In June of this year I did a blog series on Spiritual Gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14. I wrote, “What is the doorway that leads to experiencing the gifts? I believe an essential step is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I admit this is not stated in chapters 12-14, this is another study in the Book of Acts.”
Then I did a Facebook series on The Fruit of the Spirit (which is now on my blog) the week of August 26-30 in which I linked being baptized with the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. So what is this baptism in the Holy Spirit? This is that promised study on the baptism which I originally posted on Facebook. I am posting it on my blog to make it easier to access, which means you don't have to read it all in one sitting.
I plan several posts under two parts: Part 1 My Testimony / Part 2 Traced in the Book of Acts
My Testimony
I was born again on a Sunday afternoon in 1973. A few months later, also on a Sunday afternoon, I was baptized in the Spirit. I remember the experience well. It had been a very trying Friday and Saturday, and I was distressed. I spent much of Sunday afternoon in prayer, even face down on the bedroom floor. It was time for Training Union (this was a meeting on Sunday night before the evening service in Baptist circles), so I got up off the floor and headed to the church building. On the way I was listening to Christian radio and they played Were You There. You probably know the song, Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble...
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
This time they added another line, one I had never heard before
Were you there when he rose up from the grave?
Ohm sometimes it causes me to shout glory, glory, glory...
I tell you, when they said glory, glory fell from
heaven and the love of God was shed abroad in my heart!! I knew that Jesus
loved me, and that if I’d been the only sinner on earth he would have died for me.
I was laughing and crying as I drove down Donelson Pike in Nashville! I knew
something had happened, but I didn’t know what it was called.
I was attending First Baptist Church Donelson when all this took place. Sometime after that, during a Sunday night service, Bro Harris (Pastor) preached on the Holy Spirit. I don’t remember the sermon, but I do remember he recommended a book for further study, The Holy Spirit: Who He Is and What He Does by R.A. Torrey.
I bought and read that book. At least half of the book is devoted to the baptism in the Spirit. I began praying, “Lord, baptize me with your Spirit.” And one day the Lord spoke to me, “I have”, and I remembered that Sunday afternoon. There were no spiritual gifts that afternoon, just His love shed abroad in my heart, the gifts came later.
I went off to college, The University of Tennessee at Martin, and began attending Campus Fellowship, and was introduced to the charismatic renewal.
I learned about spiritual gifts through Campus Fellowship, and later, Maranatha Ministries. I met Mary at UTM, we got married, and when she graduated we moved to Memphis so she could work and I could go to Mid-South Bible College. We attended Cherry Rd Baptist and found a circle of Spirit-filled believers. Mrs. Lynn Stebbins introduced me to Derek Prince and through his ministry I really began to grow in the Lord. Somewhere along the way I found Watchman Nee and his book The Normal Christian Life. I was attending a Bible College that did not teach a second blessing, but I was reading Prince and Nee who did. And T.J. McCrossan; and Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel; and F.B. Meyer; and J. Sidlow Baxter; and John R. Church. I was immersed in this line of teaching!
Sadly, this led to my having to leave the Baptist Church, they weren’t too pleased with me for teaching the baptism in the Spirit. Where do I go now? I found the Christian & Missionary Alliance. They believed in being filled with the Spirit and were open to the gifts. I discovered A.B. Simpson, the founder of the C&MA, and he was completely sold on the baptism of the Spirit. He is credited with creating the phrase, full gospel (in 1887). Holy Spirit baptism, sanctification, deeper life all come together in the Four-Fold Gospel: Christ our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, Glorious Lord and Coming King.
This is all good, but is it biblical?
Tracing The Baptism in the Spirit in the Book of Acts
I plan to look at 6 passages in Acts: 1:4-8, 2:1-4, 2:37-38, 8:15-17, 10, 19:1-6 My explanation of each one will be brief and concise.
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
4 wait for the promise of the Father – In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, Behold,
I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Tarry / wait “until”.
This is something you will know when you receive it. The condition mentioned in
Acts 1 & Luke 24 is wait. They had to wait because there were some things
that had to happen which were out of their control. All they could do was
tarry. After Pentecost there is no required tarrying, we receive the promise by
a definite act of appropriating faith.
