wice in one chapter that Peter was "refilled." It will
be noted that for the reasons already mentioned,[2] the expression
"a fresh Infilling of the Holy Ghost," or "refilling," is used
instead of "received a fresh Baptism of the Holy Ghost."

[2: Page 39.]

Acts ix. 17 (Saul), "And be filled with the Holy Ghost." Saul was not
to begin his life work until "baptized"--"filled with the Holy
Ghost." He must receive the very same blessing and equipment as the
other apostles received at Pentecost. This was Saul's Pentecost,
and for him, as for others, service began at Pentecost.

Acts xiii. 9, "Paul filled with the Holy Ghost." The man who was filled
in ch. ix. is "filled" anew in this passage, the "Aorist" blessing
is repeated, fitting him for the special work on hand, viz.,
administering that scathing rebuke to Elymas the Sorcerer. In all
these passages the blessing is spoken of as a crisis, not as a
process.

(2) _Imperfect_:--

Acts xiii. 52, "And the disciples (lit.) _were being filled_ with joy
and with the Holy Ghost." This is the only passage in the Acts where
the Imperfect tense is used. It is not the Aorist "were filled," but
the Imperfect "were being filled," implying the inflow, not only to
make up for, but to sustain, the outflow. The same idea of the
"Imperfect" is seen in Eph. v. 18, "Be filled with the Spirit,"
where Principal Moule points out that the Greek verb rendered "be
filled," may with equal correctness be rendered "Be ye _filling_
with the Holy Ghost." The preceptive verb "is in the Present or
continuing tense; it enjoins a course, a habit," so that in this
sense "the Fullness" is _always_ coming, it is spoken of as a
process, not as a crisis.

(3) _Present_:--

Acts vi. 3, "Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men
of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business," men whose normal condition was "full"
of the Holy Ghost. It is well worth noticing the business for which
these "deacons" were wanted; they were to look after temporal
affairs, to feed a few decent old Greek widows; and yet even for
this business the men must be "full of the Holy Ghost!" None other
need apply. How far has the Church of to-day strayed from apostolic
practice! When an