Alan Nairne   May 2007

 

 An Examination of the Dispensational View of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

 

 

As the basis of my examination of the Dispensational view of this subject I shall use an article by Professor John Walvoord to be found in Bibliotheca Sacra (BS) volume 98 # 392 October 1941 p.422ff.    This magazine is the flagship publication of the Dispensational Theology movement in the USA.

 

That the article entitled The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Pt.7 The Work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation Section III The Baptism in the Holy Spirit subsections 1-8 was produced some 70 years ago is no disadvantage, for I am not aware of any changes in the Dispensationalist view of the subject.   Moreover, John Walvoord is one of the best accredited  theologian/writers in the Dispensational movement, and has written on theological topics over a period of at least fifty years.  

 

The Dispensational contention is that the work of the Holy Spirit which is described in the Bible under the term “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” or “filling” or “fulness” of the Holy Spirit is the experience of every born again believer.   It is denied that it is an experience which can follow or be subsequent to the initial regeneration experience.   Moreover, it is, they affirm, as an experience, as undetectable as that of regeneration.

 

This is clearly contrary to the position set out in this paper.   How do they proceed with establishing a biblical basis for their belief?

 

It is encouraging to read in Walvoord’s article,

Because of the maze of conflicting opinions on the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the student of the subject must remain close to the Scriptures, particularly avoiding assumptions which the Scriptures do not warrant. The Scriptures present the doctrine in sufficient passages to permit the careful student to arrive at an accurate understanding of the truth. pp.422-423.

 

This is excellent.   To take the Scriptures, study them, to deduce an accurate meaning, and adjust or consolidate in relation to other scriptures on the same subject, should enable Walvoord to arrive at an accurate understanding of this important subject.

He provides eleven scriptures in which there is reference to spiritual baptism in the New Testament.    These are Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; Rom 6:1–4; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:5; Col 2:12).    Students of scripture will have no difficulty in associating the Gospels and Acts references with baptism in the Holy Spirit, but will be a little surprised to find those in the epistles grouped with them on apparently a similar footing.

 

We are also very surprised that the events of Acts chapter two which record the fulfilment of the promise are omitted, to say nothing of the events of chapter 8:14ff. in Samaria, those of Acts 10 in Cornelius’ house and those of Acts 19:1ff. which took place in Ephesus.  These omitted Scriptures are definitive.

 

Nevertheless, let us see if he proceeds to an examination of the Gospels that clearly promise the event, followed by Acts when the Baptism in the Holy Spirit took place in fulfilment of the promises and show us what was the nature of the event, and those events that followed.   But this does not happen.    He tells us that the definitive verse is I Cor.12:13.    But inspection of the verse shows that it is not definitive.   It is open to considerable discussion, which we will initiate in due course.  

  

But instead of examining this scripture he proceeds to tell us what we must believe, and what we must not believe about our subject -

One of the prevailing misconceptions of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the notion that it is a special ministration enjoyed by only a few Christians.

 

I do not accept that “it is a special ministration enjoyed by a few Christians”.   Neither do the relevant portions in Acts portray this.   They indicate that it is available for all, but that often it needed ministry to bring Christians into the good of this blessing.   He continues,

On the contrary, the Scriptures make it plain that every Christian is baptized by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. Salvation and baptism are therefore coextensive, and it is impossible to be saved without this work of the Holy Spirit.

 

If Walvoord would do as he so excellently suggests, he would find from the scriptures in Acts (which he has omitted even to mention in his list) that they plainly contradict what he has just stated.

