Holy Spirit Baptism

Today, we are going to turn our attention on a vital role the Holy Spirit played in the church’s development early on and the false doctrine that has come forth from it.

Hence, we will be examining “Holy Spirit Baptism.”

With that in mind, let’s take a look at our lesson this morning.

What Is Holy Spirit Baptism?

Where Is It Discussed?

If you do a search for this specific phrase “Holy Spirit baptism” you will not actually find it in the New Testament but that does not mean it isn’t discussed because it is.

John the Baptizer is the one that tells us of this baptism in three of the gospel accounts.

Matthew 3:11 (ESV)

11 I baptize you with water for 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.

Mark 1:8 (ESV)

8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 3:16 (ESV)

16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

We see both the Holy Spirit and baptism mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13 as well but it doesn’t have anything to do with “Holy Spirit baptism.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

This verse isn’t talking about Holy Spirit baptism but how by the teaching of the “one Spirit” we are baptized into the “one body which is the one church of Christ.”

The next thing we need to consider when determining “What Is Holy Spirit Baptism” is that what this baptism was a…

Promise Not A Command.

There is no direct statement, example, or implication in the bible that saying everyone is to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is found in Joel 2:28-32.

Joel 2:28–30 ESV

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

Joel 2:31–32 ESV

31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Let’s look again at the first two verses there.

Joel 2:28–29 (ESV)

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Well doesn’t this say that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on “all flesh?”

First it is clear that the use of the term “all flesh” is not being used to convey “all living things.”

1 Corinthians 15:39 ESV

39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

And there is no doubt that this term is used to talk about “all of humanity.”

John 17:2 ESV

2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

However, when we look at the prophecy it is looking at it from the perspective of the Jew.

Jews knew of only two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles.

It is in this vein that we find the term “all flesh” being used and we know that because of how the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled.

Now before we get into the fulfillment let me first point out that this isn’t the same thing as “being filled with the Spirit.”

John the Baptizer was “filled with the Spirit” in the womb (Luke 1:15) and therefore could not have been baptized by the Spirit yet.

Today, every Christian is filled with the Spirit which we find in Ephesians 5:18 and what this means in Colossians 3:16.

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

So, then…

Who Was Baptized By The Holy Spirit?

As we just discussed God’s promise through Joel is to both Jew and Gentile and the book of Acts demonstrates proves this.

Acts 2:1–4 (ESV)

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We know this was a fulfillment of God’s promise by way of Joel because Peter tells us it was when he just a little later preaches his first gospel sermon.

Acts 2:14–17 (ESV)

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…

We then read of the exact same thing happening to the house of Cornelius, and thus Gentiles.

Acts 10:44–45 ESV

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

Acts 10:46–47 (ESV)

46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

Summary

These are the only ones we read about that were baptized by the Holy Spirit because when both Jew & Gentile were baptized with the Holy Spirit i.e., all flesh, the promise was fulfilled.

There is no baptism of the Holy Spirit any longer.

We know this for a few reason so let’s examine those now.

Holy Spirit Baptism Doctrines

Two Baptisms?

The bible will always help us understand these things if we are willing to, like the Bereans, scrutinize the scriptures (Acts 17:11) because God has giving us in written word everything we need to know to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3).

About 35 to 40 years after that event took place with the house of Cornelius we find Paul pointing out that at that point in time, roughly 55 to 60 AD, there was only “one baptism” now.

Ephesians 4:4–6 (ESV)

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Now some, in the denominational world, have noticed this and have also noticed baptism is “for the remission of sins” and thus necessary.

However, because of a false notion that water baptism is a work, they have concluded that we are all baptized by the Holy Spirit to have our sins washed away.

“Baptism washes our sins away FIGURATIVELY. The Holy Spirit gives us a new heart and nature based on the work of Christ, so we are immersed in a symbolic picture of burying our old nature and rising to walk in a new life.”

In the denominational book, “The Evangelical Dictionary of World Religions,” the author states of the Pentecostal denomination…

The Evangelical Dictionary of World Religions Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Pentecostal View Of

Pentecostals believe that baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event that happens in the life of a believer, empowering that person for a life of service and ministry.

By the way, some in the Lord’s church are teaching this same thing just without the miraculous endowment.

In Mac Deaver’s book “The Holy Spirit” in chapter 20 titled “Born of Water and the Spirit” Mac sets forth why he and those that have bought into this false doctrine now believe we are all baptized by the Holy Spirit.

However, there is a glaring issue with this, outside of the fact that this would mean we are baptized by two baptisms if true.

Turn with me or read with me from Romans 6:3-5.

Romans 6:3–5 (ESV)

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Notice here that whatever we are immersed in we must then be resurrected or “come back out of and thus leave behind” that which we were immersed in or resurrected out of.

Now simple logic and common sense should be telling us all then that if we are immersed in the Holy Spirit and then “come out of and thus leave the Holy Spirit” there is a problem with Romans 8.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

As anyone can see here you don’t want to be in the position of “leaving the Holy Spirit behind,” therefore not having the Holy Spirit, and thus not belonging to Christ.

Summary

Simply put there is only one baptism and that one baptism is done in water.

Acts 8:36 (ESV)

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

Acts 8:38–39 (ESV)

38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Conclusion

Brethren, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit has, as we have already discussed, a vital role in our salvation.

He sanctifies us, he seals us, he does a lot for us wherein our salvation is concerned but we are not baptized in the Holy Spirit because there is only one baptism and it is by water, wherein we are given the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

Invitation

Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Philippians 2:6–7 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Acts 17:30 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Matthew 10:32 NKJV

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Romans 6:3–5 ESV

1 John 1:7 ESV

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

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