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THE INDWELLING,
AND INFILLING WITH
BAPTISM, THE HOLY SPIRIT:
A DIFFERENTATION OF TERMS
by
French L.
Arrington
The
baptism
and dis-
with the
Holy Spirit
is the most distinctive puted
doctrine of Pentecostalism. The hallmark of Pentecostalism has been the distinction made between the first and
subsequent
the
Spirit
in the believer.
works of
The chief aim here is the examination of the Biblical
teaching
of the indwelling, baptism,
and
infilling
with the
Holy Spirit.
While the
study
of
concerns is
only cursory,
I do
propose
to draw some
these
theological
observations from our
investigation
of the Pentecostal
doctrine of the
baptism
with the
Holy Spirit
and show its relation to the
indwelling
and
infilling
with the
Spirit.
THE INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT
of the
Holy Spirit.
“If
any man,” says Paul,
In one sense
every
believer has the
presence
“has not the
Spirit
of God, he is none of His”
(Rom.
French L. Arrington. (Ph.D., St. Louis University), is a faculty member of the Church of God Graduate School of Christian Ministries, Cleveland, Tennessee. Dr. Arrington has served this year as Second Vice-president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
1
8:9b).”1
One cannot be a Christian without
having
the
Spirit,
which is the same as
being
indwelt
by
the
Spirit.
Pledge
of the
Spirit
established
us
who
prepared
The Pauline
teaching
that the
indwelling
of the
Holy Spirit
is but a pledge
of that which is to come, is stated three times: “Now he who
with
you
in Christ and anointed us is
God, who also sealed us and
gave
us the
Spirit
as a pledge” (II Cor.
1:21, 22).
“Now He
us for this
very purpose
is
God,
who
gave
to us the
Spirit as a pledge” (II Cor.
5:5).
“…
having
also
believed, you
were sealed in Him with the
Holy Spirit
of
promise,
who is
given
as a
pledge
of our
inheritance”
(Eph. 1:13, 14).
The word
&ppaf3wv,
translated
inheritance
which is received
“pledge,
first
installment, earnest,
or makes
receive at the second
down
payment”
means that which
“pays
a part of the
purchase price
in advance and so secures a legal claim to the article in question,
a contract valid.”2 The
Apostle
Paul used the word to indicate that the Holy Spirit
was
given
to the believer
fully
in
eternity.
believer,
the
Holy Spirit
is the
pledge
of full
salvation,
which he is to
advent of Jesus Christ.
Seal of the
Spirit
Closely
connected
as a
pledge
of his
forthcoming
Dwelling
within the
residence in
every
believer is letter Paul states that the
Holy
to the
Spirit’s
the seal of the
Spirit.
In his
Ephesian
the believer
(1:13; 4:30).
The
etymology
Spirit
is the
agent
who seals of the word
urppœyt/;w,
rendered
“seal,”
has
provoked controversy.3
Spirit
lThe
Apostle Paul states that as a result of adoption into the family of God the Holy
is sent into (el)g) the believer’s heart (GaL 4:6, 7).
2 Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt and Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: The University of Chicago
109.
Press, 1952), p.
object
passport. Henry George
3The classical usage of the word signified a marking which was the result of a sharp
such as a signet ring or stamp and was used for the marking of a seal, ticket, or
Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon ( Oaford: The Clarendon Press, 1955), p. 1455. James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Illustrated from the Papyri and Other Non Literary Sources (Grand
Wm. B. Eerdmans Company, 1960), p. 618,’observe that the term is broadened
Rapids:
– 2-
2
His
indwelling presence
who is the
guarantee
through
the
price
that He has
and
him
to His
sealing
work is
(II
Cor.
1:22).
“…
you
also
(Eph. 1:13, 14).l
Lexical
study
of the word reveals two ideas are
present: ownership and identification. Those who enter the Christian fellowship are separ- ated unto Christ
through redemption,
paid.
The
Holy Spirit
is the seal
upon
the
purchased possession
places
the believer in
Christ, identifying with Christ himself
(II
Cor.
5:17).
