I. The Holy Spirit never has been and never will be the administrator of baptism.
A. True, the King James Version reads "by one Spirit" (I Cor 12:13), as if the Holy
Spirit was the baptizer. However, the American Standard Version properly translates
the Greek preposition "in" rather than "by." Quoting the full text, it says, "For in
one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit."
1. That this passage refers to "water baptism" cannot be successfully denied. Dr. A.T.
Robertson, whose Greek scholarship is beyond question, shows in his "Word Pictures in
the New Testament," the reading of the A.S.V. as quoted above is the correct rendering
of the original language.
2. Note again, "in" one thing and "baptized into" something else.
a. Now if this interpretation is correct, we should be able to substantiate it in the
mouth of at least one other witness. Note the following order testified to as
constituting the truth:
1) "Believers were added to the Lord" (Acts 5:14).
2) "He that is joined (same as "added") unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Cor 6:17).
3) "In one spirit" (state produced by being "added" or "joined" unto the Lord) were
all baptized into one body" (I Cor 12:13).
b. Now to this order of truth (Acts 2:41; 47) agrees. Hear this text: "Then they that
gladly received his word were baptized: and there were added (by that baptism) in that
day about three thousand souls" (vs 41). Then in verse 47, "And the Lord added to them
day by day those that were saved" (ASV). Of course the KJV says these were "added to
the church."
3. Anyone should be able to see the difference between "believers" being "added to the
Lord" by hearing and believing the gospel and in their subsequently being "baptized"
and by that activity being "added to them," that is "the church."
a. Christ cannot be correctly referred to as "them." But since His body, the church is
"not one member but many" (I Cor 12:14, it is easily understood the "them" refers to
the "many" who constitute His church.
b. Again Acts 18:8 reveals exactly how this Corinthian Assembly has been formed into a
body. "Many," same word used in I Corinthians 12:14, "of the Corinthians hearing,
believed and were baptized."
B. Remember now these facts:
1. The Holy Spirit never has baptized anyone. The only administrator of "baptism with
the Holy Spirit" was Jesus Christ Himself. The Word of God never says, "the Holy Ghost
will baptize you" but it does say, "the Son of God . . . . is he which baptized with
the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33). (See also Mt 3:11)
2. The only ones who have ever been "baptized with the Holy Spirit" were the twelve
men, called apostles, who were "together in one place" when "the Day of Pentecost was
fully come" (Acts 2:1; 14). This was the means by which they received that special
"power" that enabled them to bear witness of those things which they had both seen and
heard.
3. After that baptism had been fulfilled, as promised, an inspired apostle spake the
words of God that cannot lie, saying "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (Eph 4:3) which "bond" encompasses "one body, and one Spirit . . . . one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all" (Eph 4:4-6).
a. When it became evident those at the "house of Cornelius" had "received the Holy
Spirit," Peter asked, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized?"
(Acts 10:47).
b. Verse 48 continues "and he commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:48).
c. This agrees exactly with the church's commission as given in Matthew 28:19-20. (See
also Acts 8:35-36; 38; 16:30-33)
d. Paul himself, upon receiving the empower of the Spirit, and his apostolic
commission in Acts 22:1-16 was exhorted to "arise, and be baptized."
e. After Pentecost, the only baptism taught, administered or evidenced was "water
baptism."
II. The baptism with the Spirit occurred only one time, in only one place, and Jesus
Christ was the baptizer.
A. The "signs" of that event "followed the apostles," and the "gifts" of the Holy
Spirit were distributed to other men who were believers through the ministry of the
apostles until the completion of the Word at which time both the "signs of an apostle"
and the "gifts" ceased.
1. After the baptism with the Holy Spirit, not one time, for any reason did these
signs fail to follow the apostles.
2. Not one time was anyone told to "seek the baptism of the Spirit" or "tarry for a
second Pentecost."
3. The prayer meeting of Acts 1:14 had no more to do with what happened on Pentecost
than it had to do with what happened on Calvary or at the resurrection. Each of these
epoch events were the fulfillment of prophecy.
4. Therefore Christ did not tell the twelve to "pray that Pentecost might come." He
did say, "Wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). He did say, "tarry in
Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high" (Lk 24:49). He has never said,
"tarry in Rome or Houston or London or anywhere else or to anyone else other than the
twelve and to them, in Jerusalem.
5. He did not say, "the Holy Spirit will baptize you." It is recorded of "the Son of
God . . . . the same is he which baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33; Mt 3:11).
6. Jesus prophesied of the Holy Spirit in John 7:39, "which they that believe on him
should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified." Then He said before His ascension to glory, "Wait for the promise" (Acts
1:4-5).
B. Now what as the purpose of such a baptizing? "Ye shall receive power . . . . and ye
shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts 1:8). These were "witnesses chosen before of God"
(Acts 10:41) and were called "apostles" (Acts 1:2).
C. "When the day of Pentecost was fully come . . . . they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:1; 4).
1. Note the words "Pentecost was fully come." That is, the morrow after the seventh
Sabbath which was the first day of the week exactly 50-days after the resurrection of
Christ. This could not have happened at any other time and still fulfill the
Scripture. It would have happened if there had been no prayer in the upper room.
