Seven Salvation Ministries of God the Holy Spirit

Transcription

1 Seven Salvation Ministries of God the Holy Spirit Introduction At the moment a person makes the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation simultaneously, God the Holy Spirit performs seven ministries on behalf of the believer: (1) Efficacious Grace: Makes faith in Jesus Christ effective for salvation (2 Cor. 6:1-2; Eph. 2:8-9). (2) Regeneration: Creates a human spirit for the purpose of the imputation of eternal life (John 3:1-16; Titus 3:5). (3) Baptism of the Spirit: Places every believer in union with Jesus Christ (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21). (4) Indwelling: Creates a temple for the indwelling of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16). (5) Filling: Controls the soul of the believer and is the means of executing the Plan of God (Eph. 5:18). (6) Sealing: Puts His stamp on the believer to guarantee their salvation (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). (7) Distribution of Spiritual Gifts: Gives every believer a spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Efficacious Grace Efficacious Grace is one of the 60 Things that a believer receives at the moment they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when God the Holy Spirit makes a person s faith in Christ effective for salvation. When a person hears the Gospel message, God the Holy Spirit makes it understandable, which is called Common Grace. He has to make it understandable to the unbeliever because the Gospel is a spiritual message but the unbeliever is spiritually dead. He needs help to understand the things of God. The Gospel is spiritualese. The unbeliever needs a Translator. Once the Holy Spirit translates the Gospel for the unbeliever like an interpreter of a foreign language. The unbeliever then has to make a decision once he understands what he has heard. God has given everyone a soul and in that soul he has placed a volition or free will. The free will or volition is the light switch in your soul. The person who believes in Christ for salvation flicks on the light switch and now walks in the light while the person who doesn t believe in Christ remains in the darkness. If a person makes the decision to believe in Christ that person is not saved yet... I repeat they are not saved yet... God the Holy Spirit has to do 1 more thing, which is our subject... God the Holy Spirit has to make a person s faith in Christ effective for salvation. This is called Efficacious Grace. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, "And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain-for He says, 'At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation (the day that you believed in Christ) I (God the Holy Spirit) helped you, behold, now is 'the acceptable time, behold, now is 'the day of salvation.'" Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved in the past completely, through the instrumentality of the Faith (in Christ), with the present result that you are in a state of salvation which goes on forever, and this (the grace & the faith) is not of yourselves, it (the grace & the faith) is the gift of God; not as a result of human works, that no one should boast (before God) (corrected translation). A person s faith in Christ does not save them until God the Holy Spirit does something with that person s faith. Efficacious Grace is a big word for when the omnipotence of God the Holy 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 Spirit takes a spiritually dead person s faith in Christ for salvation and makes it effective or valid for salvation. The best way to describe efficacious grace is through the drowning man analogy. A person who is drowning cries out for help, don t they? Of course, they do. A drowning person cries out for help because they are helpless. A drowning person cries out to another person for help because they cannot save themselves. A person s faith in Christ is like a drowning person s cry for help. A person s faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is a cry to God for help. God the Holy Spirit hears the person s decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation and then proceeds to save that person like a lifeguard who saves a person from drowning... A person is not saved from drowning until the lifeguard pulls them out of the water. In the same way, a person is not saved until God the Holy Spirit makes a person s faith in Christ effective for salvation. A drowning man is not saved by simply crying out for help and neither is a person saved by simply having faith in Christ. Someone has to hear and then pull a drowning man out of the water to be saved, right? Well, God the Holy Spirit has to hear our faith in Christ and then He has to save us. God the Holy Spirit is our spiritual lifeguard Who makes our faith in Christ effective for salvation. We are saved from drowning in the Lake of Fire forever and ever when God the Holy Spirit, our spiritual lifeguard takes our cry for help, faith alone in Christ alone and makes it effective for salvation which is analogous to being pulled out of the water. Regeneration Regeneration takes place at the moment of salvation when the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit creates a human spirit in the believer in order that they may receive the imputation of eternal life enabling the believer to live with God forever. It is 1 of the 60 Things that the believer receives at salvation. Regeneration is our spiritual birth. It is a theological word for being born-again. Every person born into this world that has human life is born spiritually dead. Every baby that is born into this world is physically alive but spiritually dead. Every baby that is born into this world receives the imputation of Adam s original sin in the garden making them spiritually dead. When Adam sinned, the entire human race sinned (Rom. 5:12). God imputed Adam s sin to every person born into the world in order that He might show grace and mercy to everyone (Rom. 11:32). So that when a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ when they hear the Gospel communicated to them, God creates a human spirit in them in order that they may become spiritually alive. When you become born-again or regenerated, you have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. Our