Spirit Or Spirit Of God Or Holy Spirit The
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia plus some other links.
The Spirit of God were
two distinct beings in the thought of Old Testament writers, but only
that the Spirit had functions of His own in distinction from God.
The
Spirit was God in
action,
particularly when the action was specific,
with a view to accomplishing
some particular end or purpose of God. (GOD)
The Spirit came upon individuals for special purposes. The
Spirit was thus God immanent in man and in the world. As the angel of the Lord,
or angel of the Covenant in certain passages, represents both Yahweh Himself
and one sent by Yahweh, so in like manner the Spirit of Yahweh was both Yahweh (JehovahOrYahweh) within or upon
man, and at the same time one sent by Yahweh to man. For this scroll down to
the red
2
Sbt Notes This-The Spirit of God was
and is GOD
at work *one* being at work
accomplishing whatever the*one*Spirit
GOD
desires.(purposes)
There is no written words that states GOD as two distinct beings (that would be two GOD’s) –that is an –(open) an-Imply of T/O ‘s
|
Compare The expression
Spirit,
or Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit,
is found in the great majority of the books of the Bible. In the Old
Testament the Hebrew word uniformly employed for the Spirit as referring to
God's Spirit is ruach meaning
"breath," "wind" or "breeze." The
verb form of the word is ruach, or riach used only in the Hiphil and meaning
"to breathe," "to blow." A kindred verb is rawach,
meaning "to breathe" "having breathing room," "to be
spacious," etc. The word always used in the New Testament for the Spirit
is the Greek neuter noun pneuma, with or without the article, and for Holy
Spirit, pneuma hagion, or to pneuma to hagion. In the New Testament we find
also the expressions, "the Spirit of God," "the Spirit of the
Lord," "the Spirit of the Father," "the Spirit of
Jesus," "of Christ." The word for Spirit in the Greek is from
the verb pneo, "to breathe," "to blow." The corresponding
word in the Latin is spiritus, meaning "spirit." I.
Old Testament Teachings as to the Spirit. 1.
Meaning of the Word: At
the outset we note the significance of the term itself. From the primary
meaning of the word which is "wind," as referring to Nature, arises
the idea of breath in man and thence the breath, wind or Spirit of God. We
have no way of tracing exactly how the minds of the Biblical writers
connected the earlier literal meaning of the word with the Divine Spirit.
Nearly all shades of meaning from the lowest to the highest appear in the Old
Testament, and it is not difficult to conceive how the original narrower
meaning was gradually expanded into the larger and wider. The following are
some of the shades of Old Testament usage. From the notion of wind or breath,
ruach came to signify: (1)
the principle of life itself; spirit in this sense indicated the degree of
vitality: "My
spirit is consumed, my days are extinct" (Job 17:1; also Judges 15:19; 1 Samuel 30:12); (2)
human feelings of various kinds, as anger (Judges 8:3; Proverbs 29:11), desire (Isaiah 26:9), courage (Joshua 2:11); (3)
intelligence (Exodus 28:3; Isaiah 29:24); (4)
general disposition (Ps 34:18; No
doubt the Biblical writers thought of man as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and it was easy
for them to think of God as being like man. It is remarkable that their
anthropomorphism did not go farther. They preserve, however, a highly
spiritual conception of God as compared with that of surrounding nations. But
as the human breath was an invisible part of man, and as it represented his
vitality, his life and energy, it was easy to transfer the conception to God
in the effort to represent His energetic and transitive action upon man and
Nature. The Spirit of God, therefore, as based upon the idea of the ruach or
breath of man, originally stood for the energy or power of God (Isaiah 31:3; compare A. B.
Davidson, Theology of the Old Testament, 117-18), as contrasted with the
weakness of the flesh. 2.