 

This is an amazing thing coming from a Dispensationalist, for they are masters of hairsplitting distinctions.   They pride themselves in being able to “distinguish things that differ” seeing a difference between, for example, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven (Scofield Reference Bible [SRB] 1917 Edn. note on Matt.6:33) ; the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord (SRB note on I Cor.1:8). The gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God, and the everlasting gospel (SRB note on Rev.14:6).    In fact, their watchword has been “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (I Tim.2:15).   Yet here, because it suits what they want to teach they plainly contradict distinctions which the scripture makes, and lump separate operations of the Holy Spirit into one.   The reason is now plain, for Walvoord wants us to believe that I Cor.12:13 teaches that all believers are baptised in the Holy Spirit, thus,

 This is expressly stated in the central passage on the doctrine, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

It is evident from this passage that all Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit, and that all who enter the number of the body of Christ do so because they are baptized by the Spirit. . .  It is . . .stated to be the universal work of the Spirit in every believer (BS p.424). . . .All other references to baptism of the Holy Spirit are in harmony with this viewpoint. It is significant that Christians are never exhorted to seek the baptism of the Spirit. While there is every exhortation to seek a proper adjustment to the Holy Spirit, this is never called by the term baptism. Never in Scripture is baptism by the Spirit recorded as occurring subsequent to salvation. It is rather an inseparable part of it, so essential that it is impossible to be saved in this age without it. From these considerations, and from the nature of the truth itself as considered in all its aspects, it may be concluded that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is universal among Christians.

 

Does I Cor.12:13 definitively teach that ALL believers are baptised in the Holy Spirit?   No, it does not.  If it did, it would contradict those events recorded in Acts which show the apostles taking steps to remedy cases where regeneration took place, but evidence was lacking of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.    I teaches only that Paul considered it to be true for the Corinthian Christians.   And it would be, for they had been extensively under the ministry of Paul, and he would have ensured that each truly born again person would either at conversion, or later, come into this experience, as he did for the twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1ff).     But clearly, this is not true of every born again believer today, for often the evidence for which Paul looked is lacking.   Moreover, of the five instances in the book of Acts where the reception of the Spirit is recorded, it is doubtful if any but those in Cornelius’ house received regeneration and the baptism simultaneously.   Even in this case, it would not be out of order to query if Cornelius and his friends were not, in fact, being God-fearers, and, like the saints in the OT, already regenerate.

 

We must also ask if I Cor.12:13 refers to entry into the Church.   But how could it?   Are we to say that all the believers of the five instances of Spirit baptism recorded in Acts were not members of  God’s corporate people until this baptism in the Spirit took place?   How could this apply to the Apostles and disciples of Christ?   He spoke of being “born again” of the Spirit (John 3:1ff.), long before He promised the coming of the Spirit upon them in power (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:5).    The verse cannot be used to teach that baptism in the Holy Spirit equals entry into the Church.

 

What, then does the verse teach concerning our association with the Body?   Let us be quite clear that the context has nothing to do with regeneration, but everything to do with functioning in the Body.   As John Baker says (Baptized in one Spirit - the meaning of           I Cor.12:13 Fountain Trust, London 1967),

. . .the Apostle centres his thoughts around two points, the unity of the Body of Christ, and the diversity of its members with their differing gifts and ministries. . . In verses 12 and 13 he is underlining the thought of the unity both of the Body of Christ, and of the Spirit who animates, inspires and fills it many members in the exercise of their differing ministries and gifts. . . . The words to be emphasised in reading the verse are. . . “For in ONE Spirit you were all baptized into ONE body. . . and all made to drink of ONE Spirit.”    The structure of the Greek sentence makes this plain.  (pp.16,17).   

 

Moreover, even if it were true that ALL believers are baptised into the Body of Christ, which it is not, I Cor.12:13 cannot be used to teach that it occurs simultaneously with regeneration, for  the reason that no time element is mentioned.  

 

I think I have shown sufficiently that Walvoord’s use of this verse amounts to special pleading for a concept that is totally foreign to scripture, and through manipulation of the Scriptures multitudes have swallowed this bait, hook, line and sinker.

 

If anyone thinks that this is a bit harsh, let me point out further instances of Walvoord’s hermeneutically unsound methods.  

 

He does not expound any of the verses he quotes, but rather is at pains to point out other ways in which we must understand the subject.

