A LAYMAN’S BRIEF STUDY OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

PERTAINING TO BAPTISM
WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
By F. A. Heckman

I. Introduction

The main purpose for this Biblical research is to gain a better understanding of Holy Spirit
Baptism. I’m afraid I lack some very helpful skills in doing this kind of research. First of all,
I do not know the Biblical Greek language, or its grammar, nor do I have the great benefit
of a seminary education. Nevertheless, with the help of a Greek lexicon, Logos, (a Bible
computer search software package), a Greek interlinear New Testament, a Bible
commentary, etc. I will press on.

It is clear that there are several different and distinct types of baptism described in
Scripture. Terms referring to baptism are used some 96 times in the New Testament,
Baptizes in the Spirit. In Acts 1:6, Jesus said that the disciples would be baptized in the
Holy Spirit, as promised by the Father. He also said that they would receive power when
the Holy Spirit came on them (Acts 1:8).
To add to the mystery, there is no reference in Scripture that says in so many words, that
someone received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, the fact that the actual
occurrence of Holy Spirit baptism is not specifically mentioned in no way negates the
promises, made by John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, that the disciples and apostles
would be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

If any person in Scripture was baptized in the Holy Spirit, it was certainly the Apostle Paul.
However, this event in Paul’s life is not recorded as such. In Acts 9:18, Ananias tells him
that he was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he immediately received water baptism,
presumably in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Note that there is no
mention of Saul (Paul) receiving any spiritual gifts at this time.

Throughout the New Testament, especially in the Acts, such terms as The Holy Spirit came
on them (Acts 1:8; 11:15), or they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4;4:21), or they
received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15; 10:47), were used to describe the occasions when
people received Holy Spirit baptism. Additionally, the Scripture speaks of the gift of the
Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44), or being anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38).

There are two key events described in Scripture where people definitely received the
baptism in the Holy Spirit. The first is in Acts, chapters 1 and 2, and the second is in Acts,
chapter 11.

In the first instance, the Lord told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for a few days, at which
time they would receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) and would receive power
when the Holy Spirit came on them. In Acts 2:1-4, the events which occurred on the day of
Pentecost are described. First the house was filled with a powerful wind, which was the
physical manifestation that the Holy Spirit had come in power (Acts 2:2). Second, the fire
which was promised to accompany Holy Spirit Baptism (Matt. 3:11 and Luke 3:16), came
and rested upon each of them (Acts 2:3), and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and spoke in tongues (Acts 2:4). Thus, on the day of Pentecost, the Lord’s promise of
Holy Spirit baptism was fulfilled by linking together wind, fire, the Spirit coming upon and
filling them, all without saying directly that they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The second key passage is given in Acts 11:5-18. Here Peter describes what happened in
the house of Cornelius when he addressed a group of Gentiles and the Holy Spirit came
on those assembled (Acts 10:19-48), just as He had come on the disciples in the
beginning, that is, on the day of Pentecost. Peter, observing the event under the anointing
of the Holy Spirit, then remembered that the Lord had said, just before His ascension,
“John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.” Thus, in this
instance, Peter recognized that the coming on of the Holy Spirit constituted, or was
accompanied by Holy Spirit Baptism. Note that in both of these cases, speaking in
tongues immediately followed the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Many Christians believe that this baptism is no longer needed since the Apostolic Age is
closed, and we now have the complete Scriptures in written form. However, there is no
prophetic reference in Scripture, which states that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit or the
Gifts of the Spirit are to expire at some time during the Church Age.
Some Christian scholars believe that Pentecostal baptism in the Holy Spirit was a one-time
event. These scholars cite the fact that the promised (tongues of) fire accompanied this
event, but no other. They extend this belief to say that Holy Spirit Baptism occurred but
once in history. However, the passages in Mark 1:8, John 1:33, Acts 1:5 and Acts 11:16 ,
which promised baptism in the Holy Spirit, but without fire, foreshadowed events like the
one described above in Acts 11:15. Thus it is warranted to believe that Holy Spirit Baptism
is to occur throughout the Church Age until the Lord’s return.

