How did Pentecostal beliefs from Baptist backgrounds differ from Holiness Pentecostal beliefs?

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The primary difference between these two groups concerns the theological requirements for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.1

  • Holiness Pentecostal beliefs: Early Pentecostals who emerged from the Holiness movement maintained their traditional teaching that Christians must first experience a "second work of grace" known as sanctification to remove the desire to sin. Consequently, they believed that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a subsequent experience reserved only for those who had already been sanctified.1

  • Baptist-background Pentecostal beliefs: Pentecostals who came from Baptist backgrounds disagreed with this prerequisite. They taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was available to every believer, regardless of whether they had undergone a prior experience of sanctification.1

This doctrinal disagreement regarding the necessity of sanctification as a precursor to Spirit baptism created a significant divide, effectively splitting early Pentecostals into two distinct camps.1