What does it mean to be filled with Holy Spirit?

On at least four occasions (arguably five) Luke describes, with a form of the verb pimplēmi, people who have already received the Holy Spirit as being “filled” with the Spirit. Each time this verb is employed to describe someone being “filled with the Spirit,” extraordinary things follow—an inspired proclamation of the Gospel (2:4; 4:8, 31), restoration of sight and subsequent proclamation (9:17), or authoritative denunciation (13:9–11).49

Whereas the phrase “full of the Spirit,” using plērēs/plēroō, is generally used to characterize a believer’s lifestyle, Luke’s use of the verb pimplēmi to describe a filling is reserved for temporary bursts of the Spirit’s power.

Other instances of pimplēmi in Acts demonstrate the temporary nature of “fillings” described with this verb. In response to the healing of the lame man, all the people are “filled with wonder and amazement” (3:10). In response to the immense success and influence of the apostles (5:12–16), the high priest and Sadducees are “filled with jealousy” (5:17).

In Pisidian Antioch, “the Jews were filled with jealousy” (13:45) when they saw the public response to Paul’s preaching. Finally, during the riot at Ephesus, “the city was filled with confusion” (19:29).

According to Acts 2:4, “They were all filled [emplēsthēsan] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues just as the Spirit was giving them to proclaim.”

The point here is not that the Christian way of life was from that point forward marked by speaking in tongues. There are only two other instances of speaking in other tongues in Acts, both in “baptism” settings (10:46; 19:6). After the day of Pentecost Christians continued to use ordinary languages (see 14:11; 21:37).

This “filling” should, therefore, be understood as a temporary filling that was visibly (2:3) and audibly (2:6, 8) manifested in powerful demonstration of God’s approval, which is seen in the outpouring of the eschatological gift of the Spirit. 

This should not be understood as the conversion of the apostles and their companions—they are clearly believers in Acts 1.51 Further, this filling is not the ongoing experience of indwelling, for Peter would be filled again (4:8), as would the rest of the church (4:31), and Paul (9:17; 13:9).52

In each of these instances, those “filled” (pimplēmi) had previously received the Spirit. An ancillary result of these observations is that Acts 2 presents no difficulty for John 20:22—no more than Acts 4:8 should be perceived as a difficulty for Acts 2:4.53

Luke consistently uses pimplēmi with the Spirit to indicate inspiration for a particular work—usually proclamation.

For instance, when the angel tells Zacharias that his son will be filled with the Spirit as the prophet-forerunner of the Messiah, pimplēmi is the verb of choice (Luke 1:15). Luke again employs this verb to explain the prophetic greeting of the virgin Mary by Elizabeth, the Baptist’s mother (Luke 1:41).



Then upon the birth of the Baptist, Zacharias is filled with the Spirit and prophecies, and Luke describes the filling with pimplēmi. These are the only times in Luke’s Gospel that he describes people as being “filled” with the Spirit using pimplēmi. On each occasion prophecy is in view—the promised child will be a prophet (1:15), Elizabeth blesses Mary as the mother of the Lord (1:41–45), and Zacharias prophesies the salvation the Savior will accomplish (1:67–79).



Luke’s usage of pimplēmi accords with the way the term empimplēmi is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. At several places the Old Testament states that someone was “filled with the Spirit,” and the Hebrew verb mlʾ (“fill”) is translated into Greek with a form of pimplēmi (Exod 28:3; 31:3; 35:31; Deut 34:9—all employ empimplēmi).


Auther: Hamilton, J. M., Jr. (2006). God’s Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old & New Testaments (pp. 198–200). Nashville, TN: B&H Academic.