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Two Baptisms: Which Is Which? (Endnotes)

1. In the original, God-breathed Scriptures, there was no delineation between capital letters and small letters. That means that every capital letter was added by a translator. In English, the meaning of some words is not changed by capitalizing them, such as “dog,” but other words are radically changed, such as “mark.” It goes from being a spot on the wall to being a person named “Mark.” So it is with the words “holy spirit” in the Bible. The “Holy Spirit” is one of many names or titles for God, the Father of Jesus Christ and the Creator of all things, the only true God. But “holy spirit” is the gift of God’s divine nature and power that every person receives at the moment of his new birth. Only the context determines whether or not “holy spirit” should be capitalized, and the majority of Bible translators have failed to properly make the distinction between the Giver (God) and the gift (His nature). This has caused no end of confusion among Christians. For a thorough exposition of this subject, see our book, The Gift of Holy Spirit: The Power to be Like Christ. Close

2. “The Holy Spirit” should be rendered “holy spirit,” because there is no article “the” in the Greek text, and it is referring to the gift from God, His divine nature that Jesus Christ deposits into the heart of each person at the moment of his new birth. The “Holy Spirit” refers to God Himself, the Giver. Close

3. In the culture and custom of biblical times, one’s “name” represented all the power and resources behind it. This is similar to our modern times when a policeman says, “Stop in the name of the law.” He is backed up by all the power and authority of that local government. Close