through which the gift was given.
In a private conversation prior to His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus told His apostles: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." {John 14:26} "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me." {John 15:26} "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."{John 16:13}
He made these promises, and John wrote them down. The text begins in John 13:31 and continues through John 17. The Holy Spirit was never a command given to men but a promise made to the apostles. It was intended to assist with the special work for which God chose them. This point alone demonstrates the fallacy of the theory that Holy Spirit baptism is a command that must be obeyed.
Holy Spirit baptism was accompanied by signs. Acts 2 relates the account of the Day of Pentecost. "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." {Acts 2:1-4}
- They heard -- sound as of a mighty rushing wind.
- They saw -- tongues parting asunder -- like as of fire.
- They spoke -- ... began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Examine the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert. "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." {Acts 10:44-46}
- They heard -- speak with tongues.
- They saw -- fell on them ... as upon us in the beginning." (Acts 11:15)
Concerning Acts 2 and 10, our religious friends will say: "we totally agree." They believe that tongue speaking is evidence that the one speaking has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. In last month's issue, we thoroughly covered the subject of tongue speaking. In the Bible, those who spoke with tongues spoke in different languages, languages that the hearers could understand. This happened in the first century, during the time of spiritual gifts and the church's infancy. When people today speak in tongues, they speak nothing more than gibberish, incoherent, and unintelligible language. Their tongue speaking is the result of charged emotions and is not a sign from God! The two things are completely different.
A surer way of clearing up this particular question is to examine the purpose of the two baptisms.
The Apostles:
- Were guided into all truth (John 16:13).
- Received power to declare things that were to come (John 16:12,13).
- Bore witness to Christ (John 15:26,27; Acts 1:8; 5:32).
- Were given the ability to speak in tongues and to perform other signs, wonders, and miracles (Mark 16:17-20; Hebrews 2:3,4).
- Received guidance in completing their work of revealing God's word (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).
Household of Cornelius:
- Fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32.
The spirit had been poured out on both Jews and Gentiles. All were given access to the gospel of Christ. The Gentiles' acceptance of the gospel was affirmed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. God made no difference between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:6-9). The Jews were convinced that the Gentiles had been granted "repentance unto life" (Acts 10:45,46; 11:18).
Do you find it perplexing that not one example of Holy Spirit baptism was given in the other seven conversions recorded in Acts? Ephesians 4:5 says there is ONE baptism -- and we know that is water baptism! It is administered by men -- not God (Matthew 28:19,20).