Experiences of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

(This outline cites every reference in Acts to the various experiences under discussion.)

I. NON-REPEATABLE ("INAUGURAL") EXPERIENCES

A. Baptizo en "baptize in/with" (1:5; 11:16).

• Refers in both passages to the experience of the 120 on the Day of Pentecost.
• Compares this experience with the experience of Cornelius' household in "receiving" the Holy Spirit (cf. 10:44-48).
• Symptoms include tongues (2:4; 10:46), praising God (2:11; 10:46), and prophecy (2:17-18).
• Synonymous with "receiving" the Holy Spirit at conversion (cf. 1 Cor 12:13).
• Nothing in Acts suggests a different connotation to Holy Spirit baptism than that provided by Paul.

B. Lambano "receive" (2:38; 8:14-19; 10:44-48; 19:1-7).

• Always used in Acts with reference to new converts.
• Symptoms include tongues, praising God, prophecy, and (in 8:14-19) unspecified but clearly visible manifestations. It is thus comparable to being "completely filled" (pimplemi) with the Spirit.
• In Paul's writings, "receiving" is more akin to being "filled" (pleroo) (cf. Rom 8:15; 1 Cor 2:12; 6:19).
• It is assumed people could answer with a clear "yes" or "no" whether or not they had "received" the Spirit (19:2; cf. Rom 8:15-16).

II. REPEATABLE ("CONTINUING") EXPERIENCES

A. Pleroo "make full" or pleres "full" (6:3, 5; 7:55; 11:24; 13:52). An ongoing experience of the Spirit to produce godly character.

• With only one exception, these terms are used with reference to godly character: wisdom, faith, joy, etc. The one exception: Stephen, "full" of the Holy Spirit, experiences a supernatural vision.
• Whether or not one was "full" of the Spirit is considered objectively verifiable: it figures in the prerequisites for the Seven ("look for people who have this characteristic"); it was apparently observed clearly in Barnabas.
• Paul taught that we are to be continuously "filled" with the Spirit (Eph 5:18).

B. Pimplemi "make completely full" (2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17-18; 13:9-11). An "iterative" (come-and-go) experience to empower for ministry.

• Always used in the context of supernatural empowerment.
• Symptoms include tongues, bold speaking, receiving a physical healing, and delivering a prophetic rebuke.
• Thus, most of the time, the "symptom" is Spirit-inspired utterance of one kind or another. Tongues is a point of overlap with the experience of "receiving" the Spirit.