It is remarkable how many expressions from the Scriptures, of diverse and widely differing meanings, are pressed into service by the perfectionists to support their views, and supposed by them to be synonymous with the Apostle Paul’s “second benefit.” We have already examined some of them, and shown they have no reference whatever to the theory of the eradication of inbred sin at some time subsequent to conversion. Of all these expressions, the one that heads this chapter is ever given the most prominent place, and it is triumphantly alleged, with no possibility of serious refutal, that in this at least we certainly have what to many in the beginning of this dispensation was a blessing received after having been born again. Were not the apostles all children of God before Pentecost? Did they not all have the forgiveness of their sins? Surely. Yet who can deny that they received the Spirit only at Pentecost? And if this was so with them, how can we suppose there is any other way now of becoming fit for service? Each individual must have his own Pentecost. If he does not, he is likely to miss heaven after all. And here the holiness teacher feels sure he has clinched his favorite doctrine beyond all possibility of disproof.
Some distinguish between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and that of fire, and thus make a third blessing (!); but the majority consider the two as one — the Spirit coming upon and within the justified man, like a flame of fire, to burn out all evil and impart divine energy. Thus they sing:
“Refining fire go through my heart,
Illuminate my soul:
Scatter Thy light through every part,
And sanctify the whole.”
We must therefore turn again to our Bibles and carefully examine all that is thus recorded concerning the Spirit’s baptism, noticing too, some other operations of the same Spirit, which have been greatly misunderstood by many. If I could feel sure that all my readers would procure a copy of S. Ridout’s “Lectures on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit,” I would not take the trouble to write this chapter. But if any find my briefer remarks at all helpful, let me urge them to read this larger work.
It was John the Baptizer who first spoke of this spiritual baptism. When the people were in danger of giving the forerunner an undue place, he pointed them on to the coming One, the latchet of whose sandal he felt unworthy to unbind, and he declared, “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He that comes after me is mightier than I ... He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing fan is in His hand, and He shall thoroughly purge His threshing-floor, and shall gather His wheat into the garner, but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable” (Matt. 3:1212Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12), N.T.).
In Mark’s account no mention is made of fire. The only portion of John’s declaration quoted is, “There comes He that is mightier than I after me, the thong of whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-87And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Mark 1:7‑8), N.T.). There is a reason for the omission of “and fire,” as we shall see in a few moments.
Luke’s account is the fullest of all. After telling of John’s mission, by emphasizing the large place that coming wrath had in it (as also in Matt. 3:7-107But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matthew 3:7‑10)), “The axe,” he declares, “is applied to the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire” (Luke 3:99And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Luke 3:9)). But who will execute this solemn sentence? Will it be John himself or Another to come after him? And if Another, will His coming be alone for judgment? John gives the answer farther down: “I indeed baptize you with water, but the mightier than I is coming ... He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing-fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing-floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable” (vers. 16-17, N. T.)
In the Gospel of John, again, as in that of Mark, nothing is said of fire. It is only, “I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not; but He who sent Me to baptize with water, He said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, He it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God (chap. 1:32-34, N.T.).
The only other promise of the Spirit’s baptism is that given by the risen Lord Himself before His ascension, as recorded in Acts 1:55For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:5). After commanding the disciples to tarry at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father soon to be fulfilled, He says: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” Again, there is no mention of fire.
In Acts 2 we have the historical fulfilment of these promises. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven and enveloped all the one hundred and twenty believers in the upper room, baptizing and indwelling them. There is no mention of the fire. Instead of that we read of something very different. “Cloven tongues like as of fire, sat upon each of them.” Observe the statement carefully. It does not say a baptism of fire, but tongues, having the appearance of fire, sat upon each one. Was this that fiery baptism of which John spake? I think not — and for a very good reason.
