The World Turned Upside Down: Holy Spirit Baptism and the Cessation of Apostolic Sign-Gifts

The book's content derives from an exhaustive analysis of the Greek New Testament written in terms the non-Greek reader can understand. The work focuses upon two categories of biblical texts: (1) biblical texts most frequently cited by evangelicals who view Holy Spirit baptism as synonymous with regeneration or sanctification, and (2) biblical texts used by charismatic-Pentecostals to advocate Holy Spirit baptism as a third dimension of spiritual fullness accompanied by extant sign-gifts. The reader who bows to the authority of Divinely inspired scriptures will profit from reading this book and perhaps discover a new and enlightening, even refreshing perspective on Holy Spirit baptism and apostolic sign-gifts. Christian authors have written profusely about Holy Spirit baptism either as topical monographs; defenses of, or challenges to, the perpetuity of apostolic gifts; or incidental references to Holy Spirit baptism in relation to other theological topics, especially soteriology and pneumatology. The current work differs from those efforts by setting forth three major and probably controversial assertions: (1) Holy Spirit baptism is not a synonym for regeneration and/or sanctification; rather, Holy Spirit baptism is a singular and unique phenomenon in church history applicable only to the New Testament church corporately and perpetually, not to individual experiences in subsequent eras of church history; (2) the Messianic and apostolic sign-gifts represent a unique eschatological moment in church history primarily for the first-century New Testament church and, secondarily, for national Israel and ethnic Jews in a twofold way: (a) to authenticate to ethnic Jews and national Israel the legitimacy of Messianic claims and apostolic authority, and (b) to mark the eschatological terminus of Divine authority and favor upon ethnic Israel, and the transference of that authority and favor to a new ecclesiastical locus, the New Testament church; (3) the Pentecostal-charismatic's understanding of extant sign-gifts is utterly errant and their claims to practice these gifts are demonstrably false.