Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 3)

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? – Part 2 

 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 3)

Now, let us look further at 1 Corinthians 12:13 in its context and along with the other relevant teachings that we have seen above. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, like Romans chapter 12, is the chapter on the gifts of the Holy Spirt, but with one difference – the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not mentioned in Romans 12. Paul begins by reminding them that they (the Corinthians) have been delivered from serving the dumb idols, and whatever may be their state of spiritual maturity, it is through the Holy Spirit residing within them that they are actually able to call Jesus as Lord (vs.1-3), and that gifts of the Holy Spirit have also been given to them. Then from vs. 4 to 11, Paul writes to them about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit they have received.

Keeping their above mentioned background and sorry state of spirituality, take note of something that the Holy Spirit stresses upon through Paul – irrespective of their individual state of spiritual maturity, in God’s eyes, for God’s purposes, they are all one Church, they are all of the same standing before the Lord; there is no one superior, no one inferior, no one more useful and no one less useful; they are all on the same level before God. How does Paul show this to them? 

He says:

• In vs. 4-6 the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God works all in all;
• In vs. 7 manifestation of the Spirit is given to all, for the profit of all (this is a very important point to be kept in mind when considering the gifts of the Holy Spirit – no gift, none whatsoever, is for any personal use or only for an individual’s use; they are all for the benefit of the whole Church – the common misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:2-4 notwithstanding);
• In vs. 11, after listing the various gifts of the Holy Spirit from vs. 8-10, another very important statement is given – the gifts are distributed to each one, and as per the discretion of the Holy Spirit. So we see that no one is exempt, every one of those Corinthians has been given a gift (an affirmation of Ephesians 2:10), and it is the Holy Spirit that has determined who gets what, with no mention or even hint of any discrimination of any sort on any grounds. And this is so that everyone can be useful in the service of the Lord.
• Then from vs. 12 onwards to vs. 27, this is again affirmed by the word picture of one body with many parts, but all working together as one, and dysfunction of one affecting everyone else is given.

In this whole section that provides the context of 1 Corinthians 12:13, is there any hint, let alone saying it in as many words, that for being considered for service for the Lord any discrimination was made on any grounds – even on grounds of whether or not an individual has received the so called Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is it said anywhere that because of their not having received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, someone was considered unworthy of being given a gift of the Holy Spirit? Does it at any place imply or say that although every Believer is part of the body of Christ, His Church, but these powerful gifts as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in and interpreting tongues etc. were given to only those who had also additionally received the Baptism of the Holy Spirt? And the counterpart of this section in Romans 12 does not even mention the Baptism of the Holy Spirt!

So on what grounds, with what Biblical support, is it taught and claimed that for a Christian Believer to be effective for the Lord one has to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? If despite the poor spiritual state of the Corinthian Believers, they could still be considered worthy of being given such magnificent spiritual gifts, and every one of them could be considered as potentially being useful for the service of the Lord by the Holy Spirit, then how can anyone claim of it requiring a special Baptism of the Holy Spirit to be effective for the Lord?

Does it not tantamount to creating divisiveness in the body of Christ and indulging in one-upmanship, by projecting some to be better or superior to others? Is this attempt at divisiveness and discrimination in the Church then clearly not a work of Satan rather than of God? Can there be any virtue in teaching and insisting upon this deliberate misinterpretation of God’s Word regarding the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

- To Be Continued

 Next: Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part - 4)