In Acts 9:17, Ananais goes to Saul so that he might receive his sight and be “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:8).  Ananias was not capable of imparting any such gift (cf. Acts 8:18). Neither did Saul receive any such thing from the other apostles (cf. Gal. 1:16-17). This must be a reference to Saul’s being baptized with the Spirit directly from Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 12:11-12).  The apostle Paul in Acts 13:9 is “filled with the Holy Ghost” when he fixes his eyes upon Bar-Jesus making him blind (Acts 13:11). This is another obvious reference to the miraculous.  Paul writes to brethren in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 12:12: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.

To recap, the promise of the outpouring was fulfilled upon all flesh beginning at Jerusalem and continuing through Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8) as a miraculous confirmation that the message of the gospel is from God and that the day of the Lord is soon approaching.   This outpouring was an unprecedented immersion of miraculous power upon believers.  Jesus said,

 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;  they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.  So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.  [Mark 16:17-20]

The power of the Spirit was not limited to the apostles, only.  However, some contexts uses the pronoun “us” to refer to the apostles as the source of revelation or to their necessary provisions (1 Thess. 4:8; Galatians 3:5; Phil. 1:9).  Other contexts clearly apply the gift of the Spirit to all the saints (Gal. 3:1-3). The differences between the apostles and other saints was in the method of impartation (direct or through laying on of hands), and the measure of power (more extensive among the apostles).  Still, the promise was to all believers.

Regarding Paul’s guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is revealing that he had a unique mission that could only be accomplished by the Spirit’s help.  (1)The Spirit set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work among the Gentiles (Acts 13:2), (2) It was the Spirit that directed Paul away from Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16;6-7),(3) In the Spirit, he passes through Macedonia and comes to Jerusalem (19:21, 20:22). (4) The Spirit tells him that imprisonment and suffering await him at Jerusalem (20:23, 21:4).  Other examples could be noted here, but he had a divine commission that had the support and backing of the Holy Spirit, who supplied him with abundance.

About

I have been a fervent student of the Bible all of my life
Experience: Preacher for 30 years and father of three sons
Education: Florida College and Missouri State University

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