The Work of the Holy Spirit in Acts – (Part 1 of 5)

(Essay #12 – God’s Prophetic Spirit)

Many Bibles list the title of the book of Acts as “The Acts of the Apostles.” However, the title could read “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” and very little damage, if any, would be done to the accuracy of the title’s description of this great Bible book. The work of the Holy Spirit with man is mentioned more in Acts than any other book in the Bible. That work is specifically mentioned in 56 verses.[1] Without a clear understanding of the teaching in Acts about His presence, one will struggle to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.

However, it also must be remembered that Acts is the 44^th book of the Bible. Its contents all transpired after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In its background are all of the books of the Old Testament and all of the events and teaching of the gospel accounts.[2] In our studies so far, we have already examined well over 100 verses that speak of the Holy Spirit’s work with man. Those verses and the experience of the people of God in Israel for more than 1,500 years had already established a vocabulary about the Spirit’s work. As the people of God, they had already seen and experienced the work of the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand that foundation of teaching before moving into the book of Acts. This truth will be appreciated as one sees that Acts uses the same language, the same images, and the same metaphors found in the Old Testament in its description of the Holy Spirit’s work. In this essay’s examination of Acts, it will be seen that the Spirit’s work in the New Testament church is the same prophetic work revealed and promised throughout the Old Testament.

Acts 1-2

The opening chapters in Acts have been called the “Hub of the Bible.” There is a good deal of truth in that assessment. Everything in the Bible preceding this passage is working to bring about the events described within it. In Acts 3, Peter testified that the work of the prophets of the Old Testament was to prophesy of “these days” (Acts 3:18, 24). Further, everything that is revealed in the New Testament after Acts 2 is placed on the foundation laid on that monumental Pentecost feast. It is with good reason that Peter described Acts 2 as the “beginning” of the gospel (Acts 11:15). Acts 1-2 is the bridge which connects the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament to their fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed in the New Testament.

The same truth is applicable to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1-2 also serves as the hub of the work of the Holy Spirit. As we have seen in earlier essays of this series, there is an established doctrine of the Holy Spirit revealed prior to Acts 1-2. It is also evident that after Acts 1-2, the Holy Spirit is very active among God’s people. How one understands the connection between the prophecies and promises in the Old Testament and the expression of their fulfillment in the New Testament is tied to how one understands Peter’s words about the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Many view Peter’s Pentecost sermon as the beginning of a new work of the Holy Spirit that is the exclusive blessing of Christianity. However, it is the argument of this essay that while the expansiveness of the Spirit’s work is increased after the preaching of the gospel, the nature of His work remained the same.[3] Before Acts 2 men who had the Spirit dwelling in them were prophetically empowered, and after Acts 2 men who had the Spirit dwelling in them were prophetically empowered.

The First Nine References to the Holy Spirit in Acts 1-2

In the 73 verses of Acts 1-2 the Holy Spirit is directly referenced 10 times. The last of those references is found in 2:38 where Peter makes mention of the gift of the Holy Spirit. We will address that important concept in time. However, before examining that phrase it is important to make sure we understand what is stated about the Holy Spirit in the first nine references to Him. Consider the statements made about the Spirit from Acts 1:1 to Acts 2:37:

1. . . . after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles . . . (1:2)
2. . . . but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (1:5)
3. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . . (1:8)
4. . . . which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David . . . (1:16)
5. . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak . . . (2:4)
6. . . . in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance . . . (2:4)
7. . . . pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy . . . (2:17)
8. . . . I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. (2:18)
9. . . . having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (2:33)

Even a cursory reading of those verses shows the prophetic emphasis of the Spirit’s work in this context. The Spirit is being poured out to man and man is receiving Him. He is speaking to man and man is speaking through Him with inspired commands and by inspired tongues.

While the teaching of these nine verses is clear, the language used to describe this prophetic connection is significant and each phrase needs further attention in order to appreciate the reach of the impact of Acts 1-2 on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

 1:2

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

The first reference in Acts to the Holy Spirit is a reference to Jesus’ instruction to His apostles. The function of the Holy Spirit is to provide the guided, inspired teaching of Jesus.

1:4-5, 8

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. . . . But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The next references to the Spirit in Acts follow immediately after and inform us about the content of at least a portion of the teaching that Jesus provided His apostles in the days leading up to His ascension. In this text, the work of the Holy Spirit is described in four ways:

1. It is the fulfillment of the promise of the Father.[4]
2. It is provided by the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
3. It would provide “power” to the apostles.
4. It would allow the apostles to be witnesses to the Christ.

