We are speaking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. From the gospels and the book of Acts, it is clear that the “baptism” was a central theme of Jesus and the early church. It was a baptism of power that equipped the followers of Jesus for ministry. The church clearly experienced this promised coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. In my last blog, I listed several phrases that were used to describe the moment when the church was baptized with power.
There are two questions I want to address in this blog. (1) Was that experience of baptism in the Spirit for the apostles only or for every believer, and (2) Is the baptism of the Spirit a one time event in the life of a believer.
To begin with the first question, there is a pervasive belief among many denominations that only the apostles received supernatural power on Pentecost as a confirmation that they were chosen by God to lead the fledgling church and to confirm their authority and inspiration to write the New Testament. Once the apostles died, the supernatural move of the Holy Spirit ceased. Let’s examine that view briefly.
First of all, a careful reading of Acts 1:13-15 makes it clear that about 120 followers of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem awaiting direction from the Lord. In Acts 2:1, we are told that they were all together in one place (all the believers) when they experienced the baptism of the Spirit which appeared as tongues of fire above each of them. The text then says, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
From this text, we can see the the baptism of the Spirit was not for the apostles alone. In addition, we are told that some non-apostles also operated in the power of the Spirit shortly after Pentecost. Speaking of Stephen, the writer says, “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power performed great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). In Acts 8, we are told, “When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed” (Acts 8:6-7).
It’s not a stretch to believe that Stephen and Philip were part of the 120 on Pentecost, but the point is that others beside the apostles were operating in power and that power is seen to come through the baptism of the Spirit. In addition, in Acts 10, while Peter was sharing the gospel with the Gentile family of Cornelius, the texts says, “While Peter was still speaking those words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (Acts 10:44-46). Notice that the language is very similar to the language of Acts 2 and Peter himself identified the experience of the Gentiles as being baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 11:16. As a side bar, we might also notice that hearing clearly from the Spirit is a product of baptism in the Spirit. We all believe that the New Testament writers were inspired by God as they wrote. Luke wrote the gospel of Luke and the of Acts. James and Jude and perhaps the writer of Hebrews were also inspired by the Spirit and yet these were not apostles. So, the power of the Spirit imparted in Holy Spirit baptism was clearly for others than the twelve.
So, the baptism of the Spirit was an impartation of power for all the followers of Jesus – Jew and Gentile – and not just the apostles. We also discover that the Spirit can fall on, come on, or be poured out on believers directly or by the laying on of hands by those who already have been baptized in the Spirit. In Acts 8, we discover, “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the the new believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17).
It’s important to note here, that water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism can be two different events. We see the same in Acts 10, when the Spirit fell on the Gentiles and then Peter had them water baptized after they spoke in tongues and praised God. I don’t believe it has to be in separate events, but it certainly can be and often is.
As for the second question about whether we are “baptized in the Spirit” or “filled with the Spirit” once or whether that can happen numerous times, let me respond briefly. In Acts 2, the believers were baptized in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 4, the same believers were gathered together again and we are told, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). This sounds like a fresh filling by the Holy Spirit for a particular situation. There are numerous other texts in the book of Acts where it looks like someone who was present at Pentecost is “filled with the Holy Spirit” in a critical moment. My sense of this is that once we are initially baptized in the Spirit, we have a residing level of power for ministry manifested through spiritual gifts, boldness, etc., but on critical occasions, we may get a fresh filling or a supercharge from the Spirit for that circumstance.
I want to finish this study up in my next blog, as we discuss whether the “baptism in the Spirit” was only available in the first century or is it God’s intention for his people now. Thanks for joining me.
