Two Ways of Receiving The Holy Spirit

According to the unfolding revelation of the New Testament, the day of Pentecost marked a tremendous climax in the dealings of God with the human race. On that day, for the first time in human history, men and women received the "baptism in the Holy Spirit". In the preceding record of all four Gospels, and in the opening chapter of the Book of Acts, the way had been systematically prepared for this great climax.

In all four Gospels the ministry of Jesus himself is introduced by John the Baptist. Central to John the Baptist's introduction is this statement concerning Jesus: "I indeed have baptised you in water, but he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit." In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist states the reason why he himself baptized in water: "that he (Jesus) should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing in water" (John 1:31). In other words, the baptism in water administered by John the Baptist, was a type, or pattern pointing forward to the baptism in the Holy Spirit which was later to be administered by Jesus.

Thereafter, throughout his own earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly referred to this promise of the Holy Spirit, given initially by John the Baptist, and he always made it clear to his disciples that their experience would not be complete until they had received this promise.

In John 7:37-38 Jesus says: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Then in verse 39 the gospel writer adds in parenthesis: "(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" The explanation given in verse 39 in parenthesis makes it clear that Jesus was here speaking not about sinners being converted, but about those who were already believers receiving the Holy Spirit; and that this gift of the Holy Spirit would be made available to believers only after Jesus himself had completed his earthly ministry and had taken his place in glory at the Father's right hand.

Chapters 14, 15 and 16 of John's Gospel record the great, final discourse of Jesus with his disciples, immediately prior to his arrest, trial and crucifixion.

In this discourse, Jesus again lays repeated emphasis upon the promise of the Holy Spirit.

In John 14:16-18 Jesus gives his disciples the following promise: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (orphans); I will come to you."

By using the phrase "another Comforter", Jesus here lays special emphasis upon the fact that the Holy Spirit, when he comes, will be just as real a person, as Jesus himself. In effect, Jesus says: "I am about to leave you, but in my place another person will come—that is, the Holy Spirit. I have been with you only a brief three and a half years, but when this other person comes, he will stay with you for ever (or, more literally, for the rest of the age, until this dispensation closes). You already know this person, because he has been with me throughout my ministry—and therefore with you. However, the time is coming when he will take up his dwelling directly within you. In this way, you will not be left alone like orphans, without anyone to care for you, to encourage you, and to instruct you."

In this passage, as in John 7:37-39, Jesus makes it clear that this promise of the Holy Spirit is only for those who are already believers, for he says that "the world (i.e. those who are still unbelievers) cannot receive him."

A little further on, in John 14:25-26, Jesus again refers to the promised coming of the Comforter: "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." In these words, Jesus emphasised that the effect of his own ministry and teaching upon the disciples would be incomplete until after the coming of the Holy Spirit. He indicated that his own ministry would need to be completed by the coming of the Holy Spirit in two main ways. First, the Holy Spirit would accurately remind the disciples of the teaching which Jesus had already given them, and would interpret it for them in a way that they had not previously been able to receive. Second, the Holy Spirit would give them further needed teaching of his own, going beyond that which Jesus had given while with them on earth.

Again, in John 16:7, Jesus further emphasises the absolutely necessity of his leaving the disciples, and of the Holy Spirit coming to take his place, for he says: "I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." Once again Jesus emphasised that there was to be an exchange of persons. Jesus himself must first return to his place in heaven, before the Holy Spirit could in turn come to take up his place on earth.

A little further on, in John 16:12-15, Jesus describes again the ministry which the Holy Spirit will have: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all the truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." These words may be summed up by saying that the Holy Spirit was to be the divinely authorized Revelator and Interpreter of Jesus: and that, in particular, in his revelation he would unfold the glory which was to be bestowed upon Jesus in heaven after the completion of his earthly ministry. This agrees with the statement in John 7:39 that the Holy Spirit could be given to believers only after Jesus had been glorified.

After this great closing discourse, recorded in John chapters 14, 15 and 16, there follows the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John chapter 17, immediately after that come the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. From this point on, therefore, Jesus had no further opportunity of speaking at length to his disciples, until after his resurrection.

The first appearance of Jesus to his disciples in a group after his resurrection is recorded in John 20:19-23.

Twice Jesus greeted his disciples with the words: "Peace be unto you." He also showed them the marks of the wounds in his hands and his side, as conclusive proof that he was the same person who had died on the cross and been buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Then he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit."

In a previous study* of this first appearance of Jesus to his disciples, I have brought out the following points:

(1) The verb translated "breathed on" (more literally, "breathed in") suggests that Jesus probably breathed into each of his disciples individually, bringing his lips and nostrils close to those of each disciple in turn.

(2) In the phrase "the Holy Spirit", the definite article "the" is supplied by the translators. The words of Jesus could literally be translated, "Receive holy breath."

(3) The tense of the verb "Receive" indicates decisively that the disciples received the Holy Spirit as a complete, historical experience at that actual moment. So far as they were concerned, this experience did not need to be continued, nor to be repeated later.

