Baptism with the Holy Spirit

In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doctrines of salvation and ecclesiology. It is frequently associated with incorporation into the Christian Church, the bestowal of spiritual gifts, and empowerment for Christian ministry. Spirit baptism has been variously defined as part of the sacraments of initiation into the church, as being synonymous with regeneration, or as being synonymous with Christian perfection. The term baptism with the Holy Spirit originates in the New Testament, and all Christian traditions accept it as a theological concept.

Prior to the 18th century, most denominations believed that Christians received the baptism with the Holy Spirit either upon conversion and regeneration or through rites of Christian initiation, such as water baptism and confirmation.

Methodism and the holiness movement, which began in the mid-18th century, teach that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the same as entire sanctification, which is believed to be a second work of grace.

Biblical description

Old Covenant background

In Christian theology, the work of the Holy Spirit under the Old Covenant is viewed as less extensive than that under the New Covenant inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit was restricted to certain chosen individuals, such as high priests and prophets. Often termed the "spirit of prophecy" in rabbinic writings, the Holy Spirit was closely associated with prophecy and divine inspiration. It was anticipated that in the future messianic age God would pour out his spirit upon all of Israel, which would become a nation of prophets.

Canonical gospels

While the exact phrase "baptism with the Holy Spirit" is not found in the New Testament, two forms of the phrase are found in the canonical gospels using the verb "baptize", from the Greek word meaning to "immerse" or "plunge". The baptism was spoken about by John the Baptist, who contrasted his water baptism for the forgiveness of sins with the baptism of Jesus. In Mark 1:8 and John 1:33, the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus "will baptize in (the) Holy Spirit"; while in Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16, he "will baptize with Holy Spirit and fire".

Jesus is considered the first person to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus during his baptism (Luke 3:21–22). After his baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness and is tempted; however, he "returned in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14). Afterward, Jesus began his ministry and displayed his power by casting out demons, healing the sick, and teaching with authority (Luke 4:16–44).

Acts of the Apostles

thumb|right|[[El Greco's depiction of Pentecost, with tongues of fire and a dove representing the Holy Spirit's descent ()]]

The phrase "baptized in the Holy Spirit" occurs two times in Acts of the Apostles, first in Acts 1:5 and second in Acts 11:16. Other terminology is used in Acts to indicate Spirit baptism, such as "filled" (Acts 2:4). "Baptized in the Spirit" indicates an outward immersion into the reality of the Holy Spirit, while "filled with the Spirit" suggests an internal diffusion. Both terms speak to the totality of receiving the Spirit.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is described in various places as the Spirit "poured out upon" (Acts 2:17–18, 33), "falling upon" (Acts 10:44), "coming upon" (Acts 1:8; 8:16; 19:6) people. To "pour out" suggests abundance and reflects John 3:34, "God gives the Spirit without limit". Another expression, "come upon" is related to a statement by Jesus in Luke 24:49, "I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high". The language of "come on" and "clothed with" suggest possession by and endowment with the Holy Spirit. According to Pentecostal historian H. Vinson Synan, "the basic premise of Pentecostalism, that one may receive later effusions of the Spirit after initiation/conversion, can be clearly traced in Christian history to the beginnings of the rite of confirmation in the Western churches".

Reformation era and Puritanism (16th and 17th centuries)

Huldrych Zwingli, a leading Protestant Reformer in Switzerland, taught three distinct baptisms: water baptism, teaching baptism (having been educated about the Christian religion) and Spirit baptism. While full baptism included all three, Zwingli emphasized that the external baptisms of water and teaching could not provide salvation. The inner baptism of the Spirit alone could save because it conferred faith. According to Zwingli, the three baptisms could be given separately; Spirit baptism could occur first or last in the sequence.

Many Puritans believed that the conversion experience was followed by a later and distinct experience of the Holy Spirit. This experience was characterized by receiving assurance of one's salvation. English Puritan Thomas Goodwin equated this experience with the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the "seal of the Spirit" referenced in Ephesians 1.

Methodism and the Holiness Movement (18th and 19th centuries)

thumb|upright=1.3|Methodist preachers are known for promulgating the doctrines of the [[Born again#Methodism|new birth and entire sanctification to the public at events such as tent revivals and camp meetings, which they believe is the reason that God raised them up into existence.]]