4 the promise of the Father - We find this promise of the Spirit several times in the Old Testament prophets. Jesus spoke of this in John 14-16.
5 ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit – promise of the Father / baptism with the Spirit. We will find there are several phrases used interchangeably for this.
8 ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you – As Chuck Smith pointed out, our relationship with the Holy Spirit is explained using three prepositions: with, in, upon. He is “with us” when He is convicting us of sin. When we are born again he is “in us”. He comes “upon us” when we are baptized with the Spirit. Wasn’t Pentecost the day the Holy Spirit began to dwell within them? No. In John 20:22 we read, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. At this point, the disciples were full New Testament believers: they believed in the resurrected Christ and they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was something else; something more.8 ye shall receive power - The baptism with the Spirit results in power, power to witness, to walk with the Lord; to work for the Lord; to worship the Lord. The gifts of the Spirit are power; the fruit of the Spirit is power; He helps us pray. Power.
This is the promise of the Father, it is His delight to pour out His Spirit upon us.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Ah, Pentecost! This is a special day on God’s calendar, that’s why they
had to wait. Now we don’t need to tarry – the Comforter has come! While waiting
on the Lord in prayer and being of one accord are often a tremendous help, we
receive the Spirit by faith.
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit - The Spirit comes upon us and we are filled within. Filled with what? Jesus! “We are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truths; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a Person.” (A.B. Simpson) The blessing is the Blesser!!
What a rich experience!
But what about “they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”? Or to put it bluntly, Do I have to speak in tongues to be filled? A friend told me once, You don’t ‘have to’, you ‘get to.’ Ah, I’m only at the second passage and already I’m up to my neck in hot water! Listen, speaking in tongues is good and I’m all for it. I’m also pretty sure it will happen quite often, but is it necessary? In my final post I will deal with this question, Do I have to speak in tongues to be filled? But for now I will say, “When you are looking for a particular experience, then the tendency is to put your faith in the experience rather than in the promise of the Word of God.” (Chuck Smith)
What we learn from Pentecost: (1) Baptism with the Spirit is a definite experience; (2) You will know when you have received it; (3) It’s all about Jesus.
Have you been filled with the Spirit? “What He did for those people at Pentecost He will do for you. Plunge in today and claim the promise just now.” (John Church)
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Acts 2:38-39 is the conclusion of Peter’s Pentecost sermon. This will irk some people, but this is the normal call to Christ and the expected response, Repent and be baptized.
And these are the normal conditions for both blessings mentioned here,
forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (yet another phrase for the
baptism with the Spirit).
“Four things are mentioned in this passage: Repentance, Baptism, Forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit. The first two are conditions, the second two are gifts. What are the conditions to be fulfilled if we are to have forgiveness of sins? According to the Word they are two: repentance and baptism.
Here then are two divinely appointed conditions of
forgiveness—repentance, and faith publicly expressed. Have you repented? Have
you testified publicly to your union with your Lord? Then have you received
remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost? You say you have only
received the first gift, not the second. But, my friend, God offered you two
things if you fulfilled two conditions! Why have you only taken one?
If you have fulfilled the conditions you are entitled to two gifts, not
just one. You have already taken the one; why not just come and take the other
now? Say to the Lord, ‘Lord, I have complied with the conditions for receiving
remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost, but I have foolishly only
taken the former. Now I have come back to take the gift of the Holy Ghost, and
I praise Thee for it.’ ” (Watchman Nee)
“Some of you may say: I agree with all this, but I have no experience of it. Am I to sit down smugly and say I have everything, when I know perfectly well I have nothing? No, we must never rest content with objective facts alone. We need subjective experience also; but that experience will only come as we rest upon Divine facts. God’s facts are the basis of our experience.
If we lack the experience, we must ask God for a revelation of the
eternal fact of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as the gift of the exalted Lord
to His Church. When we have seen that, faith will spring up in our hearts, and
as we believe, experience will follow.” (Nee)
The promise is unto ... as many as the Lord our God shall call.
