There is great confusion in the church concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Christians hold conflicting views on nearly every aspect of this doctrine and experience.

** Some believe that Christian receive the Holy Spirit automatically at conversion.
** Others believe that it occurs at water baptism. Some say at sanctification.
** Some accept tongues as a sign of receiving the Spirit, but not the only sign.
** Some admit that tongues are still for day, but only as one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.
** Other contend that tongues ceased when the New Testament was completed. This group is split into those who say that tongues are of the devil and those that say that tongues are merely a result of over emtionalism.
** Some believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is different from receiving or being baptized in the Spirit.

This section deals with this last question and it establishes an important premise when studying the subject of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. That premise is this: The terms used in the New Testament concerning the impartation of the Holy Spirit, such as baptized in, filled with, receive, come upon, fall upon, pour out, give and receiving the promise of the Father, all refer to one and the same experience.

Acts 1:4-5 -- And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, yet have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Acts 1:8 -- But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.

In Acts 1:4, Jesus said to "wait for the promise of the Father". What was the "promise of the Father"? In verse 5, Jesus called it being baptized with the Holy Spirit. In verse 8, He promised they would receive ower to witness after the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

So far we have: promise of the Father (v. 4) = baptized with the Holy Spirit (v. 5) = Holy Spirit came upon you (v. 8).

How as this event that Jesus foretold fulfilled? Seven days after Jesus made the promise at His ascension, we have the following account of its fulfillment.

Acts 2:1-4 -- they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as they Spirit gave them utterance.

This record of the event uses the phrase "filled with the Holy Ghost" to describe what has been decribed with 3 separate terms already. All 4 phrases clearly are referring to the same experience at Pentecost.

Acts 2:16-18 -- But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.

Peter declares that what they have just witnessed is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel 2:28. Thus we now have 5 phrases referring to the upper room experience.

Acts 2:33 -- Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Acts 2:38 -- Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Seven different phrases are used in Acts 1 and 2 to refer to what happened on the Day of Pentecost. Some might argue, "Okay, I can see the terms are used interchangeable in Acts 1 and 2. But that doesn't mean these terms have the same meaning throughout the New Testament, does it?" The answer is, of course it does. It can't be otherwise. If God had two sets of definitions for the same terms, it would lead to complete chaos and a doctrinal free for all. But lets trace these terms through the rest of the Book of Acts and you will see that they continue to refer to the same experience as at Pentecost.

Acts 8:15-20 --

v. 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
v. 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
v. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
v. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
v. 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

There are two points of interest in this passage to our study:

1. The terms receive the Holy Ghost, fallen upon and Holy Spirit given are clearly used interchangeably to refer to the same thing.

2. This passage says that people gave heed to the things Philip spoke (v.6) and that they were baptized (ie. water baptism v.16) and that there was great joy in that city (v.8). Clearly they were saved before the apostles came to Samaria. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded us first to make disciples and then baptize them. There are two external evidences of their salvation in this passage, their baptism in water and their joy. However, they had not received the Holy Spirit yet (v.16). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from salvation. As we will see in Acts 10, they can happen simultaneously, but the fact remains that the two experiences are distinct and separate.

Acts 10:44-48 -- While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. The answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

V.44 The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word.
V.45 And they of the circumcision ... were astonished because on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
V.47 which have received the Holy Ghost

V.47 as well as we ...
--"even as we"
--"even as also we"
--"as also we"

In this section of scripture we can plainly see the terms fell on, poured out and received used interchangeably. Peter used the words "as well as we" showing that he regarded this as the same experience they ahd received at Pentecost.

Acts 11:16-17 -- Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I cold withstand God? In this passage Peter is recounting the event in Caesarea to the Apostles in Jerusalem. In this defense (as to why he associated wtih Gentiles) he said they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and that God gave them the like gift, thus equating what happened in Caesarea with what happened at Pentecost.

Let's summarize the information we have so far:

The Same Terms Used for the Jews and the Gentiles

Summary of Terms in the Book of Acts
Gentiles at Caesarea		Jews at Jerusalem
10:44	fell on	1:8	come upon
10:45	poured out	2:17	pour out of my Spirit
10:45	Gift of the H.S.	2:38	Gift of the H.S.
10:47	received the H.S.	10:47	received ... as well as we.
11:16	baptized with the H.S.	1:5	baptized with the H.S.
11:17	gave them the like gift	2:38	gift of the H.S.

Paul with the Ephesians:

Acts 19:1-7 -- And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.

V.2 Paul asks have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

V.6 the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues.

The action described that follows Paul's question in verse 2 is in verse 6. Clearly here also these two terms are interchangeable. There is a question that is sometimes raised with this passage. The argument goes something like this. Verse 2 is better translated, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed", showing that the experience happens at salvation and is not a subsequent and separate event. For the answer to this question, please refer to the section on Acts.

Question. But isn't the baptism different from being filled?

A popular radio teacher stated: "The cause of so much misunderstanding of this subject among believers is the failure or unwillingness to distinguish between baptism in and filling with the Spirit. Filling with the Spirit may be repeated often, but there is one baptism, namely, the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost.

Answer
The argument here is that there was a once-for-all baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost and that all subsequent experiences were a repeat filling with the Spirit, usually without the evidence of speaking in other tongues. It is true that there are a number of passages in the New Testament that speak of a repeated filling with the Holy Spirit.

For example,

Acts 4:31 -- And when they had prayed, the placed was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God wtih boldness.

Here the disciples, who had been filled at Pentecost, were again filled with the Holy Ghost.

Ephesians 5:18 -- And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Sirit.

The literal Greek here is linear, "Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit". The Emphasized Bible, "be getting filled in Spirit"; The Expanded translation, "be constantly controlled by the Spirit".

filled: to make replete (to fill up, fully and abundantly provided), literally to cram, level up.

But there cannot be subsequent fillings without an initial filling, and this initial filling is the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

It is not possible to substantiate the position that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occured only once at Pentecost for two reasons:

1. As we have seen, the terms are used interchangeable through the book of Acts, and thus, each group (i.e. Acts 2,8,10,18) was baptized in the Holy Ghost.

2. Acts 2:4 says they were "all filled with the Holy GHost". So to say only experiences after Pentecost were "filings" and Pentecost was the one and only "Baptism" is contrary to the account in Acts 2.

Conclusion: When the New Testament Christians were given the Holy Spirit, they also receive the Holy Spirit, which is the same as being Baptized in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit. That these terms are used synonymously in the book of Acts is very clear.