2. Yet it was to the apostles' credit that while they waited for the Word of God to be
fulfilled, they did not idly pass away the time but they prayed. It was the fulfilling
of the Word, not an answer to prayer bringing this about. No one ever received the
Holy Spirit in answer to prayer in the Bible.
D. How long was Pentecost observed in the Old Testament? So long as the sheaf of the
first fruits was waved (Lev 23:10) as a type of Christ's resurrection. The day of
Pentecost always follows that day when the first sheaf is waved by exactly 50 days,
which is the meaning of the word, pentecost.
1. How many times did Christ die? "He died unto sin once" (Rm 6:10).
2. How many times was He raised? "Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more"
(Rm 6:9) and He that "liveth . . . . was dead . . . . I am alive forever more" (Rev
1:18).
3. How many times did Pentecost, which could only occur 50 days after Christ's
resurrection occur? It could only happen once and fulfill the type. You might as well
pray for a second Calvary as for a second Pentecost.
III. Peter's identification of the experience at Pentecost.
A. "Peter stood up, and lifted up his voice . . . . ye men of Judea . . . . this is
that spoken of by Joel" (Acts 2:14; 16).
B. Whatever "that" was, "this" is. Then what was it? "It shall come to pass in the
last days . . . . I will pour out of my Spirit" (2:17). Now remember those words, "of
my Spirit."
C. Now regarding the fulfilling of the promise spoken by Joel, note Peter's comment,
"This Jesus hath God raised up, where of we all (the 12) are witnesses" (2:32). It was
50 days from this event that Pentecost occurred.
1. Note the next verse, "therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which
ye now see and hear" (2:33).
2. For one to pray now for God to send the Holy Spirit down is to deny that Christ
received the promise of the faith.
3. The act of praying for a Spirit baptism has no Scriptural basis or promise and
totally disregards the meaning of the words altogether.
D. Acts 19:1-7 is not a baptism with the Holy Spirit but rather the apostolic ministry
exercising "the signs" and bestowing "the gifts."
E. Peter called what happened at Cornelius' house, "the like gift" (Acts 11:15-17). He
then affirmed before the Jewish Council "that God . . . . bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us" (15:8). The words "them" and "us" refer
to the Jews and the Gentiles.
F. All God's children have the Person of the Spirit in them. However we have "the more
excellent way" by which we are guided into all truth, and thus "throughly furnished
unto all good works." We have the "all Scripture," the completed Bible. That is all we
need and all we get but it is enough, yea--more than enough. JM
A. True, the King James Version reads "by one Spirit" (I Cor 12:13), as if the Holy
Spirit was the baptizer. However, the American Standard Version properly translates
the Greek preposition "in" rather than "by." Quoting the full text, it says, "For in
one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit."
1. That this passage refers to "water baptism" cannot be successfully denied. Dr. A.T.
Robertson, whose Greek scholarship is beyond question, shows in his "Word Pictures in
the New Testament," the reading of the A.S.V. as quoted above is the correct rendering
of the original language.
2. Note again, "in" one thing and "baptized into" something else.
a. Now if this interpretation is correct, we should be able to substantiate it in the
mouth of at least one other witness. Note the following order testified to as
constituting the truth:
1) "Believers were added to the Lord" (Acts 5:14).
2) "He that is joined (same as "added") unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Cor 6:17).
3) "In one spirit" (state produced by being "added" or "joined" unto the Lord) were
all baptized into one body" (I Cor 12:13).
b. Now to this order of truth (Acts 2:41; 47) agrees. Hear this text: "Then they that
gladly received his word were baptized: and there were added (by that baptism) in that
day about three thousand souls" (vs 41). Then in verse 47, "And the Lord added to them
day by day those that were saved" (ASV). Of course the KJV says these were "added to
the church."
3. Anyone should be able to see the difference between "believers" being "added to the
Lord" by hearing and believing the gospel and in their subsequently being "baptized"
and by that activity being "added to them," that is "the church."
a. Christ cannot be correctly referred to as "them." But since His body, the church is
"not one member but many" (I Cor 12:14, it is easily understood the "them" refers to
the "many" who constitute His church.
b. Again Acts 18:8 reveals exactly how this Corinthian Assembly has been formed into a
body. "Many," same word used in I Corinthians 12:14, "of the Corinthians hearing,
believed and were baptized."
B. Remember now these facts:
1. The Holy Spirit never has baptized anyone. The only administrator of "baptism with
the Holy Spirit" was Jesus Christ Himself. The Word of God never says, "the Holy Ghost
will baptize you" but it does say, "the Son of God . . . . is he which baptized with
the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33). (See also Mt 3:11)
2. The only ones who have ever been "baptized with the Holy Spirit" were the twelve
men, called apostles, who were "together in one place" when "the Day of Pentecost was
fully come" (Acts 2:1; 14). This was the means by which they received that special
"power" that enabled them to bear witness of those things which they had both seen and
heard.