Twice we have found the double expression used, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.” Three times we have seen the last expression omitted. Why this difference? John is addressing a mixed company in both Matthew and Luke. Some are repentant, waiting for Messiah; others are proud, haughty, hypocrites, and unbelievers. Some are humbly baptized in water, as signifying the death their sins deserve. Others evade the baptism, or would undergo it while unrepentant. John says in effect: Whether you are baptized by me or not, you shall all be baptized by the coming mighty One, either by the Holy Spirit, or in fire! He will make a separation between the true and the false. Every corrupt tree will come down and be hurled into the fire — baptized in the fire of judgment.
The wheat will be gathered into the garner: they will be the Spirit-baptized ones. The chaff will be cast into the fire: this will be their baptism of wrath.
In the accounts given by Mark, John, and in the Acts, there are no unbelievers introduced. Both John and Jesus are speaking only to disciples. To them they say nothing of the baptism of fire. There is no judgment — no wrath to come — for them to fear. They receive the promise of the baptism of the Spirit only, and this was fulfilled at Pentecost.
From this point on, that is from Acts 2, we never hear again of this baptism as something to be waited for, prayed for, or expected. The promise of the Father had been fulfilled. The baptism of the Holy Spirit had taken place. There was never another Pentecost recognized in the church. Only twice, thereafter, is the baptism so much as mentioned in the New Testament, once in Peter’s account of the reception of Cornelius and other Gentiles with him into the Christian company (Acts 11:1616Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. (Acts 11:16)), and then in Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians where it is shown to be something past, in which all who were believers had shared: “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles” (1 Cor. 12:13), and the epistle is addressed to “all in every place, who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:2). Many of them were weak Christians, many were carnal, many failed to enter into much of the glorious truth pertaining to the New Dispensation, but all were baptized by the one Spirit into the one body of Christ.
We must therefore enquire carefully what that spiritual baptism accomplished, and why it took place subsequent to the new birth or conversion of the apostles and other believers in the opening of the book of Acts.
First, let it be noted, the baptism of the Spirit was a future thing until Jesus was glorified. It was after His ascension that He was to send the Spirit, who had never hitherto dwelt upon the earth. While Christ was here the Spirit was present in Him, but He did not then indwell believers. “The Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” In His last hours with His disciples He spoke of sending the Comforter, and He contrasted the two dispensations by saying, “He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Secondly, observe that He was not to come for the cleansing or freeing of the disciples from sin. True, He would indwell them, to control them for Christ and empower them for holiness of life, and for authoritative testimony. But His special work was to baptize or unite all believers into one body. He came to form the body of Christ after the Head had been exalted in heaven, as Man, at God’s right hand. The Saviour’s work on the cross cleanses from all sin. The Holy Spirit unites the cleansed into one body with all other believers, and with their glorified Head.
Thirdly, the body being now formed, individual believers no longer wait for the promise of the Father, expecting a new descent of the Spirit; but upon their believing they are sealed with that Holy Spirit, and thus are linked up with the body already in existence.
In the early chapters of Acts we have a number of special manifestations of the Spirit, owing to the orderly formation of that mystical body. In Acts 2, the one hundred and twenty in the upper room are baptized into one body. Those who believed and were baptized with water, to the number of over three thousand, received the same Spirit, and were thus added by the Lord to the newly-constituted church or assembly.
In Acts 8 the word of life overleaps Jewish boundaries and goes to the Samaritans, who are obliged to wait till two apostles come from Jerusalem before they receive the Spirit — “that there should be no schism in the body.” These ancient enemies of the Jews must not think of two churches, or two bodies of Christ, but of one; hence the interval between their conversion and the reception of the Spirit upon the laying on of the apostles’ hands. The Jews and Samaritans had maintained rival religious systems and temples for hundreds of years, and the contention was very bitter between them (see John 4:19-2219The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:19‑22)). So it is easy to see the wisdom of God in thus visibly and openly uniting the converts of Samaria with those of Jerusalem.
