September 29th: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Speaker: Duncan Wyncoll
According to Scripture, all believers experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When does it occur, and is it the same as the filling of the Spirit?
Reading: Acts 18.24 to 19.12
Introduction
- Teaching favoured by many people in recent years, even penetrating reformed circles – e.g. Dr ML-J
- Traditional evangelicals might be regarded as ‘second rate’ – by refusing to receive the ‘fullness’ of the spirit/2nd blessing
- For some it’s linked with receiving the revelatory & sign gifts
Where do they get the teaching from?
· For some it’s a very ‘superficial & shallow approach to God’s word’
· For others it’s ‘dogmatic teaching, seldom supported by texts’
- Idea of a Baptism in the HS after conversion giving rise to emotional experiences, imagined revelations, & some ‘delusions of perfect holiness’ OR heartache & confusion…
- Some desperate to obtain it - priorities change, becomes a supreme objective & ignore the commands of God about service, witness & obedient holiness
The Only Baptism of the Spirit mentioned in the Bible is the gracious act of the Spirit, which comes to dwell in us at conversion
- At times we may need ‘strengthening & illumination’, but not an additional baptism
- After conversion – we co-operate with the Spirit (in our conscience), walk by His power & prove His helpfulness
So, the Key Question is:
Is it clear from God’s Word that the HS enters fully at conversion?
Or does it occur in stages?
Let’s look at some proof texts
Acts 2.38 – ‘Repent, & be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, & ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost’
Repentance & coming to Christ totally bound up with the giving of the HS
Some say this is just an initial gift, & say that there are 2 types one from Christ & another from the HS
But this would contradict the verses earlier…
Acts 2.32-33 – ‘This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, & having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see & hear.’
i.e. Pentecost was the HS promised by Christ – no further baptism after this…
Perhaps there are Christians who don’t receive the full blessing straightaway?
Acts 2.39 – ‘For the promise is unto you, & to your children, & to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call’
So, wherever the gospel is preached, among all nations, & for subsequent generations, the gift of the HS comes sinners at repentance i.e. when saved…
What was the result of the Holy Spirit’s coming?
Did they all speak in tongues? Did they all heal? –
Not frequent, only the apostles plus a few othersResult was that they ‘continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine’ etc
Exhibited the marks of grace… filled with awe, & wonder verses 42-47
These were the results of the HS entering their hearts
Romans 5.1-5 – ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God. & not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; & patience, experience; & experience, hope: & hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us’
When do we receive the HS? at justification/conversion
Newer translations: ‘who was given to us’
A comfort & privilege of all who have been born again
Romans 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.’
Romans 8.15 – ‘For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father:’
Conversion = adoption into the family
HS teaches us to say ‘Abba Father’ – intimate cry of every child of God
Where can you get a second experience from in these verses?
Every Christian – however young – has the HS dwelling within
‘Abba Father’ instinct comes from adoption/conversion
1 Cor 6.11 – ‘…but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus & by the Spirit of God.’
1 Cor 6.19,20 – ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, & ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body…
Paul challenges all believers to live sanctified lives
Why? – because they are automatically indwelt by the HS
Bought with a price – from the day of or conversion
1 Cor 12.13 – ‘For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; & have been all made to drink into one Spirit’
- Only place in Paul’s epistles that mentions baptism in connection with the HS
Every believer is baptised (placed into) the body of Christ (look at the context) – at conversion
Gal 4.4-6 – ‘But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. & because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.’
No longer slaves but sons
We have the HS given with sonship or daughterhood of God
Nothing is mentioned about a subsequent blessing/filling/baptism…
Ephesians 1.13,14 – ‘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 HS of promise, which is the earnest (foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory.’
Having believed (conversion, not just conviction) – ye were sealed – received authenticating signs…
Security is implied – that we will be secure through life to heaven
HS is like a wonderful guarantee to every recipient of grace
Illus: When we buy a new Appliance we receive a guarantee. How would we feel if the salesman said? ‘well you might get one, but on the other hand you might not…’
Ephesians 4.30 – ‘& grieve not the HS of God, whereby ye are (were) sealed unto the day of redemption’
Paul presumes that all were sealed when they came into the Christian life
Traditional view - Baptism/sealing of the HS – is part of conversion.