The Spirit in Relation to the Godhead:See Godhead.htm Divine nature Acts 17:29
Godhead.htm 2 We
consider next the Spirit of God in relation to God Himself in the Old
Testament. Here there are several points to be noted. The first is that there
is no indication of a belief that the Spirit
of God was a material particle or emanation from God. The point of view
of Biblical writers is nearly always practical rather than speculative. They
did not philosophize about the Divine
nature. Nevertheless, they retained a very clear distinction between
spirit and flesh or other material forms. Again we observe in the Old
Testament both an identification of God and the Spirit of God, and also a
clear distinction between them. The identification is seen in Psalms 139:7 where the
omni-presence of the Spirit is declared, and in Isaiah 63:10; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:27. In a great number
of passages, however, God and the Spirit of God are not thought of as
identical, as in Genesis 1:2; 6:3; Nehemiah 9:20; Psalms 51:11; 104:29 f. Of course this does not mean that God and the Spirit of God were two
distinct beings in the thought of Old Testament writers, but only that
the Spirit had functions of His
own in distinction from God. The
Spirit was God in
action, particularly when the action was specific, with a view to accomplishing
some particular
end or purpose
of God. (GOD)
The Spirit came upon individuals for special purposes.
The Spirit was thus God immanent in man and in the world. As the angel of the
Lord, or angel of the Covenant in certain passages, represents both Yahweh
Himself and one sent by Yahweh, so in like manner the Spirit of Yahweh was
both Yahweh (JehovahOrYahweh)
within or upon man, and at the same time one sent by Yahweh to man. Do
the Old Testament teachings indicate that in the view of the writers the
Spirit of Yahweh was a distinct person in the Divine nature? The passage in Genesis 1:26 is scarcely
conclusive. The idea and importance of personality were but slowly developed
in Israelite thought. Not until some of the later prophets did it receive
great emphasis, and even then scarcely in the fully developed form. The
statement in Genesis 1:26 may be taken as the
plural of majesty or as referring to the Divine council, and on this account
is not conclusive for the Trinitarian view. Indeed, there are no Old
Testament passages which compel us to understand the complete New Testament
doctrine of the Trinity and the distinct personality of the Spirit in the New
Testament sense. There are, however, numerous Old Testament passages which
are in harmony with the Trinitarian conception and prepare the way for it,
such as Psalms 139:7; Isaiah 63:10; 48:16; Haggai 2:5; Zechariah 4:6. The Spirit is
grieved, vexed, etc., and in other ways is conceived of personally, but as He
is God in action, God exerting power,
this was the natural way for the Old Testament
writers to think of the Spirit. The
question has been raised as to how the Biblical writers were able to hold the
conception of the Spirit of God without violence to their monotheism. A
suggested reply is that the idea of the Spirit came gradually and indirectly
from the conception of subordinate gods which prevailed among some of the
surrounding nations (I.F. Wood, The Spirit of God in Biblical Literature,
30). But the best Israelite thought developed in opposition to, rather than
in analogy with, polytheism. A more natural explanation seems to be that
their simple anthropomorphism led them to conceive the Spirit of God as the
breath of God parallel with the conception of man's breath as being part of
man and yet going forth from him. Compare
Genesis.htm 2001
Translation 1 In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth. 2 But the earth
was unsightly and unfinished, darkness covered its depths, and God’s Breath moved over its waters. 3 Then God spoke, saying, ‘May there be light,’ and
light came to be. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then God created a division
between the light and the darkness. 5 He called the light day and the
darkness night. So came the evening and morning of day one. 6 And God spoke, saying,
‘May there be space between all the water, and a
dividing of the waters and the waters,’ and that’s what happened. 7 God made
the space and [He] divided the waters that were under the space from the
waters that were over the space. 8 And God called that space the sky. And God
saw that this was good. So came the evening and morning of day two. http://www.2001translation.com/Genesis.htm
3.
The Spirit in External Nature: We
consider next the Spirit of God in external Nature. "And the Spirit of
God moved (was brooding or hovering) upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). The figure is that
of a brooding or hovering bird (compare Deuteronomy 32:11). Here the
Spirit brings order and beauty out of the primeval chaos and conducts the
cosmic forces toward the goal of an ordered universe. Again in Psalms 104:28-30, God sends
forth His Spirit, and visible things are called into being: "Thou
sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the
ground." In Job 26:13 the beauty of the
heavens is ascribed to the Spirit: "By his Spirit the heavens are
garnished." In Isaiah 32:15 the wilderness
becomes a fruitful field as the result of the outpouring of the Spirit. The
Biblical writers scarcely took into their thinking the idea of second causes,
certainly not in the modern scientific sense. They regarded the phenomena of
Nature as the result of God's direct action through His Spirit. At every
point their conception of the Spirit saved them from pantheism on the one
hand and polytheism on the other. 4.
