When you hear the words, "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" what comes to your mind? For some there are scenes of highly emotional church services. For others, a confusing mix of ideas from different studies and sermons muddled the thinking. That is understandable because there are many conflicting views. I am going to review eight views of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am taking some of my information from Dr. Michael H. Windsor's notes on Pneumatology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Next, I will discuss the Traditional view of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Eight views of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
(1) Church of Christ emphasizes water baptism (baptismal regeneration) and not Spirit baptism."Faith is the reason why a person is a child of God; baptism is the time at which one is incorporated into Christ and so becomes a child of God" (Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1996, 170).
(2) Landmark Baptists stress the local church and not the universal body of Christ with an emphasis on water baptism (not baptismal regeneration) and not Spirit baptism. "The word 'baptized' unless clearly meant to be figurative, must mean water baptism, for this is its basic meaning" (Stanley E. Anderson, Baptist Unshackled, 1971, 106).
(3) Pentecostal Theology believes that usually the baptism of the Holy Spirit is subsequent to salvation and is evidenced by speaking in tongues and all of the spiritual gifts are operative for today and must be sought. "The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance" (Constitution of Assemblies of God [the largest Pentecostal denomination]).
(4) Charismatics, unlike Pentecostals, are not dogmatic on the timing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, (whether at conversion or subsequent) nor the evidence of speaking in tongues.
(5) The "Third Wave" movement is another Charismatic renewal movement with an emphasis on "Power Evangelism." The late, John Wimber, former senior pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Anaheim, California advocated "Power Evangelism:"
"Power evangelism is evangelism that is preceded and undergirded by supernatural demonstrations of God's presence. . . .Usually this takes the form of words of knowledge . . . healing, prophecy, and deliverance from evil spirits" (John Wimber, Power Evangelism, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986, p. 45).
"They teach, however, that baptism in the Holy Spirit happens to all Christians at conversion, and that subsequent experiences are better called 'filling' with the Holy Spirit" (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 763). Wayne Grudem was trained at Westminster Seminary (a Covenant theology seminary) and yet he is a part of the Vineyard movement. He represents the Third Wave when he writes "as far as the apostle Paul was concerned, baptism in the Holy Spirit occurred at conversion."
Wayne Grudem's view on speaking in tongues is different from Traditional Dispensationalism as the following statement reveals. "While an experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit may result in the gift of speaking in tongues, or in the use of some other gifts that had not previously been experienced, it also may come without the gift of speaking in tongues. In fact, many Christians throughout history have experienced powerful infillings of the Holy Spirit that have not been accompanied by speaking in tongues. With regard to this gift as well as all other gifts, we must simply say that the Holy Spirit 'apportions each one individually as he will' (1 Cor.12:11)'" (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, 768, 784).
John Piper prays occasionally that God will let him speak tongues. He believes in the gift of prophecy. In a sermon, he told his congregation that you might be working on the 34th floor of the IDS Tower and maybe you should call your people together and start a small group. After the service a lady came to him and said, “I work on the 34th floor of the IDS Tower and have been thinking about starting a Bible study.” Piper identified that experience as the gift of prophecy and said to the lady, “I think that is a gift from God to you.” In other words, this is a revelation from God through me to you.
(6) "Second Blessing" Fundamentalists believe there is a second work of the Holy Spirit after salvation to empower the believer for service and soul winning. Men like D. L. Moody and R. A. Torrey called this second work the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Others like John R. Rice did not call it the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Here are John R. Rice's comments:
In that great book, The Holy Spirit: Who He Is, and What He Does, Dr. R. A. Torrey in chapter five gives three defining statements as to what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is. So, before we consider the experiences of great soul winners and how they were filled with the Spirit, let us consider Dr. Torrey's definition. Dr. Torrey says the following:
(1) In the first place, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a definite experience of which one may know whether he has received it or not.
(2) In the second place, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit distinct from and additional to His regenerating work.
(3) In the third place, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit always connected with and primarily for the purpose of testimony and service.
While we do not insist on the term, "the Baptism with the Holy Spirit," we believe Dr. Torrey has given a good definition of this special enduement of power from on high (John Rice, The Power of Pentecost or The Fullness of the Spirit, Wheaton: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1949, p. 392.).
This is also the view of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit John Piper started teaching in 1990. Piper essentially holds to the same view of Baptism of the Holy Spirit as "Second Blessing" Fundamentalists. Here is a quote on this subject from Piper's sermon “You Will Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit”:
"I think the essence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is when a person, who is already a believer, receives extraordinary spiritual power for Christ-exalting ministry."