Paul’s
teaching
that the
indwelling of the
Spirit
in the believer is
closely
related
stated twice: “He
(God)
has
put
his seal
upon
us and has
given
us his
Spirit
in our hearts as a
guarantee”
who … have believed
him,
were sealed with the
Holy Spirit
of promise
of our inheritance”
The
sealing
work of the
Holy Spirit
as a means of identification
is concomitant with
regeneration. Upon spiritual and moral renewal the believer is
baptized
the
Holy Spirit.
From that
point
the
Spirit
is the seal
upon
the
pur-
He is the authentication and
promise
of the care
showing ownership
chased
possession. of God
upon
the believer.
The
Temple
of the
Spirit
into Christ and indwelt
by
The
Apostle
Paul used
yet
another
term,
the
temple
of
God,
to in-
of the
Holy Spirit
in the life of each believer. In
dicate the
presence
his first letter to the Corinthians enshrined
The
Spirit
dwells
corporately
by
the
body
of believers and
must, therefore,
believer. He has created the church-His
he states that the
Holy Spirit
is
be
pure. in the church and in the individual
koinonia,
the
Body
of Christ.
Gingrich, A Greek-English Literature, p.
ship,” carrying
from the meaning of a seal to a marking indicating ownership. Cf. also Bauer, Arndt and
Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
804. They note that the concept indicates a “mark which denotes owner-
with it the
protection of the owner, and that
members of the Mithra cult used the
markage of a seal on their foreheads for identification.
participles, “hearing”
lThere is wide agreement that the seal of the Spirit is concomitant with regeneration when the believer is baptized into Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The aorist
and “believing,” (aKOUVavres, 1Tu7TEouav’t”ES’) of Eph. 1:13 are what grammarians call “coincident” participles and signify simultaneous, not antecedent action with the verb “sealed” It is not that we must have faith for a while and then later receive the sealing, the token, that we belong to God in a special sense. At the moment of really hearing and believing, the seal of the Holy Spirit is
on the heart.
imprinted
– 3-
3
Without the
Spirit
the church would be as a
body
devoid of the
prin- ciple
of life. The church is the area and
sphere
in which the
Holy Spirit
acts. The best illustration of the
corporate
nature of the
has acted and
Holy Spirit
is stated in I Corinthians
3:16-17: “Do
you
not know that
destroys
God’s
temple, holy,
and that
temple you
are.”
you
are God’s
temple
and that God’s
Spirit
dwells in
you?
If
any one
God will
destroy
The Corinthians
corporately
within that koinonia,
were God’s
sanctuary.
him. For God’s
temple
is
The
Holy Spirit
dwelt there and that koinonia was not
simply
a
consisting
of consecrated
human
fellowship
since it was a fellowship
brought
about
by
the
Holy Spirit (I
Cor.
13:14, subjective genitive)!
persons.
The same nuance can be
assigned
to II Corinthians 6:19: “Do you
not know that
your body
is a temple of the
Holy Spirit
within
you.”
This
complements Spirit
is the koinonia.
I Corinthians Equally
3:16,
17. The shrine of the
Holy
nature redeemed
society,
but also in the individual.
true is that the
body
of a Christian is the
temple
of the
Holy Spirit.
The
Spirit
makes his
temple
human
by
Christ. He dwells not
only
in the
koinonia,
the
The church as a
body
was indwelt
of individuals-each
by
the
Holy Spirit,
but the church was
comprised
of whom had become a single temple of the
Spirit.
What was true for the body
as a whole was true also for the individuals
of the
body.
who were members
The
Holy Spirit
has been
given
to dwell within the
church,
the koinonia,
and in each believer. So
says Paul,
“For we are the
temple of the
living
God as God said, ‘I will live in them and move
among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be
my people’ ” (II
Cor.
6:16).
1 Cf. also Phil. 2:1, “fellowship with the Spirit” and I John 1:3, 6, “fellowship with the Father (God) and His Son (Christ).”
– 4-
4
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The
experience regeneration. of God” indicates
of the
baptism
with the
Spirit
is distinct from
and
“temple
the
Holy
panied by
the
presence Acts 2:4.
Some have assumed
Our
study
of the terms
“pledge,” “sealing”
that in His initial work of
regeneration
Spirit
takes
up
residence in the believer.
However, baptism
with the Spiritl
is a definite
experience subsequent
of
glossolalia according
to salvation and is accom-
to the
pattern
of
were
unregenerated
men
were not
that the
disciples
prior
to Pentecost. This is forced
exegesis.
