Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Service is not a human work that depends on human strength;
rather, it is a spiritual work that depends on the Holy Spirit who works in the servant.
We want for service spiritual people who are filled with the Spirit of God, and then the Spirit teaches them all things.
We note that the twelve holy apostles, despite the fact that they:
a) learned and were trained by the Lord Christ Himself, the greatest Teacher known to humanity and to heaven as well, with all His spiritual influence;
b) their discipleship period extended for more than three years;
c) they were constantly with Him and devoted entirely to discipleship;
d) they built miracles and wonders;
e) they saw before them an example and an ideal that presented the practical application of teaching;
f) they also entered into practical training in service, during which the Lord corrected their mistakes;
yet despite all this, the Lord Christ said to them: “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:48), and “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8).
Thus the apostles remained withdrawn after the Resurrection of the Lord, away from the atmosphere of service, despite the poor condition at that time, the spread of doubts, the loss of faith, and people’s assumption that Christ had not risen.
When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they began the service.
It was a productive and successful service because it was by the Holy Spirit. In one sermon after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter was able to draw three thousand souls to the faith (Acts 2:41).
2- The matter was not limited to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost only, but occurred on many important occasions of service.
We hear about one of the apostles that Scripture says concerning him: “Then … filled with the Holy Spirit, said” (Acts 4:8), meaning that he received something special—a special power from the Spirit for that service.
3- The matter was not limited to the apostles only, but even in the choice of the seven deacons.
We read in the Book of Acts that the Twelve said to the people: “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3).
“And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” and six others with him (Acts 6:5).
Thus, being filled with the Holy Spirit is a condition for the deacon as well, not only for the Church and the high priests. Therefore, we hear about Stephen that he stood disputing with three synagogues, and it was said of them that they “were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:10).
4- Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not only a necessary condition for the servant, but it is also the means by which he works.
The servant who is filled with the Spirit has a spiritual service. As for the one who is not filled with the Spirit, he may fill the world with activity, movement, and service, yet his service is not spiritual.
The spiritual person, in his spiritual service, may be active, hardworking, and full of movement and effort; but the opposite may not be true. An active person may not be spiritual. The spiritual person’s goal is the salvation of the soul.
5- We also notice that the Holy Spirit was working in the early Church in everything:
He was the One who chose the servant. Therefore it was said about them: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them…” (Acts 13:2–3). So the Holy Spirit came upon them, and then Barnabas and Saul began the service.
For this reason Paul said to the elders of Ephesus: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). The Holy Spirit is the One who calls to service, and He is the One who appoints the person as a servant.
Indeed, the Holy Spirit was also the One who moved the servant.
We hear in the journeys of Saint Paul in Asia that he wanted to go to several places, but the Holy Spirit did not permit him, rather prevented him, and finally guided him to go to Macedonia by a vision that made this matter clear to him (Acts 16:6–10).
The Holy Spirit also spoke in their councils. Therefore, in the Council of Jerusalem they issued their decision with this expression: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us…” (Acts 15:28).
For this reason, the servants in their service were merely co-workers with the Holy Spirit.
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit for a person works in him for the salvation of his own soul and for the salvation of the souls of others. The ordinary individual cooperates with the Holy Spirit for the salvation of his own soul. But the shepherd cooperates with the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the souls of others, and also his own salvation.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit also gave the servants in the Church another capability, namely the gifts of the Spirit, which helped them perform their work.
By the Spirit, one was given wisdom, another knowledge, and another the working of miracles and wonders… (1 Cor. 12:8–10).
Thus we hear that the Spirit pricked the people in their hearts when they heard Saint Peter (Acts 2:37).
The Priest: His Service Is Spiritual
Pastoral service is a spiritual service; therefore, it needs spiritual people who are able to lead others to God.
The worldly shepherd fills the minds of his listeners with ideas and information. But the spiritual shepherd fills the hearts of his flock with holy spiritual feelings.
The former gives them thought, while the latter gives them love for God and for people.
There are social shepherds who can turn their children into a mass of activity and movement, which may be devoid of the Spirit, and this is also reflected in the aspects of activity in the Church.
Thus there is a church whose entire activity is social—parties, trips, clubs, exhibitions, workshops, and tutoring for students who failed in school, etc.
Another church finds its activity intellectual—publishing books, translation movements, journalistic activity, pamphlets, and publications.
Another church finds its activity spiritual—spiritual lectures, prayer meetings, and spiritual exercises. All this depends on the type of priest.
The spiritual priest can be intellectual and social at the same time.
But the social servant cannot be spiritual at the same time.
The spiritual aspect is broader and includes everything within it, while the social aspect does not accommodate others. This also enters into the work of the priest himself.
There is a priest whom the liturgical service swallows up.
Perhaps he was a spiritual servant before the priesthood, then becomes lost after the priesthood in liturgical services—vespers, liturgies, engagements, lamps, funerals, etc.
Another priest is swallowed up by administrative service in the church—construction and financial matters.
But the spiritual shepherd, his service is spiritual first and last, even if he works in social service, he transforms it into spiritual service.
For example, service to the poor, for the spiritual priest, is not merely material assistance to the needy, but in addition to this, it is a spiritual service that leads these needy ones to a life of repentance and steadfastness in God.
Thus, any work his hand extends to is transformed into a spiritual work. He has one concern that occupies him: leading souls to God. Every activity he undertakes has the goal of clinging to the Lord.
In the spiritual priest, spirituality also encompasses his visitation of people. His visits are spiritual visits, his conversations are spiritual conversations, and even in his speech with children he aims at a spiritual goal. Thus everyone who connects with him or meets him feels that he receives from him something new spiritually. And in this point, I do not wish to speak only about priests, but about servants in general.
The spiritual priest not only has spiritual goals, but also spiritual means.
His works have spiritual depths and have their effect through the working Holy Spirit within them. In all this, the man of God differs from the man of the world. The man of the world may reach his goals by intelligence, trickery, politics, cunning, power, and skill. But the spiritual man, all his means are spiritual.
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