By Bro Koay Kheng Hin
Describe
the distinctive Pentecostal understanding of the doctrine of the Baptism in
the Holy Spirit. Your description should include a systematic argument
from the Bible on the said doctrine.
The doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a
doctrine drawn from the interpretation of specific passages in the Bible.
The first instance of the mention of said baptism occurs in the
gospels. “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.” (Matthew
3:11). John the Baptist was speaking
to many of the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to observe him
baptizing the people.
John’s baptism (water baptism) presupposes repentance, and he would
not baptize the Pharisees and Sadducees because they failed to give
any evidence of repentance (vv. 7-8). It is of utmost importance that John mentions another type of baptism
(Baptism in the Holy Spirit) and
contrasts it with water baptism. Further John identifies that it is Jesus who
would be the one baptizing in the Holy Spirit. The use of the word
baptize suggest a full immersion, so, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
takes the meaning of being fully immersed, saturated with or totally enveloped
in the Holy Spirit. The three other gospels record this same prophecy of
John (Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:33).
From the gospels we move into the book of Acts “On one occasion, while he
was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem,
but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak
about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be
baptized in the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5).
Here Jesus was speaking to the apostles before the
ascension. He asked them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. God the father is the One who would send the
Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost came ten days later, when the promised
outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred and
the 120 disciples were baptized in the in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4).
“All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as
the Spirit enabled them.”(Acts 2:4).
It must be noted that all 120 of the disciples were
filled with the Holy Spirit. As applied to us today, we can expect that
every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit (baptized in the Holy
Spirit). As the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak
with other tongues. This is the only sign of the Pentecostal baptism of
the Holy Spirit. Speaking in other tongues
were also a supernatural enablement by the Holy Spirit. They spoke not from
their mind nor their thinking faculties. The words that they spoke came
from the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in
other tongues, therefore, is the initial, physical sign(evidence) of a
person being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
What is
meant by other tongues? To answer this question we will have to
look at Acts 2:5-8
“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every
nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in
bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking
Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native
language?”
There are two misinterpretations of these few verses. The first
misinterpretation is to ascribe the miracle of speaking in other tongues not as a miracle of
speaking but that of hearing. According to this understanding, the disciples were all
speaking in their native Aramaic. The miracle was not demonstrated by their speaking but it
was the people who were gathered there who heard the spoken Aramaic in their own
languages. The miracle therefore, lay in the hearing of the people.
The second misinterpretation is to take the other tongues as unknown
tongues which the Spirit then interprets in the ears of each of the hearers in their
own language. However, a plain reading of the text clearly tells us that the other tongues
were the languages of the diverse people who were gathered there.
What then was the content of the speech in other tongues?
Acts 2:11 “……-we
hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” gives us the answer. It was not preaching nor teaching content. Rather it was the
wonderful works (the mighty,
magnificent, sublime deeds) of God. It was some form of praise and worship, giving honor and glory to God for who he is
and what he has done.
As Peter addressed the crowd at Pentecost, he began by explaining to
them that what they had seen and heard in the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit upon believers and the supernatural enablement of the Holy Spirit
to speak in tongues was indeed the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy as
spoken by the prophet Joel.
“In the last days,
God says,
I will pour out my
Spirit on all people
your sons and
daughters will prophesy,
your young men will
see visions,
your old men will
dream dreams.
Even on my
servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my
Spirit in those days,
and they will
prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is therefore the fulfilment of the
promises to pour out the Spirit as prophesied in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah
affirms the prophecy by Joel.
“For I will pour
water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my
Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah
44:3)
Then Peter shares the message of the gospel to the crowd. At the end
of his sermon, the people were cut to the heart and asked Peter what they
should do.
“Peter replied,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ forthe
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 2:38).
Peter’s call then was for them first to repent which meant turning
from unbelief to faith. Through their faith they received forgiveness. Water baptism
declared their identification with Christ in His death (Romans 6:3). After water baptism, they
will then be able to receive the gift of (baptism in) the Holy Spirit. It
must be emphasized that the conversion experience referring to regeneration symbolized by water baptism is
distinct from the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a
subsequent experience that follows the conversion experience.
There are three more clear instances where the baptism in the Holy
Spirit is affirmed in the book of Acts.
The first instance is the passage from Acts 8 concerning Philip’s
ministry in Samaria.
“But when they
believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12).
“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 on of the apostles’ hands, … ” (Acts 8:15-18).
Acts 8 records the scattering of the church from Jerusalem as it
experienced a great persecution. Philip had gone down to a city in Samaria and
proclaimed Christ there. Verse 12 states that those in the city who had
come to believe in the name of Jesus Christ had already undergone water
baptism. In verse 16, Luke states very clearly that even though these
people had been baptized in water, they still had not yet been baptized in the
Holy Spirit. Verse 17 records that Peter and John placed hands on these
people who had already been water-baptized and they subsequently received
the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Even though it is not mentioned that these
people spoke in tongues, it was clear that there was evidence that could
be seen that they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Read with Acts
10:46, it becomes clear that what could be seen was the people speaking in
tongues when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The second instance is the record of the conversion of Cornelius and
his household in Acts 10.
