Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

[DerSchweik]

At a recent Wednesday night Bible class where we our studying the Holy Spirit, the teacher said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a 1 time event that happened at Pentecost. He said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was when He was poured out for everyone, but that only those who become Christians access this baptism. He used the passage in Ephesians about there being only 1 baptism as evidence of his point of view. I'd never heard this before. I did a Google search and found a CoC congregation's website that basically said the same thing. Is this a regular view of Churches of Christ? Growing up we never talked much about the Holy Spirit, but I don't ever remember hearing that the baptism of the Spirit was a 1 time thing.

It is my understanding that the "one baptism" of Ephesians ("one Lord, one faith, one baptism) refers to Christian baptism (Acts 2:38ff), the point at which we receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

What happened at Pentecost also happened in Cornelius' house - these events I have always understood to be the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" - a special outpouring by God of His Spirit first on Jews, then on Gentiles. Neither group expected the outpouring, or the attendant things that happened afterwards - people praising God in other languages, etc. In both instances, God revealed Himself via His Spirit and causes His name and salvific work to be praised, which is a common theme throughout the Bible.

In cases where the Holy Spirit comes as a result of the laying on of hands, there seems to be a specific, contextual purpose for it. Case in point is in Acts 19:1-7 where Paul encounters 12 men on his way to Ephesus. He asks them if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed. They responded not even knowing if there IS a Holy Spirit, to which Paul queried "Into what then were you baptized?" Paul explains the difference between John's baptism and Christian baptism and baptizes the men, whereupon they receive the gift of the indwelling Spirit. AFTER that, Paul lays his hands on them and the Holy Spirit "came upon them" - in a similar (though not exact) manner to Pentecost and Cornelius' house - the purpose being for these 12 men to impart to them special power to praise God and prophesy in His Name.

1) God reveals Himself as redeemer of mankind - Jew and Gentile alike (Baptism of the Holy Spirit)
2) God indwells His believers with His Spirit (Christian baptism)
3) God imparts some believers with special power to praise Him and prophesy in His Name. (Laying on of hands)

 

[hopeinGod]

"Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues" is a wrong claim. There is no Scripture support for this. The tongues on the Day of Pentecost were an answer to prophecy - Christ's and the prophet Joel's - that the Holy Spirit would come and empower the church.'

"The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal."

 

[Widmer]

At a recent Wednesday night Bible class where we our studying the Holy Spirit, the teacher said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a 1 time event that happened at Pentecost. He said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was when He was poured out for everyone, but that only those who become Christians access this baptism. He used the passage in Ephesians about there being only 1 baptism as evidence of his point of view. I'd never heard this before. I did a Google search and found a CoC congregation's website that basically said the same thing. Is this a regular view of Churches of Christ? Growing up we never talked much about the Holy Spirit, but I don't ever remember hearing that the baptism of the Spirit was a 1 time thing.

I share that teachers view.
Lk 3,16 sais: ..."He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Yet we have not a single record of Jesus baptising somebody during his ministry. Only his disciples did so.
However there is Pentecost:
Acts 2, 33: "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing."

This pouring out was the only baptism of the indwelling spirit. The whole world got baptised with the spirit so to speak. If it were an individual experience, and we still get baptised with the spirit at each conversion, then I wonder where my tongues of fire were?

The Analogy to Acts 10 (Cornelius) is difficult in my opinion.
How can they recieve the Holy Spirit without being baptised. IMO sins are forgiven at baptism, so that would mean that Cornelius was Unified with God while still being a slave to sin. God and Sin however do not fit together.
Also, in Acts 10 they "saw" the reception of the spirit. Again, this is not something that I have seen in the conversions that I witnessed.
I conclude Acts 10 (and acts 8 for that matter) refer to the external reception of the spirit rather than the indwelling.

For external/indwelling see:
Jn 14, 17:"even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
present tense -> external. future tense -> indwelling
(or Jesus recieving the holy spirit twice: once at baptism [Lk 3, 21-22], once at glorification [Acts 2, 33/ Jn 7, 39])

And while some mentioned the laying on of hands: That had been sorted out before pentecost already IMO, namely in Jn 20, 22.

 

[Digout]

Jesus baptizes the beleiver with the Holy Spirit.

 

[samcarternx]

The Holy Spirit is still required to provide repentant sinners mercy, rebirth, holiness, godliness, grace, sainthood, eternal life. Apart from the Holy Spirit, sinners are separated from God and have no part in eternity. no access to spiritual life at all, being only organic machines. - saintsam

 

[lynx1]

The Holy Spirit come into you when you get Baptized.

 

[hopeinGod]

I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. None of them have ceased.

"Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues" is a wrong claim. There is no Scripture support for this. The tongues on the Day of Pentecost were an answer to prophecy - Christ's and the prophet Joel's - that the Holy Spirit would come and empower the church.

Gifts come from the Giver. Men have no control over these gifts nor can they demand them from God.

The Assemblies of God are one group that really promote this "baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues." That is as wrong as what some in the Restoration Movement take from Acts Chapter Two, that all must be baptized to be saved. Both are wrong and both do nothing but cause confusion within the Body of Christ. Some think they're not saved because they've not spoken in tongues and some think they are saved because they've been dunked in water. I pray that both of these bad doctrines become what has ceased.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit refers to one's entrance into the Body of Christ by way of the Holy Spirit's baptism. That is separate from gifts of the Holy Spirit. Tongues is not a superior or essential gift. Paul, who wrote New Covenant doctrine for the church called tongues a gift. The Book of Acts should not be used for church doctrine. It is a book of history, not doctrine. Yes, it is useful, but a clear reading of the Book of Acts proves that the Church transitioned over time from a Church steeped in Judaism to one that relied on their faith and God's Grace. The way some Pentecostals teach tongues it becomes legalistic. That does not help the Body.

