8 Baptism and the Holy Spirit
Baptism and the Holy Spirit
Before Jesus’ public ministry began, John the Baptist contrasted his water-baptism with the Spirit-baptism which the Coming One would administer. “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). Before his ascension, looking on to Pentecost, Jesus drew the same contrast: “John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).
The point was not that Spirit-baptism and water-baptism are opposed, or that Spirit-baptism makes water-baptism needless, but that John’s baptism belonged to the last days of the old covenant, whereas Christ’s outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Acts 2:33) would initiate believers into the life of the new covenant as predicted in Jeremiah 31:31ff., proclaimed by Jesus at the Supper (1 Corinthians 11:25), and presented in detail in Hebrews 8:8-10:25.
New Covenant Gift
What is new covenant life? It is a realizing of fellowship with Jesus Christ in his glory, and with his Father as our Father through him, plus a realized sharing in the benefits of his atoning death (pardon, peace, acceptance, adoption) and of his risen life (present help, lasting hope). To give this life is the Spirit’s distinctive post-Pentecostal ministry.
That is why in John 7:39 the apostle notes that the Spirit, the agent of creation (Genesis 1:2), the inspirer of prophecy (2 Peter 1:21), and the enabler of Jesus himself (Luke 3:22; 4:14, 18), “as yet . . . had not been given [literally, was not yet,] because Jesus was not yet glorified.” The Spirit was fulfilling other functions all along, but he could only start making known in men’s hearts Jesus’ glory as the crucified and risen Lord after Jesus’ death and resurrection had actually happened.
When New Testament writers speak of folk receiving the Spirit, what they have in mind is initiation into the new covenant experience, with the bold, joyful, exuberant self-expression in praise and witness (sometimes, indeed, tongues and prophecy, whatever these were) that the experience brings. (See Acts 2:38; 8:15; 10:47; 19:2; Romans 8:15; Galatians 3:2.) In this sense, the Old Testament believers, who antedated Christ, did not receive the Spirit. But since all repentance and response to what one knows of God’s mercy is Spirit-taught and Spirit-wrought, we must insist that in another, more basic sense, they did, as did the Samaritans before Peter and John arrived—despite Acts 8:15ff!
Springing from new covenant experience, New Testament language about the Spirit naturally focuses on this experience, and does not always have the more basic point in view—though the writers are quite clear that repentance and faith, where found, are God’s gift (Acts 5:31; 11:18; Ephesians 2:8).
What then is “baptism in the Spirit”? Following Jesus in Acts 1:5, we define it as the Spirit’s coming to someone to begin in him the new covenant ministry as described. For Jesus’ disciples, this happened at Pentecost, though they had faith before; to all others it happens at conversion. For any post-conversion experience today, “baptism in the Spirit” is a misnomer.
Christian Initiation
Since Pentecost, becoming a member of God’s family according to his revealed will—Christian initiation, to use the technical phrase—has involved three factors: repentance and faith, plus Christian bap- tism, plus the coming of the Spirit for new covenant ministry (cf. Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9ff.; Ephesians 1:13ff.). In experience, the order has varied; apparently it was faith-baptism-Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:38-42), Spirit-faith-baptism at the “Gentile Pentecost” (10:44-48), faith-Spirit-baptism at Galatia (Galatians 3:2); certainly, it has been baptism-faith-Spirit for all those Christians down the centuries who were baptized as infants. The order scarcely matters; what matters is that all three links between us and Jesus Christ—faith, baptism, Spirit—should actually be there.
When Paul says that in the one Spirit we were all baptized (that is, by Christ) into his one body (1 Corinthians 12:13), he thinks of water-baptism and the gift of the Spirit as two complementary aspects of a single act of Christ, who claims and incorporates or engrafts us (Paul’s image, Romans 11:17-24) into vital union with himself. So converts who have received the Spirit should seek baptism, and the baptized should seek conversion, so that they may receive the Spirit! In God’s revealed purpose for our lives, water-baptism and Spirit-baptism are joined. Let not any of us in thought or practice put them asunder.
Further Bible Study
Filled with the Spirit:
Acts 6:1-10
Ephesians 5:15-20
The Spirit in the body:
1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Questions for Thought and Discussion
What is the new covenant? Do you believe yourself to be personally included in the new covenant? Why?
In what sense did Old Testament believers not receive the Spirit? In what sense did they receive him?
What is Spirit-baptism? What does it have to do with the body of Christ?