Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel.” Jerry Vine and Jim Shaddix wrote: Without a doubt, something mysterious is at play when the Holy Spirit attends to the preaching event. This fact can make any attempt to describe the work of the Spirit in preaching very difficult. But in the area of speech communication—even among Christians—it seems that the gospel preacher has an advantage that separates him from all other public communicators. Even secular public speakers can be passionate about their subject matter, but one particular ingredient is reserved solely for those who speak the words of God. This ingredient enables the preachers’ words to be pointed and powerful. This ingredient has been called anointing. Some homileticians and preachers do not believe the anointing actually exists, contending it is an unnecessary and unbiblical notion that often weighs the preacher down with guilt (Vines is referring to Alex Montayo in his book Preaching with Passion, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2000, 35). I agree Alex Montayo. (Jerry Vines; Shaddix, Jim. Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository Sermons (p. 76). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition).
Vines argues: Eight specific references to a prophetic speaking by the Spirit can be found in the Luke and Acts narratives (see the contexts of Luke 1:15, 41, 67; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9). The verb used in each instance is best translated by the idea of “that which fills or takes possession of the mind” (Ibid., 76).
The Greek word used in these references is πίμπλημι pimplemi. It is used to describe the power for the witnessing of laypeople in Acts 4:8. Notice, not just preachers can and should have this power or boldness.
Vine and Shaddix continue: While all of these occurrences refer to someone being filled with the Spirit, the grammar in the language of the New Testament suggests they are not to be confused with similar descriptions in Luke through Acts that are translated “full,” “to make full,” or “to fill” (see Luke 4:1; Acts 6:3, 5; 7:55; 11:24; 13:52). (Ibid.,).
The Greek word used in these references is It is πλήρης pleres and is used to describe the Holy Spirit controlling and producing the fruit of the Spirit
Each of the eight is [πίμπλημι pimplemi] Luke–Acts instances should be seen, as Vine and Shaddix note “as an event, a sovereign and spontaneous act of God related to the proclamation of truth. Being filled with the Spirit—or anointed—as a preacher is different from being a Spirit-filled Christian” (Ibid.,).
Where is the biblical basis for this statement? In Acts 4:8, the entire church was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to speak boldly the gospel, not just the apostles.
Jesus declared that “the Holy Spirit is upon me because he has anointed [χρίω chrio] me to preach the gospel. This word for anointing is used in 1 John 2:27 for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is the possession of all Christians. This anointing enables all believers to understand God’s Word. Hopefully, when we preach we are filled [πίμπλημι pimplemi] with the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s Word boldly. Hopefully, our church members are also filled [πίμπλημι pimplemi] with the Holy Spirit to witness God’s Word boldly as the early church did in Acts 4:8.