very, very good topic. This is one of those where I greatly enjoyed all of actually, but again, just it's a real experience of joy to be able to delve into these topics. I'm just so blessed every time. Now, you guys that prepare lessons, you know full well that you get in there, you roll up your sleeves, you're sweating in your mind trying to get these things and understand these things and praying and hoping the Lord will make some sense of it. But you come at a place where it's time, time to bring it and there's something about it where the Lord has maybe settled our hearts in it and our minds and we're just thrilled to bring it. This topic tonight is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And I'm telling you, you know well that it is one confused topic. even among the brethren that we associate with, it's confused. We might not know what it means, what it is. And if you'd allow me to run through a grammatical exercise for one, and then we'll get into what it is, what it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, I think you'll receive a blessing and be settled in the faith, the doctrine of Christ better. But we trust the Lord to do that. Forgive me if I'm not clear. I've done everything I can to be clear, the best I can, and this is what I'll bring you. It's article number 56. It's entitled Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's a very good article. It reads like this. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same as the promise of the Father which Jesus Christ spoke before his ascension back to the Father. The baptism of the Holy Ghost came upon the assembled church on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was a bestowment of power on the church to preach the gospel to every creature. A second manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Ghost came on the believers in Samaria at the preaching of Philip. A third came upon the Gentiles who were converted at Caesarea at the preaching of the Apostle Peter. A fourth came upon the 12 Ephesian brethren noted in the 19th chapter of Acts. There are no other scriptural references to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. However, when a church is constituted, its members are made to drink into that same spirit, there is no commandment of the Lord to seek a baptism of the Holy Ghost. We want to explain this or just stretch it out a little bit more to bring it home to our minds, if the Lord will. There are a string of scriptures. I won't use all of these, but there are those at the end of the article here. So the primary text under consideration at respecting the baptism of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13. We're going to deal with that scripture in just a moment at length grammatically too. I want you to know right up front, and it's already been stated in the article, but I believe this text, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13, this text refers to the Holy Spirit organizing baptized believers into a body of Christ, a church. It is only at this moment that a church becomes a habitation of the Spirit of God. I want to refer you to Ephesians chapter two, hold your places there in the first Corinthians, but Ephesians chapter two, verses 21 and 22, where it says so. beginning with a prepositional phrase, in whom. It's referring to Christ. In Christ, all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in or by the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for inhabitation of God through or again by the Spirit. With that in mind, I want to examine this text grammatically. I don't want to worry you out, but this is good. It's helpful. As we read other scriptures, we can apply this that we show you tonight. That text is 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13, and it reads like this. 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. Often in the word of God, baptism references the immersion of a believer in the water. But there are instances where this is not the case. Matthew 3.11, I'm coming back to this in a moment, First Corinthians, so just let me refer to these. Matthew 3.11 reads, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But, and that's John the Baptist, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." And he goes on. In Matthew 20, verse 22, it reads, Jesus answered and said, you know not what you ask. And he's speaking to his disciples. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said, we are able. Again, in Luke chapter 12, verse 50, Jesus said, but I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? And finally, Acts chapter 1, verse 5, for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. So in these few verses, we read of three kinds of baptisms. one with water, one with the Holy Spirit, and the other was with reference to being put into great trial. Many great brethren have insisted that 1 Corinthians 12 31 refers to a baptism in water But the problem with that is the text only says this, that was by one spirit into, by one spirit into one spirit. Nothing is mentioned here about water. So let's look at the grammatical construction of this sentence. Keep this verse right in front of you for a moment. You need to look at it. And I'm doing this to impress strongly upon our minds what this verse says. And when we understand what it says, we can know what it doesn't say. There is in the verse a single subject. The subject there is we. You see the word we, that's the subject. There are two verbs. Both are passive. They are these. The