The Spirit of God in Man: The
Spirit may next be considered in imparting natural powers both physical and
intellectual. In Genesis 2:7 God originates man's
personal and intellectual life by breathing into his nostrils "the
breath of life." In Numbers 16:22 God is "the
God of the spirits of all flesh." In Exodus 28:3; 31:3; 35:31, wisdom for all kinds of
workmanship is declared to be the gift of God. So also physical life is due
to the presence of the Spirit of God (Job 27:3);.
and Elihu declares (Job 33:4) that the Spirit of God
made him. See also Ezekiel 37:14 and 39:29. Thus
man is regarded by the Old Testament writers, in all the parts of his being,
body, mind and spirit, as the direct result of the action of the Spirit of
God. In Genesis 6:3 the Spirit of God
"strives" with or "rules" in or is "humbled" in
man in the antediluvian world. Here reference is not made to the Spirit's
activity over and above, but within the moral nature of man. 5.
Imparting Powers for Service: The
greater part of the Old Testament passages which refer to the Spirit of God
deal with the subject from the point of view of the covenant relations
between Yahweh and (1)
Judges and Warriors. The
children of "And
the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged (2)
Wisdom for Various Purposes. Bezalel
is filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding to work in
gold, and silver and brass, etc., in the building of the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2-4; 35:31); and the Spirit of wisdom
is given to others in making Aaron's garments (Exodus 28:3). So also of one of
the builders of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:14; 2 Chronicles 2:14). In
these cases there seems to be a combination of the thought of natural talents
and skill to which is superadded a special endowment of the Spirit. Pharaoh
refers to Joseph as one in whom the Spirit of God is, as fitting him for
administration and government (Genesis 41:38). Joshua is
qualified for leadership by the Spirit (Numbers 27:18). In this and in Deuteronomy 34:9, Joshua is represented
as possessing the Spirit through the laying on of the hands of Moses. This is
an interesting Old Testament parallel to the bestowment of the Spirit by laying on of hands in the New Testament (Acts 8:17; 19:6). Daniel is represented as
having wisdom to interpret dreams through the Spirit, and afterward because
of the Spirit he is exalted to a position of authority and power (Daniel 4:8; 5:11-14; 6:3). The Spirit qualifies Zerubbabel
to rebuild the temple (Zechariah 4:6). The Spirit was
given to the people for instruction and strengthening during the wilderness
wanderings (Nehemiah 9:20), and to the
elders along with Moses (Numbers 11:17,25).
It thus appears how very widespread were the activities of the redemptive
Spirit, or the Spirit in the covenant. All these forms of the Spirit's action
bore in some way upon the national life of the people, and were directed in
one way or another toward theocratic ends. (3)
In Prophecy. The
most distinctive and important manifestation of the Spirit's activity in the
Old Testament was in the sphere of prophecy. In the earlier period the
prophet was called seer (ro'eh), and later he was called prophet (nabhi').
