We just finished a Sunday morning class that was a mini-course on the Holy Spirit at our church. The last module of the study is always on the “Baptism of the Spirit.” The conversations are always interesting as people from various faith backgrounds talk about their understanding of the topic. Their understanding falls on a continuum that runs from “any talk about the Baptism of the Spirit is definitely from the devil” to “the baptism of the Spirit is when you fall on the ground, shake all over like your being electrocuted, and jump up speaking in tongues.”

Having heard some of those conversations this morning I thought I might discuss “Holy Spirit baptism” in a brief series to see if I can make biblical sense of it for you. It is an important topic that we should all understand because it is something that Jesus purchased for each of us with his blood. Anything that Jesus purchased for us that we leave sitting on the shelf somehow takes away from his amazing sacrifice. As we begin, I want you to notice that this baptism in the Spirit brought almost immediate transformation to the lives of the disciples. One minute they were hiding from the Jews, and in the next minute they were standing in the temple courts preaching Jesus to the very people who had crucified him only fifty days earlier. If we want to experience that kind of transformation, we need to understand this baptism.

Let me begin by listing a few key verses from the gospels and from Acts that will raise some important questions and frame our brief study. I will bold face some important phrases within the texts.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Mt.3:11

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Mk.1:8

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jn.7:38-39

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. Jn.14:16-17

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.     Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn.20:19-22

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Acts 2:16-17

These verses form a sequence that will give us a great deal of insight for a biblical view of baptism with or in the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to spend some time looking at these verses and others related to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. I believe that by looking at these you will begin to sense some truths about the baptism of the Spirit. Be sure to look at each verse in detail noting verb tenses, prepositions, and so forth. I will begin to discuss these verses in my next blog. You may want to print these verses off for reference as we look at them this week. I n addition, be sure to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation about this baptism. Blessings!