Baptism of the Spirit (Part 1)
10 June 2006
I've been doing some reading on this here are my thoughts. I need to credit Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology and John Stott's Baptism and Fullness.
Key passages to support the view that Baptism of the Spirit is a subsequent experice to conversion are Acts 2 8 and sometimes 10 and 19.
The phrase "Baptism of the Spirit" occurs only seven times in the New Testament. Four of these are ambiguous. Two of these refer directly to Pentecost. The final one (1 Corinthians 12:13) is a mistranslation. For we were all baptized in one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or Free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Although there is a slight difference in the Greek in this verse from the others ("One Spirit" rather than "Holy Spirit") Grudem argues the context would indicate that the Holy Spirit is what is very much what is on view. This verse leads us to conclude that Baptism of the Spirit is something that occurs at the time of conversion (and isn’t a subsequent experience after conversion).
But what of the other passages listed above? Acts 2 seems to be as the first instance of a generous pouring out of the Spirit on all believers as the new covenant experience of the Holy Spirit is initiated. In other words, this out-pouring of the Spirit is part of a time of transition between the "old" and "new" covenant work of the Holy Spirit. This can’t be taken as prescriptive because we no longer live in this transitional period.
The passage I have most difficulty with is Acts 8. Grudem dismisses the argument that the Samaritans had a deficient faith (lacking true salvation) and I agree. My explanation is that God waited to give the "new covenant empowering of the Holy Spirit" to the Samaritans until they were present among the Jerusalem apostles. This then acted to show they were full members of the Christian body and not "second class citizens".
Acts 10 and 19 are simple as it seems that the people discussed in each passage simply weren’t Christians to begin with. More soon.
tags christian, pictures, rant, thinking
Posts
Oh, crud ... I have an article by "Dirty Don" on that very topic ... too bad i'm not at home.
ciao
Good rundown, we did a series on Acts recently and one of the things we figured from our bible studies was that just as Jesus said
"You will be my witnessess in Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth'.
So too, when the Gosple comes to a new area, there is a very obvious work of the Spirit. So when It first comes to Samaria in chapter 8, it is a specific act of bringing the Spirit to the samaritans because it is the first time it has come to samaria.
That's why the apostles came, to mark the occasion of the holy spirit coming to samaria.
Or that's what we think from reading it and listening to david preaching.