Wesley taught that while the new birth (first work of grace) was the start of the Christian life, but "inbred sin" remained and must be removed through Christian perfection, which he stated had instantaneous and gradual aspects. John Fletcher, Wesley's designated successor and Methodism's systematic theologian, called Christian perfection (entire sanctification) "baptism in the Holy Spirit". This second blessing (or second work of grace), as it was commonly called, allowed Christians to be freed from the power of sin. Following the Methodist theologian John Fletcher, adherents of the holiness movement use the term baptism in the Holy Spirit synonymously with entire sanctification. This is reflected in the doctrinal statements of various Wesleyan denominations, such as the Missionary Methodist Church, which teaches: "We believe that a believer can be sanctified or filled with the Holy Ghost subsequent to Salvation and will receive Power to live a Holy Life and Witness to a lost and dying World."

Synan traces the influence of Catholic and Anglican mystical traditions on John Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection or entire sanctification. Furthermore, theologian James Dunn notes early Methodist beliefs can be directly linked to Puritan teaching on the Holy Spirit.

Keswick higher life movement (19th century)

After his conversion in 1821, Presbyterian minister and revivalist Charles Grandison Finney experienced what he called "baptism in the Holy Spirit" accompanied by "unutterable gushings" of praise. Finney and other Reformed writers, known as Oberlin perfectionists, agreed that there was a life altering experience after conversion, but unlike their Wesleyan holiness counterparts, they conceived of it as an ongoing process enabling believers to devote themselves wholly to Christ's service. Similarly, the English Higher Life movement taught that the second blessing was an "enduement of power". According to this view, Spirit baptism gave Christians the ability to be witnesses for the gospel and to perform Christian service. Wesleyan teachers emphasized purity while Oberlin and higher life advocates stressed power as the defining outcome of Spirit baptism.

20th century

In the early 1890s, R.C. Horner, a Canadian holiness evangelist, introduced a theological distinction that would be important for the development of Pentecostalism. He argued in his books Pentecost (1891) and Bible Doctrines (1909) that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was not synonymous with the second blessing but was actually a third work of grace subsequent to salvation and sanctification that empowered the believer for service. Charles Fox Parham would build on this doctrinal foundation when he identified speaking in tongues as the Bible evidence of Spirit baptism. John Wesley's Checks to Antinomianism became a standard for Holiness Pentecostal teachers.

Views

right|thumb|[[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox depiction of Pentecost, ]]

The diverse views on Spirit-baptism held among Christian traditions can be categorized into four main groups. These are baptism with the Spirit as sacramental initiation (Orthodox and Catholic churches), regeneration (Reformed tradition), entire sanctification (Methodist tradition, along with others in the holiness movement) and empowerment for witness and vocation (Pentecostals and charismatics).

Sacramental initiation

Eastern Orthodoxy

Eastern Orthodox Churches believe that baptism in the Holy Spirit is conferred with water baptism. The individual is anointed with oil (chrism) immediately after baptism. According to Cyril of Jerusalem:

Catholicism

The Catholic Church teaches that baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist—the sacraments of Christian initiation—lay the foundations of the Christian life. The Christian life is based on baptism. It is "the gateway to life in the Spirit" and "signifies and actually brings about the birth of water and the Spirit". The post-baptismal anointing (Chrismation in the Eastern churches) signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit and announces a second anointing to be conferred later in confirmation that completes the baptismal anointing.

Confirmation, then, is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. When confirmed, Catholics receive the "special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost". For the confirmand it increases the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord), unites more fully to Christ and the Church, and gives strength to confess Christ and defend the faith. The rite of confirmation orients toward mission, and many liturgical texts remind the initiate that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be used for service to the church and the world.

Those in the charismatic movement, including the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, teach an experiential baptism of the Holy Spirit similar to Pentecostals, defining it as the "sovereign action of God, which usually occurs when someone with a disposition of surrender and docility, prays for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his or her life." Rev. Brenton Cordeiro teaches that those who have received Baptism with the Holy Spirit "testify that the experience brought them to a new awareness of the reality and presence of Jesus Christ in their lives [as well as] a new hunger for the Word of God, the Sacraments and were filled with a renewed desire for holiness."

Regeneration

The main position on Spirit baptism among the Reformed churches, dispensationalists, and many Baptists is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs simultaneously with regeneration, when those who have faith in Jesus Christ receive the Holy Spirit and are incorporated into the body of Christ.

Entire sanctification

Methodism (inclusive of the holiness movement)

thumb|upright=1.5|Methodists often seek the [[Born_again#Methodism|new birth and entire sanctification at the mourners' bench or chancel rails during services held in local churches, tent revivals and camp meetings (pictured are people praying at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Pasadena).]]

