Hundredfold Ministries, Int'l

In this chapter I want to examine the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit from the Pentecostal perspective. For purposes of this chapter, I define a Pentecostal believer as one who accepts that all the gifts at work in the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 12 are for today and who practices these gifts. This includes the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, public prophecy and speaking in tongues, healing, and signs and wonders. When I refer in this chapter to one who is Evangelical in doctrine, I mean someone who is a Bible believing Christian and who has evangelical zeal but who rejects the gifts of the Holy Spirit as being for today. For the reader who is not Pentecostal, my intention is not to try to convert you, but rather to simply inform you about the basic Pentecostal view on this subject. I believe every Christian leader should understand this doctrine, and the supporting Scripture, whether your beliefs embrace it or not.

I understand and agree with the basic evangelical position that every believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. (Jn 20:22) However, Pentecostal doctrine holds that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is different from receiving the Holy Spirit at rebirth. As you read this chapter, I believe that you will see the biblical basis of this belief.

Two Different Experiences

The Pentecostals believe that salvation and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are two different experiences, although on occasion they can happen to someone at the same time. The scriptural basis for this view is found primarily in the book of Acts. Let's look at Acts 8:12,14-17,

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. . . When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 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. (NIV) (See also Acts 10.)

In this instance it is very clear that the believers in Samaria were believers in Jesus and that they had been baptized in His name. However, the Pentecostal view is that it was not until Peter and John prayed for them that they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Let's also examine Luke 24:49 in combination with Acts 1:4-8. In Luke 24:49 Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection and tells them that the gospel will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, but that they were to stay in that city until God (His father) sent them what He had promised, that is, the power from on high (the Holy Spirit) which will then enable the disciples to preach to all nations. Jesus again affirmed this need to stay in Jerusalem so that "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 NIV)

The Pentecostal view then combines these verses with the disciples' receiving the gift of speaking in tongues (Acts 2) which occurred on the day of Pentecost as further proof of the separateness of the event of salvation (believing on Jesus) and the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the accompanying gift of speaking in tongues.

To distinguish between the experience of salvation and the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we also need to look at 1 Corinthians 12:13, John 20:22, and John 1:33. First Corinthians 12:13 states, "For we were all baptize by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- and we were all given the one spirit to drink. (NIV) Here Paul is telling us that the Holy Spirit is the agent (the one who does the acting) who baptizes us into the body of Christ. Of course, we can only be in the body of Christ if we accept Jesus as our Savior and our Lord. So, at the time of salvation, the Holy Spirit in fills our hearts with the living Jesus.

John 1:33 states, "I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" (NIV) This verse tells us that, when the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs, it is the person of Jesus who is the agent doing the acting. In other words, when someone receives salvation, the Holy Spirit is the agent who in fills that person with Jesus, and when the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs, Jesus is the agent who in fills that person with the Holy Spirit.

Now let's look at John 20:22 in which Jesus, after his resurrection, tells the disciples, "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'" (NIV) The Pentecostal doctrine states that here Jesus was giving the disciples the Holy Spirit as part of their salvation experience. They say that this was not the full Holy Spirit baptism experience because in Acts 1, Jesus refers to the infilling of the Holy Spirit as a future act which occurred 40 days after on the day of Pentecost.

How Do You Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Now let's look at how someone can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe there are two ways. The first is that the Lord can simply give it to you. I have known people who received the baptism and began to speak in tongues who didn't even know what it was and certainly didn't know the Scriptures surrounding it. And, of course, the Lord can simply give someone the baptism in any setting or circumstances He chooses.

The second way to receive the baptism is to ask for it. I base this statement on Luke 11:9-13.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (NIV)

These verses, and especially verse 13 simply states that if one asks for the Holy Spirit, the Lord will give it. When someone asks me to help them receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I always read these verses to them, and tell them that, based on these Scriptures, they must ask for it. I then tell them that I will be a witness of their asking but they must speak aloud the request so I can witness it.

After prayer, and them asking, they may or may not begin to speak in tongues. But, as the next section will explain, that is between them and the Lord. I never tell anyone that, if they don't get a prayer language right away, they have not received the baptism. In fact, I tell them just the opposite. I tell them that once they have asked, they should simply believe that they have received it based on Luke 11:13. I tell them to quit asking for it because they don't "feel" different or that nothing dramatic has happened to them. How they feel is not the test. Believing Scripture is the test.

I also tell them to let the Lord manifest the baptism in any way He chooses. We are not to let a doctrine put God in a box. Lastly, I always thank the Lord and rejoice with that person, affirming that they have received the baptism. I let God do the rest in His good time and with the cooperation of the one who has asked for the baptism.

Speaking in a Prayer Language (Tongues)

Once someone accepts the Pentecostal doctrine concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the issue of speaking in a prayer language, or tongues, comes up. Because of the experience of the 120 believers at Pentecost, and the several references in the book of Acts concerning speaking in tongues (2:4, 2:11, 10:46, 19:6), and because of Paul's extensive writings on the subject, Pentecostals view speaking in tongues as an integral part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The more traditional Pentecostal view is that the speaking in tongues is the test of whether one has received the baptism or not. In other words, if you don't speak in tongues, you have not received the baptism. This view is based on such events as Peter speaking to the believers at Cornelius' house and them receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and immediately speaking in tongues. (Acts 10) Another instance of the immediate speaking in tongues is when Paul was in Ephesus and he placed his hands on those present and the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19:4-8)

However, I believe the more accurate doctrine is that the speaking in tongues is the primary, physical, outward manifestation of the infilling, but it is not the test. In other words, God does all things perfectly and if He chooses to cause someone to speak in tongues immediately upon receiving the baptism, fine. But if for any reason, the person asking for the baptism doesn't speak in tongues right away, that does not mean he or she has not received it. Many people are simply afraid to allow their prayer language to come forth. Or God chooses to manifest the baptism in a different way. When I asked for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the only difference I felt was that all of a sudden, I couldn't get enough of the Bible. I began to read it day and night, every minute I had to spare I spent reading the Bible. I had a sudden and overwhelming thirst for God's word. It wasn't until several weeks passed that I began to have a developed prayer language.

I know a woman who asked for the baptism and the Lord gave her an overwhelming sense of joy. For months afterward she would be so joyful she would just laugh, often laughing at things that none of the rest of us thought were even funny. At the time this woman was going through a very hard period in her life and the Lord choose to give her great joy as her primary manifestation. This woman did not begin to speak in tongues for several months, but she sure was experiencing the joy of the Lord in a new way.

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning of this chapter, my purpose in writing this is to explain the Pentecostal doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I now refer the reader to our two chapters on essential and non-essential doctrines. (Chapters 35 and 36) This doctrine is one which should not divide the universal church. Whether one embraces the Pentecostal view or the more traditional view of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, everyone who is saved and loves Jesus is our brother or sister in Christ!