One or two?
(1) At the consecration of the priests in Ex. 29, they were washed with water 9 (v 4), put on the priestly garments (v 5) and then anointed with the oil of gladness (v 7), representing the Holy Spirit. The order of events was God given.
(2) in Ez. 36: 25 they were sprinkled with clean water so that they might be cleansed and then (v 27) the Spirit of God was placed in them.
(3) Jesus was baptized in water, to fulfil all righteousness, then He received the Spirit of God. (Matt 3: 13-16) This is not an exception as some claim, it is the rule that He followed to provide an example for us. He was without sin and needed no cleansing for Himself. He is our example.
(4) The apostles were surely baptized in water, as Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (John 4: 1, 2) before they received the baptism with the Spirit on Pentecost. (Acts 1: 5)
(5) Jesus said that we must be born of both water and Spirit to enter the kingdom. (John 3: 5) One birth, two elements, water and the Spirit.
(6) Those that repented and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2: 38, 39) This promise was made to everyone, as many as God shall call to Himself. It did not end as our dispensationalist friends are wont to believe.
(7) Israel was baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea. (1 Cor. 10: 1-3) Two elements, cloud and sea (water) The all ate the same spiritual food.
(8) Cornelius and his people received the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11: 16) after they believed (Acts 15: 7, 8) to show to the Jews that the Gentiles were acceptable to God. Peter ordered them to be baptized in water in the name of Christ. One baptism or two? IMO this shows clearly that both elements are required. No, they did not deny the finished work of Christ, No, they were not commanded to perform works of righteousness, they were doing works of faith, which are works appointed by Jesus.
(9) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12: 13)
(10) [SUP]3 [/SUP]Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? [SUP]4 [/SUP]Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. [SUP]5 [/SUP]For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, [SUP]6 [/SUP]knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; [SUP]7 [/SUP]for he who has died is freed from sin.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (Rom. 6: 3)
God bless