“In v 33 Peter states that the Lord Jesus was exalted “at the right hand of God”. What was the result? He “received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost”. And what followed? Pentecost! This verse makes it absolutely clear that the Holy Spirit was poured out because the Lord Jesus was exalted.” (Watchman Nee)
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
A summary of an exceptionally clear passage: Philip preached the gospel
and many believed and were baptized. Peter and John came down and prayed that
they might receive the Holy Spirit, laid hands on them, and they received the
Spirit.
Chrysostom said, “And (yet) great signs had been done: how then had they not received the Spirit? They had received the Spirit, namely, of remission of sins: but the Spirit of miracles they had not received.” This is his way of saying what R.A. Torrey said,
“We see clearly that these regenerate men had not been baptized with the Holy Ghost, though they had been properly ‘baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.’ They were regenerate men but they were not baptized with the Holy Spirit. So it is as clear as language can possibly make it, that it is one thing to be born again and something further, something additional to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Peter didn’t preach to them, he prayed for them. And a specific prayer, That they might receive the Holy Spirit. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Spirit.
In this passage we find two new phrases used for the baptism, fallen upon and received. Also, they received the Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands. Their response was appropriating faith.
What happened when they received the Spirit? “And when Simon saw - there must have been some sensible manifestation.” (Chrysostom) I think most agree they most likely spoke in tongues, but whatever happened, they knew, and Simon knew, they had received the Holy Spirit. “One thing is sure, that each one upon who the Spirit of God falls will unfailingly know it.” (Watchman Nee)
Have you received the baptism with the Spirit? “The baptism with the Spirit is the birth-right of every believer in Jesus Christ.” (Torrey)
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45 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.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
85% of the verses (66 out of 78) that make up chapters 10 & 11, are devoted to the conversion of Cornelius the God-fearer (a Gentile who embraced most of Judaism). This is an important chapter in Acts - the Gospel is reaching out beyond Israel to the Gentile world.
Cornelius is right in the middle of this. He was instructed by an angel to send for Peter, “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” (11:14). Peter came and preached the crucified, resurrected, exalted Jesus; “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (10:43) And while he was speaking these words, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.” Just a few observations:
+ This is baptism with the Spirit; Peter said so in 11:16
+ Everybody’s apple-cart is overturned! They were filled before they
confessed faith, before water baptism; no one prayed for them, or laid hands on
them.
+ They were baptized with the Spirit the minute they believed in Jesus.
+ “The baptism with the Spirit is a definite experience of which one may
whether he has received it or not.” (Torrey) This is still absolutely true;
this passage just shows that it is possible to receive the Spirit the moment
you are born again.
+ According to 45-46 Peter and the men who accompanied him knew “the
gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also - For
they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” Pretty good sign!
If this is what happened when you were born again, Praise God! If you received the Spirit right after water baptism, Praise the Lord! If the Holy Spirit came upon you when someone prayed for you and laid hands on you, Hallelujah! If the Spirit fell upon you while you were alone in your bedroom or in the car, glory to God! If, however, you have not yet been filled with the Spirit, the gift is for you; open you heart today and ask the Lord to baptize you in his Spirit.
"The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come!The Holy Ghost from heaven, the Father's promise given."
Acts 19:1-7
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
This is the last passage we will look at and the one that requires the
most explanation.
1 Paul . . . came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples – what is his first question?
2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? – Oh man, you can start a fire with this question today, yet Paul asked it. Every modern version translates it, “Did you receive…when you believed?” And everybody thinks that is their escape. BUT: (1) Literally this reads, “Having believed…have you received?” (2) When or since, makes no difference, it still calls for a definite Yes or a definite No.
2 Their answer was in fact, No. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. What they meant was not if there was a Holy Spirit, but whether He was given or available.
3 Unto what then were ye baptized? – Baptism is a testimony of embracing a certain faith.
Unto John’s - his message was, Messiah is coming. Paul’s message is, He has come.
3-5 Paul explained the gospel and they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Whatever their status before, they are clearly born again folk now.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied – Praise the Lord! Amen! May this happen in our baptismal services today!!
This is one more testimony to this truth, It is one thing to be born again and something further, something additional, something more, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Received is a common word in Acts for baptized / filled with the Spirit. We receive, claim, experience the promised Spirit; He comes upon us and we are filled within!
