218 When you come together – Baptism in the Spirit Part 3

Applying what we’ve learnt from Acts to 1 Corinthians 12:13

In this series we are looking at what we should expect in our meetings as we gather together to worship the Lord. We have suggested that 1 Corinthians 14:26 gives a clear indication about this and have noted among other things the importance of congregational participation and variety of manifestation, including supernatural gifts like speaking in tongues and interpretation.

We’ve examined the supernatural gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and noted our total dependence on the Holy Spirit if these gifts are to be in operation in our meetings. We are now considering the significance of 1 Corinthians 12:13, and I have argued that in this verse Paul is talking about the same experience as Jesus spoke about in Acts 1:5-8, and several examples of which we see later in Acts.

In our last talk we examined those examples in more detail and discovered that the baptism in the Spirit was promised by Jesus in Acts 1:5, was received by the first disciples when they were filled with the Spirit in Acts 2:4, was made available to all who would repent and be baptised (Acts 2:38), and received by subsequent disciples in Acts chapters 8, 9. 10, and 19. We saw that the baptism in the Spirit is not the same as the Spirit’s work in salvation or sanctification, but is an enduement with power for service accompanied by miraculous manifestations including speaking in tongues.

Today we’ll be considering how all this applies to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, and perhaps the first thing to say is that, because the baptism in the Spirit was so vital to the experience of the early church, it’s unthinkable that Paul could have a radically different understanding of what it means to be baptised in the Spirit from what we have discovered in Acts. So what we’ve learnt from Acts must inform our understanding of what he means in 1 Corinthians 12:13 when, following my translation, he says that we were all baptised in the Spirit for the benefit of the one body.

In Talk 3 I began by arguing that the first part of 1 Corinthians 12:13 should be understood to mean that Christians are baptised in the Spirit for the benefit of the church. The supernatural gifts listed in verses 8-11 come as a result of believers being baptised in the Spirit and are to be used for the benefit of the whole church (13). We then saw in Talk 4 that in Acts the baptism in the Spirit is a supernatural experience accompanied by charismatic gifts including speaking in tongues.

So, both in Acts and in 1 Corinthians, baptism in the Spirit is closely related to supernatural gifts. But in Acts the emphasis is on evangelism, while in Corinthians it’s on the edification of the church. Or to put it slightly differently, in Acts the gifts which result from the baptism in the Spirit enable those who are not yet believers to come to faith, while in Corinthians they edify those who are already believers and strengthen their faith.

I see, then, no disharmony between Acts and 1 Corinthians 12:13 with regard to the baptism in the Spirit. The difference in emphasis is easily understood in the light of the fact that in Acts Luke is primarily concerned with evangelism in the power of the Spirit, and in 1 Corinthians 12-14 Paul is concerned with pastoral issues relating to the use of spiritual gifts in the worship of the church. The baptism in the Spirit enables both.

So, if we’re to expect the supernatural in our meetings (14:26, 12:1-11 etc), we are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit, and since spiritual gifts are operated by individual Christians, it’s vital that those who do so are baptised in the Holy Spirit. I say this because, from everything we have said so far, it should be clear that the baptism in the Spirit is what has often been referred to as the gateway to the supernatural gifts of the Spirit.

Personally, I have reached this conclusion because I believe that we must decide what to believe on the basis of what we understand the Bible  teaches, not on the basis of our experience. Once we have done that, we may evaluate our experience in the light of Scripture , rather than trying to read our experience into God’s word.

So, if what we have been saying about the meaning of 1 Corinthians 12:13 is correct, it must surely follow that from a biblical perspective the reception and operation of supernatural gifts will be preceded by the baptism in the Spirit. And as far as Acts is concerned, it is significant that the baptism in the Spirit always came before the manifestation of spiritual gifts.

The first disciples did not begin to speak in tongues until they were first filled with the Spirit at Pentecost  (Acts 2:4). The same is true of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-46). And in Acts 19:1-6 the Ephesians spoke in tongues and prophesied after the Holy Spirit  came upon them. Indeed, the fact that people were usually baptised in the Spirit on the day they were saved suggests that the manifestation of spiritual gifts  before being baptised in the Spirit would have been unlikely.

But can we insist that the baptism in the Spirit must precede the manifestation of spiritual gifts? After all, we read that Jesus’ disciples worked miracles  and this was, of course, before their baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost. However, as we examine these passages in the gospels we discover that they did so in a special authority  delegated to them by Jesus at that time. After Jesus went away, they needed the Spirit if they were to continue to work miracles (cf. John 14).

So in my view the baptism in the Spirit is rightly understood to be the gateway to spiritual gifts . Indeed, we might well ask how anyone could expect to manifest the gifts that come from the Spirit without first being filled with the Spirit himself. But we must now consider how all this works out in practice.

The idea that the baptism in the Spirit  is rightly understood from a biblical perspective to be the gateway to supernatural gifts raises certain practical questions with regard to how this teaching  should be applied today. What, for example, can we say of Christians who exercise spiritual gifts but who either would not claim to have been baptised in the Spirit or who do not believe in the baptism in the Spirit? How do we explain this and what should be our attitude to such people?

In my view we should certainly not say that their gifts are not genuine! Personally, I distinguish between what I see in the Bible, and therefore teach, and what God in his grace may do today even if it is not completely in line with my understanding of the biblical pattern. It seems to me that God is far more willing to give than we are to receive. He is longing to lavish his gifts upon his people if only we would desire them more! This means that he is pleased when any of his children seek after any spiritual gift, whether or not they have come to understand or believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit .

This may well explain why some have been greatly used in healing even though they have a different understanding of what it means to be baptised in the Spirit. In my view we should thank God for the way he is using them, but still encourage them to receive the baptism in the Spirit with its accompanying blessing of speaking in tongues , for how else will they be able to pray  with their spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14ff)? 

But instead of looking at the experience of others we would do better to consider our own. If we have been baptised in the Spirit, we should press on to the gifts  by eagerly desiring them and praying for them [1]. And if we have not yet received the baptism in the Spirit, we should ask God to fill us today. Our heavenly Father  does give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11:13) and Jesus  said that if we are thirsty we will drink (John 7:37-39). As we reach out in faith he will not disappoint us [2] .

To summarise, then, I believe that in 1 Corinthians 12:13 Paul is referring to the same experience as Luke describes in Acts, where Christians receive the power of the Spirit accompanied by the manifestation of supernatural gifts. Those gifts are vitally important, not only in confirming the message of the gospel, but also when Christians are gathered together in worship. It follows, therefore, that, if we are to see them in operation in our meetings as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:26, we need to encourage all Christians to be baptised in the Spirit. It is only through the power of the Spirit that we can properly fulfil our purpose as members of the body of Christ.