Sad that you have been led astray.

 

[bottledwater]

At a recent Wednesday night Bible class where we our studying the Holy Spirit, the teacher said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a 1 time event that happened at Pentecost. He said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was when He was poured out for everyone, but that only those who become Christians access this baptism. He used the passage in Ephesians about there being only 1 baptism as evidence of his point of view. I'd never heard this before. I did a Google search and found a CoC congregation's website that basically said the same thing. Is this a regular view of Churches of Christ? Growing up we never talked much about the Holy Spirit, but I don't ever remember hearing that the baptism of the Spirit was a 1 time thing.[/quote


It is an only once in your life time event. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is when you are regenerated. Meaning that your dead spirit is brought to life thru the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is something like jump starting a dead car battery with a Good one. That is a poor analogy. But it gives you some idea.
Now that's not to say that The Holy Spirit doesn't hang around afterward. He does. He remains with you for the rest of your life.

 

[Victor E.]

At a recent Wednesday night Bible class where we our studying the Holy Spirit, the teacher said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a 1 time event that happened at Pentecost. He said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was when He was poured out for everyone, but that only those who become Christians access this baptism. He used the passage in Ephesians about there being only 1 baptism as evidence of his point of view. I'd never heard this before. I did a Google search and found a CoC congregation's website that basically said the same thing. Is this a regular view of Churches of Christ? Growing up we never talked much about the Holy Spirit, but I don't ever remember hearing that the baptism of the Spirit was a 1 time thing.

Romans 10:9 Acts 3:19 leading into Acts 2:17-21 Are the requirements for salvation according to Holy Scripture from an understanding. That is the Baptism of the Spirit upon receiving salvation and Jesus makes His home in you with the Holy Spirit John 17:21 Ephesians 3:17. Public Baptism is optional but it is strongly encouraged. It can be full immersion in water or by public confession of faith in a "baptism of the Spirit" for membership of most churches. I strongly oppose any other doctrine that says otherwise because they have mixed in worldly wisdom into Gods Word of absolute Truth. Oil and Water do not mix.

Baptism in the Spirit is an intimate interaction that happens as a new believer exchanges their heart in faith according to Gods Word with Jesus, and they receive His Holy Spirit. There are no man-made motions, rules, regulations, or restrictions required but those that were established in Gods Word. I think sometimes humans read too far into Gods Word and infer things that establish a worldly doctrine or denomination based off a few out-of-context Scripture. That is why it is said "Give an inch and take a mile". This is what I know to be the Truth in my personal Faith. I honestly do not mean to be defamatory to any other established doctrines, I hope this has helped.

 

[TheSeabass]

At a recent Wednesday night Bible class where we our studying the Holy Spirit, the teacher said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a 1 time event that happened at Pentecost. He said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was when He was poured out for everyone, but that only those who become Christians access this baptism. He used the passage in Ephesians about there being only 1 baptism as evidence of his point of view. I'd never heard this before. I did a Google search and found a CoC congregation's website that basically said the same thing. Is this a regular view of Churches of Christ? Growing up we never talked much about the Holy Spirit, but I don't ever remember hearing that the baptism of the Spirit was a 1 time thing.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit was a prophecy of Joel..."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:" Joel 2:28

The phrase "all flesh" does not mean that each and every individual born into this world will be baptized with the Holy Spirit nor does it mean animals will be baptized with the Holy Spirit even though animals have flesh. At the time of Joel, "all flesh" ie, mankind was made up of two major groups:
1) Jews
2) Gentiles (non-Jews)

In Acts 2, the Apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Apostles were Jews. And Peter connects these Jewish Apostles being baptized with the Holy Spirit to Joel's prophecy Acts 2:16 "But this (Apostles baptized with HS) is that (Joel's prophecy) which was spoken by the prophet Joel;" And in Acts 2:17 Peter begins to quote Joel's prophecy "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"

So here in Acts 2 we have the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that "all flesh" will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Some years later in Acts 10 God baptized the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit. So now we have the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that "all flesh" (Jew and Gentile) will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

A purpose of the Lord coming to earth was to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17,18) and by the Lord baptizing both Jew (Apostles) and Gentile (Cornelius) He did fulfill the prophet Joel's prophecy of baptism with the Holy Spirit. "Fulfill" means to bring to an end, to cease and when that prophecy of Joel was fulfilled in Acts 10, then baptized with the Holy Spirit ended, ceased. The Lord did not fail in fulfilling all the law and prophets. Therefore by the time Paul penned his Ephesian epistle there was "one baptism" in effect. That one baptism that is in effect is the baptism of Christ's great commission (Matthew 28:19,20) (Mark 16:15,16). This is the baptism that was commanded (Acts 2:38) performed and obeyed (Acts 8:38,39) (Acts 10:47,48).

 

[dayhiker]

One of the things that helped me was to make an array of squares.
Across the top I put scripture, who is baptized, into what are they baptized and who is doing the baptizing. This made it clear that there were more than one baptism in the NT. Also helped me to see which verses were talking about which baptism.