What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Part of what makes this question difficult to answer is the fact that the phrase “baptism of the Holy Spirit” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. It’s a completely man-made expression. Now this doesn’t automatically mean that it is inaccurate or unbiblical. There are several other terms or phrases that men have developed to describe or explain ideas that are taught in the Bible (the words trinity or rapture are good examples). But it does mean that we need to be careful to define what we are talking about when we use this phrase.
As we have already seen, when Peter and the apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and spoke in tongues, they recognized it as the fulfillment of the promise of Holy Spirit baptism. This is seen very plainly in Peter’s words in Acts 11 where he likened his own experience with that of the household of Cornelius, saying, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning. I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”
But just to complicate matters a bit, let me point out that while the same Greek preposition is used in all of the verses which refer to both the Spirit and baptism (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13), that phrase is translated into English in at least three different ways, and every Bible translation will make slightly different choices at different places. For instance, while the Christian Standard Bible is pretty consistent, translating all the references in the Gospels and Acts as “with the Holy Spirit,” it reads “by one Spirit” in 1 Cor. 12:13. The NASB reads “with the Holy Spirit” in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but then translates the same Greek phrase “in the Holy Spirit” in John 1 and “by one Spirit” in 1 Cor. 12. Does this mean that the Bible translators were confused? Not at all. Like English, prepositions in Greek can serve in a variety of ways, and so it really is valid to translate this little word as with, in, or by depending on its context.
Now this does lead us to consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:13. Other than the references we have already studied, this is the only place where the Bible mentions baptism in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. It says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and we were all given one Spirit to drink.”
In the preceding verse Paul says that the body of Christ is made up of many parts, and yet it is one body. There is a unity among Christians that is foundational, fundamental to our very identity as Christians, which does not obliterate our individuality or unique gifting and service. How is this body of Christ formed? Paul says in v.13 that it is by way of a baptism, and specifically a baptism in, by, or with the Holy Spirit. Now if this preposition is translated by it may give the impression that the Holy Spirit is the one doing the baptizing, but we must remember that there is no difference in the way Paul uses the term here and the way it is used in those earlier passages. This means that we should recognize that Jesus Christ is the baptizer, and the Holy Spirit is the one in whom we all were baptized.
So the Spirit baptism of which the New Testament speaks is not something reserved for the spiritual elite, but rather it is the experience of all Christians. And it is by this baptism that we are placed into the body of Christ, so that we could say that if you have not yet been baptized with the Spirit, you do not yet belong to Christ. This is consistent with what Paul says elsewhere about the Spirit and the Christian, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9).
What all of this means is that there is only one baptism with, by, or in the Holy Spirit, and rather than being something believers experience some time after they are saved, we are baptized by Christ with the Spirit the moment we believe. It is the only way that we can be in the body of Christ and members one of another.
Should we retire the expression “baptism of the Holy Spirit” then, since it seems to bring much confusion to the subject? Consider this from Pastor John MacArthur on 1 Corinthians 12: “It should also be noted that the phrase ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is not a correct translation of any passage in the New Testament, including this one. En heni pneumati (by one Spirit) can mean ‘by or with one Spirit.’ Because believers are baptized by Christ, it is therefore best to translate this phrase as ‘with one Spirit.’ It is not the Holy Spirit’s baptism but Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit that gives us new life and places us into the Body when we trust in Christ.”