As A Separate Experience

By Sidharth Mohandas

Before we move any further, let me re-emphasize that much of what is passed down by tradition is not in line with Scripture. As we move on in the series, please make the solemn decision to go exclusively by God’s Word, rather than what has been passed down to you by tradition.

Aren’t we baptized in the Spirit the very moment we believe in Jesus? Let’s look into what Scripture has to say. We have 5 instances where this experience is recorded in the Bible and 3 instances where it is described. Studying these experiences will make clear to us the answer to the above question.

On the Day of Pentecost

After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, breathed on them, and then said “Receive ye the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). We know that the disciples received the Holy Spirit at that moment, because the Greek word “lambano” that is used for “receive” is in its present tense. However, around 40 days later we find Jesus asking the same disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, that is the baptism in the Spirit (Acts 1:4-5; Luke 24:49).

Out of obedience, the disciples went to Jerusalem and waited for the baptism in the Spirit. Around 10 days later, that is on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

But how do we distinguish these incidents that took place in John 20:22 and Acts 2:4? The difference is in the work performed by the Holy Spirit in the passages. In John 20:22, God breathes His Spirit on His disciples just like He breathed on Adam in the book of Genesis. Just as Adam was made alive, the disciples were made alive in their spirits. They were born-again into Abba’s kingdom. However, through the baptism in the Spirit in Acts 2:4, they were being offered power so that they’d be living witnesses to the ascension of Jesus. We recall that Jesus had told the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit once He went back to the Father (John 15:26; John 16:7; Acts 2:32-33).

In Samaria  

Around 8 years after the occurrences in Acts 2, Philip goes to preach the Gospel in Samaria, and the people of Samaria believe the Gospel and are baptized in water (Acts 8:12). Were those people saved? Yes, absolutely! The apostles in Jerusalem hear that Samaria had accepted the word of God, and they send Peter and John to them (Acts 8:14). What did Peter and John do when they came to those who accepted the word at Samaria? Scripture says, “When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT”. Why? Because the HOLY SPIRIT HAD NO YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM; they had simply been baptized in the name of Jesus. (Acts 8:15-16). Then Peter and John laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17). We can conclude that baptism in the Spirit is therefore a different experience apart from salvation.  

In Ephesus

Twenty-five years after what took place on the day of Pentecost, Paul meets with a group of disciples, which at first he mistakes for Jesus’ disciples. But seeing the lack of power in their lives, he asks them, “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? (Acts 19:2).  He asks this question because Jesus said in Acts 1:8 “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you…” So in response to Paul’s question they say, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit”. Paul immediately asks them with what baptism they were baptized in, for if they were baptized in the Christian water baptism, they would surely have heard the name “Holy Spirit“, as the Christian water baptism is ministered in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). To this they reply and say, “John’s baptism”. Now Paul realizes these were just John’s disciples and not Jesus’ disciples, so he preaches the Gospel to them and encourages them to believe in the One who came after John, in Jesus. Upon hearing this, they believe and are baptized in water (Acts 19:5). Then when Paul lays his hands on them, all of them receive the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues and prophesy.

Why did Paul have to lay hands on them if they had already been baptized in the Holy Spirit at the time they believed?  

Paul when he writes to the same group of believers says, “You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). This is another Scripture used by  Christians who believe that they receive the Holy Spirit at the time they believe in Jesus. However, when comparing this verse with the actual event, we realize that these disciples believed in Jesus when Paul preached to them the word of truth, but they received the promised Holy Spirit only after Paul laid hands on them. Notice the Scripture says, “Having believed…“

I encourage those of you who haven’t received the Spirit, to to seek Abba for the empowerment that He is offering you through the Spirit baptism.

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