human spirit enables us to understand the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10-14). Unbelievers can t understand the things of God because they don t have this human spirit. Only the believer in fellowship with God can understand the things of God. When we are bornagain we also receive the imputation of eternal life. Eternal life enables the believer to live with God forever. Eternal life has no beginning and no end and is the life of God. So when we become bornagain, we have the life of God, which enables us to live with Him forever and ever. No one can have a relationship with God without being born-again or regenerated. Regeneration is a part of God s grace policy directed toward us. Grace means that we don t earn or deserve to be born again. It is a gift from God. We can t take credit for the fact that we have been born again since it is entirely the work of the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 Regeneration or being born again is our entrance into the Plan of God and a fantastic life full of blessing. There are several passages that support this doctrine. John 1:12-13, But as many as received Him (Faith alone in Christ alone), to them He (God) gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name (His Person), who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh (old sin nature), nor of the will of man, but of God. John 3:1-8, Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night, and said to Him (the Lord Jesus Christ), Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother s womb and be born, can he? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (Acceptance of the Gospel message) and the Spirit (God the Holy Spirit in Common Grace making the Gospel understandable and then making the person s faith effective for salvation in Efficacious Grace), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh (old sin nature) is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (human spirit). Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Titus 3:5, He (God the Holy Spirit) saved us, not on the basis of deeds (human works) which we have done in (human power) righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:3, Worthy of praise and glorification is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His great mercy (grace in action) has caused us to be born again to a living confidence through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:23, For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable (the old sin nature passed down from your human father) but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. 1 John 5:1, Whoever believes that Jesus (emphasizing His humanity) is the Christ (the Messiah, the Savior of the world) is born of God. Eternal life is the life of God, and has no beginning and no end. The imputation of eternal life is a real imputation and all imputations of life are real imputations. A real imputation has a home or target. The human spirit that God the Holy Spirit created at the moment of faith in Christ is the home or target for the imputation of eternal life. God the Holy Spirit creates a human spirit at the moment of salvation. Just as God prepared the soul as the target or home for human life, so also He prepares the human spirit as the target or home for eternal life. Both, the soul and the human spirit were created by an act of God. Both, the soul and the human spirit cannot be destroyed. The imputation of human life to the soul is unchangeable and forever. The imputation of eternal life to the human spirit is also unchangeable and forever. Both of these imputations are permanent. God cannot undo what He Himself has done. No life, whether human or eternal, can ever be separated from the home or target to which it is imputed. There is 2 requirements must be met if we are to have an eternal relationship with God, and both are imputed at the moment of salvation: (1) We must have His righteousness. (2) We must have His life. Ever since we believed in Christ, we possess 2 kinds of life. We will live forever with God because we have 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 His life, eternal life. Without eternal life we would not have the capacity for blessing in eternity. Eternal life is God's life and is an attribute of His Divine Essence. Eternal life guarantees: (1) We will live with God forever. (2) We will receive a resurrection body. Eternal life is like a treasure chest. There are blessings for time in this treasure chest. God gave us eternal life so that we can withdraw from the treasure chest of blessings in time. Eternal life was imputed to us so that we can enjoy blessings. We receive these blessings by growing to spiritual maturity through positive volition to Bible Doctrine. Romans 5:17, "For if by the transgression of the one (Adam's original sin), the (spiritual) death ruled through that one (Adam-and it did), much more (a fortiori principle) they who receive in life this surplus from the grace of God (the blessings of time to the spiritually mature believer) and the gift of the righteousness of God (imputed at salvation), much more they shall rule through the One, Jesus Christ." Baptism of the Spirit During the dispensation of the church age when a person exercises faith alone in Christ alone, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places that person in a eternal union with Christ, thus identifying the believer positionally with Christ in His death and resurrection. This results in making the believer a permanent member of the royal family of god, a new spiritual species and eternally secure (Mark 16:16; John 7:37-39; 14:20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21). Vocabulary: Bapto (verb): to dip, to dye, to stain, to wet, to moisten ; Baptizo (verb): to put or place into something, to identify ; Baptisma (noun): identification ; Baptismos (noun): the ritual washing of cups, utensils, bowls. Bapto is seldom found in the NT but is found extensively in Classical and Hellenistic writings. Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides, Epictectus, Aristophanes, all used the verb bapto. It is used 16 times in the LXX and is found once in Luke 16:24, twice in John 13:26, and once in Revelation 19:13. It has many diverse meanings and usages during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Bapto is never used to put an object into a fluid to remain there permanently or for an unlimited amount of time. Nor is it used to draw up anything out of a liquid, which it had not first put into it. There are 2 categorical usages from which there are several modifications. Primary and Secondary usages: (1) Primary usage: to dip. Bapto in its primary usage expresses a sharply defined action. It demands a movement, which carries its object momentarily, within a fluid element. Examples: if any one should dip into wax (Aristotle, On the Soul, 3.12) and He dipped a vessel into water (Constantine, Epigr of Hermolaus). From this primary usage, bapto can mean, to wet, to moisten, to wash, to plunge. In the 9th book of the Odyssey, Homer uses the word to compare the hissing sound of Cyclops punctured eye with the sound cold water makes when a blacksmith plunges (bapto) a red hot iron into it (Od. 9, 392). (1) Secondary usage: to dye Examples: When it drops upon the garments they are dyed (Hippocrates) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Bapto in its secondary usage expresses a condition or quality of color to be secured. Bapto in its secondary usage demands a condition, which is met by flowing, pouring, or sprinkling. From this secondary usage, bapto can mean, to stain, to smear, to paint, to temper, to impregnate, to make gold or inlay with gold. In the 9th book of the Odyssey, Homer uses the word to compare the hissing sound of Cyclops punctured eye with the sound cold water makes when a blacksmith plunges (bapto) a red hot iron into it (Od. 9, 392). Out of bapto s secondary usage grew baptizo. Homer, Aristotle, Plutarch, Polybius, Epictectus, Hippocrates, Aristophanes, Strabo, Josephus and Philo all used baptizo. It is only found 4 times in the LXX and many times in the NT. Baptizo has many diverse meanings and usages in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Baptizo s primary usage can also be called its literal usage and its secondary usage can also be called its metaphorical or figurative usage. Baptizo is the intensified form of bapto. The suffix -izo introduces a causative notion to bapto. Baptizo refers to that which literally causes a thoroughly complete change of condition or permanent change of condition. The literal usage refers to an object s thoroughly changed condition that has been brought about by the object being introduced into some new circumstance. Baptizo in its primary or literal usage refers to placing an object in any fluid that could change the object s condition without respect to time. After the object s condition has been changed, the enveloping fluid has no further power to effect additional change on the object. In the literal or physical sense baptizo refers to that which is destructive for persons and for things and this is why it is not found in classical writings of ritual bathes. Literal usage: to immerse, to plunge, to submerge, to wash, to make clean by dipping in water, to bath oneself, to drown, to perish, to sink a ship, to sink in the mud. Example 1: We all, therefore, changed our position to the higher parts of the ship, so that we might raise up the baptized part of the ship (Achilles Tatius 3.1). Example 2: Alexander, falling upon the stormy season, and trusting, commonly, to fortune, pressed on before the flood went out, and through the entire day the army marched baptized up to the waist (Strabo, ). Baptizo developed a secondary or metaphorical usage from this primary or literal usage. In its secondary or metaphorical usage, baptizo referred to being placed into an element that could effect a thoroughly changed or permanently changed condition without regard to time. It refers to a condition that results from baptism and to the cause of that condition, regardless of the way in which the condition is affected. Metaphorical usage: to overwhelm, to inflict great and abounding calamities on someone, to be overwhelmed with faults, desires, sicknesses, magical arts, to sink into sleep, intoxication, impotence, to flood a city with crowds, to be soaked in wine, to be over one s head and ears in debt, to be in deep water, i.e., trouble, to draw wine by dipping a cup in a bowl. Paul took the metaphorical or figurative usage of baptizo and developed yet another usage, which is identification. When Paul uses baptizo in relation to the Baptism of the Spirit in 1 Cor. 12:13 and Eph. 4:5, he is talking about the act of identifying 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 one thing with another resulting in a permanent change of condition. Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the verb identify, to cause to be or become identical, to conceive as united (as in spirit, outlook, or principle). Webster s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun identification, a process by which a person ascribes to himself the qualities or characteristics of another person. Baptizo is found in 1 Cor. 12:13 and Eph. 4:5 and means to be placed in eternal union with Christ by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation resulting in permanent change of condition. The Greek author and soldier, Xenophon in his work Anabasis describes a ritual identification used by Greek and barbarian soldiers before going into battle when they placed (baptizo) the points of their swords and spears in a bowl of blood, which symbolized or represented the blood of their enemy. There are 2 identifications in the NT as related to baptizo: (1) Ritual (2) Real. Ritual identification is the act of immersing or submerging oneself in water in the ritualistic sense such as Pre-Canon Christian water baptism, Baptism of Jesus, Baptism of John. Real identification is the act of identifying one thing with another as in the Baptism of the Spirit, Baptism of Moses, Baptism of Fire, Baptism of the Cross. Depending upon the context of the passage then, baptizo can refer to a ritual identification or real identification. The passages which speak of the Baptism of the Spirit in 1 Cor. 12:13 and Eph. 4:5 speak of real identification. Not found in classical writings or the LXX. and is unique to the NT, baptisma meant the identification of one thing with another resulting in a change It was used for both real and ritual identification. Used with reference to John s Baptism (Mark 1:4; 11:30; Luke 3:3; 7:29; 20:4; Acts 1:22; 10:37; 13:24; 18:25; 