Baptism In the Holy Spirit.

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. Introduction

This paper looks at the question of whether the scripture teaches that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is normally to be expected as an experience distinct from, and subsequent to, conversion. It is argued that, on balance, the case put forward for this view, which will be referred to as the doctrine of the Second Blessing, is not convincing. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is abbreviated to BHS.

2. Arguments For the Second Blessing

The most important argument for this view is the teaching of the book of Acts. This will be examined first, followed by other important arguments advanced by advocates of this teaching.

2.1 Teaching in Acts

In the book of Acts, 5 givings of the Holy Spirit are narrated which suggest that the BHS is not synonymous with conversion:

Acts 2 - Pentecost

Acts 8 - Samaritan believers

Acts 9 - Paul's conversion

Acts 10 - Cornelius and friends

Acts 19 - Ephesus disciples

2 arguments can be derived from these accounts: The timing of the experience of the BHS is subsequent to conversion; and the nature of the experience is distinct from conversion. These will be examined in turn.

2.1.1 Timing of the experience is subsequent to conversion

This comes out in 4 accounts: Acts 2, 8, 9, 19. It cannot be denied that believers who were already regenerate, and therefore in one sense had the Holy Spirit (as Romans 8:9 makes clear), did receive the BHS as a subsequent experience. The question is whether the narratives provide us with a norm, or whether there were special circumstances involved in these cases which mean that they are not normative today.

It can be shown that each of these cases was attended by special circumstances.

(1) Acts 2

The disciples were already regenerate before Pentecost. Some argue that their regeneration is described in John 20:22, others put the time even earlier. The delay in their receiving the BHS was due to the fact that the giving of the Holy Spirit could only take place after Jesus had been glorified, i.e. following his ascension. This is taught in John 7:39. The delay of 10 days following the ascension, so that the BHS took place on the day of Pentecost, may have been, in the purpose of God, to give the event maximum publicity. Even if it is the case that the Christian Church was born on the resurrection evening and not at Pentecost, the above argument is not affected.

(2) Acts 8

Here both sides agree that the delay between regeneration and receiving the Spirit was due to the role which the Lord wished the apostles to play in breaking down the Jewish Samaritan divide, by showing the Samaritans that they were identified with them, and by showing the Jerusalem church that the Samaritans were truly saved.

(3) Acts 9

It seems likely that a similar type of explanation to the above applies here, that the delay, allowing Ananias to be involved, was to break down the barriers between Paul and the Christian believers.

(4) Acts 19

The evidence suggests that these 'disciples', who had known only the baptism of John, cannot be regarded as New Testament believers at this point, and so supply no normative example. For them the experience of the BHS was synonymous with New Testament conversion.

The question Paul asked 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' can be seen as a means of ascertaining whether in fact they had truly believed, rather than supporting the doctrine of the second blessing.

It may be argued that while there are special circumstances attending each case, surely the cumulative effect of the teaching is to establish a norm, that the BHS follows conversion. It should be borne in mind that it is the purpose of Acts to highlight these special cases, because they relate to important epochal events in the life of the early church. There is no necessity to suppose that the other conversions in Acts followed this pattern. The experience of the 3000 converted on the day of Pentecost for example contains no record of a subsequent BHS.

2.1.2 The nature of the BHS is distinct from conversion

It is already implied from the fact that the timing of the BHS can be subsequent to conversion that it must be a different thing from conversion.

What is the nature of the experience? Some of the terms used by writers to describe it are 'obvious, immediate, distinct, direct, overwhelming'. The following considerations support the use of these terms.

(a) Acts 1:8 identifies the BHS with receiving power, which the disciples, although already regenerate, did not have.

(b) Several terms associated with the way the ...

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2.1.2 The nature of the BHS is distinct from conversion

It is already implied from the fact that the timing of the BHS can be subsequent to conversion that it must be a different thing from conversion.

(a) Acts 1:8 identifies the BHS with receiving power, which the disciples, although already regenerate, did not have.

(b) Several terms associated with the way the Holy Spirit came.

The very term baptism means immersion. Other terms are 'fell upon', 'poured out', 'filled'.

It is therefore argued that the BHS involves elements: power for service, gifts, assurance, etc, which are not part of conversion, and therefore must be sought as a subsequent experience. As Arthur Wallis argues on Acts 10, it is not enough to say that there, the BHS happened at the same time as conversion. The question is, does the Holy Spirit fall on people when they get converted?

This is a strong argument. However some points can be made against it.

(1) Don't under-estimate conversion

The Bible speaks of conversion in dramatic terms: a new birth, a new creation in which all things become new, etc. Much is made of the distinction between regeneration which is non-experimental and the BHS which is experimental. But the experimental side of regeneration is the conversion experience of repentance, faith, and the knowledge that God has forgiven us and made us new people. The experience of many is that conversion leads immediately to a profusion in witness, praise, joy, etc, many of the experiences which the BHS is said to be for.

Is it true to the biblical presentation of conversion to view converted believers as still powerless in terms of being able to serve usefully?