Some bodies of believers hold that the gift of tongues is a proof that one has received the
baptism in the Holy Spirit. In addition to the events of Pentecost, there are two other
examples in Scripture of people speaking in tongues and prophesying, or praising God
when the Holy Spirit came on them. The first instance is recorded in Acts 10:44-47. This
event took place in the house of a Roman centurion named Cornelius, who lived in
Caesarea. As Peter was addressing the Gentiles gathered there, the Holy Spirit came on
all who heard his message. After this, Peter and the Apostles heard them speaking in
tongues and praising God. This account records the first Gentile conversions to the Lord.

The second instance is recorded in Acts 19:1-7. On his third missionary journey, Paul had
traveled to Ephesus, where he met with some disciples. Scripture doesn’t say whether
they were Jews or Greeks, although the following narrative gives a hint. When he asked
them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed; they said no. They also said
they had never even heard that there was a Holy Spirit. When he asked them whose
baptism they had received, they said John’s baptism. Paul explained that John’s baptism
was the baptism of repentance. On hearing this (19:5) they were baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus, apparently with the approval of Paul. The practice of carrying out water
baptism in Jesus’ name alone was widely practiced in the earliest years of the Church Age.
(Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3 and Gal. 3:27)

The more one studies these passages, the more curious this practice seems. This is
especially so in light of the fact that Jesus’ commandment in The Great Commission (Matt.
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28:18-20) is to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. According to
some authorities, these incidents occurred some 20 or 21 years after the Lord issued the
according to the NAV, 103 times in the KJV. Baptism as such, is not mentioned in the Old
Testament (see IV. Moses’ Baptism). All of the Greek forms of the word(s) for baptism
clearly mean Immersion, i. e., complete covering or wetting; one lexicon definition used the
term whelmed to describe baptism. All Scripture references to baptism are listed in
Appendix 1. The most pertinent references to the Holy Spirit or the Spirit are listed in
Appendix 2.

II. Water Baptism

The baptism most often mentioned in Scripture is water baptism. Water baptism is
ordered by the Lord, (Matt. 28:19) and is considered an ablution or cleansing by some
segments of Christendom. It is clear that water baptism signifies the person’s identification
with Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3 & Col. 2:12). It also
signifies a new beginning for the person and his/her separation from the former life.

The references to water baptism are divided into two classes, the first being John the
Baptist’s baptism of repentance, called John’s Baptism. The second class includes all the
other references to water baptism performed by Jesus’ disciples and the apostles during
and after His earthly ministry. There are no Scriptural references to infant baptism; all who
were baptized were adults and were believers. This fact justifies the belief of baptistic
bodies that water baptism should be believers’ baptism by immersion.

III. Jesus’ Baptism

This type of baptism is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels when Jesus asked his disciples
whether they were able to be baptized with the baptism with which he would be baptized
(see Appendix 1 for references). By implication, this type of baptism refers to the suffering
that awaited the Lord, leading ultimately to His death on the cross. The Matt. 20:22-23
reference In the NAS version is translated “drinking the cup” instead of baptism. His
disciples optimistically said they were able to bear this suffering. Jesus said that they
would indeed drink His cup and partake of His baptism. However, only the Lord, being
God, could become sin for us and pay the supreme sacrifice in our place, thus winning
salvation from sin for us.

IV. Moses’ Baptism

Although the word baptism as such, does not appear in the Old Testament, it is worth
noting that Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 10:2) that they, the Israelites, all were
“Baptized into Moses” in the cloud and in the sea. The previous verse states that “they
were all under the cloud and they all passed through the sea.”

According to the “One Volume Bible Commentary”, edited by J. R. Dummelow: “The cloud
denoting the presence of God was over them, the water of the Red Sea on either side of
them. Their passage through the sea was a break with their old life in Egypt; it definitely
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committed them to Moses’ guidance, and was in effect, a profession of discipleship to him;
they were thus baptized into Moses. According to Dummelow, this typified our baptism,
which is, (1) deliverance from the bondage of sin and entrance upon a new life; (2)
discipleship to Christ and union with Him.”

Thus it would appear that the cloud, i.e., God, over them was equivalent to immersion, and
their emergence from the bed of the Red Sea was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
Here, Dummelow apparently considers the emergence to be equivalent to coming up out
of the water in Christian baptism by immersion. However, it seems a little strange that he,
on the one hand, accepts the Episcopalian view that water baptism is an ablution, which
delivers us from the bondage of sin. On the other hand he sees, by implication, the
similarity to baptism by immersion, an evangelical view. The ordinance of baptism for
Christians has also been likened to the rite of circumcision for the Jews; both acts set
individuals apart from the rest of society.