(4) At this point in their experience the disciples passed out of "Old Testament salvation" into "New Testament salvation". The experience that they received at this moment was "regeneration"—"the new birth".

Although the disciples at this point received the Holy Spirit in regeneration, it is perfectly clear that they had not yet received "the promise of the Holy Spirit" that had been unfolded first by John the Baptist, and then by Jesus himself, in the record of the gospels prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. For the ensuing forty days after this "resurrection Sunday experience". Jesus continued to appear from time to time to his disciples, for the purpose of giving them further instruction, and of preparing them for the time of his final ascension back to heaven. In Acts 1:3 Luke says concerning this that "he was seen of them forty days", and that during this period he continued to speak to them "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." It is clear that one main point which Jesus stressed to his disciples at this time was the promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit—still unfulfilled at this stage—which they were to receive after his ascension to heaven. This is brought out in Acts 1:4-5: "And being assembled together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence." Here Jesus refers back to the original promise of John the Baptist, and indicates that its fulfillment is now only a few days distant.

In Acts 2:1-4 we read the record of the fulfillment of this promise:

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

After this great initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, there follow various other accounts in the book of Acts of disciples receiving a similar personal experience of Pentecost subsequent to their initial experience of salvation, or regeneration. In Acts 8:14-17 the record deals with the Samaritans who had believed the preaching of Philip. In Acts 9:17-18 the record deals with Saul of Tarsus after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. In Acts 10:44-48 the record deals with the Gentile household of Cornelius. In Acts 19:1-6 the record deals with "certain disciples" to whom Paul ministered at Ephesus.

In every one of these cases, except that of the household of Cornelius, it is clear that those who received this personal experience of Pentecost had already experienced "salvation", or "regeneration", some time previously. In the three cases of the Samaritans, Saul of Tarsus, and the disciples at Ephesus, the Pentecostal experience was ministered through laying on of hands. In the other two cases—in the upper room at Jerusalem, and in the house of Cornelius—there was no laying on of hands.

It is very instructive to make a list of the various different phrases used in these passages of Acts to describe this personal experience of Pentecost.

In Acts 1:5 and 11:16 it is described as "being baptized in the Holy Spirit". In Acts 1:8; 8:16; 10:44; 11:15; 19:6, it is described as "the Holy Spirit coming upon, or falling upon" those who received it. In Acts 2:17; 2:33; 10:45, it is described as "the Holy Spirit—or the gift of the Holy Spirit—being poured out upon" those who received. In Acts 2:4 and 19:2 it is described as "being filled with the Holy Spirit". In Acts 8:15, 17, 19; 10:47; 19:2, it is called "receiving the Holy Spirit." A careful comparison of these passages indicates that all the phrases listed above are used more or less interchangeably to describe this personal experience of Pentecost. In particular, it appears that in three different passages—in Acts 8:15-19; 10:47; 19:2—the phrase "receiving the Holy Spirit" is used (five times in all) to describe this Pentecostal experience.

Thus a careful comparison of scripture shows that the phrase "to receive the Holy Spirit" is applied at different times to two different experiences. First, it is applied by Jesus himself to the experience of the disciples when he breathed on them on the resurrection Sunday evening. Later, it is applied to a subsequent and different experience received by the same disciples on Pentecost Sunday—and following that, to a similar experience received at different times by various other disciples throughout the book of Acts. For purposes of identification and distinction, we may call the first experience "regeneration" and the second experience "the baptism in the Holy Spirit". It is natural to ask: How do these two experiences differ from each other, and how are they related to each other?

For clear and brief contrast we may summarize the two experiences as follows.

REGENERATION: (1) the resurrected Christ; (2) the inbreathed Spirit; (3) the Spirit received as eternal, resurrection life; (4) the result, an inward, spiritual birth. THE BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT: (1) the glorified Christ; (2) the outpoured Spirit; (3) the Spirit received as a person; (4) as a result, the physical body of the believer becomes the place of the Spirit's permanent residence.

The following passages of the New Testament appear to refer primarily to regeneration. "The gift of God is eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 6:23). "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life..." (I John 5:11-12). "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." At regeneration a person receives Christ into his heart by faith. In Christ, he receives the gift of eternal life. This life is supplied by the Holy Spirit. The "body"—i.e. the old carnal nature—is reckoned dead, executed (in Christ on the cross) on account of sin (see Rom. 6:6, 11). In place of the old life, on the basis of Christ's righteousness received in faith, the Holy Spirit comes in as divine, eternal, resurrection life.

On the other hand, from the day of Pentecost onwards, the phrase "to receive the Holy Spirit" is never applied again to regeneration, but only to the baptism in the Spirit. This can be verified by reference to passages such as: Acts 8:15, 17, 19; 10:47; 19:2; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 3:2.

