THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pastor Floyd Koenig

Mt. 3:11-12

INTRODUCTION

"What is the baptism with the Holy Spirit?" "Should I seek this experience?" These questions are becoming increasingly more common as many modern churches propagate their conflicting views of this doctrine.

Surely every child of God should desire to come back to the Bible for a fresh look at this subject.

I. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. The Bible does not contain nearly as much on the baptism with the Spirit as one might suppose.

1. There are several mentions of the prophecy that our Lord would baptize with the Spirit.

2. There is a record in the book of Acts of the fulfillment of this prophecy.

3. The doctrinal epistles of the New Testament contain no command for anyone to seek this experience; in fact there is no mention of it.

4. This, of course, sheds an interesting light on the teaching of those who believe that every Christian is to seek this experience.

 B. The New Testament contains only five mentions of the prophecy that our Lord would baptize with the Holy Ghost (Mt. 3:11-12, Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16-17; Jn. 1:33; Acts 1:4-5). 1. This prophecy is mentioned once in each of the historical books of the New Testament.

2. These books are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts.

3. There is no mention of this prophecy in any of the church epistles.

4. Some erroneously teach that I Cor. 12:13 refers to the baptism with the Spirit.

- A careful study of this verse will reveal the folly of this claim.

a. In the baptism with the Spirit:

(1) Christ is doing the baptising.

(2) The Spirit is the "element" into which the baptising is done.

 b. In I Cor. 12:13: (1) The Spirit does the baptising.

(2) The body of Christ is the "element" into which we are baptised.

 -The context of I Cor. 12:13 is the local church. People with various and differing spiritual gifts are added to the local church that it may function as a body.

- Paul uses the human body with its various members to illustrate how the local church operates.

- The baptism by which members are added to the church is obviously "water baptism."

- As the apostle’s baptism was carried out by Christ’s leadership and authority, so I Cor. 12:13 refers to water baptism being administered by the leadership of the Spirit.

- The Holy Spirit alone can, through the new birth, make one a candidate for baptism, and He alone can lead a church to baptise such a person.

 C. In the book of Acts we have four instances of groups being baptized with the Holy Spirit. - These accounts were spoken of by our Lord before He ascended back to heaven (Acts 1:8).

1. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the first church in Jerusalem as was prophesied by the prophet Joel (Acts 2:1-11; Joel 2:28-29).

a. The Lord told those assembled in Jerusalem that they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).

b. Peter declared that those in Jerusalem had witnessed the baptism with the Holy Spirit as promised by the Lord (Acts 2:33).

c. This church consisted of Jewish converts.

2. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentile believers there in the house of Cornelius, which was in Caesarea; in the province of Judea (Acts 10:44-46).

a. Peter testifies of this event to the church back in Jerusalem (Acts 11:15-17).

b. Baptism of the Spirit was proof that the Gentiles were partakers of the same blessings that the Christian Jews had received.

3. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon those who had been saved and baptized in Samaria (Acts 8:5, 12-17).

a. Here we see the Lord’s approval of those believers who were half Jew and half Gentile.

4. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon those who were baptized in the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7).

a. Here we see Spirit baptism as the Gospel goes out into the uttermost part of the world.

 II. THE PURPOSE OF SPIRIT BAPTISM

A. Spirit baptism was a bestowal of the God’s power and blessings upon His local churches.

1. The sending of the Spirit was proof that Christ’s redemptive work was finished and accepted by the Father, and that Jesus was glorified in Heaven.

a. Having been exalted at the right hand of the Father, He has poured out His Spirit upon us (Acts 2:32-33).

b. The indwelling Holy Spirit is proof that we have been redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:13-14).

2. In each recorded case of the baptism of the Spirit, a different group received this blessing.

a. The Lord promised that Spirit baptism would occur only four times, and we find it occurring only four times.

b. In every instance the Spirit was poured out on a distinct and different group.

c. Each outpouring was accompanied with signs that confirmed the reception of the Holy Spirit by that particular group.

3. Never again in the Word of God do we see Spirit baptism.

a. Never in the Word of God is any individual believer commanded to seek the baptism of the Spirit.

b. Never in the Word of God will you see just one person baptized in the Spirit.

 B. Spirit baptism is an important sign. 1. The baptism with the Spirit proved Jesus to be the risen and glorified Lord (Acts 2:33).

2. The baptism with the Spirit verified the authority of the local church.

3. The baptism of this assembly in Jerusalem, verified the fact that this was now the House of God (I Tim. 3:15).

a. The Jewish Temple, which had been the Father’s House, was now left desolate by God from a spiritual aspect (Mt. 21:13; 23:38).

b. After Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, the Spirit descended on Pentecost to manifest that the church was the house of God.

c. This first church was made up of Christ’s humble disciples.

d. Compared to the majesty of Herod’s Temple this little band of disciples was not very impressive.

e. Who would believe that this little assembly was now the place of divinely ordained worship?

4. The baptism of this first church with the Spirit certainly verified their claims.

a. The sound of the rushing mighty wind gave audible evidence of the Spirit’s coming to the church.

b. The appearance of fire was a symbol of God’s presence.

c. The tongues were also a sign to the unbelieving Jews (I Cor. 14:21-22).

d. These signs accredited the Lord’s church and left those Jews who rejected the Gospel without excuse (Heb. 2:1-4).

 CONCLUSION

1. Spirit baptism has to do with the Lord’s churches and not with individual believers.

2. The Lord promised that as the Gospel moved out from Jerusalem into all Judea, into Samaria, and then out into the Gentile world, Spirit baptism would occur.

3. Jesus said, "ye shall receive power" and "ye shall be witnesses," that’s a PROMISE!
 
 

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