The purpose of this article is to examine three separate and distinct references to baptism. During the life and ministry of Jesus the only baptism which was in effect at the time, namely, the baptism of John for repentance. The passages in the scriptures do not spell out the meaning of the words spoken by John or Jesus concerning either 1) baptism for repentance, 2) baptism by fire and 3) baptism with and in the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, the meaning is made evident in the entirety of the life and message of Jesus and his relationship with the disciples. John’s words concerning baptism (#1) were about the stark contrast between John’s baptism and the diverse baptisms of which Jesus would experience Himself and command for those who would follow Him. The words spoken by Jesus have to do with a baptism (#2 & #3) of His own baptism and with which He prophesied that the disciples would also be baptized. The needless and equally weak additional qualifier of the term water often heard from preachers concerning baptism is not so much to distinguish between it and baptism in/by/ or with the Holy Spirit as much as it is to minimize and trivialize any significance of baptism for salvation of the repentant believer as in Acts 2. Baptism is relegated to something yawningly nice to do, but unnecessary so-called obedience.
It was the apostle Paul who enlightened us concerning the difference between these references to baptism. The convergence of the apostle Paul’s own faith conversion experience in Damascus, (Acts 9) and the doctrine in his writings in the matter of the group of disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19) reveals that in Paul’s form of teaching receiving the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit are related and are inseparable. It was not, as is commonly heard today, about a cerebrally-free-of-an-inconvenience-of-something-like-baptism such as getting saved, receiving Jesus, or a sinner’s prayer.
The scriptures refer to a baptism with respect to John as one being “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4) Additionally, the scriptures make three different references to baptism with respect to Jesus. These references were of their respective ministries during the lifetimes of John the baptist and Jesus. It is unfortunate that Paul’s reference to baptism in Ephesians 4 is often used by some as a simplistic silence-all cudgel and by others as a sleight of hand under the guise of what is “scriptural” or biblical, but void of understanding. My understanding concerning Paul’s repeated use of the term one in the opening verses of Ephesians 4 is that it resonates with the same one-ness in the Shema of Deuteronomy 6. It is in harmony with what characterizes the LORD God and the man whom He made in His image, namely, purpose, fulfillment, and affirmation. The testimony of Paul is that the act of baptism is the believer’s affirmation that he or she has fulfilled, namely, as they purposed to obey Jesus as LORD and Savior over them. Hence, “one lord, one faith, one baptism,” or purpose, fulfillment, and affirmation.
Briefly, I would like to cover the baptism of John as the first of these three references to baptism. Do not make the mistake or jump to a false and erroneous conclusion that these three references to baptism represent different requirements of obedience or additional blessings from Jesus as Lord and Savior.
the baptism of John
Paul encountered some disciples (Acts 19) when he arrived in Ephesus. They knew only the baptism of John. Paul asked them what they had been baptized into. They replied that they had been baptized into John’s baptism which was for repentance. Paul then proceeded to enlighten them that the baptism of John was for repentance. “The people” to whom Paul alludes were the Jews to whom the baptism of John was limited. Any forgiveness of sins by those repentant Jews who submitted to John’s baptism was to be in compliance with the law involving sacrifices and in accordance with the established law of Moses. The baptism of John was not a displacement or substitute for obedience to the law of Moses. (Even the healings by Jesus were not to be taken as license for the Jews to waive aside their obedience to the law.) The focus of John’s ministry was two-fold: to draw the children of Israel back to God and to point them towards Messiah, Jesus, the Lamb of God John declared for the hearing of his disciples, “takes away the sins of the world.” John’s baptism was to prepare those the repentant of heart and to point towards Jesus as the Lamb of God for the forgiveness of their sins. The baptism by John of those who came to him is the first reference to baptism as enumerated above.
