Baptism in the Spirit, Filling in the Spirit, and a Consideration of Variant Views on the Doctrine of Glossolalia as It Relates to the Preceding

By Colin Cutler

Term Paper for
BIB140DL
Theology of the Bible II (Dr. Martin Erdmann)
16 April 2007

Introduction and Thesis
This paper will explore the Biblical texts concerning baptism in and filling with the Holy Spirit, define both, and discuss the Pentecostal view of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The position advocated herein is distinct from the Pentecostal view, but does affirm the continuation of the miraculous gifts (i.e., glossolalia, interpretation, prophecy), so will also interact with the cessationist view of miraculous gifts.

Prophecies and Fulfillment of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was prophesied in both the Old and the New Testaments. The prophet Joel gave the Word of God, saying “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28-30). In the New Testament, John the Baptist also prophesied a future baptism of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11; cf. Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33). Before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to remain “in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

In Acts 1:4, 5, it is said that the disciples remained in the city as Jesus had commanded, waiting for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, and “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Peter, when he addressed the multitude, said that this was not only a fulfillment of Christ’s command and promise, but also a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:16-21).

What is Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is defined as that action of the Holy Spirit granting each regenerate Christian the gifts and power pertaining to him as part of the unified Body of Christ. Jesus said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would give His followers “power from on high” (Luke 24:49); they were not to spread throughout the world until they had received this power.

The most exhaustive Biblical exposition of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is given in 1 Corinthians 12. Paul first outlines the gifts of the Holy Spirit and explaining that there are many different gifts given by the same Spirit for different uses in and the edification of the same Body. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…all these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

All regenerate Christians receive some gift and are baptized in the Holy Spirit: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13) Further, we are each given different gifts: “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?”

What is Filling in the Holy Spirit?
Filling in the Holy Spirit is defined as a special movement of the Holy Spirit empowering a person for a particular ministry or exercising a spiritual gift. It is related to, but distinct from, baptism in the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the impartation of spiritual gifts and is strictly a New Testament phenomenon, while the Holy Spirit fills a person in order for him to show supernatural power generally or to specifically exercise his gifts. There are several forms in the Bible: Old Testament empowerment for ministry, non-canonical prophecy, canonical inspiration, New Testament empowerment for ministry, and New Testament evidential empowerment.

Old Testament empowerment. In the Old Testament, it is frequently said that a servant of the Lord “was filled with the Holy Spirit” or that “the Holy Spirit came upon” him. The manifestation of this varied from case to case—similarly to the variant gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament age—from the apparently mundane to the obviously supernatural.
Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God that he might direct the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-5, 35:30-35). The Spirit of God came upon the judges of Israel, empowering them to conquer the enemies of the Israelite nation; Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Samson (14:6, 19, 15:14) all experienced this filling, which enabled them to lead incohesive armies against outnumbering forces, or even conquer great bands of enemies alone.
Likewise, Saul and David—the first kings of Israel—were “filled with the Holy Spirit” in order to accomplish works of God and to confirm their kingship. In 1 Samuel 11:6, the Bible says that “the Spirit of God came upon him in power…” and Saul proceeded to lead Israel against their enemies, defeating them and confirming the kingship the Lord had granted him. When David was anointed by Samuel, it is also said that “the Spirit came upon him.”

Non-canonical prophecy. Several times in the Old Testament books (as well as in some of the New Testament books, but before Christ’s death), the result of the filling of the Holy Spirit is a non-canonical prophecy. This is distinct from canonical inspiration, non-canonical prophecy either not being recorded in the canon or being recorded at second hand from an inspired writer; it is often used to encourage the people of God or give them direction.

The first recorded example of this is of the Israelite elders in the wilderness. “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and He took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again” (Numbers 11:24-29). Saul prophesied when the Holy Spirit came upon him; this was meant as a sign to confirm Samuel’s prophecy and Saul’s ordination to the kingship (1 Samuel 10:5-7, 9, 10). Amasai was also filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed “God will help you” to David as a proof of his loyalty when he wished to be one of David’s mighty men (1 Chronicles 12:18). Azariah gave a prophecy to King Asa which encouraged him to return himself and all of Israel to the service of the Lord (2 Chronicles 15:1-9), Jahaziel prophesied that God would conquer Israel’s enemies for her (2 Chronicles 20:14-17), and Zechariah prophesied punishment for Israel’s apostasy (2 Chronicles 24:20); in all these cases, it is said that “the Spirit of God came upon” the person.

