“Be Filled With The Spirit”

Feature 1 – July/August 2019 — Grace & Truth Magazine

“Be Filled With The Spirit”

This expression, our title, is found in Ephesians 5:18 ( JND ). During recent years much has been said about being filled with the Holy Spirit, with many things linked with this thought. In order to judge the correctness of what is said, we have an infallible touchstone: the Word of God. Scripture calls the Jews of Berea more noble than those of Thessalonica because they did not only receive Paul’s word with all readiness of mind, but they also searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were true (see Acts 17:11). In Galatians 1:8 Paul wrote: “But if even we or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything besides what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him be accursed.”

Many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 Jn. 4:1), and people “turn away their ear from the truth ... to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). “Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And it is not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). In view of these things, how needful it is for us to carefully test everything by the Word of God.

The Bible is the Word of God. Holy men of God wrote it under the power of the Holy Spirit (see 2 Pet. 1:20-21), thus in reality the Holy Spirit is the Author of the entire Bible. This means that the Word is perfect. In it is all that we need to know. If we read carefully and accurately, comparing passages with others, we will establish that everything in it is sufficiently plain.

From this, there further proceeds that every word of Scripture has its significance, which Scripture itself makes clear, and never do two or more different words in the original Hebrew or Greek have exactly the same meaning. We may sometimes use an incorrect word when speaking or writing; the Word of God never does. If a different word is used, it has a different significance. For someone who has once pondered this, it is perfectly clear. Yet people reading the Bible frequently fail to take this into account and thereby often arrive at a completely slanted idea of the thoughts of God.

The Expression
The expression “filled with the Spirit” occurs three times in the Gospels, six times in Acts and once in the Epistles. Besides this, we find in Exodus 31:3-4 and 35:31-32 that Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit of God “in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, and to devise artistic things” and to do them. In Exodus 28:3 all those whom God had filled with the spirit of wisdom were to make the holy priestly garments for Aaron. Joshua, too, was filled with the spirit of wisdom (Dt. 34:9).

In Luke 1:15-16 it is said of John the Baptist that he would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.” In verses 41 and 67, Elizabeth and Zacharias were filled with the Holy Spirit in order to render testimony.

Acts 2 tells of the coming of the Holy Spirit. All the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and rendered so mighty a testimony that 3,000 souls were saved that day (v.41).

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, rendered a powerful testimony before the Sanhedrim (4:8-12). Then, in verse 31, it says of believers, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.”

In Acts 9 the Lord told Ananias to go to Saul, for he was destined to be a great instrument. Ananias went and told Saul, “The Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (v.17). Later, Saul, having been renamed Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, broke the opposition of Elymas the magician (13:8-11). After the Jews “raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas ... the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” (vv.50,52).

Consider too how the children of light are to walk in the midst of the sons of disobedience, as found in Ephesians 5:3-21. Verse 18 says, “Be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery [immoral self-indulgence]; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Points Drawn From The Expression
In reading these passages we are struck by the following five points:

1. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not the same thing as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only dwells in believers since Pentecost (Acts 2). This is expressly said in John 14:16-18,26 and other verses. So too, according to Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22, the Holy Spirit only takes up residence in someone after he has believed the gospel. In contrast, John the Baptist was already filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, according to Luke 1:15. Also, we see how in Acts 4 all present became filled with the Holy Spirit, including some who had received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

After the Ephesians had received the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13, see 2 Cor. 1:22), it says that they should be filled with the Spirit (5:18). This is presented to them as their responsibility, that they must be filled.

2. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a permanent condition, rather it is temporary. John the Baptist seems to have been an exception to this on account of the special position he had, which could be but once.

3. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is given for the work of the Lord and witnessing for Him.

4. Scripture does not connect being filled with the Holy Spirit with doing signs and wonders or with speaking in foreign tongues, meaning languages. In none of the passages in the Old or New Testaments where mention is made of being filled with the Holy Spirit are signs or miracles mentioned except Acts 2:4, where “other tongues” are spoken of, and Acts 13:8-11, when Elymas became blind. From the three chapters in Acts in which we find speaking in tongues, it is evident that speaking in tongues is linked with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit rather than being filled with the Holy Spirit. Compare Acts 2:4,8,11; 10:46 and 19:6 with 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.

Passages in the Gospels and Acts very clearly indicate that Scripture does not associate signs with being filled with the Holy Spirit. Only in one case is it said that the one doing a sign was filled with the Holy Spirit.

It should be noted that the believers in Acts 4:29-30 prayed, “Give to Thy bondmen with all boldness to speak Thy word, in that Thou stretchest out Thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place.” God granted them the boldness they requested, but not the giving of signs. He filled them with the Holy Spirit, then they spoke the Word with boldness.

5. Nowhere is it said of anyone that he was filled with the Holy Spirit after the laying on of hands except in Acts 9:17. There, Ananias laid hands on Saul and said the Lord had sent him in order that he, who would be known later as Paul, might be filled with the Holy Spirit. However, Scripture does not say that Paul was filled at that moment, nor at all that it was done through the laying on of hands. In all the other passages, it could not have been done through the laying on of hands.

A Few Other Expressions
Besides “being filled,” we find the expression “full of the Holy Spirit” four times in Scripture. This is used only of the Lord Jesus (Lk. 4:1), Stephen (Acts 6:5, 7:55) and Barnabas (11:22,24). If we read these passages we see that it is not so much a matter of power for service as it is about a practical condition. The person is found abiding in a condition in which the Holy Spirit governs the whole life without hindrance. With Stephen and Barnabas this goes together with being “full of faith,” but nowhere is the expression connected with speaking in tongues or doing signs and miracles.

Scripture also speaks about being anointed and being sealed with the Holy Spirit. We find anointing only in 2 Corinthians 1:21 and 1 John 2:20,27. From these latter two verses it is plain that what is meant is being brought near to God and thereby being able to discern what is not of God (compare with Rev. 3:18).

“Sealing” is spoken of only in 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30. In all three passages it is connected with the certainty of obtaining the inheritance very soon. God has already set His seal on us and therefore given us the assurance that we belong to Him (compare with Rev. 7:3).

Both anointing and sealing are in reference to all believers and are viewed in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 as being one with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

May the Lord bless you in the careful study of His Word.

By H. L. Heijkoop, from “Faith Healing, Speaking In Tongues, Signs And Miracles In The Light Of Scripture.”