These verses contain Jesus’ promise to His apostles of the fulfillment of the coming of the Helper to guide them into all truth so as to equip them on their apostolic mission (John 14:16, 26). The work of the Holy Spirit expressed in Jesus’ words is the work of inspiration to the apostles.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The imagery used to describe the process by which the apostles would gain this needed special access to the Holy Spirit is that of baptism. While much confusion exists over the nature, recipients, and effect of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the basic idea of this imagery is easy to understand. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the New Testament’s description of how the “promise of the Father” was fulfilled. That message is stated forthrightly in the passage under discussion in this section: “. . . wait for the promise of the Father . . . you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

This work has already established that the “promise of the Father” is found in Joel 2:28-32.[5] What that means is that anyone who was baptized in the Spirit received access to the prophecy, dreams, and visions included in Joel’s prophecy. The connection between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the prophetic abilities of Joel’s prophecy is highlighted by Jesus’ statement about what would happen when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in that baptism: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. . .” (Acts 1:8). So long as one understands that the promise of the coming of the baptism of the Spirit fulfilled the promise of the Father stated in Joel 2, he will never end up in a place of confusion about this doctrine.[6]

With the prophetic nature of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the background there are at least five points that are taught by the texts which specifically mention this image:[7]

1.      Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Separate from Water Baptism

John the Baptist taught that the one coming after him was “mightier” than he was. John’s evidence for that statement was that he baptized men in water, but that Jesus would baptize men in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). In that statement he makes a distinction between the two kinds of baptism. In other words, there are two baptisms, not one.

While many make the point of conversion the point at which one receives the baptism of the Spirit, the biblical text will not support that conclusion.

1. Those who had been baptized by John were baptized “for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4) just as those in Acts 2:38 were. Yet for those baptized by John, their baptism in the Holy Spirit would not occur for up to three years later.
2. Acts 1:5, 8 establishes that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs when “the Holy Spirit comes upon” men. Yet, the saints of Acts 8 and Acts 19 were baptized in water without the Holy Spirit’s coming upon them (Acts 8:12, 16; Acts 19:5, 6).
3. Peter also refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit as he sees the Holy Spirit “fall” on the members of the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44; 11:15-16). Yet, this baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred before the water baptism of any member of Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:46-47).

If one attempts to make the baptism of the Holy Spirit a part of the conversion experience, he must explain how it can both be weeks, months, and even years after the forgiveness of sins at the time of water baptism while others received the baptism of the Holy Spirit before their conversion.

2.       The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was Administered by Jesus

The gospel accounts each record John’s promise of the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit. Each also makes the statement that Jesus would be the administrator of this baptism. John 1:33 states, “. . . He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” The question that must be answered then is, “When did Jesus administer the baptism of the Holy Spirit?”

The clearest answer to this question is found in Acts 2:33: “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Jesus’ supplying of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost fulfills His promise of the coming of the Spirit “not many days” from His ascension. The apostles’ prophetic abilities on that day fulfill His promise that power would come to them when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). Further, the events also fulfill His promise of the Father’s sending the Helper in His name to guide His apostles into all truth (John 14:26; 16:12-14) and of His promise that they would receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). All of these instances point to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in order to empower them to know the truth and to preach forgiveness of sins under the name of Jesus. There is no other work of the Holy Spirit revealed in the Bible that is said to be under the administration of Jesus in connection with the declaration and authority of the gospel.

3.      The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was Taught by Jesus

Jesus states that He had taught His disciples about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice carefully again the words of Acts 1:4-5: “. . . [H]e ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’. . .”, Jesus says His apostles had heard His instruction about the promise of the Father and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The question that arises is, “When had they heard that instruction?” Jesus taught His disciples about the coming and the work of the Holy Spirit only in His dialogue with them in John 14-16.[8] In that conversation with His disciples the Holy Spirit’s work is again revelatory in its impact. He would come to teach them all things and to bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them (14:26), bear witness about Jesus (15:26), guide them into all truth (16:13), declare the things to come (16:13), and declare the things of the Father and Jesus (16:12-13). In doing those things, the Spirit would convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (16:10-11). All of those actions find their fulfillment with the beginning of the gospel in Acts 2. What Jesus taught His apostles was that the Holy Spirit would bring to their minds all of the things of God (John 16:15). He promised them the fullness of the revelation of the mind of God through the Spirit. It is the fulfillment of those promises in Acts 2 that in Acts 1:4-5 Jesus calls the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus taught about the coming prophetic abilities to the apostles, He taught them about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

