What is the Purpose of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
In this post, I am going to attempt to answer the following question: “What is the purpose of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?”
There are a lot of ways to answer that question, and there are a lot of angles to approach this from, but the short answer is this: It is a power tool* that helps you be more effective on your mission to represent Jesus.
(*Please note that I am not saying the Holy Spirit is a power tool. He is God almighty, the third Person of the Trinity. Rather, I am referring to the effect this Baptism experience has on a believer.)
For a more detailed explanation, we will examine what Jesus said about it when He was prepping His followers who were about to receive it.
In Acts chapter 1, we get to see some of the very last words that Jesus ever spoke to His followers before He ascended to heaven. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was the topic. Here is the full quote:
Acts 1:4-8
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
According to Jesus, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit brings power to the believers. The result is that the believers will be equipped to represent Jesus better than before.
You shall receive power…
I want to take a moment to elaborate on the word “power.” It is translated from the Greek word “dunamis” which means miraculous strength, power and ability. In the New Testament, this word is used to describe supernatural signs, wonders, and displays of power. It means “miracle power” or “supernatural ability.”
So the Lord is telling these disciples that they were going to receive power….power that would enable them to go beyond their natural abilities. He was saying that miracle power would soon be given to them by the Holy Spirit. They were about to be empowered supernaturally.
It is worth pausing here to meditate on this fact. Jesus says that His followers would receive miraculous power and ability when they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. He wanted His representatives to be equipped for the mission He was sending them on. This is still true today. He still wants His followers to be equipped in the same way…but we will deal with that in another post.
You shall be witnesses…
The audience in this passage is a group of people that had been with Jesus for up to three years. They were taught and trained by Him in person, and they had already experienced going out to represent Him (Luke 9:1-6).
Then, after His death, burial and resurrection…just before He ascended to heaven…He gave them what we call “the great commission.” It included instructions for going out into all the world as His representatives.
However, Jesus told them not begin until they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. The people who had been trained by Jesus in person still needed some extra equipment. They needed more than training, and more than experience. There was something else He wanted them to have. There was something else that they needed.
(Side note: If these people needed extra equipment, then I feel very safe in saying that any believers that have not been trained in person by Jesus will need this extra equipment all the more).
What they needed was to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. For what purpose? They would be empowered to represent Jesus in a new way. They would receive something that would enable them to be more effective at their mission. They had previously been given an assignment (go into all the world…), and now they are about to be given equipment to help them do it.
This is like giving power tools to a carpenter, or like giving a calculator to an accountant. It is a “tool” that gives you the ability to fulfill your calling more effectively. Sure, the carpenter can build a house with hand tools. But that same carpenter can be much more effective when he has a power saw, a drill, and a nail gun.
That leads us to the answer to our question: What is the purpose of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
The purpose is to give supernatural power and ability to a believer that will enable him to fulfill his calling more effectively. It is a power tool that helps you be more effective on your mission to represent Jesus.
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I would like to send you my study of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Where may I send it please?
Hi Mary Lee. I sent you an email with instructions.
Send to me please
Hi Neal, thank you so much for shedding some light on this. I have tons of questions for you. Could you email me your email? I like to ask you some questions.
You can use the contact page on my site and that will start up an email exchange. I’d be happy to hear your questions.
Here is a link to the contact page: Contact
Thanks for this. If this assertion attempting to make the Holy Spirit two persons (one for indwelling and the other for empowerment?). Just need more clarity!
Thank you for your question. There is one Holy Spirit, but there are many different things that he does. For example: he indwells the believer, he empowers the believer, he convicts the unbeliever of sin, he convicts the believer of righteousness, he guides us into all truth. And there are many other things that he does, as you know.
How deep should the church allow Him to move in any given service?
Thank you for the question David. If it is truly the Holy Spirit, the the church should desire Him to go as deep as He wants to. Holy Spirit is here to bring the Father’s will to pass, and the whole church belongs to God, so we would give him free reign to do whatever He wants.
Hi, Neal; thanks for your very informative teaching on the BoHS! Sadly, my Assemblies of God Church no longer puts much emphasis on the BoHS. I’m guessing they view it as somewhat crude, and not suitable for visitors and the viewers in tv land. I feel the exact opposite, i.e. the power of the Holy Spirit that draws them to repentance and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you happen to know if the AoG has placed less emphasis on the BoHS of late? The Azusa Street Revival, 1906, was the foundation of the AoG and now the worldly mind set will be the denomination’s undoing.
Thank you for your kind words and your comments. Regarding your question about the AoG, it is my experience that each local assembly places emphasis on different things. I can’t speak for the denomination as a whole. I can only give my personal experience. It seems to me from my interactions with current and former AoG members, and from my few times attending AoG gatherings, that there is little or no emphasis on the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. I am sad to say that, and I hope that I am wrong in my observation.
