THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the post-apostolic church age is perhaps one of the most hotly debated doctrines in modern churches. While Charismatic believers hold that the spiritual gifts of the apostolic period (e.g. apostleship, prophecy, miracles, healing, tongues) are available to modern believers, neither Scripture nor the typical experience of New Testament immersionist believers clearly attest to this position. In an effort to avoid the perceived doctrinal error of the Charismatic Movement, New Testament churches have too frequently been guilty of failing to teach the Biblical role and utter necessity of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. The failure to teach the proper role of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s Christian walk necessarily robs the believer of the means of spiritual growth and maturity. Indeed, Chafer observed that “there is an obvious difference in the character and quality of the daily life of Christians.”1 And Walvoord attributed this “diversity of spiritual experience ” to “the two factors of the fullness of the spirit and spiritual maturity.”2 It clearly behooves New Testament immersionist believers to develop a thorough understanding of the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Grudem observes that the ministry of the Holy Spirit extends to areas including: giving life, empowering believers for service, revealing God’s words, providing evidence of God’s presence, providing assurance of salvation, teaching and illuminating God’s Word.3 Grudem also observes the Holy Spirit’s role in regeneration4 an