Inter-Varsity Press

Contents

Author’s preface

Introduction

1. Who is the Holy Spirit and what is he like?

(1 Samuel 16:11–13; Matthew 3:11–16; Acts 2:2) 15

Part One

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

2. The Holy Spirit is the energiser of all creation

(Genesis 1:1–3)

3. The Holy Spirit works wonders through weak people

(Judges 3:7–11; 6:24 – 8:28; 11:1–40; 13:25 – 15:15)

Part Two

The Holy Spirit in the Gospels

4. The Holy Spirit is associated with proclamation

(Luke 1:41–79; 2:25–35)

5. The Holy Spirit authenticates Jesus

(Luke 1:35; 3:22; 4:1–15)

6. The Holy Spirit commissions Jesus

(Luke 4:16–30; 12:8–12)

7. The Holy Spirit and salvation

(John 3:1–10; 4:7–26; 7:37–39)

8. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete

(John 14:12–17; 15:26 – 16:7, 13–15)

9. The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers (John 16:1–11)

Part Three

The Holy Spirit in the book of Acts

10. The Holy Spirit and evangelism

(Acts 1:8; 4:1–31; 6:8 – 7:60; 13:4–12)

11. The Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–12)

12. The Holy Spirit guides believers

(Acts 5:3–9; 8:29–40; 10:19–23; 11:12–15; 13:2–4; 16:6–10)

Part Four

The Holy Spirit in the Epistles

13. The Holy Spirit opposes the flesh and affirms believers

(Romans 8:1–13, 14–23, 26–27)

14. The Holy Spirit provides gifts

(1 Corinthians 12:4–31; Romans 12:6–8)

15. The Holy Spirit and transformation

(Galatians 5:16 – 6:2)

16. The Holy Spirit seals and guarantees believers

(Ephesians 1:3–14)

17. The Holy Spirit provides access to God

(Ephesians 2:11–22)

18. The Holy Spirit and unity

(Ephesians 4:1–16, 25–32)

19. Be filled with the Spirit

(Ephesians 5:18 – 6:18)

Conclusion

Introduction

The Holy Spirit has, to a large degree, received limited comment in comparison to the published material exploring the Father and Jesus. This can be attributed to a number of reasons. There is not a great deal of specific information concerning the Spirit in the OT where the Spirit and God are often viewed synonymously (Job 27:3; Ps. 33:6; 104:29–30). Furthermore, it is sometimes difficult to determine if the Hebrew word rûah refers to the Spirit or the wind, for it can be translated as both. The fact that when the Spirit is mentioned in the OT it is in connection with his influencing only a small number of people also undermines his significance in the minds of many believers today. As a result, they have not realised his full potential for them.

This restriction in the OT is emphasized, in that the Spirit mainly inspires important leaders (including judges and kings) or those with special tasks rather than ordinary folk. It is generally men who are chosen and empowered by him. Likewise, only the covenant people of God are anticipated as being able to benefit from his resources. This limitation has led some to believe that he functions similarly today with regard to believers. However, this is not the case. Furthermore, in the OT era, personal empowering by the Spirit was intended only to be for a temporary period until the prescribed task had been completed; and the intended commissions were somewhat limited, mainly relating to prophecy or leadership or both. Although enduements of power were anticipated in the future, these were assumed to be for God’s people. Finally, there was no Jewish expectation that Messiah would impart the Spirit though they did anticipate that he would be anointed with the Spirit (Isa. 61:1–3). Thus, most Israelites were not expecting a personal infusion of the Spirit into their lives, even when Messiah came. Many believers today have assumed the same or have not anticipated a life-changing encounter with the Spirit.

It is in the NT that the Spirit is presented more clearly, and identified as being available to all believers from salvation. From thereon, the NT writers catalogue a library of information concerning the Spirit. In this, they explore his character, identify his resources, stress the importance of his partnership with believers and categorise the potential he offers to each one.

