Baptism and Holy Spirit?

[mikeledes]

Acts 8:14-16 states that John and Peter prayed that new converts that were recently baptized might receive the Holy Spirit since…

“… it had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord.”

This verse seems to insinuate that the Holy Spirit is not received in baptism and is a verse that seemingly supports the claims of those who do not believe in spiritual regeneration through water baptism.
Also, in Acts 1:5, Jesus equates the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Once again, it seems to insinuate that Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from water baptism. Your help will be very much appreciated.

God Bless

 

[forthright]

My view has always been that this explains the difference between baptism and confirmation. I’m not sure how that squares with orthodoxy.

 

[Catholic2003]

mikeledes:

Once again, it seems to insinuate that Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from water baptism.

“Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is the Sacrament of Confirmation.

From the Baltimore Catechism:

Q. 670. What is Confirmation?

A. Confirmation is a Sacrament through which we receive the Holy Ghost to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Q. 672. Why is Confirmation so called?

A. Confirmation is so called from its chief effect, which is to strengthen or render us more firm in whatever belongs to our faith and religious duties.

Q. 678. In Confirmation, what does the extending of the bishop’s hands over us signify?

A. In Confirmation, the extending of the bishop’s hands over us signifies the descent of the Holy Ghost upon us and the special protection of God through the grace of Confirmation.

Q. 696. Is Confirmation necessary for salvation?

A. Confirmation is not so necessary for salvation that we could not be saved without it, for it is not given to infants even in danger of death; nevertheless, there is a divine command obliging all to receive it, if possible. Persons who have not been confirmed in youth should make every effort to be confirmed later in life.

Q. 698. Which are the effects of Confirmation?

A. The effects of Confirmation are an increase of sanctifying grace, the strengthening of our faith, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 699. Which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?

A. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

 

[Aaron_I]

mikeledes:

… it had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord.

I would like to put special emphasis on the last part: “they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord.” Why is this wrong? Because they should have been baptised in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus, it was invalid and they did not receive the Holy Spirit.

 

[rwoehmke]

There was more then one form of baptism at the time. This may have been a baptism as performed by John the Baptist which was a Baptism that did not confer the Holy Spirit. In any case a Baptism which did not follow the trinitarian formula as established by Jesus in his mandate to his disciples at his resurrection.

 

[banjo]

Some quotes from the CCC:

1266–The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sancifying grace, the grace of justification: enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues; giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit; allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues. Thus the whole organism of the Christian’s supernatural life has its roots in Baptism.

1285–Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfetly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

1299–In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit.

1303–From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace: …] it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;

The St. Pius V Catechism states, “As nature intends that all her children should grow up and attain full maturity …], so the Catholic Church, the common mother of all, earnestly wishes that, in those whom she has regenerated by Baptism, the perfection of Christian manhood be completed.”

 

[Todd_Easton]

The Bible indicates that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on at least two different occasions, once on the evening of Resurrection Sunday (John 20:19-22) and again on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1-4). So, it would seem that the Holy Spirit can be received at different times in order to endow the recipient with the same gifts to a greater degree or with entirely different gifts.

 

[banjo]

“Since reception of the holy spirit is normally an immediate consequence or part of baptism (Acts 1:5; 2:38; 9:17-19), verse 16 (Acts) indicates that Philip’s work was incomplete. Peter and John …] are sent down by the apostles at Jerusalem to complete it and thereby give apostolic sanction to this new departure in the mission-field. Since imposition of hands is not attested as a formal part of baptism before Tertullian, we may assume that it is an *ad hoc *gesture to solve the abnormal situation created by the need to stress the unity of all mission works under the direction of the apostles.” A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture; section 829g, pg. 1086

 

[banjo]

Todd Easton:

The Bible indicates that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on at least two different occasions, once on the evening of Resurrection Sunday (John 20:19-22) and again on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1-4). So, it would seem that the Holy Spirit can be received at different times in order to endow the recipient with the same gifts to a greater degree or with entirely different gifts.

This is a good point Todd; cf. Acts 10:44-48. The Holy Spirit descended on the Gentiles before they were baptized.