Sermon Tone Analysis

BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT (βαπτίζω ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, baptizō en pneumati hagiō).

Refers metaphorically to the reception of the Holy Spirit.

New Testament Usage

The phrase “baptize in the Holy Spirit” (always a verbal construction) occurs only seven times in the New Testament (Mark 1:8; Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15–16; 1 Cor 12:13), though other texts may refer to the phenomenon in other ways.

John the Baptist first speaks of this metaphor, contrasting his water baptism with the coming Messiah’s baptism in the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8; compare Matt 3:11 and Luke 3:16).

John reports, “the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’ ” (John 1:33 NIV).

While the Gospel writers each write with their own theological interests (e.g., both Matthew and Luke have the expanded “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”), they consistently use the metaphor to compare the Messiah’s spiritual baptizing with John the Baptist’s more literal water baptizing.

Acts

The use of the phrase in Acts is similar to its use in the Gospels.

In Acts 1:5 Jesus repeats the same comparison of baptisms (John’s baptism vs. the Spirit’s baptism) prior to His ascension: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5 NIV).

The phrase “a few days” refers to the Pentecost experience recorded in Acts 2, as confirmed by the final use of the phrase in Acts 11.

In Acts 11:16 Peter reports on the events at Cornelius’ house and refers to the Pentecost experience by quoting Jesus: “Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’ ” (Acts 11:16 NIV).

Paul

Paul’s only use of the metaphor refers to reception of the Holy Spirit at conversion: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13 NIV).

Paul refers to the believers’ common experience of conversion and connects reception of the Spirit to conversion (compare Gal 3:3; 2 Cor 1:21–22; Eph 1:13–14; Rom 8:9).

Peter’s statement in Acts 11:15–16 refers back to the simpler expression “received the Holy Spirit” in the narrative of Acts 10:47.

Thus, the unified usage of the metaphor “baptism in the Holy Spirit” in the Gospels and Acts fits with Paul’s use of the phrase to refer to the reception of the Holy Spirit at conversion.

Scholarly Discussion

Debates concerning the phrase “baptism in the Holy Spirit” developed mainly in the latter half of the 20th century.

The discussion lines usually fall along ecclesial boundaries.

The 1970 work of James D. G. Dunn is commonly identified as a primary catalyst for the dispute.

Two main issues dominate the debate:

1. whether “baptism in the Holy Spirit” is an experience separate from one’s salvation experience at conversion

2. whether salvation-historical concerns or personal-experience concerns are to dominate our understanding of the phrase.

While there are many possible nuances in defining “baptism in the Holy Spirit” (and some positions are more difficult to define), the main positions can be laid out in the following chart.

Salvation History Concerns Dominate

Experiential Concerns Dominate

1. Conversion View

2. Sacramental View

One kind of receiving the Holy Spirit:

One kind of receiving the Holy Spirit:

The Spirit’s salvific presence and empowering work is received at conversion.

The Spirit’s salvific presence and empowering work is received with water baptism.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is reception of the Spirit and happens at conversion.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is reception of the Spirit, which is the same thing as (and/or is said to happen at) water baptism.

Representatives: James D. G. Dunn, Michael Green, John R. W. Stott, Max Turner (later), Merrill F. Unger, John F. Walvoord.

Representatives: Frederick Dale Bruner.

3. Corporate View

4. Pentecostal View

Two kinds of receiving the Holy Spirit:

Two kinds/stages of receiving the Holy Spirit:

a) The Spirit’s salvific presence and empowering work is received at conversion.

a) The Spirit’s salvific presence is received at conversion.

b) The Spirit’s charismatic works could be subsequently received in the first century during the apostolic period.

b) The Spirit’s empowering work is received (or “released”) in a second experience (or becomes a conscious experience).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the one-time first-century corporate event of the outpouring of the Spirit on the universal Church.

As with Christ’s one-time death, individuals now participate in this one-time baptism at conversion (a).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second and empowering reception of the Spirit by people who are already believers (or a “release” of the Spirit to work powerfully in their lives) (b).

Representatives: Edgar Y. Mullins and Geoffrey W. Bromiley.

Representatives: William P. Atkinson, Howard M. Ervin, Frank D. Macchia, Robert P. Menzies, Roger Stronstrad.

3b.

First-Century Corporate View

4b.

Charismatic Sacramental View

Two kinds of receiving the Holy Spirit:

Two kinds/stages of receiving the Holy Spirit:

a) The Spirit’s salvific presence and empowering work is received at conversion.

a) The Spirit’s salvific work is received with the initiation sacrament(s).

b) The Spirit’s charismatic works could be subsequently received in the first century during the apostolic period.

b) The Spirit’s empowering work is received (or “released”) in a second experience (or becomes a conscious experience) and/or confirmation (a).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the unique first-century corporate event of the outpouring of the Spirit on people who were already believers to show divine approval of gospel expansion (b).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is another name for (and/or is said to happen at) initiation/conversion rites of water baptism.