4.      The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the Counterpart to the Baptism of Fire

In each of John’s statements about the coming of Jesus, John states that Jesus would baptize in both the Holy Spirit and in fire.[9] While commentators have had much to say on both of these topics, it is interesting to note that John offered very little help to aide His hearers in the understanding of either topic. About the baptism of the Spirit, he offers barely a word in explanation of its meaning. He simply states that it would be administered by the coming Messiah. About the baptism of fire, he only states that the judgment it would bring was quickly approaching: “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. . . His winnowing fork is in his hand . . .” (Matthew 3:10, 12).

The brevity of John’s comments on the matter leads to one of two conclusions. First, he did not intend to reveal the meaning of his words to his audience. Yet, given that his mission was to announce the coming of the Messiah (John 1:29-34), it seems unlikely that the first two pieces of evidentiary action John promises the Messiah would provide would be purposefully obscured from John’s audience. If they are to identify the Messiah by His bringing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it must be the case that they could positively identify when the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred. That leads us to the second possibility, which is that John knew His audience already understood what the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire were. We believe that understanding to be the correct one. John was not announcing to his audience that the Messiah would baptize in the Spirit and in fire, he was reminding his audience of those truths.

For that to be the case then, it must be demonstrated that both baptisms in question here are a part of Old Testament prophecy. Could John have expected the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Judea who heard his preaching (Matthew 3:5) to anticipate the Messiah to give the Holy Spirit and bring judgment?

The prophets did proclaim that the time of the Messiah would be a time of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Of special interest here is one particular image that the prophets used to describe this work. They spoke repeatedly that the Holy Spirit would be “poured out” to God’s people.[10] The link between the pouring out of God’s Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a simple one.[11] The act of pouring out the Holy Spirit is seen from God’s perspective. The blessings of God reside in heaven. Man is seen as beneath Him on Earth. When the windows of heaven are opened and the blessings of God come flowing down those blessings are being “poured out” from heaven. Now when those blessings fall to the Earth and engulf and encompass the people of God in His goodness, what Bible term best describes that overwhelming presence of God’s blessings? The best term for being immersed in the blessings of God is “baptism.” The whole picture then is that man is baptized in the blessings that God outpours. They are the same blessings. Outpouring and baptism provide the same work. The difference is only a matter of perspective. Outpouring looks to the action of God. Baptism looks to the effect upon man. And so it is with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Jews knew what the Holy Spirit provided them. They knew He gave them prophecy, dreams, and visions. They also knew that the time of the Messiah would bring an outpouring of all of these gifts upon the whole “house of Israel” (Ezekiel 39:29). John’s use of the word baptism would have been expected and understandable to an audience that knew the prophets’ message about the Messiah and the Spirit.

The prophets also proclaimed that the time of the Messiah would be a time of judgment upon the nation of Israel. Bible students today are so focused on the message of redemption in the gospel that they miss that the earthly ministry of Jesus also ushered in a time of judgment upon Israel. Even in the prophecies pointing to the coming of John, the judgment of the Messiah was a point of emphasis. Malachi 3:1-4 announces the work of John would begin a time in which the Lord of hosts would purify His people:

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

Later in Malachi’s prophecy about the coming of John and Jesus, he expands on this point:

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” (4:1-5)

The appearance of John the Baptist announced the approaching of a time of purification of the nation of Israel and of the coming of the day of the Lord that would leave the nation neither “root nor branch.” With those words as His final sentiment to the nation, God’s message to Israel from the mouths of the Old Testament prophets ended. Surely, John’s audience would have remembered those final words from God as they listened to the preaching of the Elijah of their age (Matthew 11:11-14).

So then both the coming of the Holy Spirit and the coming of judgment are prophetically linked to the work of Jesus. The Jews needed little explanation about the nature of either the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the baptism of fire because when John preached those words to them, they looked back to their own prophets for the answer. We have too much confusion about them because we look forward from the gospel accounts and Acts and try to make both baptisms a modern experience. They were reading their Bible from front-to-back and we are trying to read ours back-to-front.

