“Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. ...And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:5,6).

The prevailing beliefs say that the disciples passively received the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism in water. The baptism of obedience in the name of the Lord Jesus is passively in water:  "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Acts 10:47). This article reminds us that the gift of the Holy Spirit is not one that is passively received but must be taken or seized with decisiveness. It is a gift given indeed by the Holy Spirit but it is to be taken. This article deals with the expression the “full of the Holy Spirit” which is not the same thing as “the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Baptism In Water and Baptism In The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit came “upon Jesus” at His water baptism by John the Baptist (Luke 3:22; 4:18). He is led into the wilderness by the Spirit (Luke 4:1) and “returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14) to perform His first miracle at Cana (John 2:11). This was unique. None of the others baptized by John received the Spirit coming upon them. John claimed that the reason he was baptizing was for God to introduce the Son of God to Israel. “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). For John and Israel to know the Son of God, the Spirit would be seen coming upon Him. This identified Jesus.

There is an example of twelve of John's disciples in Ephesus and they “had not received the Spirit” (Acts 19:1-7). They had “been baptized by John” but they unlike Jesus had not received the Holy Spirit “upon” them. The apostle Paul then baptized these disciples but in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5). Even then the Spirit did not come upon them. The apostle Paul had to lay his hands upon them in order for the Spirit to come upon them. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6). Both of these activities are passive and hence, are not the "gift" referred to in Acts 2:38. 

There are those that teach that Acts 2:38 means that once you are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. But this did not happen to the twelve in Ephesus. Following Pentecost and the Jerusalem persecution Philip one of the chosen deacons of Acts 6 went to Samaria and preached the gospel. They that believed were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:12) but the Holy Spirit was not fallen upon anyone of them (Acts 8:16). The apostles Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem so that they could lay their hands on them so that “they received the Holy Spirit ” (Acts 8:16).

Whatever Acts 2:38 is teaching, our texts plainly teach that baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus is not the action that pours out the Holy Spirit on anyone. Neither is the gift of Acts 2:38 the outpouring of the Spirit of Acts 2:1-4. The Spirit “upon” requires the laying on of the hands of the apostles.

Philip and The Holy Spirit

One of the seven, Philip, is an example of this “fallen upon of the Holy Spirit's power” (Acts 8:16). He (1) prophesied in Samaria and (2) performed signs and wonders. When did the apostles lay their hands on him? The only record of “the faith” (New Testament, Jude 3) that we have of such an action is Acts 6:5 & 6. Philip along with six others were appointed to a business but when set before the apostles, the apostles prayed and they laid their hands on them.

Apostles → lay hands on Samaritans → Holy Spirit upon them with Power.
Apostles → lay hands on Philip and six → Power of the Spirit occurs.

But the opponents to this say that the laying on of the apostles' hands for the seven was exclusively [only] for appointment to the service of distributing support to the Grecian widows.

This camp is divided. One group wants the seven to have received the "special" and "miraculous" “gift of the Holy Spirit” along with 3000 at their baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is dispelled from the evidence of the Scriptures above. Baptism in the name of the Lord is not sufficient to do it (Acts 2:38, 41). The Samaritans, for example, (Acts 8) had been baptized but the apostles had to come "down" from Jerusalem to bestow a "measure" of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34). "(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:16, 17). Jesus' reception of the Holy Spirit was unique; He "received the Holy Spirit without measure" (John 3:34).

Another group argues that the seven had the apostles lay their hands upon them at least twice. This is concluded from the expression that they were “full of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 6:3 and 5.

The Adjective “Full” in Acts 6:3, 5.

The argument continues that the seven were “full of the Holy Spirit” (6:3, 5) before the apostles laid their hands upon them. I have previously answered that this was a natural state of growth and application of the Word of God and does not refer to “power.” Their reputation was honorable and wise in the Word (Ephesians 5:18-20). They had continued in the apostles' doctrine for a number of years. Hence, they would have in devotion being wise in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

The retort, however, is that this is the same language describing Jesus as He was led into the wilderness to be tested by the Devil plus the description of Barnabas in Acts 11:24. The conclusion is that Jesus was full of power and the disciples were full of power.

Equivalence of Power?

First, there is a distinction made between “full of spirit” (“the” isn't in the original) and “returning in the power of the Spirit into Galilee” (Luke 4:1, 14). Jesus goes to Cana. “This beginning of miracles (signs) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee” (John_2:11). His power of the Spirit is manifested after the temptations; not before. Stephen likewise has both expressions at different instances. His being “full of spirit” is in verses 3 and 5. Stephen's power is mentioned in a different verse in Acts 6. His “full of” power is in verse 8.

Second, we cannot compare the power measure of the seven to the power measure of Jesus. The seven weren't even of the original twelve apostles. Would their power equal that of Jesus? Notice that Jesus “received the Spirit” without measure. “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (John 3:34). That's Jesus. Jesus had control over everything, even nature itself, in His public ministry. Are we to compare the measure of power of the seven to Jesus? Surely not.

Seven's Power Cannot Be Compared To Jesus Power

Now any church members that enjoyed the power of the Spirit possessed a different measure than Jesus. “And God was a witness with them, by signs and wonders, and by more than natural powers, and by his distribution [merismos] of the Holy Spirit at his pleasure” (Hebrews 2:4, BBE). “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Ephesians 4:7). “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. ...But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us” (1 Corinthians 12:4, 11, CEV). The power “grace” gifts were distributed by division or measure by the Spirit. But not to Jesus. So, I would urge that we cannot equate the powers of the seven with Jesus' power.

Finally, I challenge whether Luke is referring to the power of the deity, the Holy Spirit. Is not Luke speaking of the furnishing of a person's identity spirit and not any power from the Holy Deity? I submit that he is speaking of one's spirit being holy. This is in regard to Jesus, the seven, and Barnabas.

Definition of “Holy”

G39 ἅγιον hagion
Thayer's Definition (contraction): 1) reverend, worthy of veneration 2) set apart for God, to be as it were, exclusively his 3) services and offerings; prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean 4) in a moral sense, pure sinless upright holy

Definition of “Spirit”

G4151 πνεῦμα pneuma
Thayer's Definition (contraction): 1) the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal 2) the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated; the soul 3) a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting 4) the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of any one 5) a movement of air (a gentle blast)

“Full of Holy Spirit” Is Not “'The' Deity Holy Spirit”

In all of these passages, there is no definite article for spirit.ⁱ I've checked through the lexicons and there is consistent pattern in the Koine Greek of using the definite article (i.e., “the”) with a person or place. For example, Jesus, God, Zacharias are “the Jesus, ο Ιησους” “the God, τω θεω”, and “the Zacharias, τον Ζαχαριαν.”ⁱⁱ See the endnote. When Jesus leaves the wilderness, He goes in the power of the Spirit (εν τη δυναμει του πνευματος ). Jesus is also led by “the” Spirit (Luke 4:1). But He is simply “full of holy spirit” (πνευματος αγιου πληρης) with no “the.” I believe it is reasonable for Truth sake to restrain from dogmatically assuming that this phrase refers to the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is upon Jesus but He is literally not in Jesus. Jesus' body has His own spirit.

Jesus Had/Has A Distinct Spirit.

There are a couple passages mentioning Jesus groaning “in the spirit” (e.g., John 11:33). In Mark 8:12 it is certain that Jesus “sighed deeply in His spirit (πνευματι αυτου).” Everyone has a unique spirit. Even Jesus. Remembering this should keep us from any prejudicial interpretation of “full of holy spirit.”

The Godhead (Trinity) consists of Spirit. Jesus said that “God is Spirit” (“πνευμα ο θεος”, John 4:24) and that includes God the Father, Jesus, the Son of God, along with the Spirit of God. According to Philippians 2 Jesus did not seek to hold on to His equality with God but emptied Himself and humbly became as man. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5). He was born of woman as a human baby (Galatians 4:4). But as a vulnerable baby He still had His own spirit. Upon the cross, He again still had His own spirit. Jesus upon the cross cried to the Father, “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Then He “gave up the spirit.” When Jesus as a grown man was baptized by John, the Spirit descended upon Jesus as the Father spoke from Heaven. Three spirits, separate beings, were present. The point is that Jesus had His unique spirit. Yet as Jesus said in prayer to the Father in John 17:17-21, they were one.