The Baptism of the Spirit
There is great variety of interpretation and understanding about what Scripture calls the “baptism of the Spirit.” The following notes provide a chronological presentation of this New Testament phenomenon as it was predicted by John the Baptist, foretold by Jesus Christ, recorded by Luke the historian, and explained by Apostle Paul. Feel free to leave comments and interact with what I’ve shared!
John the Baptist (forerunner to Christ) predicted the coming, future ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33)
This is an esp. important detail because all four gospels mention it.
Baptize means “to immerse.”
This “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is not the same thing as water baptism but something different.
This baptism would only be possible when Christ made it possible. This type of close union with God did not exist or occur before the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
Christ himself foretold the coming, future ministry of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. (Acts 1:5; cf. 11:16)
Christ says the same thing as the previous four references. The difference is that John the Baptist said this before the public ministry of Christ began. Christ said this after his death and resurrection.
“Not many days from now” specifies only a few days after the ascension of Christ – his return to the throne of God as the resurrected, victorious Savior.
Peter (to whom Christ spoke these words in Acts 1:5) identifies this as what happened to the believers in the household of Cornelius (see Acts 10:44-46).
Note that the Spirit came to the believers in Cornelius’s household before they received water baptism, indicating that water baptism and Spirit baptism are distinct and that Spirit baptism occurs at conversion not at water baptism.
According to Acts 11:15, this was the same thing that happened to the believers in Acts 2 as well.
So, this was a spiritual reality which began after Christ ascended to heaven, beginning with Acts 2 and is the key act of God (sending the Spirit) which began the church.
We’ll discuss tongues-speaking in a later lesson. But this, like the flames of fire and rushing wind, was a temporary marker and sign that an invisible change was taking place, marking a key turning point in redemptive history. Christ described the Spirit’s ministry like wind and fire when he taught and prophesied about it. So, these temporary markers made it clear that what he had taught about was happening. This continues to happen today but without the initial temporary markers and signs.
Luke highlighted the coming of the Holy Spirit to believers in the church. (Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 10:44-47; 19:1-6)
Luke highlights the Spirit coming to 4 groups of people
Acts 2:1-4 / Jewish believers
Acts 8:14-17 / Samaritan believers (partly Jewish)
Acts 10:44-47 / Gentile believers (non-Jewish)
Acts 19:1-6 / followers of John the Baptist
These four instances provide a historical transition indicating (first 3) that faith in Christ and Spirit baptism are for all people not just Jewish and (fourth) that Spirit baptism requires believe in the resurrected Christ, not just looking forward to the Messiah pre-resurrection.
Paul explains the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 12:13)
Rom 6:3-4 is not referring primarily to water baptism but to Spirit baptism which happens at the moment we believe on Christ. When we believe on Christ we are placed into Christ and Christ into us – so that his death becomes our death, and his resurrection becomes our resurrection. Water baptism provides a public, visible reminder of this spiritual reality which occurs at salvation, just as the Lord’s Table provides a public, visible reminder of Christ’s death and resurrection.
1 Cor 12:13 emphasizes the outcome of Spirit baptism, that the Holy Spirit places us into the body of Christ from all cultures and ethnicities, from all social statuses. We are all equal participants in the body of Christ, members, etc. The Spirit has immersed us all into Christ and is immersed into all of us equally, not some more than others.
