Grand Rapids It

Location:

Tampa, FL

Posted:

December 03, 2012

Contact this candidate

Resume:

Southwestern Assemblies of God University

Graduate School of Distance Education

Studies in Lucan Writings

BIB 5213

Professor: Dr. Robert Harden

Pentecostal Distinctive of Baptism in the Holy Spirit in Lucan Writings:

Subsequent to Salvation and Speaking in Tongues as Initial Physical Evidence

STUDENT DATA

Name: Douglas E. Woolley

Email: *****************@****.***

Phone: 813-***-****

Semester: Spring 2008

Date: 04/23/08

Specialization: Bible/Theology

Contents

Introduction 1

Doctrine Derived from Repeated Theological Patterns in Acts 3

Jesus Gets Spirit Baptism in Gospel and Imparts it in Acts 7

Five Incidents of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit 9

Acts Chapter 2 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 9

Acts Chapter 10 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 12

Acts Chapter 19 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 14

Acts Chapter 8 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 16

Acts Chapter 9 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 17

Mistaken Sixth Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit 18

Conclusion 19

Works Cited 22

Introduction

Statisticians estimate that, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, over five hundred

million Christians worldwide were involved in the Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal1 that

emphasizes the need for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, to enable believers for effective witness

and service. Although the Church has traditionally linked baptism in the Holy Spirit with

conversion and seen it as the means God uses to incorporate individuals into the body of Christ,2

Pentecostals recognize that Lucan writings3 speak of the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an

experience subsequent to salvation and evidenced by speaking in tongues. While these two

theological characteristics are shared by many Charismatics who belong to mainline

denominations or are part of independent groups, these distinctive beliefs are most notably held

by classical Pentecostal denominations, who numbered over sixty-three million members

worldwide in 2000.4 Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee express well the distinctive of

Pentecostal beliefs and their relation with Charismatics:

"Pentecostals" subscribe to a work of grace subsequent to conversion in which Spirit

baptism is evidenced by glossolalia (i.e., speaking in tongues); for some this baptism must

also follow another act of grace, sanctification. "Charismatics," however, do not always

advocate either the necessity of a second work of grace or the evidence of glossolalia as an

affirmation of Spirit baptism. Yet both emphasize the present work of the Spirit through

gifts in the life of the individual and the church.5

Pentecostals are part of a larger group of Christians known as Evangelicals, which believes that the

Bible is divinely inspired, inerrant, and authoritative for Christian doctrine and practice.

Vinson Synan, preface to The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal,

1901-2001 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001), ix.

Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1984), 1.

Lucan writings include the two canonical books of the Bible that are attributed to Luke, namely the

Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. According to tradition and internal evidence, Luke wrote both.

David Barrett, The Worldwide Holy Spirit Renewal, in The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of

Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901-2001, by Vinson Synan (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001), 382.

Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee. eds., Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand

Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 1.

The Bible reveals that it is the cooperative effort of the Triune God in bringing salvation

to humankind. The Bible discloses that God is a Trinity--one God subsisting eternally as three

divine persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Scripture shows the distinctiveness of

each personality. In John 14:26, the Father sends the Spirit; In John 15:26, Jesus sends the Spirit;

In John 17:8 and 20:21, the Father sent Jesus.6 In heaven, God the Father sent His Son to earth to

die sacrificially on the cross for the sins of all people. After Jesus rose from the dead and

ascended to heaven, He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to work in and to be bestowed upon

those who become believers in Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit brings about every miracle of

salvation received by an individual through faith in Christ. The Scripture clearly shows that

without the work and presence of the Holy Spirit no one can become born again nor become a

Christian.7 Myer Pearlman states, "One of the most comprehensive definitions of a Christian is

that he is a man in whom the Holy Spirit dwells."8 While all Christians have a definite work of

the Holy Spirit in them upon salvation and an indwelling of the Spirit at conversion, Pentecostals

believe in a "bestowal" of the Spirit subsequent to salvation that is evidenced by speaking in

other tongues and find support for this position in the Lucan writings: the Gospel of Luke and the

book of Acts.

This paper shows that the distinctive Pentecostal doctrines of the baptism in the Holy Spirit,

being subsequent to salvation and accompanied by the initial physical evidence of speaking in

tongues, are grounded in the Lucan writings. Just as Jesus mission was inaugurated and

empowered by the gift of the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke, so Jesus pours out the Spirit upon

believers to inaugurate and empower them for their mission in Luke s second volume, Acts. Luke

presents five episodes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, three of which give

E. Calvid Beisner, God in Three Persons (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1984), 39.

John 3:5; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19, 12:3.

Myer Pearlman, Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible (Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1981), 306.

detailed phenomena. The initial outpouring of the Spirit occurs on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is also experienced by a few Samaritans, Paul, Cornelius and his

household, and twelve Ephesian disciples in Acts 8, 9, 10, and 19, respectively. In each case, the

narrative illustrates that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is distinct from and subsequent to the

reception of salvation by the individuals. In the three cases where detailed phenomena accompany

the baptism in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, 10, and 19 the common phenomenon is speaking in

tongues, thus showing an overall pattern whereby speaking in tongues accompanies the baptism in

the Holy Spirit. Based on this pattern, the other two cases where Luke does not provide detailed

phenomena in Acts 8 and 9 speaking in tongues is implied by the previously established pattern

coupled with information from the narrative or another Scripture. Thus, Pentecostal ground their

distinctive doctrine from patterns in the book of Acts.

