A number of verses in Acts reveal that the Spirit fills the believers inwardly. Acts 13:52 says, “The disciples were made full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word translated “made full” is pleroo, which means to be filled inwardly. According to its usage in Acts, pleroo denotes to fill a vessel within, as the wind filled the house inwardly in 2:2. In 13:52 the disciples were filled inwardly and essentially with the Spirit for their Christian living. This infilling is of the Holy Spirit essentially for life, not economically for power. Joy, being a matter of life, not of power, proves this.
Acts 6:3 says, “Select seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we shall appoint over this need.” The Greek word for “full” here is pleres, an adjective form of pleroo. “Full of the Spirit” is one’s condition after being filled with the Spirit inwardly and essentially, as mentioned in 13:52. This refers to life, not to work. The word “wisdom” in 6:3 also indicates that in this verse to be full of the Spirit is for life, as in Luke 2:52.
Acts 6:5 tells us that Stephen was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 7:55 says of Stephen, “Being full of the Holy Spirit, looking intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” These verses also refer to the inward filling of the Spirit. As Stephen was about to be martyred, he was filled with the Spirit inwardly and essentially.
Acts 11:24 describes Barnabas as a man “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” As in the other verses from Acts we have considered, this refers to a believer’s condition after being filled with the Spirit essentially. This inward filling of the Spirit is not for work or for ministry but for our daily living. For this reason, the inward filling of the Spirit is essential, not economical. The Spirit works in the believers for the divine dispensing by filling them inwardly.
Luke 12:12 speaks of the Spirit’s work in teaching the believers: “The Holy Spirit will teach you in the same hour what should be said.” In particular, the Spirit’s teaching of the believers here refers to His teaching them what to say during persecution. When the believers are persecuted, the Spirit within them teaches them how to answer their persecutors.
In Matthew 10:16-33 the Lord Jesus instructs the apostles concerning persecution and the way to meet it. He tells them not to be anxious about how or what to speak (v. 19). Then in verse 20 He goes on to say, “You are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the One speaking in you.” Here we see the work of the Spirit in His speaking in the believers. The Lord’s word in verse 20 corresponds to that in Luke 12:12, where He says that the Spirit will teach us what to say. When we are under persecution, the Spirit will teach us and speak in us. His speaking is His teaching.
As long as we have the Spirit, we have the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord in Matthew 10:20 is the Spirit for speaking. In facing persecution we should turn to our spirit and trust the indwelling Spirit, believing that the Spirit is with us and that He will deal with the opposers and persecutors. We should face opposition and confront attack not in ourselves, but by turning to our spirit where the Spirit of God dwells. We need to trust in Him, let Him lead us, and let Him do the speaking.
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