Filled with the Holy Spirit: Consistent Bible Commentary?

Full of the Holy Spirit

“The Bible is its own best commentary.” I was taught by a professor for whom that was an oft-repeated truth. The Bible is usually quite consistent its use of language and careful in the way it defines its words. When we take the time to examine how the Bible uses terms, we will discover their true meaning in the text.

What does the Bible mean when it says "filled with the holy Spirit?"

What does the Bible mean when it says “filled with the holy Spirit?”

This truth is powerful in learning the meaning of phrases discussing the work of the Holy Spirit. In this article we will examine the use of the phrase “full of the Spirit” (and its variants) from Genesis 1 – Acts 2. Today, many Christians believe that because of the Spirit’s indwelling of saints they are “full of the Spirit.” Prayers to God in word and song contain petitions of Him to fill us with His Spirit. Being filled with God’s Spirit is considered a blessing of the Christian faith.

A quick survey of this phrase’s appearances in the text reveals in interesting fact. Outside of the writings of Luke (i. e. Luke and Acts) full/filled with the Spirit occurs only once in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:18). Further, half of the appearances (10 out of 20) of this phrase in the Bible occur before the first person is baptized because of the preaching of the gospel. That fact alone should cause those who hold that being full of the Spirit is a consequence of becoming a Christian to re-examine their view. The text shows no preference (in terms of the number of times it applies the phrase to humanity) toward the Christian than toward the saints of the Old Testament.

What we will see in this survey of ten verses is that the Bible uses this phrase (and so fixes the definition of it) to describe the Spirit’s work in providing individuals with prophetic abilities. Whenever a person is “full of the Holy Spirit,” he becomes a prophet.

Full of the Spirit and Communication

Five of the ten verses within the scope of this article follow a very clear pattern. In each instance, a person is said to be full/filled with the Holy Spirit and then begins a prophetic utterance. In these texts, there can be no doubt as to the meaning of one’s being full of the Spirit.

  • Micah 3: 8:  . . . I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression  . . .
  • Luke 1:15-16: . . . [A]nd he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
  • Luke 1:41-42: . . . And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
  • Luke 1:67-68: .  .  . Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.
  • Acts 2:4: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

From Micah’s proclamation of his superior prophetic abilities over the disgraced prophets of his age; to the announcement of John’s prophetic ministry in announcing the coming of the Christ; to the overflowing examples of prophecy from Elizabeth and Zechariah; and to the apostles’ utterance of unknown tongues, the meaning of these individuals’ being full of the Spirit is undeniable. Each of these people was a prophet of God.

While the abbreviated length of this article will not permit a full examination of all the occurrences of full of the Spirit after Acts 2, it is worth noting that six of the ten verses in which the phrase is used after the establishment of the church follow the pattern just noted. Someone who is “full of the Spirit” begins speaking:

  • Acts 4:8: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them . . .
  • Acts 4:31: . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God . . .
  • Acts 7:55-56: . . . But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said . .
  • Acts 11:23-24: . . . [H]e exhorted them all to remain faithful . . . he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith . . .
  • Acts 13:9-10: But Saul . . . filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said . . .
  • Ephesians 5:18-19: . . . [B]e filled with the Spirit, addressing one another . . .

In total, 11 of the 20 appearances of full of the Spirit connect one’s being filled with the Holy Spirit immediately to an act of prophetic utterance.

Full of the Spirit and Action

Four of the remaining five passages in our list connect one’s being full of the Spirit to action requiring the direct influence of the Spirit to complete a task required by the Spirit:

  • Exodus 28:3: . . . [T]he skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments . . .
  • Exodus 31:2-5: . . . Bezalel . . . I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.
  • Exodus 35:30-35: . . . Bezalel . . . he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill. . . .  And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab . . .  He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work . . .
  • Luke 4:1: And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.

Bezalel and Oholiab were filled with the Holy Spirit. That filling inspired them to teach and gifted them with skills in working in all metals, woods, and crafts. No person had ever seen the items of the tabernacle. To have them constructed according to the pattern of God’s design, He needed to inspire man to reveal that pattern to him. He filled Bezalel and Oholiab with His Spirt to facilitate that action. Jesus was also filled with the Spirit in Luke 4:1. That filling of the Spirit allowed Jesus to walk into the wilderness to the location where the Holy Spirit was directing Him.