Doctrine Derived from Repeated Theological Patterns in Acts

While not every scholar agrees that Christians should derive doctrines primarily from the

book of Acts, many Christian scholars make a good case for doing so, based on biblical

hermeneutics. John MacArthur, though, contends that the New Testament epistles "contain

instructions for believers throughout the church age" whereas the Book of Acts is only a "chronicle

of the infant church's experiences"9 and is "never intended to be a primary basis for church

doctrine."10 However, since the book of Acts is inspired by God, it's narrative history and frequent

theological illustrations, taken together, are profitable for doctrine, according to Paul's teachings in 2

Tim. 3:16, Rom. 15:4, and 1 Cor. 10:11.11 J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays agree and say that the

John F. Jr. MacArthur, Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 171.

Ibid., 172.

Where We Stand (Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 2003), 229. Although Paul s teaching about

historical narratives having value for doctrine is directly addressing the Old Testament Scriptures, his teachings are

applicable for all divinely inspired Scripture (Old and New Testaments), as recognized by the early church fathers and

best principle for identifying material in Acts that is normative for the church today is to look for

themes and patterns that remain constant throughout the changing story of Acts. 12 Further, they

believe that Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke as a theological biography and Acts as theological

history. 13 Therefore, although Luke was an outstanding historian who accurately recorded history,

Luke selectively chose the stories and worded those narratives in order to present a message for

theological purposes.

In recent years, Roger Stronstad and other Biblical scholars have been realizing that

Luke's historiography "deals intentionally with theological issues";14 thus, predominant

theological issues in the book of Acts, such as the baptism in the Holy Spirit, surely form

inspired doctrine. Furthermore, scholars are now recognizing that Luke is an independent

theologian15 one who has something to contribute on an equal level with other theologians,

such as Paul. For example, I. Howard Marshall says, Luke was entitled to his own views . . .

[which] differ in some respects from those of Paul . . . [because Luke] is a theologian in his own

right and must be treated as such. 16 Thus, instead of forcing Luke s teachings in Acts into a

mold of Paul s teachings, scholars should assess the doctrine in Luke for its own worth.17 It is

important to understand that Luke's writings and Paul's writings often deal with different issues

councils. Additionally, Peter implies in 2 Pet. 3:15-16 that Paul s letters, which make up a big part of the New

Testament, should be considered sacred Scripture as well.

J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting,

and Applying the Bible, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 277.

Duvall and Hays, 267.

John R. Higgins, Michael L. Dusing, and Frank D. Tallman, An Introduction to Theology: A Classical

Pentecostal Perspective (Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1993), 155.

William W. Menzies, The Initial Evidence Issue: A Pentecostal Response, Asian Journal of

Pentecostal Studies 2. no 2 (1999): 264.

I. Howard Marshall, Luke: Historian & Theologian (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1970), 75.

It is interesting to note that although Marshall expresses his belief that Luke is a theologian in his own

right and may differ with Paul on issues, Marshall s implementation of this belief does not include making a

difference between Luke s view of Spirit baptism and Paul s, as evidenced in his commentary on Acts. He denies

any interpretation of Luke s baptism in the Holy Spirit that does not conform to the constant New Testament

association of the Spirit with conversion. (I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles. Vol. in Tyndale New

Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 306). See also pages 69 and 193.

of the Holy Spirit. Clark Pinnock agrees and takes the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an example,

"St. Luke speaks of a baptism of power for service which is not oriented to the soteriological

work of the Spirit, which Paul often addresses."18 While Paul talks about the Holy Spirit in

relation to salvation, Luke talks about the Holy Spirit in relation to empowering believers to be

effective witnesses for Christ, as Jesus mentions in Acts 1:8, as well as empowering believers to

serve Him and people better. The two doctrines derived from Acts include Spirit baptism being

subsequent to salvation and the initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism being speaking in

tongues.

First, in relation to the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of subsequence to

salvation means that there is usually a time separation between a believer s conversion and their

experience of Spirit baptism. The General Council of the Assemblies of God states the doctrine

as follows: the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience distinct from and subsequent to the

experience of the new birth. 19 Since the word baptism refers to a dipping or immersing in

water, then The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a subsequent, powerful, overwhelming immersion

in the Holy Spirit. While the New Testament believers sometimes received later infillings of the

Spirit (Acts 4:31), baptism in the Holy Spirit in all the biblical examples happens only once to

an individual. 20 Gordon Anderson presents a good definition and description from a Pentecostal

perspective: The baptism in the Holy Spirit is significant additional power for life and ministry

given by God subsequent to salvation. The Baptism is characterized by a deep sense of the

Clark H. Pinnock, foreword to The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke, by Roger Stronstad (Peabody:

Hendrickson, 1984), vii.

