2:1 where we read that the day of Pentecost had `fully come'. This is a word used only by Luke, and occurs but

twice in his Gospel: in the first occurrence it has the ordinary meaning of filling, in that case the filling of a boat

with water (Luke 8:23), and in the second it has the meaning of fulfilling, as of a prophecy (Luke 9:51). Thus we

see that in the choice of this word the writer had in view the thought that everything was ready for the fulfilment of

all that Pentecost stands for in the Old Testament type. The enduement with power from on high, for which the

apostles were instructed to wait, came upon them as cloven tongues of fire:

`And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them

utterance' (Acts 2:4).

Here we must pause to observe an important distinction. As the passage stands in the A.V. `The Holy Ghost'

and `The Spirit' are indistinguishable from one another. The subject is of importance and must be treated

Upon examination of the original we discover that there appears to be a reason why we sometimes read pneuma

hagion, `holy spirit', without the article, and sometimes To pneuma to hagion, `The Holy Spirit'. The passage

before us is a case in point. The first reference to the Holy Ghost is written without the article: it is simply pneuma

hagion, `holy spirit', whereas the second reference, `the Spirit', is written with the article and refers to `the Spirit'

Himself. In other words `The Spirit' is the Giver, whereas `spirit' is His gift. In Luke 24:49 the Lord bade the

disciples wait at Jerusalem until they should be `endued with power from on high'. The same writer, Luke, when he

summarizes his own words in Acts 1:4,5, refers to this promise of the Father when he speaks of their being `baptised

with pneuma hagion (holy spirit) not many days hence'. On the day of Pentecost, the Giver, the Holy Spirit, endued

the apostles with power from on high, pneuma hagion, `holy spirit', which consisted of the gifts of the Spirit. It will

be very necessary, therefore, to distinguish between the Giver and His gifts. The Holy Spirit Himself is seen in Acts

`This Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost (Spirit) (To pneuma hagion) by the mouth

of David spake before concerning Judas'.

One or two references will sufficiently illustrate the difference intended in these two expressions:

Acts 2:38: `The gift of pneuma hagion' (The gift, not the Giver).

Acts 4:8: `Then Peter, filled with pneuma hagion' (Again the gift).

Acts 5:3: `Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to To pneuma to hagion` (The Holy Spirit personally).

There is however need for caution here, lest it be surmised that it is possible, by rule of thumb, thus to classify all

occurrences under the two heads and so settle every reading. It is not so possible, because the article, `the', must

sometimes be used by reason of what is `second mention', which is an indication that the reference concerned looks

back to a previous one. The application of a rule of thumb method to determine the point at issue would thus be

futile. What can safely be said is that pneuma hagion without the article is never used of the Holy Spirit Himself,

and that, apart from grammatical necessity, the article is not used when the reference is to the gift. Most readers

know that Dr. E. W. Bullinger has given an illuminating amount of material in his book The Giver and His gifts.

The contents of this work are given in Appendix 101 of the Companion Bible, and should be consulted by every

interested reader.

The power from on high with which the apostles were endued, took the form of `tongues', and was immediately

made manifest by the fact that they actually spoke in the peculiar dialects that belonged to the assembled multitude

`out of every nation under heaven'. This was a `gift of tongues' indeed, and not one of the apostles who received

such a gift would have any hesitation regarding his future sphere of witness. It is important also to notice that the

power of the word is here given before every other manifestation of power. Behind all the miracles that were

subsequently wrought by the apostles was the mighty word. Peter spoke to the lame man words of power when he

said: `In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk' (Acts 3:6).