These four verses demand the same level of inspiration as the first grouping of verses in this article. In nine of the ten uses of this verse before the establishment of the church, the filling of the Spirit is used either to describe people speaking or acting directly through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

How Does One Become Full of the Spirit?

Only one verse remains in the list. In it, we are shown how a person became “full of the Spirit” prior to the cross:

  • Deuteronomy 34:9: And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him . . .

Joshua became full of the Spirit because “Moses had laid his hands on him.” Does that sound familiar? It is the same method described in the New Testament of how the apostles provided the prophetic powers of the Holy Spirit to the church (Acts 8:18-19; 19:6).

Joshua received a portion of the authority of Moses and was empowered by the Spirit to take Moses’ place as the prophetic leader of the nation of Israel through the laying on of his predecessor’s hands (compare Number 27:18-20). The last of the verses in our list is also an expression of the prophetic empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Ten times prior to the establishment of the church and the extension of the promises of the gospel, God used the phrase “full of the Spirit.” One of those verses describes how a prophet of God was empowered. The other nine are statements of the how Holy Spirit gifted individuals either to speak the words of inspiration or to finish tasks demanded by that same inspiration.

Prior to Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, the Bible knows no other meaning to the phrase “full of the Spirit.” It is a clear and consistent statement of inspiration. The Bible is not trying to confuse its readers. We should expect the established meaning of this term prior to Acts 2 to continue after Acts 2.

Yet, today we are told that a phrase which prior to Act 2 was exclusively used to describe prophetic activity now is never prophetic. Most inside churches of Christ teach that the prophetic powers of the Spirit in man have ended. However, most would also argue that we are all “filled with the Spirit.” The conclusion which flows from that is that we are filled by the Spirit in a non-prophetic manner. So, the phrase has completely changed its meaning. Where it once specifically identified prophets, it now never identifies a prophet.

God’s singular emphasis of expressed in this imagery should not be dismissed lightly. Solid, if not conclusive, exegetical, expository, and/or contextual evidence must be found before asserting a permanent, sudden change in the Spirit’s use of this phrase after Acts 2:38.

It is my contention that no such evidence can be found. If indeed the Bible is its own best commentary, then it establishes that the only people who have ever been “full of the Spirit” were all prophetically gifted in some way. Neither you nor I have ever been filled with Holy Spirit as the Bible consistently describes that event.

(Note: The four appearances of “full (filled) of the Spirit not referenced in this article are Acts 6:3,5; 9:17; 13:52 – Acts 6:3,5 are the appearances to which an appeal is most often made to establish a new meaning of “full of the Spirit.” Those two verses are worthy of their own discussion.)

 

 

Posted in Jonathan Jenkins | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Filled with the Holy Spirit: Consistent Bible Commentary?

By Whose Authority

By Whose Authority

The religious leaders in the first century left much to be desired in their lives, but shortly after the church was established, they asked a question which I wish the world today would ask. Christianity was new, and the apostles called upon men to forsake their religious heritage and become part of the amazing kingdom Jesus was establishing. The Jewish council arrested the apostles and put them on trial.

Under whose authority have you put your life?

Under whose authority have you put your life?

The question they asked was, “By what power or what name have you done this” (Acts 4:7)? The heart of the matter was authority. There was a major division between the two major “denominations” over the resurrection. The Pharisees believed there was to be a resurrection of the dead, but the Sadducees adamantly opposed that teaching (Acts 23:8). When they questioned Jesus about this, he pointed them to the authority they both honored—the Old Testament. That was the way religious divisions were to be removed and believers in God were to become one. He said, “You are mistaken not knowing the Scriptures…Have you not read what was spoken to you by God…” (Matt. 22:29-31)?

When two individuals recognize a common authority, there will be unity, provided that language of the authority is clearly understandable. Watches around the world all have exactly the same time for they all recognize the time kept by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. A common authority clearly stating truth in a way the world can understand it results in complete unity.

This is why the question, “By what authority have you done this,” is so vital. The council and the apostles knew how plainly God had spoken about not adding to or taking from the Old Testament. Moses had said, “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deut. 12:32). The council saw that the apostles were changing what God had given and simply asked what right did any man have to change it. The apostles gave two proofs. First, there was the lame man who had been cured in a way that only God could do it. The miracle was the proof of the authority for the changes they were making.