Where We Stand, 216.

Where We Stand, 217.

immediacy of God s presence. By virtue of this, a deep sense of mystery and emotion is often

experienced. It is also characterized by speaking in tongues. 21

A distinction is made in Scripture between an experience at conversion where the Holy

Spirit baptizes believers into the body of Christ, as in 1 Corinthians 12:13, and another

experience where Christ baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, as in Luke 3:16. These two

experiences are different since the particular person of God performing the baptism is different in

the two cases and the element into which God baptizes a person is different in the two cases.22

The former "has to do with the believer's position in Christ" while the latter "has to do with

power for service."23 The distinction between receiving the Holy Sprit at salvation, in Paul s

letter, and being immersed in the Holy Spirit for empowerment in witnessing and serving, in

Lucan writings, is demonstrated or implied by Luke s narration of the Spirit baptism experiences

of Christ's early disciples. Salvation is a prerequisite to being empowered by the Spirit, which

Luke implies by the use of the words disciples and believers to designate one who has been

converted or saved.24 Luke further demonstrates this in Acts 2:38-39 as well as in the five cases

where people are baptized in the Holy Spirit: Acts 2 (disciples on Day of Pentecost), Acts 8

(Samaritan believers), Acts 9 (Saul, who acknowledged Jesus as Lord), Acts 10 (Cornelius and

his household who believed the gospel), and Acts 19 (the disciples of Christ in Ephesus). For

Luke, the purpose of Spirit baptism is vocational in that it equips believers of Jesus for service,

foremost of which is witnessing the gospel.

Gordon L. Anderson, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Initial Evidence, and a New Model, under A

Pentecostal Definition of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200501/

200501_071_BaptismHS.cfm (accessed April 23, 2008). Anderson rightly emphasizes that good Christians may

have good ministry without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but Spirit baptism will make a good Christian even more

effective by giving additional power for life and ministry.

Where We Stand, 219-220.

Guy P. Duffield and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology (Manila, Philippines:

OMF Literature, 1987), 278.

Where We Stand, 220.

Second, the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the

Scriptures in Luke-Acts, is speaking with other tongues, or glossalalia25 in Greek. Another way

of phrasing this is that speaking in tongues, or Spirit inspired languages not learned by the

speaker, is the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The implications

behind such a statement is that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit will be accompanied by a visible,

observable sign or evidence in such a way that the work of the Spirit in the person cannot be

doubted by those observing the experience or by the one experiencing the baptism. The baptism

in the Holy Spirit, which the Bible distinguishes from the work of the Spirit in regeneration at

salvation, is for empowering a believer for effective witness and service. According to the

Scriptures in Acts, believers who receive this baptism know that they have received it if they

speak in a Spirit-inspired tongue, or language not previously learned. This doctrinal truth is

rooted in the Scriptures in Luke-Acts, as Pentecostals attest. The doctrine of initial physical

evidence is the main distinctive of classical Pentecostalism, with the doctrine of the baptism in

the Holy Spirit being subsequent to salvation as a second distinctive.

Jesus Gets Spirit Baptism in Gospel and Imparts it in Acts

It is important to see that the gift of the Spirit inaugurated and empowered Jesus mission.

At the beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized at the river.

Next, Luke 3:21-22 says: Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also

was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended

upon Him in bodily form like a dove and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art My beloved Son,

Anthony D. Palma states, Glossalalia is a technical term often used for speaking in tongues, being a

combined form of the Greek words lalia (speech, speaking) and glossa (tongue, language). (Anthony D. Palma,

Filled with the Spirit: Part 3: Is Glossolalia a Necessary Component of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? under

Endnotes, http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/ 199902/092_filled_spirit_3.cfm (accessed April 22, 2007)).

in Thee I am well-pleased. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, to help him in his upcoming

ministry. Likewise, Jesus proclaimed that he would pour out the Spirit upon believers to

inaugurate and empower them for their mission and for equipping them for witnessing and

serving.26 As Roger Stronstad aptly says, The Lord s anointed will also be the Lord s baptizer.

The One who was first anointed by the Holy Spirit will later baptize His followers with the Holy

Spirit and fire. 27 Subsequently, Jesus did baptize, or pour out, the Spirit upon his disciples on

the Day of Pentecost.28 Jesus was a model and set precedence for the disciples in receiving Spirit

baptism to empower one for ministry. Coupled with seeing the resurrected Christ, Spirit baptism

was essential for transforming the disciples psychologically to be the kind of witnesses needed to

turn the world upside down for Christ. Luke sees this Spirit baptism in a charismatic context

rather than a soteriological context. Luke s emphasis is on the Spirit s charismatic work in a

believer in preparing them for witness and service, not for salvation.

This further empowering experience is first termed baptism in the Holy Spirit by John the

Baptist in Luke 3:16, and his words are repeated by Jesus in Acts 1:5 and by Peter in Acts 11:16.

