The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

By

Albert Gomez

Abstract

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a subject that concerns to all believers. Many Bible students have struggled to establish the proper answer to when this wonderful gift takes place to reside in a person. The promised gift of God is acting since Pentecost at the beginning of the first century. This work analysis from the extraordinary phenomena related with the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts to the personal contemporary result of that experience in our time. Vine's word study, ISBE, and Strong's concordances have been used to interpret the study. In response to when the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is taken place in a person, based in the facts of Acts, gives a diverse condition where a believer meets the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit: Indwelling

This survey in the book of Acts deals with the theological moment in which the Holy Spirit begins indwelling in a person. This experience is related with power, signs, works, comfort, spirit baptism, and laying hands.

Is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit conditioned by some of these related events? Can the Holy Spirit experience be single out from the surrounding phenomenal? When is it received in a person?

Considering these questions, exclusively selected passages from the book of Acts will be analyzed.

• Related Events.

• Spirit Baptism

Acts 1:5

"For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." NAS

The apostle Peter recalled the promised Holy Spirit baptism when he saw in Cornelius' house God's anointing on the Gentiles. Then he said,

Acts 11:16

"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" NAS

In addition, Paul found some disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-6) that received not the Holy Spirit because they had been baptized into John the Baptizer's baptism, whose baptism did not lead to the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:3

And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." NAS

Which did not result in receiving the Holy Spirit.

• Power of the Holy Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit is given to empower the disciples (as well as believers today) to be the Lord's witnesses.

Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. NAS

• Signs of the Holy Spirit.

At that time the pouring of the Holy Spirit starting at Pentecost was manifested with the gift of tongues, that they did not know to speak.

Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. NAS

• Works and the Holy Spirit.

Apparently, some type of works are needed according to Acts 2:38 where baptism is required, but in the following chapter baptism is omitted (v. 3:19) for the Gift of God. Which help us to see that the Holy Spirit is a free gift. However, resistance (v. 7:55) of the Holy Spirit must be discarded, and obedience is needed.

Acts 5:32

And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. NAS

• Comfort and the Holy Spirit.

Comfort is a beautiful thing to experience, as the Holy Spirit in the believer's soul ministers it, although it is not for comfort alone that it was given. But for edification, fear of the Lord, and multiplication.

Acts 9:31

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. NAS

• Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

• Laying on Hands.

By the laying on the apostles' hands they received the Holy Spirit according to some passages in this book (vv. 8:18-19; 19:6). These verses give the impression that is the procedure to follow, but it is stated in two other places that the Holy Spirit came after the Word was given. Which indicates that without touching them, they received it.

Acts 10:44

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

Acts 11:15

"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the beginning. NAS

• Moment of the Indwelling.

Paul's visit to those disciples of John the Baptizer at Ephesus help us to understand what is essentially needed to receive the Holy Spirit. The condition required totally fits with the whole New Testament theology about salvation, which is belief (faith in Christ alone).

Acts 19:2

And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." NAS.

Those disciples were identified with John through baptism, and had not idea about the promised Holy Spirit (v. 1:8). In this case they were baptized into repentance taught by John, which did not lead them to receive the Holy Spirit.

• Indwelling Holy Spirit: Final Thoughts.

• Particular Cases

There are two occasions that required the apostles to laid hands for believers to receive the Holy Spirit, and it should be observed carefully. The first happened to the Samaritans who had been under magic(vv. 8:9-11). The Word of God and baptism did not deliver them. We read that, "They had simply been baptized in the name of Jesus (v. 16b). "Then, they laid hands and believed, that can be inferred it happened when they prayed for them (v. 15). Simon, who had these people under his control (v. 11), saw how they were indwelled by the Holy Spirit, although seems that he did not experienced it himself (v. 19).

The second situation is found with the followers of John, as we have seen before, they were baptized with the baptism of repentance that prepared the way for Jesus (v. 19:4). But they did not know the existence of the Holy Spirit. Then, after they heard the Gospel and were baptized in the name of Jesus, the apostle Paul laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (v. 6). However, it does not appear to be a follow up procedure, but a combination of facts that opened their hearts for true faith in Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit. Paul himself, as the Samaritans and John's followers, was a particular case (vv. 9:13-14). He was healed of blindness and filled with the Holy Spirit after Ananias had laid his hands on him (vv. 9:17-18).

The ISBE commentary on the Holy Spirit throws some light over these diverse experiences saying that,

These instances in which the order of baptism, the laying on of hands and the gift of the Spirit seem to be a matter of indifference, are a striking indication of the non-sacramentarian character of the teaching of the Book of Acts, and indeed in the New Testament generally. Certainly no particular efficacy seems to be attached to the laying on of hands or baptism except as symbolic representations of spiritual facts.[1]

• General Case: Indwelling

It is essential to realize that the Holy Spirit suddenly came at Pentecost, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 2:4)." Which indicates the outpouring of God's promised gift almost unexpected for all present at that time and place.

• Key Words

In other words, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place when a person freely and authentically "pisteuo" Greek word for believe (commit, trust), and "petho" Greek word meaning, "yield to be persuaded " (agree, assure, obey, persuade, trust) in Christ. [2]

• Conclusion

The variety for the Holy Spirit's indwelling that had been reported in the Book of Acts should not surprise us. Most believers today that witness to the congregants about the experience that lead them to receive the Holy Spirit are all different. This reality causes us to find very difficult to establish doctrinal rules to guarantee results. Moreover, the Word given today that leads a person to receive the Holy Spirit are not necessarily accompanied by the sign of tongues. On this subject an interesting commentary says that,

The prevailing view at present is that "speaking with tongues" does not mean speaking actual intelligible words in a foreign language, but rather the utterance of meaningless sounds, as was customary among the heathen and as is sometimes witnessed today where religious life becomes highly emotional in its manifestation.[3]

In the final analysis, a person's indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place at the moment that the person fully and exclusively trusts in Jesus and the Holy Spirit is involved in that event

[1] International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1996). PC Study Bible (Version 3.0 [Computer Sofware]. USA: Biblesoft

[2] Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (1985) PC Study Bible (Version 3.0). [Computer Sofware]. USA: Biblesoft

[3] The International Standard Bible Expositor (1996). PC Study Bible (Version 3.0). [Computer Software]. USA: Biblesoft.