The Filling of the Holy Spirit Process and Experience
The concept of being "filled with the Spirit" appears throughout the Bible, describing a divine empowerment for various purposes, from craftsmanship to prophetic utterance and spiritual joy [1, 2, 10]. This filling is understood as a work of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to live righteously and carry out God's will.
In the Old Testament, being filled with the Spirit often refers to a special endowment for specific tasks or leadership roles. For instance, Exodus 31:3 states, "I fill him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work" [2]. This indicates a divine impartation of skill and insight beyond normal human capacity [10]. Other examples include the Spirit empowering judges, prophets, and kings for their divine assignments [10].
In the New Testament, the "filling of the Holy Spirit" takes on a broader significance, particularly in the book of Acts. The disciples are described as being "filled with joy, and with the holy Ghost" (Acts 13:52, Geneva 1599) [1]. This filling is often associated with boldness in proclamation, miraculous signs, and the manifestation of spiritual gifts [4, 11]. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:18, exhorts believers to "be filled with the Spirit," contrasting it with drunkenness. This command implies an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, suggesting a continuous reliance on and yielding to the Spirit's influence.
The "fruit of the Spirit" is a key aspect of this filling, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. Adam Clarke's commentary on Galatians 5:22 explains that the Spirit produces "good fruit" in the believer, transforming the soul from its sinful dispositions [6]. These fruits, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are seen as the natural outcome of the Spirit's work within a person [6, 8]. John Gill, in his commentary on Ephesians 5:8, connects the "fruit of the Spirit" with "goodness, and righteousness," suggesting that these virtues are the genuine result of internal grace or divine light [7]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown further emphasize that these works of righteousness are a "harmonious whole," produced "through Jesus Christ" by the Spirit sent from the Father [8].
The process of sanctification is closely related to the filling of the Holy Spirit. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines sanctification as the work of the Holy Spirit that brings the entire human nature "more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration" [3]. It is the continuation and perfection of the work begun at regeneration, extending to the whole person [3]. This ongoing work of the Spirit enables believers to grow in holiness and bear the fruit of righteousness [3, 8].
While the initial reception of the Holy Spirit is often understood to occur at conversion, the "filling" can be a repeated experience, empowering believers for service, witness, and a life of obedience [1, 11]. The Holy Spirit also acts as an "Advocate" or "Spirit of truth," counseling and protecting followers of Jesus [5]. This continuous work of the Spirit is essential for Christian life, enabling believers to walk in "goodness, righteousness, and truth" [9]. The experience of being filled with the Spirit is not merely a moral reformation but a profound spiritual transformation that impacts every aspect of a believer's life [3].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 13:52 (Geneva1599) — And the disciples were filled with ioy, and with the holy Ghost.”
- Exodus “Exodus 31:3 (YLT) — and I fill him <FI>with<Fi> the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
- Romans “Romans 15:19 (Rotherham) — By the power of signs and wonders, by the power of [Holy Spirit]; so that I, from Jerusalem and in a circuit as far as Illyricum, have fulfilled the glad-message of the Christ,—”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 15:26: 15:26 But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth: Like a legal advocate, the Holy Spirit counsels and protects Jesus’ followers.”
- Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:8: For the fruit of the Spirit,.... Either of the spirit of man, as renewed, or rather of the Spirit of God; the allusion is to fruits of trees: the believer is a tree of righteousness; Christ is his root; the Spirit is the sap, which supports and nourishes; and good works, under the influence of his grace, are the fruit: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read "the fruit of light"; which agrees with the preceding words: and the genuine fruit of internal grace, or light, is in all goodness, and righteousness, ”
- Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 1:11: The oldest manuscripts read the singular, "fruit." So Gal 5:22 (see on Gal 5:22); regarding the works of righteousness, however manifold, as one harmonious whole, "the fruit of the Spirit" (Eph 5:9) Jam 3:18, "the fruit of righteousness" (Heb 12:11); Rom 6:22, "fruit unto holiness." which are--"which is by (Greek, 'through') Jesus Christ." Through His sending to us the Spirit from the Father. "We are wild and useless olive trees till we are grafted into Christ, who, by His living root, makes us fruit-bearing branches" [CALVIN].”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:9: fruit of the Spirit--taken by transcribers from Gal 5:22. The true reading is that of the oldest manuscripts, "The fruit of THE LIGHT"; in contrast with "the unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph 5:11). This verse is parenthetic. Walk as children of light, that is, in all good works and words, "FOR the fruit of the light is [borne] in [ALFORD; but BENGEL, 'consists in'] all goodness [opposed to 'malice,' Eph 4:31], righteousness [opposed to 'covetousness,' Eph 5:3] and truth [opposed to 'lying,' Eph 4:25]."”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 31:3: 31:3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God: This is one of the earliest references to being filled with the Spirit as an expression of divine empowerment for activities that are clearly beyond normal human abilities (see also Gen 41:38; Num 11:17; Judg 6:34; 14:19; 1 Sam 10:6; 16:13; Joel 2:28-29; Mic 3:8).”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 8:15: prayed . . . they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)--As the baptism of adults presupposed "the renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Tit 3:5-7; Co1 12:13), of which the profession of faith had to be taken for evidence, this communication of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the apostles' hands was clearly a superadded thing; and as it was only occasional, so it was invariably attended with miraculous manifestations (see Act 10:44, where it followed Peter's preaching; and Act 19:1-7, where, as here, it follo”