Luke believes that Spirit baptism is very important as it empowers a believer for effective

witness and service. Jesus gave two promises to his disciples about the baptism in the Holy

Spirit. First, Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 24:49, And behold, I am sending forth the

promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power

from on high. Second, Jesus said to his disciples in Acts 1:8, But you shall receive power when

the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all

Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. Thus, Jesus promise came to

Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8.

Roger Stronstad, They Spoke with Tongues and Prophesied, under God Begins to Speak again,

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200501/200501_081_tongues.cfm (accessed April 20, 2007).

Acts 2:1-4.

pass initially on the Day of Pentecost as many disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit as

evidenced by speaking in other tongues, being empowered to witness the gospel. Peter then

mentioned in Acts 2:38-39 that this same charismatic gift was available to all who are repentant

and believe in Jesus, And Peter said to them, Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the

name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the

Lord our God shall call to Himself. The charismatic gift of the Holy Spirit is universally

available to all believers, potentially. The book of Acts documents five incidents over a period of

twenty-five years where the baptism in the Holy Spirit came upon various kinds of believers.

Five Incidents of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Acts Chapter 2 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The first detailed incident in the Book of Acts of the baptism in the Holy Spirit appears in

chapter 2, and it shows that it occurs subsequent to salvation and with the initial physical

evidence of speaking in tongues. A group of about 120 believers in Christ met together prior to

receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Many believe that the eleven

disciples were converted even prior to Jesus' death since He tells them that their "names are

recorded in heaven"29 and "you are already clean."30 Regardless, surely, God had converted them

by the time of Jesus resurrection, for the Holy Spirit had just touched Jesus New Covenant

disciples in a regenerative way,31 and then Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem until they receive

Luke 10:20.

John 15:3.

John 20:22.

the baptism in the Holy Spirit.32 George Wood summarizes well this first instance of baptism in

the Holy Spirit being subsequent to salvation:

John 3:5 teaches that no one can be born again without the regenerating work of the Holy

Spirit and in John 20:22 Jesus breathes the Spirit upon the disciples, thus conferring on

them His finished atoning work through the Spirit. However, Acts 1:5 finds the Lord

giving yet further direction to the disciples concerning a work of the Holy Spirit they had

not yet experienced.33

In reference to John 20:22, where Jesus imparts a "spiritual benefit" to His disciples, "Some

scholars believe this was a conversion experience, an actual reception of the Holy Spirit."34

Schatzmann comments that John 20:22 is an unmistakable allusion to Gen. 2:7 where God

breathed life:

Now Jesus breathed life into His own. Some interpret the statement Receive the Holy

Spirit as symbolic and as anticipating Pentecost. Others understand the Greek to denote

immediacy in the sense of "receive right now," and view the day of the Lord's

resurrection as marking the transition from the terms of the Old Covenant to those of the

New Covenant. The old creation began with the breath of God; now the new creation

begins with the breath of God the Son.35

The phrase receive the Holy Spirit in John 20:22, establishes that the Spirit, at that historical

moment, entered and began to live in the disciples and to regenerate them,36 which is equivalent

to the conversion experience.37 Having been "indwelt and regenerated by the Holy Spirit before

the Day of Pentecost,"38 Jesus tells his disciples to wait for the promise of the Father39--the

baptism in the Holy Spirit that will come upon them and empower them on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 1:5.

George O. Wood, Acts: A Study Guide (Irving: ICI University Press, 1996), 25.

Robert E. Tourville, Verse-by-Verse Commentary in The New Testament Study Bible, John. Vol. 5 of The

Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament, ed. Thoralf Gilbrant (Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library,

1988), 537.

Siegried Schatzmann,. Book of John Introduction, Outline, and Notes, in The Spirit Filled Life Bible: New

King James Version, ed. Jack W. Hayford (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 1613.

Donald C. Stamps, Study notes and Articles, in The Full Life Study Bible: New International Version, ed.

Donald C. Stamps (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 1627.

George O. Wood, The Event of Speaking in Tongues: Acts 2, 2, http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/top/

2007_Pentecost_Sunday/speaking_in_tongues.pdf (accessed April 20, 2008).

Ibid.

Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8.

The rest of the group of 120 were surely believers in Christ too. After Jesus' ascension, they

gathered together with the eleven apostles: "These all with one mind were continually devoting

themselves to prayer"40 for ten days prior to the Day of Pentecost. In Acts chapter 2, the 120

disciples of Christ, including the apostles, are subsequently baptized in the Holy Spirit, speak in

other tongues, and are empowered to witness boldly for the Lord Jesus.

In addition to the believers receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit subsequent to their

salvation, the initial physical evidence of speaking in other tongues accompanied their gift. Acts 2:4

says, And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the

Spirit was giving them utterance. Immediately after receiving Spirit baptism, the disciples spoke in

tongues, understood by fifteen different language groups as being prayers and praises to God, 41 not

babble, not talking to people, and not prophecy.42 However, prior to the disciples receiving the

baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures say, And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a

violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to

them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 43 The

phenomena of the sound of wind and tongues of fire are not repeated in any of the other incidents of

Spirit baptism, but speaking in other tongues is repeated. It appears that the sound of wind and

tongues of fire were a unique experience for the very first occurrence of the baptism in the Holy

Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to mark the beginning of a new era in God s dealing with His

people. 44 Further, this phenomena occurred prior to the disciples receiving the experience and not

as a result of experiencing the Spirit baptism. Thus, speaking in tongues served as evidence to all

that the group of 120 had received that baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:14.

