Dr. Couch, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and regeneration the same?
ANSWER: No, but they both happen instantly upon salvation. Baptism of the Spirit has to do only with the church and not with Israel. The OT saints are not said to be baptism into Christ or His body. This does a cleansing work (baptism) on the believer and imparts the gifts of the Spirit. The key passage is 1 Cor. 12:12-27, and on.
Note some of the phrases: "One body, many members," "God has composed the body." "Should be no division in the body." "You are Christ's body and individual members of it." "God has appointed in the church ..."
Regeneration is mainly found in Titus 3:5. Spirit baptism and regeneration are two different works. From the Greek: "He has saved us according to His mercy by the washing of the 'again birth,' the "rebirth." The word "generation" is in the word "again-birth [genesia]" and the other word is "again making," renewing, or "remaking" done by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word here is "the up-newing". The word "new" is in this second word.
From genesia we get the English word "to generate."
When the rapture takes place only those "in Christ" are taken up, not the OT saints. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 we have actually two doctrines mentioned. (1) the fact that when Christ comes He has with Him the souls and spirits of "those who have fallen asleep 'in Jesus'" (v. 14), the church saints. And they receive their new bodies to return with Him back to glory. And when the rapture trumpet sounds the "dead in Christ" shall rise first (v. 16). "We who are alive," the church saints who have not died, shall be caught up (harpazo, raptured) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we (the church saints) shall always be with the Lord (v. 17).
Thanks for asking.
—Dr. Mal Couch (2/11)