3. After that baptism had been fulfilled, as promised, an inspired apostle spake the
words of God that cannot lie, saying "to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (Eph 4:3) which "bond" encompasses "one body, and one Spirit . . . . one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all" (Eph 4:4-6).
a. When it became evident those at the "house of Cornelius" had "received the Holy
Spirit," Peter asked, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized?"
(Acts 10:47).
b. Verse 48 continues "and he commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:48).
c. This agrees exactly with the church's commission as given in Matthew 28:19-20. (See
also Acts 8:35-36; 38; 16:30-33)
d. Paul himself, upon receiving the empower of the Spirit, and his apostolic
commission in Acts 22:1-16 was exhorted to "arise, and be baptized."
e. After Pentecost, the only baptism taught, administered or evidenced was "water
baptism."
II. The baptism with the Spirit occurred only one time, in only one place, and Jesus
Christ was the baptizer.
A. The "signs" of that event "followed the apostles," and the "gifts" of the Holy
Spirit were distributed to other men who were believers through the ministry of the
apostles until the completion of the Word at which time both the "signs of an apostle"
and the "gifts" ceased.
1. After the baptism with the Holy Spirit, not one time, for any reason did these
signs fail to follow the apostles.
2. Not one time was anyone told to "seek the baptism of the Spirit" or "tarry for a
second Pentecost."
3. The prayer meeting of Acts 1:14 had no more to do with what happened on Pentecost
than it had to do with what happened on Calvary or at the resurrection. Each of these
epoch events were the fulfillment of prophecy.
4. Therefore Christ did not tell the twelve to "pray that Pentecost might come." He
did say, "Wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). He did say, "tarry in
Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high" (Lk 24:49). He has never said,
"tarry in Rome or Houston or London or anywhere else or to anyone else other than the
twelve and to them, in Jerusalem.
5. He did not say, "the Holy Spirit will baptize you." It is recorded of "the Son of
God . . . . the same is he which baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33; Mt 3:11).
6. Jesus prophesied of the Holy Spirit in John 7:39, "which they that believe on him
should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified." Then He said before His ascension to glory, "Wait for the promise" (Acts
1:4-5).
B. Now what as the purpose of such a baptizing? "Ye shall receive power . . . . and ye
shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts 1:8). These were "witnesses chosen before of God"
(Acts 10:41) and were called "apostles" (Acts 1:2).
C. "When the day of Pentecost was fully come . . . . they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:1; 4).
1. Note the words "Pentecost was fully come." That is, the morrow after the seventh
Sabbath which was the first day of the week exactly 50-days after the resurrection of
Christ. This could not have happened at any other time and still fulfill the
Scripture. It would have happened if there had been no prayer in the upper room.
2. Yet it was to the apostles' credit that while they waited for the Word of God to be
fulfilled, they did not idly pass away the time but they prayed. It was the fulfilling
of the Word, not an answer to prayer bringing this about. No one ever received the
Holy Spirit in answer to prayer in the Bible.
D. How long was Pentecost observed in the Old Testament? So long as the sheaf of the
first fruits was waved (Lev 23:10) as a type of Christ's resurrection. The day of
Pentecost always follows that day when the first sheaf is waved by exactly 50 days,
which is the meaning of the word, pentecost.
1. How many times did Christ die? "He died unto sin once" (Rm 6:10).
2. How many times was He raised? "Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more"
(Rm 6:9) and He that "liveth . . . . was dead . . . . I am alive forever more" (Rev
1:18).
3. How many times did Pentecost, which could only occur 50 days after Christ's
resurrection occur? It could only happen once and fulfill the type. You might as well
pray for a second Calvary as for a second Pentecost.
III. Peter's identification of the experience at Pentecost.
A. "Peter stood up, and lifted up his voice . . . . ye men of Judea . . . . this is
that spoken of by Joel" (Acts 2:14; 16).
B. Whatever "that" was, "this" is. Then what was it? "It shall come to pass in the
last days . . . . I will pour out of my Spirit" (2:17). Now remember those words, "of
my Spirit."
C. Now regarding the fulfilling of the promise spoken by Joel, note Peter's comment,
"This Jesus hath God raised up, where of we all (the 12) are witnesses" (2:32). It was
50 days from this event that Pentecost occurred.
1. Note the next verse, "therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which
ye now see and hear" (2:33).
2. For one to pray now for God to send the Holy Spirit down is to deny that Christ
received the promise of the faith.
3. The act of praying for a Spirit baptism has no Scriptural basis or promise and
totally disregards the meaning of the words altogether.
D. Acts 19:1-7 is not a baptism with the Holy Spirit but rather the apostolic ministry
exercising "the signs" and bestowing "the gifts."
E. Peter called what happened at Cornelius' house, "the like gift" (Acts 11:15-17). He
then affirmed before the Jewish Council "that God . . . . bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us" (15:8). The words "them" and "us" refer
to the Jews and the Gentiles.
F. All God's children have the Person of the Spirit in them. However we have "the more
excellent way" by which we are guided into all truth, and thus "throughly furnished
unto all good works." We have the "all Scripture," the completed Bible. That is all we
need and all we get but it is enough, yea--more than enough. JM
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| "The Baptism of the Holy Spirit" CHAPTER 16 By John C. Morgan |