Winter 1990

The Baptism IN The Holy Spirit
(Bethel)

In these last days, the Lord is restoring truths of the Gospel as believe dand experienced by the Apostolic Church. For many centuries, these truths were so hidden under the doctrines of men that the vital power of the Gospel was lost sight of and the light nearly went out altogether.

Among the essential truths that were lost is the experience of the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." During this present generation, great numbers of the ord's people have been brought into the knowledge of the truth concerning this Baptism and have received it. However, there still remains some confusion concerning this experience.

The initial work of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to Salvation. He convicts us of sin and points us to the Lamb of God. We are saved by believing upon the One who died for us, which is Jesus Christ. We are Baptized (immersed) ¬Ÿ the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ and made a member of His Body. Here, the one doing the baptizing is the Holy Spirit.

After this, there is a deeper working of the Holy Spirit within us, which follows this initial experience of salvation, which is a "Baptism of the Holy Spirit." John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" Matt 3:11-12.

Here, the baptizer is not the Holy Spirit. Rather, we are baptized by Jesus Christ (He whose shoes I am not worthy to bear) IN the Holy Spirit. Much of this confusion will fall away when we distinguish between the "Baptism OF the Holy Spirit" and "Baptism IN the Holy Spirit."

This "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" was promised by our Lord, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" Luke 24:49. Eight hundred years before Christ, the Spirit was promised by the Father through the prophet Joel. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" Joel 2:28-29.

Our Lord quotes these promises of the Father, where He identifies this "promise of the Father" with this Baptism in the Holy Spirit. "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" Acts 1:4-5.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter also quotes the prophecy given through Joel, and points to the outpouring of the Spirit as the fulfillment thereof. He tells us that this experience is for all of God's children in this dispensation. He is speaking to Jews and tells them: "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" Acts 2:39. Those who are "afar off" refers to the Gentiles who would believe unto Salvation through Jesus Christ. This includes all believers down through this Church age.

There has been opposition to this experience because of the gift of speaking in other tongues, which always accompanies this "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." God prophesied through Isaiah, "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear" Isa 28:11-12.

This word, "stammering," can be translated "jabbering." The direct application of this passage has to do with the Assyrian army that came to bring judgment upon Israel. However, in I Corinthians 14:21, Paul quotes this passage and applies it to the sign of "speaking in tongues" as a result of receiving this Baptism.

Critics sometimes question whether some of those who have received the Baptism are speaking in tongues, because it does not always sound like a distinct language. This is just what God foretold through Isaiah; that some would speak in a foreign tongue, and some would speak in a tongue which would sound like jabbering.

There were one hundred and twenty in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.(Acts 1:15). "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" Acts 2:1-4.

As they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to give utterance in other tongues. The power of God was mightily manifested, so much so that the multitude without thought them to be drunken. Peter, in speaking of this in Acts 2:33, says that it was something both seen and heard. They saw the mighty power of God upon these people and they heard them all speaking in tongues and magnifying God.

In Acts 8:4-19 is the account of the Samaritans receiving this Baptism. There had been a great revival under the ministry of Philip. Among those who believed was a Sorcerer, Simon Magus, "who continued with Philip beholding signs and great miracles which were wrought." When the Apostles came down from Jerusalem, through the laying on of hands, the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. Then Simon offered them money, that on whomsoever he laid his hands they might receive the Holy Spirit. Simon Magus was moved to desire this power, because he saw that through the laying on of hands they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18).

He had not been moved to try to buy the power to perform the signs and miracles, which we are told amazed him (verse 13). When compared with other Scriptures relating to this Baptism, there could be no doubt in any unbiased mind, that the Samaritans spoke in tongues, and that to Simon Magus, this was more marvelous than casting out demons, or healing the palsied and lame.

In Acts 9:17 is found the account of Paul's conversion and Baptism in the Holy Spirit. God sent Ananias to pray for Paul, who when he had entered the house, laid hands on Paul that He might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Word does not say that he spoke in tongues but later Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" I Cor 14:18.

Eight years after the day of Pentecost, God sent Peter to Cornelius to speak to him "whereby he should be saved." Cornelius had called together his kinsmen and his near friends to hear these words of salvation. Peter began to preach Christ and Him crucified. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" Acts 10:44-47. To these Jews who were with Peter, the proof that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit was that "they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."

In Acts 19:1-7 the charter members of the Ephesian church received the Baptism in the Spirit. This was twenty-three years after the day of Pentecost. There were twelve men who had believed, but had not heard that the Holy Spirit was given. When Paul came down he laid hands upon them, and "the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spake in tongues and prophesied."

God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We do not realize how much we miss, if we do not receive the fullness of this "Baptism in the Holy Spirit," which God has provided for us.