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.

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.