02.09. THE HOLY SPIRIT - 03 - Baptism in the Holy Spirit;
THE HOLY SPIRIT – 03 – Baptism in the Holy Spirit;
In the Gospels and Acts we read of the "baptism in the Holy Spirit." John the Baptist foretold that Christ would so baptize (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). The Cord Jesus on the day of his ascension said to his apostles, "Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). We have the expression used again in Acts 11:16, when Peter associated the coming of the Spirit upon Cornelius and his household with the Baptist’s prophecy. These six passages are the only ones in which the phrase "baptized in the Holy Spirit" occurs in the Bible. The phrase "baptized in the Holy Spirit" is clearly a metaphorical one; used to denote the fact that, just as in immersion a man is overwhelmed, so the Spirit took full possession of covered, overwhelmed the man who is said to be "baptized." We have only two recorded instances of such baptism in the New Testament. Men have imagined others, but it is indisputable that only two cases are definitely indicated as baptisms in the Holy Spirit. These examples are: the apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-14) in fulfilment of the Savior’s explicit word (Acts 1:5); and Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-46), of which Peter said, "The Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning," and which he declared reminded him of John’s promise (Acts 11:15-16). We do not think those men are right to-day who proclaim the necessity of this Holy Spirit baptism and who sometimes indeed make it the one essential thing. We simply point to the clear facts:-- (1) No one was ever commanded to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
(2) Only two certain cases of its occurrence are recorded, each of which shows special features and reasons which we do not find in alleged modern cases:
(a) Miraculous signs followed (Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46). These are not exhibited in the case of present-day claimants’
(b) The baptism and its miraculous effects were used as the apostles’ credentials to convince the unbelieving Jews, and, in Cornelius’s case, to convince dull-minded Christians that God was willing to receive Gentiles into the church on the same terms with Jews (see Acts 10:45; Acts 11:17-18). This special need does not now exist.
(c) Paul has told us, "There is . . . one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). This was unquestionably the baptism commanded by Jesus (Matthew 28:19). That the Holy Spirit baptism neither came in the place of nor rendered unnecessary baptism in water in the name of Christ is conclusively proved by the simple fact (which the Holy Spirit has apparently recorded to keep men from being misled) that after Cornelius and his house were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter said: "Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?" and then "he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:47-48) .
It is clear that many persons to-day, when they speak of the "baptism in the Holy Spirit," mean the filling of the Spirit which is referred to by Paul in Ephesians 5:18. We shall see in next lesson that an Christians have the Spirit dwelling in them and are exhorted to be "filled with the Spirit." We can but plead that men will call Bible things by Bible names; it clearly cannot be proved that Ephesians 5:18 has to do with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The words of W. C. Morro in his little book on "God’s Spirit and the Spirit’s Work" are so pertinent here that I close with them: "I candidly believe that the religious world has made the scope of baptism in the Holy Spirit far too extensive. Nowhere ill God’s Word is a man taught to pray for it. Nowhere are we told that it will bring a man into Christ. Sins are not forgiven on being baptized into it. No conditions are laid down by which a man may receive it. It is never held out as a promise to the church. We are never told that men who receive it will have a closer walk with God. In short, every consideration convinces us that it was designed to serve a temporary purpose. Having accomplished that, it ceased, and we should not lament its loss."
QUESTIONS.
1. Give some of the titles of the Holy Spirit and mention their significance. 2. State reasons for believing in the personality of the Spirit. 3. What is meant by inspiration? 4. Did the New Testament writers claim to be inspired? Give some proofs. 5. What are the advantages of having inspired Scriptures? 6. Name some "spiritual gifts." 7. For what purpose were they given? 8. Do you think these were temporary or permanent? Give reasons. 9. When was the baptism in the Holy Spirit first bestowed, and who received it? 10. Who else received the baptism in the Holy Spirit? 11. Why was it called a "baptism"? 12. What miraculous effect followed in these cases?