Acts 2:6-11.

Wood, The Event of Speaking in Tongues: Acts 2, 5.

Acts 2:2-3.

Palma, under The Disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21).

Acts Chapter 10 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The second detailed incident in the Book of Acts of the baptism in the Holy Spirit

appears in chapter 10, and it shows that it occurs subsequent to salvation and with the initial

physical evidence of speaking in tongues. This incident is actually the fourth incident of five

overall of the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, and it occurs approximately ten

years after the Day of Pentecost.45 Unlike the other four episodes in Acts, the people in this

episode do not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at a significantly "later time" from their

salvation, but the gift is still "subsequent" to their salvation experience. According to Milton

Agnew, "the word subsequent speaks, not so much of the length of the time interval, but of the

order of occurrence--'following in time, or as a result.' "46 After Peter calls for faith in Christ and

while Peter was still preaching, Cornelius the Gentile and his family and friends in Caesarea

experience salvation and forgiveness of sins as evidenced by the Holy Spirit falling upon them

and their speaking in tongues.47 Williams emphasizes, "Priority is still given to the Caesareans'

believing before the falling of the Holy Spirit, even if the latter follows immediately upon the

other."48 In the case of Cornelius household, there is not a chronological separation between

salvation and the baptism with the Holy Spirit; however, Williams articulates that there is a

"logical subsequence . . . that even if salvation and baptism in the Spirit are at the same moment,

salvation (conversion, regeneration) precedes Spirit baptism."49 Not only does the passage show

John R. Higgins, Michael L. Dusing, and Frank D. Tallman, An Introduction to Theology: A Classical

Pentecostal Perspective (Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1993), 151.

Milton S. Agnew, "Pneumatology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit." In Vol. 1 of A Contemporary

Wesleyan Theology, ed. Charles W. Carter (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 440.

Acts 10:43-46.

J. Rodman Williams, "Baptism in the Holy Spirit," in Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic

Movements, ed. Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 43.

Williams, 43.

subsequence, but it also shows that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by speaking in

tongues.

Speaking in tongues provided evidence to the Jews in attendance that the Gentiles had

received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:45-46 specifically says, And all the circumcised

believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been

poured out upon the Gentiles also, For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and

exalting God. In this case, the phenomenon of speaking in tongues, which may have included

expressions of exalting God,50 was clearly the initial physical evidence that the Gentiles had

received the gift of the Holy Spirit. All who were present were convinced that the Gentiles had

become believers and received the gift of the Holy Spirit because they heard the Gentiles

speaking in tongues. The evidence was so clear that Peter had Cornelius and his household

baptized in water, which could not have been encouraged unless Peter knew for sure that they

were believers accepted by God, which became clear as they received the gift of the Holy Spirit,

as evidenced by their speaking in tongues. Further evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit

being subsequent to salvation and evidenced by speaking in tongues is shown by how Peter

references this incident later.

Peter testifies of the incident of the Gentile s Spirit baptism to both the apostles and

brethren in Jerusalem, in Acts 11, and to the apostles and elders at the Jerusalem Council in Acts

15. Peter says to those in Jerusalem in reference to the phenomenon that he had witnessed, If

God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus

Christ, who was I that I could stand in God s way? 51 Agnew says that the phrase after

believing in Acts 11:17 is an aorist participle in Greek used by Peter to indicate the subsequent

Palma, under Cornelius Household at Caesarea (Acts 10:44-48).

Acts 11:17.

nature of the coming of the Holy Spirit.52 Additionally, Peter and his associates most likely

presented evidence that they heard the Gentiles speaking in tongues, which confirmed for those

in Jerusalem that the Gentiles had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. With this in mind,

Acts 11:18 says in regards to the apostles and brethren, And when they heard this, they quieted

down, and glorified God, saying, Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance

that leads to life. This would be the conclusion since only believers can receive the gift of

empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the work of witnessing and ministry. Peter further testifies at

the Jerusalem Council saying, God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them [that they were

believers], giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us [as believers]. 53 Just as

speaking in tongues confirmed for the apostles that they were already believers and had received

Spirit baptism, so also the speaking of tongues of Cornelius and his household and friends

confirmed that they were believers and had received the same gift of Spirit baptism.

Furthermore, Stanley Horton is convinced that the baptism of the Holy Spirit "witnessed to the

fact that they were already believers."54 It was not enough for them to simply say that they had

faith; the speaking in tongues convinced all who were present that the Gentiles not only were

true believers accepted by God but that they also received the gift of the baptism in the Holy

Spirit, as initially evidenced by their speaking in tongues.

