Baptism with the Spirit

Thu, 13 Feb 1997

Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list No. 363 

     Book Review: Allan Norling, Jesus the Baptiser with the Holy
     Spirit, published by the author, (Box 219, Beecroft, Australia
     2119), 1994.

     Debates about the Holy Spirit still rage (mainly in Western
     contexts: the rest of the world generally gets on with living the
     Christian life rather than debating about it). Seventy percent of
     all church growth is among Pentecostal and Charismatic groups (C.
     Peter Wagner), and historical Protestantism is declining... (Why?)

     What is 'baptism with the Holy Spirit'? Is it something that
     happens only at conversion (most conservative Evangelicals)? Or
     subsequent to conversion (many Pentecostals)? Once or many times?
     Should we seek this experience? How do we know when we've 'got
     it'? What is the relationship between Jesus and the Spirit? Or the
     fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit?

     Allan Norling, an Australian Churches of Christ minister, tries to
     steer a course through these and other questions, towards what he
     calls a 'new understanding'.

     From a pretty thorough study of the N.T. texts, aided by insights
     from evangelical, Pentecostal, charismatic and 'Third Wave'
     writers (but not more mainline scholars, except perhaps an
     occasional reference to the Interpreters Bible) some of his key
     'understandings' are:

     * (As Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say), in every NT reference it's
     Jesus who baptizes with the Holy Spirit

     * Jesus does this each time he elects to use us in ministry, so

     * The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not simply a once only
     experience, but a repeated ongoing work of Jesus in our lives

     * However, each baptism with the Holy Spirit is a complete and
     final event, fulfilling its own immediate purpose

     * Whereas the initial experience of baptism with the Holy Spirit
     may take place at conversion (eg. the household of Cornelius Acts
     10), our awareness may take place later (eg. the Samaritans)

     * Spiritual gifts to not belong to us to use as we will, but are
     manifested in us by the Holy Spirit, when Jesus wishes to use them
     in ministry through us (so we mustn't use the possessive pronoun
     'my' of such gifts)

     * To pray to the Holy Spirit is by-passing Jesus: he is our only
     mediator

     * All true prayer is 'praying in the Spirit', whether it's praying
     in tongues or not

     * Theologians often tend to rationalize the whole thing to justify
     their own lack of experience of the miraculous

     As he wrestles with the relevant NT passages, there are
     discussions of the ending of Mark, slaying in the Spirit, tongues-
     as-evidence etc. Norling has read Conservative Evangelical John
     Stott (Baptism and Fullness); he's studied the life of Smith
     Wigglesworth (now there's an amazing man, sorry, an ordinary man
     with amazing spiritual power, generally unknown outside
     Pentecostalism); he's acquainted the 'Third Wave' (Wagner,
     Vineyard) understandings...

     I notice Hummell's Fire in the Fireplace isn't in his
     bibliography: Hummell says this whole discussion ignores the fact
     that Paul and Luke/Acts are asking and answering different
     questions (see my home page article on charismatic renewal).

     Then we have to relate experience to theology. Pentecostals seem
     to major on experience and attempt to theologize it (though they
     generally deny that's what they're doing). Conservatives don't
     have too much experience so they justify their spiritual aridity
     with various rationalizations (miracles ended with the apostles
     etc.).

     One important issue is whether an experience like, say, slaying in
     the Spirit, can be valid today even though the biblical evidence
     for such manifestations is slight.  Missionaries in Papua New
     Guinea had similar difficulties explaining 'pointing the stick'
     when a word of knowledge about someone was manifested in
     revivalist contexts. (I remember endless debates in my childhood
     Brethren assembly about whether we should have Sunday Schools,
     seeing they aren't in the Bible).

     This is a good book for Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Charismatics,
     Third Wavers and others whose mind is already made up on these
     issues. It will help you become a little more humble/tentative
     about some of your assertions. There is mystery - and power -
     here. Perhaps the Spirit, like the wind, can't be easily
     bottled...


     Shalom!  Rowland Croucher

     Director, John Mark Ministries - resources for pastors/leaders.
       (Bookroom, library, and worldwide F.W.Boreham Trading Post)
                 Home Page: http://www.pastornet.net.au/jmm
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