Question concerning Acts 4:31?

Question

Here is the verse in question:

Acts 4:31
"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

This took place immediately after Peter and James were released by the Sadducees......after healing the crippled man at the temple. My question is this:

This seems to be at least the 3rd time in Scripture that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. The other 2 I can recall are in Acts chapter 2 (Pentecost) and John chapter 20 when the resurrected Christ "breathed" the Holy Spirit on them. Was this again.....a special moment reserved for the believers at the time? It would seem to me as a believer that one dose of the Holy Spirit (at the point of salvation....Ephesians 1:13-14) is all we need.

Fellow Christians......what do you say?

By the way.....I am Calvinist....and I firmly hold to eternal security as Scriptural truth. I do not believe in speaking in tongues as legitimate for today's church. There's no more need for it.

Answer 1

I'm glad you're my friend because you probably won't like or agree with my answer.

First off "tongues" is NOT the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only the evidence of it.

The book of Acts could have been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit as it mostly talks about the Holy Spirit in the early Church.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is what provides Power to witness.. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Baptism in the Holy Spirit comes after salvation and isn't a requirement but is a blessing. James says the tongue is the most difficult part of the body to control. To me, letting God speak through you and giving Him complete control of your tongue is giving God more of you than you ever thought possible. It is still in use everday. Tongues is used in a variety of ways. For me it's a personal prayer language with me and God. I sing in tongues on my way to and from work praying for things and people as the Spirit gives utterance.

There is also tongues used by God to reach people who can only be convinced by people speaking to them in a language they don't even know. For example....someone standing beside someone speaking in tongues and hearing it in their own language and God speaking specifically to them although the person speaking had no idea. I've heard many stories of this happening in the church today.

And there is the "gift" of tongues used to edify the church....for that Paul said there always needed to be an interpreter. It is usually a "word" from the Lord and is confirmed by an interpretation.

The "baptism" of the Holy Spirit is available to any believer who asks. Try it. Psalms 34:8a Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Answer 2

I believe that the Holy Spirit moves within us at times, so deeply, like we just "KNOW" that instant God is telling us to do something or say something, ya know? But I also believe the Holy Spirit is ALWAYS in those who are saved as Ephesians 1 speaks about- and 2 Corinthians 1 speaks about.
I believe some can speak in tongues but Paul mentioned this as a GIFT of the Holy Spirit, not something every christian is going to do whenever they want. Many abuse this-- and are just putting on a show. But Paul spoke of many gifts we receive as christians....and he said they are given to SOME, some are given some gifts and some are given other gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:28
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Answer 3

The symbol for anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Tonakh is seen in the oil. The priests were consecrated with it, as well as kings. Yes, there were three times when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.
1. Via pronouncement from the risen Christ
2. At Pentecost
3. During stressful situation

Now let us parallel this with Saul in Samuel 1
1. Received the anointing through proclamation -9:20
2. The actual pouring of oil - 10:1
3. During stressful situation - 10:11

When Saul disobeyed the command of God, and God took away the kingdom from him, did that remove or nullify his anointing? Did David not say during this time, "I will not lay my hand on God's anointed"?

We must remember that salvation and anointing are two different things. One could be a Jew, practice the sacrifices, obey the law accordingly, yet not be anointed as a priest or a king. God anointed the disciples for a specific, difficult task. This required being filled with the Holy Spirit repeatedly for joy and confirmation. It had nothing to do with their salvation. Being saved is having your sins washed away through the blood of the Lamb. Anointing is to consecrate you for a specific task or ministry. Filling is to give you strength in fulfilling that which you have been consecrated.

It is like the Menorah in the tabernacle. It was consecrated in Numbers 7:1, yet it was continually replenished with oil and maintained by the priests daily. So it is with our light. When the oil gets low, the Lord fills us accordingly. In Acts 4, the oil spilled over.

Answer 4

I agree with your last statement fully. Many think speaking in a language that is speaking in tongues is something no human can understand in fact it's the opposite. It's speaking in a language that ALL humans can understand no matter what their native tongue. Also the bible says it's for unbelievers. And if someone can do this I don't know about it.

I do think this is a special "gift" given to the Apostles BUT I do believe we can have the holy spirit help us to witness to one another. Once I was telling a young women about Jesus when I got an overwhelming feeling she was considering suicide and I also knew her exact age. I am not physic-lol. When I told her these things she was amazed and said I was right on both accounts. I told her it wasn't' me but the holy spirit speaking through me.