5.      The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was Given to the Gentiles

For many, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an expression of an apostolic blessing. They argue that Jesus applies the promise of John only to the apostles in Acts 1. With that guiding thought in mind, baptism of the Holy Spirit is then often considered to be the measure with which the apostles were given their unique access to the power of the Spirit.[12] Admittedly, if one reads Acts 1-2 it does seem to lend to that understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Consider then some of the evidence supporting that view from those chapters:

1. Acts 1:2 states that Jesus’ discourse of Acts 1 was given to the apostles.
2. The following commands and promises in that discourse then were said to his apostles.
   1. Do not depart from Jerusalem (1:4)
   2. Wait for the promise of the Father (1:4)
   3. You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (1:5)
   4. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (1:8)
   5. You will be my witnesses (1:8)
3. It was Matthias and the eleven apostles that were all together on the day of Pentecost (compare Acts 1:26 and Acts 2:1).
4. It was only the apostles who were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues (Acts 2:4). This is supported in the remainder of Acts 2.
   1. Only Galileans were speaking (2:7).
   2. All that were speaking were men (2:13, 15).[13]
   3. Only Peter and the other eleven apostles stood to explain and defend the Spirit’s actions that day (2:14).
   4. At the conclusion of Peter’s message, the multitude of people who were ready to respond to the preaching of the gospel approached only “Peter and the rest of the apostles” (2:37).

The apostolic focus of the first two chapters in Acts does make a compelling argument to understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an apostolic blessing.

The doctrine being defended by such an understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (i. e. that the apostles had powers given to them by the Spirit unique to their position/role) is biblical and has been defended in these essays.[14] Nonetheless, it is an error to equate baptism as part of that unique access granted to the apostles. As noted above, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a part of Old Testament prophecy. It is simply the New Testament’s description of the effect of God’s promised pouring out of His Spirit to the church. It is in that manner that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is proclaimed outside of the specific context of Acts 1-2. The pouring out of the Spirit was to come upon the “house of Israel” and “all flesh” (Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28). Further, John the Baptist’s statement was directed to more than just the apostles. His promise was to all of Jerusalem and Judea who had come to hear His proclamation of the baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of fire.[15] Prior to Acts 1-2, there is little indication that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was intended only as an apostolic blessing.

The problem is complicated even more after Acts 1-2. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in two contexts after Acts 2 and in neither case is the context in support of an apostolic blessing. In fact, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is expressed as a common event, inclusive of the Gentiles. In Acts 10-11, the final piece of evidence given to move Peter to preach the gospel to the Gentiles was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the house of Cornelius. The same connection between “outpouring” and “baptism” that we have seen in Acts 1-2 is again present in Acts 10-11. Note the language of that text:

1. Acts 10:45 – And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
2. Acts 11:15-16 – As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

Once again, when the Holy Spirit falls upon men as He is poured out from heaven, men are baptized with Him and begin to prophesy with His power. For those who see the baptism as a solely apostolic blessing, this passage must be viewed as an exceptional case. However, if Spirit baptism is not a description of role or some unique doctrinal blessing, but simply the complementary metaphor to outpouring, then Cornelius’ reception of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not exceptional at all. The manner in which his household was baptized with the Spirit would have been remarkable (i.e. without the laying on of an apostle’s hands), but the fact he was baptized with the Spirit would not have been.

Paul used the fact that all the saints of the early church were baptized with the Holy Spirit to encourage unity among them in Corinth. The last explicit reference in the Bible to the baptism of the Spirit is found in 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” In this text, Paul refers to Spirit baptism as something that every saint in Corinth had received. If every saint in Corinth had been baptized in the Holy Spirit, this text’s significance is worthy of special notice:

› It is discussing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not baptism in water.

Many who view the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an apostolic blessing, see this passage as a discussion of water baptism. Two reasons exist for this understanding. First, the baptism that is described in this text is directly connected to the Corinthians’ being in “one body.” This statement is taken as a salvific statement. As it is water baptism that saves a man from sin (Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21), it is understood that this text must therefore be speaking of that baptism. We will comment on that more fully in just a moment. The second reason is the simple consequence of understanding the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an exclusively apostolic blessing. If only the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit and if this passage applies a baptism to all believers, then the passage must be speaking of the universal baptism of water.

Beyond the aforementioned problems which arise from the implications relating salvation to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one problem arises in seeing water baptism in 1 Corinthians 12. The simple truth is that water baptism is not under discussion in the context of the passage. Just two verses earlier, Paul stated, “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Immediately after verse 13, Paul emphasizes the importance of the function of each empowered person in the church under the imagery of the differing members of that one body. That discussion concludes in verse 28 with this statement: “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating and various kinds of tongues.”

