Yet this does not alter the fact that the organic union really exists. The Word of God is
to us its undeniable witness. Organic life appears in nature in two forms: in the plant, and
in the body of man and animal. These are the very types that Christ uses to illustrate the
spiritual union between Himself and His people. He said: “I am the Vine, ye are the branches.”
And St. Paul speaks of having become one plant with Christ. And he frequently uses the
image of the body and its members.
Hence there can be no doubt that there exists a mystic union between Christ and believers
which works by means of an organic connection, uniting the Head and the members in a
for us invisible and incomprehensible manner. By means of this organic union the Holy
Spirit was poured out on Pentecost from Christ the Head into us, the members of His body.
If it were possible to construct the city’s water-works in the air above the city, the chief
engineer could properly say: “When I turn on the water for the first time I will baptize the
city with water.” In similar sense Christ may be said to have baptized His Church with the
Holy Spirit. For the word of John the Baptist, “I indeed baptize you with water, but He that
cometh after me is mightier than I; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost,” is explained
by Christ Himself as referring to the day of Pentecost (Acts i. 5): “And being assembled to-
gether with Him, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but
wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly
125baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence”;—a
promise that undoubtedly referred to the Pentecost miracle. This agrees with the fact that
Jesus during His ministry allowed His disciples to continue the Baptism of John. And this
shows that even before the crucifixion, John and Peter, Philip and Zaccheus, and many
others received saving grace of the Holy Spirit, each for himself, but none of them was
baptized with the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost.
With reference to the apostles, we must therefore distinguish a threefold giving of the
Holy Spirit:
First, that of saving gracein regeneration and subsequent illumination—Matt. xvi. 17.
Secondly, official giftsqualifying them for the apostolic office—John xx. 22.
Thirdly, the Baptism with the Holy Ghost—Acts i. 5 in connection with Acts ii. 1ff.
One more difficulty remains. We often read of outpourings of the Holy Spirit after
Pentecost. How can this be reconciled with our explanation? In Acts x. 44, 45 we read:
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all who heard the word. And
they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” And Peter confirms this by
saying: “Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we?” From this it is evident that the outpouring on the house of
Cornelius was of the same nature as that on Pentecost. Moreover, we hear of a descent of
XXVI. Israel and the Nations