I would like to study the water and HS baptism as one in the same theme. Do you have some scriptures or a study on that?

Yes, chapter 24 of my book The Spirit puts the pieces together. The basic idea:

• 1 Corinthians 12:13 — all Christians are baptized in the Spirit. It is how we become part of the body. We all drink the one Spirit.
• John 3:5 — we are born of water and Spirit. Not two births, but one. We are baptized in water and baptized in Spirit. Not two baptisms, but one. Titus 3:5 is a good parallel passage.
• While it is tempting to limit HS baptism to Acts 2 (Sunset School of Preaching), or Acts 2 and 10 (many mainline COCs), John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize the crowds in the Spirit, not just the apostles. Nor just the apostles and a few Gentiles in Caesarea. So I think the most natural way to read this is that HS baptism is for us all. Not an extra experience to seek, since we have all blessings in Christ already (Ephesians 1:3), but the common experience of all Christians. Short, but that's the basic idea. The book amplifies this considerably.

This article is copyrighted and is for private use and study only. © 2006. Reprints or public distribution is prohibited without the express consent of Douglas Jacoby.