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What is the difference between baptism of the Holy Spirit and receiving the Holy Spirit (or being filled with the Holy Spirit)? Do these two mean the same? I am open to the different views given by the denominations that exist today.

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Interesting question. I was questioning the premise until I actually started to look into answering it and found: desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/… – wax eagle♦ Aug 21 '12 at 13:11
Being filled with the Holy Spirit as in Ephesians 5:18 is often seen as a 'gradual continuous thing', where as Baptized is a 'sudden drenching thing'. However as Narnian said, when asked if you have received the sudden thing it may be asked 'have you received the Holy Spirit?' These terms differ widely depending on which school of thought, even I get confused. This post explores the same question from a different angle. christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/9120/… – Mike Aug 22 '12 at 10:30

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Note: The answers here will really depend on your doctrinal perspective.

The word baptism is not a translation from the Greek, but a transliteration. The word was used when describing the dying of fabrics. The fabric was plunged into the dye and then changed forever as the dye stayed with the fabric.

So, baptism of the Holy Spirit seems to either refer to us being plunged into the Spirit or the Spirit being plunged into us. Receiving the Holy Spirit, then, would seem to be pretty similar, or perhaps the result of baptism by the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps we could say that in baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit.

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Good answer and note about doctrinal perspectives. Being Baptist, I consider baptismal an outward expression of inner faith. However I could probably write a blog or short story about the symbolism of the baptismal ritual. – user1054 Aug 21 '12 at 14:54

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