Make sense? I think having the holy spirit can mean a few things. I think the bible teaches many of these gifts have ceased. I believe the bible teaches one must have an apostle lay their hands on us to receive the "gifts the holy spirit". IMHO.

†

Answer 5

You are right in the assessment that the disciples and apostles already had been given the holy spirit.

However, as you already are pointing out yourself, there seems to be more to it than that, and there is.

For example, Stephen in Acts 7:55 when bearing witness "being full of holy spirit" had a vision he related to all.

From your scripture and this, and other scriptures such as when Philip is told to go to talk to the Ethiopian, we understand the following, that these spirit anointed Saints had been given the spirit.

This was not some dead thing passively doing nothing. No! The holy spirit of Jesus Christ, the helper /paraclete/comforter, these were given is an active spirit that is actively involved in them bearing witness about God and Christ.

Therefore, on special occasions as need be, it becomes furiously active, as a fire burning within each propelling them to break forth in doing God's and Christ's will.

Answer 6

Primo, read verses 29-30, where the Apostles prayed: "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

The Apostles got what they prayed for, didn't they?! This was not a new "in-filling" of the Holy Spirit. Instead, they received the strength they needed to show unbelievers the power of God (remember, they had just appeared before the rulers and elders of Israel). This is only one of many examples of Jesus' prophecy being fulfilled:

Luke 21:12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

Answer 7

No, a single "dose" of the Holy Spirit is not enough, otherwise you would not see examples of the same people receiving the Holy Spirit more than once in their life.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, right judgement,knowledge, courage, reverence, and wonder and awe. It is not a case of the gifts of the Holy Spirit leave us or fade away because they are transitior. The fact is that we wander away from the love of God. We will find ourselves lost in the wilderness and will need to call upon God over and over again to send us His Spirit.

Fortunately, God will send the Holy Spirit whenever we ask.

Answer 8

I doubt that any answer could be as interesting as this question. I gave it a star.

You're thoughtful conclusion "It would seem to me as a believer that one dose of the Holy Spirit (at the point of salvation....Ephesians 1:13-14) is all we need. " is profound!

Yes, and NO!

Yes the pouring out of His Spirit at the point of salvation (Eph 1: 13-14) "is all we need. TO BE SAVED"

But, NO, God keeps pouring more for us to be ENABLE to be "His hand extended" on earth, until He returns, THROUGH THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (for the sake of others).

Of course God is always right. In teaching on how to pray, Jesus concludes "the Father will pour out His Spirit". We tend to overlook that, and think he said something else.

Then perhaps the answer to pray IS a pouring out of His Spiriit. Notice, as you mentioned, He pouring out His Spirit repeatedly!!! NOT just once.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

“And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”

Joel 2:28,29

And here we are, at the most well known passage in Joel - the prophecy of the outpouring of God’s Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

It is a pity that so many people jump straight to Joel 2:28 whilst missing out the first chapter and a half.

The Holy Spirit is a wind that blows when and where He wills.

The Apostle Paul said, "Forbid not to speak in tongues!" What a pity that so much of Joel’s message to us can so easily be ignored.

Answer 9

Well it has to have some type of significance or else it would not have been told in Acts. It was probably more of a "hey when you all pray like this, this is what happens" type of thing. It must have been something that God wanted to show us, an example. I see what your saying by "one dose" since we already have the Holy Spirit living inside of us how can we have more? Sounds a little touchy though, not really sure but I am really thinking it was a model of how we should be and so on.

Answer 10

It depends on how one views what the holy spirit is.

--ONE view is as a person that possesses another person that is similar to how a demon posessess an individual!
--ANOTHER view is that it is God's active force or power that he used in creating the universe & preparing the earth for habitation-- as in Isaiah 40:26 & Genesis 1:2, and the incident when Jesus was given the use of God's power to perform miracles, as follows:
Luke 5:17 (New Living Translation)
17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.”

--Each of the times you referred to was when God provided the power for the disciples to perform unusual acts of speaking in understandable tongues, healing, etc.

Here are other incidents of God's power given to others:

(Luke 1:67) “And Zech·a·ri′ah its father was filled with holy spirit, and he prophesied, saying:”

(Luke 2:25) “And, look! there was a man in Jerusalem named Sim′e·on, and this man was righteous and reverent, waiting for Israel’s consolation, and holy spirit was upon him.”

(Acts 2:2) “and suddenly there occurred from heaven a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.”

(Acts 2:4) “and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak with different tongues, just as the spirit was granting them to make utterance.”

Here too is another way God's power works on us if we do our part to practice these qualities:
(Galatians 5:22-23) “. . .On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”