Spirit Baptism in the Pentecostal Evangel 1918–1922

Abstract

North American pentecostal statements of doctrine were created as lowest common denominator statements upon which a large group of people can agree without too much divisiveness. A century later, it is tempting to see these statements as the final and complete word concerning a doctrine. In practice, however, practitioners experience the reality of those doctrines in numerous and multifaceted ways. This paper reflects on statements 5 and 6 of the 1916 Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, which speak to the “pentecostal distinctive” of Spirit baptism. It compares these doctrinal statements with testimonies, sermons, and reports from the Assemblies of God periodical the Pentecostal Evangel during the five-year period from 1918, shortly after the Statement was approved, to 1922. The evidence will show the dynamic nature of beliefs and practices concerning Spirit baptism from a very early period. This dynamic and broad understanding is similar to the way modern pentecostal scholars envision Spirit baptism today.