BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

View and understanding of the doctrine before

The doctrine of baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of the doctrines which some
religious sects have different understandings. Before I learn this doctrine in the systematic
theology class, I also had some things of which I could not clearly understand while others were
mere contradictions of some elements found in the doctrine. To begin with, I grew up as a little
child having a view that baptism of the Holy Spirit will be done by Christ. This was so because
I read Luke 3:16 which say John answered them all, I baptize you with water. But one who is
more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . But since I read no portion of scripture of heard
someone preach that Jesus baptized people, I then was thinking that He shall baptize on His
second coming.
Later on when I kept on growing and started to get deeper into scripture, I came
across Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) which was later fulfilled on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2 : 1-4). The fulfillment passage gave me an insight that there was a connection
with the Holy Spirit which John the Baptist was talking about. But still upon coming to the
knowledge of these scripture, I was failing to apply it to todays context (our context). This was
also paralyzed with the experience of the water baptism I experienced at church as a
Presbyterian. However, my view changed when I read Ephesians 1:13 - 14 which reads And
you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are Gods

possession to the praise of His glory. This verse then made me believe that baptism of the
Holy Spirit is done at salvation when one heard the gospel of salvation and believed.

What we learned in class

Concerning the doctrine of Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in class we learned that it is not a
later time experience after conversion as some religious churches believes it to be. The
scriptures presented in class in support of this view cannot be taken as basis for taking it as
something we should seek after conversion. Records of scriptural incidences where believers
were being baptized at a later time are considered as unique works of the Apostles since there
were also unique in relation to their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostles also
lived in the unique time in history whereby there was a transition between the covenant and new
covenant experience of the Holy Spirit. The account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the
day of Pentecost presents this transition; and it happened that way for the disciples.
One of the scriptures we focused in class was 1 Corinthians 12:13 which say that we were
all baptized in one spirit into one body. In this case it is viewed that baptism is results into being
members of the body of Christ, or the church. Hence it cannot be said that the baptism of the
Holy Spirit is later time experience after conversion since one becomes a member of the body of
Christ after conversion. We further learned that Baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to all that the
Holy Spirit does at the beginning of our Christian lives.
View of the doctrine after learning in class
As it has been observed above, my view has not changed but rather reinforced and
enriched after I learn the doctrine of baptism of the Holy Spirit in systematic theology class. In
the class, I learned that baptism of the Holy Spirit happens during conversion. This was also the

view I previously had. Furthermore, through the class lesson, my faith grew strong on the view
that baptism of the Holy Spirit does take place as a later experience after being born again. The
scripture references and examples which were presented in class helped to reinforce this. In this
case, that which was taught in class is in line with the Presbyterian view of the baptism of the
Holy Spirit. This lesson in class has also helped me to gather a collection of reference verses
which I can use t back up my view and belief in times of need. My knowledge on the different
theological view in regard to the doctrine of baptism of the Holy Spirit has also increased. I now
know how other denomination circles within the Christian faith got their basis on what they
believe about this doctrine.
View and understanding of the doctrine before
The topic of baptism of the Holy Spirit is one the crucial topic in theology which brings a
lot of argument. The people differ on the mode of baptism which is right. Other people believe
in the baptism by sprinkling or pouring while other people believe in the baptism by immersion.
Out of the two modes of baptism there is no baptism which is legitimate that it can be said to be
the right mode.
Growing in a Presbyterian church my view on the baptism has been of sprinkling. From
Sunday school I have learnt that baptism is a sacrament of Christ and it has to be taken serious.
Being in the CCAP I grew up believing that when one has been baptized in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit becomes a full member of the Church and also a Christian. As it
was a necessity for every to undergo the catechumen class so that he/she becomes a full
member , that if he/she was baptized while a child did not have to be baptized again but if not
had to baptized again. To me this was seen as a way of salvation and that when one has been
baptized I thought thats when the Holy Spirit comes into the person. This view of the Holy

Spirit coming into the person I thought was taken from the time when Christ had come out of the
water after being baptized by the John the Baptist the Heaven opened and the Spirit of the Lord
came out and descended on him with the voice saying you are my son, whom I love, with you I
am well pleased Luke 3:21-22.
As I was growing up my view on baptism started to change. I started to understand that
baptism does not bring salvation, and that the salvation comes through grace. The water baptism
which was done in my church identifies one as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and also in his
death. This understanding came to me when I had learnt Romans 6:3-4, which says Or do you
not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptism is a sign of being in a relationship with Christ and that every must make sure is baptized
in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit.
Though I had learnt that salvation comes by grace, I was still having question on exactly
why does the church really do baptism when one is joining the church. I was enrighted from this
question when I came across Acts 2:38 which says Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And it was from this that I learnt that it is something that
Jesus mandated and has to be followed by the church. The Baptism acts as a way of cleansing
the person, since it is like symbolizing the cleansing of the sins.

View of the doctrine after learning in class

As a Presbyterian this has been my view since I started understanding the truth of the
Gospel. After learning in the systematic theology class my view on the baptism of the Holy
Spirit has not greatly changed because most of the things are what I believed. The lesson in class
has enlightened me to what it really means about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Lord gave
His Holy Spirit to the believers so that should be amongst them and guiding them so when one is
saved the spirit is the one that controls everything.