Review: Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit

Luke Godden, Student, Alphacrucis College

Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006). Pp. 304, hardcover, ISBN 0-31025-236-9.

Reviewed by Luke Godden

Macchia’s book Baptized in the Spirit is a landmark in several ways. It comes from the pen of someone who is not only a respected theologian in the Christian academic community, but is also an active Pentecostal. Instead of being an insular Pentecostal Pneumatology, it is an attempt to structure Pentecostal theology using Spirit baptism as an "organising principle". It has broad goals, aiming not only to motivate Pentecostals to find a theology of their own, but also to help them foster dialogue with the global Christian community. Macchia wants to give Pentecostals the tools to frame their "narrow pneumatological interest in charismatic missionary empowerment" with the larger pneumatological picture. His book is a splendid example of purpose-directed theology.

Baptized in the Spirit is carefully structured, as one would expect with any attempt to arrange Pentecostal theology around a unifying theme. It does not immediately plunge into topics such as ‘Spirit baptism & ecclesiology’, or ‘Spirit baptism & Trinity’, but saves these for later chapters. First, Macchia builds a case for Spirit baptism being Pentecostalism’s central distinctive (which is not universally accepted even among Pentecostals). He then investigates the links between Spirit baptism and the Kingdom of God. Only when these pieces are in place does he proceed to construct more integrated theology, such as an ecclesiology through the lens of Spirit baptism. This is effective methodology, especially when combined with Macchia’s courage in even attempting a unification of Pentecostal theology around one theme. In addition, the scope is kept broad enough to address things such as how this proposed Spirit baptism theology could facilitate ecumenical activity.

Even during the early material on ‘returning to Pentecostalism’s central distinctive’, which is heavily focused on historical understandings of Spirit baptism, there are allusions to possible ecumenical applications. Macchia points out that most Christian communities have some understanding of Spirit baptism, and wonders if emphasis on this commonality could at least lead to discussion and comparison.1 He also wonders, conversely, if emphasis on what is distinctly Pentecostal may thwart ecumenical discussion. 2 It need not, and as Macchia looks at the division caused by fragmenting the operations of the Spirit into various ‘chronological’ stages, he suggests that it would be positive to move away from this dogmatism. 3 It is the same Spirit that regenerates, baptises and fills the believer, and many branches of Christianity recognise all these categories.

All the background necessary for a protracted discussion of the Spirit in Pentecostalism is introduced early in the book. The work of Stronstad and Menzies in putting Luke’s charismatic theology back in the spotlight is explored4, and later extended by proposing that Lukan charismatic theology and Pauline soteriological theology are not separate, but inform each other. 5 The ‘bombshell’ impact of Hollenweger’s book The Pentecostals is examined, in terms of how it opened the eyes of Pentecostals to their own diversity. 6 Hollenweger is also credited with shifting focus "almost single-handedly" from Pentecostal doctrine to theological methodology. 7 Macchia closes his discussion of Pentecostalism’s ‘central distinctive’ with the conclusion that Spirit baptism is eschatological, turning creation into the final dwelling place of God. He indicates that during this journey, Pentecostals are justified in attempting to draw in other Christians to be Spirit baptised, as a fresh experience of power for witness with charismatic signs following. 8 This insight is carried throughout the rest of the book, in terms of their ecumenical responsibility to other branches of Christianity who do not affirm Spirit baptism.

From this point, Macchia begins to expound his larger plans for Spirit baptism: making it the focusing element of other parts of theology. First he looks at the part it plays in kingdom theology. The older view of Spirit baptism as "separate reception of the Spirit" he sees as less helpful; better to view the baptism as a release of the Spirit already within us. 9 The implication is that all Christians are in a sense charismatic! He draws on Moltmann’s lovely metaphor, of the Spirit inhaling to draw people together, and exhaling to drive them (missionally) into the world. 10 Once Spirit baptism is viewed in less narrow terms than simply separation from sin, and more fully as consecration for a divine calling, the link is made to the expansion of the Kingdom of God. 11 Another benefit of this concept is that it has the capacity to integrate Paul’s soteriological view with Luke’s emphasis on empowerment for witness (i.e. the Spirit works to inaugurate the kingdom by releasing holiness and power in believers). 12