Acts Chapter 19 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The third detailed incident in the Book of Acts of the baptism in the Holy Spirit appears

in chapter 19, and it shows that it occurs subsequent to salvation and with the initial physical

evidence of speaking in tongues. This incident is actually the last of the five incidents overall of

Agnew, 441.

Acts 15:8; Agnew 441.

Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says About The Holy Spirit (Springfield: Gospel Publishing House,

1976), 158.

the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, and it occurs with twelve disciples in Ephesus,

approximately twenty-five years after the Jerusalem Pentecost. It is possible that these

"disciples" in Acts 19:1 refer to the disciples of John the Baptist whom John had baptized,55 and

thus they are not Christians when Paul met them. However, since the word "disciples" refers to

Christians everywhere else in Acts, "it is more likely that the disciples Paul met in Ephesus were

indeed Christians but had not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit."56 F. F. Bruce declares,

"The idea that there was a group of disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus (against whom,

incidentally, the fourth Evangelist is alleged to polemicize) has no substantial evidence in its

favor, certainly not in the Fourth Gospel."57 Furthermore, "Had Luke meant to indicate that they

were disciples of John the Baptist . . . he would have said so explicitly."58 Regardless of their

spiritual condition when Paul first met them, the Holy Spirit still comes upon them subsequent to

their salvation, baptism in water (indicating faith was evident to Paul), and the laying on of hands

by Paul.59 Paul's question "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"60 also implies

that he regards the disciples as believers in Christ since the question literally reads in the Greek

as "having believed, did you receive?"61 Since Paul knew that all believers have the "indwelling

Spirit from the moment of their belief, conversion and regeneration (Ro. 8:9)," his question

refers to "the baptism in the Holy Spirit for power and ministry."62 According to Williams, "The

very question implies the possibility of believing in Christ without an accompanying reception

Acts 19:3.

Denis W. ed., The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, ed. Ralph W. Harris, vol. 11-16 of The

Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament, ed. Thoralf Gilbrant (Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library,

1988-90), 14:99.

F. F. Bruce, The Book of Act, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988), 363.

Ibid. 363.

Acts 19:5-6.

Acts 19:2.

Stanley M. Horton, Verse-by-Verse Commentary in The New Testament Study Bible, Acts, vol. 6 of

The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament, ed. Thoralf Gilbrant (Springfield: The Complete Biblical

Library, 1987), 447.

Stamps, 1686.

[baptism] of the Holy Spirit."63 Horton expresses, "The whole impression of Acts 19:2 is that

since these disciples claimed to be believers, the baptism in the Holy Spirit should have been the

next step, a distinct step after the believing, though not necessarily separated from it by a long

time."64 Thus, receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues was

the norm for a Christian, soon after believing, and thus it is a normative Christian experience.

Regardless of whether Paul converts the disciples at Ephesus or, more probably, they are

converted prior to meeting Paul, in the end, the twelve Ephesian disciples receive the baptism in

the Holy Spirit, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. Acts 19:6 says, And when Paul

had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with

tongues and prophesying. In this case, two phenomena are present upon receiving the baptism

in the Holy Spirit: speaking in tongues and prophesying. However, the phenomenon of

prophesying is not present in the cases in Acts 2 and Acts 10. Only speaking in tongues is

consistently present in all three of these cases that specify the details of phenomena that

accompany the Spirit baptisms. Furthermore, in each of these three cases, speaking in tongues

occurred immediately after receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts Chapter 8 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The first incident of the baptism in the Holy Spirit where Luke does not give details fully

is in Acts chapter 8, where some Samaritans are saved under Philip's ministry65 and then

baptized with the Holy Spirit several days later under the ministry of Peter and John.66 It is clear

that these Samaritan men and women are converted "when they believed Philip preaching the

Williams, 43.

Horton, What the Bible Says About The Holy Spirit, 161.

Acts 8:5-8, 12.

Acts 8:14-17.

good news," and their faith is expressed by their baptism in water.67 News reaches Peter and

John in Jerusalem via a messenger from Samaria that many Samaritans "received the word of

God," thus Peter and John then journey from Jerusalem to Samaria to pray for the Samaritans to

"receive the Holy Spirit, for He had not yet fallen upon any of them."68 With great insight, Wood

says, The mention of prayer leaves room for the possibility, indeed of the probability, that some

hours or even days of prayer by Peter and John among the Samaritans preceded their laying on of

hands."69 The Holy Spirit is received by the Samaritans, and Simon sees or hears some physical

evidence that the "Spirit was bestowed." Acts 8:18 says, Now when Simon saw that the Spirit

was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered them money, saying Give

this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy

Spirit. If the baptism in the Holy Spirit was only evidenced by faith and not by visible,

observable evidence, then Simon would not have known whether the Samaritans had actually

received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. In addition, there must have been some spectacular sign

that caused Simon to want to offer money for such authority and ability as demonstrated by the

apostles. The observable sign that Simon saw and heard was probably the Samaritans speaking in

tongues, languages that the speakers had not learned, because they had been baptized in the Holy

Spirit. This would be in line with the pattern established in Acts 2, 10, and 19, where specific

phenomena are given, and speaking in tongues is common in each case.

