John Brown :: Baptism of the Holy Spirit: Part One

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (NKJV)

B. John 1:33 "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit escending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (NKJV)

1. John saying that He didn't know that Jesus was the Messiah, until he saw the Holy Spirit upon Him.

a) The Father had told him to look for this, and that this would be the one that would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

C. Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

1. These 3 verses show us that there is an experience that is properly called "Baptism with the Holy Spirit".

a) They teach usthat Jesus is the catalyst for this "baptism".

b) They also show us that this "baptism with the Holy Spirit" is separate and distinct from being born again!

(1) In other words, being born again of the Spirit, and receiving the "Baptism with the Holy Spirit are two separate events!

(2) Which we will prove from scriptures!

II. THE PROOF

A. John 20:21-22 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

1. It was at this point that the disciples actually received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit!

a) Some say that was only "symbolic", but it is those who believe that there is only 1 experience intend of 2.

B. Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (NKJV)

1. Jesus Himself acknowledges here that there are 2 separate experiences!

a) The baptism of John with water and the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

C. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.... (NKJV)

1. Notice that is the baptism "by one Spirit" into the body!

a) But we have already been told in Luke 3:16... He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

b) So, it is Jesus that baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit that baptizes us into the body of Christ!

2. As we said, there are those who deny that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience.

a) They usually quote from Ephesians 4:3-5 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

(1) But, they mix verses 4 and 5 together to read something like this, "There is one baptism and you were baptized by the one spirit into the body of Christ."

(2) But Paul is talking about the fact that there is only one body of Christ!

(a) If we go to the beginning of chapter 4, we see that he was trying to keep Christians from "factionizing"!

(b) Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (NKJV)

(i) In other words, if you have been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit - it the same in one church as it is in any other!!!!

(ii) Yet, there are so many that will not "accept" baptism from another church. You must be baptized in their church, by their denomination for it to count!

(iii) It is ironic that most of the people who reject baptism with the Holy Spirit as a separated experience, also reject everyone else's water baptism!

(iv) This is the "unity" that Paul was about!

D. We know and widely accept "baptism with water".

1. The pastor is usually the one who does the baptizing, and water is the element in which you are being baptized!

2. In the baptism with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the baptize, and the Holy Spirit is the element in which you are immersed!

a) It is important the we understand this concept!

b) Baptism with the Holy Spirit is immersion in the Spirit!

III. HOW ABOUT THE GREEK?

A. There are 3 different Greek prepositions that describe this relationship with the Holy Spirit!

1. John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (NKJV)

2. The Holy Spirit was already "with"(para) them but Jesus said He would be "in" (en) them.

a) As we have seen in previous studies, the Holy Spirit had been "with" human beings since the beginning of creation!

b) But, in the 20th chapter of John when Jesus "breathed" on them and they received the Holy Spirit!

(1) He "came in!"

3. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit came "into" our lives! (Indwelt)

a) 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,....

b) Every believer has the Holy Spirit in them!

c) But not every believer has been Baptism with the Holy Spirit!

(1) Which we will look at more evidence of next week.

B. Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon (epi) you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV)

1. Jon Courson - "The Spirit of God is available not only to work `with' (para) you to become a Christian, or to come `into' (en) your life once you open your heart to him - but He is now available to come `upon' (epi) your life and empower you to see your own world turned upside-down and made rightside-up."

2. This "epi" experience (Baptism with the Holy Spirit) is the "empowering" of the believer for service to God!

a) This baptism generates an "outward" flow of the Holy Spirit, usually visible by victory and service!

(1) Demonstration = pitcher and glass of water!

IV. CONCLUSION

A. John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (NKJV)