The second step in the believer ’s relationship with the Holy Spirit, Spiritual
baptism, can either be simultaneous with Spiritual rebirth, or can happen
fifty years after the initiate is born again. Furthermore, some Pentecostals
who are born again never achieve ritual baptism in the Spirit. Yet, Pentecostals
believe that everyone who makes themselves available to God and wishes to
be baptized by the Spirit will receive Spiritual Baptism. So, a failure to pro-
duce these practices correctly can be a personal failure of faith.
Spiritual baptism is described as being filled with the conscious energy of
God. “Filled” is the key term. People who are baptized in the Spirit are
described as “spiritually energized.” Believers expect to be refilled by the
Spirit throughout their lives. It is described as an ongoing process in leading
a “Spirit filled life.”
Scriptural Supports for Beliefs
Scripture is used to support the belief in the presence of the Holy Spirit in
worship through the practices of speaking in tongues, prophecy, the inter-
pretation of tongues, and the discernment of these spiritual messages. The
Bible describes two forms of tongues. The practice of Speaking in tongues is
introduced in the book of Acts, which tells of the founding of Christianity
after the death of Jesus. In Acts 1:3–5 Jesus speaks to his Apostles after his
death and promises them that he will baptize them in the Spirit:
- After his suffering [death], he [Jesus] appeared to these men [the apos-
tles] and gave them many proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them
over a period of forty days and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God. 4.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave this command-
ment: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift that my Father has
promised, which you have heard me speak about”. 5. For John Baptized
you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The Apostles are asked to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit
to baptize them. At this point in the text it is not clear what baptism in the
Spirit means.
According to the Book of Acts, the Apostles receive this Spiritual baptism
on the day of Pentecost. The event is described in Acts 2:1–4:
- When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
- Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from the
264 • Bonnie Wright and Anne Warfield Rawls