words are baptized is passive. And the other is have been made to drink. That's passive. Both of these passive verbs are modified. They are further defined by three prepositional phrases, which function as adverbs. They are these, by one spirit, is modifying the verb, the passive verb, are baptized. By one spirit tells us something. It tells us how we received the action of the verbs baptism and drinking. The prepositional phrase is into one body and into one spirit. You see it? They tell us where and perhaps to what extent we are baptized and have been made to drink. Now, because of the action of the verbs, because their passive voice, are baptized and have been baptized to drink, have been made to drink, the subject we is receiving the actions of those verbs. Now we have in this verse all of the components necessary to turn it from a passive voice, and this is what I want you to do, turn it from a passive voice into an active voice, and then we'll see clearly what's being said. And what does an active voice mean? It simply means that the subject will be the producer of the action that takes place. And by doing this, there could be no mistake about what the verse is saying. The subject of this reconstructed verse will be the spirit, because we're told who the actor is. It was by the spirit, right? So we have the actor. He now, in an active voice, indicative mood statement, it will be the subject. The subject now is the spirit. And that tells us, that prepositional phrase tells us how the action was formed, and therefore, he's the actor. He's the one that's gonna produce the action in this newly constructed statement. The passive verbs, instead of are baptized and have been made to drink, become active by eliminating the passive helping words are and been. Instead of are baptized, we want just baptized. Instead of have been made to drink, it will simply say has been made or has made to drink. The subject of the passive voice verbs is now changed, we, to objective case, us. And here's an example of what we've done. If you follow me along, We pass a voice statement. We were baptized by John. Now turning that into an active statement, active voice, John baptized us. It's that simple, okay? That's what we want to do. We want to see this in this verse. So when we take these parts and put it all together, this statement reads like this. If I could just dismiss some of the other things in it. The Spirit baptized us into one body and has made us to drink into one spirit. That's it. That's it. There's no denying that Paul and those of the Corinthian church to whom he is writing and any others that fit this circumstance were baptized by the Spirit of God into one body and made to drink into one spirit. And now with that aside, I want to deal with what this means. What does it mean to be baptized by the Holy Spirit? The verb baptize, baptizo, means to dip, plunge, or immerse. Paul's use of the word in Romans 6, 4 tells us that baptism is an act which brings about a burial. Romans 6, 4, therefore we are buried with him, how? By baptism into his death. Water baptism brings about the burial in water. one who has believed that Jesus is the Christ of God and Savior for sinners, he being a proper candidate for baptism should be completely plunged into water. The point here is that in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, it tells us that the Spirit of God baptizes us into one body. And what does that mean? He puts us into a body. So the question to ask at this point is, what is this body that the Spirit puts us into? Now, there should be little doubt that the baptism of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 is the same as that which our Lord Jesus spoke of just before he ascended to the right hand of the Father, which was about 10 days prior to the day of Pentecost. He said this to his disciples, turn to Acts chapter one, verses four and five. He said this to his disciples, that church which he inaugurated, that he started himself during his earthly ministry. This is what he said in Acts 1, verses four and five. And being assembled together with them, commanded them, Jesus did, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, you've heard of me, for John's truly baptized with water, but ye, Church at Jerusalem, already existing. Very important to note that. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. Notice in this instance that the Spirit of God, by the words of Acts 217, was poured upon the already existing church. To give you some example here, Christ didn't give his word, his commandments, and ordinances to a non-existent church. It already existed at this time. A number of scriptures for that proof. Christ had years earlier personally began organized and established his church, which would later become known as the church, as the Jerusalem Church. The event which occurred on the day of Pentecost was the empowering of an already existing Jerusalem church by the Spirit of God so that they might carry out the will of God during the Lord's absence. During the absence of his personal presence with them. Else why have the baptism of the Holy Spirit? We'd have to ask ourselves that question. So the following is what the Lord Jesus said. Turn to look at verses eight and nine now. He said to his church just before he ascended into glory. Verses eight and nine, Acts 1. But ye shall receive power. After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, The Spirit of God descended upon that Jerusalem church. Chapter two. I want you to first look at verses one through four. Chapter two of Acts, verse one. