The Baptism with the Spirit—Distinct from Salvation?

Premiere Issue: Pneuma Review Fall 1998

Pastor Michael Peters looks at the Baptism with the Spirit in light of the whole salvation experience.

Editorial Introduction

This article is a chapter from Michael Peter’s book In Defense of Charismatics. In Defense was written as a response to John MacArthur’s book Charismatic Chaos and as a defense of charismatic beliefs and teachings. Peters wrote in the introduction to his book:

There is a lot of good among charismatic Christians that is worth defending. But, whenever God uses human instruments there are failings; therefore some criticism is justified. My purpose is not to defend every charge against individuals, but to defend charismatic teaching.

Because the emphasis is upon defending charismatic teaching, any number of noncharismatic authors could have been quoted. However, MacArthur’s book includes all the significant doctrinal differences, therefore his is the primary author quoted. The reader should not assume that MacArthur has a vendetta against charismatics or that charismatics do against him.

MacArthur has provided a service to the body of Christ by expressing his concerns and beliefs. It affords the opportunity to respond. Some would rather keep such doctrinal differences concealed. But Paul taught that we are to speak truth in love so that we can grow up in Christ (Eph. 4:15). If we cannot openly address differences we are destined to immaturity.

My hope and prayer is that upon reading this book, charismatics will become deepened in their convictions, and that noncharismatics will grow in their appreciation of charismatics by understanding that we too only want scriptural Christianity.

 

Introduction

What distinguishes charismatics from noncharismatics? The Baptism with the Holy Spirit which is a baptism of power (Acts 1:5-8) is what distinguishes charismatics from noncharismatics. Charismatics affirm it is possible to be a Christian without being baptized with the Holy Spirit. “It is possible for us to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ without having received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit,”¹ wrote Martin-Lloyd Jones. Noncharismatics affirm that at conversion every Christian is baptized with the Holy Spirit. “Spirit baptism is actually an integral part of every Christian’s salvation experience,”² wrote John MacArthur. That is the difference.

The differences between these two views raises the question: Is the Baptism with the Spirit distinct from salvation? The answer to that question is discovered by looking at the New Testament accounts of salvation experiences as seen in the book of Acts. Let us examine the accounts that make direct or indirect reference to salvation and the Baptism with the Spirit and then compare these passages with the teaching of the epistles and historic Christianity.

 

 

Apostles on the Day of Pentecost

The Jewish festival of Shavuot is known as Pentecost (Latin, fiftieth day) because it comes fifty days after Passover. Ten days after the Ascension, when the feast of Pentecost had fully arrived, the Apostles and those gathered with them received the other Comforter whom Jesus had promised. But was Pentecost their first reception of the Spirit? If the Baptism with the Spirit is an integral part of every Christian’s salvation experience then the Apostles, who were among the first people ever to receive the Baptism with the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), could not have received the Spirit prior to Pentecost.

However the Apostles received the Holy Spirit prior to Pentecost. On the evening of Christ’s resurrection, Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit: “’Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21-22). The Apostles first received the Spirit on the day of Christ’s resurrection. This was seven weeks before the day of Pentecost.

If the Apostles received the Spirit when Jesus breathed upon them, then Pentecost was for them a later baptism with the Spirit.³ This means that their Spirit baptism was distinct from their regeneration and contradicts the idea that the Spirit baptism is an integral part of the initial salvation experience. MacArthur realizes this and explains that Jesus did not impart the Spirit when he breathed upon them, but that Jesus’ breathing was only a prophetic enactment that pointed forward to the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. He affirmed that the interpretation of Jesus’ breathing as a prophetic enactment versus an actual impartation reflected the difference between a noncharismatic versus charismatic interpretation.⁴

However, long before this modern day controversy, John Calvin, who was noncharismatic, explained the relationship between Christ’s breathing of the Spirit on the day of his resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost:

But if Christ then bestowed His Spirit on the Apostles by breathing, it could seem superfluous to send the Spirit afterwards. I reply: The Spirit was given to the Apostles now in such a way that they were only sprinkled with His grace and not saturated with full power. But when the Spirit appeared on them in tongues of fire, they were entirely renewed.⁵

This is not just a sixteenth century view, as the modern day Anglican, Leon Morris, affirms that the reception of the Spirit cannot be reduced to just once: “It is false alike to the New Testament and to Christian experience to maintain that there is but one gift of the Spirit. Rather the Spirit is continually manifesting Himself in new ways. So John tells us of one gift and Luke of another.”⁶  The Lutheran, R.C.H. Lenski, explains the two receptions as reflecting different purposes: “Nor need the fact disturb us that those who already have the Spirit are said to receive him anew. Once he comes with one gift and one purpose, then he comes with other gifts and a greater purpose.”⁷ Belief that Christ actually imparted the Spirit when he breathed on them is a biblical belief not only held by charismatics, but taught by noncharismatic scholars as well. Both charismatics and noncharismatics teach that for the Apostles, their baptism with the Spirit was not an integral part of their initial salvation experience but a subsequent Spirit baptism.