Passages which are used to support the modern view are often out of context.
Baptist Confession of Faith: Chapter 12
‘All those that are justified… receive the Spirit of adoption… are enabled to cry Abba father, are pitied (shown caring, compassionate love), protected, provided for, & chastened by Him, as by a Father, yet never cast off; but sealed to the day of redemption…’
What about the Ephesus 12? – Acts 19
Favourite proof text of those who teach a 2nd blessing (occ. coupled with tongues)
Paul meets ‘disciples’ of John the Baptist (i.e. Jews)
Why did Paul ask this question (19.2,3)?
After all, he teaches that all believers have the Holy Spirit indwelling…
He suspected that they had come to believe through John; & wouldn’t have fully understood some parts of the gospel message/& aspects of the HS
John taught the promised Messiah would take away sin (sacrifices would be not be required)
But John died before Calvary – & his disciples migrated to many regions
Did they know about Calvary? Resurrection? Pentecost & the founding of NT Church?
Did they know about NT scriptures by revelation through apostles & prophets? No
Similar to Apollos – believers in a pre-Calvary Messiah (stuck between the 2 testaments!)
Acts 18.26 - ‘They expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly’
They were believers – but much light was missing
Paul saw they were sincere. But where had they heard the gospel?
How had they been converted? What did they understand? Hence his Question…
Their reply told him all he needed to know (19.2)
These were not fully fledged Christians about to experience a 2nd blessing
So, they experienced a miniature reproduction Pentecost
Why did God do this about 23 years after the original event?
The gospel was about to make inroads into an entirely new area
Each ‘miniature Pentecost’ had an important message e.g. Acts 8 & 10
Jews were being taught to accept the Samaritans; & Gentiles were now equally welcome…
This event is the 3rd mini-pentecost – liberating the Jewish conscience & to authenticate his messengers
NB – all this was recorded because it was a rare event…
Some use the expression – ‘One baptism; many fillings…’
· Bible does mention ‘fillings of the spirit’ – but very different to what is taught by Pentecostals & charismatics
· Some teach ‘ecstatic experience’ & gifts, & some ‘automatic sanctification’, some feelings of assurance, glory & communion with God etc
What about the Filling of the spirit texts?
Acts 4.8 – ‘Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people…’
Acts 4.31 – ‘And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; & they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, & they spake the word of God with boldness’
Acts 7.55 – ‘But he (Stephen), being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, & saw the glory of God, & Jesus standing on the right hand of God’
Some of these people were filled on multiple occasions
Different times & different objectives
Witness, great love, unity of purpose, discernment, comfort in persecution & assurance
Referred to in terms of definite practical results & not ‘how they felt’
Another Key difference – Not prayed for, but given…
Eph 5.18 – ‘Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit’
Chapter about Self-control, holiness & wise behaviour
It is all about action for the Lord
2 Cor 13.14 – ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, & the love of God, & the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all’
Key word is communion = partnership; Not ‘Let go & let God’
We are converted, & together in partnership we’re made Saints
HS comes along side to enrich & empower – He’s our ‘partner’
We strive for holiness, & He blesses with power; building something worthwhile in our lives, not replacing our faculties
Not ‘emptied out’ of all personal capacities ® pathetic & hopeless
Conversion bestows upon us gifts, strengths & abilities to use & dedicate to Him
Illus: Nero could no longer get the people to watch the Christians being fed to the Lions. It was a cold winter, & they wanted something different. Stripped to their under garments & left to stand on a frozen lake; with soldiers on the edge feasting around a warm fire encouraging them to recant. 40 believers sang together freezing to death – one did recant – only for the Roman captain (who was a believer) to remove his cloak & join the 39 on the ice…
These were the situations where people would receive ‘fillings of the Spirit’
Not for believers to have hands laid on & taught to speak in an imagined tongue
Similar for the martyrs; & for the pioneer missionaries
Perhaps even for us, as in obedience & faith we embark on service for him
Conclusion
· Charismatic teaching on this is not just slightly different – but completely different
· & In complete opposition to the time-honoured evangelical doctrine
