Is Holy Spirit Baptism Available Today?
“If Cornelius experienced the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit,’ why can’t men receive that same baptism today?” While it is a fact that Cornelius did receive a “baptism” of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45; 11:15-16), the key to understanding why Holy Spirit baptism is not being replicated today is to be found in discovering the purpose behind the particular events of Acts 10. Let me begin by saying there is no reason to deny that Cornelius and his kinsmen actually were given a “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, as some have done (in over-reacting to certain denominational claims). The facts are too clear in this case. (1) Centuries before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Joel foretold of a time when the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon “all flesh.” The expression “all flesh” obviously is not employed in an unrestricted sense (which would include every human being — or even animals, since they have “flesh”). Rather, the phrase “all flesh” merely embodies the two major segments of humanity, from t
