Lesson 11 May 8, 2002
The Filling of the Spirit in the Greek New
Testament
Examine the Scripture where
we find the phrase "filling of
the Spirit"; or "full
of the Spirit."
There are actually three
different expressions used in these writings, all translated in English either
as "filled with the Spirit"
or "full of the Spirit."
Principle:
When examining Scripture you
need to read carefully, and to ask the question is this verse descriptive or
prescriptive.
Descriptive
= this is how it is! fact of a situation or condition!
Prescriptive
= this is how to do it, how you
accomplish something.
Luke
describes a special filling of the
Holy Spirit that is a sovereign work of God.
This filling
is temporary and has its background in the Old Testament.
Here are a few references:
1. Exodus 31:3-5 (35:31-35)
craftsman
2. Numbers 11:17, 25
Leadership
3. Numbers 27:18; Joshua;
Deut. 34:9.
4. 1 Samuel 16:13. David
Such filling was not the
normal experience of the Old Testament saint's daily life.
Special
filling:
This special filling
emphasizes the event of filling (we
find the verb 8 times), rather than a
state of fullness.
1. Luke 1:15, John the Baptist
fut. all are descriptive
2. Luke 1:41, Elizabeth aor.
3. Luke 1:67, Zacharias aor
4. Acts 2:4, They all aor
5. Acts 4:8, Peter aor
6. Acts 4:31, They all aor
7. Acts 9:17, Paul aor
8. Acts 13:9, Paul
aor
Nature of the filling:
It is an instantaneous filling that gives power or ability to the
believer.
Condition of the filling: No
conditions are mentioned, but rather the recipients were filled by the Spirit
as a sovereign work of God and man's human will is not a factor in these cases.
Repetition of the filling:
Peter was filled with the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:4) but was said to
be filled again in Acts 4:31.
Repetition of the filling:
Peter was filled with the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:4) but was said to
be filled again in Acts 4:31.
Purpose of the filling:
Each filling was used for special prophetic activity.
Duration of the filling:
The filling lasts as long as it takes to accomplish the given task.
Scope of the filling: In
every instance, the special filling of the Holy Spirit is a sovereign work of
God by which men are empowered by the Spirit for a divine task.
Normal Filling
The normal
filling of the Holy Spirit emphasizes the abiding condition of fullness
1. Luke 4:1, Jesus
adj.- plh,rhj all
are descriptive of a state
2. Acts 6:3, Seven men adj.- plh,rhj
3. Acts 6:5, Stephen adj.- plh,rhj
4. Acts 7:55, Stephen adj.- plh,rhj
5. Acts 11:24, Barnabas adj.- plh,rhj
6. Acts 13:52, The disciples (verb) plhro,w
Perspective Regarding Normal Fullness from
these passages
Nature
of the fullness: Luke does not present this phrase
prescriptively of a method of spirituality.
Condition
of the fullness: There are no explicit conditions set down in
Scripture.
Purpose
of the fullness: The
fullness is not the means for accomplishing an end, but it seems to speak of
the end or result itself.
Duration
of the fullness: The accomplishment of this state of fullness
did not come instantaneously (like the sovereign filling) but through a growing process.
Scope
of the fullness: The
fullness of the Spirit is a normative condition that may be, and should be,
true of the experience of every follower of Christ.
3rd Expression is found in Eph 5:18
The third expression in the Greek also makes use of the verb plhro,w; however, instead of being followed by the genitive case, it is followed by the preposition en plus a noun in the dative case.