And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ~ Acts 2:1-4 

Acts 2:1-4 is often used when the topic of speaking with tongues is under discussion, but there is a more important topic that we need to see in this text, and that is being filled with the Holy Spirit. What happened at Pentecost in the upper room was the fulfillment of Jesus’s words to the apostles when he told them, John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. ~ John 1:5.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism of power, and when one is baptized with the Holy Spirit, he becomes full of the Spirit. In Acts 4, Peter and John were brought before the high priest, the rulers, elders, and scribes, to answer for their part in the healing of the lame man in Acts 3. They were asked by this religious committee, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? In response, the Bible says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them…”

Notice the emphasis placed on Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost. If being filled with the Holy Spirit is synonymous with being saved as some seem to suggest, there would be no reason for the text to emphasize that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The more we look into what the scriptures have to say about being filled with the Holy Spirit, the more this becomes clear.

Now, after being threatened and commanded to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, the Bible says that Peter and John went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. In response the company of believers lifted up their voice in prayer to God.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. ~ Acts 4:24-30 

Notice that the text says they lifted up their voice to God with one accord. Remember that in Acts 2, the believers were with one accord before they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (2:1). They were in such unity that their prayer came up as one voice and not voices. There is power in godly unity that we may need to address in another teaching. We know that Paul instructs the Ephesians to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Notice also what the believers in Acts 4 requested. They asked for boldness to speak the word of God, but not simply by declaring words from the page of a text. Notice how it’s stated, “grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

They specifically asked God to grant to them boldness to speak the Word of God with the demonstration of power. This aligns with Paul’s words to the Corinthians when he says the following:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 

Paul believed that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20), but the sad reality is today we often have only words to give with no power. The believers in Acts 4 prayed for power –  grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand…

Now, I want you to notice what happened after they prayed for God to grant boldness to speak his word and that God would back his word with his power.

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. ~ Acts 4:31 

Notice that the text says, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. This came as a result of their prayer. And it is important to note that Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit as he spoke earlier in front of the religious leaders was among those who were filled later in Acts 4.

The scriptures bear witness to the truth that there can be many fillings of the believer with the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5, Paul tells the believers at Ephesus to be filled with the Spirit by speaking to themselves in Psalm, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord.

Being saved and being filled with the Spirit are two distinct things. Every believer has the Spirit of God in them, but not every believer is always filled with the Spirit, if they were, there would not be so much sin and carnality within the church. This is why Paul instructed the believers, those who already had the Holy Spirit’s presence in them, to be filled with the Spirit.

I hope to write more along these lines in the coming days, because there is more we need to visit in the New Testament about being filled with the Spirit. If we will look closely we just might see how being filled with the Spirit is embedded in Paul’s teachings and prayers in the epistles he wrote. Paul’s prayers are filled with requests concerning the Holy Spirit’s influence and power in the life of believers. In closing consider the following prayer from Paul for the believers at Ephesus.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:14-19 

Pauls’ prayers defies so much of today’s Christian theology that often make for a stale and powerless Christian witness. May we learn what it truly means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Blessings.