Acts Chapter 9 Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The second incident of a baptism in the Holy Spirit where details are not given is in Acts

chapter 9, where Paul is converted and subsequently receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acs 8:12.

Acts 8:14-16.

Wood, Acts: A Study Guide, 144.

After experiencing a personal vision of the resurrected Christ while traveling on the road to

Damascus, Paul was converted.70 Subsequently, Paul was baptized with the Holy Ghost under

the ministry of Ananias three days later.71 Moreover, Wood says that Paul "is converted on the

road to Damascus (9:3-6) as he recognizes the Lordship of Jesus and obediently follows His

directives."72 Three days after his conversion, Paul is "filled with the Holy Spirit,"73 which is

most definitely the same experience that he imparts to the Ephesian believers,74 who then speak

in tongues as evidence of receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Paul testifies that he did

speak in tongues in 1 Cor. 14:18, I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all. Most

likely, based on the normal pattern established in Acts 2, 10, and 19, Paul started speaking in

tongues the moment he had experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit, thus exhibiting the initial

physical evidence. Clearly, Paul received the bestowal of the Holy Spirit subsequent to his

salvation.

Mistaken Sixth Incident of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

While the Book of Acts "describes" only the previous five experiences of the baptism in

the Holy Spirit, some writers have mistakenly stated that Acts 2:37-41 "describes" the experience

of the group of three thousand people receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit at the moment of

salvation.75 First, although Acts 2:41 describes the three thousand people receiving the word and

being baptized, it gives no specific "description" of an actual bestowal of the Holy Spirit nor of

them receiving the promised gift, though "the spiritual warmth of the church thereafter testifies

Acts 9:3-9; Duffield and Cleave, 306.

Acts 9:17-19.

Wood, Acts: A Study Guide, 155.

Acts 9:17.

Acts 19:6; Wood, Acts: A Study Guide, 155.

John R. W. Stott, Baptism and Fullness (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1976), 28-29; MacArther, 178.

to it (Acts 2:41-47)."76 Second, in Acts 2:38, Peter does not give a prediction of what will

actually take place automatically upon repenting or being baptized in water; instead, he describes

what actions must take place after repentance. The question posed by the three thousand in Acts

2:37, "What shall we do?" is, according to Agnew, "in the future tense, not of prediction, What

will we do? but of requirement, What shall [must] we do? "77 This is the same tense as Peter's

response, which uses the volitional nature of the verb receive You shall [must] reach out

and take the gift of the Holy Spirit. 78 Horton agrees that the Greek word for the verb receive

in Acts 2:38 is better translated take, thus the three thousand are to actively take79 or to claim

the gift of the Spirit after experiencing genuine repentance.80 In summary, Acts 2:37-41 does

not describe a sixth baptism in the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts, but it does give a command

for all believers in all places at all times to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit after experiencing

repentance and faith in Christ.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper shows that the distinctive Pentecostal doctrines of the baptism in

the Holy Spirit, being subsequent to salvation and accompanied by the initial physical evidence

of speaking in tongues, are grounded in the Lucan writings. According to tradition and internal

evidence, Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts. He has shown himself to be both an

accurate historian and a competent theologian. Since Christians can potentially use all inspired

Scripture for establishing doctrine, and since Luke has instilled within his writings some theological

truths, people may use Luke-Acts to establish doctrine especially when repetitive themes are

Agnew, 441.

Ibid.

Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says About The Holy Spirit, 147-48.

Ralph A. Herring, God Being My Helper, (Nashville: Broadman, 1955), 124.

detected. Scholars notice that while Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit in a context of salvation, Luke

speaks about the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an experience whose purpose is to empower a

believer for effective witness and service.

Just as Jesus mission was inaugurated and empowered by the gift of the Spirit in the

Gospel of Luke, so Jesus pours out the Spirit upon believers to inaugurate and empower them for

their mission in Acts. Jesus set precedence for all disciples as he received the gift of the Spirit

with resulting empowerment for his mission. Thereafter, Jesus declares that his disciples must

also have such empowerment of the Spirit for their mission (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). Luke

presents five episodes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Based on the pattern

of the five incidents of the "bestowal" of the Spirit in the Book of Acts, Duffield and Cleave

conclude, "The Baptism with the Holy Ghost is a definite experience, subsequent to salvation,

whereby the Third Person of the Godhead comes upon the believer to anoint and energize him

for special service."81 Wood says, "One is left to conclude [from the Book of Acts] that the

baptism with the Spirit could occur immediately after salvation was received (10:44-45; 11:17),

or an interval of several days (9:17) or even longer (2:4; 8:14-17; 19:1-6) might come between

salvation and the baptism in the Spirit." 82 Therefore, this writer's essay establishes from the

Lucan writings that the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct and subsequent

experience after salvation and is a substantiated belief, as held by many Christians.