In Acts 10 the circle widens. Grace flows out to the Gentiles. Cornelius (already a pious man, undoubtedly quickened by the Spirit) and all his company hear words whereby they shall be saved — brought into the full Christian position — and as Peter preaches, the Holy Spirit falls on them all upon their believing, a manifestation of power accompanying it, as a testimony to Peter and his companions — they spake in foreign languages by divine illumination of the mind and control of the tongue. They are added to the body.
One exceptional instance remains; that recorded in Acts 19. Apollos has been preaching the baptism of John in Ephesus, knowing not the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection and the Spirit’s descent. He was carrying to the dispersed Jews in Gentile cities the message of John. Instructed by Aquila and Priscilla, he received the full revelation and went on to Corinth. Paul followed him to Ephesus, and found certain disciples, who clearly came short of the Christian place and walk. To them he said, “Did ye, upon your believing, receive the Holy Spirit?” They replied, “We did not so much as hear that the Holy Spirit had come.” (See the Revised Version). Now Christian baptism is “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” So Paul asks, “Unto what then were ye baptized?” This brings all out. They answer, “Unto John’s baptism.” Upon this the Apostle preaches the truth of the Christian revelation, setting forth Christ as the one predicted by John, who had now come, died and risen, and who had sent the Holy Spirit down from heaven. They received the message with joy, were baptized by authority of the Lord Jesus, and upon the imposition of Paul’s hands, received the Comforter. They too are added to the body, and the transitional state had come to an end.
Thereafter no mention is ever made of an interval between conversion and the reception of the Spirit. He now indwells all believers, as the seal that marks them as God’s (Eph. 1:13-1513In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (Ephesians 1:13‑15); see R. V.), whereby they are sealed till the day of the redemption of their bodies (Eph. 4:3030And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)).
If any have Him not, they are none of Christ’s (Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)). The indwelling Spirit is the Spirit of adoption, “whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” It is therefore impossible to be a child of God and not have the Spirit. He is the earnest and the first-fruits of the coming glory (Rom. 8:11-17,2311But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:11‑17)
23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)). He is our Anointing, and the youngest babe in Christ has this divine Unction (1 John 2:18-20,2718Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? (John 2:18‑20)).
Because we have the Spirit, we are called to “walk in the Spirit,” and to be “filled with the Spirit,” that thus our God may be glorified in us (Gal. 5:1616This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16); Eph. 5:1818And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)). But the Spirit’s indwelling does not imply or involve any alteration in or removal of the old carnal nature, for we read, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot [or, might not] do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)).
Believers’ bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and we are called to guard them from pollution, and hold them as devoted to the Lord. It is because we are thus made members of Christ and joined to the Lord that we are exhorted to flee fornication and all uncleanness (1 Cor. 6:12-20). How utterly opposed to the so-called holiness system would exhortations such as these be! Think of teaching a man that because he has the Holy Spirit, all tendency to sin has been eliminated from his being, and then exhorting him to flee fleshly lusts which war against the soul!
Because I am indwelt by the Spirit I am called to walk in a holy way, remembering that I am a member of Christ’s mystical body formed by the Spirit’s baptism at Pentecost.
The baptism of fire I shall never know. That is reserved for all who refuse the Spirit’s testimony, who shall be cast into the lake of fire when the great day of His wrath has indeed come. (If any object to this, and consider the fiery baptism to be synonymous with the “tongues like as of fire” on Pentecost. I would ask them to carefully read again Matthew’s account of John’s ministry.) Then,
“Deep down in the hell where all Christless ones go,
Immersed in despair and surrounded with woe,
They’ll be hurried along on the fiery wave,
With no eye to pity and no arm to save.”
God grant, my reader, that you may never know this dreadful baptism, but that if not already numbered among those baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, you may now receive the Spirit by the hearing of faith, as did the Galatians of old when they believed the things spoken by Paul (Gal. 3:2-32This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:2‑3)).