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If we’re talking about bits of the Bible which divide the church, there are few which are as high up the list as baptism in the Spirit. Some churches and entire denominations are driven solely by their beliefs around this doctrine, so it’s important we understand it biblically. Like most articles this series I’m not pretending to give the answer here, but I hope this serves you well.

Separate to conversion

The word ‘baptism’ is a transliteration from a Greek word meaning to be plunged deeply into something. Water baptism based solely on the Greek word cannot be sprinkling only, and it’s this same experience of being completely immersed in water that should inform our thinking around baptism in the Spirit. I used to say ‘I don’t know if I’ve been baptised in the Spirit’, but that can’t ever be the truth; you can’t be completely immersed in something and not know whether or not it’s happened. Now, I know that I was a Christian while still saying that, and I am friends now with Christians who have not experienced something like this, so from experience I have to conclude that baptism in the Spirit is separate from conversion.

But let’s not allow experience to inform our theology. When our experience differs from Scripture, we must submit to God’s Word and admit that we must be wrong. Firstly, let’s look at Ephesians 5:18. The Apostle Paul commands the church in Ephesus to ‘be filled with the Spirit’. How could he command this to happen if there were not an additional filling that could happen? Next, let’s look at Acts 10:44. Peter was preaching, and something happened in the room which was so obvious that he stopped, and the other Christians all instantly knew that the Gentiles had been filled with the Spirit. If you know a preacher, you’ll know it’s hard to get them to stop, so this must have been pretty obvious! Finally, let’s look at Jesus Christ. Jesus was baptised in the Spirit at his water baptism, where the Spirit descended like a dove. You cannot try to convince me that Jesus did not have faith prior to this experience, and so the only conclusion must be that baptism in the Spirit is a separate experience.

Not a one-off

Someone once told me that just as you shouldn’t be baptised in water more than once, you can’t be baptised in the Spirit more than once – upon Spirit baptism you enter a new lease of life, and that’s it. But I don’t think that’s the case. Paul’s command in Ephesians 5:18 is not a one-off command, it’s a continuous command. It perhaps could be translated as ‘be filled, and keep on being filled’. The picture is like a glass of water, which is full, but into which water continues to get poured. The glass remains full, but it never stops ‘being filled’.

So are some Christians not filled with the Spirit?

The same person who said about being baptised once said that Christians are not filled with the Spirit until their Spirit baptism, but I disagree. Galatians 3:2 asks ‘Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?’ Paul’s assumption is that all his readers have received the Spirit, and that it is this reception that caused the new birth (Galatians 3:3, Philippians 1:6). The Spirit calls us into new life, but that full immersion, that baptism, does not happen at conversion. Why else would the believers in Acts 19:2 say ‘we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’?

How about speaking in tongues?

This shouldn’t really need us to spend any time on it, but people get obsessed by it, so it may be worth a look. Some people will tell you that baptism in the Spirit is only demonstrated by speaking in tongues, but I disagree. Paul is clear on two things: (1) speaking in tongues is a good thing – at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 13 Paul is talking about how good love is, and he uses three examples of how ‘good’ things can be worthless without love: faith, prophetic powers…and the gift of tongues. He is also clear that (2) not everyone will do it – the rhetorical question is ‘Do all speak with tongues?’ in 1 Corinthians 12:30. The answer must be ‘no’, because the other questions are ‘Do all possess gifts of healing?’ – the answer is no. ‘Are all teachers?’ – again, the answer is no. Finally, let’s just allow ourselves to look at our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If speaking in tongues were so important, surely we would have a record of Jesus doing it…we don’t.

Baptism in the Spirit is a gift from God, which I believe he will give you if you ask him. He’s a good God. But don’t let talk about specific spiritual gifts distract you from what’s important: the glory of Jesus. The Holy Spirit only points to Jesus anyway (see 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 4:2).

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

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