We often struggle to understand difficult passages because of our lack of knowledge of the Old Testament. When we come to the New Testament and read the expression of being “filled with the Spirit” or being “full of the Spirit,” we have difficulty comprehending what these phrases mean. Look at the following to see this illustrated.
Men in the Old Testament were filled with the Spirit. When the tabernacle was being built, God gave miraculous power to “brick-makers,” and this action is described as being filled with the Spirit. Read Exodus 28:3; 31:3; 35:42 to see the usage of the Bible phrase “filled with the Spirit.”
Joshua was described as a man filled with wisdom (one of the gifts of the Spirit) and the reason given is that he had this gift because Moses had laid his hands on Joshua (Deut. 34:9).
Micah spoke of the lack of revelation from the Jewish prophets, seers and diviners and then affirmed that he spoke because he was “full of power by the Spirit” (Micah 3:5-8).
When one begins reading the New Testament, the expressions “filled with the Spirit” and “full of the Spirit” are used to describe individuals speaking, preaching and prophesying. The prophet, John the Baptist, was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Elisabeth was filled with the Spirit and spoke about Mary (Luke 1:41-42). Zacharias was filled with the Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:67). Jesus was filled with the Spirit and led into the wilderness (Luke 4:1).
The book of Acts uses these expressions to describe those who proclaimed God’s will. The apostles were filled with the Spirit and spoke (Act 2:4, 11). Peter was filled and spoke (Acts 4:8). The disciples were filled and spoke (Acts 4:31). The seven chosen in Acts 6 were already full of wisdom and the Spirit—the apostles laid their hands on them to appoint men already full of the Spirit to be appointed over their new work (Acts 6:3,6). Saul of Tarsus was filled and spoke immediately (Acts 9:17, 20).
Space does not permit to describe this truth in the rest of Acts, but check Acts 4:8; 7:55; 11:24; 13:9-10. The result of all of this was the church was supplied with what it needed and was often filled with joy.
In Ephesians 5:18, there is a contrast with pagan worship, where wild festivals often had songs of mirth, actions of immorality and drinking, and the orderly worship in the early church. They were filled with “spirits,” and the church was to be filled with the Spirit and were speaking in psalms (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26), spiritual songs and prayers in a known language (1 Cor. 14:14-15). What a contrast and what a blessing!