The context is discussing the distribution and proper use of the prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Within that context, Paul makes use of the imagery of being baptized in the Holy Spirit which, as we have seen, is a metaphor describing man’s possessing those same gifts from the Holy Spirit. On what basis then would verse 13 not naturally use that same metaphor to describe that same function as it does in the ministry of John, in Acts 1-2, and in Acts 10-11?

Prior to 1 Corinthians 12, every context in which “Spirit” is connected to “baptism” is a reference to the prophetic ministry of the Holy Spirit. Even those who see Spirit baptism as an exclusively apostolic blessing would admit as much. 1 Corinthians 12 (along with chapters 13-14) provides the most detailed description of the distribution and function of the Holy Spirit’s prophetic gifts among the church. In that context Paul says “. . . in one Spirit we were all baptized . . .” In order to find water baptism in 1 Corinthians 12:13, one must believe that Paul is bypassing this established connection to Holy Spirit baptism and prophecy. It would be necessary to conclude that Paul would bypass the exclusive meaning of this phrase, which was known to the early church, and within a context discussing that same time-honored meaning, he would craft an unknown use of that same phrase. Further, he is bypassing the established meaning without a clear explanation for the introduction of this new understanding. However, if baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a statement of apostolic role, but simply of miraculous empowerment as a result of the outpouring of the Spirit, no need to bypass the recognized understanding of Spirit baptism exists in Corinth.

› ONE body, not one BODY.

The problem of the salvific implications of this verse must be addressed. In this essay and elsewhere in these works, we have established that the Holy Spirit’s coming on a man and gifting him with prophetic abilities is not a statement of salvation or even of God’s endorsement of a man.[16] This verse should not be taken in that light either. In this text, Paul’s argument is not about the manner of their salvation.[17] Paul’s argument in this context is highlighting the result and evidence of their salvation. Corinth was divided and factions were growing within it (1:10-13; 3:3-4; 11:18). Paul’s desire was that the divisions would cease among them. His point to them in chapter 12 is that one and the same Spirit had placed His power among them. The fact that each one of them had been empowered with some demonstration of the same Spirit’s power was evidence that they were all part of the same body.[18] They may have been members individually, but they served under the direction of one God and one Spirit. Because all were empowered by the same Spirit, no tongue-speaker should have been able to separate himself from any prophet, nor vice-versa. Both, as they exercised their Spirit-given abilities, were demonstrating that they were part of one and the same body. Their actions were evidence that each one was drinking from the prophetic fountain of the same Spirit. It is in that sense that they were baptized into one body and all made to drink of the one Spirit. This verse is not a statement of the terms of salvation, but a call to recognize the unifying power of the prophetic work of the Holy Spirit among the church in Corinth.

Paul even highlights this unifying emphasis with verse 13. In the middle portion of the verse, he describes the “one body” in which the Corinthians had been placed making no distinction among “Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” It is the same argument Paul makes in Galatians 3-4 and Ephesians 1-2 which both highlight the demonstration of the Spirit’s power among the early saints as the evidence of the unity that was to exist among them.[19]

› All were Prophets.

Perhaps the most common objection to suggesting that this verse refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit coming upon all the church is that, if true, this verse would demand that all the early saints were prophetically gifted.[20] For many, that idea is foreign to their thinking. Yet, as we have already shown in previous essays, the prophetic powers of the Holy Spirit were promised to “all flesh.” Prophets were not rare in the early church. Finding a non-gifted saint was the exception, not the rule, during the time of the apostolic ministry.[21]

Even in Corinth Paul states that signs of a true apostle (i.e. the ability to pass prophetic powers on to others – Acts 8:18) had been worked among the church there (2 Corinthians 12:12). He states that Corinth came behind no other church in prophetic powers (1 Corinthians 1:4-8). Further, Paul had stayed in Corinth for nearly two years and so had ample opportunity to empower each member of the church there (Acts 18:11). That is why throughout chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul consistently states that “each, all, and every” saint was gifted among them: “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation . . .” (14:26). The objection that it was not possible that every early saint was gifted is simply not supported by this context.

What About the One Baptism of Ephesians 4:4?

