Baptism of the Holy Spirit

These are some of my old notes from many years ago, when I was asked to respond to a pamphlet regarding Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I hope these notes will be useful to you if you are reading this. I will try to remember why and what was the discussion about, as my notes are in question and answer form, and I have long lost the original pamphlet that I was responding to. I have left in the numbers and the questions from the original pamphlet, but the answers are mine, although I do reference verses from the original pamphlet and respond to them.

1&2) Does one receive the Holy Spirit at conversion or at Baptism?

Ephesians 1: 13-14 states “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

As the Scripture has written, so then must we believe. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit when we received our salvation.

In the pamphlet, it's answer quoted Acts 19:1-6 as proof that we receive the Holy Spirit only after baptism. This is in fact in error. Let us examine what the Scriptures say in context and compare with other Scriptures to get a clear picture.

Acts 19:1-6 states "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, 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. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 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. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."

The confusion here is easily clarified once you know that these disciples are the disciples of John the Baptist, not John the disciple of Jesus. It is only after Paul preached to them and they got saved that they received the Holy Spirit!

Lets compare what John the Baptist preached

Mat 3: 1-3 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

John the Baptist preached what the Old Testament prophets preached, that you should repent, get right with God. This is also what many churches are still preaching even today.

In Luke 7:20 there were disciples of John who asked Jesus if he was the one John was preaching about. Jesus answered yes. But as above, in Acts 19:4, Paul had to tell these particular disciples of John that the one they are waiting for is Jesus. They never knew before this hence they have never accepted Jesus Christ.

Many Christians are confused between receiving the Holy Spirit, and Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We get Baptised in the Holy Spirit when we, through faith allow the Holy Spirit to activate in us. This is evidenced by speaking in tongues and followed by other Gifts of the Spirit.

Thus, we receive the Holy Spirit at conversion. We get Baptised in the Holy Spirit after one receives Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior. Then, with the Holy Spirit sealed in them, and being a new creation, one can be Baptised the Holy Spirit. This can happen before or after water baptism.

3) Should one take Water Baptism even after receiving the Holy Spirit?

Yes. Baptism is a practice whereby one publicly identifies with Christ in death, burial and resurrection. However, being baptized is not a prerequisite for salvation

4) Is speaking in tongues the only sign for receiving the Holy Spirit?

More accurately, speaking in tongues is the surest sign of undergoing Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early churches, tongues was used to differentiate real believers and spies of the authorities who persecute them.

More to the point, the question is asking if there is a sign to tell if someone is saved? No, not by man.

Romans 10:6-11 " …Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

These verses simply state that it is not up to us to determine who is saved and who is not. We simply sow the seed, it is the ground that determines whether anything grows or not. But God is faithful if the ground receives the seed, and that person will be saved. But it is between that person and God, not us.

15) Can a person be in Christ without Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

22) Is Spirit Baptism necessary to become a member of the body of Christ?

Referring to the above argument, we receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ. Thus we are in Christ, and are a member of the body of Christ.

However, without Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are not effective as Christians, nor as members of the Body of Christ. This is because without the Holy Spirit working supernaturally in us, we will only have our own natural resources and will eventually burn out.

If we note in 1 Cor 12:27-31 many of the functions of the Body of Christ requires being Baptised in the Holy Spirit.

20A) Is it necessary to receive the Holy Spirit if we are to be cought up at he coming of the Lord?

Since I clarified my stance, and differ from the pamphlet on when we "receive" the Holy Spirit, we will presume that the question is asking if it is necessary to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit to be caught up in the coming of the Lord

Here is the verse on us being "cought up" with our Lord

1 Thes 4: 16-18 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

This verses refer to the rapture. To clarify who will be caught up, in the next chapter, the Bible states"

1 Thes 5: 9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ"

Thus, if you are saved, even if you have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you are not appointed to wrath!

20B) Our Sanctification

I believe in the original pamphlet, part of the answer was that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, but went further to state that if we do not have the Holy Spirit (presumably because the writer of the pamphlet believes that the Holy Spirit only comes after Baptism), we are not sanctified yet until we get Baptised in the Holy Spirit

Firstly I do agree that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us

1Cor:6:11: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

But what is the basis of our sanctification?

Heb 10: 9-14 "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

It is Jesus’ sacrifice and our acceptance of that sacrifice in our place that makes us sanctified! Not Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Then, and only then, the Holy Spirit bears witness

Heb 10:15-18 "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

24) Is not the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ the same?