The second reason came when the apostle quoted from the common authority all recognized. It was the Old Testament in which God foretold a change was coming. They simply asked the Jews to listen to Psalm 122:18. That their usage of this passage was right was confirmed when Jesus used the same passage in the same way (Matt. 21:42). A common authority, clearly stated, brings religious unity.

What would happen if “Christendom” asked this question about authority today? We will look at this next week.

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on By Whose Authority

ENTRE DOS TESTAMENTOS

ENTRE DOS TESTAMENTOS 

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado qué sucedió entre el Antiguo y el Nuevo Testamento? El Libro de Malaquías cerró el canon del Antiguo Testamento alrededor del 397 aC. Los siguientes cuatro siglos hasta el nacimiento de Cristo han sido referidos como “cuatrocientos años de silencio”, pero en una inspección más cercana, encontramos que Dios había estado trabajando a lo largo de este período para preparar el escenario para el Mesías venidero. Fue una culminación de la historia que Pablo llamó “el cumplimiento de los tiempos” (Gálatas 4: 4, Efesios 1:10). Para apreciar completamente los tiempos en que vivió Jesús, debemos considerar los eventos que produjeron esos tiempos. Desde el punto de vista de la historia judía, este período entre el Antiguo y el Nuevo Testamento es llamado el período intertestamental. Es interesante notar más cuidadosamente el capítulo 2 de Daniel. Aquí en esta imagen que Dios muestra a Nabuconodosor y que Daniel interpreta se nos presentan estos 4 reinos; Babilonia, Medo-Persa, Grecia y el Imperio Romano. La profecía decía que en los días de estos reyes, el Dios del cielo levantará un reino que no será jamás destruido (Daniel 2:44). Lo que sucedió entonces con estos 4 imperios fue de vital importancia para preparar el escenario del Mesías y nos él sino también de la Iglesia misma y que esta pudiera establecerse y funcionar en acuerdo con las profecías.

Dios nunca ha estado inactivo y no lo estará aunque eso sea lo que parezca para muchos.

Dios nunca ha estado inactivo y no lo estará aunque eso sea lo que parezca para muchos.

En los años 397–336 a.C los persas habían dominado el Medio Oriente desde el 536 aC (Esdras 1: 8).  Todo los eventos en estos años contribuyeron para el ministerio del Señor y que  sus apóstoles llegase a tener éxito.