Further, Acts shows a pattern whereby speaking in tongues is seen as the initial physical

evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In three episodes, in Acts 2, 10, and 19, the narration

of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is given with details, which include various phenomena such as

the sound of wind, tongues of fire, prophecy, and speaking in tongues. However, only speaking

Duffield and Cleave, 307.

Wood, Acts: A Study Guide, 308.

in tongues is shown to be the consistent phenomena. The sound of wind and tongues of fire are

never repeated after the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and they

originate prior to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not as a result of individuals receiving the

baptism in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, based on this pattern, an argument can be made in the

episodes, of Acts 8 and 9, where detailed accounts with accompanying phenomena are not given

that it is very likely that speaking in tongues did occur upon receiving the baptism in the Holy

Spirit, by implication. When the Samaritans were baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 8, Simon

saw something to conclude that they had received it, and thus it is probable that he saw and heard

them speak in tongues. Since we know that Paul spoke in tongues from his letter to the

Corinthians, Paul probably initially spoke in tongues upon receiving the baptism in the Holy

Spirit, in accordance with the pattern already established. Further, the Early Church leaders

recognized that speaking in tongues was the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy

Spirit, based on the pattern that they had observed. Moreover, their agreement that speaking in

other tongues was the initial physical evidence is demonstrated by their acceptance of the

testimony concerning the Gentiles authentically receiving the Holy Spirit since it was observed

by an apostle and brethren that the Gentiles had spoken in tongues. Thus, the doctrine of initial

physical evidence is grounded in Scriptures from Luke-Acts.

Works Cited

Agnew, Milton S. "Pneumatology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit." In Vol. 1 of A

Contemporary Wesleyan Theology. Edited by Charles W. Carter. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 1988.

Anderson, Gordon L. Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Initial Evidence, and a New Model.

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200501/200501_071_BaptismHS.cfm (accessed April 23,

2008).

Barrett, David, The Worldwide Holy Spirit Renewal. In The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100

Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901-2001. By Vinson Synan. Nashville:

Thomas Nelson, 2001.

Beisner, E. Calvin. God in Three Persons. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1984.

Bruce, F. F. The Book of Acts. rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988.

Burgess, Stanley M., and Gary B. McGee. eds. Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic

Movements. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.

Duffield, Guy P., and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Manila,

Philippines: OMF Literature, 1987.

Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading,

Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.

Herring, Ralph A. God Being My Helper. Nashville: Broadman, 1955.

Higgins, John R., Michael L. Dusing, and Frank D. Tallman. An Introduction to Theology: A

Classical Pentecostal Perspective. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1993.

Horton, Stanley M. Verse-by-Verse Commentary. In The New Testament Study Bible, Acts.

Vol. 6 of The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament. Edited by Thoralf

Gilbrant. Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library, 1987.

What the Bible Says About The Holy Spirit. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1976.

MacArthur, John F. Jr. Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles. Vol. in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.

Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.

Luke: Historian & Theologian. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1970.

Menzies, William W. The Initial Evidence Issue: A Pentecostal Response. Asian Journal of

Pentecostal Studies 2. no 2 (1999): 261-78.

New American Standard Bible. 1960. Reprint, La Habra, CA: Lockman, 1977.

Palma, Anthony, D. Filled with the Spirit: Part 3: Is Glossolalia a Necessary Component of the

Baptism in the Holy Spirit? http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/

199902/092_filled_spirit_3.cfm (accessed April 22, 2007).

Pearlman, Myer. Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House,

1981.

Pinnock, Clark H. Foreword to The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke. By Roger Stronstad.

Peabody: Hendrickson, 1984. vii-viii.

Schatzmann, Siegried. Book of John Introduction, Outline, and Notes. In The Spirit Filled Life

Bible: New King James Version. Edited by Jack W. Hayford. Nashville: Thomas Nelson,

1991.

Stamps, Donald C. Study notes and Articles. In The Full Life Study Bible: New International

Version. Edited by Donald C. Stamps. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Stott, John R. W. Baptism and Fullness. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1976.

Stronstad, Roger. The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1984.

They Spoke with Tongues and Prophesied. http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200501/

200501_081_tongues.cfm (accessed April 20, 2007).

Synan, Vinson. Preface to The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and

Charismatic Renewal, 1901-2001. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.

Tourville, Robert E. Verse-by-Verse Commentary in The New Testament Study Bible, John.

Vol. 5 of The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament. Edited by Thoralf

Gilbrant. Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library, 1988.

Where We Stand. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 2003.

Williams, J. Rodman. "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." In Dictionary of Pentecostal and

Charismatic Movements. Edited by Stanley M. Burgess and Gary B. McGee. Grand

Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.

Wood, George O. Acts: A Study Guide. Irving: ICI University Press, 1996.

The Event of Speaking in Tongues: Acts 2. http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/top/

2007_Pentecost_Sunday/speaking_in_tongues.pdf (accessed April 20, 2008).

Vinyard, Denis W. ed. The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary. Edited by Ralph W. Harris.

Vol. 11-16 of The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament. Edited by Thoralf

Gilbrant. Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library, 1988-90.

Contact this candidate