Representative: James M. Hamilton Jr.

Representatives: John Gunstone, Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague.

Explanation of Scholarly Views

Conversion

Those arguing for the Conversion View (1) note the salvation-historical necessity of a first coming of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ followers (compare John 7:39).

However, they argue that after that initial period, all subsequent believers are expected to receive the Spirit at conversion (as Peter seems to indicate in Acts 2:38).

This acknowledgement of salvation history brings Luke and Paul together in their pneumatology.

Nevertheless, Conversion View holders find themselves with the difficulty of explaining certain oddities in Acts.

To do this, they continue to appeal to salvation historical distinctiveness, with Acts 2 being the first group of Jewish believers to receive the Spirit and Acts 8 being the first group of non-Jewish believers to receive the Spirit (compare Luke’s observation in Acts 8:16 indicating it as odd that the Samaritans had not received the Spirit; and Luke’s recording of Paul’s question in Acts 19:2 showing the expectation that all believers in Jesus have the Spirit).

Those of the Conversion View must be careful to avoid the temptation to consent to a powerless neglect of the received Spirit.

Sacramental

Those arguing for a Sacramental View (2) point to the New Testament’s juxtaposition of the metaphorical and literal references to baptism, including:

• John the Baptist’s comparison (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; copied by Jesus in Acts 1:5; 11:16)

• Jesus’ experience of water baptism and the Spirit descending (Matt 3:16; Mark 1:9–10; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:32–34)

• apostolic preaching (e.g., Acts 2:38–39; compare Acts 19:1–6; compare 1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3:5).

However, this view struggles with the clear non-identification of these baptisms in other New Testament passages (e.g., Acts 8:15–17; 10:44–48), and thus seems to take the term “baptism” too literally.

Corporate

Those arguing for the Corporate View (3) understand “baptism in the Holy Spirit” as a once-for-all significant (sign) first-century event—much like Jesus’ crucifixion was a once-for-all significant (salvific) first-century event.

They note that Jesus’ prediction in Acts 1:5 of the Spirit baptism points to the first-century Acts 2 event, and Peter’s “this is that” remarks in Acts 2:17–21 point to that same event as fulfilling the prophecy of Joel.

However, by pressing the corporate dimensions of the baptism metaphor, this view struggles to explain the Acts 10 event, which is clearly identified as a baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:16).

For the Corporate View, Acts 10 must be described as a second part completion of the once for all salvation-historical event.

A second version of the Corporate View (3b) suggests that the multiple Spirit baptisms in Acts were unique first-century events that were not conversion experiences.

Pentecostal

The most extensive disputes have been between representatives of the Conversion View (1) and those of the Pentecostal View (4).

Those arguing for the Pentecostal View’s two-stage reception of the Holy Spirit typically insist that Luke’s pneumatology is different than Paul’s.

They acknowledge that Paul requires a single reception of the Spirit at conversion (compare Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:2–3; 4:6) and suggest that Luke requires two receptions (a presumed salvific reception at conversion and a subsequent empowering reception as reflected in Acts 2, 8, and 19).

Thus, Pentecostals find themselves with the difficulty of reconciling their readings of Luke and Paul.

To do this, some suggest that Paul is the norm and Luke only allows for two receptions.

Others suggest that Paul is concerned only with a salvific reception and Luke with a second and normative empowering reception of the Spirit to be sought after by believers (or it is viewed as an empowered release of the already received Spirit).

In so doing, the Pentecostal View is often in danger of unduly separating the event of Spirit reception from the ongoing effects of Spirit reception (salvation vs. empowerment).

Conclusions

The fact that the Spirit can and does empower believers at subsequent times in their lives (e.g., for supernatural acts) does not necessitate that those empowerments be deemed separate receptions of the Spirit.

The metaphor “baptism in the Spirit” can refer to the one and only reception of the Spirit for both Luke and Paul without denying subsequent empowerments (which Luke and Paul both seem to describe with a second, liquid metaphor, “filled with the Spirit”; e.g., Act 4:31; Eph 5:18).

Indeed, the New Testament does not use the language of reception—metaphorical or otherwise—in two separate narrations for the same group of people (note the command Jesus gives the apostles in John 20:22 to “receive the Holy Spirit” can hardly be understood as a narration of them receiving the Spirit at that moment, for John had explained earlier that the Spirit could not come until after Jesus had been glorified; see John 7:39; 14:16–17; 16:7; compare Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4–8; 2:33).

At its core, the New Testament metaphor “baptism in the Holy Spirit” is about receiving the Spirit; other experiences with the Spirit would be better described with another New Testament metaphor (e.g., “filled with the Holy Spirit”).

Other New Testament liquid metaphors with reference to the Holy Spirit include:

• Acts 2:33 with Acts 15:8 for “pour out the Holy Spirit” = “give the Holy Spirit”

• Luke 4:1a with 4:1b for “filled with the Holy Spirit” = “controlled, empowered, and characterized by the Holy Spirit”