The baptism of Holy Spirit is an act of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ in which He endues a spiritually thirsty believer with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is about power. Speaking in tongues keeps the believer "clothed" or "filled" with the Holy Spirit.
God’s job is to anoint, clothe, fill, immerse and/or give the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The believers’ job is to ask, seek, knock for, and receive the baptism.
This is the classic and Biblical understanding of the baptism of Holy Spirit.
It is confirmed by prophecy, by the actual fulfillment of the prophecies, by the early church, by the church fathers, and by experience today.
Many people know John 3:16 by heart. We may need a refresher for Luke 3:16:
John prophesied and answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And then we have Jesus’ prophetic promise in Mark 16:17:--These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
Perhaps just as importantly, we have Peter’s remembering of Jesus statements recorded in Acts 11:15-17--Jesus used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
The phrase “used to say” is in the imperfect active indicative, which means a continual, repetitive manner. In other words, Jesus repeated this promise often. We could translate, “He kept on saying,” or “He said over and over again.”
Peter’s point was that Jesus repeatedly referred to the baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues together as the way He understood the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I say it again for emphasis: In Jesus mind, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues belong together.
Gathering them together, He [Jesus] commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:4ff
Jesus had repeatedly promised the upcoming event--the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John had promised a baptism greater than his own. Then came Pentecost!
Bingo! The prophesies were literally fulfilled on that day.
Jesus “poured out!” the Holy Spirit. They all spoke in tongues! All the 120 in the upper room.
Once more for emphasis--Jesus understands the baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues are part and parcel of the same event. How do we know? Because He gave both together on the day of Pentecost!
“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus] has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Acts 2:33
Here's another recorded incident (Acts 8:8-24) of the fulfillment of the long-awaited promises. . .
The fact that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is different from baptism in the name of Jesus (water baptism) is indicated in this incident. Now when Simon (the “Magician”) saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money . . .
How could Simon know that the Spirit was given through the laying on of hands? It had to be something outward and obvious, because Simon was not a man of great spiritual discernment.
According to the pattern of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we can safely say, “It was tongues.”
Simon noticed they were talking in tongues as the sign that the Spirit was given!
Acts 9, Acts 10, and Acts 19:1-7 record three additional instances of a similar pattern.
Not only did the early church adopt and practice this understanding that the Holy Spirit of God and speaking in tongues belong together, but they promoted it.
The rapid spread of Christianity in the pagan world can be attributed to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also ESV Acts 17:6.
Acts was transcribed under the influence of the Spirit by Luke. The early church leaders readily adopted the book of Acts and made Acts staple reading in their church gatherings. There was never any question about the canonicity of the book of Acts. Because the book of Acts was so widely accepted and used in the early church meetings, it was a “shoe-in” for adoption into the early canon of the Christian church!
Jesus’ timeless instruction as recorded by Luke in chapter eleven verses one through thirteen tell how to receive the Holy Spirit.
I was a student at the time and had been saved for about 5-10 years. When I first heard from Dr E V Stime, the president of the Lutheran Bible Institute, about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, I couldn’t believe it.
I was a sceptic, but Dr Stime sparked my curiosity. I went to an Episcopal church where I heard “they were speaking in tongues.” I went a couple of times, but nothing happened. I didn’t know how to seek God or the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Later, God’s Spirit came upon me in an unobtrusive way as I asked God. I began to speak in tongues for the first time.
I believe a key ingredient for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to seek God in an aggressive, not passive, faith. Jesus’ promises in Luke 11:1-13 are His instructions to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, added power, and tongues in 1963. I had no idea what I was getting into, but it has been a life-changer for me. God bless you!