After doing an Acts 17:11 study on this I discovered that I had been significantly misled about the need for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit after salvation. Following are the pertinent verses in Scripture, left in original order. See what you think.I had been a Christian who believed in God "out there" for 13 years. But I had never really experienced His Holy Spirit "in me." Upon repentance and asking/seeking the Lord for wisdom, God delivered what was promised. My life went from dryness to richness, from frustration to joy in the Lord, from fleshly effort to rest. Call this a "filling" if you will, but it was a first and seemed a lot like a "baptism" to me.
As often depicted in the New Testament, my experience involved a gift given. But more importantly it led to a passion for righteousness and a loathing of sin. We are, after all, speaking of the HOLY Spirit, so this is to be expected. I never would have guessed before Spirit Baptism that God could give me such strong desires to do His will--stronger, in fact, than my previous desire to sin.
There are a few points that emerge from the scriptures below that it might be helpful to highlight.
For Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians Baptism of the Holy Spirit was not some "extra credit" thing, it was a major expectation and goal; the promised practical grace of the New Covenant. Thus, it is a shame to denigrate it, ignore it, or fall short of it.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is compared compared and contrasted with the baptism of repentance--the water baptism of John the Baptist. Repentance baptism is a declaration and starting point, where Spirit baptism is the actual reception of the life of Christ experientially.
The apostles and disciples who believed in and followed Jesus were told to "wait until you are clothed with power from on high." They were already believers, but they were instructed by Jesus Himself that there was more. By obeying Christ, they actually got what was promised and described, which radically changed their lives. If all we had were this, an honest read of scripture would lead to the expectation that it should be the same for us now. But, in Acts, this same pattern continues. Saved Christians who need to be "shown the way of the Lord more adequately." People who "have not even heard..."
Baptism "into The Name (nature, character) of Jesus" I take to be another way of referring to Spirit Baptism, as these phrases are often swapped in the same text.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is obvious and manifest--so much so that even unbelievers can recognize it when they see it. Given this, it seems dishonest to suggest--in retrospect--that it was received "when saved" when even the recipient did not know it. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, then and now, is not some subtle thing that you have to convince yourself you have received through self-delusion or false doctrine. If you get it, you will know it; and so will everyone around you.
Finally, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not denominational or sectarian, but simple fidelity to the Scriptures. It is what Jesus Christ Himself told us to expect and receive.
Without further commentary, then, here are the Scriptures.
Mat 3:11 (NIV) [John the Baptist:] "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Mark 1:8 (NIV) I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
John 1:26-36 (NIV) "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie..." The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me...' I would not have known him, except that 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.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
Luke 11:11-13 (NIV) [Jesus:] "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Luke 24:49 (NIV) "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
John 7:38-39 (NIV) "Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given...
Acts 1:5,8 (NIV) "For baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you..."
Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 8:14-20 (NIV) When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!"
Acts 10:44-47 (NIV) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
Acts 11:15-16 (NIV) "Just as I was starting to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"
Acts 18:24-28 (NIV) Meanwhile a Jew names Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, knowing only of the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Acts 19:1-6 (NIV) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Out of the narrative texts, here are some related intructional verses to encourage us to "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Joh 14:26 (NIV) [Jesus:] "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."Rom 8:15-16,23,26-27 (NIV) For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children... We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.... In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
1Cor 12:1-13 (NIV) Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed... There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them... but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines... For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1Cor 12:29-31 (NIV) Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Gal 3:14 (NIV) He redeemed us... so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29 (NIV) "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."
Heb 4:1-13 (Phi) Now since the same promise of rest is offered to us today, let us be continually on our guard that none of us even looks like failing to attain it. For we too have had a Gospel preached to us, as those men had. Yet the message proclaimed to them did them no good, because they only heard and did not believe as well. It is only as a result of our faith and trust that we experience that rest. For he said: ‘So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest’; not because the rest was not prepared—it had been ready since the work of creation was completed... No, it is clear that some were intended to experience this rest and, since the previous hearers of the message failed to attain to it because they would not believe God... "Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts"... Let us then be eager to know this rest for ourselves, and let us beware that no one misses it through falling into the same kind of unbelief as those we have mentioned. For the Word that God speaks is alive and active; it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword: it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to the innermost intimacies of a man’s being: it exposes the very thoughts and motives of a man’s heart.
Heb 6:1-12 (NIV) Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity... and God permitting, we will do so... Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Eph 1:16-21 (Phi) My prayer is... that God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realise how great is the hope to which he is calling you—the magnificence and splendour of the inheritance promised to Christians—and how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God. That power is the same divine power which was demonstrated in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
Rev 22:17 (NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