For those who connect the baptism of the Holy Spirit exclusively to the apostolic role, Ephesians 4:4 is an important verse. In this view, there are two baptisms present at the Pentecost scene described in Acts 1-2. There is the baptism of the Holy Spirit which only the apostles received and there is water baptism which Peter commands to all the members of his audience. This view commonly allows for two further instances of the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be found in the New Testament: 1) The apostle Paul; 2) The household of Cornelius. Evidence supporting this view is then found in Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:4. His statement is that there exists only one baptism by the time he pens his letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians is commonly dated to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome which consensus places around A. D. 60. So then, it is believed that by that date the baptism of the Holy Spirit had ceased and only water baptism continued.[22] Further as Ephesians discusses the continuing function of the prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit within it pages (i. e. Ephesians 4:7-14), we know that those gifts were still present in Ephesus. The seemingly inescapable conclusion is that the gifts present in the church as a whole did not need the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be present as well. From that we can know that the baptism of the Spirit was not given to all saints.

If the one baptism of Ephesians 4:4 demands that the baptism of the Holy Spirit had ceased at some point before the writing of Ephesians, then the view of Spirit baptism taken in this essay (and in this work as a whole) has been proven incorrect. While the work of the Holy Spirit in the Ephesian letter is discussed in another essay, given the importance of this verse’s impact on this matter, some comments are warranted here as well.[23]

The apparent difficulty in holding that two baptisms were active in the Ephesian church despite Paul’s statement that there was “one baptism” is resolved by noting that in Paul’s list of seven one’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit has already been addressed before Paul mentions water baptism. Too often, Paul’s list of seven one’s is viewed as a simple enumeration of seven vital points of unity. However, there is structure to Paul’s list as it divides the seven one’s into smaller groupings and in that structure there exists argumentation that must be considered.

The first two items in Paul’s list – one body and one Spirit – are separated from the final four items by this phrase: “. . . just as you were called to the one hope of your call . . .” The one body and one Spirit present in Ephesus are compared – “just as” – to the one hope that belonged to the call received in Ephesus. Two questions must be considered at this point: 1) What is the one hope to which Paul refers? 2) What is the relationship between the one hope and the one body and one Spirit?

The hope is easily identified in the writings of Paul. Paul makes this statement in Colossians 1:27: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” To Paul the hope of glory was Christ’s residing in the Gentiles through the preaching of the mystery which had been committed to Paul. Careful note should be made that the same discussion is found in Ephesians 3. In Ephesians 3, Paul identifies the mystery as the unification of Jew and Gentile in the gospel (v. 6); he proclaims his mission to preach the fellowship of that unity among all humanity (vs. 8-9); he states the result of his accomplishing that mission as the Gentiles receiving the full blessings of fellowship in God which included having Christ to dwell by faith in the Gentiles’ hearts (v. 17) – the same blessing Paul calls the “hope of glory” in Colossians 1:27.

So the Gentiles’ partaking in the fellowship of Christ to the same degree as the Jews is Paul’s one hope which now all of humanity could see and receive. However, where was that one hope of their calling expressed? In Ephesians 3:6, Paul describes the expression of the hope of the mystery of the gospel: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” The one hope of their call is found in the “same body” or the “one body.” Through the preaching of the mystery of the gospel among all nations, God had opened the way for all of humanity to be united in the “one body” of Jesus. It is no wonder then that Paul exhorts the Ephesians to maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3) by reminding them of the one body into which the gospel had placed them.

What then served as the evidence that they were indeed in one body and not separate bodies? It is the next item in Paul’s list: the one Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s presence among them provided the evidence that all (both Jews and Gentiles) partook of the same spiritual blessings. We have already noted what work of the Holy Spirit allowed that argument to be made. Return to 1 Corinthians 12:13 and see again that argument: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” The connection is the same: one body and one Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit which all of the Corinthians had received and had caused all of them to “drink of one Spirit” is then the same function provided by the “one Spirit” in the lives of the Ephesians. Further, in both contexts, the function of the Spirit is to provide His gifts to man (cp. 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4:7-16). As stated earlier in the discussion of 1 Corinthians 12, the presence of prophetically gifted apostles, prophets, and teachers (cp. 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 and Ephesians 4:11-12) among both the Jews and Gentiles proved that all men were equal partners in the hope of the gospel and in the one body of Jesus.

So then in stating that there is “one body and one Spirit” Paul had already discussed the baptism of the Holy Spirit in his list of seven one’s. While additional comment is needed on this matter and will be given in this work’s essay including Ephesians and Colossians, these remarks should provide a starting point to understand the relationship of the one Spirit and one baptism in Ephesians 4.