(2) Don't include in the BHS elements which are not of it's essence

In other words, are there special elements in the Acts experiences which are not necessarily normative today?

(a) Elements of special authentication

In several of the Acts narratives of the BHS, there seems to be a special element of authentication, as much for the benefit of those present as for the recipients of the BHS. For example, the experience at the house of Cornelius seems designed to convince the Jerusalem church that God had opened the door to the gentiles, as the Acts 11 sequel shows. It is also interesting to note that Acts 11:15,16 suggests that the experience of Cornelius was unusual even for New Testament times, so much so that it took Peter back to the day of Pentecost.

Heb 2:4 speaks of the way God testified to salvation through signs and wonders. This whole subject leads into many other areas: the signs and wonders debate, and the question of whether we should expect spiritual gifts to be manifested today in exactly the same way as in New Testament times.

The point being made is that if in the experience of people today some of the elements associated with the BHS are present, e.g. Joy, assurance, fruitful service, we should not assume that they do not have the BHS because others, which may no longer be normative, have not occurred.

(b) Special power for the disciples?

Is the promise of power to the apostles somewhat special either because of the trauma which they had been through, or because of the greatness of their calling? Possibly.

It is undoubtedly true that we cannot serve the Lord today in our own strength. Zech 4:6 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit'. It is also true that special service will require a special equipping. The question is, are we meant to seek a special generalised equipping first (the BHS), then look for our sphere of service, or are we to seek to serve the Lord on the basis of our conversion equipping and then as heightened calls are made on us, seek extra equipping for these tasks?

The point to be borne in mind is that for the disciples, part of the BHS experience was a special equipping for special service.

(3) Don't over-estimate the significance of the BHS

This can be illustrated in relation to the doctrine of assurance. The valid distinction is made between saving faith and assurance of faith. It is agreed that assurance of faith is not of the essence of salvation.

It is further argued by second blessing proponents that the BHS brings assurance of faith, and turns a man 'from an advocate into a witness', and that the BHS cannot therefore be equated with conversion.

What is interesting in this connection is that the New Testament has much to say on gaining assurance, and it's answer to this problem is NOT to remind people of their BHS. Heb 6:11 speaks of showing diligence to make our hope sure. 1 Jn 3:18-19 states that through growing in love we assure our hearts before him, and 1 Jn 5:13 'that you may KNOW you have eternal life' implies that assurance problems have not been removed through a direct and immediate assurance resulting from the BHS. (As will be shown later, it is part of the total case for the second blessing doctrine that all NT believers, or at least the vast majority, had this blessing).

(4) Allow for 'faulty' conversion experiences

It must be agreed that for some individual christians, even groups of christians and maybe even denominations, the standard conversion experience does lack the experimental side, and it seems strained to say that in such cases, the BHS has taken place. In such cases it would be right, indeed essential, to seek more from the Lord. One can go further and say that it is probably a reaction to such cases that has led many people to espouse the second blessing teaching.

The other arguments adduced for the doctrine of the second blessing must now be considered.

2.2 Old Testament foreshadowing

There are many examples of believing people on whom the Spirit came: The 70 elders (Num 11:16) and David (1 Sam 16:13) to quote just two. The New Testament examples of Elisabeth (Luke 1:41,42) and Zechariah (Luke 1:67) can also be cited.

The examples can be divided into 2 categories:

(a) endowment for a particular ministry, e.g. David

(b) endowment for an immediate task, e.g. Zechariah.

The lesson from these examples is that when the Lord calls us to special service for him, he also provides a special enabling. None of these examples refer to seeking an enabling prior to the call.

2.3 The experience of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus, always regenerate, nevertheless waits 30 years until the Spirit comes upon him, and only then commences his ministry in the power of the Spirit. Should we not also wait for a special anointing before we attempt to serve?

Again the lesson of living in the power of the Spirit comes home strongly, bit it is hard to see how Christ, who could undergo no conversion experience, can provide a pattern for the steps God takes to bring the believer into full and effective salvation.

2.4 The 2 ministries of Jesus.

Arthur Wallis refers to the fact that 2 distinctive ministries of Jesus are described in John 1: taking away sin (v.29) and baptising in the Holy Spirit (v.33). It is argued that since these had distinct historical fulfilments, they should also have distinct experiential fulfilments in the life of the believer. This argument has already been covered in looking at the Acts material.

2.5 The command to pray for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)

Here we find Jesus addressing speaking to believers (they call God Father) and teaching them to pray for the Holy Spirit. Therefore we are commanded to seek an outpouring of the Spirit upon us, so the argument goes.

However the teaching here does not state specifically that the blessing sought is the BHS. It may refer to seeking the aid of the Spirit in particular situations.

On the subject of seeking an outpouring of the Spirit, this is something which believers of many persuasions have done, remembering how God has poured out his Spirit in revival in the past, and will do so again. Scriptures such as IS 44:3-4 'I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground' encourage us so to pray.

However praying for revival differs from praying for the BHS in 2 respects:

1) One surely recognises in reading the accounts of past revival that there is a stong element of the sovereignty of God in this.

