The Coming of the Holy Spirit: Acts 2:2-4

        The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost signaled an exciting event in God's covenantal relationship with humanity. Jesus had fulfilled His promise of birthing His Church with the New Covenant through the His Spirit. Not only did He baptize His disciples with the Spirit, but also 3,000 people with water and Spirit. Acts 2:4 described the outpouring as filling them with the Holy Spirit, giving witness through the speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. What does filled mean? 

Scene on fabric roll from Acts 2:2-3

        The word filled concerning the Spirit of God first appears in the Old Testament (Ex 31:3). The Lord filled Bezaleel with the Spirit of God with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge for work in gold, silver, and brass to build the tabernacle. So, under the old covenant, He filled a specific person with His Spirit for a certain task. Likewise, the Lord also filled other people for a certain purpose, such as Moses the 70 elders (Nu 11:16-17, 25), Joshua (27:18), different judges of Israel. (Jgs 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 14:6), King Saul (1 Sam 10:9-10; 11:6) and others. In other words, the infilling of the Spirit under the old covenant served to complete a special ministry. That differs from the new covenant.        

        Unlike the old covenant, the infilling of the Holy Spirit accomplished something different. The launch of the new and better covenant occurred when the outpouring of the Spirit fell on Jesus' disciples (cf. Joel 2:28). Acts 2:4b explains that the Holy Spirit filled the disciples, and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. In contrast with the prior fillings of the Spirit, it fulfilled the blessing of a free gift Jesus would give them promised before His ascension. In Luke 24:49a, Jesus told His disciples, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you" (KJV). In contrast to the old covenant, the promise from on high would baptize them in the Holy Spirit. It would endue them with power from on high, meaning to clothe them with God's saving power (24:49b; BLB). Jesus in John 3:5 told Nicodemus that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Therefore, the infilling of the Holy Ghost forms an integral part of salvation and empowered to live in covenant (cf. Jer 31:33). God is a Spirit (4:24). As God incarnate as a human being, Jesus has the divine nature of the Holy Spirit—God in activity. The Spirit anoints, regenerates, and indwells those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

        Contrary to the old covenant, Jesus' promise also pertains to a broader audience. Not only did the Spirit fill the disciples, but also 3,000 others that day who repented of their sins and submitted to baptism by water (2:41). Peter clarified the Spirit's infilling: "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call"(v. 39). Generations of those afar off can receive the infilling of the Spirit. Jesus makes His Spirit available in a forward movement without exclusion. He gives His Spirit as a free gift, not dependent on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic, gender, or location.

        How do you know if you have the infilling of the Spirit? Jesus gave witness through the mighty rushing wind, the cloven tongues of fire, and speaking in other tongues (2:2-3). The passage likens the first occurrence of the Spirit as a mighty rushing wind. In John 3:8, Jesus referred to the movement of the wind as the Spirit manifesting His presence. The wind makes a sound (Grk: phōnē). The disciples also heard a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind that flooded the house. Acts 2:4 described the sound as a roar (Grk: ēchos). Also, then cloven tongues like as of fire sat on each of them with the Spirit's visual presence. And, the Holy Spirit filled them. They began to speak with other tongues as He gave them utterance (v. 4), again, a sound. So, Jesus provided a combination of auditory and visual signs of the baptism of the Spirit. It even captured the attention of the crowds there for the Feast of the Pentecost (vv. 6-7). While the New Testament references one occurrence of the miraculous, mighty rushing wind and cloven tongues of fire, Luke recorded instances of speaking in other tongues upon baptism of the Spirit for both Jews and Gentiles throughout the book of Acts. Evidential tongues provide the initial confirmation of the infilling of Jesus’ Spirit. 

        Peter’s sermon to those gathered for Pentecost pricked their hearts (2:22-36) with the response, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (v. 38). Pete’s reply to them holds true today: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (v. 38). I invite you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! He has arms open for you!

Blessings to you,

Jan Paron, PhD

January 19, 2022

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:2-4).