The word "prophet" (prophetes) means one who speaks for God. The
prophets were very early differentiated from the masses of the people into a
prophetic class or order, although Abraham himself was called a prophet, as
were Moses and other leaders (Genesis 20:7; Deuteronomy 18:15). The prophet
was especially distinguished from others as the man who possessed the Spirit
of God (Hosea 9:7). The prophets
ordinarily began their messages with the phrase, "thus saith
Yahweh," or its equivalent. But they ascribed their messages directly
also to the Spirit of God (Ezekiel 2:2; 8:3; 11:1,24;
13:3). The case of Balaam
presents some difficulties (Numbers 24:2). He does not seem
to have been a genuine prophet, but rather a diviner, although it is declared
that the Spirit of God came upon him. Balaam serves, however, to illustrate
the Old Testament point of view. The chief interest was the national or
theocratic or covenant ideal, not that of the individual. The Spirit was
bestowed at times upon unworthy men for the achievement of these ends. Saul
presents a similar example. The prophet was God's messenger speaking God's
message by the Spirit. His message was not his own. It came directly from
God, and at times overpowered the prophet with its urgency, as in the case of
Jeremiah (1:4). There
are quite perceptible stages in the development of the Old Testament
prophecy. In the earlier period the prophet was sometimes moved, not so much
to intelligible speech, as by a sort of enthusiasm or prophetic ecstasy. In 1 Samuel 10 we have an
example of this earlier form of prophecy, where a company with musical
instruments prophesied together. To what extent this form of prophetic
enthusiasm was attended by warnings and exhortations, if so attended at all,
we do not know. There was more in it than in the excitement of the diviners
and devotees of the surrounding nations. For the Spirit of Yahweh was its
source. In
the later period we have prophecy in its highest forms in the Old Testament. The
differences between earlier and later prophecy are probably due in part to
the conditions. The early period required action, the later required
teaching. The judges on whom the Spirit came were deliverers in a turbulent
age. There was not need for, nor could the people have borne, the higher
ethical and spiritual truths which came in later revelations through the
prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. See 2 Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 2:2; 8:3; 11:24; 13:3;. Micah 3:8; Hosea 9:7. A
difficulty arises from statements such as the following: A
lying spirit was sometimes present in the prophet (1 Kings 22:21); Yahweh puts
a spirit in the king of Assyria and turns him back to his destruction (Isaiah 37:7); because of sin, a
lying prophet should serve the people (Micah 2:11); in Micaiah's vision
Yahweh sends a spirit to entice Ahab through lying prophets (1 Kings 22:19); an evil
spirit from Yahweh comes upon Saul (1 Samuel 16:14; 18:10; 19:9). The following
considerations may be of value in explaining these passages. Yahweh was the
source of things generally in Old Testament thought. Its pronounced monotheism
appears in this as in so many other ways. Besides this, Old Testament writers
usually spoke phenomenally. Prophecy was a particular form of manifestation
with certain outward marks and signs. Whatever presented these outward marks
was called prophecy, whether the message conveyed was true or false. The
standard of discrimination here was not the outward signs of the prophet, but
the truth or right of the message as shown by the event. As to the evil
spirit from Yahweh, it may be explained in either of two ways. First, it may
have referred to the evil disposition of the man upon whom God's Spirit was
acting, in which case he would resist the Spirit and his own spirit would be
the evil spirit. Or the "evil spirit from Yahweh" may have referred,
in the prophet's mind, to an actual spirit of evil which Yahweh sent or
permitted to enter the man. The latter is the more probable explanation, in
accordance with which the prophet would conceive that Yahweh's higher will
was accomplished, even through the action of the evil spirit upon man's
spirit. Yahweh's judicial anger against transgression would, to the prophet's
mind, justify the sending of an evil spirit by Yahweh. 6.
Imparting Moral Character: The
activity of the Spirit in the Old Testament is not limited to gifts for
service. Moral and spiritual character is traced to the Spirit's operations
as well. "Thy holy Spirit" (Psalms 51:11); "his holy
spirit" (Isaiah 63:10); "thy good
Spirit" (Nehemiah 9:20); "Thy Spirit
is good" (Psalms 143:10) are expressions
pointing to the ethical quality of the Spirit's action. "Holy" is
from the verb form (qadhash), whose root meaning is doubtful, but which
probably meant "to be separated" from which it comes to mean to be
exalted, and this led to the conception to be Divine. And as Yahweh is
morally good, the conception of "the holy (= Divine) one" came to
signify the holy one in the moral sense. Thence the word was applied to the
Spirit of Yahweh. Yahweh gives His good Spirit for instruction (Nehemiah 9:20); the Spirit is
called good because it teaches to do God's will (Psalms 143:10); the Spirit gives
the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2-5); judgment and
righteousness (Isaiah 32:15); devotion to the
Lord (Isaiah 44:3-5); hearty obedience
and a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26); penitence and
prayer (Zechariah 12:10). In Psalms 51:11 there is an intense
sense of guilt and sin coupled with the prayer, "Take not thy holy
Spirit from me." Thus, we see that the Old Testament in numerous ways
recognizes the Holy Spirit as the source of inward moral purity, although the
thought is not so developed as in the New Testament. 7.
