“Filled With the Holy Ghost”

Was the phrase “filled with the Holy Ghost” referring to the miraculous CAUSE of the Word being spoken, or the non-miraculous EFFECT of hearing the Word? The reader is encouraged to study the following Scriptures:

· Luke 1:15 – “filled” (by hearing?)

· Luke 1:41 – “filled…spake”

· Luke 1:67 – “filled…prophesied”

· Acts 2:4 – “filled…speak…tongues”

· Acts 4:8 – “filled…said”

· Acts 4:31 – “filled…spake”

· Acts 7:55 – “full of…said”

· Acts 9:17 – “filled” (by hearing? See Galatians 1:11-22)

· Acts 13:9 – “filled…said”

· Eph. 5:18-20 – “filled…speaking”

Regarding Ephesians 5:18-20, if this “filling” was non-miraculous, it would be the exception out of all these examples. We know the Old Testament Psalms came from the Spirit (2 Sam. 23:1, 2; 2 Tim. 3:16), and they could not have contained predictive prophecies otherwise (2 Pet. 1:20, 21). Remember that the early churches could carry out certain acts of worship with the miraculous power of the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:13-26). The church at Ephesus had miraculous gifts, so why would their worship assemblies have been completely “non-miraculous” and totally different from what is described in First Corinthians chapter fourteen? (Acts 19:6; cf. Eph. 1:13-17; 4:7-14; 6:18). The parallel passage stating “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col. 3:16, 17) does not prove that Ephesians 5:18 was non-miraculous, because the early church often accessed the Word via the miraculous power of the Spirit.

Even if we conclude that this terminology in these verses pertained to miraculous gifts, the diligent Bible student should understand that miracles had temporary purposes and ceased in the first century A.D. (Zech. 13:1-3; Matt. 8:17; John 3:2; 16:13; Acts 2:22; 1 Cor. 13:8-12; Eph. 4:7-13; Heb. 2:3, 4). For further study see verses such as Luke 4:18; Acts 6:3, 5, 8; 8:12-18; 10:38, 44-47; 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 20; 1 Timothy 4:14, and 2 Timothy 1:6.