Two Classes of Christianity?

What does the phrase "baptised in the Holy Spirit" mean? We read about it in the New Testament and it seems that the book of Acts is full of people being "baptised in the Holy Spirit." As we read through Acts in particularly it would seen that the early church received some sort of "second blessing" enabling them to speak in tongues.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts
Jesus promised his disciples that they would be 'baptised in a few days time" (Acts 1:5). After explain that John baptised with water he told them that they were going to receive the gift from his Father that he had talked about and promised.

The disciples spent time in prayer and preparing themselves to receive this promised gift, including selecting someone to replace Judas. We read in Acts 2 how there was a sound of a mighty wind and tongues of fire sat on each of their heads. As they were baptised with the Holy Spirit they began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

As we read on through the book of Acts we come to chapter 8 where Philip is in Samaria. He is proclaiming Christ, explaining how Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, all the miraculous things he did, how he was crucified,died, buried and on the third day rose again. There was great joy in the city as the crowds listened and watched Philip, many were healed and set free as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God. Many believed and were baptised.When the guys at Jerusalem heard all that was going on in Samaria they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit and as they placed their hand on them they received the Holy Spirit.

I love reading how God spoke to both Cornelius and Peter in Acts chapter 10 and there is so much we could learn from this passage but for now I want to focus on how Cornelius received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.Cornelius and all his family were devout, God-fearing people even though they were not Jews. They gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.One day God spoke to Cornelius and told him to send two of his servants to fetch Peter from Joppa. In the mean time God is speaking to Peter and he was so caught up in the visions he was having that he did not hear the men come and the Holy Spirit had to whisper in his ear 'get up and go with the men who are downstairs." When Peter arrived at Cornelius" home he told them how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. Peter told them how they killed Jesus by hanging him on a tree but God raised him up on the third day.While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the good news and they started speaking in tongues and praising God.
Luke records in Acts 19 that as Paul arrived at Ephesus he meet some disciples and asked if they had received the Holy Spirit and they replied they did not know there was an Holy Spirit. After speaking with them Paul placed his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

The Second Blessing
We have just seen that in Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, and Acts 19 that each group of people received a 'second blessing." We discovered people who were following after God and then were 'baptised in the Holy Spirit'
Today many churches encourage us to seek the 'baptism in the Holy Spirit." I have to say it is something that I have done myself. You may be counselled to confess all known sins, to trust Jesus completely, to commit every area of your life to him, believe God is going to empower you, and ask the Jesus to baptise you in the Holy Spirit. Someone may pray for you and lay hands on you and in great expectation you wait but often nothing seems to happen.

The Problem!
As you longingly wait for the Holy Spirit, which can for some be days or even years, still nothing seems to happen. This often leaves you feeling that you are not good enough, may be you have not confessed all your sin, those who have received the 'second blessing" are encouraging you but you just feel nothing is happening, you can't speak in tongues. By default two classes of Christians have been created those who have been 'baptised in the Holy Spirit" and those who have not. We now have 'Non-Christians" 'Ordinary Christians" and 'Spirit filled Christians'. The church has been divided into those who have and those who have not, an 'us and them" mentality are in many churches today. Those who have received the 'second blessing" have spiritually superiority even if it is not their attitude, it can be put upon them by those who have not received such a blessing. It also focuses it into a one off experience. This I believe is a subtle scheme of the devil. If he can't stop the church receiving such a blessing then he has found away to reduce its effect to a 'one off second blessing

As I read through the New Testament, I do not see any teaching that creates two levels of Christians, either by plan or by default. So what about the passages we looked at in the beginning.

I would suggest that Acts 2, Pentecost was a special time. A time when there was a remarkable transition going on. It was a transition from the Old Covenant experiences of the Holy Spirit, when one or two people experienced the Holy Spirit, to the New Covenant experiences with the more powerful work of the Holy Spirit in action. It is what Joel prophesied about and Peter confirmed had happened. We are not living in a transitional time, we are living in the 'age to come" waiting for the return of Christ. However this New Covenant experience of the Holy Spirit is still available to us today and this New Covenant power of the Holy Spirit gives us:

  • greater effectiveness in our witness (Acts 1:8);
  • much greater power for victory over the influence of sin in our lives (Romans 8:13-14);
  • power for victory over Satan and demonic forces that would attack us (1John 4:4)
Acts 8 and Acts 10 are clear demonstrations to the disciples that the Holy Spirit is not restricted to the Jews only but is available to the Gentiles as well.
In Acts 19 the believers we limited in their revelation. They had gone as far as their revelation took them but as soon as Paul preached the full gospel to them they received the Holy Spirit. For many decades the church has been limited in its revelation of the Holy Spirit and with the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements there has been a fresh out pouring of the Holy Spirit across the church.
Each one of us, who confesses all known sins, trusts Jesus completely, commits every area of your life to him, believes God is going to empower you, and asks the Jesus to baptise you in the Holy Spirit will find it results in large steps of growth in our Christian life. All areas of you Christian life will be changed:
  • Increased maturity
  • Closeness with God
  • Enjoying worship
  • Receiving God given gifts
  • More meaning full Bible study
  • A greater Joy
  • More fruitfulness in sharing the gospel
  • Great experience of the Holy Spirit
Paul sums it up well in Ephesians 5:18 when he says "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." A better way of translating the Greek verb that Paul uses is "Be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit" this implies that this is something that should repeatedly be happening to Christians.