The Spirit in the Messiah: In
both the first and the second sections of Isaiah, there are distinct
references to the Spirit in connection with the Messiah, although the Messiah
is conceived as the ideal King who springs from the root of David in some
instances, and in others as the Suffering Servant of Yahweh. This is not the
place to discuss the Messianic import of the latter group of passages which
has given rise to much difference of opinion. As in the case of the ideal
Davidic King which, in the prophet's mind, passes from the lower to the
higher and Messianic conception, so, under the form of the Suffering Servant,
the "remnant" of Israel becomes the basis for an ideal which
transcends in the Messianic sense the original nucleus of the conception
derived from the historic events in the history of Israel. The prophet rises
in the employment of both conceptions to the thought of the Messiah who is
the "anointed" of Yahweh as endued especially with the power and
wisdom of the Spirit. In Isaiah 11:1-5 a glowing picture
is given of the "shoot out of the stock of Jesse." The Spirit
imparts "wisdom and understanding" and endows him with manifold
gifts through the exercise of which he shall bring in the kingdom of
righteousness and peace. In Isaiah 42:1, the
"servant" is in like manner endowed most richly with the gifts of
the Spirit by virtue of which he shall bring forth "justice to the
Gentiles." In Isaiah 61:1 occur
the notable words cited by Jesus in Luke 4:18, beginning, "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me" etc. In these passages the prophet
describes elaborately and minutely the Messiah's endowment with a wide range
of powers, all of which are traced to the action of God's Spirit. 8.
Predictions of Future Outpouring of the Spirit: In
the later history of Israel, when the sufferings of the exile pressed
heavily, there arose a tendency to idealize a past age as the era of the
special blessing of the Spirit, coupled with a very marked optimism as to a
future outpouring of the Spirit. In Haggai 2:5 reference is made to
the Mosaic period as the age of the Spirit, "when ye came out of II.
The Spirit in Non-Canonical Jewish Literature. In
the Palestinian and Alexandrian literature of the Jews there are
comparatively few references to the Spirit of God. The two books in which the
teachings as to the Spirit are most explicit and most fully developed are of
Alexandrian origin, namely, The Wisdom of Solomon and the writings of Philo. In
the Old Testament Apocrypha and in Josephus the references to the Spirit are
nearly always merely echoes of a long-past age when the Spirit was active among
men. In no particular is the contrast between the canonical and noncanonical
literature more striking than in the teaching as to the Spirit of God. 1.
The Spirit of Josephus: Josephus
has a number of references to the Holy Spirit, but nearly always they have to
do with the long-past history of 2.
The Spirit in the Pseudepigrapha: In
the pseudepigraphic writings the Spirit of God is usually referred to as
acting in the long-past history of "The
word calls me and the Spirit is poured out upon me" (En 91:1). In 49:1-4
the Messiah has the Spirit of wisdom, understanding and might. Enoch is
represented as describing his own translation. "He was carried aloft in
the chariots of the Spirit" (En 70:2). In Jubilees 31:16 Isaac is
represented as prophesying, and in 25:13 it is said of Rebekah that the"
Holy Spirit descended into her mouth." Sometimes the action of the
Spirit is closely connected with the moral life, although this is rare.
"The Spirit of God rests" on the man of pure and loving heart (XII
the Priestly Code (P), Benj. 8). In Simeon 4 it is declared that Joseph was a
good man and that the Spirit of God rested on him. There appears at times a
lament for the departed age of prophecy (1 Macc 3.
The Spirit in the Wisdom of Solomon: We
note in the next place a few teachings as to the Spirit of God in Wisd. Here
the ethical element in character is a condition of the Spirit's indwelling.
