Acts 2 dispensationalist Earl D. Radmacher says that "the chief argument for the beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost relates to the baptism of the Holy Spirit" (Radmacher, What the Church Is All About [Chicago: Moody Press, 1978], p.217).

Here is the verse to which Radmacher makes reference:

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:4-5).

Acts 2 dispensationalist Charles Ryrie writes: "The most important effect of the Spirit's coming at Pentecost was the placing of men and women into the Body of Christ by His baptism…Although it is not specifically in Acts 2 that the baptism of the Spirit occurred on the day of Pentecost, it is recorded in Acts 11:15-16 that this happened then, and Peter states there that what happened at Pentecost was the fulfillment of the promise of Acts 1:5. However, it is Paul who explains what this baptism (not to be confused with what is meant in Acts 2:38) accomplishes when he writes, 'For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been made to drink into one Spirit' (1 Cor.12:13). In other words, on the day of Pentecost men were first placed into the Body of Christ and that by the baptism of the Holy Spirit" [emphasis added] (Charles C. Ryrie, "The Significance of Pentecost," Bibliotheca Sacra, [Oct. 1955, Vol. 112, # 448] pp.332-333).

According to Dr. Ryrie the words of Peter at Acts 11:15-16 are the evidence that believers were baptized into the Body of Christ on the day of Pentecost:

""And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:15-17).

In these verses Peter is explaining to fellow Jewish believers what happened when he preached to Cornelius and his household. Now let us look at the actual events which Peter described:

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46).

The Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his household and those who had accompanied Peter were astonished "because that on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit." How did they know that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on Cornelius and his household? Surely they did not see the Holy Spirit baptizing anyone into the Body of Christ. That operation of God is invisible and cannot be observed.

They knew that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on them because "they heard them speak with tongues." Let us look at these verses again:

"...because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God..."

Here the word "for" is translated from the Greek word gar, and the meaning of that word as used here is "it addresses the Cause or gives the Reason of a preceding statement or opinion" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon).

The reason that those with Peter knew that the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his household was because they heard them speak with tongues. So there is nothing in any of these verses which even hint that anyone was being baptized into the Body of Christ.

As we saw, upon Cornelius and his household was poured out the "gift of the Holy Spirit." Does this mean that the gift is the Holy Spirit or does this speak of a gift that is bestowed by the Holy Spirit? Let us look at the following verse that speaks of multiple gifts that were bestowed by the Holy Spirit:

"God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?" (Heb.2:4).

From this we can understand that the Holy Spirit bestowed multiple gifts of one kind or another to believers. These "gifts" are the same gifts which Paul refers to in the following verses:

" Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues" (1 Cor.12:4,8-10).

However, Peter's following words on the day of Pentecost was in regard to a single "gift"

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

Those who submitted to the rite of water baptism on the day of Pentecost received a gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit--the ability to speak in tongues.

With these things in mind let us look at the following verses again:

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:15-17).

First of all, Peter says that his rememberance of the Lord's words in regard to being baptized with the Holy Spirit was a result of the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius and his household. How did Peter know the Holy Spirit fell on them? It was not because he saw anyone being baptized into the Body of Christ but instead because he saw and heard these people speak in tongues. Then after speaking of the Lord's words in regard to being baptized with the Holy Spirit he then relates that baptism to the "gift," and it has already been shown that this gift is the ability to speak in tongues.

A close examination of the very verses which Dr. Ryrie appeals to as evidence that the Holy Spirit began to baptize believers into the Body of Christ on the day of Pentecost demonstrates that the baptism with the Holy Spirit spoken of by the Lord Jesus at Acts 1:5 was in regard to believers receiving the gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit, the ability to speak in tongues.

Dr. Ryie himself even expresses his doubt that Peter even knew anything about this baptism, writing that "it is doubtful that Peter himself and much less probable that his hearers understood the truth concerning the baptism of the Spirit even though it did first occur first at Pentecost" (Ryrie, "The Significance of Pentecost," Bibliotheca Sacra [Oct., 1995, Vol. 112, # 448], p.337).