Conclusion

 Despite the length of the argumentation presented on this topic, what we have seen is actually quite simple. The doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a simple fulfillment of the promise of the Father’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit from Joel 2. God stated He would pour out His Spirit upon “all flesh” in His church. The New Testament word to describe the reception of that blessing is “baptism.” When one was “baptized with the Holy Spirit” he received the prophecy, dreams, and visions included in God’s promise of Joel 2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit makes no inherent statement that one is saved, that one is an apostle or any other unique statement. It is the simple complementary imagery to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon man. God outpours, man is baptized, and then prophesies. It is no more complicated than that.

[1] In the ESV, the word “spirit” appears in 64 verses (a total of 66 times) in Acts. About eight of these references are to “spirits” that are not the Holy Spirit. As the aim of our study is focused on the Holy Spirit’s work with man those verses will not be discussed in this essay. Those verses are: 7:59; 16:16; 16:18; 18:25; 19:15; 19:16; 23:8; 23:9. However it should be noted that six of these verses (16:16, 16:18; 19:15; 19:16; 23:8; 23:9) refer either to the work of an “evil spirit” or to a spirit that may have spoken to Paul. These verses fall outside of our field of study, but if they were included would add to understanding the Bible’s discussion of how “spirits” interact with man.

[2] Depending on the chronological system to which one adheres it is possible to view the book of Acts as having been penned before at least a couple of the gospel accounts. Yet, it is true that the events of the gospel accounts transpired before the events of Acts. It is also true that part of the apostolic mission was to bear witness to the person and teachings of the Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:4-8). In terms of the revelation of the doctrinal truths of the gospel, Acts should be viewed as coming after the gospel accounts.

[3] Essay #6: “The Extent of Prophecy in the Church” addresses this issue in detail. The only significant change in the Spirit’s work post-Pentecost is expressed in the “all flesh” statement of Joel 2:28-32. Before Acts 2, only a few people in God’s kingdom were prophetically empowered. After Acts 2, “all flesh” in his kingdom were prophetically empowered. There exists no greater hindrance to our understanding of the Spirit’s work in the New Testament than the simple fact we refuse to accept the idea that Joel’s prophecy was actually fulfilled among “all flesh.” For many, the idea that all of the early Christians had access to the prophetic powers of the Spirit is simply a non-starter. Their refusal to consider the idea that “all flesh” in the church was prophetically empowered causes them to assume that any statement of the Spirit’s universal work among Christians is, of necessity, a non-prophetic function. However, the testimony of the prophets and of the New Testament is that the prophetic gifts were promised and distributed without restraint. The argument of Essay #6 is critical to appreciating the promises contained in Peter’s sermon and specifically the nature of the gift of the Holy Spirit of which Peter spoke. If you have not examined Essay #6, please consider its argument before moving forward in this study.

[4] For a discussion of the promise of the Father and the promise of the Holy Spirit, please see Essay #4: “Joel 2:28-32: The Promise of the Holy Spirit.”

[5] For a discussion of the promise of the Father and the promise of the Holy Spirit, please see Essay #4: “Joel 2:28-32: The Promise of the Holy Spirit.”

[6] See Essay #5: “The Spirit Gives Prophecy, Dreams, and Visions” for a more thorough discussion of the link between Acts 1-2 and Joel 2.

[7] The baptism of the Holy Spirit is directly mentioned in the following texts: Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13.

[8] Jesus does address the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12; Mark 3). He promises that God would give the Holy Spirit in the kingdom (Luke 11:13). Also he promises that those who believed in Him would receive the Spirit (John 7:38-39). Finally Mark 16:17 promises that confirmatory signs would follow them which believed. Each of these texts is discussed in Essay #3 and each points to the prophetic work of the Spirit. As such, they do not change the argument made in this section. However, the primary private discourse of Jesus to His disciples on this subject is John 14-16. And so, it is only that text which is considered here as the answer to when the disciple “heard Him” on these matters.

[9] Some hold that the baptism of fire accompanied the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost of Acts 2. Often the tongues like fire that appeared are connected to the baptism of fire. In these essays, it is argued that the baptism of fire is a statement of judgment to come. Specifically, it is argued in Essay #11: “God’s Mystery: Finished by Judgment” that the baptism of fire points to the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70. It should be noted here that as Jesus quotes John the Baptist’s promise, He only promises the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1. Jesus’ quotation of the promise contained in Matthew 3 stops before mentioning the baptism of fire. That is a strong indication that He did not intend to suggest that Acts 2 would fulfill the baptism of fire. However, when Peter quotes Joel’s prophecy in Acts 2:16ff, he does include the promised judgment of the coming day of the Lord. It is the view of this work that the baptism of fire in Matthew 3 should be connected to the day of the Lord of Joel’s prophecy.

