As a Result of Baptism? Do we receive God’s Spirit as a result of faith, or faith plus baptism? How do we receive the Holy Spirit and what does the Holy Spirit do in the believer’s life today? Cornelius and His Household In the example of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10), they listened to Peter preach to them about Jesus and that He was who all the prophets spoke of–His life, death and resurrection–and that whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)
The passage recounts how they all received the Holy Spirit after believing; however, there are some who challenge that by saying, “Well, they were ‘immediately’ baptized.” Would God have removed His Spirit from them if the baptism had been performed hours or days later? No. The Holy Spirit is an abiding presence. The timing was important here for several reasons. The Mosaic Law had been a wall between Jews and Gentiles, but that wall had been broken down at the cross. The “Judaizers” contended that the Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law in order to be accepted by God and come into the church. At the council at Jerusalem (Acts 15), it was brought out that none of these things were required of the Gentile converts; the Gentiles had heard the gospel from Peter’s mouth, they had believed and they were saved by grace, not by the works of the Law, such as circumcision. (Acts. 15:7-9)
What is also brought out in the narrative is how the giving of the Holy Spirit was not dependent on any physical requirement of the Law, including the physical act of baptism. Cornelius and his household did, after all, receive God’s Spirit prior to baptism. Samaritans Who Believed Why did those Samaritans who believed and were baptized in an outward ceremony (Acts 8:12) not receive the Holy Spirit? When the apostles heard that they received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John unto them, to pray for them, “that they might receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-16)
The reason these Samaritans did not receive the Spirit when they were baptized was because God wanted the Samaritan believers to be united with the original Jewish church in Jerusalem. It served the purpose of confirming Philip’s teaching among the Samaritans and authenticated their work to the apostles in Jerusalem. There appears to be a transition in the book of Acts from the Jews to the Samaritans to the Gentiles. So this incident shows that it wasn’t baptism that saved Cornelius and his household (or what caused them to receive or keep the Holy Spirit). Their baptism was to give evidence that they had already been baptized by the Holy Spirit and were saved. Laying on of Hands Those that insist on keying in on the physical aspects surrounding conversion, repentance, and receiving God’s Spirit, will begin to focus on Acts 8:17 which shows that Peter and John “laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” and will feel it is now faith AND baptism AND the laying on of hands, which is necessary to receive the Spirit. This now brings up an interesting question, or set of questions: Did Peter lay hands on Cornelius and his household so they would receive God’s Spirit? No! They already had it. The narrative does not address it. Did Jesus say that they were to baptize and lay their hands on those who would believe? No. He just said that they were to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Laying on of hands was an Old Testament ritual. Today, when performed by a Christian minister, it simply has to do with identification and setting one aside for service or consecration, and it declares that we are partners with that one. It has nothing to do with “making sure” one receives the Holy Spirit.
Those in Ephesus In Acts 19 when Paul ministered to those in Ephesus he came across certain ones who had only heard of the baptism of John (a preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ). Did Paul baptize them again and lay hands on them because they had already been saved, but just didn’t receive the Holy Spirit yet? No. They had not even heard of the Holy Spirit (or that it had been given) and had not heard of Pentecost. It is obvious that the reason they hadn’t received the Holy Spirit was because they were not yet saved. How could they be when they had not even been taught about Jesus? In light of the purpose of laying on of hands (mentioned above), it most likely that it took place after the baptism. By the way, this is the only place in the New Testament that mentions anyone being re-baptized.
The Ethiopian Eunuch Back in chapter 8 of Acts, Philip (v.26) is led to the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip heard him reading Isaiah 53 and, after asking him if he understood what he was reading, began to preach unto him Jesus. Then as they came to some water, the Ethiopian requested to be baptized. Philip replies that if he will believe with all his heart, he can, and the Ethiopian answers that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So they stop, go down into the water and Philip baptizes him.
But what happens immediately after the baptism? Philip is carried off by the Spirit to minister elsewhere. Did the Ethiopian have hands laid on him by Philip in order to receive the Holy Spirit? No. Professing his belief was all that was necessary. Repentance and Baptism Acts 2:38: “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Those in Philadelphia Church of God (or other controlling Herbert Armstrong splinter groups) are made to believe that this verse is saying that we cannot receive the Holy Spirit unless we are baptized first. If this is what this verse it saying it appears to contradict other verses where Paul made it clear that baptism is not part of the gospel, and that we are saved by faith, not works: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (I Cor. 1:17). “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness “(Rom 4:4-5).
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). When we understand the meaning of being baptized “for” the remission of sins in light of how it is used in this passage, it can be resolved. The word “for” (eis) can mean “with a view to” or “because of.” In the passage mentioned, water baptism was undertaken because they had been saved, not in order to be saved. We are saved by receiving God’s word about Christ being the Savior. Acts 2:41: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: …” In referring to the early church, verse 44 speaks of “all who believed” not all who were baptized. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, all who believed Peter’s message clearly received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized: “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47). It is the gospel which saves us, not baptism.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5) In light of all this Acts 2:28 could be understood as “Repent and be baptized with a view to the forgiveness of sins.” The context of the passage and other Scriptures in the Bible make it clear that this view looked back to one’s sins as already being forgiven. Baptism follows repentance, but it is not a part of receiving the Holy Spirit. Receiving of the Holy Spirit in Acts: The Holy Spirit coming into people’s lives did not follow any set pattern in the book of Acts. Acts shows that the Spirit came into believers before baptism, at the time of their baptism, after baptism, and by the Apostles laying on hands. It is apparent that the book of Acts is not meant to be used as a doctrinal source on how to receive the Holy Spirit. How Do We Receive the Holy Spirit Today? The moment we place our faith in Christ as our personal Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit, whether we are baptized or not.
The Holy Spirit immediately indwells us, regenerates us, seals us and baptizes us into the body of believers. There is no magic in baptism. The act itself is physical, but has symbolic meaning–the death of the old man and the rising of the new. The apostle Paul uses it to explain how a Christian dies to the Law (just as we died to the flesh – Rom. 6:1-10), but when we have trusted Christ as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit puts us in Christ. We now share His life and serve Him in newness of life. (See Romans 7:1-6)
The book of John never mentions baptism as a condition for receiving the Holy Spirit. Instead he mentions over and over again that all we need do is believe. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31) After the transitional period in the book of Acts (chapters 1-10), the Holy Spirit is always shown as baptizing, indwelling and sealing a person at the very moment they put their faith in Jesus as the Son of God. (2 Cor. 1:22)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13) What Does the Holy Spirit Do in the Believer’s Life Today? Draws souls to Christ Makes Christ real Makes the Word of God real Brings revival Indwells Fills Distributes gifts Produces fruit Imparts the mind of Christ Convicts according to the Word of God Guides into truth Teaches Enables the Christian life Comforts Seals and delivers Intercedes for us to the Father Jesus comes to us through the Holy Spirit: “And I will pray the Father; and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; …he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you” (John 14:18)
Since there are many false teachers today that put an overemphasis on the Holy Spirit, it is good to remember that the Holy Spirit will never draw attention to Himself, but will always show us the things concerning Christ. (John 16:13-14)
As the late J. Vernon McGee once said, “The Holy Spirit is a like a sweet dove that reveals the loveliness of Christ to us.” “It was He [the Holy Spirit] who convicted you of sin, it was He who led you to put your trust in Christ, it was He who through the Word gave you the witness that you were saved, it is He who has been conforming you to Christ since you first trusted the Lord Jesus.”
~ H. A. Ironside By W. Hohmann and D. W. Exit & Support Network May 19, 2003