19:3-4). Used with reference to the Baptism of the Cross (Mark 10:38-39). Used with reference to Retroactive Positional Truth (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12). Used with reference to the Baptism of the Spirit (Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21). It was used for both real and ritual identification. There are 7 Baptisms in the Word of God: (1) Baptism of John (2) Baptism of Jesus (3) Christian Water Baptism in the Pre-Canon Period of the Church Age (4) Baptism of Moses (5) Baptism of the Cross (6) Baptism of Fire (7) Baptism of the Spirit. There are 3 ritual identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of John (2) Baptism of Jesus (3) Christian Water Baptism. There are 4 real identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of Moses (2) Baptism of the Cross (3) Baptism of Fire (4) Baptism of the Spirit. Ritual baptisms use water as a teaching tool to picture by ritual a real identification. The first ritual identification is the Baptism of John (Matt. 3:1-10; John 1:25-33). Water represented the kingdom of God. Believer was submerged (usually Jordan River). Identified with the kingdom through their faith in Christ. Coming out of the water was a picture of resurrection. Identified with the King forever in a resurrection body. The second ritual identification is the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17). Jesus told John the Baptist to baptize Him. This baptism represented our Lord s identification with the Father s 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 plan, will, and purpose for His next 3 years. John submerging the Lord under the water of the Jordan River indicated our Lord s Positive Volition to the Father s plan for the next 3 yrs. When the Lord came out of the water that was a picture of resurrection. The third ritual identification is Christian Baptism. Water baptism of the believer in the Pre-Canon Period of NT (Acts 8:36-38; 16:33). Used to teach the Baptism of the Sprit before the canon of Scripture was completed. Ritual for the Pre-Canon period of Church Age until the Canon was completed in 96 A.D. Ritual water baptism ended along with all temporary spiritual gifts in 96 A.D. 2 Rituals ordained for the Pre-Canon Period of Church Age: (1) The Lord s table (2) Water Baptism. Believers submerged under water indicating identification with Christ in His death and burial (Retroactive Positional Truth: we look back at the Lord s death and burial). Coming out of the water meant the believer was identified with Christ in His Resurrection, Ascension and Session (Current Positional Truth: believer is currently seated at the right hand of Father with Christ.) It represented that you are a: (1) New Spiritual Species. (2) Member of the Royal Family of God. (3) Member of the body of Christ. Real Baptisms are actual identifications. The Baptism of Moses (1 Cor. 10:2): 2 Million Jews were identified with Moses. No one got wet except the Egyptians. Moses identified himself with the Lord. The Baptism of the Cup or the Cross (Mark 10:38-39) refers to the identification of our sins with Christ. The Baptism of Fire (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16) refers to: All unbelievers who survive the Tribulation are identified with fire at 2nd Advent. They are put into the Fire of Torments. This is a real identification with fire. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21): (1) A real identification. (2) Invisible. God the Holy Spirit places the Church Age believer in union with Christ at the moment of salvation resulting in a permanent change of condition for the believer. The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit performs the action. One of 7 Salvation Ministries of God the Holy Spirit at salvation. Connects the Hypostatic Union with the Church Age. Forms the Royal Family of God. Creates a New Spiritual Species. First occurred on the day of Pentecost 30 A.D. in fulfillment of our Lord s prophecy. Prophesy of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33): God the Father tells John the Baptist that the Lord Jesus Christ will be responsible for the Baptism of the Spirit (John 1:33). John the Baptist places a clear distinction between water baptism and the Baptism of the Spirit (Mark 1:8; Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16). The Baptism of the Spirit is for believers and the Baptism of Fire is for the unbeliever (Luke 3:16). Prophesy of our Lord (John 7:37-39): The Baptism of the Spirit is described as rivers of living water (John 7:38), The Baptism of the Spirit had not yet taken place when our Lord made this prophesy (John 7:39), The reception of the Baptism of the Spirit is contingent upon believing in Christ (John 7:38), The giving of 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 the Spirit was contingent upon our Lord s glorification (John 7:39). The last day of the great feast refers to the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, which lasted 8 days (Lev. 23:36), and was considered the climax to the Feast. Seven days symbolized Israel s wandering the desert and the 8th day was a solemn day of rest depicting the eternal state of the believer in Christ. There was a ceremony during the 8th day in which water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and then poured out, commemorating God s provision for Israel in the desert. Our Lord was interpreting the meaning of this ceremony, which depicted the Baptism of the Spirit. The phrase from His innermost being shall flow rivers of living water refers to the soul of the believer who receives eternal life (John 4:14; 1 Cor. 10:4). Shall flow is the Greek verb rheo, to gush, overflow, and was used in the ancient world of gushing or overflowing rivers. Our Lord uses it figuratively of the soul of the believer who has received eternal life. John 14:16: Our Lord promises to the send the Spirit for the 1st time in the Upper Room Discourse. Our Lord promises the disciples that He will send them another (allon) Helper (parakletos) to assist them while in the devil s world. Parakletos means one who is called or sent for to assist another. God the Holy Spirit would act in this capacity for believers during the Church Age dispensation. John 14:20: In that day refers to the Day of Pentecost when the apostles would be placed in union with Christ by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit. You in Me is our Lord s prophesy concerning the Baptism of the Spirit, which is something they had never read in the Scriptures before because it was never known to Old Testament saints. It is exclusive to the Church Age. The phrase in Me (en emoi) is a locative of sphere meaning that the apostles will be in the sphere of Christ as a dot within a circle. John 14:26: God the Father sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in the name of our Lord. At that time it was still future to our Lord s thinking. God the Holy Spirit is our True Teacher of Bible Doctrine. God the Holy Spirit would bring to remembrance all that our Lord said during this night before He was to go to the Cross. The phrase in My Name refers to the fact God the Holy Spirit is our Lord s officially designated representative to the Church. John 14:16 states that the Father sent the Spirit because the Son asked Him. God the Holy Spirit would instruct the Church. God the Holy Spirit would bring to remembrance all that our Lord had spoken to them. Acts 1:5: Our Lord distinguishes water baptism and the baptism of the Spirit. This prophecy took place on the day of our Lord s Ascension and Session. Not many days turned out to be 10 days. Ten days after our Lord s Ascension, the Baptism of the Spirit took place and the Church Age began. Luke states in Acts 1:3 that our Lord appeared to His disciples over a period of 40 days. Pentecost means 50th and designated among the Jews the 50th day after Passover. Our Lord was crucified on the Passover, rose 3 days later, ascended into heaven on the 40th day after Passover 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 and then sent the Spirit 10 days later on Pentecost. The Baptism of the Spirit could not take place until our Lord was glorified which was about to take place after He finished saying these things to His apostles. Our Lord had to go away. Acts 1:8: Our Lord repeats His promise to the apostles of sending them the Holy Spirit. Our Lord gives the apostles the promise of a Person (God the Holy Spirit), a power (the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit) and a program (missionary activity to the Jews, the Samaritans and the entire world). Throughout the dispensation of the Church believers would have available to them 100% divine power to execute the Plan of God. The Baptism of the Spirit makes this possible. The Baptism of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost in June of 30 A.D. was a fulfillment of the prophecies made by John the Baptist and our Lord during the Church Age. The Baptism of the Spirit also took place among the Gentiles as well as the Jews as is recorded by Luke in Acts 10:34-38, 19:1-7, thus making it universal in scope in the Church Age (Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13). Pentecost means 50th and was the 2nd national festival in Israel and took place 50 days after the Passover Sabbath (Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:25-21; Num. 28:26-31; Deut. 16:9-12). It was designated the Feast of Weeks which celebrated the wheat harvest in Israel and was a one day feast of celebration. It was originally the festival of the first fruits of the grain harvest (Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:17-22; Num. 28:26-31). It was called the Feast of Weeks because it came after a period of 7 weeks of harvesting that began with the offering of the first barley sheaf during the Passover celebration and ended with the wheat harvest. Pentecost took place 50 days after the Feasts of First fruits, which spoke of our Lord s resurrection. It was celebrated in Israel as the anniversary of the giving of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai in 1441 B.C., which was the beginning of the dispensation of the Law. The dispensation of grace began on the Day of Pentecost 30 A.D. with the Baptism of the Spirit. So God is setting a contrast between the Law and Grace. Pentecost was looked upon in Judaism as one of the three great pilgrim festivals in Judaism along with Passover preceding it and Tabernacles some 4 months later. Because it was a great festival in Israel, there were many pilgrims from around the Roman Empire in Jerusalem at this time who spoke many different languages. Fire (Acts 2:1-4): Luke states that the tongues were like fire, which would be of great significance to Jew in the 1st century. Fire in the Old Testament was a symbol of God s presence in Israel. The Lord spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-5), the pillar of fire guided Israel by night through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21), the consuming fire on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:17) and the fire that hovered over the wilderness Tabernacle (Ex. 40:38). Luke states the Baptism of the Spirit was like tongues of fire, or as tongues of fire, which denotes the fact that it wasn t fire or tongues or some ecstatic experience. The word translated as in the New American Standard is the comparative particle hosei, which means as, or like. The sign of the fire was for the benefit of the disciples to give them the confidence that the 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 Lord was indeed present among them and to speak the Gospel boldly. Filling of the Spirit vs. Baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4): They were all filled with the Holy Spirit refers to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which our Lord promised in Acts 1:5, 8 and John the Baptist prophesied in Mark 1:8. This was not the Filling of the Spirit which is commanded of the believer in Eph. 5:18. The Filling of the Spirit can be lost through personal sin which when we name and cite to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, restores us to fellowship. The Filling of the Spirit has to do with the believer s fellowship with God in time. The Baptism of the Spirit speaks of our eternal union and identification with Christ. The Baptism of the Spirit is permanent and cannot be lost due to the personal sins of the believer, which have already been paid for at the Cross. The Baptism of the Spirit is unique to the Church Age. The Baptism of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost in June of 30 A.D. and will not take place after the Rapture. The completion of the Royal Family of God at the Rapture will mark the end of the Baptism of the Spirit. The Baptism of the Spirit distinguishes the Church Age from other dispensations. There was no Church before the Baptism of the Spirit. