The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

Home \| Foundation Truths \| Original Sin & Eternal Punishment \| C L Parker \| Bill Turner \| Bibliography \| Contact
< > Chapter One The baptism in the Holy Spirit The scriptures prove that the baptism in the Spirit takes place after the new birth The apostles were born again years before their baptism in the Spirit. The apostles were converted before Pentecost; their names, like those of the 70, were “written in heaven,” Lk.10v20.; they were “clean,” Jn.15v2,3.; they were not of the world, and belonged to God, Jn.17v6,9-16,23.; they had received Christ and were believers in Him, and He owned them as His friends and brethren. Jn.1v12. 15v15. 17v8. Mt.12v48-50. At Pentecost, these already born-again believers received the baptism in the Spirit that had been promised to them. Acts.2v1-4. We know from John.7v37-39., that the Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was not available to the Church until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. However, the recorded outpouring of the Holy Spirit in “The book of Acts” after the day of Pentecost, show that Christians received the baptism in the Spirit after the new birth, not at the new birth. The Samaritans were baptised in the Spirit a considerable time after their conversion. At Samaria many accepted Philip's sign-attested ministry and became joyful believers in Jesus; it was several, even many days later, that Peter and John came to Samaria to lay hands on these born-again, and water-baptised converts, that they might receive the baptism in the Spirit. Acts.8v5-19. The Samaritans were full of faith and joy; but they were not baptised in the Spirit until Peter and John prayed for them. Joy, peace, sanctification, or love, cannot be looked upon as a claim for being baptised in the Spirit; these are the even more important “fruit of the Spirit,” which are the result of abiding in Christ and being led of the Spirit. Gal.5v16-25. To be a balanced Christian we need both gifts and fruit, both “great grace and great power.” Acts.4v33. Paul experienced his baptism in the Spirit a few days after his conversion. Paul became a Christian when he met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road. He owned Christ as Lord, saying, “Lord, what will thou have me to do”? Ananias was able to call him, “Brother Saul,” and God sent him to Paul, so that Paul might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was three days after Paul's conversion. Acts.9v6,9,17. The remarkable outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his friends. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the house of Cornelius proves that Christians can receive the baptism in the Spirit a few seconds or minutes after believing in Christ as Saviour, and without having previously been baptised in water, and without having the laying on of hands. Acts.10v34-48. God gave Cornelius and his devout friends the sign of the gift of tongues, to prove to bigoted Jews at Jerusalem, and elsewhere, that God desired to save and forgive the despised Gentiles, and had welcomed them into His Church. Acts.11v1-18. The Ephesians received their baptism in the Spirit some time after their conversion. In Acts19v2., Paul asks the Ephesian Christians the question, “Having believed, did ye receive the Spirit?” “Having believed,” is the aorist participle, “pisteuosantes,” which speaks of an action, which takes place BEFORE the action of the leading verb, “elabete,” (the aorist of “lambano”), which means, “did you receive?” Therefore, the believing took place before the receiving. F.F. Bruce states that the term “disciples” is a term that was commonly used for Christians, and that if these disciples had been disciples of John, Luke would have said so explicitly. It does not say that they were disciples of John, who Paul had to lead to Jesus; it says they were Christians who only knew the baptism of John. The disciples at Ephesus were undoubtedly Christians whose knowledge of Christianity was in a similar defective condition to the limited knowledge of the “fervent” Apollos; before he was more accurately instructed by Priscilla and Aquila. Acts18v24-28. Apollos was a Christian who was “mighty in the Scriptures,” “and was instructed in the way of the Lord;” and “spake and taught diligently the way of the Lord;” but he too only knew the baptism of John. It seems that these Christians were converted through the ministry of Apollos. This is confirmed by the fact that these two events are recorded together. Acts.18v24 to 19v6. It was, then, a considerable time after their conversion, that these Ephesian Christians received their baptism in the Holy Spirit. Even if, as some say, these were disciples of John, who became Christians when Paul spoke to them, it still follows that they were baptised in the Spirit some time after their conversion. It is obvious that it would take some time to find a suitable place for baptism, and some time must also have elapsed between their baptism in water and the laying on of the apostle's hands for the baptism in the Spirit, even if it were only a matter of minutes or hours. Their baptism in the Spirit occurred, therefore, some time after their conversion, when the apostle Paul laid hands on them, a point that Paul reminds the Ephesians of in Eph.1v13., “after that ye had believed, (again “pisteuosantes”) ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” < >
The Disastrous Effects Of the Doctrine Of Original Sin \| By His Stripes We Are Healed \| The Book Of Revelation \| The Second Coming Of Christ \| The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit \| The Comforter Is Come

