ref: thimblefulloftheology: There are, strangely, only two New Testament authors who even use the terminology “filling of the Spirit” in their writings, Luke and Paul. And here is a list of each of the places they use the terminology:
Luke in Luke 1:15,41,67; 4:1; Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 6:3,5,8; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9,52
Paul in Ephesians 5:18
But the term to describe the Spirit’s activity in believers, “fill,” is chosen by Luke and Paul because it conveys that the Holy Spirit has occupied believers to full capacity, expressing Himself through them in an extraordinary way. Interestingly, they use two different Greek words meaning “to fill” and use them to describe two differing ways in which the Holy Spirit fully occupies believers. They use the words pimplemi (pronounced pĭm’-play-me) and pleroo (pronounced play-rah’-oh). Our English translations often note the different Greek words by translating pimplemi as “filled by” and pleroo as “full of”.
Luke is the only one who says "filled with the spirit" with the Greek work pimplemi
Pauls use is pleroo.
interestingly, the first 3 references by Luke in chapter 1 demonstrates filling with the Holy Spirit. Each occurrence were revelatory moments where the Holy Spirit empowered individuals to recognize Jesus.
Luke 1:14 John the Baptist filled while in the womb and leaped for joy when Jesus entered the room
Luke 1:39 Elizabeth filled and she prophesied
Luke 1:67 Zachariah filled and he prophesied
Pimplemi
- Correlates more closely with service and proclamation
- Never required or commanded of believers but is a characteristic of those called to prophetic office
- Never directly requested by individual believers (they request boldness and get a filling) but is given at the sovereign discretion of God
- Lk. 1:15,41,67; Ac. 2:4; 4:8,31; 9:17; 13:9
Pleroo
- Correlates more closely with Christian growth in character
- Commanded of all believers and a requirement for all who serve in any office
- Is not so much something to be requested as it is to acquire through repeated submission to the Holy Spirit and growth; a state of being mature
- Lk. 4:1; Ac. 6:3,5,8; 7:55; 11:24; 13:52; Eph. 5:18
We can illustrate these two very different fillings this way:
A full vessel, like a full tank of gas, for example, that indicates there is no room for anything else in the vessel.
Someone being full of some quality (wisdom, silliness, “beans”, etc.) to indicate that this person is characteristically wise or silly or clueless.
These two ways of thinking about filling describe the two ways the Spirit fills us and the two processes for these fillings.
He fills us momentarily and suddenly at times to perform a service to the proclamation of the gospel (we’re filled up with Him in a way that there is no room for anything else and it feels uncharacteristic of our normal behavior)
We develop over time, with maturity, the character of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.)
Spoken and written about by Jack Deere regarding the filling of the Holy Spirit
- The filling of the Holy Spirit is not to give you power to live the Christian life; rather, it is the empowerment to give supernatural prophetic testimony of who Jesus is
In Acts, the only time the Holy Spirit filled (pimplemi) people was amongst unbelievers.
Acts 4:7 Peter was filled. pimplemi is a singlular word which translates into being filled again. -- a repeatable empowering
Baptism
1 Cor 12:13 - all baptized into 1 spirit. When born again and baptized by Jesus, we are placed into the family of god.
Acts 6:3 - full of the spirit and wisdom, characterized by the fruit of the spirit.
Luke's references of filled with the spirit is for evangelism
Luke in Luke 1:15,41,67; 4:1; Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 6:3,5,8; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9,52
Paul in Ephesians 5:18
But the term to describe the Spirit’s activity in believers, “fill,” is chosen by Luke and Paul because it conveys that the Holy Spirit has occupied believers to full capacity, expressing Himself through them in an extraordinary way. Interestingly, they use two different Greek words meaning “to fill” and use them to describe two differing ways in which the Holy Spirit fully occupies believers. They use the words pimplemi (pronounced pĭm’-play-me) and pleroo (pronounced play-rah’-oh). Our English translations often note the different Greek words by translating pimplemi as “filled by” and pleroo as “full of”.
Luke is the only one who says "filled with the spirit" with the Greek work pimplemi
Pauls use is pleroo.
interestingly, the first 3 references by Luke in chapter 1 demonstrates filling with the Holy Spirit. Each occurrence were revelatory moments where the Holy Spirit empowered individuals to recognize Jesus.
Luke 1:14 John the Baptist filled while in the womb and leaped for joy when Jesus entered the room
Luke 1:39 Elizabeth filled and she prophesied
Luke 1:67 Zachariah filled and he prophesied
Pimplemi
- Correlates more closely with service and proclamation
- Never required or commanded of believers but is a characteristic of those called to prophetic office
- Never directly requested by individual believers (they request boldness and get a filling) but is given at the sovereign discretion of God
- Lk. 1:15,41,67; Ac. 2:4; 4:8,31; 9:17; 13:9
Pleroo
- Correlates more closely with Christian growth in character
- Commanded of all believers and a requirement for all who serve in any office
- Is not so much something to be requested as it is to acquire through repeated submission to the Holy Spirit and growth; a state of being mature
- Lk. 4:1; Ac. 6:3,5,8; 7:55; 11:24; 13:52; Eph. 5:18
We can illustrate these two very different fillings this way:
A full vessel, like a full tank of gas, for example, that indicates there is no room for anything else in the vessel.
Someone being full of some quality (wisdom, silliness, “beans”, etc.) to indicate that this person is characteristically wise or silly or clueless.
These two ways of thinking about filling describe the two ways the Spirit fills us and the two processes for these fillings.
He fills us momentarily and suddenly at times to perform a service to the proclamation of the gospel (we’re filled up with Him in a way that there is no room for anything else and it feels uncharacteristic of our normal behavior)
We develop over time, with maturity, the character of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.)
Spoken and written about by Jack Deere regarding the filling of the Holy Spirit
- The filling of the Holy Spirit is not to give you power to live the Christian life; rather, it is the empowerment to give supernatural prophetic testimony of who Jesus is
In Acts, the only time the Holy Spirit filled (pimplemi) people was amongst unbelievers.
Acts 4:7 Peter was filled. pimplemi is a singlular word which translates into being filled again. -- a repeatable empowering
Baptism
1 Cor 12:13 - all baptized into 1 spirit. When born again and baptized by Jesus, we are placed into the family of god.
Acts 6:3 - full of the spirit and wisdom, characterized by the fruit of the spirit.
Luke's references of filled with the spirit is for evangelism
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