Long Awaited Summary of My Belief on Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Within evangelicals, there are varying beliefs on when a Christian receives or gets filled with the Holy Spirit. I recognize that this is a matter in which two people can believe very different things and still know the God of the Bible. My intention is to share the conclusions that I've come to and the Scriptures from which I draw them (not to argue, but because I was asked to share).

First off, I believe that a person receives the Holy Spirit when they get saved. He is a large part of their salvation and sanctification. I believe we receive him not just as a friend nearby, but I believe He resides in us. The argument remains that the New Testament believers received the Holy Spirit separate from their belief in the Son. Personally, I believe the reason for this is that for many, belief in Jesus came before He ascended and subsequently left the Holy Spirit as our constant counselor. As for those who would say this still happens today, to the best of my knowledge their only evidence is the initial use of Spiritual gifts such as tongues. Once the believer is saved and begins to grow however, they produce fruit and exhibit gifts of the Spirit as they participate as a part of the Body. Just because those gifts are not glaringly obvious like tongues, doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit isn't living and working in and through them. When a gift such as tongues or prophesy does show up later, I think it's very likely that they were either unaware that they had/even could have such a gift or they were not allowing the Spirit to work in such ways through them. Furthermore, as I will address later, not all believers speak in tongues and I think it would be wrong to suggest that all who don't are not filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13,14; 1 Corinthians 6:11,19,20, Acts 2, Acts 19:1-7 1 Corinthians 12:1-11,30,31)

I believe that the gifts of the spirit (including tongues) are for today. While scripture repeatedly talks about believers speaking in tongues, it nowhere says that we would continue to do so. Therefore, this became a sort of stumbling block for me. Not being raised in a community of believers that practiced this nor being so gifted myself, I had large doubts as to the legitimacy of this gift in today's context. Since then however, I have come to know and trust a couple people, pentecostal in upbringing and gifted in tongues who would never fake such a thing. Therefore my basis is largely experiential and therefore I cannot ask other believers to base their conclusions on this. I can however, point to the fact that it is not scripturally forbidden and there are places and times in which it can edify the body or further the kingdom. (1Corinthians 12-14)

I believe that the instructions for orderly worship should be upheld in our gatherings. For example, if someone speaks in an unknown tongue they had better know that there is an interpreter there. Both tongue-speakers and those who prophesy (or any other audible gift) should use their gifts in a non-distracting, orderly way (i.e. one at a time). This is not to say that one should worship God with restraint, but find a way that is in no way unedifying. I would venture to say one could give more glory to the Father by considering Him and His nature as he/she went about any of their tasks than they could by expressing praise in a way that causes others to stumble. (1 Corinthians 12,14; Romans 12)


I believe that God gives us all gifts and talents through His Spirit, but as unique parts of the body we will all have unique gifts. More specifically, I do not believe that a Christian who does not speak in tongues is any less Spirit-filled than the one who does. Also when the scriptures discuss the baptism of the Holy Spirit and doesn't mention tongues, the reader would have to make an assumption to believe that it did occur and therefore add something to God's Word that isn't there (in the case if Paul for example). (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Acts 9:17-19; Deuteronomy 4:2)

I would also like to make a side-note on denominations who do and don't believe in a separate baptism and the gifts for today. I believe that a lack of cooperation and understanding on issues that are not heaven-or-hell issues (foundational) has led to a pendulum swing in each extreme direction. What I'm trying to say, is that we could enforce church discipline (orderly worship) without banning those who participate in things that we don't necessarily understand but that aren't unbiblical. The lack of a willingness to deal with conflict healthily and Biblically has lead to groupings of people who do speak in tongues and groupings of those who don't...denominations. And denominations make me sad.