[10] See Essay #5: “The Holy Spirit Gives Prophecy, Dreams, and Visions” for a discussion of verses with this language in them.

[11] Please refer to Essay 20: “Related Word Pictures About the Holy Spirit.”

[12] Please See Appendix A: “The Measures of the Holy Spirit” for a discussion of this belief.

[13] The ESV and NIV use the word “people” to describe the speaking in 2:15. However, the Greek text uses the masculine pronoun in that place. The KJV renders 2:13 as “These men” and 2:15 as simply “these.” The RSV has “These men” in 2:15. While the NASB95 has “These men” in 2:15. Given that the ESV is part of the RSV’s translational tree, its shift from “men” to “people” seems to be an acquiescence to the desire of its editors/translators to be more gender neutral in language. The NIV is also an active participant in that translational method. The translations made before such concerns entered into the English Bible render the masculine pronoun with the word “men” or simply as “these.” Further, as the people Peter was standing with were the other eleven apostles (2:14) and we know the gender of all of the apostles was male, we can safely conclude that the more inclusive rendering of “people” is, at best, imprecise.

[14] Please see Essay #6: “The Extent of Prophecy and Miracles in the Church” and Essay #8: “The End of Prophecy and Miracles” for that discussion.

[15] While the idea that the promise from John of the baptism of the Spirit can be fulfilled by baptizing only a representative portion of the “you” hearing his preaching is an allowable interpretation of the words, it is by no means the only understanding, nor is it even the natural or preferred one. That understanding of the “you” in John’s promise is crafted because of the position many take about Spirit baptism in Acts 1-2. And that position is taken largely because of the rejection of the idea that all early Christians were granted access to the prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet, all of the revelation the Jews had prior to the ministry of John promised that all flesh of their whole nation would be able to partake in the Spirit’s ministry. There is simply nothing in John’s language which attempts to overturn that understanding. Taken at face value John’s preaching promises the whole of Israel that they would either reap the benefit of baptism with the Spirit from the Messiah or suffer the punishment of fire by the same Messiah. If John’s intent was to inform his hearers that only 12 of them would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, his words are obscure at best.

[16] An example of this is seen in 1 Samuel 19:23. Please see Essay #1: “The Holy Spirit in Israel’s History” for a discussion of this verse.

[17] Acts 18:8 establishes the manner of salvation in Corinth: “And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul, believed and were baptized.” That is the same method as Acts 2:37-40 and for Paul himself (Acts 22:16). Salvation came to Corinth when believers responded to what they heard by being baptized in water.

[18] The universal distribution of prophetic powers among the early saints has been argued throughout these essays. For a specific discussion of that distribution among the Corinthians refer to Essay #15: “The Work of the Holy Spirit in Corinth (1 and 2 Corinthians).”

[19] For a full discussion of this idea, please refer to Essay #7: “The Purpose of Prophecy and Miracles in the Church.”

[20] It should be noted that many use this same argument to deny a link between Spirit baptism and the prophetic gifts of the Holy Spirit. That view has not been discussed in this essay as it has already been excluded in the sum of the essays which precede this one. Clearly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is connected to Joel 2 (See Essay #5: “The Holy Spirit Gives Prophecy, Dreams, and Visions” for a discussion of that connection). If that is true then the baptism of the Holy Spirit is about the giving of the prophecy, dreams, and visions of Joel’s prophecy. This is supported by Jesus’ promise of the tongue-speaking among the apostles in Acts 1-2 and the same action in the house of Cornelius in Acts 10-11. Further, the context of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is solely focused on the use of those same powers in Corinth. To find some non-prophetic meaning for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in this text is just as strained as finding water baptism in the same verse. This verse is about Spirit baptism, not water, and it affirms that all the saints in Corinth had received it. A simple reading of the verse will not easily lead to another conclusion.

[21] Please see Essay #6: “The Extent of Prophecy in the Church” for a full discussion of this topic.

[22] This position also then points to references to water baptism in epistles believed to be penned after Ephesians. For example Peter clearly connects salvation through water and baptism in 1 Peter 3:20-21. As 1 Peter is most often dated after Ephesians, it follows then that the “one baptism” of Ephesians 4:4 must be water baptism.

[23] Refer to Essay #17: “The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Prison Epistles” for comments on the Holy Spirit in Ephesians.