Articles
Are We Baptized with the Holy Spirit Today?
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When Paul taught “one baptism” (Eph. 4.4-6), he refuted what much of the religious world believes: that Holy Spirit baptism is available for all. Consequently, if Holy Spirit baptism is available today and there is only one baptism, we must eliminate water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ entirely. This would abolish the essential command for all people to be baptized (Acts 2.38; 10.47-48, etc.), the human administration to carry out the command (Matt. 28.18-20, etc.), and destroy the death, burial, and resurrection imagery in immersion (Rom. 6.3-5; Col. 2.12; 1 Cor. 15.1-2). Now we are in a conundrum!
Advocates for Holy Spirit baptism appeal to Acts chapter one, among other passages, saying, “Since the 120 were baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are too.” The problem with this argument is that the 120 were not baptized with the Holy Spirit.
First, Holy Spirit baptism was never promised to the 120. Jesus told His apostles, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14.25-26). Elsewhere, Jesus said, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15.26-27).
Further, Jesus spoke, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes...” (John 16.12-13). Finally, Jesus told the apostles they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (the apostles) and that they would be His witnesses (Acts 1.8). Concerning the apostles only, Jesus said, “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24.48-49). Read Acts 1.1-8 and notice that Jesus gave commands to His apostles only, not to the 120!
Second, it cannot be stressed enough that when one reads the Scriptures, he must keep God’s word in context. For instance, if one quickly reads Acts chapter 1, he might think the events presented happened all on the same day. However, the chapter does not cover just one day, but a total of 10 days. Luke recorded that Jesus showed Himself alive for 40 days after His resurrection and then Christ ascended into heaven (Acts 1.3, 9). The day of Pentecost (Acts 2) always fell on a Sunday and the word itself means 50th (Lev. 23.15-17). Further, since Jesus ascended 40 days after His resurrection and since the day of Pentecost was on the 50th day of His resurrection, we find a gap of 10 days to be missing. This would make sense of Luke’s words, “...In those days...” (1.15). Thus, when Luke wrote, “When the day of Pentecost arrived...” (Acts 2.1), he did not mean the next day after they met in “the upper room” (1.13) nor did he necessarily mean the next day after Matthias was numbered with the 11 (1.26). Paying attention to context, details and grammar is vital to the Bible student. Notice that Luke uses the pronoun "they" in Acts 2:1 which, per the context, refers to the apostles in Acts 1.26.
Luke recorded, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2.4). Who were “they”? The context tells us they were not the 120. Follow the progression of the text. Luke said, “...each one [the Jews] was hearing them [that is, the ones whom the Spirit gave utterance] speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?’” (2.6-7) and “...we hear them [that is, the ones to whom the Spirit gave utterance and the ones who had the promised miraculous powers] telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (2.11). Interestingly, the Jews describe the speakers as Galileans. You may recall that the angels in Acts chapter 1 identified the apostles as Galileans (1.11) showing once more that only the apostles were speaking. Further, mockers within the crowd accused the Galileans of being drunk and Peter only defends those standing with him (2.13-15).
Next, Luke recorded that Peter stood with the other eleven apostles and lifted up his voice and addressed the crowd (2.14). Obviously, the ones who stood and addressed the crowd were the ones whom the Spirit gave utterance and whom Jesus promised would receive the Spirit. Interestingly, Peter refers to himself and those with him as witnesses (2.32). It was only the apostles who were selected as witnesses (John 15.26-27; Luke 24.48; Acts 1.8, 21-22; 10.41) and it was only men who were allowed to be apostles (Acts 1.21)! Thus, the witnesses to whom the Spirit gave utterance could not have included the 120, some of whom were women! Further, women are forbidden to speak in an assembly, let alone exercise authority over men (1 Cor. 14.34- 35; 1 Tim. 2.11-12). When Peter’s words convicted the crowd of sin for murdering Jesus, they said, “...to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2.37) Whom did the convicted Jews ask? They asked those who stood and spoke, not the 120. Peter replied (v. 38) and Peter continued to preach (vs. 40-41). Next, those who were converted devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (v. 42) and not the teaching of the 120. The apostles did all the teaching as they were being guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit! Further, “...awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles”, not through the 120. (v. 43) Those who miraculously preached with tongues and worked wonders and signs were the same men to whom the Spirit gave utterance when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit!
You may recall that Jesus did not appoint Joseph (Acts 1.23-26). Though he met the qualifications of an apostle/witness (21-22), Matthias was the chosen vessel by which the gospel would first go forth with power. Those who believe the 120 were baptized with the apostles must include Joseph. Yet, He was not appointed an apostle and therefore was never promised Holy Spirit baptism. Further, he did not stand with the apostles as they worked miraculous signs and wonders.
Finally, Luke tells us that spiritual gifts were imparted by the laying on of the apostles’ hands (Acts 8.14-19; 19.1-7). Without a shadow of a doubt, this unequivocally disproves a baptizing of the 120 in the Holy Spirit. You see, everyone who was in that room on the day of Pentecost was empowered with tongue speaking, inspiration, spiritual gifts and the power to impart such gifts. These were the “signs of an apostle” (2 Cor. 12.12), not the signs of the 120. As noted above, Joseph, who met the qualifications to be an apostle, was not appointed and was not able to perform miracles until the apostles laid hands on him for that purpose, if they ever did. Thus, the fact that no one had spiritual gifts until the laying on of the apostles’ hands proves that the apostles were the only ones who had such power; power that was promised from heaven to them, and them alone.
There is no evidence in the book of Acts that would suggest that all disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Rather, the context shows that this baptism was administered by Christ to the apostles and not the 120 disciples. Paul said, “…there is…one baptism”. That baptism is water baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2.38). We will examine one other argument at a different date. BG
