In response to some questions about a person having the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost or Spirit of Christ dwelling within them or being born of the Spirit and then a subsequent post salvation experience called a filling with the Spirit, or the Spirit coming upon, or a baptism in the Spirit, I recently posted the following on a forum:
Chuck Smith's premise in the book, "Charisma Vs. Charismania," is, if I understand him correctly, that there is an experience called salvation, or regeneration (being born again), or the birth of the Spirit which takes place when a person comes to Jesus in faith and repentance and calls upon the Lord for salvation. Also, at that time the Holy Spirit places/plunges/baptizes/immerses the person into Christ or into the body of Christ. This is what he is calling "en" or the Spirit within. He also states that there is a subsequent experience of the Spirit coming upon (epi) which can be separate from the salvation experience. This "epi" experience could be likened to being baptized in the Spirit or to being saturated with the Spirit or being plunged into the Spirit much like baptism in water. We some times use the term "one birth and many fillings" to describe the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
There are differences of opinion on just when the Apostle Peter was "born of the Spirit" but prior to His ascension Jesus told him and others to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power which He called a baptism in the Spirit. Most of us believe that happened 10 days later at Pentecost as recorded in
Acts 2:1-4 when it says they were filled with the Spirit. Later, in chapter 4 we read again of Peter being filled with the Spirit as he spoke to the Jewish leaders (
Acts 4:8) and again later when he was praying with a group of believers (
Acts 4:31).
This pattern of a birth of the Spirit or salvation followed by a subsequent filling by the Spirit, or a baptism in the Spirit, or the Spirit coming upon, or the Spirit falling upon can be seen a couple of times in the Book of Acts.
The traditional date for the conversion of the Apostle Paul is January 25, AD 32 where he encountered the risen Christ outside Damascus. At this encounter he evidently believed Jesus was risen from the dead and he called him "Lord." Yet it wasn't until three days later when Ananias came into him that he was filled with the Spirit through the laying on of hands.
Also, Acts chapter 8 shows (in the opinion of some) this same distinction. In the winter of AD 31/32 Philip went to Samaria and preached Christ to them. The people responded by believing (receiving the Word according to
Acts 8:14) and were baptized in water. So, this is seen as a salvation or born again experience when the Spirit came into them and placed/baptized them into the Body of Christ. Then some time later (we're not told how much time went by) , by the laying on of hands these believers received the Spirit or the Spirit came or fell upon them.
This is also seen by the way the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch is recorded in some texts and quoted in some manuscripts. Notice that Philip would not consent to the baptism of the eunuch until he was assure that he was a believer. Then, subsequent to his baptism in water, the Spirit fell upon him:
"36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon the eunuch and the angel of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea."
Again, not to belabor the point.
The experience of Cornelius around 38 AD is seen a couple of different ways. While Peter was preaching, the sermon was interrupted by Cornelius and others speaking with tongues. Some see this speaking with tongues to be the new birth experience. Others believe that when these Gentiles believed and accepted the Word as preached by Peter they were born again (Spirit came to dwell within) and as they rejoiced in their newfound experience they were also filled with the Spirit or baptized in the Spirit or the Spirit came upon (epi) them.
Similarly in
Acts 19 which probably occurred around October in AD 53. There are some things we don't know about just what happened there. We do know that when Paul questioned them they said they had not even heard that there was a Holy Ghost. This seems strange because the message of John the Baptist was that he was the one who would baptize in water but One who would baptize in the Holy Spirit would come after him. We do know that Paul explained that they should believe on Jesus Christ, they were baptized in water, and when hands were placed upon them the Spirit came on them (again, the epi experience) and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
A separate filling is also found in the Epistle to the Ephesians. This letter was written to the saints and faithful in Ephesus so we figure they were saved and indwelt by the Spirit. Paul alludes to the Spirit being in them in verse 13 when he says "And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago." A couple of chapters later in 5:17-20 he encourages them to be "filled with the Spirit" or to be "ongoingly filled with the Spirit" or to be "being filled with the Spirit" as it is some times said. I do not read Greek but I have been told that this exhortation to be filled with the Spirit is:
in the imperative mode,
in the present tense continuous,
in the plural number,
and in the passive voice.
So, it is an experience that is available, can be received, can be experienced more than once, and happens after salvation.
Sorry this got so long. It is not an attempt to argue, just to explain that among Pentecostals (both trinity and oneness) there are those who believe that the birth of the Spirit can be followed by subsequent works of the Spirit such as a baptism in the Spirit, or the Spirit coming upon, or the Spirit falling on, or being filled with the Spirit, or receiving the Spirit.
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