Alternatively, we may express the relationship between regeneration and the baptism in the Spirit in the following terms:

Regeneration is a ministry of the Holy Spirit to the sinner. In this experience the Holy Spirit ministers Christ to the heart of the sinner who repents and believes. In turn, when Christ is thus received, the Holy Spirit, in Christ, comes into the sinner's heart as eternal life. Regeneration is an inward experience of the heart. It is being "born of the Spirit" (see John 3:6, 8). In other words, it is the Spirit who produces the birth. The Spirit ministers to the repentant sinner the nature of Christ. Therefore Paul says in Romans 8:9: "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ (the Christ-nature), he is none of his." Without this experience, a person is not born again, he is not a child of God and has no place in the family of God. After regeneration, Christ dwells in the heart of that person by faith (see Eph. 3:17). Such a person may say: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..." (Gal. 2:20). On account of sin, the old man—the old carnal nature—is reckoned dead (see Rom. 6:6, 11: 8:10). In its place has come the new man—the Christ-nature—the Spirit of Christ—ministered in regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, the baptism in the Spirit is a ministry of Christ to the believer. Christ—and Christ alone—is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In this experience, Christ ministers the Holy Spirit to the believer who, as a child of God, claims by faith the promise of the Father (see Luke 11:13; 24:49). The Holy Spirit comes, as a person, to indwell the physical body of the believer. Because this experience affects not merely the inner nature of the heart, but also the physical body, it is logically accompanied by a distinctive physical manifestation—the speaking with a new tongue. In this way, the decisive, controlling member of the physical body—that is, the tongue—is supernaturally brought under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Holy Spirit thus received, Christ in turn is revealed in a fuller and more glorious way to the believer. For this reason, speaking of this experience, Jesus said in John 14:16-18: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter... even the Spirit of truth... I will not leave you comfortless (orphans): I will come to you." In the person of the Comforter Christ himself comes with new fullness and assurance to the believer. In this connection also Jesus said in John 16:13-14: "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come... he shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." The experience of receiving the Comforter through the baptism in the Spirit reveals and glorifies Christ to the believer in a measure altogether greater than is possible merely through the experience of regeneration.

For the sake of clarity, we may sum up the relationship between these two experiences in the following two pairs of statements, in which the main contrasted points are printed, for emphasis, in capitals.

At REGENERATION, THE HOLY SPIRIT ministers CHRIST to the SINNER, and in CHRIST the HOLY SPIRIT comes as ETERNAL LIFE. REGENERATION takes place within the HEART, and is an INWARD INVISIBLE experience.

At the BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT, CHRIST ministers the HOLY SPIRIT to the BELIEVER, and through the HOLY SPIRIT CHRIST himself comes in with new REVELATION AND ASSURANCE. THE BAPTISM relates to the PHYSICAL BODY, and is accompanied by an OUTWARD PERCEPTIBLE manifestation.

We may also observe a distinction between the main purpose of these two experiences. Regeneration is the absolute, indispensable requirement for attaining to eternal life in heaven. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see—and cannot enter—the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5). The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the divinely ordained equipment for witness and service for Christ here in this life. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me..." (Acts 1:8). Since the baptism in the Holy Spirit is only for those who are already believers, it is clear that a person must first experience regeneration, before he can receive the baptism in the Spirit.

It must be emphasized that this interpretation of the two experiences of regeneration and the baptism in the Spirit makes no division of any kind between the persons of the Godhead. In all points, there is—in both experiences—perfect harmony and oneness between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. There is no division, but there is a clear distinction of both persons and ministries. To reject this distinction between the persons of the Godhead would be to obliterate the most distinctive aspect of true biblical revelation concerning the nature of God.

In closing, let us apply these conclusions from scripture in a very practical way to personal experience.

A person may ask: "How can I receive the Holy Spirit?" How shall we answer?

First, you must be born again. You must repent of your sins, and receive Christ by faith as your personal Saviour. In this way, the Holy Spirit comes to your heart as eternal life. You become a child of God. God becomes your Father, and heaven becomes your home.

After this, in order to live effectively for Christ, you need to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus has described the way to do this very clearly in John 7:37: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink". There are three simple conditions. First, you must be thirsty—you must earnestly desire to have more of the fulness of God than you already have. Second, you must come direct to the baptizer, Jesus. Third, you must drink. No one ever yet drank with a closed mouth. Therefore you must open your mouth, and actively drink in of the Holy Spirit.

As a result of this, Jesus said, "out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water". This is the new supernatural language which will flow forth from within your body and through your mouth. Yield your tongue and voice in faith to the Holy Spirit, and boldly speak forth the new language which he gives. In this new language you will praise and magnify God as you have never been able to do in your own language.

If you so desire, you may say the following prayer as the means by which you come to Jesus as your baptizer in the Holy Spirit:

"Lord Jesus, you are my Saviour and I am your child. You have redeemed me by your blood, you have forgiven all my sins, and I belong to you. I come to you now as my baptizer in the Holy Spirit. I present my body to you to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I yield my tongue to you to be an instrument of righteousness, to worship you in a new language. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. By faith I thank you for this now. Amen."