"Into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter: nor
dwell in the body that is subject unto sin. For the holy spirit of discipline
will flee deceit, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in" (The
Wisdom of Solomon 1:4 f). This "holy spirit of discipline" is
evidently God's Holy Spirit, for in 1:7 the writer proceeds to assert,
"For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world," and in 1:8,9 there is a return to the conception of unrighteousness
as a hindrance to right speaking. In The Wisdom of Solomon 7:7 the Spirit of
Wisdom comes in response to prayer. In 7:22-30 is an elaborate and very
beautiful description of wisdom: "In her is an understanding spirit,
holy, one only, manifold, subtle, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not
subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good, quick, which cannot be
letted, ready to do good, kind to man, steadfast, sure," etc. "She
is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power
of God, and the image of his goodness," etc. No one can know God's
counsel except by the Holy Spirit ( 4.
The Spirit in Philo: In
Philo we have what is almost wholly wanting in other
Jewish literature, namely, analytic and reflective thought upon the work of
the Spirit of God. The interest in Philo is primarily philosophic, and his
teachings on the Spirit possess special interest on this account in contrast
with Biblical and other extra-Biblical literature. In his Questions and
Solutions, 27, 28, he explains the expression in Genesis 8:1: "He
brought a breath over the earth and the wind ceased." He argues that
water is not diminished by wind, but only agitated and disturbed. Hence,
there must be a reference to God's Spirit or breath by which the whole
universe obtains security. He has a similar discussion of the point why the
word "Spirit" is not used instead of "breath" in Ge in
the account of man's creation, and concludes that "to breathe into"
here means to "inspire," and that God by His Spirit imparted to man
mental and moral life and capacity for Divine things (Allegories, xiii). In
several passages Philo discusses prophecy and the prophetic office. One of
the most interesting relates to the prophetic office of Moses (Life of Moses,
xxiii). He also describes a false prophet who claims to be "inspired and
possessed by the Holy Spirit" (On Those Who Offer Sacrifice, xi). In a
very notable passage, Philo describes in detail his own subjective
experiences under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and his language is that
of the intellectual mystic. He says that at times he found himself devoid of
impulse or capacity for mental activity, when suddenly by the coming of the
Spirit of God, his intellect was rendered very fruitful: "and sometimes
when I have come to my work empty I have suddenly become full, ideas being,
in an invisible manner, showered upon me and implanted in me from on high; so
that through the influence of Divine inspiration I have become greatly
excited and have known neither the place in which I was, nor those who were
present, nor myself, nor what I was saying, nor what I was writing,"
etc. (Migrations of Abraham, vii). In
Philo, as in the non-canonical literature generally, we find little
metaphysical teaching as to the Spirit and His relations to the Godhead. On
this point there is no material advance over the Old Testament teaching. The
agency of the Holy Spirit in shaping and maintaining the physical universe
and as the source of man's capacities and powers is clearly recognized in
Philo. In Philo, as in Josephus, the conception of inspiration as the
complete occupation and domination of the prophet's mind by the Spirit of
God, even to the extent of suspending the operation of the natural powers,
comes clearly into view. This is rather in contrast with, than in conformity
to, the Old Testament and New Testament conception of inspiration, in which
the personality of the prophet remains intensely active while under the
influence of the Spirit, except possibly in cases of vision and trance. |
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From http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T4399
In
the New Testament there is unusual symmetry and completeness of teaching as to
the work of the Spirit of God in relation to the Messiah Himself, and to the
founding of the Messianic kingdom. The simplest mode of presentation will be to
trace the course of the progressive activities of the Spirit, or teachings
regarding these activities, as these are presented to us in the New Testament
literature as we now have it, so far as the nature of the subject will permit.
This will, of course, disturb to some extent the chronological order in which
the New Testament books were written, since in some cases, as in John's Gospel,
a very late book contains early teachings as to the Spirit.
1.
In Relation to the Person and Work of Christ:
(1)
Birth of Jesus.
In
Matthew 1:18 Mary is found with
child "of the Holy Spirit" (ek pneumatos hagiou); an angel tells
Joseph that that "which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit"
(1:20), all of which is declared to be in fulfillment of the prophecy that a
virgin shall bring forth a son whose name shall be called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). In Luke 1:35 the angel says to Mary that
the Holy Spirit (pneuma hagion) shall come upon her, and the power of the Most
High (dunamis Hupsistou) shall overshadow her. Here "Holy Spirit" and
"power of the Most High" are parallel expressions meaning the same
thing; in the one case emphasizing the Divine source and in the other the
holiness of "the holy thing which is begotten" (
It
is clear from the foregoing that the passages in Matthew and Luke mean to set
forth, first, the supernatural origin, and secondly, the sinlessness of the
babe born of Mary. The act of the Holy Spirit is regarded as creative, although
the words employed signify "begotten" or "born" (gennethen,
Matthew 1:20; and gennomenon, Luke 1:35). There is no hint in
the stories of the nativity concerning the pretemporal existence of Christ.