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, They were all with one accord in one place. Who are they? The Jerusalem church. 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 Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Verses 17 and 18. referring to what had taken place, and it's a reference to the prophecy of Joel. It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God. What did he do? What happened here at Pentecost? I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, all kinds of flesh, if you will, and it describes all that flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. and on my servants and on my handmaids. I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy." Verses 32 and 33. Explaining what took place, this Jesus, Peter saying, Jesus, this Jesus has God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. What was the evidence that Jesus was ascended and at the right hand of the Father? This is the evidence. where we are all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which ye now see and hear. The Spirit of God came to them because Jesus said he would ask the Father when he was there with him in his presence. He would ask the Father and he would send it. And that's the proof that you have. He's there, the Spirit has come. In John, I'll read it one more time, in John 1-5, John truly baptized in water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. But since the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ in the glory, the Holy Spirit of God became not only the power, I want you to follow me with this, not only the power, but the originator or organizer of the churches of Jesus Christ. As Jesus Christ organized and empowered his first church during his earthly ministry, I would refer you to Luke chapter 9 verse 1 and 2 and also chapter 6 verse 13 for proof about what I just said. Now, as Christ organized and empowered his first church during his earthly ministry, now in the absence of his person, the Spirit of God does the work to organize and empower it. That's right. It is the Holy Spirit that brings the members together into one body, meaning one kind of body, a body of Christ. This is not some mystical, universal body. It is the only kind of body that there is on the earth. It's a local body of baptized, believing members. The Holy Spirit, listen, I have the word of God. The Holy Spirit puts every member into that body. It is a baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's not like the Pentecostals, the Charismatics would have us think. It's not that at all. We're here today because that's what the Spirit of God did. And we're gonna go into that to some extent. But in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 11, And that's the chapter that we're, actually where our key verse is found. Here in verse 11, it begins by saying this, but all these, I've done a little study, trying to figure out, want to make sure this context is correct. But all these manifestations of the spirit through the various gifts, ministries, and operations of the members, verses four through 10, all these work that one and a self-same spirit dividing to every man severally or individually as he will. Four, as the body, and he's referring to a human body, as the human body is one and has many members. I'm wiggling a few of them right here just so you can emphasize the point, members, okay? As the human body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, notice this, so also is Christ. And I want you to understand what he's saying. So also is Christ's body, the church. That's what he says. That's what he means. Verse 18. What happens? Now hath God sent the members. And who's that? The Spirit of God has set the members, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased Him. And so verse 27, now, ye are the, or properly we could say, a body of Christ and members in particular. How important is this to know? Well, let me show you something here. A church is not only a group of believers that have gathered together into one place. A church is not only a group of baptized believers that have gathered into one place. A church is a body of baptized believers that have been fitly joined together by the Spirit of God. And I again would refer you to Ephesians 2.21 and chapter 4 verse 16 that says that about us, fitly joined together. The text says, for by one Spirit are we all. Paul, where he was. The Corinthians, where they were, and us, where we are, are baptized into one body. This shouldn't be a strange doctrine. It is hard. It's hard. I'm telling you what, it's difficult to lay aside the things we've heard all our lives. People just haven't been getting in the book. I had somebody this week, actually, they just flat didn't comprehend what was being said. I hope that we're getting this. who are baptized into one body. For example, in this church, the Spirit of God has made me a member with you. Thank God. That's a big deal in my book. We are a body of Christ, a church. I'm not a part, Brother Ken's here tonight, he'll have to hear this, but it's true, and you would agree with this statement. I'm not a part of the body that we fellowship with in Anchorage, no. I'm not a part of the body where my father passes the church in the state of Missouri, it's not, I'm not. The Spirit of God has joined us us together into one kind of body. We are a church not just because, notice this, we're a church not just because we believed in Christ. Some think we