There are also several cases in the New Testament recounting the Holy Spirit coming upon a person and inspiring a non-canonical prophecy. John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth (Luke 1:15), Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit and blessed Mary (1:41-45), and Zechariah was filled with the Spirit, prophesying about his son’s place in the preparation for the kingdom of God (1:67-79). Also, Simeon had the Holy Spirit upon him, by Whom it had been revealed to him that “he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ,” and by Whom he was guided in order to see Jesus in the temple (2:25-32).

Inspiration of Scripture. The Holy Spirit inspired Holy Scripture. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Ezekiel for his prophecy against Israel in Ezekiel 11:5-12. Micah 3:8 explains that the prophet is “filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.”

Besides Ezekiel’s and Micah’s examples, it is also apparent from New Testament teaching that the biblical canon is directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes to Timothy that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16). The apostle Peter also writes concerning the prophets “above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

It could be argued that there should not be two classes of prophecy. This distinction, however, will be maintained on several grounds. The chief distinction is that “non-canonical” prophecies, though truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, were meant for a specific case with specific circumstances, and do not compose an authoritative address to all men at all times.

The second distinction is chiefly applicable to the New Testament age. When messages claiming to be prophecies are given, they must be subject to Scripture. The canon is closed, having been built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles (Eph. 2:20); there is no entirely new revelation for the Christian church, for the prophets and apostles are no longer on earth. The author of Hebrews says “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, and through Whom He made the universe…we must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (Hebrews 1:1, 2, 2:1). “What we have heard,” of course, is the doctrine and witness of the apostles, who had heard the words of Jesus and remembered them by the Holy Spirit (John 4:26; cf. 2 Thess. 3:6). So, whereas inspired Scripture is supremely authoritative, messages must be subject to Scripture in order to be accepted as prophecies (cf. 2 Thess. 5:21, 1 John 4:1).

New Testament Empowerment. Throughout the book of Acts, there are several places where it is said that a Christian was “filled with the Spirit” in order to further his activity for God. The first is at Pentecost, when the disciples in the upper room were baptized in the Spirit, and “were filled with the Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). Soon after, when Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, the Holy Spirit filled Peter, giving him the words to defend the truth of God (Acts 4:8; cf. Luke 12:11, 12). After being released, they returned to the other disciples and prayed, after which they were again “filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (4:31).

After Saul was struck down on the Damascus road, God sent Ananias to him that Saul might receive a filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15-17). The Holy Spirit filled Paul at another time, giving him the authority to rebuke Elymas the sorcerer, even calling him a child of the devil (Acts 13:9; cf. Jude 9). The disciples of God were all filled with the Holy Spirit at the spreading of the Word of God and the opportunity to suffer persecution for Christ’s sake (Acts 13:49-52; cf. James 1:2), though the exact manifestation of this particular case is not stated.

New Testament Evidential Empowerment. The first occurrences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit were also accompanied by an immediate filling in the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in other languages. In Acts 2:4, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.” When Peter witnessed to the Gentiles of Cornelius’ household, “the Holy Spirit came on all who had heard the message. The circumcised believers who had gone with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” (Acts 10:44-46). Likewise, the Ephesian believers had been baptized into John’s baptism, but had not received the Holy Spirit, nor indeed knew of the Holy Spirit. After Paul baptized them in the name of Christ, “the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:1-6).

In all three of these cases, it is certain that this speaking in other languages was a sign that they had received the Holy Spirit, and thus a sign that they should be accepted as part of the body of Christ. After Cornelius’s household began speaking in tongues, Peter exclaimed, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (Acts 10:47). This sign was necessary to convince the other believers to “not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15; cf. 45-47 and 11:15-18), answering finally the question of whether or not the Gentiles were properly part of the church. Similarly, the believers at Ephesus had only been baptized by John the Baptist. They had not heard of the Holy Spirit, and it is possible that they did not know that the Messiah had come; when they were baptized into Christ, however, they were also baptized and filled with the Spirit.