  • Los judíos fueron dejados en relativa paz para reconstruir su sociedad después del exilio babilónico.
  • La sinagoga se convirtió en una gran influencia (culto local, política, educación). Los escribas se hicieron influyentes en la interpretación de las Escrituras (Lucas 20:39). Se construyó un templo en Samaria, que rivaliza con el culto en el templo de Esdras en Jerusalén. Este desarrollo tendría efectos de largo alcance en las relaciones entre judíos y samaritanos (Juan 4: 9).
  • Los judíos continuaron viviendo fuera de Canaán (Jeremías 9:16, 52: 28-30).
  • En la era Griega (336–323 aC) – Los ejércitos de Alejandro Magno de Grecia tomaron el control del Medio Oriente hasta la India occidental. Toda la región se vio fuertemente influenciada por la cultura y el idioma griegos en un proceso llamado Helenización. Muchos judíos resistieron fuertemente la influencia griega. Sin embargo esto fue de trascendental relevancia después, porque el Griego fue aceptado, hablado y escrito por la gente, se volvió el idioma popular. ¿Si ha usted le hubiera tocado decir en que Idioma Dios dejaría en registro la gran mayoría de lo trascendental, que idioma escogería usted? Dios escogió el idioma griego y no solo lo eligió sino que preparó todo el camino con gente pagana  incluso para llevar a cabo su plan. ¿No es esto maravilloso?
  • En la era Egipcia (323–198 aC) – Después de la muerte de Alejandro en 323 aC, cuatro generales dividieron el Imperio griego en cuatro segmentos. Ptolomeo tomó el control de Egipto y pronto dominó toda la región incluso cerca de Israel. Muchos judíos fueron “reasentados’’en Alejandría y gradualmente adoptaron la cultura helenística. Se autorizó una traducción griega del Antiguo Testamento, que produjo la Septuaginta (Hechos 18:24). El énfasis griego en la estética afectó el culto hebreo, tendiendo a hacerlo más externo que interno. Los judíos en Israel se polarizaron a lo largo de líneas políticas, culturales y religiosas, liderados por dos grupos emergentes: los helenistas (Hechos 6: 9) y los Hasidim (o “Piadosos”), los precursores de los fariseos (Mateo 16: 1).
  • La era Siria (198–165 aC) – Los sirios derrotaron a los egipcios en la batalla de Panion (198 aC). Los conflictos entre los helenistas y los hasidim trajeron a Antioco Epifanes a Jerusalén en el 168 a. C. para resolver la disputa. Este Trató de eliminar todos los distintivos de la fe hebrea prohibiendo los sacrificios al Señor, prohibiendo la circuncisión, cancelando el Sábado y los días de fiesta, destruyendo copias de las Escrituras, obligando a los judíos a comer carne de cerdo y estableciendo la adoración de ídolos como el dios Zeus en el templo. . La oposición de los judíos llevó a muchas muertes. Surgió un grupo de hombres leales al sumo sacerdote, que más tarde se convertiría en el partido de los saduceos (Mateo 16: 1)
  • La era Macabea (165–63 aC) – Miles de judíos se unieron detrás de un anciano sacerdote llamado Matatías, de la familia de Hasmon, quien se sublevó contra la idolatría siria en su ciudad natal de Modein, al noroeste de Jerusalén. Los tres hijos de Matatías, Judas Maccabaeus, Jonatán y Simón recobraron Jerusalén, limpiaron el templo y restauraron la adoración. Hacia el 142 aC, Israel finalmente logró la independencia, que duró setenta años bajo el liderazgo de los hasmoneos. Un gobernador y sumo sacerdote, Juan Hyrcanus, destruyó el templo samaritano. Comenzó a referirse a sí mismo como rey y fue apoyado por los saduceos. Sin embargo, se opuso a los fariseos y sus seguidores, que reconocieron a los reyes solo a través de la línea de David.
  • La era Romana (63–4 aC): Pompeyo de Roma invadió Siria y entró en Israel. La resistencia en Jerusalén llevó a la captura de la ciudad por la fuerza y ​​la ocupación romana. Julio César nombró a Antípas, como procurador de Judea en el año 47 aC. Más tarde, el hijo de Antípas, Herodes, llegó al poder (Hechos 12: 1-2) y fue el rey en el momento del nacimiento de Jesús (Mateo 2: 1). Herodes comenzó la construcción de un nuevo templo. Él era un helenista devoto y mató a todos los descendientes de los hasmoneos. Surgió un partido político conocido como los herodianos (Mateo 16: 1), dedicado a los Herodes y al helenismo, y se opuso a los judíos tradicionales por temor a que incitaran a las tropas romanas a regresar a destruir Jerusalén. También se desarrolló un partido de la oposición, los zelotes (Mateo 16: 1), que se negó a someterse a la autoridad de Roma y defendió la rebelión armada. Con todo la era Romana trazo con la famosa “Pax Romana”, o paz Romana que logró por casi 200 años mantener el orden y la paz. Esto fue de tremenda importancia, ya que de no haber sido por esta paz Romana, el Señor Jesús hubiese sido sacado fuera de la ciudad y probablemente se le hubiera dado muerte fracasando en la Misión eterna. Dios en este Periodo intertestamental preparó muy bien cada detalle. Jesús y sus discípulos pudieron transitar libremente por las calles predicando sabiendo que gozaban en cierta manera de protección, de buenos caminos amplios y espaciosos y de cierta libertad que estaba ahí por causa de los Romanos.

Periodo Intertestamental fue de gran importancia para el plan de salvación que Dios había venido trabajando desde Adán. Galátas 4:4 es quizás el pasaje que abarca mucho más tiempo que cualquier otro texto en la Biblia “Cuando llegó el cumplimiento de los tiempos”.  Definitivamente solo quedamos con la boca abierta de ver a Dios trabajando en su providencia para su plan que tendría su punto más alto la venida del Mesías y en ultima  instancia el establecimiento de su Iglesia. Sin duda alguna ya han pasado poco más de 2000 años en los que no a habido revelación nueva pero sin lugar a dudas Dios sigue trabajando providencialmente en nuestro mundo.  Al igual que el periodo entre los 2 testamentos Dios nunca ha estado inactivo y no lo estará aunque eso sea lo que parezca para muchos. Los cristianos esperamos su venida y trabajaremos con su ayuda y providencia hasta ese ultimo día (1Tes.5:1)

 

Posted in Heiner Montealto | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on ENTRE DOS TESTAMENTOS

Dinosaurs! Evolution’s Back Door into Your Home

Evolution’s Back Door into Your Home

At 3:00 p.m., mom stops folding laundry and begins contemplating what to fix for dinner. Suddenly, she hears the unmistakable sound of little feet running down the sidewalk. Within seconds, the front door bangs open and little Johnny comes running down the hallway into a brightly lit kitchen.