This doctrine was developed later. Nor is there any suggestion of the
immaculate conception or sinlessness of Mary, the mother of our Lord. Dr. C.A.
Briggs has set forth a theory of the sinlessness of Mary somewhat different
from the Roman Catholic view, to the effect that the Old Testament prophecies
foretell the purification of the Davidic line, and that Mary was the culminating
point in the purifying process, who thereby became sinless (Incarnation of the
Lord, 230-34). This, however, is speculative and without substantial Biblical
warrant. The sinlessness of Jesus was not due to the sinlessness of His mother,
but to the Divine origin of His human nature, the Spirit of God.
In
Hebrews 10:5 the writer makes
reference to the sinless body of Christ as affording a perfect offering for
sins. No direct reference is made to the birth of Jesus, but the origin of His
body is ascribed to God (Hebrews 10:5), though not
specifically to the Holy Spirit.
(2)
Baptism of Jesus.
The
New Testament records give us very little information regarding the growth of
Jesus to manhood. In Luke 2:40 a picture is given of
the boyhood, exceedingly brief, but full of significance. The "child grew,
and waxed strong, filled with wisdom (m "becoming full of wisdom"):
and
the grace of God was upon him." Then follows the account
of the visit to the temple. Evidently in all these experiences, the boy
is under the influence and guidance of the Spirit. This alone would supply an
adequate explanation, although Luke does not expressly name the Spirit as the
source of these particular experiences. The Spirit's action is rather assumed.
Great
emphasis, however, is given to the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus at His
baptism. Matthew 3:16 declares that after
His baptism "the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending as a dove, and coming upon him." Mark 1:10 repeats the statement in
substantially equivalent terms. Luke 3:22 declares that the Spirit
descended in "bodily form, as a dove" (somatiko eidei hos
peristeran). In John 1:32,33 the Baptist testifies
that he saw the Spirit descending upon Jesus as a dove out of heaven, and that
it abode upon Him, and, further, that this descent of the Spirit was the mark
by which he was to recognize Jesus as "he that baptizeth in the Holy
Spirit."
We
gather from these passages that at the baptism there was a new communication of
the Spirit to Jesus in great fullness, as a special anointing for His Messianic
vocation. The account declares that the dovelike appearance was seen by Jesus
as well as John, which is scarcely compatible with a subjective experience
merely. Of course, the dove here is to be taken as a symbol, and not as an
assertion that God's Spirit assumed the form of a dove actually. Various
meanings have been assigned to the symbol. One connects it with the creative
power, according to a Gentileusage; others with the speculative philosophy of
Alexandrian Judaism, according to which the dove symbolized the Divine wisdom
or reason. But the most natural explanation connects the symbolism of the dove
with the brooding or hovering of the Spirit in Genesis 13. In this new spiritual creation of humanity, as
in the first physical creation, the Spirit of God is the energy through which
the work is carried on. Possibly the dove, as a living organism, complete in
itself, may suggest the totality and fullness of the gift of the Spirit to
Jesus. At Pentecost, on the contrary, the Spirit is bestowed distributively and
partially at least to individuals as such, as suggested by the cloven tongues
as of fire which "sat upon each one of them" (Acts 2:3). John 3:34 emphasizes the fullness
of the bestowal upon Jesus:
"For
he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit
by measure." In the witness of the Baptist the permanence of the anointing
of Jesus is declared: "Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit
descending, and abiding" (
It
is probable that the connection of the bestowal of the Spirit with water
baptism, as seen later in the Book of Acts, is traceable to the reception of
the Spirit by Jesus at His own baptism. Baptism in the Spirit did not supersede
water baptism.
