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The Church, as a whole, has not understood clearly that the disciples were not born again until the Day of Pentecost. This has led to erroneous teaching with reference to the New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let us now study carefully all that scripture teaches about being baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit at the time we are born again.
The Apostle Paul speaks of our baptism into Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body." We find in Galatians 3:27, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." The context of this scripture reveals that baptism into Christ by the Holy Spirit takes place when we exercise faith in Christ. Galatians 3:26-27 "Ye are all the sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
The Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ or places him into the body of Christ, making him a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), a son of God (John 1:12). Baptism into Christ, the New Birth, becoming a new creature, becoming God's child, simply mean that the believer in Jesus is no longer of the world "that lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). Being a new creation in Christ, he is not of this world just as Christ is not of this world (John 14:17; 17:14).
Christ came to bring the nature of God to man (John 10:10). John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This is the New Birth to which John referred to in John 3:3-5 and Peter in 1 Peter 1:23.
Water baptism practiced by John the Baptist is just a type of the baptism into Christ. It is a type of the New Birth. This fact is revealed to us in Romans 6:1-4. Paul is using their baptism in water to illustrate what took place in their lives by the New Birth. "Or are you ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3)
Being buried with Christ in water is typical of our burial with Christ in His death whereby the old man was crucified and put off. Being raised out of the water is typical of our resurrection with Christ out of spiritual death into eternal life, that we might walk in the newness of life. That is what takes place in the New Birth (John 3:3-5). Spiritual death is eradicated from the spirit of man (Ephesians 2:1-5) and eternal life, the nature of God, is imparted to man, and he then walks in newness of that life.
After we are born again, we are baptized in water as a witness of our being baptized into Christ. So John the Baptist is saying, "My baptism is with water, it is physical, external - I baptize the physical body in water. But He (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:33).
There are three baptisms spoken of in the scriptures. First, there is "water baptism" as practiced by John the Baptist and the Disciples of Christ (Matthew 3:1-6 cf. Matthew 28:19). Jesus did not baptize any one with water. Second, there is the "baptism" spoken of by the Apostle Paul that is a work of the Holy Spirit in placing the believer into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27-28) "By one spirit are we all baptized into one body." Third, there is a "baptism" spoken of by Christ, which the world cannot receive (Acts 1:5 cf. John 14:17). This is one that all those who are saved, i.e. baptized into Christ, are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek.
The Holy Spirit places the believer into Christ, when he is saved; he is baptized into Christ. After the believer is in Christ, as a New Creation, he is baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ (John 1:33). Baptism into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) makes a sinner God's child. Baptism with the Holy Spirit endues God's child with power to do a God-ordained work.
As an example, Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and called the Son of God (Luke 1:13-14). Later, when the Son of God was thirty years of age, he was endued with power to do the work assigned by our heavenly Father (Matthew 3:13 — 4:1; Mark 1:9-12; Luke 3:21-23; John 1:29-34). In like manner the Holy Spirit through regeneration, makes the believer a new creature in Christ (performs the born-again experience in that individual's life). Then,after placing him into Christ, Jesus baptizes that individual with the Holy Spirit enduing him with power (Acts 1:8) from on high. Let us now see what actually took place on the Day of Pentecost.
In accordance with Christ's command, the disciples returned to Jerusalem after His ascension into heaven. There they gathered in an upper room in the temple (Luke 24:53). Then, Acts 2:1-2 records for us, "And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come and they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting."
The Holy Spirit entered the world for His special ministry. It was as definite a coming as was the birth of Christ as a babe in Bethlehem. He filled the room where they were sitting. What happened? The room was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and they were immersed, or baptized, with the Holy Spirit.
The believer being baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ is reversed from baptism in water in a certain sense. In water baptism, there is a plunging down into the water. In the Spirit baptism, there is a "coming down upon" of the Holy Spirit. The result is the same, however — immersion.
There are several phrases used in reference to Pentecost. "Coming upon," "pour out," "fallen upon," "fell upon," "poured forth," "fell on them," and "came upon." The result was immersion in the Holy Spirit. The results, for those waiting in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, were the New Birth, and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The New Birth was a baptism into Christ. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was an enduement of power when they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The body of Christ was born on that memorable day. As the manger had been the cradle of the Son of God, so also the upper room became the cradle of the mystical body of Christ. One hundred and twenty became new creatures in Christ on the Day of Pentecost. "Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:4). This is the second experience: to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be indwelt by Him.