If the
disciples
what does John 20:22 mean when Christ breathed on the
disciples
and
said,
“Receive
(Xaflere)
the
Holy Spirit.”2
regenerated
until Pentecost,
The
disciples clearly
received
the
filling
with the
Spirit
which
equipped
future.
Just
prior
to the ascension John had
baptized
the
Spirit
in John 20:22.
However,
them for service was
yet
Christ reminded
the
disciples
that
with water but that
they
were soon to “be
baptized with the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).
Two facts are
apparent:
did not consider the
disciples’
3:11; Mk 1:8;
(ets)
Spirit
baptism
baptism” (Eph 4:4-6)?
regenerative experience
(1)
Christ as the ful-
1 Noteworthy is the absence of the phrase “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” in Scripture. Seven passages do speak of being baptized “in,” “with,” or “by” the Holy Spirit (Matt.
Lk 3:16; Jh Acts 1:5; 11:16; I Cor. 12:13). I Cor. 12:13 refers to the baptizing agency of the Spirit (ev 1:33} iVL 1TVEI)JUl!’t) in objectively placing the believer into
the body of Christ. This baptism is concomitant with conversion and places the believer in Christ. The New Testament refers to a number of baptisms: a baptism of the
at conversion whereby the believer is placed in Christ, a baptism in water and a
with the
Holy Spirit, but
is this consistent with Paul’s view: “There… one
The Apostle’s reference is to that unique act of the Holy Spirit by which penitent sinners enter into the membership of the church, the body of Christ. The same truth is stated in I Cor. 12:13: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
or Greeks slaves or free.” There is only one baptism that incorporates the
into the church, Christ’s body, and that is administered by the Holy Spirit. It is distinct from Christ’s act of baptizing with the Holy Spirit.
body-Jews penitent
2This may be described as regeneration. See William G. McDonald, Glossolalia in the New Testament (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House), p. 2. Dana and Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (New York: The Macmillan Company,
note that the aorist imperative in commands denotes “summary action,” an
that is immediate. The aorist imperative (ÀCtf3t!’t) in John 20:22 signifies the immediate and forthright reception of the Holy Spirit.
1955), p. 300, action
– 5-
5
fillment of John’s
prophecy
the
disciples
were the
Spirit
whom
they
and
(2)
their
baptism
with the
Spirit
had not
yet
taken
place.
Ten
days
hence John’s words were fulfilled as
“filled with the
Holy Spirit”
and
empowered by
had
already
received
(John 20:22).
Acts 11:16 looks back to the initial
outpouring
The occasion was Peter’s
by
the Gentiles. “I remembered the word of the
Lord,” said
Peter,
“how He made a
practice
Jerusalem. Spirit-baptism
water,
but
you
shall be
baptized
justifying
of the
Spirit
at the
reception
of the
of
saying
“John
baptized
with with the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 11:16).
communion
relationship
Spirit-baptism
were
empowered
Christ,
because of the similarities
Fresh in the mind of Peter was the household of Cornelius who had a
with God and had
subsequently
with
speaking
in tongues as the
objective
by
God Himself. So Peter remembered the -words of
Moreover,
the
Spirit
was a normative from His work in
regeneration. cuted for Christ’s
received the sign
that
they
of the Gentiles’
reception
of the
in the
early
cfiurch and distinct
the
infilling
of the
Spirit
with that of the Jews at Pentecost.
other references make it clear that
being
filled with
experience
In Acts 4 those who were
being perse-
sake were filled with the
Holy Spirit.
At Samaria the
Holy Spirit
fell on those who had received Christ
by
the
preaching of
Philip
and had
already
been
baptized (Acts 8:12).
At
Ephesus Holy Spirit
came on those whom Paul deemed to be
worthy
to be baptized (Acts 19:6).
In each incidence the
Holy Spirit
was
poured
out on those who were
already
in Christ.
The
baptism
with the
Spirit
is promised to believers. Justification is
promised
to the
ungodly; regeneration
but the
baptism
Apostle
Peter intimates Spirit-baptism
is the obedience
to the
unregenerate;
repentance
to obedient believers. The
for the
reception
of the
to the
unrepentant.