Note: The promise from Jesus concerning the Holy Spirit came long after the baptism of John. The baptism commanded by Jesus in the great commission, unlike the baptism of John, was for the forgiveness of sins. It was not limited to the Jews. It was for all who called upon the name of the Lord. The fulfillment and modeling of this began in the book of Acts in the second chapter. The three references to baptism in this article do not include that of the great commission for the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is, arguably, the baptism which is more often understood from the scriptures as being for the forgiveness of sins.
baptism by fire
One could argue that regardless of whether the baptism in question was for repentance or forgiveness or of, in, by or with the Holy Spirit it was all relatively safe, both for the one performing the baptism, as well as the one being baptized. There were no threats. Nobody was hurt because of an act involving repentance and another involving forgiveness. However, it was not long before the disciples began to experience the progressive increase in the hostility towards them. It began with threats, (Acts 4:21) then came the beatings, (Acts 5:40) and eventually there was the death of our brother Stephen. (Acts 8:2) These threats and beatings began not long after the apostles had been baptized for the forgiveness of sins (again, this is not one of the three references to baptism in this article) as well as with the Holy Spirit and until they had, as Jesus said, “receive power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) It was not long afterwards that James, one of the apostles themselves, was put to death. (Acts 12:2) This increased hostility and persecution of the disciples was their immersion, their baptism, their cup which they had unwittingly asked for and which Jesus told them (Matthew 20:22) they would surely drink of the same suffering, persecution and death because of the name of Jesus. This is the second reference to baptism as enumerated above.
This baptism with fire is what tries the heart and soul of the believer, the disciple of Jesus. It was not limited to the apostles only. It was the same baptism as Jesus said he had to undergo. (Luke 12:49-56) It is hardly a baptism to be desired, but it will come, both on the church body, as well as the individual believer. It was not and is not a punishment inflicted on the believer by the Holy Spirit. It is something which ought NOT to be a surprise for anyone who takes up their cross to follow Jesus. It may sound easy and in fact may be taken as some sort of euphemism by some believers, but to “take up your cross” is a call to brace yourself for the suffering that will certainly come in various ways so as to test the faith of the disciple. This is what seemed foolishly easy enough for the disciples when they replied to Jesus, “We are able.” to his question as to whether they were able to drink the cup that he was about to drink. The baptism with which Jesus was to be baptized might have seemed to the disciples about as safe and carefree as when they had submitted to the baptism of John (# 1 above) for repentance. If in fact that is how it seemed to them they soon learned and experienced something vastly different.
Baptism of, by, with, and in the Holy Spirit
However, it was hardly neither as safe as that baptism by fire nor was it as powerfully dynamic and significant as the baptism with the Holy Spirit (# 3 above). I am aware of the quick assumption to equate this reference to baptism with the Holy Spirit with either 1) the Holy Spirit falling on the apostles as on the day of Pentecost, or 2) the Holy Spirit as received by every believer from the day of Pentecost onward. However, to equate those references to baptism on the day of Pentecost with the Holy Spirit through these words spoken by John the Baptist about Jesus, “the one whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire,” is mistaken. It does not contribute towards our understanding of these various references to baptism and it hinders the edification of the saints.
The expression “the Holy Spirit falling on the apostles as on the day of Pentecost” merits explanation. There are only three instances in which the phrase “falling” or “fell upon” appear in the scriptures with respect to the Holy Spirit. They are found in the book of Acts, 8:16 concerning Philip’s preaching to the Samaritans, “He (the Holy Spirit) had not yet fallen upon any of them.” The second instance is in Acts 10:44 in Luke’s initial narrative on the conversion of Cornelius, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message” delivered by Peter. The third instance is in Acts 11:15 when Peter recounts the conversion of Cornelius to the elders and leaders of the church, “the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us in the beginning.” The latter part of the last expression, “just as He did upon us in the beginning” merits further explanation because it serves to highlight more fully the similarities and differences between these instances of the Holy Spirit falling upon believers.
The fourth instance in which the Holy Spirit fell upon believers is actually the first instance. It involved the apostles in Acts chapter two. It is the only instance in which the expression “fell upon” does not appear. What Luke wrote was that “there came from heaven a noise” and “there appeared to them tongues as of fire.”
What are the similarities and differences between these four instances? It is that the instances involving the apostles and Cornelius in Acts 2 and Acts 10 & 11 did not involve laying on of human hands or any human intervention. The first instance was unique in that it was the outpouring of the Spirit on the apostles who were to preach the gospel beginning with the Jews. The second instance involved the falling upon of the Spirit on the Gentiles. The instance in Acts 8 involved the laying of the hands of the apostles to demonstrate for the Jews that the Samaritans had believed the good news about the kingdom and, like Cornelius and his household, were imparted various gifts of the Spirit. This is my inference concerning those gifts because Luke does not tell us, but let every reader discern and determine for themselves whether this is so.