 

To the unbiassed reader of the Acts of the Apostles, the repeated association of tongues (and prophecy) with the baptism in the Holy Spirit cannot be denied.    But in considering the account of Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 he takes great pains to rebut this, and concludes, 

There is actually no more connection between the baptism of the Spirit and speaking with tongues than there is between speaking in tongues and regeneration or justification. All are within the sphere of ministry to the saved.

 

A further example of the outright denial of what Scripture clearly states as so is found when he says,

. . . .the power to witness, while not connected with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, was present on the day of Pentecost (BS p.428). 

 

But the connection is clearly affirmed by our Lord’s statement in Luke 24:49, “. . .I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”   And in Acts chapter 1, “...you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. . . you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses. . . (vv.5, 8).

 

It is incredible that this kind of flat denial of the plain statements of scripture passes muster among Dispensationalists, but the manipulation of scripture is inherent in their theology, and I can only assume that they have learnt to accept without question the statements of their teachers.  

 

It is interesting, also, to see how he takes scriptures which have almost universally been understood of water baptism, and applies them to Spirit baptism.   To prove the universality of all believers being Spirit baptised he says,

This thought is confirmed by Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” While this passage has been given various interpretations, it is clear that it refers to the things which are universal among Christians, the spiritual realities which constitute the ties uniting all Christians. All have the same Lord; all have the same faith or essential doctrine; and all have one baptism. It is patent that this passage could not refer to water baptism, as the sacrament of baptism is observed in various forms and with different interpretations by Christians, and by some few is not observed at all. Instead of the symbol, the reality is in view here, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This passage serves to confirm the teaching that the baptism of the Spirit is universal among Christians. . .All other references to baptism of the Holy Spirit are in harmony with this viewpoint. . . Never in Scripture is baptism by the Spirit recorded as occurring subsequent to salvation. It is rather an inseparable part of it, so essential that it is impossible to be saved in this age without it. From these considerations, and from the nature of the truth itself as considered in all its aspects, it may be concluded that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is universal among Christians (BS p.424ff).

 

The Professor’s brazeness is breathtaking.   How can such wide-ranging conclusions be deduced from a simple verse containing six words, only one (baptism) of which is applicable to our subject?  The verse has been universally understood as referring to water baptism, but no, says Professor Walvoord, 

It is patent that this passage could not refer to water baptism, as the sacrament of baptism is observed in various forms and with different interpretations by Christians, and by some few is not observed at all.

 

This may be historically true down through the centuries, but does not apply to when the verse was written. 

 

Similarly, he considers the time honoured interpretation of Romans chapter six in referring to water baptism as wrong.   No, he says, it is Spirit baptism.   Is Spirit baptism an apt symbol of being buried with Christ, and rising again?  No, but water baptism is.

 

There is more I could refer to it would be all of the same nature.   In the whole of Walvoord’s lengthy article on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit there is no detailed exposition of any scriptures.    No exegesis, the elucidation of truth from scripture verses, only eisegesis the reading of ideas into scripture.   

 

The only conclusion I can come to is that the Dispensational understanding of the nature and effects of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is entirely at variance with scripture.   This, of course is true of all its distinctive doctrines.   Thank God that they do have a sound salvation theology as it refers to NT Christians, but multitudes are still held in bondage to that system of interpretation with, in many cases, a stunting of the Christian life and experience.   

 

What Brethren Biblical scholar D J A Clines says about that system is true,

Dispensationalism has been the most powerful instrument in alienating Christians of the Brethren movement from two thirds of their Bible, and has thus proved the single most deleterious factor in Brethren hermeneutics. Quoted from Biblical Hermeneutics in Theory and Practice  Christian Brethren Review 31/32 (Feb.1982) p.68 Quoted by Tim Grass In Gathering in His Name Paternoster 2006 p.376.

 

There are many helpful books designed to provide a more Biblical understanding of God’s Word, and to encourage seekers to be baptised in, or filled with, the Holy Spirit.   May we all seek God’s mercy and grace towards those ends.

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

 

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Alan Nairne May 2007