2) One is not praying for a blessing without which one cannot even start serving the Lord meaningfully, and which is part of our basic salvation experience.

2.6 New Testament teaching allegedly supporting the Second Blessing

2 examples are often quoted:

(1) The sealing of the Spirit

Eph 1:13 'having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit', cf Eph 4:30.

The argument here hinges on whether the grammar implies that the sealing takes place later in time to the believing. This verse alone is not determinative, and it will be interpreted in the light of one's views of the arguments already considered. It should also be said that the idea of an authenticating seal which it is only given to some believers is a very strange one.

(2) The witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:15,16)

It is claimed that the BHS is when the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God. Much could be said about this verse. To make 2 brief points:

(a) We are simply not told precisely how the Spirit witnesses in this way.

(b) To reject the doctrine of the second blessing is in no way to deny that the Spirit often works in the lives of believers by a direct and immediate influence.

2.7 The experience of believers

What of the experience of many, particularly in recent years, that having sought this blessing the Spirit has come upon them and given them the blessings claimed? In responding to this, 2 points can be made.

(1) It is never enough to seek the BHS on the basis of the experience of others without being convinced that it is a scriptural promise, so the argument from experience is at best a secondary one.

(2) The experience of believers is problematic for both camps, in fact more so for proponents of the doctrine than for opponents.

(a) The problem for opponents

They are under no obligation to deny such experiences are genuine, though some may be psychological. What is in question is the interpretation of the experience. God will satisfy those who hunger and thirst for him with a more copious supply of his Spirit. To grant this is not the equivalent of saying that all Christians must have this experience as a prerequisite of further blessing.

(b) The problem for proponents

It is necessary for them to argue one of 2 things concerning each individual who does not accept the doctrine of the second blessing:

(i) That they have had this experience, but have failed to recognise it as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Famous examples of men who have known a second blessing are well known: Moody, Whitefield, Andrew Murray, etc. But equally there appear to be many great men of God who, though spiritually rich, had no such experience. Did Spurgeon, Calvin, Luther? Surely one would expect their doctrine to be influenced by such an experience. It is important to note that many of those who were greatly blessed in times of revival, indeed whose lives are quoted as examples in support of BHS teaching, did not see their experiences in these terms.

(ii) If the above is not true, it must be argued that they have lived as powerless christians, failing to achieve anything significant. While this has often been true, it is surely a huge claim to make about the majority of evangelical christendom since the Reformation.

3. The argument against second blessing doctrine

So far the arguments adduced in favour of the doctrine of the second blessing have been considered, and the arguments against the doctrine have countered specific arguments for. What has not so far come out is a powerful argument, or set of arguments, against this doctrine, all related to the teaching that the Holy Spirit is promised as a universal blessing for the New Testament age.

(1) The Holy Spirit is spoken of as a distinct and universal New Testament blessing.

2 Cor 3:6,8 - the new covenant is called the ministry of the Spirit. Joel 2:28 speaks of the Spirit being poured out on all flesh. The 2 great ministries of Jesus are to take away sin (Jn 1:29) and to baptise in the Spirit (Jn 1:33), linking with Ezek 36:25,27 where God promises to both cleanse, and to give a new heart and spirit. The impression given is that these are 2 inseparable blessings to be enjoyed by all believers. In this broad panorama of promise, the distinction between the Spirit 'in' and the Spirit 'upon' is not evident.

(2) The Holy Spirit is promised unconditionally upon believing.

Acts 2:38,39 'Repent ... every one of you ... and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'.

In the context, the gift of the Holy Spirit must be the BHS, and not simply the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

Jn 7:37-39 'If anyone is thirsty let him come to me ... Whoever believes in me ... streams of living water (the Spirit) will flow from within him'.

Again, the context implies the fullness of the Spirit. To argue that these verses mean that whoever beleives has the potential of receiving seems strained.

(3) The New Testament letters assume that all Christians have the Holy Spirit (in fullness, not just in regeneration).

1 Thess 1:5,6 'our gospel came to you ... with the Holy Spirit'.

Gal 4:6 'Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit into our hearts'.

Titus 3:5,6 'He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us'. Rom 5:1-5 links the giving of the Spirit with justification.

It is argued that in New Testament times all or the majority of believers had received the BHS as a second blessing, which is why the NT writers could speak as they did. However this argument does not go far enough. To treat the question of whether Christians had the BHS as a contingent fact is to destroy the logic of many of these verses, which is that the Spirit is given as a necessary part and consequence of salvation.

(4) There is a dearth of teaching on the second blessing in the New Testament letters.

It can of course be argued that there was no need for such teaching. However in the light of the importance attached to the doctrine (the gateway to the Spirit-filled life), and the ease with which error can creep in in matters of spiritual experience (witness the variety of views down the ages on the BHS, and sanctification) it is surprising that no teaching was needed.

Bibliography

S. Jebb Baptism in the Holy Spirit

M. Lloyd Jones Joy Unspeakable

P. Masters Sword & Trowel magazine articles

J. Stott Baptism and Fullness

A. Wallis Baptism in the Holy Spirit (cassette)