They are real! But there backstory is often fictitious.

They are real! But there backstory is often fictitious.

As mom frantically tries to keep the mud tracks off the floor, little Johnny circles round and round, shouting: “Guess what video we watched today at school!” With a dustpan in one hand, and an old wooden broom in the other, mom looks up and replies, “What Johnny?” Johnny lets out an ear-piercing scream and yells, “Dinosaurs!” And without taking another breath he begins rattling off the names of dinosaurs: “We saw a Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, Deinonychus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and a Velociraptor! Oh, mom you should have seen them. They were so cool. I want to get some books about them. Can we please? Can we mom?”

And so, without any advance notice, Mom is thrown into the realm of the dinosaurs. Only minutes ago she was folding laundry, wishing she were elsewhere. Now she would be content to wind back the hands of time and fold those clothes. No one warned her that motherhood included needing advanced degrees in dinosaur trivia.

For the next several days, the questions continue. “When were the dinosaurs around? Why did they become extinct? Were they cold-blooded or warm-blooded?” Poor mom—she can cook dinner, wash clothes, clean the kitchen, watch the children, and talk on the phone all at the same time…but dinosaurs? All mom knows about dinosaurs can be summed up like this: They were big, and they were green. Aside from that, mom has to rely on books to provide Little Johnny with the answers that he so desperately seeks.

Within a week, their house has been turned into a virtual dinosaur hall of fame. Dinosaur books, puzzles, games, and action figures can be found in just about every room. Every dime Little Johnny had saved up has been spent on dinosaur books. You know the ones—the books with big colorful pictures on slick glossy paper. The same ones that usually somewhere around page one, paragraph one, say something like, “All life on our planet changes and develops over many millions of years. This is called evolution. Millions of years ago the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, long before man ever existed.”

Even those “harmless” sticker books that she bought Little Johnny mention that dinosaurs roamed the Earth 225 million years ago. And so, within just a few weeks Little Johnny has filled his brain with dinosaur trivia; but he has also laid down the planks on which the evolutionary theory will one day be built in his belief system.

In most homes, children are being indoctrinated with evolution and atheism long before parents are even aware a battle is going on for the soul of their children. Parents, it matters what your children are putting into their minds. Please invest the time and energy into making sure what they are studying and embracing harmonizes with God’s Word. Yes dinosaurs are amazing creatures! Just make sure you share with your children how those amazing creatures fit into God’s incredible creation!!

Check out our store for material on dinosaurs!

Posted in Brad Harrub | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Dinosaurs! Evolution’s Back Door into Your Home

To Whose Voice Are We Listening?

To Whose Voice Are We Listening?

We all listen to the voice of someone.  We come into this world listening to the voice of our mother and father.  In adulthood the cacophony of voices that bend our ear can be staggering.  Luke wrote, “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21).  This describes our society too!

The voices we listen to affect our decisions.

The voices we listen to affect our decisions.

The voices to which we listen affect the decisions that we make and the actions that we take.  What we believe will affect how we act.  Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35).  We don’t act in any way without first having thought about it, and there are only two voices in this world that truly speak: the voice of God and the voice of Satan, the voice of truth and the voice of error, the voice of righteousness and the voice of sin (Matthew 21:25).  We should choose the voice of God, truth, and righteousness.

We hear God’s voice through the revelation of God’s mind by His Spirit sent by His Son, Jesus.  Scripture says that no man knows the mind of God except the Spirit of God reveal it to him (1 Corinthians 2:11).  It also says, no man has seen God; it is only the Son of God who has declared Him (John 1:18).  The only way to know God’s mind is if God reveals His mind through inspiration (1 Corinthians 2:12).  And there is only one inspired source of truth from the mind of God, the Bible, the story of Jesus.  May we hear the voice of Jesus!  God bless you, and I love you.

Posted in Kevin Cauley | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on To Whose Voice Are We Listening?