Spirit-empowered Witness

Acts 4:23-31

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,and the peoples plot in vain?26  The kings of the earth set themselves,and the rulers were gathered together,against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 

29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your words with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are preformed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• A major theme in the book of Acts• Some insist that “speaking in

tongues” is the normative sign of this

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• There are problems with this claim– It assumes that narratives are

normative

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• There are problems with this claim–There are a number of different

terms used re the Holy Spirit• ‘Baptized’ with the Holy Spirit (e.g.,

1:5; 11:16)• ‘Filled’ with the Spirit (e.g., 2:4; 4:8; 4:3;

19:17)• Spirit was ‘poured out’ (e.g., 2:33;

10:45)• The Spirit ‘came upon’ (19:6) or ‘fell on’ (11:15)• The Spirit was ‘received’ (e.g., 2:33, 38;

8:15; 19:2)

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• There are problems with this claim– It doesn’t acknowledge all the

evidence• Three texts mention “speaking in tongues” (2:4; 10:45; 19:6)–NB the difference between xenoglossia and glossolalia

• More are related to bold proclamation of the good news (e.g., 4:8, 31; 7:55 ff.; 13:52 [cf. 14:3])

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• There are problems with this claim– It doesn’t acknowledge all the

evidence• 1 Corinthians 12:30Do all speak in tongues? (μη παντες γλωσσαις λαλουσιν;)

“filled with the Holy Spirit”• There are problems with this claim– It overlooks the most important

result of “being filled”• The Holy Spirit is not given merely for personal, private benefit (cf. 1 Cor 14:2ff.)• He enables and empowers bold, public witness

Spirit-empowered witness• In 4:29 the disciples pray for

power to continue to speak God’s word with boldness

• In 4:31 we read they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word with boldness

Spirit-empowered witness• The Spirit empowered their bold

proclamation–They were compelled to speak

about what they had experienced (4:20)–NB They had first-hand

knowledge of Jesus (4:13)• Uneducated and common, but not ignorant and uninformed

Spirit-empowered witness• The Spirit empowered their bold

proclamation–They recognized their need for

God’s help (4:29)

Spirit-empowered witness• We too have been called to speak

of what we know–We have a responsibility to be

prepared (e.g., 1 Peter 3:15)–We should pray for the Spirit’s

power• The Spirit supplies courage, not content• What about Matthew 10:19-20?

Spirit-empowered witness• We too have been called to speak

of what we know–We do not need to rely on

ourselves for the boldness to proclaim this truth