What Is The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

Applicable Verb Tenses in the English and the Original language For This lesson:

aorist indicative tense- ⁱ Not in English grammar but important in Greek. Translated as past tense.

The immersion of the Sound on the day of Pentecost a few weeks after the resurrection.

When this was sounded abroad,ⁱⁱ people came and gathered (Acts 2:6) and heard from the apostles (2:14). Peter told them that the prophet Joel had foretold that God’s Spirit would be “poured out^G1632upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). The goal was prophesying that would accompany salvation from the great and terrible dayⁱⁱⁱ of the Lord for those calling on the name of the Lord. Peter said that what they were seeing and hearing was “the pouring out^G1632 of the Spirit.” Specifically, he said, “[Jesus] Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth^G1632this, which ye see and hear.” (2:33, ASV). It was a “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit witnessed by the people.

Later, in Acts 10:45 in Cornelius’ house the Jews with Peter were amazed because “on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit then was “poured out upon” both the apostles and the Cornelius’ Gentile group. In both of these settings it refers to a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Another Synonym. “The pouring out of the Spirit is an O.T. metaphor.”^iv The metaphor for “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” in the OT prophecies is a “pouring out^G1632 of the Holy Spirit.” Such prophecies are in Isaiah 32:15; 44:3; Joel 2:28, 29; Zechariah 12:10. Peter said that it was a prophecy of their baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:16, 33). “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (2:16). This is evidence therefore that the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit is a synonym for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The word for “pouring out” is used 31 times in the NT and translated as “shed”, “poured”, “spilled”, “abroad”, “forth”, “greedily”, “gushed”, and “run.” In the Greek OT (LXX^v) it is translated 118 times as “shed (many times for blood)”, “discharged”, “pouring” [water, ashes, money, rage, blood, dust, broth, warriors, soul/s, dishonor, bile, broadsword, favor from lips, anger, rain, supplication, contempt, heart like water, librations, liver, harlotry, anger, [running] water, spirit, and blessing]).

As can be seen from the above list, liquids, solids, personal acts, and emotions “are poured out.” Perhaps the analogy of “pouring out like water” helps us to understand the essence of what is meant by the pouring out of anything. An example, “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19; cf. Hosea 5:10). Things from the heart. Likewise, the pouring of the Spirit is likened to water. As the prophet predicted, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring” (Isaiah 44:3, KJV). Spirit and blessing are compared to water and floods that’s poured.

“Poured Out Upon Us Richly.” The “pouring out” affects beyond Pentecost’s baptism. “But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7, ASV). The Savior’s kindness and love affects us; His mercy affects us. They affect us by means of a new birth which is made possible by the Holy Spirit by the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit.

The Two Actions In This Text That Affects Us. 1. “Jesus saved us” is aorist indicative tense.^vi This means it is a simple occurrence specifically in the past. A specific past event (dying for our sins) but it affects us all. 2. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is likewise aorist. These are each one-time actions. But in order for either to be happening since the Pentecost, it would have to be in imperfect tense (a continuing action) and not aorist.^vii No one believes that Jesus is being continually crucified so why would anyone think that the Holy Spirit continues to be “poured out.” Some would have the baptism of the Holy Spirit continuing and being repetitive. This is factually not so according to this passage. For one of the two actions to be continuing then both actions would have to be repeating. I remember as a child hearing that some people had crucified Jesus again (probably from a misconception of the warning in Hebrews 6:6 of “crucifying the Lord afresh”) and how that broke my heart. Why couldn’t they leave him be. But Jesus died only once but it was once and for all. “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God” (Romans 6:10). So likewise the “pouring out of” the Holy Spirit baptism which affects us (the one upon the apostles) just happened one time.

GAYLON WEST

Throw Out The Lifeline

i http://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm

ii Two Greek authorities disagree here. M. R. Vincent says the wind sound was noised abroad. However, A. T. Robertson says it was the speaking in tongues that was noised abroad. The word “noise” that was abroad is phone in Acts 2:6 which is compatible with Jesus said the Spirit is like the wind’s “phone” in John 3:8.

iii A.T. Robinson. “Notable (epiphanē) is the same root as epiphany (epiphaneia) used of the Second Coming of Christ It translates here the Hebrew word for “terrible.” In the Epistles the Day of the Lord is applied (according to Knowling) to the Coming of Christ for judgment.”

iv Comment in Vincent’s Word Studies. Titus 3:6.

v LXX. The common Greek version used by the dispersed Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem. This explains why the original epistles, etc. were consequently written in Greek.

vi “In the indicative mood the aorist tense denotes action that occurred in the past time, often translated like the English simple past tense” http://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.

vii Imperfect portrays the action as going on for some extended period of time in the past. Aorist is a single action without regard to duration. http://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm