BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

RedemptionCorps International Church confesses the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the authoritative written Word of God and the foundation for its faith, doctrine, worship, and practice. Accordingly, we affirm the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit and the biblical promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as an empowering experience for believers in Jesus Christ.

Section 1. The Biblical Foundation

We affirm that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a genuine biblical experience promised by Jesus Christ to His Church. This baptism empowers believers for Christian witness, spiritual service, prayer, and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Before His ascension, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, declaring that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receive power to become His witnesses. This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Scriptural references: Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4–8; Acts 2:1–4.

Section 2. The Distinction Between the New Birth, Water Baptism, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

We affirm that the new birth, water baptism, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit have distinct biblical meanings and purposes.

The new birth is the regenerating work of God by which a person receives new life through the Holy Spirit and enters into a life of faith in Jesus Christ. Water baptism is the ordinance commanded by Christ, signifying the believer's identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the promised empowering work of the Spirit for witness, ministry, and spiritual service.

In accordance with our Pentecostal understanding of Scripture, we affirm that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the new birth and water baptism and may be received subsequent to them. We recognize that the biblical accounts describe different sequences of events as the Gospel spreads among different peoples.

Scriptural references: John 3:3–8; Acts 8:12–17; Acts 10:44–48; Acts 19:1–6; Titus 3:5.

Section 3. The Continuing Promise to the Church

We affirm that the promise of the Holy Spirit was not restricted to the original Apostles or to the Day of Pentecost. Peter declared that the promise extended to his hearers, their children, those who were far off, and all whom the Lord would call.

We therefore reject the doctrine that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts associated with the apostolic Church necessarily ceased with the death of the foundational Apostles. We believe that the Holy Spirit continues to operate in and through the Church today, distributing gifts according to His will and empowering believers to fulfill the purposes of God.

Scriptural references: Acts 2:38–39; Acts 1:8; Acts 10:44–48; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11.

Section 4. Speaking in Tongues as the Initial Physical Evidence

We affirm that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to our Pentecostal interpretation of the biblical accounts in Acts.

At Pentecost, those filled with the Holy Spirit spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. At the household of Cornelius, Jewish believers recognized that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit because they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God. At Ephesus, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples after Paul laid hands on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

We understand these accounts to establish the biblical pattern of speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence of this baptism.

We further affirm that the Holy Spirit may enable believers to speak in languages they have not learned, including recognizable earthly languages and Spirit-enabled speech directed toward God. We recognize that the precise nature and purpose of a particular manifestation must be understood in accordance with the relevant biblical teaching.

Scriptural references: Acts 2:1–11; Acts 10:44–46; Acts 19:1–6; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11; 1 Corinthians 14:1–5.

Section 5. The Purpose, Fruit, and Accountability of the Spirit-Filled Life

We affirm that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is given for the glory of God and the edification and mission of the Church. It is not a basis for spiritual pride, personal superiority, or exemption from pastoral and ecclesiastical accountability.

The Spirit-filled believer is called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, serve others in humility, pursue holiness, cultivate the fruit of the Spirit, and exercise spiritual gifts in accordance with the Word of God.

All manifestations of the Spirit in corporate worship must be exercised in biblical order, with love, discernment, and concern for the edification of the congregation. No minister or believer is above the authority of Scripture or the accountability established by the church's governing order.

Scriptural references: Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; 1 Corinthians 14:26–33, 39–40; Galatians 5:22–25.

Section 6. Formal Doctrinal Declaration

Therefore, RedemptionCorps International Church declares that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a genuine and continuing biblical experience available to believers today.

We affirm the distinction between the new birth, water baptism, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; the continuing promise and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church; and speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to our Pentecostal understanding of Scripture.