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Ephesians 4:5 states dogmatically that there is only 1 Baptism. Both passages teach that there is 1 Spirit, God the Holy Spirit and therefore, only 1 Baptism. 1 Corinthians 1:10-17: Paul in 1 Cor. 1:10-17 addresses the problem of divisions in the Corinthian church and he specifically mentions water baptism. Some believers made water baptism an issue, which resulted in divisions among believers in the church of Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10). He asks them the rhetorical question, Has Christ been divided? (1 Cor. 1:13). Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 that water baptism was a non-essential and he emphasizes the fact that Christ sent him to preach the Gospel and not to baptize with water (1 Cor. 1:17). The apostle emphasizes the importance of having the same mind, which refers to being unified in their doctrine (1 Cor. 1:10). The Corinthians were occupied with non-essentials such as tongues and water baptism and not with Bible Doctrine, which is the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). They place more emphasis on people than on God. They were occupied with people and not with God. The Corinthians were involved in creature credit and not Creator credit. There is one Baptism (Ephesians 4:3-6): This passage teaches the unity there is among the members of the Trinity and that there is unity among believers as a result of the Baptism of the Spirit. Believers are not united experientially because of Negative Volition towards Bible Doctrine, but there is unity in the Church because of what God the Holy Spirit has done for every believer at the moment of salvation. All believers are unified through the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit at salvation when He places every Church Age believer in union with Christ. Verse 4 states that there is 1 Body, the Body of Christ, and all Church Age believers in Christ. 1 Spirit, God the Holy Spirit. There is only 1 Hope or confident expectation of the Rapture. Verse 5 states that there is only 1 Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ There is only 1 Faith or Doctrine, the Christian faith, Bible doctrine. There is only 1 Baptism, the Baptism of the Spirit, that which is performed by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit, thus destroying the idea that water baptism is responsible for the 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 believers eternal union with Christ. Lastly, there is only 1 Father, God the Father, thus destroying the blasphemous statement that there is a universal fatherhood of God. The Father is the Originator or the Author of the plan of God and the Baptism of the Spirit. This passage dogmatically states that there is 1 Spirit, God the Holy Spirit and therefore, only 1 Baptism. The only Baptism that God recognizes is that which He performs for God only deals with members of the human race through His policy of grace. Grace excludes all human works. Grace is God doing all the work for man and man reaping the benefits by appropriating it through faith. The Instrumental of Personal Agency: The 1st half of verse 13 identifies the sole Person responsible for the Baptism of the Spirit. The exegesis of 1 Corinthians 12:13 begins with the postpositive conjunction gar plus the conjunction kai. These two words when used together have an emphatic usage and are used to make a point of doctrine. They are used here to introduce and emphasize the mechanics for forming the body of Christ mentioned in the preceding verse. Kai gar should be translated in fact, or point of doctrine. It introduces an emphatic statement, which dogmatically excludes water baptism. Next, we have the preposition en plus the instrumental of personal agency pneumati, Spirit, preceded by the cardinal number heni. Pneumati, which is from the noun pneuma and refers to God the Holy Spirit. The cardinal number heni, which is from heis and means one. The preposition en with the instrumental of personal agency should be translated, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is the personal agency used to form the Body of Christ. The instrumental of personal agency of pneuma says that a Divine Person is responsible for the formation of the Body of Christ. The instrumental of personal agency totally excludes and rejects human works of any kind. The instrumental of personal agency along with the cardinal number hen states that the only baptism of value in the plan of God is that which is performed by God the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is rejected by God because it has no spiritual value. It is merely a ritual designed to teach believers a spiritual reality or Truth. Some of the Corinthian believers were boasting over the fact that they were baptized by Peter and some Apollos, but Paul says here that there is only 1Person that they need to be concerned with and that is God the Holy Spirit. A member of the Godhead, the 3rd Person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit performs the Baptism of the Spirit and not a member of the human race. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit Union with Christ: Then, we have then nominative 1st person plural personal pronoun hemeis, we, plus the adjective pantes which is from pas, all and then ebaptisthemen, which is the aorist passive indicative from baptizo, to be placed into an eternal union with Christ resulting in identification with Him. Ebaptisthemen here means, to identify a person with another person resulting in a change of condition or state of the person that is acted upon. Ebaptisthemen refers here to the act of God the Holy Spirit placing the Church Age believer in union with the Unique Person of Christ at the moment of salvation resulting in 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 the believer s identification with Christ. This union is eternal in nature. This eternal union results in a change of condition in the believer. He or she is now a New Spiritual Species. He or she is now a member of the Royal Family of God. The believer is now a son of God (Gal. 3:26). The personal pronoun hemeis refers to every Church Age believer including Paul. The adjective pantes is a reference to all believers throughout the Church Age. Pantes refers here to anyone who has believed in Jesus Christ for salvation in the Church Age regardless of social, racial, sexual or economic status. Pantes refutes those who are dividing the church at Corinth over water baptism. All Church Age believers are beneficiaries of the Baptism of the Spirit. Thus, there is unity among believers by what God the Holy Spirit has done and not what believers do. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit, we were all placed. One Body: The passive voice of the verb states that all born again believers in the Church are acted upon by the Person of God the Holy Spirit thus excluding all human works. The aorist tense refers to the action has having been attained. The aorist tense states the fact of the action or event without regard to its duration. The constative aorist tense contemplates the action in its entirety. The constative aorist states this is the standard procedure of God the Holy Spirit throughout the Church Age in forming the Body of Christ. The indicative mood is declarative stating dogmatically a point of doctrine. Then, we have a preposition eis plus the accusative singular neuter noun soma, body, which is preceded by the cardinal number hen, one. The preposition eis with the accusative is translated into. The noun soma is used here to describe metaphorically the church as a functional living organism whose Head is Christ. The Word of God states by analogy that every believer is a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). Just as our physical bodies have many members so is the case with the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12). Just as each member of our physical body is designed to function with each other so is the case with the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:14-26). Christ is the Head of the Body of Christ (Col. 1:18). The cardinal number hen excludes water baptism and emphasizes sole act of God the Holy Spirit upon the believer at salvation. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit, we were all placed into one body No Distinctions in the Body of Christ: The particle eite sets up a contrast and is translated whether. We have 2 proper nouns Ioudaioi, and Hellenes contrasted by the particle eite, or. Ioudaioi is from the noun Ioudaios, Jews. Hellenes is from the noun Hellen and is translated Greeks. The entire Roman Empire at the time in Paul s day was Hellenized meaning that Greek culture and thought permeated it. Hellenes is a reference to the entire Gentile world or non-jews. Paul places the entire human race under 2 categories with this phrase. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks Next, Paul places the social status of the entire human race under 2 categories. We have the particle eite translated 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 whether, plus plural noun douloi from doulos, slaves, then eite again but this time it is translated or, and then the nominative plural adjective eleutheroi from eleutheros, freemen. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit, we were all placed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freemen. There are no racial or social distinctions among believers in the Church Age. The Body of Christ is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, slaves or freemen. There are also no sexual distinctions in the Body of Christ (Gal. 3:28). Prejudice among believers has no place in the Body of Christ. The Cause: Now we have the part of the verse 13, which identifies the Cause for the Baptism of the Spirit. We begin with the connective conjunction kai translated and, connecting the preceding statement with the one to follow and then we have plural adjective pantes from pas, all. All racial and social classes within the Body of Christ are in view. Next, we have the verb epotisthemen which is the aorist passive indicative from potizo, to cause another to drink, to give to drink, and is used here with the accusative of the thing which is pneuma. The Greek physician Hippocrates who lived approximately B.C. and is called the Father of Medicine uses potizo in work Aphorisms. Aristotle uses the word in his work Physics and Plato uses it in his dialogue between Phaedrus and Socrates where the charioteer of the gods puts up his horses at the stall, and gives them ambrosia to eat and nectar to drink. The LXX uses potizo to translate the Hebrew word shaqah, to cause another to drink or be watered. God the Holy Spirit causes the believer to be placed in union with Christ at the moment they make the non-meritorious decision to believe in Christ. Paul specifically employs this word in a figurative sense to communicate to the Corinthians that God the Holy Spirit is the Cause of Baptism. The apostle Paul uses potizo in the figurative sense to describe the Baptism of the Spirit through the nonmeritorious human function of drinking. Figurative Language: The apostle Paul employs figurative language or in a metaphorical sense to describe the Baptism of the Spirit. He uses epotisthemen metaphorically. Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines a metaphor as a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them such as drowning in money. The Bible uses many different types and symbols to teach Truth. God the Holy Spirit is described at the baptism of Jesus as a dove. Oil, fire, wind, and water are also used as symbols in the Bible to describe the presence or a function of God the Holy Spirit. Paul use of potizo implies that God the Holy Spirit is like water. The Baptism of the Spirit is like the non-meritorious human function of drinking water. Drinking as a non-meritorious function: Paul s figurative use of the potizo brings out the nonmeritorious aspect on the part of believer s who have been placed in union with Christ by God the Holy Spirit. Paul uses a nonmeritorious human function to describe the Baptism of the Spirit. Just as drinking is a non-meritorious function so is the Baptism 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 of the Spirit. The use of this word potizo in the passive voice gives the Creator credit. The Baptism of the Spirit excludes all human works, thus water baptism. Grace: The