We have been studying the spiritual gifts and we have seen that there are many gifts, many varieties of gifts, many different approaches to service and speaking, but behind them all is the same Spirit. Paul says, no matter what the nature of the gift or the way it varies from others, behind it is the same Spirit if it is truly a gift from God.
Paul begins in verse 12 to deal with the concept of the church being the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (KJV) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
We are the body of Christ, and within that body there is unity and great diversity. Next week we will look at this subject throughout the rest of this chapter. But this morning I want us to focus our attention on verse 13.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Here Paul answers the question, "How did we get into that body?" We were not born into it as infants; the Body of Christ does not consist of everybody in the world, only certain individuals are in it. So how do we get into the Body of Christ? His answer is clear, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." That is the "baptism with the Holy Spirit"
It is this passage that above all others answers a question that is frequently asked today. If you have been a Christian for any length of time you most likely have been asked this question at one time or another. "Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?" What do you say when somebody asks you that question? How do you know if you have been?
There are many conflicting viewpoints as to what the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" consists of. This passage is the only place in the entire Bible where the baptism of the Holy Spirit, what it consists of, and when it occurs is explained to us, although it is referred to in a number of other places as well. This is, therefore, a very significant passage, a passage that should be understood and be part of your Pneumatology.
Why is there so much confusion today about this subject of the baptism with the Holy Spirit? A little history may help.
Where exactly the confusion started is not known but it has its roots in Catholicism. Some Catholic theologians have taught that when an infant is baptized, he receives salvation. Years later when he is confirmed, he receives the Holy Spirit. So, the dichotomy has its roots in Roman Catholicism.
It also has its roots in John Wesley, Charles Finney, R. A. Torrey, and others. In fact, Torrey has been one of the greatest contributors to the modern Pentecostal movement despite the fact that he himself was not a Pentecostal. When he taught that the baptism of the Spirit was a later work, they quoted him because he was such a well-known evangelical, mainline theologian.
John Wesley taught that you were saved first and then later on there was a second work of grace subsequent to salvation. John Wesley's biographers say that he died never having attained that second work.
In 1906 at the Azusa street mission in Los Angels California Pentecostalism was born; this is commonly referred to as classical Pentecostalism. In 1960 the Pentecostal movement spilled over into mainline denominations of Protestantism; that extension is called Neo-Pentecostalism. And Neo-Pentecostalism has rapidly spread through all of the major denominations in Protestantism. The basic doctrine of Neo-Pentecostalism is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So central is this doctrine that if you were to remove it what you had left would not be Neo-Pentecostalism.
Here is what Neo-Pentecostalism teaches on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (See if you agree with these statements.)
1. Spirit Baptism is an experience that is distinct from and usually subsequent to salvation. (dichotomy)
2. Spirit Baptism is an experience whereby the totality of the Spirit is possessed by an individual.
3. Spirit Baptism is an experience which empowers a believer for his witness and Christian service.
4. Spirit Baptism is an experience which believers are urged to seek.
5. Spirit Baptism is an experience which results in the full bestowal of the gifts of the Spirit and the initial historical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is that the individual speaks in tongues.
Those are the five theses of Spirit baptism as taught by Neo-Pentecostalism today.
In 1967 Neo-Pentecostalism struck out in two new directions, the Roman Catholic movement and the Charismatic movement. One of the cardinal doctrines held by Charismatics is the necessity for a "second work of grace", commonly called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many Charismatic writers suggest that there are requirements to receiving the gift. They talk much about the cost of the gift. (Oxymoron)
Charismatic writer Robert Dalton expressed the element of effort when he said, "This experience is not for a select few, but for all who desire it and are willing to pay the price."
The teaching of Scripture: Much of the confusion can be cleared up if we would simply go to the Scriptures. If you were to sit down with your Bible and a concordance and begin to study the baptism with the Holy Spirit (most people don't study- they believe what others have told them) some things might surprise you. The first thing that may surprise you is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is never mentioned in the OT. The Spirit was active in the OT, but the baptism with the Holy Spirit is never mentioned.
The second thing that may surprise you is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is mentioned only 9 times in the NT.
From these 9 passages four major aspects of the doctrine are presented.
A. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is promised: five of the nine passages deal with the promise of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is first mentioned in:
Matthew 3:11-12 (NKJV) "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Who does the baptizing? Jesus. Who is the agent? The Holy Spirit. It is not the baptism "of" the Holy Spirit, but the baptism with/by the Holy Spirit. When does it take place? At a future time of this writing. It did not take place until after the Lord ascended into heaven and took his seat on the right hand of the Father. This future aspect is mentioned in all four gospels, and in Acts 1.
Mark 1:8 (NKJV) "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Luke 3:16 (NKJV) John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John 1:33 (NKJV) "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
These five verses are promises that show the baptism of the Holy Spirit had not existed previously and did not occur until after Acts 1:5. So five of the nine references are prophecys of its future coming.
B. When did the baptism of the Holy Spirit occur? Historically- according to Acts 1:5 it was "not many days from now," which refers to Pentecost.
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one 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.
Notice that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not mentioned but the filling of the Spirit is. Now
look with me at:
Acts 11:15-16 (NKJV) "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 "Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
Peter identifies the date of the baptizing with the Holy Spirit at its inception as Pentecost. This is the first time that the baptism with the Holy Spirit took place. In Acts 11 the same thing happened to them as had happened to the 120 in the upper room. The original band of disciples were baptized on the day of Pentecost.
The disciples were not baptized by the Holy Spirit because they were of one accord, or because they tarried. Those who say we must tarry today are 2,000 years to late and 10,000 miles off. The Spirit came because it was the beginning of the New Covenant age. Pentecost will never happen again, anymore then Calvary will happen again. Pentecost was an historical prophesied event. It happened according to God's will, not because of man's actions. If the disciples were having donkey races they still would have been baptized by the Holy Spirit.
Look at:
Acts 2:16-17 (NKJV) "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
Pentecost was not only the fulfillment of our Lord's prophecy in Acts 1:5 and of John the Baptist's prophecy in Matthew 3 but also of the OT prophets.
So the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred historically at Pentecost. Since we were not there at Pentecost when are you and I baptized by the Holy Spirit? We have seen that there are many positions on this issue, but what do the Scriptures say? Let's go back to:
Acts 11:15-17 (NKJV) "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 "Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
Peter is preaching the gospel to Cornelius. As he preaches, Cornelius believes and the Holy Spirit descends upon him as he had upon the 120 at the beginning. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the 120 at the beginning was the fulfillment of the promised baptism of the Spirit. I conclude then that what is happening to Cornelius here is also the baptism by the Holy Spirit. So I think it is safe to say that a believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit at the moment of his conversion. It is not a second experience, it is not subsequent to salvation. The moment we are saved we are baptized by the Holy Spirit, we don't do anything to receive it except believe the gospel.
What about Acts 8? Doesn't that teach that the baptism by the Holy Spirit is a second work of grace? They received the baptism after their salvation.
Acts 8:3-5 (NKJV) As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
History: The Samaritans were greatly despised by the Jews because of their impure blood lines and their religious deviations from orthodox Judaism. Following the fall of the northern kingdom in 722B.C., the largely depopulated region was resettled by colonists brought in by the Assyrians from various parts of their empire (2 Kings 17:24). They intermarried with the Jews who had been left behind, and the "Samaritans" were their descendants. The rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem brought opposition from the Samaritans, and eventually a rival temple was built on Mt. Gerizim. Ever since then the Jews had "no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9), and the feeling were reciprocated. Thus for Philip to share his faith with Samaritans was a most uncommon act.
Acts 8:12 (NKJV) But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Acts 8:14-17 (NKJV) Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Why is there a gap between their believing and their baptism by the Holy Spirit? Is this a second work of grace? No! This is a providential work of God. The Samaritans needed to be shown the truth of John 4:22 "Salvation is of the Jews." This act connected them with Jerusalem so the schism would not be carried over into the church. The Jews and Samaritans are one in Christ, this preserved the unity of the body.
Keep in mind that the book of Acts is a transition from the OT to the NT era. This is the only place where you'll find a gap between salvation and the baptism by the Holy Spirit, other than at Pentecost.
What about Acts 19:1-6?
Acts 19:1-6 (NKJV) And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would 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 hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
These were OT believers, they were John's disciples. John's baptism was a baptism of waiting for the Messiah. There is no gap here; they were not Christians yet. They believed and were baptized with the Spirit at the same time.