Why is this so important? The epistles speak of a vibrant life in the Spirit, and Jesus said this upon baptism gives us this power. Power for what? Power to witness; to walk with the Lord; to work for the Lord; to worship the Lord. The gifts of the Spirit are power; the fruit of the Spirit is power; help in prayer. Power to be holy; to walk in the Spirit; to be led of the Spirit. Power in my marriage, in my family; to honor the Lord at work and play. Power to stand fast in trials and temptations. Is this not what we need to live for Jesus?
Having believed, have you received the Spirit?
“Being filled with the Spirit effects a penetrating renewal in the fully yielded believer. This is the spiritual “Canaan” which all in Christ may know!” (J. Sidlow Baxter)
Is speaking in tongues the initial evidence of the baptism with the Spirit?
As we saw in the book of Acts, many of the accounts included speaking in tongues. This leads us naturally to ask, Is speaking in tongues the initial evidence of baptism in the Spirit? Or more crudely, Do I have to speak in tongues to be filled with the Spirit?
I believe the short answer is, No. It may be common, and it is a sign of the fulness of the Spirit, as are all gifts, but it is not the “initial evidence” of being filled with the Spirit. Even (some) Pentecostal leaders say this.
Derrek Prince (1915-2003), a Pentecostal / Charismatic teacher:
"The distinctive seal of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking with
tongues. Some people call it the evidence. Actually, I prefer myself to call it
the culmination of the baptism. It’s not the immersion, it’s not the infilling
but what is it? It’s the outflow. Now, you can stop short of the outflow. Lots
of people have been filled with the Spirit but they never have the outflow. But
why stop short of the outflow?" (How To Receive The Holy Spirit)
George Jeffreys (1889–1962), founder of Elim Pentecostal Church, England:
"There are three main schools of thought. First, every person who
receives the gift of the Holy Spirit will have the sign of speaking in tongues;
Second, everyone who receives should have some definite supernatural
manifestation of the Spirit, not necessarily speaking in tongues; Third, the
reception of the Spirit is by faith without any outward physical sign. The
second view is the scriptural one; it safeguards against the possibility of a
seeker after the gift of the Spirit missing the blessing, and also against the
extravagances that might be entailed by a mere reaching out for an initial sign
of speaking in tongues, which the Scriptures do not warrant." (Pentecostal Rays)
Chuck Smith (1927-2013; founder of Calvary Chapel)
"I’m not on a speaking in tongues kick. I thank God for what it means to
me, but I don’t go around saying, “Oh you have to speak in tongues.” You don’t have to speak in tongues; you can know the fulness of God and the fulness of
His love without it." (The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit)
So, speaking in tongues is not the sign of being filled with the Spirit. Seek Jesus. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit, and let your heart be open to receive whatever the Holy Spirit wants to give you. “But you ask: ‘How shall I know that the Holy Spirit is come upon me?’ I cannot tell how you will know, but you *will* know. (Watchman Nee)
As Pastor Chuck said, “I believe the only true evidence of the filling of the Spirit is Agape love.”
“But you ask: ‘How shall I know that the Holy Spirit is come upon me?’ I cannot tell *how* you will know, but you *will* know. No description has been given us of the personal sensations and emotions of the disciples at Pentecost. We do not know exactly how they felt, but we do know that their feelings and behaviour were somewhat abnormal, because people seeing them said they were intoxicated. When the Holy Spirit falls upon God’s people there will be some things which the world cannot account for. There will be supernatural accompaniments of some kind, though it be no more than an overwhelming sense of the Divine Presence. We cannot and we must not stipulate what particular form such outward expressions will take in any given case, but one thing is sure, that each one upon whom the Spirit of God falls will know it.” Watchman Nee
T.J. McCrossan: “Correct Bible teaching on this subject of tongues has given Principal George Jeffreys in England, Ireland, and Scotland the very greatest soul-winning work, perhaps, in all the world today. Thousands are being saved and baptized with the Spirit in his churches every year, and the greatest majority of those baptized do speak in tongues; yet there is very little, if any, fanaticism. Why? Because all are taught to seek the Spirit Himself, and let Him give each one whatever gift He desires.”
“This promise is unto you. If you do not have the baptism with the Holy Spirit then it is for you. God wants you to have it.” John Church
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