These announcements are addressed to the
world,
with the
Spirit
is
promised
that the first
requisite
of faith: “And we are witnesses to these things,
and so is the
Holy Spirit,
whom God has
given
to those who
obey
the
Holy Spirit
indwells all believers
him”
)Acts 5:32).l Accordingly through regeneration
and
baptizes
obedient to Christ and are
open
to the Pentecostal
with His
power
those who become
blessing
of the
Spirit.
lCf. “To those who obey him” (rocS irEtOaTrXoXLTLv CXOt”W, Acts 5:32) “with obed- ience of faith” (U1TCXICOOT/ rc7S 1TtCTt’EWS, Rom. 1:5). These two phrases are essentially two ways of stating the same truth
– 6-
6
INFILLING
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“baptism
with” or
“baptism
baptized
“they (the disciples)
permeated,
and dominated
of the condition
in the
words,
So far, we have focused on the
Spirit’s indwelling
and His
baptism in
power.
What about the
infilling
of the
Holy Spirit?
Is the term
in the
Spirit” descriptive
“the
filling
with the
Holy Spirit?”
At times
they may
be
equivalent, for the fulfillment of Christ’s
promise,
“Before
many days you
shall be
with the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5)
is described
were all filled with the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
The initial
infilling
of the
Spirit may
be described as
“baptism with the
Spirit”
or
by
the term “filled with the
Holy Spirit.”
It is used ten times in Acts.1 The effect of
being
“filled” was to be
possessed,
by
the
power
of the
Holy Spirit.
Three Greek words are used to describe the
filling
with the
Spirit. The verbs
1TL}l1TÀ17}J.L and 1TÀ17POW express
the fulness of the
Spirit.
Why
are the two words
1TL}J.1TÀ17}J.L and 1TÀ17POW used to express
the
One
possible explanation
the
adjective
tr?r?pr?s
describes
same
thought? variety. A comparative
study
indicates
According
the converts
the action of
infilling,
and
is for the sake of rhetorical that
7T,i7pow occurs only
in two
from that
city,
power,
plies spiritual persecutions, of
spiritual needs. Too,
places (Acts 13:52; Eph. 5:18).
The context of each indicates that 1TL}J.1TÀ17}.U is
used when there was a
deficiency
in the lives of believers.
to Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas
brought
the
Gospel
to Pisidian Antioch. When the two missionaries were
expelled
whom
they
left
behind, though lacking spiritual
were
being
filled with the
Spirit (verse 52).
The use of
1TL}J.1TÀ17}J.L im-
Those
disciples
deficiency.
but in the
demanding
Paul
exhorted
were
undergoing
extreme situation and
during
this
period
to their individual
believers deficient in
duress the
Holy Spirit
was
ministering
the
Ephesian
spiritual power
to be filled
(rr?r?pouQ??)
with the
Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
12:4; 4:8; 4:31; 6:3-5 (twice); 7:55; 9-17; 11:24; 13:9, 15.
2″r fill” is the common nuance for both words, but their use in the Septuagint, ancient Greek literature and the Koine Text of the New Testament provides the basis for to
assigning nanpow the connotation of a need or a deficiency which demands filling. See Q. Steward Custer, Jr., The Semantics of
the New Testament Synonymy (Unpublished Ph.D.
Bob Jones
University, 1966), pp. 176-81.
dissertation,
– 7-
7
The
adjective rrÀl1Pl1′;, rendered filled with the
Spirit (Lk 4:1;
“full,”
described the state of being
Acts
6:3-5; 7:55; 11:24). The Biblical use of
rrÀl1Pow and rrÀr¡pl1′; views
the action of
infilling,
whereas the
of the
Spirit suggests
the
stage
of
being
filled with
fullness
(rrÀr¡pl1′;) the
Spirit.
from adminis-
When deacons were
sought
to release the
apostles
trative
duties,
it was determined that
they
should be “full of faith and
the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:3). Stephen,
‘
Subsequent
stant or repetitive was
completed
one of the
deacons,
is
singled
out
and the fellow deacons were fullness of the
Spirit
reflects
.
believers are said to be
of the church
with the
Holy Spirit lives of those first
believers,
as being “full of the
Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:55).