V. Holy Spirit Baptism

The Holy Spirit is mentioned 92 times in the New Testament (as recorded in the NAS
version), 40 times in the Acts of the Apostles. The frequent occurrence of His activities
here has caused some to refer to the book as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. This action on
His part is quite understandable because this was the time He was overseeing the
establishment of the young church. When Scripture speaks of Holy Spirit baptism, the
Greek preposition which precedes Holy Spirit can be translated as with or in in English.
Since the Greek word for baptism literally means immersion, it seems most logical to say
immersed in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, that phraseology will be used throughout this
paper.

There are seven references to Holy Spirit Baptism recorded in Scripture. These are listed
below:
Matt. 3:11 --- He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire
Mark 1:8 --- He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit
Luke 3:16 --- He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire
John 1:33 --- is He who will baptize in the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:5 --- in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit
Acts 11:16 --- but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit
1 Cor. 12:13 --- for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is perhaps the least understood and one of the most
controversial concepts in Christendom today. John the Baptist, speaking under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, promised that the coming Messiah (Jesus) would baptize in
the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matt 3:11 & Luke 3:16). As listed above, the Gospels of Mark
and John also record John’s promise of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, but do not
mention the fire (Mark 1:8 & John 1:33). Thus it is clear that Jesus is the one who “Great
Commission” and ascended into Heaven. One wonders whose disciples these were; most
probably they were Jewish since they were apparently adhering to Jewish practices. So
far as it is known, John baptized only Jews.

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Upon further reflection, I found the continuance of John’s baptism odd and interesting
because his ministry and baptism ceased shortly before his imprisonment and beheading,
around 26 A. D. This sad event took place perhaps 25 years earlier and some 800 to 1000
miles to the southeast in the Jordan valley. Furthermore, John’s baptism was carried out,
despite time and distance, and was transferred from the very Jewish cultural setting in
Galilee to the very Greek culture in Ephesus.

Sometime early in Paul’s third missionary journey, an Alexandrian Jew named Apollos
visited Ephesus (Acts 18:24-28). In this passage, he is described as eloquent (KJV, NAS)
or learned (NIV). He was taught in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with fervor. He
taught about Jesus accurately, but he knew only of John’s baptism. He spoke boldly in the
synagogue, presumably to Jews, where his teaching was heard by Priscilla and Aquila,
Paul’s erstwhile fellow tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3). Later, they invited him to their home and
explained to him the way of God more adequately.

It is tempting to speculate that Apollos met with the Ephesian disciples mentioned in Acts
19:1-7 and either taught them from his earlier incomplete knowledge, or at least reinforced
beliefs they already had. The Scripture doesn’t tell us who Apollos’ former teachers were,
but apparently, they didn’t know the full teaching of Jesus. However, at Paul’s direction,
Priscilla and Aquila, who knew the full Gospel of the Lord, took them to their home and
taught him more fully.

Nevertheless, perhaps these disciples could be forgiven for their beliefs since Matthew’s
Gospel was not available in written form for perhaps another decade after these events
took place. After Paul enlightened them about Jesus, perhaps they had a strong desire to
identify with Him in baptism. Irrespective of what went before, when Paul laid hands on
them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Aside
from the events on the day of Pentecost, these two instances are the only ones recorded
in which tongues accompanied the coming on, or the falling upon of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the Book of the Acts, such terms as filled with the Spirit, received the Spirit and
gave the Holy Spirit are used to describe encounters with the Holy Spirit. We know that
Holy Spirit baptism accompanied at least some of these events, most likely in the three
following cases as well, although the gift of tongues is not mentioned in any of them. In
Acts 4:31, the place where they were was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit. In Acts 8:15-17, the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, but tonguesis not
mentioned. Finally, in Acts 15:8, God gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit, but without other
accompanying phenomena.

Therefore, encounters with the Holy Spirit and/or Holy Spirit baptisms may occur in
whatever manner the Lord may choose. These events may occur with or without other
accompanying phenomena, such as the visitation of tongues of fire, prophesying or
speaking in tongues. All Scripture considered,those who require the gift of tongues as a
proof of Holy Spirit baptism are on shaky ground.