Baptism of the Spirit is based upon grace is which is the policy of God s justice in blessing mankind. God does all the work in grace and man does nothing but reap the benefits of God s action. Grace excludes any human works. The passive voice is the grace voice stating that all Church Age believers are acted upon by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. The Baptism of the Spirit is a result of an action performed by a Divine Person, God the Holy Spirit, the 3rd Person of the Trinity. Potizo in the passive voice emphasizes the fact that the Church Age believer is acted upon by the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit. The omnipotence of the 3rd Person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit causes the Church Age believer to be baptized into the Body of Christ. Potizo in the passive voice excludes any other baptism other than the one performed by God the Holy Spirit at our salvation. Potizo in the passive voice states that this action performed by God the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation occurred without the believer s consent. The aorist tense states the fact of the action or event without regard to its duration. The aorist tense states the action as having been attained. The aorist tense is constative contemplating the action in its entirety gathering it up into a single whole. The constative aorist tense states all born-again believers throughout the Church Age receive the Baptism of the Spirit. The constative aorist tense is used here by Paul to state the standard procedural function of God the Holy Spirit throughout the Church Age on behalf of born-again believers. Every Church Age believer has been made to receive the Baptism of the Spirit, they were not asked. The indicative mood is declarative stating a dogmatic statement of fact. Epotisthemen can be translated were made to drink of. Inculcation: The accusative of thing which is pneuma is once again preceded by the cardinal number hen, one. The repeated use of hen is done for inculcation. Paul is driving the point home to the Corinthians that there is no plurality of baptisms. He doesn t want to hear anymore of divisions among them. He resolves this problem in Corinth with repetition of Bible Doctrine. Unity among believers comes through cognition of Bible Doctrine, which is a result of repetition in communicating Bible Doctrine. In fact, by means of one Person, God the Holy Spirit, we were all placed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freemen, and all were made to drink of one Spirit. Galatians 3:27: Post-positive explanatory conjunction gar, for. Gar introduces an explanation into the divine side of salvation. Verse 26 states the human side of salvation-faith in Christ. Two things have to take place in order for us to become a son of God. The first part is covered in verse 26 and gar introduces the 2nd part. Hosoi is a nominative masculine plural subject from a correlative relative pronoun hosos, as many as. Hosoi refers to all believers throughout the Church Age who are sons of God through faith in Christ. Ebaptisthete is the aorist 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 passive indicative from the verb baptizo, to put or place into, to baptize The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places every Church Age believer into union with the Person of Christ resulting in the believer s permanent identification with Christ. The passive voice states that the believer receives the action from God the Holy Spirit. The passive voice states that God the Holy Spirit does all the work and the believer reaps the benefits. The passive voice also totally excludes all human works, merit and ability. The aorist tense is a constative aorist contemplating an action in its entirety and regardless of its extent of duration, gathers it into a single whole. The constative aorist tense gathers up into a single whole what God the Holy Spirit does for every believer throughout the Church Age. The indicative mood is declarative stating a dogmatic statement of fact. Then we have the preposition eis plus the accusative of direct object Christon from Christos, Christ. The preposition eis with the accusative case is translated here into. Christon as the direct object receives the action of the verb ebaptisthete, to place into, to baptize. For as many as were placed into union with Christ New Spiritual Species: Enedusasthe is the aorist middle indicative from the verb enduo plus the accusative of the person, which is Christon. Enduo in the literal sense means, to put on something, such as clothes or it could mean, to draw on something. Paul uses enduo here in the figurative sense with the accusative of the person. When used with the accusative of the person in the figurative sense it refers to taking on the nature of someone else. Here in Gal. 3:27, it means to taking on the nature of Christ, which is synonymous with the New Spiritual Species or the New Self or the New Man (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). For Paul, the new man, the new spiritual species are identical. Paul refers here to that new spiritual species or the new man. Paul also refers to the new nature that we receive at the moment of salvation in Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17a. This new nature that we receive at salvation cannot sin. This New Nature is the alternative to living in the Old Sin Nature. Only the believer s failure to Rebound (1 John 1:9) prevents them from utilizing this New Nature. Every Church Age believer starts off their Christian life by living in the New Nature. Once they sin, they are no longer living in the New Nature, but are now living in the Old Sin Nature which we received from the imputation of Adam s sin at physical birth. We receive the New Nature at the New Birth or at Regeneration. The believer is no longer in bondage to the Old Sin Nature but can now choose to live in the New Nature, which cannot sin. The New Nature has been created specifically for the utilization of 100% divine power or omnipotence. This is totally unique to the Church Age. The Baptism of the Spirit results in the Church Age believer receiving a New Nature, the nature of Christ. For as many as were placed into union with Christ, have taken on the nature of Christ William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15