C. What is the extent of the baptism by the Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV)13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
There are no requirements to receiving the baptism by the Holy Spirit. "All" is mentioned twice, all believers have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Paul's point here is unity; the baptism by the Holy Spirit makes us members of the body of Christ. To not be baptized by the Holy Spirit is to not be a Christian.
"We have all been baptized" - past tense. It happened at salvation. That is why there is no command in Scripture to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. There is no exhortation to receive the Holy Spirit- you already have Him.
Definition- the baptism by the Holy Spirit is the work of Jesus Christ in putting us into the church through the agency of the Holy Spirit. It happens at salvation.
The fact that the baptism by the Holy Spirit is universal is explicitly taught in 1 Corinthians 12:13 (we were all baptized), and implicitly taught in Ephesians 4:5
Ephesians 4:5 (NKJV) one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Speaking of unity, one Lord- every believer has the same Lord. We all have the same faith- this is a common basis for unity. One baptism- this is the Spirit baptism; it is a basis for unity. Not all Christians have been baptized in water, but they have all been baptized by the Spirit. There are not two types of Christians, some with the baptism by the Holy Spirit and some without it. Those who have not been baptized by the Holy Spirit are not Christians.
In the nine verses in the NT that speak of the baptism by the Holy Spirit none of them ever command us to seek it. What is the inference here? All believes have it. The baptism by the Holy Spirit is positional work of God; at salvation we are placed into the body of Christ and we can never loose that status. We are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit but never to be baptized. It is the filling of the Spirit that leads to power in our Christian lives. Filling has the idea of control.
D. What is the result of the baptism by the Holy Spirit?
It is not power for victorious Christian living. According to 1 Corinthians 12:13 the Corinthians had been baptized by the Holy Spirit, but they were not living victorious Christian lives. They were a mess. Paul writes to straighten out there sinful lives. In 1:10 he talks about their divisions, in 1:12-17 their personality cliques, in 3:3 their carnality, in 5:1 their sexual sin, in 8 their abuse of Christian liberty, and in 11 their abuse of the Lord's Supper. They had received the baptism by the Holy Spirit but they were not living the victorious Christian life.
The baptism by the Holy Spirit is not directly related to spirituality in life. All Christians have been baptized by the Holy Spirit but not all Christians live victoriously. The power is available but one must submit to the Spirit's control in order to achieve it.
Does everyone who is baptized by the Holy Spirit speak in tongues? That is a popular teaching today.
Donald Gee a leading Pentecostal has written. "What is the unique thing that makes the Pentecostal movement a definite separate entity? It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance."
We have already studied the gift of tongues and I would suggest that you get that tape if you have questions. Tongues was a temporary sign gift that has passed away. But if it was still being given, not everyone would have it according to:
1 Corinthians 12:28-30 (NKJV) And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
How would you answer this? Although the English translation makes it hard to see, its meaning is very plain in the Greek. In Greek, if a man wanted you to answer him negatively he would use the partial "may" if positively "ou." Paul here uses "may." We could say it like this, "All are not apostles are they? No of course not. All do not speak in tongues do they? No, they don't. The baptism by the Holy Spirit is universal, but tongues is partial. Therefore, tongues is not an evidence of the baptism by the Holy Spirit.
What is the result of the baptism by the Holy Spirit?
We can understand this by understanding the meaning of the word "baptize". The primary meaning of the word "baptize" is "to immerse or dip". But there is more than one meaning for the word "baptize". In any language there may be a literal and a metaphorical meaning of any one word. For example we see this in our use of the word "fox." Used literally it is a member of the canine family. But it is used metaphorically of an attractive female. The word "baptize" used metaphorically means a change of identity. It meas identification with or united to. We see this secondary meaning in:
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 (NKJV) Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
They were all identified with Moses. For years the children of Israel had been joined to Egypt, and identified with Pharaoh. But as they came out of Egypt in the exodus, the red sea and the pillar of the cloud broke that identification and identified them unto Moses. We also see this metaphorical use in:
Mark 10:38-39 (NKJV) But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;
What is he talking about? Death! How is death a baptism? In his death he identified with sinful man and bore his punishment. In verse 39 they will be identified in his death.
