We have put together the following reply in response to a comment made on one of our post in which we had stated:

“The Scriptures make a distinction between the faithful of the past who were moved by the holy spirit, and those during the Gospel age who are begotten by the holy spirit. Both have the holy spirits presence and guidance, but only those begotten of the holy spirit are begotten to a new nature, a spirit nature.

A forum member replied: You are confusing the New Birth with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It is our contention however that it is our friend who is confused, he is confusing the BAPTISM of the holy spirit (which only the Lord and those joined to him receive), with that of one simply being “MOVED by the holy spirit” (2 Pet 1:21) or “FILLED with the holy spirit” (Luke 1:15), and/or having “the spirit dwell WITH you” (John 14:17) as were all the Lord’s holy prophets throughout the Jewish age. This of course in no way implies that those presently baptized in the holy spirit cannot be “moved” by the spirit, nor “filled” with the spirit.

So then WHEN did the baptism of the holy spirit first take place?

The baptism of the holy spirit took place when our Lord Jesus at age of 30 (according to the Law) fully consecrated himself and was baptized (anointed) by the Father’s spirit, the holy spirit at the river Jordan. It was there that he became in the Hebrew: the Messiah and in the Greek: the Christ; meaning, The Anointed.

NO ONE previous to this had ever been baptized in the holy spirit, and not until following Pentecost were any others included in this baptism. NO ONE who died previous to our Lord’s death and resurrection, which includes John the Baptist, the greatest of our Lord’s prophets all the way back to righteous Abel was ever baptized in the holy spirit.

The brethren who received the outpouring of the holy spirit at Pentecost were only of those who prior to his sacrifice had become followers of the Lord Jesus, viz.

Before his death and resurrection,

Before his ascension,

Before he had appeared in the presence of God for them,

Before the application of the merit of his sacrifice could be applied to them,

Thus they could not have been baptized in the holy spirit prior to this time, nor could any others.

John testifies that at that time: “The spirit was NOT YET GIVEN; because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:39) While they walked with Jesus he could say to them, “The spirit of truth dwells with you“; but could promise additionally, “and shall be (future tense) in you,” not merely “with” and “upon” you, as was the case with the prophets of the previous Age.

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25)

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be (future tense) in you.” (John 14:17)

But what of John the Baptist?

Yes it’s true, John the Baptist was “filled with the holy spirit” (Luke 1:15), as were many others of the Lord’s faithful of the past, but this is not the same as being baptized (immersed) in the holy spirit.

“There hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven [the Church] is greater than he.” (Matt.11:11) NONE could share in the “high calling,” nor in any manner be recognized by the Father as members of the house of sons, who had died prior to our Lord’s death and resurrection, prior to the giving of the holy spirit of adoption, whereby all the house of sons are “sealed unto the day of redemption.” (John 1:12; Eph. 4:30)

Of John it is written that he was filled with the holy spirit from his birth. But we must not misunderstand this to mean that he was begotten of the holy spirit, in the sense that Christians are begotten of it, for he lived before the time of spirit-begetting–in the Jewish age, not in the Gospel or Christian age. Thus our Lord said of him that, although there had not risen a greater Prophet than John, nevertheless, the least in the Kingdom of God (the Church; the heavenly phase) is greater than he. In other words the least one in the house of sons is on a higher plane than the greatest one in the house of servants. (Matt. 11:11; Heb. 3:5, 6.)

In harmony with (John 7:39) we must understand that John was filled with the holy spirit, holy power or influence from God from his birth, after the same manner in which other prophets throughout the Jewish age had been under that spirit. (2 Pet 1:21).

In the case of the Church to be filled with the Spirit, means the same thing as to be baptized with the Spirit, as is apparent by comparing the promise of Christ in (Acts 1:5) “…for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now,” and so it was with its fulfillment, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:4)

In our next post we will address the question: What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?