 

 

Samaritan Revival

Because of the Apostles’ unique relationship with Christ their two receptions of the Spirit might be viewed as unique. The Apostles, unlike all converts after Pentecost, were there on the first day of Christ’s resurrection. They lived through the unfolding of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ and experienced the uniqueness of each event. Because the day of Christ’s resurrection was unique and the day the church began was unique, it could be reasoned that the Apostles’ two receptions corresponding to these two unique days, were also unique.

Is it possible they received twice, but those who are converted after Pentecost are only to receive once? Only by examining the experience of those converted after the church began can that question be answered. The Samaritan revival is the next major salvation account in Acts. Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans, and Luke, the writer of Acts, records their response: “when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men a women were baptized” (Acts 8:12). The Samaritans believed and were baptized. They were saved.

If the Baptism with the Spirit is an integral part of every Christian’s salvation experience, the Samaritans would not expect to experience a second filling (baptism) with the Spirit. However that is exactly how the Scripture describes their experience:

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).

The Samaritans, who were already saved, were later baptized with the Spirit. Just like the Apostles, there were two receptions. The Apostles’ pattern was not unique. It was repeated with the Samaritans.⁸

The Conversion of Paul

In the book of Acts, the pattern of two receptions of the Spirit which we have seen with the Apostles and the Samaritans was also repeated with Paul. Paul, who was then called Sh’aul or Saul, journeyed to Damascus when suddenly a light shown around him from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” responded Paul. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 9:4-5). Saul trembling and astonished said, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:5-6). Paul journeyed to the city of Damascus. After three days Ananias arrived and instructed Paul, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Act. 9:17).

If the Baptism with the Spirit is an integral part of every Christian’s salvation experience then Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus, but was actually saved three days later when he was filled with the Spirit. However, is that consistent with Paul’s own confession? Paul confessed Christ as Lord. The one Paul rejected, he now confessed as Lord. Is it too much to believe that Paul’s words express an inward work of the Holy Spirit? Paul himself wrote, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Paul not only confessed Christ as Lord, he sought instructions: “what shall I do, Lord?” (Act 22:10). Are not confession and obedience marks of salvation?  It is not unreasonable to say that Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, and three days later he was baptized with the Spirit. Paul’s baptism with the Spirit followed the pattern of the Apostles and the Samaritans.

 

 

Cornelius’ Household

The pattern of two receptions of the Spirit is consistent until the account of Cornelius’ household. An angel instructed Cornelius to send for Peter “who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:13-14). Peter came and preached and while he preached the Holy Spirit fell upon them:

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnifying’ God (Acts 10:44-48).

The three previous accounts followed a pattern of the Baptism with the Spirit occurring after salvation. However, at Cornelius’ they occurred simultaneously. This account confirms that the Baptism with the Spirit may occur at salvation. However this account does not prove that the Baptism with the Spirit always occurs at salvation, because in other accounts it occurs after salvation.

Ephesian Disciples

The salvation of the disciples at Ephesus is the final conversion account in Acts which makes reference to the reception of the Spirit. This account presents a unique difficulty because of the confusion over whose disciples they were when Paul asked the question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). Apparently they had only heard of John the Baptist and were only baptized unto repentance. They had not yet heard of Christ nor been baptized into Christ. When they heard about Christ “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:5-6). The difficulty is if they were John’s disciples then the question, “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” was not addressed to Christians, but to non-Christians.

 

 

Whose disciples they were when Paul asked, “Have received the Spirit when you believed” appears to be monumental importance in applying these passages. J. MacArthur summarized:

Here again is another basic Charismatic proof text that shows people being baptized by the Spirit and speaking in tongues.   Again there is no subsequence, no interval between salvation and Spirit baptism. Some Charismatics and Pentecostals would like to claim that these people had been believers in Christ prior to the encounter recorded here, but a study of the text shows clearly that they were not. … Note that after Paul realized who these disciples were [emphasis mine], he spoke about Jesus Christ, not the Holy Spirit. Paul knew that all they had was the baptism of John. If they had confessed faith in Christ and been baptized, they would have had the Holy Spirit. Paul implied that when he asked, “Well, if you haven’t received the Spirit, what kind of baptism have you had?” Paul knew that receiving the Spirit at the moment of belief in Christ was the normal pattern for the church after Pentecost.⁹

There are four points to MacArthur’s teaching. One, the Ephesians were initially disciples of John, and they did not have the Spirit. Two, once Paul realized they were disciples of John he spoke to them about Christ, not the Spirit. Three, Paul knew receiving the Spirit at the moment of belief was the normal pattern. And four, there was no interval between their salvation and Spirit baptism. These points appear compelling in proving that Spirit baptism is part of every Christian’s salvation experience until they are examined in light of the context.

