In the book of Acts we may say that there are two lines concerning the Spirit—the line of the essential Spirit and the line of the economical Spirit. Let us first consider some verses related to the economical Spirit and then verses related to the essential Spirit.
Acts 1:5 says, “For John indeed baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This clearly refers to the economical Spirit. Then verse 8 goes on to say, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The Spirit coming upon us is a matter of the economical Spirit.
Acts 2:4 says that the disciples “were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Here we see that the disciples were filled with the Spirit economically for their ministry.
Acts 2:17 and 18 say, “And it shall be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and upon My slaves, both men and women, I will pour out of My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.” These verses speak of the pouring out of the Spirit. This differs from the breathing of the Spirit into the disciples out of the mouth of Christ at His resurrection. The pouring out of God’s Spirit was from the heavens at Christ’s ascension. The former is the essential aspect of the Spirit breathed into the disciples for their spiritual being and existence; the latter is the economical aspect of the Spirit poured upon them as power for their work.
In chapter four of Acts the economical aspect of the Holy Spirit is mentioned twice. Verse 8 says that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” This was an economical filling of the Spirit for ministry. Verse 31 says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” This also was an economical filling of the Spirit.
In Acts 9:17 we see that Ananias was sent to Saul of Tarsus so that Saul might receive an economical filling of the Holy Spirit: “Ananias went away and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Before Ananias came to him, Saul had already received the essential Spirit. When Saul called on the Lord’s name, he began to participate in the essential Spirit. But in 9:17 Ananias came to lay hands on him so that he could participate in the economical Spirit.
Acts 13:9 tells us that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. This also refers to the economical aspect of the Spirit.
Other verses in Acts refer to the essential Spirit. One of these verses is Acts 6:3: “Now brothers, select seven well-attested men from among you, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we shall appoint over this need.” This refers to being filled with the Spirit essentially for life. To do the service spoken of in chapter six does not require power; it requires life with wisdom and endurance. For this service we need to be full of the Spirit of life, not with the Spirit of power. To be filled with the Spirit of power is for God’s economy, but to be filled with the Spirit of life is for our spiritual existence. In this verse “wisdom” indicates that the filling is the filling of the essential Spirit for life.
In Acts 6:5 we are told that Stephen was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” Once again, this refers to the essential aspect of the Spirit.
When Stephen was stoned, he was full of the Spirit essentially: “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” (7:55). The filling of the Spirit here is a matter of life, not of power. Hence, it is the filling of the essential Spirit.
Speaking of Barnabas, Acts 11:24 describes him as a “good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” This verse also speaks of the essential aspect of the Spirit.
Acts 13:52 says, “The disciples were made full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.” The filling of the Holy Spirit here is not for power but for life. In this verse the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit essentially for life, not for power.
As we consider these verses in the book of Acts, we see clearly the two aspects of the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, we see the essential aspect of the Spirit for our spiritual being; on the other hand, we see the economical aspect of the Spirit for our work to carry out God’s New Testament economy.