Several Contrasting Views

Contra Pentecostalism. There is a significant movement in the Christian church, known as Pentecostalism, which advocates the view that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second experience completely distinct from salvation, and not necessarily received as part of the process of sanctification. Further, it is held that the sign of this baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, based on the example of the disciples at Pentecost.

There are several objections to this. First, baptism in the Holy Spirit cannot be completely separated from salvation, for Paul emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ and the plurality of gifts distributed within it when he writes “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one Body…” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13). John the Baptist clearly delineates a dichotomy between baptism in the Spirit and baptism by fire in Matthew 3:11, 12: “…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” John is here addressing both believers (present and future), who will be baptized “with the Holy Spirit,” and unbelievers, who will be baptized “with fire.” Given the biblical dichotomy of good and evil, believers and unbelievers, it follows that all who are not baptized in the Spirit will be baptized in fire—and that all who will not be baptized in fire are baptized in the Spirit. Therefore, those who are “baptized in the Spirit” cannot be distinguished from those who are saved; the classes comprise the same persons.

Their assertion that speaking in tongues is the necessary evidence of baptism is also faulty: “Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:30). What, then, of the experience at Pentecost, and the “speaking in tongues” of the Ephesians and Cornelius’s family? First, though Pentecost was indeed the time at which the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers, and they were baptized in Him, the baptism itself was not the immediate cause of their glossolalia. It says in the passage on Pentecost (and in the others), that “they were filled with the Spirit.” The filling was the immediate cause of their speaking in tongues—not their baptism. And from the other examples shown above, both Old and New Testament, it is apparent that neither the baptism in nor the filling with the Holy Spirit is bound to result in glossolalia; the Holy Spirit works for His sovereign purposes, and He uses different tools for these purposes. It is best to understand these cases as needful evidences to resolve certain controversies in the early church and the surrounding culture.

One need not wonder if one is simply “not holy enough” to speak in tongues, which can lead to legalism and a supercilious attitude for those who do speak in tongues, and morbid introspection for those who don’t. Paul says that not all will speak in tongues; this is normal. Further, Paul commands the Corinthians to “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor. 12:31)—speaking in tongues is the last of the gifts. We are to “try to excel in gifts that build up the church…you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified” (1 Cor. 14:12, 17).

It is beyond the scope of this paper to explore the Pentecostal doctrines of “prayer languages,” and their distinction between this and the “gift of tongues” (the former which they assert can be exercised by all, the latter only by those who have been given the gift). However, it is the position advocated in this paper, that despite the Pentecostal misapplication of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the miraculous gifts such as glossolalia and prophecy are continued to the present day, though only as the Holy Spirit gifts individuals.

Contra Cessationism. There is another widespread belief that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ended with the apostolic age, based on 1 Corinthians 13 and Ephesians 2:20. The first says that “where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” The Ephesians passage asserts that the church’s foundation is on the testimony of the apostles and prophets.

The Ephesians passage is no obstacle to a continuationist view, so long as prophecy and tongues are understood to not be new revelation and to be subordinate to Scripture, as stated above. Obviously, prophecy exactly parallel to or based upon Scripture can be readily accepted, a message contradictory to Scripture must be discarded—for it is not truly prophecy at all—and prophecy with an indeterminate basis should be judged by the same standards as in Deuteronomy 18:21-22: “‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

Nor does the 1 Corinthians passage necessarily imply cessationism. The “imperfect” refers back to the gifts, but “the perfect” refers to when “we shall see face to face” (v. 12). This cannot be the closing of the canon: though the completion of the canon is a completion of authority for the church, it is not itself “the perfect”—it points us to the perfect, but we are still living by faith, waiting for the completion of God’s plan for the world and the resulting perfection (cf. Hebrews 11:13-16). In the meantime, God has given us the gifts of the Holy Spirit to empower us to effectively spread His gospel throughout the world, and we are to use them within Scriptural bounds.

Conclusion
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a privilege bestowed upon believers in order that we may spread God’s word and edify the church. It is given to all believers and does not necessitate speaking in tongues—on the other hand, miraculous gifts are just as much a part of the church now as they were in the apostolic age. We would do well to heed Paul’s admonition regarding the use of the gifts bestowed in baptism: “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”