“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 the people from being baptized with water?
They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:44-47).
Peter had gone to witness to Cornelius and his household after God
had shown him a vision three times. What happened in Acts 2 was
experienced by Cornelius and his household. They were baptized in the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in tongues. The act of speaking in tongues were
the convincing evidence that they had indeed received the gift of the
Holy Spirit. In this instance, there was no long period of time between
the conversion experience and the experience of being baptized in the Holy
Spirit. However these two experiences remain distinct events just as in
Acts 2 where the disciples who were baptized in the Holy Spirit were then
already believers.
The third instance is Acts 19 when Paul went to minister to a group
of young believers.
“Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ….. (Acts 19:2)
“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.” (Acts 19:5-6).
The question asked by Paul in verse 2 is asked of believers. They
had already believed so Paul’s question is not a question about
conversion. Paul’s question therefore was about the subsequent
receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit after they had become
believers. Verse 6 records their being baptized in the Holy Spirit with
the evidence of speaking in tongues.
Now we come to the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
“But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8).
Acts 1:8 was spoken by Jesus to his disciples before his ascension.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers a believer to be an effective
witness of Jesus Christ for he receives the Spirit’s power to operate in
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in the performing of signs and
wonders, in the effective proclamation of the gospel and in growing
unto spiritual maturity.
5
In conclusion, the distinctive Pentecostal understanding of the
doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, as drawn from the Bible, is a doctrine
that is a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. It refers to an immersion or saturation in the
Holy Spirit. It is also an experience that is distinct from the conversion experience and is
necessarily after it. It is meant for all believers for empowerment for not only ministry
but also growth in spiritual maturity. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is regularly
accompanied by the initial, physical sign of speaking in other tongues, understood as other
languages, as the Spirit of God gives utterance. From the moment of being
baptized in the Holy Spirit the believer can experience subsequent
fillings of the Holy Spirit throughout his life.
References
- Horton, Stanley. What the Bible says about the Holy Spirit
- A History of the Assemblies of God in Singapore, Malaysia and the USA
Who is the
Holy Spirit and what is His work? Include biblical references to support
your description.
The Person of the Holy Spirit is often misunderstood
and neglected in our Christian faith. It is a sad reflection of the state
of the church if the church endeavors to fulfill her mission without an
emphasis and a proper understanding that the transformation of livesand the
expansion of the kingdom of God cannot be accomplished without the power of
the Holy Spirit. In fact, the consciousness of the reality of the Holy
Spirit is the necessary ingredient that gives us a sense of the supernatural
workings of God as we read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible
informs us of the Trinitarian nature of the Godhead. In the First Person of the Godhead we have God the
Father, in the Second Person we have our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy
Spirit then is the Third Person of the Godhead.
A common misconception is the wrong understanding that the Holy
Spirit is merely a form of divine energy or divine influence. Such an
understanding is most likely sourced from a pantheistic worldview of
eastern religions rather than the theistic framework of the Christian
faith. It must be affirmed, first and foremost, that the Holy Spirit is not a
mere force or energy but He is a Person with a personality. Both
explicitly and implicitly the Bible treats the Holy Spirit as a distinct
Person.
“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, …(Romans 8:26-27).
Verses 26-27 drawn from Romans 8 explicitly mentions the Holy Spirit
as a Person who helps us, intercedes for us and searches our hearts.
“I keep asking that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Eph 1:17)
Here, the Holy Spirit is revealed as a Person who acts with
intelligence and wisdom.
“And do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30).
The Holy Spirit can be grieved by our actions and behavior. He is a
Person with a personality.
Establishing the Personhood of the Holy Spirit leads us to the next
question of his status in relation to the Godhead. The Bible informs us that the
Holy Spirit is God.
“Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19).
This verse puts the Holy Spirit on an equal level with the Father
and the Son. He Himself is, therefore, God.
“Then Peter said,
“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to
the Holy Spirit………... You have not lied to men but to God.”(Acts 5:3-4).
Ananias, and his wife Sapphira, had sold a piece of property and
kept back some of the money for himself without informing the apostles. Peter rebukes
Ananias and tells him that he has lied to the Holy Spirit in verse 3. In the next verse
Peter affirms that Ananias has indeed, lied to God. Put together these two
verses tell us that the Holy Spirit is God.
“Where can I go
from your Spirit?
Where can I flee
from your presence?
If I go up to the
heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in
the depths,
You are there.”
(Psalm 139:7-8)
This passage attributes the divine characteristic of omnipresence to
the Holy Spirit. David is equating God’s Spirit with God’s presence. The Holy
Spirit is God.
“……The Spirit
searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men know
the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way
no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians
2:10-11)
Paul attributes the divine omniscience to the Holy Spirit. Further
Paul identifies God with His Spirit and states that there is an intrinsic relation
between the two of them.
