07-03-05 The meaning of pentecost
Acts 2:4
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
I. The promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit
A. In four instances in the gospels
Matthew 3:11
11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Mark 1:8
8 “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 3:16
16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John 1:33
33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
B. John the Baptist stated that he was baptizing in or with water
1. After him there was One, Jesus Christ, coming who was stronger and was going to baptize (baptísei, future indicative meaning a certain future action) in or with the Holy Spirit
a) The baptizer is clearly Jesus Christ.
b) The element of baptism was going to be the Holy Spirit
c) Even as the element of physical baptism was water.
C. The purpose of this spiritual baptism is indicated in
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
D. “For by [this in Greek is en, meaning ‘in’ or ‘with’ the Holy Spirit] one Spirit are we all baptized [ebaptísthēmen, ‘we were all baptized’] into one body
1. The body of Christ so beautifully described in
1 Corinthians 12:14-27 (Refer)
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now there are many members, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
E. Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
1. The Holy Spirit must convict the sinner if that conviction is going to be genuine and acceptable to Christ.
2. There are two instances in the New Testament when human belief was invalid because it was not initiated by the Holy Spirit.
a) Simon the magician believed, but not in the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:9-25
9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;
10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”
11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
b) He even fooled Philip the deacon into baptizing him physically with water
(1) This happened in Samaria
(2) Then there came two apostles, Peter and John. They prayed that those who had believed and were baptized might receive the Holy Spirit and validate their faith.
(3) This happened to all of them except Simon, the sorcerer.
(4) Before they simply believed because of the persuasiveness of Philip. Now that their faith was energized by the Holy Spirit,.
Acts 19:1-7
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
7 There were in all about twelve men.
c) We read of some disciples who had believed and experienced the baptism of repentance of John the Baptist, but they had never heard of the Holy Spirit
d) When Paul put his hands upon them, they received the Holy Spirit
II. The fulfillment of John’s promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
A. The Lord Jesus confirmed and clarified John the Baptist’s prediction in
Acts 1:5
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
1. The Lord gave further information as to when this historical event was going to take place: “not many days hence.”
a) Stated positively, it meant that it would occur shortly
b) It was an event which indeed occurred ten days after the Lord made this prophesy prior to His ascension.
c) This was the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
2. The expression “baptism” or “baptize in the Holy Spirit,” is not found in
Acts 2:1-13
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
9 “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”
3. How then can we identify this baptism as that to which John the Baptist and Jesus said was yet to come and which Paul said had already taken place
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
B. A key occurrence of the term “baptism” or “baptize in the Holy Spirit,” found in
Acts 11:15-16
15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.
16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
C. This passage makes this identification clear
1. Peter was in Caesarea by the sea speaking to Cornelius and his group of Gentiles. He said,
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them [the Gentiles], as on us [the Jews] at the beginning
a) [en archḗ, which may be understood as the beginning of the body of Christ, the establishment of the Christian church].”
2. Peter confirms that what the Gentiles witnessed at Caesarea and the Jews witnessed in Jerusalem at Pentecost was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He said,
Acts 11:16
“Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost”
III. Speaking in tongues, the evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism
A. At Pentecost those Jews who experienced this special coming of the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-17
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Role of the Spirit
16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
John 16:7-14
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
B. Spoke in other (hētérais, “qualitatively different” than their mother tongue) languages.
1. These were not “the unknown tongue” spoken by the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 14:2
2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Corinthians 14:4
4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.
1 Corinthians 14:13
13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:19
19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.,
1 Corinthians 14:26-27
26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret
2. Not a language per se, but an utterance not understood by the hearers.
Acts 2:6-8
6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
3. They are definitely called dialects in Greek which can only mean ethnic languages
4. In other instances, the word glṓssai, “languages or tongues,” is used in the plural with a singular pronoun, referring to ethnic languages
Mark 16:17
17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
1 Corinthians 12:10
10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28
28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:30
30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
1 Corinthians 13:1
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:8
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
1 Corinthians 14:5-6
5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?
1 Corinthians 14:18
18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;
1 Corinthians 14:22
22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
C. They needed no interpreter to be understood.
D. They were spoken in the presence of one of the Twelve Apostles, including Paul.
1. At Pentecost all the apostles were present except Judas.
2. At Caesarea, Peter was present.
3. At Ephesus, Paul was present.
E. They spoke as part of a group.
1. At Pentecost—Jews
2. At Caesarea—Gentiles
3. At Ephesus—disciples of John the Baptist.
F. In the case of Ephesus in
Acts 19:1-7
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
7 There were in all about twelve men.
G. We don’t have the exact expression “baptism” or “baptize in the Holy Spirit,”
1. But we do have the speaking in tongues or languages as the evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism
a) Thus the phenomenon must be identified as the same as at Pentecost and Caesarea.
b) Therefore, the special coming of the Holy Spirit was the sending of the Paraclete, the Comforter, by the Father and Jesus Christ after His ascension into heaven
John 14:16
16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
John 16:16-17
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”
17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”
Acts 1:5
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
2. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit did not exist or was not in the world prior to that time, but at that time He began to be with us as He is now
John 14:17
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
3. This period of time in which we are now living is thus the dispensation of the Holy Spirit in a very real sense
John 16:16-20
16 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”
17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”
18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.”
19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’?
20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.
IV.Who is baptized with the Holy Spirit?
A. The words of Paul in
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
B. Make this unmistakably clear, especially if we translate it literally from the Greek:
“And indeed in or with one Spirit [that was the event manifested at Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Ephesus] we were all baptized into one body [the body of Christ, the Church], either Jews or Greeks [Gentiles], or slaves or free, and all were given to drink one Spirit” [author’s translation].
C. Observe the word pántes, “all,” occurring twice. Even the immature, carnal Christians of Corinth
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
D. All believers whose faith was energized by the Holy Spirit, were baptized into the body of Christ.
E. This is not an experience of individual believers as a sign of maturity
1. It is something Jesus Christ accomplished for us all as a result of His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension
2. He will finally make the identities of those in His body known at His coming again
Romans 8:21
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
V. When does this baptism in the Holy Spirit take place?
A. Before we are Christians, the Holy Spirit’s only relation to us is that He convicts us of sin
John 16:8
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
B. Then when we trust the work of Christ for us on the cross, our relation to the Holy Spirit changes
John 14:17
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
Romans 8:14
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.