THE UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (12)

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (4)

Victor M. Eskew

 

          The doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit plays a dominate role in The United Pentecostal Church International.  They believe that all Christians will experience it.  When a person is baptized in the Holy Ghost, they say, the baptism will be evidenced by speaking in tongues. 

          There are several arguments the Pentecostals set forth attempting to prove that Holy Spirit baptism is for all who become children of God.  The first argument revolves around the promise made by John the Baptist in Luke 3:16.  “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”  These words, the Pentecostals affirm, were spoken to great multitudes of individuals who came into the wilderness to hear John’s preaching.  “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4-5). 

          There are two answers that can be given to this argument.  One answer centers on the “all-inclusive language” of preaching.  There are times when a speaker proclaims certain things to an entire audience, but the word only apply to some who are in the group. A speaker may end a sermon stating:  “You need to obey the gospel in order to be saved.”  The works make it seem like all who are in the audience need to obey the gospel.  Some in the audience, however,  may have already obeyed the gospel.  The immediate words of the speaker do not apply to them although they were addressed to them.  In addition, John also told all those who came to him that they would be baptized in fire.  Because of the cloven tongues like as of fire that sat upon the apostles on Pentecost and recorded for us in Acts 2:3, the Pentecostals associate the fire with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  But, if a person keeps Luke 3:16 in its context, he will come to realize that the baptism of fire refers to the punishment of fire in hell.  Let’s look at both Luke 3:16 and Luke 3:17 together.  “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:  whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”  These words would apply to the multitudes.  Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:13 that many will go through the wide gate to eternal destruction.

          A second answer involves the impact of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, especially on the apostles.  Those men definitely received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (See Acts 1:4-8).  The power they received was special in nature.  In 2 Corinthians 12:12, Paul refers to “the signs of an apostle” being wrought among the Corinthians.  There were abilities these men had that others in the church did not.  One of the unique abilities these men had was to lay hands on new converts and empower them with miraculous gifts of the Spirit.  We read of this ability in Acts 8.  Philip, an evangelist, went to Samaria and preached Christ unto them (Acts 8:5).  This man had the ability to perform wonderful miracles (Acts 8:6-7).  However, he could not pass on miraculous gifts.  Acts 8:12, tells of the obedience of the Samarians to Philip’s preaching.  “But when they believed Philip preaching things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both man and women.”  These individuals did not immediately receive the Holy Spirit.  The power of the Holy Spirit was given to them by two apostles, Peter and John.  “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:  who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:  (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:14-17).  These individuals were given various gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11) in order to effectively carry out the work of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12).  This is precisely the meaning of the words of Peter on the day of Pentecost found in Acts 2:17b-18.  “…and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old man shall dream dreams:  and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”  The apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, but faithful members of the body of Christ received some of the benefits of that power by the laying on the apostles’ hands.  With the benefits in mind, John could promise the baptism of the Holy Spirit to all.

          Another argument made by the Pentecostals is found in the prophecy of Joel that was quoted by Peter.  The prophet declared that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on “all flesh.”  “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh…” (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).  The Pentecostals would argue that if the baptism of the Holy Spirit was only performed two times, once on Pentecost and once at the household of Cornelius, then the Spirit was not poured out on all flesh as Joel prophesied.  In answer, we would point out that the apostles were Jews.  The household of Cornelius, on the other hand, contained Gentiles.  The first century world in the eyes of the Jews contained two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles.  These two groups made up “all flesh” upon the earth.  In Romans 1-3, Paul proves that the gospel is needed by all men.  Several times throughout these three chapters he uses the words “Jews and Gentiles” to represent all flesh.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).  In Romans 2:9-10, he speaks of the Jews and Gentiles representing all humanity again.  “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.”  In Romans 3:9, he uses the two words, Jews and Gentiles, to represent all men.  “What then?  are we better than they?  No, in no wise:  for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.”  With these verses in mind, we affirm that when the Jewish apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and when the Gentiles received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at the house of Cornelius, then all flesh had the Spirit poured out upon them fulfilling the words of the prophet of God.