The basis of their incorrect doctrine was Acts 1:5 where Jesus said the disciples, who were already believers, would be baptized soon. Baptism is not mentioned on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 whereas filling is mentioned. The two ministries of the Holy Spirit are thought to be the same.
In the transitional book of Acts, both ministries of the Holy Spirit did happen on the Day of Pentecost. Peter’s account in Acts 11:15-16 shows that the baptism of the Holy Spirit happened on the Day of Pentecost.
From the Epistles, which are God’s final word on doctrine, we learn that the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit are different and that Spirit baptism occurs at salvation.
(7) Covenant Theology equates the baptism of the Holy Spirit with regeneration.
More recent covenant theologian, Robert Reymond writes, "The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the work of the glorified Christ and is tantamount to the Spirit's regenerating work. It precedes and is the precondition to faith in Christ, while the Spirit's sealing follows upon faith in Christ" (Robert Reymond, Systematic Theology, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, page 764).
Covenant theologian, Wayne Grudem writes that the "'baptism in the Holy Spirit,' therefore, must refer to the activity of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the Christian life when he gives us new spiritual life (in regeneration) and cleanses us and gives a clear break with the power and love of sin (the initial stage of sanctification). In this way 'baptism in the Holy Spirit' refers to all that the Holy Spirit does at the beginning of our Christian lives" (Grudem, page 768). Holy Spirit baptism does not include all of these ministries of the Holy Spirit just the identification of the believer with the body of Christ.
These other ministries of the Holy Spirit are unique but separate ministries called regeneration, indwelling, sealing, sanctification, and filling.
(8) Reformed Baptists like covenant theologians believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is more than identification with the body of Christ but also includes other ministries of the Holy Spirit such as empowerment for service.
The reformed Baptist view on the baptism of the Holy Spirit is represented by Robert McCabe and Leon Wood. The Reformed Baptist view is a move in the direction of the Covenant Theology position. Leon Wood writes his point of view: "The last matter to notice is that baptism involves a certain aspect of empowerment for the believer." Wood quotes Acts 1:8 to Biblically support his view. Acts 1:8, however, is prophesying the filling of the Holy Spirit that the disciples received on the Day of Pentecost in addition to the baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The normative dispensational view
The normative dispensational view is expressed by Dr. Windsor from Central Baptist Theological Seminary: "Baptism by the Spirit into Christ is a non-experiential, judicial placement of the convert into Christ. He thus becomes a member of the universal church (or body of the church)" (Dr. Windsor, Systematic Theology 402 Notes, page 43).
Believers are never commanded to be baptized with the Holy Spirit because believers have already been baptized into the Body of Christ at conversion. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:13 says the ministry of the Holy Spirit is past for all believers: “For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body.”
In Ephesians 4:5, Paul says, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The “one baptism” has to be the baptism of the Holy Spirit and not water baptism, because all believers have not been baptized in water, but all believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
The final word on a doctrine is in the epistles. Ryrie mentions seven passages that specifically refer to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The first five references refer prophetically to the Day of Pentecost: Mt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Lk. 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5. The next reference is the historical fulfillment at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 11:5-7). The final reference is to the Baptism of the Spirit that all believers have received at the time of conversion (1 Cor. 12:13). In contrast to Holy Spirit baptism, believers are commanded to be filled by the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18.
Faulty views of the baptism of the Spirit are based on the Book of Acts
Not only is there confusion because of the erroneous teaching of past “Second Blessing” Fundamentalists but also because of present-day groups that teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is subsequent to salvation. Again this view is based on the transitional book of Acts and not a correct understanding of the Epistles. There is no norm for receiving the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. There are four groups that received the Holy Spirit differently in the book of Acts.
(1) In Acts 2, Jewish believers are Spirit baptized after salvation and speak in tongues
(2) In Acts 8, Samaritan believers are Spirit baptized after salvation and do not speak in tongues
(3) In Acts 10, Gentiles are Spirit baptized at salvation and do speak in tongues
(4) In Acts 19, OT believers (believers still adhering to the teaching of John the Baptist) are Spirit baptized after salvation and speak in tongues.
“Baptism is not experimental because it is positional truth. While our position in Christ is the ground of our experience when we are yielded to the Spirit, our position in itself does not produce experience. All Christians have the same position in Christ, but many have little spiritual experience” (John Walvoord, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1943, pp. 162, 163).
The Christian gets his power for witnessing from the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31) not from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Christian gets his power for holy living from the filling of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) not the baptism of the Holy Spirit: (John Walvoord, Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, 162, 163).