Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Christian phrase
In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doctrines of salvation and ecclesiology. It is frequently associated with incorporation into the Christian Church, the bestowal of spiritual gifts, and empowerment for Christian ministry. Spirit baptism has been variously defined as part of the sacraments of initiation into the church, as being synonymous with regeneration, or as being synonymous with Christian perfection. The term baptism with the Holy Spirit originates in the New Testament, and all Christian traditions accept it as a theological concept.
Prior to the 18th century, most denominations believed that Christians received the baptism with the Holy Spirit either upon conversion and regeneration or through rites of Christian initiation, such as water baptism and confirmation.
Methodism and the holiness movement, which began in the mid-18th century, teach that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the same as entire sanctification, which is believed to be a second work of grace.
In the 20th century, Pentecostalism associated Spirit baptism with the gift of speaking in tongues (glossolalia) and spiritual empowerment, with Holiness Pentecostal fathers declaring it to be the third work of grace. As Pentecostalism continued to grow, the belief that Spirit baptism is distinct from entire sanctification became prevalent.
Biblical description
Old Covenant background
In Christian theology, the work of the Holy Spirit under the Old Covenant is viewed as less extensive than that under the New Covenant inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit was restricted to certain chosen individuals, such as high priests and prophets.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q976547. The Library of Congress control number is sh85011732. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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