The Doctrine of Baptism in the Spirit in the Charismatic Movement Cover Image

Doktrina krštenja Duhom u karizmatskom pokretu
The Doctrine of Baptism in the Spirit in the Charismatic Movement

Author(s): Goran Medved
Subject(s): History of Church(es), Biblical studies, Other Christian Denominations, Hermeneutics
Published by: Biblijski institut

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the major terms and issues regarding the doctrine of baptism in the Spirit in the Charismatic movement. It considers the historical and biblical foundation of the doctrine of baptism in the Spirit, and defines the Charismatic movement. It engages issues of Spirit-baptism such as timing (immediacy or subsequence), stages in Christian growth (second blessing or third blessing), signs accompanying Spirit-baptism (observable or non-observable, normative or descriptive), and the relationship of experience and doctrine. The article shows that baptism in the Spirit is interpreted differently by different charismatic groups in order to accommodate their particular denominational theology – in the historic Protestant churches, in the Roman Catholic Church and in the independent churches. Different groups use different biblical texts in support of their Spirit-baptism pneumatology. Some focus on the descriptive passages of Acts, some on the didactic passages of Paul, while some are aiming for integrative use of those texts and also the passages of John. The doctrine of Spirit-baptism appears divisive on the surface, because of its numerous nuances, but it is actually a common denominator and a strong unifying factor across the charismatic world. The effects of Spirit-baptism are numerous and seen as positive and desirable for personal and church growth.

  • Issue Year: 9/2015
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 161-176
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Croatian