His desire is to empower believers and also to affirm them, enabling them to serve God and each other more successfully, but also to help them to realise more accurately their status, in relationship to God. Thus, he is not simply to be intellectually acknowledged but also to be personally encountered and experienced. He is not merely to be studied but also to be enjoyed as the source of inspiration and creativity in life. He is not only a powerful force but also a personal mentor. He brings about change as well as empowering believers in the process of change. He gives liberty, inspiring joy, wisdom, faith, truth and revelation, amongst other gifts, and believers must ensure that such a fountain of good gifts is never quenched.

A number of characteristics will become clearer as we move through this exploration of the Spirit. Most significantly is the recognition that he is inexplicable but, at the same time, invites us to explore him. Furthermore, because he seeks personal encounters with us, such encounters with him should be expected as we better appreciate who he is. Another central characteristic related to the Spirit is that he is more interested in what he can do for us than what he can achieve through us. His agenda is to affirm our status more than it is to empower us to help him. Although he is pleased to do the latter, it must not be forgotten that his desire is to do us good as well as to do good through us, to the benefit of others.

Despite this treasure house of information, many believers still lack an appreciation of the remarkable nature of the Spirit. Compounding the problem is that he has sometimes been valued more for the gifts that he bestows than for who he is. Too often, he is viewed as simply ‘the third person of the Godhead’, generally mentioned after the Father and Jesus, rarely prayed to (many are even uncertain as to how to address him), some believers being uncertain as to whether he should be worshipped. Unlike Jesus, he has no body and is therefore often confused with the Father or simply becomes a synonym for ‘God’.

His description as the ‘Holy Ghost’ has been another hindrance to better appreciating him as a personal mentor to believers. However, although we may not be able to see his smile, we can know his joy; we may not be able to see his tears, but we can know that he feels sadness; he may have no ears, but he hears our softest cry; he may have no eyes, but he sees us even in a crowd and also sees how we feel when nobody else does; he may have no personal name, but he is not anonymous. He may be a force but he is also our friend.

Very often, believers assume that Jesus walks with them and the Father guides them but the Spirit has little practical relevance. The Spirit, however, is important and central to, and immanently involved in, his creation, the church, and individual believers—more often and more regularly, more intentionally and strategically, than most believers realise.

The primary focus of this book is not the development of a dogmatic theology of the Spirit which comprehensively explores his relationship and inter-dependency with the Father and Jesus. Thus, scholarly discussions that explore the mystery and complexity of the Trinity and the place of the Spirit are not offered. Not all aspects of the Spirit’s character have been probed; nor have all issues relating to the Spirit’s mission been addressed. Thus, the identity of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and its implications in the life of believers has not been covered in depth. This is not because the concept is not important but, as with other aspects, it has been the subject of much discussion elsewhere.

This book is fundamentally a theological exploration, practical and biblically based, of the person of the Spirit. He is a friend to be enjoyed more than a force to be accessed, a partner with whom we are to become better acquainted not the subject of a doctoral thesis on which we are to be examined. He is the Spirit who seeks to encounter us and desires that we encounter him; he is fundamentally inexplicable but he desires that we explore him and enjoy the journey. The anticipated consequence of this relationally-based and experiential encounter is that transformation should take place on the part of those who have been privileged to be touched by his presence.

When Jesus left his disciples and went to heaven, he gave the best gift he could, the Spirit. He is more remarkable than many believers know and has much more to give than they may anticipate. At the commencement of this journey, we acknowledge that we are standing at the edge of an impressive, unfathomable sea of truth relating to the Spirit, and we walk into it knowing that he will be our guide and partner in the process.

It may be appropriate to read the book a chapter at a time in order to digest the contents; each chapter is a separate exploration of an issue relating to the topic. In the Study Guide at the conclusion of the book, I have offered a number of questions and suggestions that I hope will provide an opportunity for some of the characteristics of the Spirit to be teased out and applied.