WHAT ARE THE INITIAL EVIDENCE(S) THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN (OR IS BEING) FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

As a result of my desire to clearly communicate what I believe about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, this has been written with a heart to understand and enlighten without being divisive.

In the following are several passages from the Book of ACTS about people being filled (or baptized) with the Holy Spirit.  Please read them all with an open mind and a willing heart for Almighty God to adjust whatever He desires in your life and ministry.

ACTS 1:8 

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

ACTS 2:4 

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

ACTS 4:31

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

ACTS 8:17-19

Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

ACTS 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

"Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

ACTS 13:52

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

ACTS 19:5-7

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Now the men were about twelve in all.

From the above verses we can easily see there are several possible different evidences of Holy Spirit filling (or baptism) which are:

• Power to be witnesses
• Speaking in tongues
• Speaking the word of God with boldness
• Magnifying God
• Prophesying
• Joy

• In Samaria there was such a display of “power” through the laying on of hands that Simon wanted to pay money for the ability to do this also).

In ACTS Chapter 2, while giving explanation for what the Holy Spirit was manifesting there, Peter preaches that what the crowd was witnessing was a fulfillment of JOEL 2, from which he begins quoting.

ACTS 2:15-18,21

"But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

 'AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAYS GOD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH; YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS.

AND ON MY MENSERVANTS AND ON MY MAIDSERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS; AND THEY SHALL PROPHESY......

(21)   AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.'

By Peter’s preaching with these verses, the results of this predicted outpouring of God’s Spirit can also easily be seen to be:

• Sons prophesying
• Daughters prophesying
• Young men seeing visions
• Old men dreaming dreams
• Menservants prophesying
• Maidservants prophesying
• Salvation for whoever calls on the name of the Lord.

From this Old Testament text Peter was quoting in JOEL 2, these same things can be read with the addition of Mount Zion in Jerusalem being the place where deliverance (salvation) would occur, which is exactly where the ACTS 2 story took place.

JOEL 2:28-29,32

"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days........

(32)   And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

REVIEW

From the Book of ACTS and JOEL 2, we can compile a list of Scriptural Signs of God’s Holy Spirit being poured out and/or received.

1. Speaking in tongues (as the Spirit enables) - ACTS 2:4; 10:46; 19:6
2. Speaking the word of God with boldness  - ACT 4:31
3. Magnifying God  - ACTS 10:46
4. Joy  - ACTS 13:52
5. Prophesying  - JOEL 2:28  ACTS 2:17-18; 19:6
6. Dreams and visions  - JOEL 2:28  ACTS 2:17 
7. People calling on the name of the Lord for salvation  (this prediction began being fulfilled when ACTS 2 concludes with 3,000 people being saved).

Finally, the words of Jesus which probably should be looked at first.
8. Power to be witnesses  - ACTS 1:8

It is important to note that Jesus emphasized “power”.  This fact can be also seen in LUKE 24:49 when Jesus told His followers, ”Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from

on high."

BASED ON ALL THE ABOVE I BELIEVE THAT ONE CAN EASILY SEE SEVERAL POSSIBLE SIGNS AS BIBLICAL EVIDENCE FOR SOMEONE BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH CAN INCLUDE SPEAKING IN TONGUES AS THE SPIRIT GIVES THE UTTERANCE.

WITH JESUS’ EMPHASIS ON POWER, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE ALL SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULT OF HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM IS THE POWER TO BE HIS WITNESSES.

While some may not agree with all the conclusions of this simple little Bible Study, I am sure we can all agree that the Church needs more power from on high than ever before, to fulfill the great commission and all the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ.

IN CLOSING

Let’s pursue the unity of the faith, as it was first delivered to the saints, being willing to change any of our beliefs, should we learn of their error; wholeheartedly paying any price it may cost us for making such changes, no matter who may mock or punish us; for God’s glory alone may we minister.

As teachers who stand under God’s stricter judgment, we must answer to Him alone for what we have taught as well as those we lead and influence.