Re: Knowing the Holy Spirit -- The Baptism of the Spirit

On Thu, 13 Feb 2025 07:56:42 +0200, Steve Hayes
<[email protected]> wrote:

>For St Symeon the New Theologian on Baptism in the Holy Spirit, see:
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-FHHkit6Y4
>
>The expression "Holy Spirit Baptism" has been described, in the first
>part of this paper, as a critical moment in the spiritual life as seen
>and lived by Saint Symeon the New Theologian. Historical backgrounds.
>The Pentecostal movement was inspired by the Holiness 36 and Keswick
>37 movements in which regards the Holy Spirit Baptism.
>
>See here:
>
><https://www.academia.edu/32062037/Baptism_in_the_Holy_Spirit_An_Analysis_of_the_Doctrine_at_Symeon_the_New_Theologian_and_in_Classical_Pentecostal_Movement>


I don't know if there are any Orthodox Christians still reading
alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox, but in case there are, here is
the conclusion of the last-mentioned article by Mihai-Iulian Grobnicu,
comparing Orthodox and Pentecostal pnematology:

----------------

Although Pentecostal effort to return to the Christian experience from
the days of the Apostles is remarkable, one can note their shift from
community to individuality, from salvation to mission, sharp
distinctions which were not part of the pattern noticed in the
development of the Christianity during the first centuries. Beside
this discrepancy, I consider that Spirit baptism doctrine points to a
gap in the Pentecostal theological system, lacking the connection
between the doctrines concerning Christ’s work and Spirit’s activity.
Christ and the Holy Spirit are working on earth together, in a close
relationship which reminds the unity that exists in the Holy Trinity. 

The Word of God does not take flesh without the coming of the Spirit,
and the Spirit is sent, from the Father, on earth, by the Son of God.

That is why I think that only such a real connection between
Christology and Pneumatology can make this teaching more theologically
adequate. Moreover, to make that, I believe that Spirit baptism has to
be elaborated on the entire Scripture, not only on the theology of
Saint Luke, which is seen by Pentecostals mainly as a charismatic
theology. Nonetheless, it has to be emphasized that throughout the
entire New Testament the baptism with the Holy Spirit is related to
the experience of becoming a Christian and to water baptism90.

The dialogue is about persons. In a dialogue, different persons come
forth together with their entire experience, their features, and their
background. To put it short, in a dialogue is brought ahead one’s
whole life. In the first two parts of this paper I have discussed, on
the one hand, the personality and the experience of Saint Symeon the
New Theologian and, on the other hand, the features and the experience
of Classical Pentecostals. My paper has dealt with their views on the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit until this point.

During this study, I have observed a lot of similarities as well as
discrepancies between these two interpretations. Therefore, this final
section is looking to bring more light on some major points the
teaching about Spirit Baptism has brought up during our analysis and
what is the relevance for the current inter-confessional discussions.
What kind of experience is behind it? What place does it have in the
process of Salvation? Which is the relation with the sacramental
baptism? Is there any connection between Spirit baptism at Symeon and
in Pentecostalism? Can this doctrine be used as starting point in a
dialogue between Orthodox and Pentecostals?

To answer to that, few aspects have to be taken into consideration.
First of all, both Symeon and Classical Pentecostal theology speaks
about a second baptism, named baptism in the Holy Spirit, described as
superior to the first baptism with water.

Second, for both, Symeon and Pentecostals, this baptism does not deny
the efficacy of first baptism or the original conversion and
justification. Nonetheless, Symeon relates this baptism with
the work of salvation, being a fulfillment of the grace received
through the Holy Mystery of Baptism, which is a baptism with water and
Holy Spirit. Everything for Symeon is related to salvation, understood
as restoration and transformation of the human being. The baptism of
tears is also related to entire sacramental life, especially with Holy
Eucharist, which is the continuous actualization of the grace that
Christians received through baptism in infancy. This baptism does not
bring a different grace but is the grace received previously through
Holy Mysteries, which is now fulfilled by one’s response to it.

The distinction, however, stands in the different purpose Spirit
baptism has for Symeon and Pentecostalism. As seen, Pentecostals
describe this event as an endowment with power for evangelization,
never regarding it as a part of the ordo salutis. This is one of the
reasons why Spirit baptism has no relation with the sacraments,
besides the fact that sacraments have just an anamnetic function.
Moreover, I think that this is the place where the dialogue can be
fruitful. There are well-known theologians within Classical
Pentecostalism which want to adopt a more sacramental vision to make
the doctrine of Spirit baptism more theologically coherent.

I have presented the position of Simon Chan and Frank Macchia earlier
in my paper, stressing the fact that both are trying not to make a
sharp separation between conversion-initiation and Spirit baptism,
relating the first part to Holy Baptism and confirmation, and Spirit
baptism to Holy Communion. This position is coming near to Saint
Symeon’s tradition, where “baptism of tears” is in straight relation
to Holy Communion.

On the one hand, adopting such a view, the Pentecostal doctrine about
Spirit baptism will become more coherent, not only about justification
but also about the entire spiritual life of the church. On the other
hand, from such a discussion about the importance of Spirit baptism,
Orthodox can re-discover something that is present in their Tradition,
but they forgot it. That is the missionary feature of Holy Communion. 

In essence, this means that Christians can go and speak about God only
after they experienced the presence of God in a conscious way.
Moreover, the Holy Communion is the peak of that experience. One can
speak the word only after she or he took and eat the Word through the
coming of the Holy Spirit. In that sense, Saint Symeon is very clear.
For him, no one can teach “the things of the Spirit without the
Spirit.”

For a good explanation of the subject I divided this paper into three
parts: in the first part I have presented Saint Symeon’s teaching
regarding the experience of the Holy Spirit, in the second part I did
the same for the Pentecostal position, and in the third part I pointed
out some of the most significant similarities and differences between
them.

Hence, my paper is dealing with two main topics. First of them is the
importance of a conscious experience of the Holy Spirit in the
Christian life, which does not deny the unconscious presence of the
Holy Spirit and its efficacy in the spiritual life. Second, while are
speaking about the sacrament of baptism, both these teachings
emphasize the necessity of a second baptism, a superior one: the
baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The most important topic regarding the teaching about the experience
of the Holy Spirit in Christian life and for a future enriching
dialogue between Orthodox and Pentecostals is the doctrine of Spirit
baptism. Why do I believe that? First of all, because the teaching
about the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the crucial point regarding
the personal and conscious relationship with God, emphasized both by
Symeon and Pentecostal. Secondly, because from this doctrine Orthodox
and Pentecostals could start new discussions regarding some
ecclesiological subjects as the importance of hierarchy, the
significant role of the sacraments in the life of the Church, the way
in which is understood the divine grace, etc. Thirdly, because this
teaching brings new insights about Christian mission, about the fact
that Christians has to experience God in order to speak about Him, has
to accomplish His commandments to teach them.

Therefore, starting from this doctrine and using the theology of Saint
Symeon, Orthodox and Pentecostals can not only agree that they have a
lot in common, but they can bring new points of dialogue on the
ecumenical table. I am sure that at the beginning of the 21st century
one of the major theological debates is going to be the experience of
the Holy Spirit in the life of Christian people and at this point, the
dialogue between Orthodox and Pentecostals can be fruitful.


-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com

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