John the Baptist tells us that Jesus is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit:
“He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
Also see similar wording in the other gospels (Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33).
It is God’s will that people should receive this special baptism
in which people are baptized WITH the Holy Spirit BY Jesus.
But, this is not to be confused with another type of baptism, which concerns salvation:
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (the Church)” (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In this latter case, the Holy Spirit does the baptizing.
1 – Jesus told His group of disciples to wait for “the Promise” of the Father:
”Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of
Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49).
2 – Luke gives more details about what Jesus instructed them:
“… wait for the Promise of the Father …
… you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
… you shall receive (spiritual) power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me … to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-8).
This has nothing to do with salvation (where the Holy Spirit comes inside a person):
“the Spirit of truth … He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17).
“the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (1 Timothy 1:14, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 3:16).
But, the Holy Spirit baptism is always about the Holy Spirit coming upon a person.
3 – On the Day of Pentecost, approximately 120 people received
what was promised above … the baptism with the Holy Spirit:
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty rushing wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them
divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4).
4 – The Judean Jews wanted to know how to receive this same experience:
“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this (Pentecost) which you now see and hear.
… ‘Men and brethren, what shall we (Jews) do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and
let every one of you be baptized (in water) in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to
your children, and all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’ ” (Acts 2:33-39).
So, we see that “the promise of the Holy Spirit” and “the gift of the Holy Spirit”
are both the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is the same experience that
the 120 received on the Day of Pentecost.
5 – Peter and John amazed the Jewish leaders:
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them (the high priest and others) …
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were
uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled ... And seeing the man who had been healed
standing with them, they could say nothing against it ... For, indeed, that a notable miracle
has been done through them is evident to all …” (Acts 4:8-16).
6 – Peter and John had great boldness now, and they prayed that
their companions would also be given this boldness and spiritual power:
“And when they had prayed … they (the companions) were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
It is suggested that when their companions were filled with the Holy Spirit,
they received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Obviously, all of the details
of what happens in every event cannot always be mentioned.
7 – Because many members had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit,
there was great power for miracles in the church:
“And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done
among the people ... and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:12-16).
Other examples are Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Philip (Acts 8:6-7).
8 – Receiving the Holy Spirit -- the baptism with the Holy Spirit:
“… when they (Peter & John) had come down, (they) prayed for them* that they might
receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He (the Holy Spirit) had fallen upon none of them*.
They* had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them*,
and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of hands
the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also,
that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 8:14-19). * the Samarians
9 – Saul (Paul) was healed and received the baptism with the Holy Spirit:
“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said,
‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus … has sent me that you may receive your sight and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales,
and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:17-18).
In point 3, when they were “filled with the Holy Spirit”, they received the Holy Spirit baptism.
10 – Paul preached and performed miracles under God’s power:
“… in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem
and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:19).
11 – The evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit baptism:
“… the Holy Spirit fell upon all those (Gentiles) who heard the word
… the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
For they (Peter and his companions) heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter asked, ‘Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be
baptized (in water) who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’
And he commanded them to be (water) baptized in the name of the Lord.“ (Acts 10:44-48).
12 – Peter recalls point 11 when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit baptism:
“… the Holy Spirit fell upon them (the Gentiles), as upon us (the Jews) at the beginning.
Then I remember the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water,
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ … God gave them the same gift
as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 11:15-17).
The GIFT was the same as in point 3, and also see point 4.
13 – Paul and Barnabus’ experiences with miracles:
“They stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness
to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” (Acts 14:3).
14 – Another occasion where believers received the Holy Spirit baptism:
“… they (the Ephesian disciples) were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke with tongues and prophesied …” (Acts 19:5-6).
Water baptism preceded the Holy Spirit baptism, but in point 11 the reverse was true.
Now let’s take a close look at the inter-connections and linkages:
These 1 thru 14 refer to the 14 points above:
……………………………………………………1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
the Promise (HS) ---Y-Y---Y-------------------------
baptized with HS -----Y-------------Y--------Y-----Y
the gift -----------------Y---------------Y--Y------
upon ---------------Y-Y-Y---------Y-------Y--Y-----Y
laying on of hands ---------------Y-Y-----------Y--Y
filled with HS ---------Y---Y-Y-----Y---------------
received HS ----------------------Y-------Y---------
speaking tongues -------Y-----------------Y--------Y
power --------------Y-Y-----------Y----Y------------
boldness -------------------Y-Y-----------------Y---
miracles -------------------Y---Y---Y--Y--------Y---
I believe it is obvious that all of these are directly connected.
Some people say,
“That’s all very nice, but it’s not for now … it was only for back then … at the time of the early church.”
First of all, let’s ask the question: What in the New Testament is NOT for today?
Even the instructions to slave masters and slaves are for today (because there is slavery today).
But, here’s the #1 reason some people have for debunking the Holy Spirit baptism for today:
“But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease;
but whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”
(1 Corinthians 13:8-10).
Some church leaders who do NOT have this baptism say what is “perfect” is the Scriptures.
Paul wrote the above passage in about 54 a.d. Did he know there would be a Bible?
But beyond that, you can imagine all the reasons church leaders have had for criticising
this powerful spiritual baptism that they do NOT have.
The explanation
The Greek word for “perfect” means “end or completion”, so surely this is referring to the
Second Coming of Christ and the completion of all things (then all will be perfect in heaven).
“Even if we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in this life, our knowledge, our prophecies,
and all of our other works can never be perfect. But when perfection comes – that is,
in heaven – then all of our abilities and all of out works will be perfect, because then
we shall be like Christ (see 1 John 3:2).” … The Applied New Testament Commentary
For 30-40 years, there have been millions of testimonies from people around the world
who have been blessed by evangelists, etc. who have the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The people who have been performing miracles, etc. in the name of Jesus
(all around the world) have this Holy Spirit baptism.
The pre-requisite from the very begining
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a pre-requisite for receiving any of
the 9 major spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-10) to any strong degree:
the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings,
the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different
kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.
Since the early church, God has intended the baptism with the Holy Spirit to be
a pre-requisite for being called into “the 5-fold ministry”:
“And He Himself (Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ …” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Notice that it is Jesus Himself who “calls” these people.
All of these 5 critical leadership ministries were intended to be powered by
the 9 major spiritual gifts above (with each leader receiving one or more of them).
But, throughout history, there have been multitudes of self-appointed ministries
where the people were NOT called by Jesus and NOT given any spiritual gifts.
These people were never anointed, but operated basically “in the flesh”.
Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947), a world-famous healing evangelist, said:
"If you do not receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit,
you are living in a weak and impoverished condition."
All of this information is to encourage you to press God for this baptism.
I did ... and I received.
Luke 24:49
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you;
but tarry in the city (town, village, etc.) of _________
until you are endued with power from on high.”