Within Methodism (inclusive of the holiness movement), baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs through entire sanctifiation. John Fletcher, the systematic theologian of Methodism, articulated this Wesleyan doctrine, The United Methodist Confession of Faith affirms Wesley's doctrine of entire sanctifiation (also known as Christian perfection):

In the holiness movement within mainline Methodism and outside of it, entire sanctification is emphasized as a definite experience linked to baptism with the Holy Spirit:

According to the Articles of Faith of the Church of the Nazarene, sanctification is a work of God after regeneration "which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ" and is made possible by "initial sanctification" (which occurs simultaneously with regeneration and justification), entire sanctification, and "the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification".

As baptism with the Holy Spirit is synonymous with Entire Sanctification in Methodism, some Methodist connexions who have not allowed for the charismatic movement, such as the Immanuel Missionary Church, condemn Pentecostal theology:

In certain Methodist denominations, such as the Global Methodist Church and United Methodist Church, the ordinance of confirmation is observed, in which a believer is strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands; Methodism's systematic theologian John William Fletcher saw being entirely sanctified as the goal of the vows made at confirmation. John Wesley laid emphasis upon the second work of grace—entire sanctification—as "a personal, non-ceremonial experience of sanctifying grace", which distinguishes Methodism.

Quakerism (inclusive of the holiness movement)

Following the new birth, George Fox taught the possibility of "holiness of heart and life through the instantaneous baptism with the Holy Spirit subsequent to the new birth" (cf. Christian perfection).

The early Quakers, following Fox, taught that as a result of the New Birth through the power of the Holy Spirit, man could be free from actual sinning if he continued to rely on the inward light and "focus on the cross of Christ as the center of faith". George Fox emphasized "personal responsibility for faith and emancipation from sin" in his teaching on perfection.

This traditional Quaker teaching continues to be emphasized by Conservative Friends, such as the Ohio Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and Holiness Friends, such as the Central Yearly Meeting of Friends.

Empowerment

Classical Pentecostalism

In classical Pentecostalism, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is understood to be a separate and distinct experience occurring sometime after regeneration. Influenced by the Holiness movement, baptism with the Holy Spirit was regarded by the first Pentecostals as being the third work of grace, following the new birth (first work of grace) and entire sanctification (second work of grace). Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an empowering experience, equipping Spirit-filled believers for witness and ministry. Extending from this is the belief that all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament are to be sought and exercised to build up the church. Pentecostals believe that Spirit baptism will be accompanied by the physical evidence of speaking in tongues (glossolalia).

According to Pentecostal biblical interpretation, the Gospel of John 20:22 shows that the disciples of Jesus were already born again before the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost. They then cite biblical examples in the Book of Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19 to show that it was common in the New Testament for Spirit baptism to occur after conversion. In following the biblical pattern, they argue, Christians today should also pray for this baptism which results in greater power for ministry and witness.

On the subject of Spirit baptism, Donald Gee wrote of the Christians on the Day of Pentecost:

In Pentecostal experience, Spirit baptism can be quite dramatic, as shown by William Durham's account of his Spirit baptism:

thumb|right|upright=1.3|The Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street, now considered to be the birthplace of [[Pentecostalism]]

In some accounts of Spirit baptism, Pentecostals report receiving visions, such as the account of Lucy Leatherman, an Azusa Street participant:

Charismatic movement

The charismatic movement is an interdenominational revival that has affected the mainstream denominations of Christianity, including Lutheranism, Catholicism, Moravianism, Anglicanism, Methodism, and Reformed Christianity, among others. They are distinguished from Pentecostals because they tend to allow for differing viewpoints on whether Spirit baptism is subsequent to conversion and whether tongues is always a sign of receiving the baptism.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal believes that there is a further experience of empowerment with the Holy Spirit. The Rev. Brenton Cordeiro states that Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the "sovereign action of God, which usually occurs when someone with a disposition of surrender and docility, prays for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his or her life." As stated by Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, "baptism in the Spirit is not a sacrament, but it is related to a sacrament[...] to the sacraments of Christian initiation. The baptism in the Spirit makes real and in a way renews Christian initiation". The consensus of Catholic theologians teach that "baptism in the Holy Spirit unleashes the Holy Spirit that is already present within us, by revitalizing the graces we received in the sacrament of Baptism."