are, but it's not. It's not just because we believe in Christ. It's not just because we received water baptism after believing in Christ. Frankly, it's not just because the church voted to receive me into their number. There's more to it than that. Don't misunderstand me. All of those things are right and necessary and lead to this moment. They're necessary if the Spirit will ever put us into a body of Christ. Since, though, since the empowerment of the Jerusalem church, we see that the Spirit of God, since then, begins to organize baptized believers into churches. You're gonna see it in just a moment. This is what became of the baptized believers in Samaria, then of those Gentile believers in Caesarea, and finally of those that we've referred to in the outlying areas at Ephesus. In Samaria, turn to Acts chapter 8 verse 14 and notice what took place. Acts chapter 8 verse 14 reads, Now when the apostles, which were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word, verse 12 tells us that they had believed concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, and they were baptized. We know that. When they had heard this, that they in Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. who when they were come down, note these words, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Wow, that's important. For as yet, he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. That is, they had believed in Christ and had received water baptism. What did they do then? Then they laid their hands on them, those that had faith in Christ and had been baptized, no others. They laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. This group of baptized believing Samaritans were not a church until the Spirit of God came upon them and organized them into a body of Christ. So notice in Acts chapter 10, the Gentile church, something similar, but yet different. And there's a reason for the difference. Acts chapter 10, verses 44 and 45. We just break to this. We have to get into it. We can't deal with all the things that took place. 10 verse 44, while Peter yet spake the words to those of Cornelius and his house, The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. In other words, they evidently had believed. Now there's a little difference here about their baptism, but notice this. And they of the circumcision, the Jews that had come with Peter down from the church of Jerusalem, they of the circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." Now, I'll tell you, it's the only instance of these where the Spirit of God came upon believers that had not yet received water baptism, but the essential, the problem was that they were Gentiles, and Peter would have never administered to them the ordinance of baptism unless the Lord, I believe, unless the Lord had worked in this powerful way. Notice also in Acts chapter 19, beginning at verse one, the 12 Ephesian brethren, and then we're nearly finished. Acts chapter 19, verse one, the 12 Ephesian brethren that Paul met. It came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus. And finding certain disciples, he said unto them, have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy ghost. And he said unto them, unto what then were you baptized? And they said, unto John's baptism. There was a problem. And he's not questioning their faith. He's questioning now their baptism. Because he says, then said Paul, John barely baptized with a baptism of repentance. In other words, he practiced a believer's baptism. saying unto the people that they should believe on him, which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. But they hadn't been baptized in that manner. And evidently there was something wrong with that. And when Paul, notice, had laid his hands upon them, the implication of this is that Paul had asked for the Spirit of God to come down upon them. He laid his hands upon them. What happened? The Holy Ghost came on them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied, and all the men were about 12. Now, after this, the Word of God records no other such manifestation. It's not found anywhere else. Without exception, in these three instances, the Samaritans, the Caesareans, and the Ephesian disciples The Spirit of God organized each into a body of Christ, a New Testament church. The Spirit of God formed these members into a body and empowered them in much the same way. as God breathed life into the nostrils of that first man, Adam, which he formed out of the dust of the earth. And what did we read about him then? Adam became a living soul. And each of these churches became spiritual, living organizations, unlike any other organization on the earth. Now, because There were no other such manifestations of the Spirit's outpouring recorded in the Word of God. That doesn't mean that He no longer comes upon the churches. That can't be true. Rather, the purpose for these special examples was to show us the certainty of His Word. He said it would be so, He showed it was so, and now we ought to account it as so. And that's what happens. The Lord said that this would be the progress of the witness of Christ in the earth, beginning at Jerusalem, then at Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. There were an unspecified number of churches, I want you to notice, that we didn't talk about. unspecified number of churches in the Book of Acts in Syria, not just Antioch, but in Syria and Cilicia, of which origination we know nothing about. Yet they are every, as much every bit of church as the Jerusalem