The verse in question reads:
"For with one Spirit we all into one body were baptized, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, all were given one Spirit to drink." (rendered from the Greek)
καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι ἡμει̃ς πάντες εἰς ἓν σω̃μα ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἴτε ’Ιουδαι̃οι εἴτε 'Έλληνες εἴτε δου̃λοι εἴτε ἐλεύθεροι καὶ πάντες ἓν πνευ̃μα ἐποτίσθημεν
Could 1 Corinthians 12:13 be directly related to the contrast between John's water and Messiah's Holy Spirit found six times in Scripture?
If it is comparable then all disciples should expect to experience a reception of the Holy Spirit from Messiah as found in Acts.
Moreover, if it is comparable, then our view of baptism and being baptized in all of Paul's letters would be strongly pointed toward a discernible spiritual experience which has nothing to do with water.
Different beliefs by Christian commentators hinge mostly on the interpretation of the Greek preposition en - ἐν.
"For 'en' one Spirit we all into one body were baptized."
καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι ἡμει̃ς πάντες εἰς ἓν σω̃μα ἐβαπτίσθημεν
This Greek preposition, en, generally can be seen to mean in, indicating relative position. But it was such a flexible word that it is impossible to assign it a single meaning. It often was used with the understanding of instrumentality (with, or by).
The question of which meaning is appropriate for this verse usually boils down to three basic choices which change the meaning of the sentence somewhat. One view is positional and the other two are instrumental.
"In" one Spirit we were baptized into one body. A disciple is surrounded by the Spirit in order to become a part of the body of Messiah. Though mode is what is thought important (surrounded, immersed) the implication is that of changed nature.
"By" one Spirit we were baptized into one body. Here the Spirit is thought to act on His own prerogative to baptize, or join, a disciple to Messiah's body.
"With" (or, by means of) one Spirit we were baptized into one body. Someone else (Messiah) acts to baptize using the Spirit as an Element which has power to radically change the nature of the disciple, causing them to share in His realm of influence, His body.
In view of the broad context of Scripture it would appear the third understanding is correct. That would mean Paul's comment is similar to R. John's, Yeshua's and Peter's contrast between water and Spirit.
The first example of being surrounded by the Spirit means little unless He also changes the nature of the person, and if transformation of nature by the Spirit is the important aspect of this verse then the other two meanings are equally plausible.
This second choice is typically, though not exclusively, advanced by cessationists who teach that charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased in the first century. Supposedly the baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13 is unrelated to other passages of being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
In any case, the idea of being baptized "by" the Holy Spirit is something which in a very narrow view of the process of salvation is true. The Spirit Himself does radically change the nature of a person to conform to the glorious nature of Messiah.
However, in the overall context of the Corinthian passage the Spirit is directly associated with God and Messiah and does not operate independently. Rather the Holy Spirit is sent by God through Messiah to change the nature of the disciple, joining him to the Body. The Holy Spirit cannot bring a person into the body of Messiah apart from that person calling on the name of Yeshua, knowing Him as the resurrected Lord. Yeshua is the Person into whom faith is exerted to initiate the process of salvation, not the Spirit. It therefore seems difficult to conclude that Paul was writing that the Holy Spirit acts to baptize of His own prerogative.
Evidently some, represented by the late W.A. Criswell, hold this point of view that en means "by," and they do not believe Messiah has baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit since the event of Shavu'ot, see The Baptism, Filling, and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, by W.A. Criswell. Messiah supposedly baptized His body once, and since then the Holy Spirit is fully present on earth to everyone who believes Yeshua is the Messiah. Since Shavu'ot the Spirit is supposed to do the baptizing, not Messiah.
However, 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the only verse in the New Covenant Scriptures from which the idea of the Holy Spirit actively baptizing could ever be derived. A principle of exegesis is not to base a major doctrine on an ambiguous verse that requires clarification from other passages. In other words, since en could be understood in various ways, and be translated by words other than "by," one cannot justifiably use this single verse to base the doctrine of being "baptized by the Holy Spirit" into the body of Messiah.
Moreover, this view also disconnects 1 Corinthians 12:13 from any discernible charismatic experience, since, supposedly, being baptized "by" the Spirit in Corinthians has no association with the discernible event of Messiah baptizing with His Spirit in the other "pentecostal" passages.1 Supposedly the two ideas are not equivalents:
The glaring problem with this idea is that the Corinthians were most definitely experiencing charismatic gifts. So if 1 Corinthians 12:13 does not relate directly to those charismatic gifts, then how did the Corinthians obtain them?
Beyond that, typical cessationist teaching today says that a person "has" the Spirit at the point of belief that Yeshua is Messiah and Savior. The supposed reception of the Spirit is believed to occur without knowledge of a discernible influence, except for the recognition that Yeshua is the Messiah. At that point the disciple has supposedly received the Spirit. This means all Christians in Christianity received the Spirit even if they have not had a supernatural experience of receiving the Spirit. Such a Christian may in fact deny or repudiate experiences by others.
This doctrine sets the stage for the "second blessing" of many charismatic teachers. Since all Christians "have" the Spirit they later need a tremendous release through the baptism with the Spirit (or also commonly called, incorrectly, the baptism "of" the Spirit), the noble goal being a release of power into the life of defeated disciples.
