Baptism - Part 3 (Power)

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"Gathering them together, He 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.'" (Acts 1:4-5, NASB) 

There are three baptisms mentioned in the New Testament writings. Each is unique, and each has it's own meaning and significance. This post is number three of four that will look at what Scripture says about each, although they will be covered in a different order than they chronologically appear in the NT.

   All four gospel writers in the New Testament record an interesting statement concerning Jesus before His public ministry fully began:
   - "...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matt. 3:11, NASB)
   - "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mk 1:8, NASB)
   - "... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3:16, NASB)
   - "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' (Jn.  1:33, NASB) 
   I realize that there is a variety of ways in which Bible teachers and scholars interpret these statements, but I believe Luke removes any doubt as to the meaning when he records, "...[Jesus] commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised... 'For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'" (Acts 1:4-5, NASB) As we read chapter two in Acts, we quickly realize that what was taking place was a new baptism of power: Holy Spirit baptism. He certainly is not referring to water baptism for He makes a clear distinction here. Also, we know that He is not talking of baptism into the body of Christ, or salvation, for some of those in the upper room in Acts 2 were already believers. In addition, there were certain "signs and wonders" that coincided with this event. This was a separate and distinct act of God.
   This baptism in the Holy Spirit was something the disciples needed for ministry.  Jesus said, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses...even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NASB) It was this new endowment with power which enabled those uneducated fishermen to turn the world upside down. They went out, under the power of the Holy Spirit, and boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus, and miracles accompanied their message.
   The next post will focus on the "how-tos" of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, but the first step is simply being open to it.  Paul said, "...for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7, NASB) If you are ready to experience the power of God like never before, begin now by asking Him to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
 

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