Filled with the Spirit: Testimony

2024-07-12

“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 2:3-4). The coming of the Spirit upon the disciples was manifested in cloven fiery tongues. This also was the result: fiery preaching of the Gospel and of God’s wonderful works. Being filled with the Spirit results in boldly preaching the Gospel.

“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). In contrast to a fearful Peter who had denied the Lord while He was on trial, the Spirit made the difference in preaching boldly to a hostile audience.

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole” (Acts 4:8-10). Later, the apostle continued preaching hard; while he relied on the Spirit, he pointed out their sin in killing Jesus and the undeniable fact of His rising from the dead.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). They may have been uneducated fishermen, but their boldness and their fullness of the Holy Spirit was a direct result of being with Jesus. No matter who it is, the one filled with the Spirit will be bold in greatest adversity.

“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). The Spirit cannot be frightened into submission by any earthly cause. He is the Almighty and will preach hard to the boldest of adversaries.

“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). They did not ask to be filled with the Spirit after their encounter with the enemies of Christ. They already had Him. They prayed for boldness to continue. The Lord answered their prayer.

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9). The apostle Paul pronounced judgment on the false prophet while filled with the Spirit.

“Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3). They could be filled with the Spirit for a long time in Iconium while teaching in the presence of adversity.

Paul asked for prayer, not for the filling of the Spirit, but “that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19). He did not rely on experience that His bold testimony would continue.