First, it is true that these individuals were disciples of John and did not have the Spirit. However, whether they were disciples of John or Jesus is not the context of the question. The context is whose disciples did Paul think they were when he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” The question was addressed to disciples Paul assumed were Christians. MacArthur confirms this by stating it wasn’t until “after Paul realized who these disciples were” that he spoke to them about Christ. Before Paul realized who these disciples were he assumed they were believers in the Messiah.

Second, it is true that once Paul realized these were disciples of John that he spoke to them about Jesus, not the Spirit. However, when he assumed they were disciples of Jesus, he spoke to them about the Spirit. For Paul, it was an appropriate question to ask those whom he assumed were Christians if they received the Spirit when they believed.

Third, the assertion that “Paul knew that receiving the Spirit at the moment of belief in Christ was the normal pattern” is inconsistent with the context of Acts. The apostle Paul asked these disciples if they had received the Spirit when they believed. If Paul knew receiving at the moment of belief was normal, why did he ask disciples whom he assumed were already believers if they received what he supposedly knew they already had? When he discovered his assumption was wrong he backtracked and instructed them to believe on Jesus Christ. Then began their Christian experience.

 

 

Fourth, the assertion that the Ephesian disciples’ experience did not involve an interval between their salvation and Spirit baptism does not fit the account. The account reveals two distinct experiences. Paul baptized them; after which, he laid hands on them and they received the Spirit. Their baptism and reception of the Spirit were separated. The time separation may have only been minutes, but they were two distinct events. One, they were baptized, and two, the Holy Spirit came upon them. Both the baptism and their reception of the Spirit are written in the Greek aorist tense. The aorist tense records an act as completed in past time. Their salvation and Spirit baptism were closely associated but distinct.

A close look at the context indicates their experience followed the pattern of the Apostles, Samaritans, and Paul. Paul assumed they were Christians and asked if they received the Spirit when they believed. At that moment he was asking them if the had received the Baptism with the Spirit. However once he realized they were not even saved, he led them to Christ and baptized them. Then he laid hands on them, and they were filled with the Spirit.

In summary, the five narrative accounts of conversions: Acts reveals that in four of the five, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit occurred after salvation. Only at Cornelius’ house did salvation and Spirit baptism occur simultaneously. What conclusions can be drawn from this? First, the Baptism with the Spirit is distinct from salvation. Second, it may occur after salvation, but need not. Third, it may occur simultaneous with salvation, but automatically does not.

Teaching of the Epistles

The book of Acts reveals the Baptism with the Spirit as being distinct from salvation, yet the epistles offer no teaching regarding it. This silence, according to MacArthur, validates the view that the Baptism with Spirit is an integral part of salvation:

Paul was well aware of the varieties of experiences that had happened to people as recorded in Acts. He was right in the middle of them. But in none of his epistles did he ever hint that one must be saved first and then experience the baptism in the Spirit sometime down the road.¹⁰

One would think something as significant as Spirit baptism would deserve attention in the epistles. However must silence imply that the Apostles did not teach nor expect others to experience what they had? Or could silence imply something else? Martin Lloyd-Jones, wrote in response to this very question:

My reply to this is quite simple. Take, for instance that first great epistle to the Corinthians. Its teaching is obviously based upon the fact that the members of the church at Corinth have been baptized with the Spirit in the same way that we read of in Acts. We are sometimes told, ‘You never find the epistles exhorting people to be baptized with the Spirit.’ That is perfectly right, but the answer is obvious. They are not exhorted to be baptized with the Spirit because they were already baptized with the Spirit!¹¹

Although there are no specific exhortations to receive the Baptism with the Spirit, Paul’s exhortation to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) includes not only an initial baptism (filling) but many subsequent fillings.The account in Acts Four (Acts 4:31) shows the Apostles being filled with the Spirit again having already been filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. This also indicates multiple fillings with the Spirit. Addressing the issue as to whether there is a second blessing or filling by the Spirit, D.A. Carson, professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, wrote, “Although I find no biblical support for a second-blessing theology. I do find support for a second-, third-, fourth-, or fifth-blessing theology.”¹²

 

 

Historical versus Biblical Christianity

As difficult as this may be to believe, it is possible the Apostles did not write about the Baptism with the Spirit as distinct from salvation because it was not a problem. Today’s problem of separating Spirit baptism from salvation was created by historic Christianity. Historic Christianity is the Christianity that has developed by the church living through history, and it does not always correspond with biblical Christianity as seen in the New Testament.