Spirit baptism is then applied to Trinitarian theology, ecclesiology and finally divine love. It is in the chapter on Trinitarian theology that Macchia clearly distances his understanding of Spirit baptism from being an initiation – it is not about distinguishing "us" from "them", but rather a revitalising of one’s life according to God’s desire. 13 Macchia portrays Spirit baptism as "the will of the Father to indwell the creation through the Spirit in order, by the Spirit, to involve creation in the relationship between the Father and the Son".14 This conclusion is reached through a sustained study of relevant scriptures (both Old and New Testament), and leads to a discussion of the believer’s participation in the divine community. The theology of Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, Michael Welker, Wolfhart Pannenberg and several other scholars are all brought to bear on Macchia’s analysis of how Spirit baptism fits into (or reorganises) theology. Within a specific Trinitarian context, other theological concepts are related to Macchia’s central theme, such as Trinitarian hierarchy15, justification16, sanctification17 and spiritual gifts18. Pentecostals in particular will find this section immensely enjoyable to read, because these concepts are usually studied in isolation from baptism in the Spirit, and intuitively, the gap does not feel right. Macchia is able to link them together naturally, without forcing parallels or imposing Spirit baptism upon theology arbitrarily.

The book closes with an application of Spirit baptism both to ecclesiology and divine love. Macchia’s ecclesiology is based upon the principle of koinonia, although he is careful to ensure that he means the deeper understanding of koinonia. 19 The Church is more than a network of social relationships. The fact that this type of formulation is unfamiliar to most Pentecostals is acknowledged up front20, however Macchia proceeds to demonstrate that it can enrich not only Pentecostal ecclesiology, but the way Pentecostalism interacts with other denominations. He bravely faces the issue of pluralism21, and concludes his study of ecclesiology with a survey of possible biblical identity markers of the Spirit-baptised church22, using an historical (creedal) platform to show how they contributed towards the more traditional ecclesiologies. This section is very engaging, and it enables the reader to look for signs of Spirit baptism outside the normal (sometimes restrictive) Pentecostal worldview. Ecclesial aspects such as unity23, holiness24 and catholicity25 are not often considered relevant to Spirit baptism, but in line with his overall methodology, Macchia is able to draw out the synergies between them.

The book’s concluding topic (Spirit baptism in the context of divine love), is often overlooked or treated as a tangential aspect of Spirit baptism, however Macchia holds it to be among the most important of theological topics. 26 Perhaps this perspective, which requires viewing Spirit baptism relationally, is why Macchia is able to so successfully blend it into his general Pentecostal theology. Baptized in the Spirit should be read by all Pentecostals who are either eager to put more rigour around their theological systems, or are looking for common ground with other denominations. It should also be read by any believer interested in exploring the relation between Spirit baptism and the various branches of theology.

Endnotes

  1. Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit (Zondervan, 2006) p.22 ↩

  2. Ibid., p25 ↩

  3. Ibid., p49 ↩

  4. Ibid., p23 ↩

  5. Ibid., p59 ↩

  6. Ibid., p34 ↩

  7. Ibid., p50 ↩

  8. Ibid., p60 ↩

  9. Ibid., 77 ↩

  10. Ibid. ↩

  11. Ibid., p83 ↩

  12. Ibid., p84 ↩

  13. Ibid., p106 ↩

  14. Ibid., p107 ↩

  15. Ibid., pp120-4 ↩

  16. Ibid., pp129-139 ↩

  17. Ibid., pp140-4 ↩

  18. Ibid., pp148-152 ↩

  19. Ibid., p157 ↩

  20. Ibid., p162 ↩

  21. Ibid., pp178-189 ↩

  22. Ibid., p204 onwards ↩

  23. Ibid., p211 ↩

  24. Ibid., p222 ↩

  25. Ibid., p224 ↩

  26. Ibid., p159 ↩