Having revisited this study some years later, I believe even more strongly that every
meaningful encounter with the Holy Spirit (in Scripture) constitutes baptism in the Holy
Spirit. While the events described above were accompanied by immediate, spectacular
manifestations of Holy Spirit baptism, other encounters were not. It seems to me that
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these other events could well have been accompanied by other spiritual gifts such as
hospitality, administration, helps, healing, etc., which would not have been immediately
recognized.
In conclusion, we know of two definite Scriptural accounts of Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 2:1-
4 and Acts 11:15-17). However, it is highly probable that the other events recorded in the
Scripture, where the Spirit was received, came upon, filled, or otherwise interacted with
people, constituted an actual baptism in the Holy Spirit. Please refer to Appendix 2 for a
complete listing of examples of Holy Spirit activity of several types.

VI. Appendix 1
The nine terms referring to baptism are listed below with the number of times they occur in
Scripture, as recorded in the NAS. These data were developed according to LOGOS, a
popular Bible computer search program. The total of these references is 96.
Baptism 20
Baptist (John the) 15
Baptize 7
Baptized 44
Baptizing 10

BAPTISM
JOHN’S
Matt. 3:7; 21:25; Mark 1:4; 11:30; Luke 3:3; 7:24; 20:4; Acts 1:22; 10:37; 13:24; 18:25 &
Acts 19:3-4
JESUS’
Mark 10:38-39; & Luke 12:50
WATER
Romans 6:4; Col. 2:12 & 1 Peter 3:21

BAPTISMS
WATER * (Probable interpretation)
Hebrews 6:2

BAPTIST (JOHN THE)

JOHN’S
Matt. 3:1; 11:11; 14:2; 16:14 & 17:13
Mark 6:14; 6:24 & 8:28
Luke 7:20; 7:28; 7:33 & 9:19

BAPTIST’S
JOHN’S
Matt. 14:8

BAPTIZE
JOHN’S
Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:16; John 1:26 & 33

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 HOLY SPIRIT
Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8 & Luke 3:16
WATER
1 Cor. 1:17

BAPTIZED
JOHN’S
Matt. 3:6, 13, 14, & 16
Mark 1:5; & 8:9
Luke 3:7, 12, 21; 7:29-30
John 3:22-23 & 10:10
Acts 1:5; 11:16 & 19:3-4
WATER
Mark 16:16
John 4:1-2
Acts 2:38 & 42; 8:12-13; 8:16, 36 & 38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 11:16; 16:15 & 33;18:8; 19:5; 22:16
Romans 6:3;
1 Cor. 1: 13, 14, 15 & 16; 15:19 & Gal. 3:27
JESUS’
Matt. 20:22-23
Mark 10: 38-39
Luke 12:50
HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 1:5 & 11:16
1 Cor. 12:13
MOSES’
1 Cor. 10:2

BAPTIZEST
JOHN’S
John 1:25

BAPTIZETH
HOLY SPIRIT
John 1:33
JOHN’S
John 1:28; 1:31 & 3:23
WATER
Matt 28:19
John 3:26

VII Appendix 2
PERTINENT OCCURRANCES OF “HOLY SPIRIT” IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

A. FILLED WITH (FULL OF) THE SPIRIT OR HOLY SPIRIT

ACTS 2:4
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 ACTS 4:8
ACTS 4:31
ACTS 6:3
ACTS 6:6
ACTS 7:55
ACTS 9:18
ACTS 11:24
ACTS 13:9
ACTS 13:52
B. BAPTIZE(D) IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
MATT. 3 11 WITH FIRE
MARK 1:8
LUJE 3:16 WITH FIRE
JOHN 1:33
ACTS 1:5
ACTS 11:16
1 COR. 12:13
C. HOLY SPIRIT COMES / CAME UPON / ON (YOU)
ACTS 1:8
ACTS 19:6 WITH TONGUES AND PROPHECY
D. (RECEIVE) THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OR RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
ACTS 2:33
ACTS 2:38
ACTS 5:32
ACTS 8:15
ACTS 10:44
ACTS 10:45 (POURED OUT)
ACTS 10:47
ACTS 15:8
ACTS 19:2
E. HOLY SPIRIT FELL UPON THE
ACTS 10:44
ACTS 11:15
F. ANOINTED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
ACTS 10:38