Two baptisms are described for those who have committed their lives to Christ and live their life in and for Him.
One is a baptism in water and other is a baptism in fire which is also referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
These scriptures refer to the latter experience, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:48-49 (AMP)
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high.
As we’ve seen in the prior post this was fulfilled in Acts chapter 2
Acts 2:4 (NIV)
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
After receiving the first Baptism of Holy Spirit in Acts Chapter 2 we now see in Acts Chapter 8 that the practice of the Apostles was to assist new believers to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit after they committed their lives to Christ.
Acts 8:14-16 (NIV)
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Continuing on to Acts Chapter 10 we are explicitly told that the Non-Jewish Gentile Christian church is accepted by the Jewish Christian church because they witnessed the new Gentile believers accept Christ and then receive the Holy Spirit Baptism in the same way the Jewish Christians received Him, including the gift of speaking in tongues.
Acts 10:42-47 (NIV)
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
Considering the biblical principle of firmly establishing the most important teachings and truths “in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses” the explicit references to Acts 2, Acts 8 and and Acts 10 above would serve to establish the importance and truth of Gods promise on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
As if to double down on the importance of the truth and to make even more sure the accuracy of the revelation, we are given yet a 4th explicit story.
These passages describe the practice of the early Christian Church and the Apostle Paul as they establish the great church of the Ephesians.
Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve men in
