Full Greek Text – 1 Corinthians 12:13:
καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι ἡμεῖς πάντες εἰς ἓν σῶμα ἐβαπτίσθημεν, εἴτε Ἰουδαῖοι εἴτε Ἕλληνες, εἴτε δοῦλοι εἴτε ἐλεύθεροι, καὶ πάντες ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι ἐποτίσθημεν.
“For in one Spirit we all were baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
- The Two Main Verbs: Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐβαπτίσθημεν – “we were baptized”
Tense: Aorist
Voice: Passive
Mood: Indicative
Subject: ἡμεῖς πάντες – “we all”
This is a past, completed, and objective action that happened to us. The aorist tense signifies a decisive event, not an ongoing process or repeated occurrence. The passive voice shows that we did not perform the action; God did it to us. The indicative mood shows a real, factual occurrence, not hypothetical or conditional.
ἐποτίσθημεν – “we were made to drink”
Also aorist passive indicative
Same subject: ἡμεῖς πάντες
Same tense, voice, and mood as ἐβαπτίσθημεν
This parallel verb underscores that just as God immersed us into the body (Spirit baptism), He also gave us to drink of the Spirit, language evocative of indwelling, satisfaction, and participation (cf. John 4:14, 7:37–39).
Syntactical Parallelism: Why It Matters
Paul joins these two passive verbs with the coordinating conjunction καί (“and”) and repeats πάντες (“all”) to emphasize universality: “we all were baptized… we all were made to drink…”
This means:
Spirit baptism is not for elite Christians or those who reach a later spiritual tier.
It is not dependent on spiritual gifts (which he explicitly says are distributed differently in v. 11).
The same group who was baptized also drank, no gap, no two stages.
Textual and Theological Implications
Paul is describing what already happened to the Corinthians. He does not say, “You must now seek Spirit baptism”-rather, he reminds them they already received it, regardless of their giftings or backgrounds.
Spirit baptism is coextensive with salvation. You were baptized (placed into the body) and drank (received the indwelling Spirit) at the same saving moment (cf. Titus 3:5–6, Ephesians 1:13–14).
This baptism is not water. No water is mentioned here. Paul uses water-baptism language (βαπτίζω) to describe a spiritual placement, just as he does in Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27. Water points to the reality; the Spirit accomplishes it.
Corroborating Verses:
Romans 6:3–4 – ἐβαπτίσθημεν again used to describe union with Christ’s death at salvation.
Galatians 3:27 – Ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε – “as many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Past tense, complete, true for all believers.
Ephesians 4:5 – “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” – singular baptism, not multiple spiritual tiers.
Colossians 2:12–13 – Burial and resurrection language again linked to spiritual rebirth through faith, not post-conversion experiences.
Why “Second Blessing” Theology Breaks the Grammar
Any theology that teaches believers are saved but not yet baptized in the Spirit contradicts the text:
It splits what Paul unites.
It turns aorist indicatives into future possibilities.
It invents a spiritual class system Paul explicitly demolishes in the same verse (Jew/Greek, slave/free).
It misidentifies the baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13 with charismatic experiences that Paul later lists as diverse gifts (vv. 28–30), not universal blessings.
Conclusion:
The Greek verbs ἐβαπτίσθημεν and ἐποτίσθημεν decisively establish this:
Every believer, without exception, without delay, without hierarchy, was once for all baptized into Christ’s body by the Holy Spirit and given to drink of that same Spirit at conversion.
It’s not about chasing manifestations, waiting for a second event, or tying Spirit baptism to water or tongues. It’s about recognizing what the Spirit has already done and living accordingly in the unity and power He provides (Ephesians 4:1–6, Galatians 5:25).
You don’t need a second baptism, you need to walk in the one you already received.
J.
