The Apostolic Measure of the Holy Spirit

The second indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our study of the book of Acts was the apostolic measure. Only an apostle of Jesus could receive this indwelling. Additionally, specific qualifications for apostleship were outlined and can be found in Acts 1:21-26. In order to be an apostle, one must have 1) been with the other apostles during Jesus’ ministry on earth, 2) been with Jesus since his baptism by John, 3) been an eye witness of the resurrection of Christ, & 4) to be an apostle one had to be chosen by the Lord.

The apostolic measure of the Holy Spirit was promised to the apostles only. As Jesus ate the last supper with His apostles on the night He was betrayed, He told them, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:15-17).

Some claim that this promise is extended to Christians even today. However, Jesus further clarified the application of this promise in John 15:26-27 saying, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.” This is a clear reference to one of the qualifications for apostleship. Additionally, there is no one alive today who can claim to have been with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry. Therefore, it is obvious that He was talking only to His apostles regarding this promise.

The purpose of this indwelling was to bring the teachings of Christ to the remembrance of the apostles. In John 14:25-26 Jesus told His apostles, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Another purpose of this indwelling was to reveal further teachings that Jesus had not yet given them. In John 16:12-13 He declared, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall

hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Again, these things were promised ONLY to the apostles and do not extend to people today.

Jesus told the apostles that when they would be delivered up before the Jews, they should not try to premeditate what they would say, because it would be given them what to say (Mark 13:11). The fulfillment of this promise to the apostles can be seen in the address presented by Peter to the high priest and rulers in Acts 4:8, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel…”.

Another purpose of the apostolic measure of the Holy Spirit was that the apostles were human vessels through which God endowed the first century Christians with the miraculous spiritual gifts. In Acts 8, Peter and John went to Samaria to lay hands on the newly converted Christians that they might receive the spiritual gifts (v.14-17). Simon the sorcerer clearly understood that it was by the laying on of the apostles’ hands that the gifts were received (Acts 8:18) and the new Christians of Acts 19 did not receive the spiritual gifts until the apostle Paul laid his hands on them. Thus when the apostles died, so too did the apostolic measure of the Holy Spirit.

Ted Parks
Vacaville, Ca.