In water baptism you are publicly identifying yourself with Jesus Christ. The baptism by the Holy Spirit is identification with the body of Christ. The emphasis in 1 Corinthians 12:4-13 is unity in diversity. There is a problem in Corinth in properly esteeming Spiritual gifts. So in order to correct that problem, in verses 4-11, Paul indoctrinates the Corinthian Christians. The indoctrination involves two principles. First, in spite of the great diversity of spiritual gifts there is a unity in that diversity. There is a single source of the spiritual gifts and there is a single purpose for the gifts. Second, just the opposite is also true. Although there is a unity there is a great diversity of spiritual gifts. The gifts differ greatly. Paul tells us in verse 12 how this works. He gives us an illustration from the human body. We only have one body but that one body has great diversity, fingers, feet, ears. There is a great diversity in the body and yet there is a unity. They all work together to fulfill the desires of the head. Paul says, "so also is Christ". There is a great diversity in the church, but there is also a unity. How does the diversity in the body of Christ become a unity? Paul's answer to that question is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
We are all united to Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are all united to the body of Jesus Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are all one in Christ.
Galatians 3:27 (KJV) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Romans 6:3 (KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV) But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
The moment you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ, when God did that sovereign work of grace in your life and opened your heart and you received Jesus Christ, God, the Holy Spirit, united you, identified you with the body of Christ. That has tremendous practical applications. From verse 14 to the end of the chapter Paul will give us those applications. One of the greatest realities the Christian will ever understand about being united to Christ is that we stand complete in Him.
Colossians 2:10 (NKJV) and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Dr. Ironside tells the story about a sheep ranch that he once visited. As he stood at the fence looking out over the sheep he said to the rancher, "that's an ugly lamb, what's wrong with it?" The rancher explained that if a lamb died the mother would usually die also, mourning the death of the lamb. If the mother died giving birth, the lamb was sure to die because no other mother would nurse the orphan. What we do is take the skin of a dead lamb and wrap it around the orphaned lamb. Then we bring that orphaned lamb in the skin of the dead lamb to the mother who lost the lamb. The mother smells the skin around the orphaned lamb and recognizes it as her lamb and accepts it as her own.
This is a good picture of what God does for us.
God accepts us because we are in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 1:6 (NKJV) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
God sees us in Christ Jesus. How did we get in Christ? By the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Our union with Christ grants us all that He is and has. We are complete in Him (Romans 6:1-10). It is because of our union with Christ that we are declared righteous. I am as righteous as Jesus Christ, because I am in Jesus Christ, and therefore I have His righteousness.
Then Paul says that it does not make any difference what your origin is, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, "all were made to drink of one Spirit." We "all" were baptized; we "all" were made to drink, or were indwelt by one Spirit. When you drink a glass of water you take the water into yourself; when you drink of the Spirit you take the Spirit into yourself, and you are indwelt by him. That is why this passage clearly establishes for us that all believers are both "baptized by" and "indwelt by" the Holy Spirit.
When the Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ he puts us into Christ. He joins our life with his; he becomes our source of existence and strength; we are part of him.
That is what the church is. It is not just a group of religious people gathered together to enjoy certain mutually desired functions. It is a group of people who share the same life, who belong to the same Lord, who are filled with the same Spirit, who are given gifts by that same Spirit, and who are intended to function together to change the world by the life of God. That is the work of the church.
If someone asks you if you have received the baptism by the Holy Spirit, tell them "yes, and so has every other believer."
Let's review the teaching of Neo-Pentecostalism on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and see if any of your answers have changed.
1. Spirit Baptism is an experience that is distinct from and usually subsequent to salvation. (No, we are baptized at salvation)
2. Spirit Baptism is an experience whereby the totality of the Spirit is possessed by an individual. (Yes, the Holy Spirit is a person, therefore you can't have only part of Him.)
3. Spirit Baptism is an experience which empowers a believer for his witness and Christian service. (No, all Christians are not empowered - Corinthians? But it makes the power available to us.)
4. Spirit Baptism is an experience which believers are urged to seek. (Nowhere in Scripture are we told to seek it.)
5. Spirit Baptism is an experience which results in the full bestowal of the gifts of the Spirit and the initial historical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is that the individual speaks in tongues. (Spirit baptism is a non-experiential work of God, whereby the believer is placed into the body of Christ.)
We are united to Christ by the baptism by the Holy Spirit. We stand complete in Him, we share all that He is and has. The principle of identification with Christ is the basic foundation of the spiritual life. Understanding our position is the key to living victoriously. We are to live in practice what we are in position. We are to "be what we are!" We are commanded to allow the Spirit who indwells us to control us. Ephesians 5:18.
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