There is a vast difference between being baptized into Christ, i.e. saved, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, i.e. baptized with the Holy Spirit by Christ. The former is the New Birth, the latter is the born again Christian empowered to do a work.
After those in the upper room had been born out of death into eternal life by the Spirit, they were filled with Him. Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." They could not be filled with Him until they had been born again. Christ said that the world, that is, a spiritually dead man, could not receive the Holy Spirit. John 14:17 - "Even the spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive." He can only make His home in the bodies of those who have been born again.
Our conclusion is this, the term baptized into Christ, (1 Corinthians 12:13) literally and scriptually refers to the New Birth, and the second experience is to receive, or to be filled with, the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you?" It is clear that the early church used two terms in referring to this second experience. For after the Day of Pentecost, the term used by Peter in describing the experience of the household of Cornelius (Acts 10), as being "baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 11:16). Also, this second experience is referred to as being "filled" with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).
It would seem that certain phrases found in the Gospels, in the book of Acts, and the Epistles, such as "baptized with the Holy Spirit," "filled with the Holy Spirit," "the Holy Spirit fell on them," "the gift of the Holy Spirit," "endued with power from on high." and other phrases with allied meaning, have references to a second experience that many Christians do not possess.
"Because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). And because these forces of evil cannot be resisted with mere human power or strength, we need an armor for this warfare that is not carnal (natural), but mighty through God to the pulling down of the spiritual powers of darkness (2 Corinthians 10:4). Such power has been promised us in Acts 1:4 ,5, 8.
"And being assembled together with them [He] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith He, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence . . ."
"But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Note these words: "Baptized with the Holy Ghost.")
Having considered the new Birth, and our being baptized into Christ at some length in the foregoing lesson, let us now consider this second definite experience.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a definite experience of which the believer may know whether he or she has received it or not. This is clear from Acts 1:4-5, "And being assembled together with them [He] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith He, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." It seems evident from these verses that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a definite experience, and that a man may know whether he has received the experience or not. For if the disciples could not know, how could they possibly know when the days of tarrying were over, and the time to began their ministry had began?
This same truth is made clear in Acts 19:2. Here the Apostle Paul questioned the Ephesians, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" Or as it is in the Revised Version, "Did you receive the Holy Ghost when you believed?" Continuing, the next verse says, "And they said unto him, no, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given." Apparently, there was something about these twelve disciples that did not altogether satisfy Paul. However, we are not told what it was. Whatever it was that caused a question to arise in Paul's mind, he settled it at once by asking the question, "Did you receive the Holy Ghost when you believed?" Paul received a definite answer of "no" to his question.
There is much talk these days about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, especially since many members of nominal Protestant denominations and even some Roman Catholics have received an infilling of the Holy Spirit with charismatic (speaking with other languages) evidence as on the Day of Pentecost. Also there are many areas of doubt because charismatic denominations have retreated from their strong position on the definiteness of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with scriptural evidence.
To continue our explanation "What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?" we should emphasize that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit that is distinct from and additional to the New Birth.
In other words, we need to remember the teaching of the Word reveals that it is one thing to be born again by the Holy Spirit and made new creations in Christ; it is quite another thing to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This is clearly illustrated from Acts 8:12-16. In verse 12 we are told that "When they believed Philip preaching the good tidings concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women."
Now certainly in a large group of believers who had received water baptism, who had believed Philip's preaching the good tidings of the Kingdom of God (v. 16), there were some born again men and women. We can rest assured that Philip administered water baptism in the proper mode and formula. Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" in Mark 16:16. It should be clear, as we have already mentioned, that at least some of this company, if not all, whom Philip baptized were born again Christians, regenerated men and women.
But as we read Acts chapter 8, and we come down to verses 15 and 16, we read "Peter and John, when they came down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost; for as yet He was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Thus we see that these regenerate men and women had not been baptized (or "filled") with the Holy Ghost, though they were believers and were properly baptized in water. These were born again men, women, but they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Scriptural evidence is undeniable, that one may be a regenerate man, and yet not have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, if a man is regenerate, he is born again. He is a new creation in Christ Jesus; he has been delivered from the power of darkness; he is saved. Should such a one die, he would go to heaven. But though he is saved, he is not fitted for God's service until he is filled, baptized in the Holy Spirit.