Q: Some say that although you are baptized into the body of Christ and the Holy Spirit indwells you when you are saved, there is a different event called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is also considered to be filled with the Spirit . If we only receive the Holy Spirit once and there is only one baptism that takes place, why does John 20:22 say that the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples He breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit, and then later in Acts 1:4 it says that on one occasion he told them Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard my speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

A: John 20:22 is indeed a unique passage, and may be reminiscent of John 3:8. It seems difficult to believe that the disciples (or at least some of them, since Thomas was not present when Jesus breathed on them) had two separate occasions of receiving the Holy Spirit. More likely, the pre-Pentecost event was either a "taste" of what was to come, or some type of preparation for the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit some days later.

Baptism by the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit do appear to be different concepts. It seems that baptism is the one-time event that happens when a person becomes a believer. Being filled with the Holy Spirit (as in Eph. 5:18) appears to be the extent to which we allow our lives to be influenced by the Spirit (in other words, our personal holiness and obedience). Scripture does not seem to indicate that today's normative experience is to evidence baptism of the Holy Spirit through, say, speaking in tongues.

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