The word which describes the seven is
rrÀl1Pl1′;; and
it
signifies,
we have
already noted,
a state of
being
filled with the
Spirit. Stephen
constantly
filled with the
Spirit. Therefore,
the continual state of
being
filled with the
Spirit.1
to the initial
Spirit-baptism
filled
again
or to exist in a condition of
being filled, resulting
in a con-
renewal of power. The first
persecution
when Peter and John were threatened and released. When the
disciples
met for
prayer, they
were
again
filled
(E”7rXi7o-oi7uav)
This was a fresh
infilling
with the
Spirit
in the
a repetition
Acts 2:4. So
they again
were filled with the
Holy Spirit resulting
renewed
power
to meet the
particular
of the
infilling
of the
Spirit
in
in need of the hour. The renewed
infilling
with the
Spirit gave
them
power
to
speak
the word of God
with boldness.
in Pisidia notes a continual
of Antioch
Luke’s reference to the converted Jews and Gentiles
infilling
with the
Spirit.
Of them Luke says,
“The
disciples
were
being
filled with
joy
and with the
Holy Spirit
“being
filled” is in the
imperfect
(Acts 13:52).
The verb here translated tense, indicating
filled” but the
imperfect,
incident Luke uses the
descriptive
continuous action in
past
time-not the aorist “was
“was
being
filled.”
Looking
imperfect
Spirit
was
continually filling
and
empowering
back to the to show that the
Holy the
disciples day by day.
lIn Acts 11:24 the
adjective 1TÀ”p”S indicates that the fulness of the Spirit was habitual with Barnabas.
-8-
8
he used the
present
or “be
constantly
the
importance
of the
continuous or re-
were
to the
Spirit
and
The same idea is seen in
Eph. 5:18,
“Be filled with the
Spirit.” Had Paul wished to
urge upon
the
Ephesians
initial
infilling
of the
Spirit,
he would have used the aorist tense. Rather
tense
(TrXi7pooo-O,-) meaning
peated
action. So the actual
meaning
is “make it a habit of being filled”
filled.” This does not infer that the believers not indwelt
by
the
Spirit
nor does it
deny
that
they
had received the initial
filling
with the
Spirit, yet
submissiveness
were
lacking.
What it means to be filled with the
Spirit day by day
is seen in the contrast Paul uses-“Be not drunk with wine… but be filled with the
Spirit.”
A man under the
of wine is held
captive by
the effects of the
openness
to His direction
intoxicating beverage. constantly
influence
He becomes subservient
to it. Likewise one who
enjoys
by
the
Spirit
of God.
the fulness of the
Spirit
is controlled
So,
in a sense the
filling
with the
Spirit
is not
only
an initial
experience
but should be a perpetual operation of the believer.
CONCLUSION
baptized accompanied
and the normal
spiritual
condition
is one
thing,
but to be
Regeneration
is of the
Holy Spirit,
but
being
There is a real sense in which
regenerated persons
have the
Spirit. To be indwelt
by
the
Spirit
at
regeneration
or filled with the
Spirit
is
quite
another.
by
the
indwelling presence
filled with the
Spirit
is distinct from His
previous
work in regeneration.
the fulness of the
Spirit
must be considered as the initial
“filling”
with
glossolalia
When a
person
is full of
anything,
there must have been
Viewed in its
inception
experience. an initial
filling.
as the normative
sign
of the
As well as the initial
infilling
with the
Spirit
there are
fillings
for a specific
need or task These
special fillings
are to
supply
God’s
power
to meet a
demanding
situation.
Moreover
Scripture
teaches that
being
filled with the
Spirit
should be a continual state or an habitual
pattern
for Christian
living.
Being Spirit-filled
in the
early
church. Their
testimony trality
of the
redemptive
not
primary,
but it was the
granting
was the normative
work of Christ. The
experience
experience
of the believers and life demonstrated the cen-
itself was of
power
for service. It enabled
the believers to exalt Christ and
bring
men to Him
(Acts 1:8; 11:24).
-9-
9
Rightly
has McNeil observed, begins
at Pentecost.”I
“Life
begins
at the cross, but service
1John McNeil, The Spirit-filled Life (Chicago: Moody Press, n.d), p. 37.
10
10