The speaking in tongues is something I fail to understand, I just do not believe we all understand what is meant by speaking in tongues. it sound like the bible was saying something and we interpreted that we should speak something confusing and also dangerous. it is like occult . The God I know would never confuse us.
Thank you for your comment.
I would encourage you to read the rest of my articles on this subject. Speaking in tongues is not dangerous. God gave us this gift to help us as we carry out out our purpose in life. It brings great peace and encouragement and lots of other wonderful benefits.
Good morning Neal
I want to comment on that part of your teaching that I just copied and paste ;
Then, after His death, burial and resurrection…just before He ascended to heaven…He gave them what we call “the great commission.” It included instructions for going out into all the world as His representatives.
However, Jesus told them not begin until they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. The people who had been trained by Jesus in person still needed some extra equipment. They needed more than training, and more than experience. There was something else He wanted them to have. There was something else that they needed.
I think that just by the text above, that I copied and paste from your own teaching; it shows that you are not interpreting the bible correctly in that situation, because by your statement that ” The people who had been trained by Jesus in person still needed some extra equipment”…doesn’t mean that they had received the Holy spirit in the first place. Because the Holy spirit came to indwell human beings only after Jesus had ascended to heaven…he first came to indwell in human beings in Acts 2, on the day of the Pentecost when the disciples were praying in the upper room. So, to insinuate that receiving the Holy spirit and baptism of the Holy spirit is two seperate things based on that understanding, is totally unbiblical.
Sorry for me to say it like that, but I needed to just to clarify.
Thank you to allow me to share my views.
God bless you
Hi Clifford. Thank you for your comment. I believe you are missing a very important point.
John 20:22 – After [Jesus] said this, he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
This occurred prior to the ascension, and therefore prior to the day of Pentecost. So your statement is incorrect. The disciples had already received the Holy Spirit’s indwelling at least 10 days before Pentecost.
But even if we were to set that aside, the examples in Acts 8 in Samaria, and Acts 19 in Ephesus, prove that the Holy Spirit baptism is a separate experience from salvation.
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
Good evening, Neal,
I would like to hear and would appreciate your thoughts on the following:
John 7:39 states, “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” This verse is clear: the Holy Ghost had not yet been given. Christ had to first give up His spirit upon His death. Afterward, He needed to receive the promise from the Father before He could bestow that promise upon His disciples and believers.
Acts 2:33 explains, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” This prompts the question: When did the Lord receive from the Father the promised infilling of the Holy Ghost that the prophet Joel foretold would be poured out upon all flesh? Was it before or after His crucifixion? Before or after the day of Pentecost?
In Acts 1:4-8, we read, “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.” Why would the Lord instruct His disciples to “wait” to receive something they already possessed and that He had already given them?
Verse 5 states, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” This implies future action: “but ye shall be baptized,” not “you have already been baptized.”
Verse 8 continues, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Here, we see “ye shall receive power,” not “you have already received power.” The phrase “after the Holy Ghost is come upon you” indicates that the Holy Ghost had not yet come.
It’s important to note how the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the receiving of the Holy Ghost are both mentioned and distinguished in this passage (verses 4 and 8).
What was the significance of the high Jewish holiday of Pentecost? What does it symbolize? If not the first time the promised infilling of the Holy Spirit was given, what does Pentecost exemplify? Additionally, how could the disciples partake in the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ before it actually occurred?
Hi Lonnie. Thank you for your comment. I am not completely sure what you are asking, and I do not want to answer something that is not being asked. If there is a specific point you would like for me to respond to, let me know.
The infilling of the Holy Spirit serves as evidence that one has been baptized into Christ or united with Him. “His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God.” In order to receive the inheritance designated for the only Son of God, Jesus Christ, one must be either a son of God or united with the Son of God. The Spirit can only be received, indwelt, or poured out upon someone who is a joint heir of the same promise. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is an inheritance meant for God’s heir, Christ.
Speaking in tongues and prophesying, on the other hand, are initial signs or evidence that one has indeed been filled with the Spirit of God. These manifestations can also indicate that an individual has been baptized into Christ by the Spirit, as one must be “in” Christ to be justified as a recipient of the inherited infilling of the Holy Spirit. This infilling is evidenced by speaking in tongues and prophesying, which should not be confused with the gifts of tongues or prophecy.
To receive this gift, one should hear the Gospel, believe in it, and confess faith in it. This continues with obeying the Gospel through genuine repentance (turning away from self and turning to the Lord) and openly pledging allegiance to Christ through water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (the wedding). At this moment, one is simultaneously baptized into the body of Christ, becoming one with Him through the workings of the Spirit (the marriage). Once united with Christ and considered joint heirs with Him, individuals receive the promised Holy Spirit, which serves as the inheritance of Christ, evidenced by speaking in tongues and prophesying (not the gifts).
Hi Lonnie. Thanks for your comment. I am not sure what is being asked, but I would like to note that throughout the Old Testament and the four Gospels, many people prophesied that were not united to Christ, including Caiaphas the High Priest who was involved in having Jesus arrested.