Chapter One

The baptism in the Holy Spirit

The scriptures prove that the baptism in the Spirit takes place after the new birth

The apostles were born again years before their baptism in the Spirit.
The apostles were converted before Pentecost; their names, like those of the 70, were “written in heaven,” Lk.10v20.; they were “clean,” Jn.15v2,3.; they were not of the world, and belonged to God, Jn.17v6,9-16,23.; they had received Christ and were believers in Him, and He owned them as His friends and brethren. Jn.1v12. 15v15. 17v8. Mt.12v48-50. At Pentecost, these already born-again believers received the baptism in the Spirit that had been promised to them. Acts.2v1-4. We know from John.7v37-39., that the Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was not available to the Church until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. However, the recorded outpouring of the Holy Spirit in “The book of Acts” after the day of Pentecost, show that Christians received the baptism in the Spirit after the new birth, not at the new birth.

The Samaritans were baptised in the Spirit a considerable time after their conversion.
At Samaria many accepted Philip's sign-attested ministry and became joyful believers in Jesus; it was several, even many days later, that Peter and John came to Samaria to lay hands on these born-again, and water-baptised converts, that they might receive the baptism in the Spirit. Acts.8v5-19. The Samaritans were full of faith and joy; but they were not baptised in the Spirit until Peter and John prayed for them. Joy, peace, sanctification, or love, cannot be looked upon as a claim for being baptised in the Spirit; these are the even more important “fruit of the Spirit,” which are the result of abiding in Christ and being led of the Spirit. Gal.5v16-25. To be a balanced Christian we need both gifts and fruit, both “great grace and great power.” Acts.4v33.

Paul experienced his baptism in the Spirit a few days after his conversion.
Paul became a Christian when he met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road. He owned Christ as Lord, saying, “Lord, what will thou have me to do”? Ananias was able to call him, “Brother Saul,” and God sent him to Paul, so that Paul might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was three days after Paul's conversion. Acts.9v6,9,17.

The remarkable outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his friends.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the house of Cornelius proves that Christians can receive the baptism in the Spirit a few seconds or minutes after believing in Christ as Saviour, and without having previously been baptised in water, and without having the laying on of hands. Acts.10v34-48. God gave Cornelius and his devout friends the sign of the gift of tongues, to prove to bigoted Jews at Jerusalem, and elsewhere, that God desired to save and forgive the despised Gentiles, and had welcomed them into His Church. Acts.11v1-18.

The Ephesians received their baptism in the Spirit some time after their conversion.
In Acts19v2., Paul asks the Ephesian Christians the question, “Having believed, did ye receive the Spirit?” “Having believed,” is the aorist participle, “pisteuosantes,” which speaks of an action, which takes place BEFORE the action of the leading verb, “elabete,” (the aorist of “lambano”), which means, “did you receive?” Therefore, the believing took place before the receiving.

F.F. Bruce states that the term “disciples” is a term that was commonly used for Christians, and that if these disciples had been disciples of John, Luke would have said so explicitly. It does not say that they were disciples of John, who Paul had to lead to Jesus; it says they were Christians who only knew the baptism of John. The disciples at Ephesus were undoubtedly Christians whose knowledge of Christianity was in a similar defective condition to the limited knowledge of the “fervent” Apollos; before he was more accurately instructed by Priscilla and Aquila. Acts18v24-28. Apollos was a Christian who was “mighty in the Scriptures,” “and was instructed in the way of the Lord;” and “spake and taught diligently the way of the Lord;” but he too only knew the baptism of John. It seems that these Christians were converted through the ministry of Apollos. This is confirmed by the fact that these two events are recorded together. Acts.18v24 to 19v6. It was, then, a considerable time after their conversion, that these Ephesian Christians received their baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Even if, as some say, these were disciples of John, who became Christians when Paul spoke to them, it still follows that they were baptised in the Spirit some time after their conversion. It is obvious that it would take some time to find a suitable place for baptism, and some time must also have elapsed between their baptism in water and the laying on of the apostle's hands for the baptism in the Spirit, even if it were only a matter of minutes or hours. Their baptism in the Spirit occurred, therefore, some time after their conversion, when the apostle Paul laid hands on them, a point that Paul reminds the Ephesians of in Eph.1v13., “after that ye had believed, (again “pisteuosantes”) ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

< >