However, some "second blessing" teachers have taught that speaking with tongues is the primary evidence of the "second blessing." As a result, sometimes people are simply told to begin to speak by faith whatever comes to their mouth, whether or not they are having, or have ever had an experience of receiving the Spirit. No doubt many have been blest to be filled with the Spirit through such incomplete instruction.
On the other hand, others have no experience with God, do not cry out "Abba, Papa!" by the leading of the Spirit, but wind up stuttering two or three syllables with no other experience, and this "tongue" is supposed to be a "heavenly prayer language." The uttering of syllables is supposed to be the baptism, not a transforming, unforgettable supernatural experience, and the forced syllables are said to be prayer for personal edification.
Books like, The Charismatics, by John MacArthur, dispute charismatic experiences in general and the second blessing viewpoint in particular by saying that en in 1 Corinthians 12:13 means this verse is directly comparable to the experience of Acts 1:5-2:1-4.
In other words, according to MacArthur's view, all Christians not only have the Spirit, but if they believed Yeshua is Messiah they received the Spirit in a way comparable to the first disciples on Shavu'ot. Modern charismatic experiences however, are to be shunned or repudiated, cf. Joseph Dillow, Speaking in Tongues.
Nevertheless, immediately after Messiah poured out the Spirit on the hundred and twenty in Acts 2 we read that the three thousand new believers who were "cut in their heart" did not have the Spirit dwelling in them. They were certainly assured they would soon receive the Spirit, "for to you is the promise."
The Spirit was certainly forcefully testifying to them, so much so that they were deeply stricken over sin. The conviction of the Spirit certainly enabled the three thousand to repent and turn to Yeshua. But the ability to hear and listen, to be cut in heart, or even to act on the voice of the Spirit did not mean a person had "received the Spirit."
Though this was a crucial point in reconciliation to God, repentance was not the final point. The testimony of the Spirit led them to trust Messiah as the Lord and Savior of Israel. But until they received the indwelling Spirit from Him they were not spiritual members of Messiah's body, according to 1 Corinthians 12:13.
The three thousand were given clear instruction that they too would recieve the Holy Spirit upon their formal repentance and participation in the end-time Messianic purification. What kind of reception of the Spirit would these Jews expect? No discernable experience? Or the very experience promised in Joel that Peter had just quoted to them?
These considerations make it difficult to believe "by" the Spirit is the correct translation - that the Spirit of His own prerogative baptizes disciples into the body of Messiah. The Spirit does testify in such a way as to lead a person to the Savior, but Messiah Himself then acts to save the person by baptzing them with His Spirit, the riches of His salvation.
Messiah uses the Holy Spirit as a powerful Element to baptize - inseparably unite - them all into a new kind of existence, becoming members of His body. He has the prerogative of sending His Spirit to transform His disciples, not the Spirit Himself. God, through Messiah, baptizes with His Holy Spirit and the context of 1 Corinthians 12 supports this view.
On His own, the Spirit is able to distribute various gifts according to His will, 12:11. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit, 12:4. He does take the initiative to distribute His gifts.
However, in this passage the Spirit is not isolated in His operation. In v. 5 we see diversities of gifts enable a person to participate in diversities of services, not to the Spirit, but to the same Lord who must be the same Lord as in v. 3, the Lord Yeshua. Also in v. 6 the diversities of services allow the servant of the Lord to participate in diversities of operations from the same God, whom Paul must be distinguishing as the Father, as he had written earlier in the letter, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 8:6, see also 6:19.
The Spirit is not isolated in His operation in 1 Corinthians 12. His work is associated with the services to the Lord and with the operations to God. There are diversities of gifts, services, and operations, yet there remain one Spirit, one Lord and one God, the Father.
Paul outlines the gifts of the Spirit as they are to operate within the body of Messiah, 12:8-11, and though there are many different gifts it is one and the same Spirit operating in each gift.
Then in 12:12 he begins to describe the body, which is Messiah, saying one body is made up of many members and that all the many members are needed to make up the one body, Messiah. Compare what he wrote in vv. 18, and 27-28 that,
"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."
and,
"Now you are the body of Messiah and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, administrations, varieties of tongues."
Here members of the body, and offices and gifts of the Spirit are established, not by the Spirit's sole prerogative, but by God the Father.
Thus in 12:13 we do not conclude the Spirit Himself is solely responsible in joining disciples into one body, He is the powerful, unifying Element which God uses to accomplish unity.
In the body of Messiah there are many members which in their diversity have been unified, not by the Holy Spirit operating independently in isolation but by Messiah Himself, vitally changing new believers with His Spirit to make them new members of His unified body.
God, through His Messiah, poured out the Spirit on Cornelius and his house. The Spirit did not pour Himself out. Moreover, just as the great prophet R. John purified the repentant of Israel with the element of living water, so the greater Messiah purifies His repentant disciples with the greater Element of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. The water John used did not begin on its own to purify all Israel after he first poured it on a repentant worshiper, the rite still required his participation. Similarly, the Messiah still pours out His Spirit on each disciple coming to Him for the New Covenant purification which leads to eternal life.
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1Acts 1:5, 2:1-4; 10:44-46, 11:16.