I can't remember what this is about, however this was my response to the answer given in the pamphlet:

Yes, they are the same. The Spirit of God is the same also.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon the prophets, and thus they prophesied and performed miracles. Now, the Holy Spirit dwells within us

Rom 8: 9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

This verse states that we are spirits, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. If we do not have the Holy Spirit, we are not of God, reemphasizing the fact that we receive the Holy Spirit on conversion. The next verse further reestablishes this

Rom 8: 10: And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

In reference to 1 Peter 1:11&12

1 Peter:1:11-12 “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into”.

As explained earlier, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit rested upon the prophets, hence they could prophesy about Christ.

Verse 12 simply states that in God’s timing, through the Holy Spirit, the revelation of Christ is revealed to us. But at the time of prophesy, the prophets themselves did not understand what they were prophesying about nor did the angels.

NB: In verse 11, the KJV states that the Spirit of Christ which was “in” them, in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God always rested upon them, not in them. Also there is no reference to the Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament, only Spirit of God.

25) Can we not witness if we have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

If we look at Acts 1:8, we see that it IS about witnessing for him, and not about “revealing Christ through us”

Acts 1:8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 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.

But what are we witnessing?

Luke 24:46-48 “ … Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”

Yes it is true that one of the words for witness is martus or martur which means a martyr ie one who bears witness by his death

But other words in the New Testament for witness are also marturia and, marturion which means to testify or to make a declaration of facts.

The usage of the first one martus or martur (martyr), is only used

a) of God

- Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

- 2 Cor 1: 23: Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

- Phil 1: 8: For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

- 2 Thes 2: 5: For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

b) of Christ

- Rev 1: 5: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

c) of real martyrs

- Acts 22: 20: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

- Rev 2: 13: I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

- Rev 17: 6: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

d) of the 2 witnesses in the Revelations

- Rev 11: 3: And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

e) in a forensic sense (as evidence)

- Mat 18: 16: But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

- Mat 26: 65: Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

- there are many more where this is used including Mark 14:63, Acts 6:13, 7:58 etc but as you can see this usage is not what is meant by being a witness in this argument

The usage of marturia means to bring “testimony. a bearing witness” . Similar to the above, ie forensically the usages are for

- 1 John 5: 9: If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son

- .Titus 1: 13: This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

- there are several more incidences, but not quoted here by me due to time

The usage of marturion means “a declaration of facts”. This is the translation that we should use when we are told to witness.

- Mat 24: 14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

- Acts 4: 33: And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

- Acts 7: 44: Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

All these translations are taken from the Vines dictionary of Greek Note, none of these Greek words apply to “revealing of Christ through us”

Now the first usage of martyr is not what is meant by us being witnesses, because we are not asked in Acts 1:8 to die in the process of witnessing the gospel

The second usage is also not accurate as we were not there in person to see the gospel as it happened.

The third usage is the most accurate, as we are to declare the gospel to the world.

Conclusion

We should not confuse receiving the Holy Spirit with Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We receive the Holy Spirit upon our salvation, while we receive the Gifts of the Spirit upon being Baptised by the Holy Spirit. The gifts of tongues and the other Gifts of the Spirit are the outwards manifestation of being Baptised by the Holy Spirit.

It is God’s will that all of us speak in tongues, cast out demons, heal the sick (Mark 16:17).

Some churches, through experiential teachings, reject tongues. These believers, if they have accepted Jesus Christ, have the Holy Spirit in them and are saved. But through the unbelieving teachings they are taught unbelief.

However on the opposite side, there are some churches who teach that you are only saved if you speak in tongues. This is wrong biblically as well. It also produces bondage

As long as you are saved, you will go to Heaven when you die or get raptured. However, Baptism of the Holy Spirit is important as it gives you God’s anointing to do his work and requires faith.

Heb:11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

That is why:

• Churches that don’t believe in tongues, won’t have tongues in a large scale (only privately by members who believe)
• Churches that don’t believe in healing, have no healing in that church
• Churches that don’t believe in prosperity, the members suffer financially

Why? Because God responds to faith, not need, nor hard work, not how high up in the heirachy in the church you are, not even how much tongues you pray.

Jesus responded to faith with the following words

To the Centurion:

Mat 8:13: “… and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee…”

To the two blind men:

Mat 9:29 “… According to your faith be it unto you.”

To the Syrophenicean woman:

Mat 15:28 “…great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt…”