Today’s problem of separating Spirit baptism from salvation is similar to the separation of water baptism from salvation. There are churches that baptize infants, others that baptize immediately upon a person’s confession of faith, and others that wait weeks, months, and even years. In Acts, the longest delay was Paul. He waited three days and Ananias asked him, “Why are you waiting: Arise and be baptized…” (Acts 22:16). Today debate surrounds water baptism because historic Christianity separated it from salvation.

The Baptism with the Spirit is similar. In Acts, Spirit baptism was associated with salvation, but salvation was not narrowly thought of as limited to initial faith. On the Day of Pentecost after commanding those seeking salvation to repent and be baptized, Peter exhorted them to be “saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40). According to Peter salvation involved more than their initial faith. It included faith, repentance, rebirth, water baptism, Spirit baptism, and all that is associated with entering the Kingdom of God, even separation from the world (Acts 2:38-40).

Salvation is broader than just initial faith. The New Testament speaks of those who are saved (Ephesians 2:8), the who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18), and those who will be saved (1 Peter 1:5-9). These are not three different groups, but the same people. Those who are saved are being saved and will saved. That is the past, present, and future of salvation. Every person who has trusted Christ has been saved. They are also being saved as the Spirit works in them. And they will be saved in the fullest sense when Christ returns. Thus salvation is much broader than just initial faith.

Even though Spirit baptism is not an integral part of every Christian’s initial salvation experience, it can be a part of every Christian’s salvation. In a broad sense salvation involves not only initial faith but also water baptism, Spirit baptism, and everything that involves entering the Kingdom.

Peter on the Day of Pentecost offered the whole package. He even affirmed that the Spirit baptism was promised to all who believe: “For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). We may be afar off but if we are called, the promise is for us. Peter exhorted them to repent, believe, be water baptized, receive the Spirit, and separate from the world. The whole package belongs to salvation and Peter exhorted them to receive it all.

 

 

Over the years historic Christianity dissected the parts of salvation. New Christians are taught to receive a part at a time rather than receive the whole package. There are those who come to faith in Christ; then months or years later they are water baptized, and two to three years after that they are baptized with the Spirit. That is the result of historic Christianity, not biblical Christianity. Biblical Christianity called for salvation that involved repentance, faith, new birth, water baptism, and Spirit baptism. All of it was included. That does not imply that all of these are the same or occur simultaneously. They are each distinct and occur distinctly, but they are part of the whole. The Baptism with the Spirit is distinct from initial salvation through new birth, but it is part of the whole of salvation.

 

PR 

 

Notes

1.   Martin Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1984), 21. Used permission of Harold Shaw Publishers.
2.   John MacArthur, Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 189. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
3.   It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word napah, to blow or to breathe, is used to connote the giving of life in the creation of man (Gen.2:7) and the revitalization of dry bones in Ezekiel’s prophecy (Ez. 37:9). In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was in use before the birth of Jesus, the word napah is connected to phusao, the root word which appears in John 20:22, “He breathed on them.”
4.   MacArthur, 176-7.
5.   John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, The Gospel According to St. John 11-21 and The First Epistle of John, trans. by T.H.L. Parker, David Torrance and Thomas Torrance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 205. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing.
6.   Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), 847. Used by  permission of Eerdmans Publishing.
7.   R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961), 1374. Used by permission of Augsburg Publishers.
8.   R.C.H. Lenski, a Lutheran, explained their receptions in this manner: “The very expression indicates that the Charismatic gift of the Spirit is being referred to, which comes in a miraculous way and is apparent to all who might be present. “Had fallen” recalls what happened at the time of Pentecost. The Samaritan believers had not yet been distinguished by this sign of the Spirit’s presence; it had been delayed until this time.” R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles  (Minneapolis, Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), 324.
9.   MacArthur, 184-6.
10. MacArthur, 187.
11. Lloyd-Jones, 36. 12. D. C. Carson, Showing The Spirit, A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987), 160. Used by permission of Baker Book House.