Having established the understanding of who the Holy Spirit is, we
must now move on to consider His work as the Third Person of the
Godhead. The Holy Spirit has been active from the beginning of creation and there is a continuing work of the
Holy Spirit until the present and into the future. This description of the
work of the Holy Spirit is not exhaustive.
It is meant to permit us to have an overview of the work of the Holy
Spirit from the Old
Testament right to the New Testament.
“In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and
empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God
was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2).
The Holy Spirit was active in creation. He is associated with God’s
creative activity in the creation of the heavens and the earth.
“and I have filled
him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds
of crafts-“ (Exodus 31:3)
God spoke to Moses concerning the building of the tabernacle. He
told Moses that He had chosen Bezalel and filled him with the Holy Spirit
so that he would be supernaturally empowered with the skills and knowledge
of exceptional craftsmanship.
“The Spirit of the
Lord came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare
hands….” (Judges 14:6)
Samson was on his way to Timnah when suddenly a young lion came
roaring toward him. The Holy Spirit came upon him in power and endued
Samson with superhuman strength.
“But as for me, I
am filled with power,
with the Spirit of
the Lord,
and with justice
and might,
to declare to Jacob
his transgression,
to Israel his sin.”
(Micah 3:8)
In the midst of a corrupt society, God filled Micah with His Spirit
so he could see what was right before God and what was wrong. Then the Spirit gave
him the power, courage and strength to proclaim to the leaders and people what
should be done in order that they could walk right with God.
“So he said to me,
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power,
but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)
In this vision, the angel encouraged Zerubbabel to complete the
rebuilding of the temple and assured him of the Spirit’s enablement. “By
my Spirit” is a fundamental principle that all fellow laborers in the Lord
must keep in mind.
“The Spirit of the
Lord is on me,
because he has
anointed me
to preach good news
to the poor.
He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of
sight for the blind,
to release the
oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
The ministry of Jesus in preaching and healing was done in the power
of the Holy Spirit. Verse 18 states very clearly that the Spirit of the Lord was
on Jesus to empower Him for ministry. We must remember that while Jesus
walked on earth He was the GOD-Man Jesus Christ; the perfect God and at
the same time the perfect Man. In the aspect of His perfect Manhood He
received His power through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It was
the Spirit’s power working in Him and through Him.
“Jesus answered, “I
tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born
of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth
to spirit.” (John 3:5-6)
When Nicodemus asked Jesus how a person can be born
again, Jesus answered that it is
only the Holy Spirit that can bring new spiritual life to anyone. It is the
Holy Spirit that grants regeneration to those who are spiritually dead so
that they can become spiritually alive.
“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.” (John 14:26)
The Holy Spirit will teach the disciples all things
and bring into remembrance all the teachings
of Jesus to them. In time the Holy Spirit would guide and lead them into the writing of the New Testament in the same way He had
inspired the Old Testament prophets to write the Old Testament centuries before
the Coming of Jesus.
“When he comes, he
will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and
righteousness and
judgment …..” (John 16:8)
The work of the Holy Spirit regarding the world of unbelievers
involves bringing conviction of their sin of unbelief and rebellion, their lack of awareness of
the perfect righteousness of God that is required of them and the reality
of future judgment for all those who reject the gospel message.
“He will bring
glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” (John
16:14)
The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus.
“But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“When the day of
Pentecost came, ….. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)
Acts 2:1-4 is a fulfillment of Acts 1:8. It was through the power of
the Holy Spirit that the disciples became effective witnesses of Jesus.
From the Day of Pentecost on we see the Holy Spirit active in the life of the church- in teaching, in miracles,
in further fillings of the Spirit, in
new baptizing, and above all, in the work of spreading the gospel and
establishing the Church. The Holy Spirit was the real Teacher bringing
conviction of spiritual truth in believers’ lives. There was a spiritual
unity among believers brought about by the Holy Spirit.
There was also a supernatural faith and zeal planted in the hearts
of believers for the establishment of the kingdom of God.
“So I say, live by
the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful
nature” (Galatians
5:16).
Living by the promptings and power of the Spirit is the key to
conquering sinful desires.
“But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control….” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit. The indwelling
Holy Spirit produces Christian virtues in a believer’s life. This is the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that empowers a believer to grow unto a Christ-like character.
“To one is given
through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the 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 power,
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 gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians
12:8-11).
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended to build up the Church.
These gifts are given to every believer and they are to be exercised in a spirit of unity
and humility. It is through the Holy Spirit that miracles and healing are performed, prophecies
and words of knowledge is given, speaking in tongues is effected and deliverance
from spirits is performed.
In conclusion, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity
and in this dispensation it is the Holy Spirit that we must depend upon for
personal growth in holiness and it is through His power that the Church can be firmly
established and expand unto the ends of the earth both spiritually and
numerically.
“Not by might nor
by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”(Zechariah 4:6)
Reference
- Horton, Stanley, What the Bible says about the Holy Spirit
- A History of the Assemblies of God in Singapore, Malaysia and the USA
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