Furthermore, there is a much touted notion about Cornelius receiving the Holy Spirit before he was saved. This erroneous misunderstanding is rooted in the failure to distinguish between the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself and the gifts, such as tongues, healings, etc. the being what Cornelius received and which is not synonymous with forgiveness of sins or salvation. Additionally, in Peter’s recounting of the instance to the church in Jerusalem he quotes Cornelius as telling Peter that Cornelius was told to send for Peter “Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' (Acts 11:13, 14) The salvation for Cornelius and his household was in the words which Peter was to speak to them.
The different readings in the gospel accounts that Jesus would baptize “in the Holy Spirit” and “with the Holy Spirit '' are neither problematic nor do they constitute a contradiction. The fact that John may or may not have known about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel or that it is an event which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost is a moot point. The reason why John’s words about the baptism with the Holy Spirit are more powerfully dynamic and significant than the baptism by fire is because the former is what results when the believer decides to act on his or her faith and trust in Jesus as the risen LORD and Savior. The latter, baptism by fire, may or may not be experienced by the believer particularly if he or she dies shortly after committing their lives to Jesus. Hence, they never know of the lifelong on and off experience of baptism by fire. Just when the believer might think the experience of trial by fire has passed, here it comes again.
What does contribute towards our understanding of this immersion with the Holy Spirit is found, of course, in the words of Jesus to His disciples. At the same time as Jesus prophesied to the disciples the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit He informed them that, He, that is the Holy Spirit, 1) is WITH you, and 2) will be IN you (John 14:17). The present and future tense mode of these words spoken by Jesus are not to be dismissed. They are significant and vital for our understanding. Therefore, it is fitting and appropriate within the topic of this article to speak and make application of baptism with/in the Holy Spirit with respect to Jesus. More specifically, the reference "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," is not to be mistaken with the baptism by fire of suffering and persecution in which Jesus was immersed in every step He took towards the cross. It definitely produced in Him an anticipation which was the cause of distress for Him (Luke 12:50). Indeed, this baptism was one which He made aware for all who would follow Him (Mark 10:38, 39) that they, too, would receive that baptism of suffering and ultimate death for His name.
This is what this distinction teaches me about my path and every believer’s path to Jesus as Lord and Savior. It teaches me that believers who find themselves in the assembly and among the saints in Christ in the days before they themselves come to commit their lives to Jesus have the Holy Spirit WITH them continually drawing to Jesus. It is when they decide (purpose) to act (fulfillment) on what they have believed that the Holy Spirit comes to be IN (affirmation) them. This was the same experience which did not escape the disciples. Although they had been with Jesus for three years they had yet to stand their ground with conviction as did Peter “taking his stand with the eleven” on the day of Pentecost.
This should be no surprise given the small, but significant detail given by Jesus to the disciples. The Holy Spirit, once He came in the very near future of the disciples, would not speak of His own initiative. He would take from Jesus and speak (very much like how Jesus spoke only what the Father gave Him to speak) as Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to speak. This is the third reference to baptism as enumerated above.
Conclusion
There are three different references to baptism in the gospel accounts. Of course, these occur during the life and ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus. These three references in this article do not include the reference to baptism for the forgiveness of sins as Jesus commanded His disciple to preach and to baptize as they went into the world. Do not jump to conclusions and mistaken assumptions. This is not to dismiss or in any way put aside the commandment of baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Simply, it is that the scope of this article is concerning these three references, 1) baptism for repentance, 2) baptism by fire and 3) baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Summarily these are 1) John's baptism for the repentant children of Israel with the expectation of their compliance for forgiveness of sins in accordance with the law of Moses, 2) the baptism by fire, that is suffering, which all who follow Jesus will experience, and 3) the baptism by which the believer who experiences the Holy Spirit being WITH him or her such as when they find that they prefer to be in the company of Christians and to associate with believers. However, it is not until they commit their lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell IN them.