church or the church in Samaria or in Caesarea or those like the Ephesian disciples that Paul ran into. They were what? They were the habitation of the Holy Spirit. And today, any baptized believers, this comes right down to how to start churches. What are we doing when we start churches? People think that churches pass this on. We don't pass the Spirit on to nobody. We have received that from the Lord. We can't do that. God only descends upon his people. Brother J.C. Sotomayor wrote a great book on the subject. It's by direct authority. It comes straight from God upon that group who would be constituted into a true New Testament church. Well, that's important. Today, any baptized believers that would desire to begin a church where they are, though as few as two or three, should expect, they should expect, they ought to know it from the word of God if they've come to that place, they should expect and ought to ask of the Lord that the spirit be given them so that they might carry out the great commission and corporately execute the commandments of Christ. After all, that's what starting a church is all about, aren't we? In that moment, in my mind, I could see a couple of people coming together and wanting to start a church. Isn't it at that moment? Wouldn't they expect the Spirit of God to come upon them? Wouldn't they expect that? They should. I don't know why they would want to constitute a church if they didn't expect that. I think they ought to, and they should. As far as asking, I want you to notice this. In John chapter asking about the Spirit of God, I want you to notice in John, and carefully, I believe this only has reference to the Spirit of God coming upon a group of baptized believers. This is the only instance that I could see that this applies. In John 16, verse 26 and 27, At that day, Jesus speaking, and he's referring to a later day when he would no longer be with them in bodily presence. At that day, he says, ye shall ask in my name. And I say unto you that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you because you've loved me and have believed that I came out from God. So behold that thought. Look at Luke 11 verse 13. Luke 11 verse 13. In this verse is a very important text. If ye then, dear children, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them, plural, that ask Him? The Jerusalem church was waiting as the Lord Jesus had commanded them for the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the Caesarean episode, there's every reason to believe that without the visions and the special demonstration of the Spirit of God coming upon the Gentiles, Peter would have never receive these as candidates for baptism, nor acknowledge them as a true church of Jesus Christ. But in the Samaritan episode, there's no question that Peter and John prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit. The Ephesian episode as well is strongly, where Paul dealt with the Ephesian brothers, strongly implies that he asked for them, the Spirit of God. What took place here? It wasn't a new birth. It wasn't conversion. It wasn't what took place at water baptism. These baptized believers became then the habitation of his spirit. They were at that moment organized into a singular body and became an empowered New Testament church. And close with this, Only by the Spirit of God, brethren, are there genuine, are genuine, I'm sorry, only by the Spirit of God are genuine baptized believers formed into or come into a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they come into a real living corporate fellowship with Christ and its members. Coming into a church, is not only an instance when physical people come to a physical church and say, I want to be counted with this church as a member of it. We have people do that. We have that happen. I've had it happen. Here's the problem. Some want what we have without becoming what we are. And that's a problem. Coming into a church is a spiritual act. performed by the Spirit of God. It is not only that I have been born again. It is not only that I've come to faith in Christ. It is not only that I have obeyed the commandment to be baptized after believing. It is not only that the church has voted to receive me into its membership. All of that's right and good to repeat it. But we ought to know that it is the invisible God that has brought us into this church relationship. This is a powerful, brethren, this we take it for granted perhaps. I hope not. I do. I've done it at times. I certainly appreciate this work of the Spirit more than I ever have. This is as powerful and miraculous as the work of a work by the Spirit of God as is the new birth. Listen, Judas Iscariot was an outwardly and visibly part of that first church. There's no question in my mind that the Spirit of God never spiritually joined that wicked man to that body as he had the others. Finally, brethren, If as few as two to three disciples desire to unite in covenant together to carry out the commandments of Christ, the Spirit of God will assemble them into a body of Christ and empower them to fulfill that purpose, because he said he would. And in a nutshell, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13, is really about the establishment and empowerment of the New Testament churches since Christ began his first church. Consider what I say, prove it by the word of God, but I believe it's right or I wouldn't have brought it to you tonight. It's a very, very important topic and a good one for us to consider. Thank you so much for your attention.