The
gift of the Spirit in fullness to Jesus at His baptism was no doubt His formal
and public anointing for His Messianic work (Acts 10:38). The baptism of Jesus
could not have the same significance with that of sinful men. For the symbolic cleansing from sin had no meaning for the sinless
one. Yet as an act of formal public consecration it was appropriate to
the Messiah. It brought to a close His private life and introduced Him to His
public Messianic career. The conception of an anointing for public service was
a familiar one in the Old Testament writings and applied to the priest (Exodus 28:41; 40:13; Leviticus 4:3,5,16; 6:20,22); to kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 15:1; 16:3,13); sometimes to prophets (1 Kings 19:16; compare Isaiah 61:1; Psalms 2:2; 20:6). These anointings were with
oil, and the oil came to be regarded as a symbol of the Spirit of God.
The
anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit qualified Him in two particulars for
His Messianic office.
(a)
It was the source of His own endowments of power for the endurance of
temptation, for teaching, for casting out demons, and healing the sick, for His
sufferings and death, for His resurrection and ascension. The question is often
raised, why Jesus, the Divine one, should have needed the Holy Spirit for His
Messianic vocation. The reply is that His human nature, which was real,
required the Spirit's presence. Man, made in God's image, is constituted in
dependence upon the Spirit of God. Apart from God's Spirit man fails of his
true destiny, simply because our nature is constituted as dependent upon the
indwelling Spirit of God for the performance of our true functions. Jesus as
human, therefore, required the presence of God's Spirit, notwithstanding His
Divine-human consciousness.
(b)
The Holy Spirit's coming upon Jesus in fullness also qualified Him to bestow
the Holy Spirit upon His disciples. John the Baptist especially predicts that
it is He who shall baptize in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mr 18; Luke 3:16; see also John 20:22; Matthew 4:1 we are told that Jesus
was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Mark 1:12 declares in his graphic
way that after the baptism "straightway the Spirit driveth (ekballei) him
forth into the wilderness." Luke 4:1 more fully declares that Jesus was "full of
the Holy Spirit," and that He was "led in the Spirit in the
wilderness during 40 days." The impression which the narratives of the temptation
give is of energetic spiritual conflict. As the Messiah confronted His life
task He was subject to the ordinary conditions of other men in an evil world.
Not by sheer divinity and acting from without as God, but as human also and a
part of the world, He must overcome, so that while He was sinless, it was
nevertheless true that the righteousness of Jesus was also an achieved
righteousness. The temptations were no doubt such as were peculiar to His
Messianic vocation, the misuse of power, the presumption of faith and the
appeal of temporal splendor. To these He opposes the restraint of power, the
poise of faith and the conception of a kingdom wholly spiritual in its origin,
means and ends. Jesus is hurled, as it were, by the Spirit into this terrific
conflict with the powers of evil, and His conquest, like the temptations
themselves, was not final, but typical and representative. It is a mistake to
suppose that the temptations of Jesus ended at the close of the forty days.
Later in His ministry, He refers to the disciples as those who had been with
Him in His temptations (Luke 22:28). The temptations
continued throughout His life, though, of course, the wilderness temptations
were the severest test of all, and the victory there contained in principle and
by anticipation later victories. Comment has been made upon the absence of
reference to the Holy Spirit's influence upon Jesus in certain remarkable
experiences, which in the case of others would ordinarily have been traced
directly to the Spirit, as in Luke 11:14, etc. (compare the
article by James Denney in DCG, I, 732, 734). Is it not true, however, that the
point of view of the writers of the Gospels is that Jesus is always under the
power of the Spirit? At His baptism, in the temptation, and at the beginning of
His public ministry (Luke 4:14) very special stress is
placed upon the fact. Thenceforward the Spirit's presence and action are
assumed. From time to time, reference is made to the Spirit for special
reasons, but the action of the Spirit in and through Jesus is always assumed.
(4) Public Ministry of Jesus.
Here
we can select only a few points to illustrate a much larger truth. The writers
of the Gospels, and especially Luke, conceived of the entire ministry of Jesus
as under the power of the Holy Spirit. After declaring that Jesus was
"full of the Holy Spirit" and that He was led about by the Spirit in
the wilderness forty days in 4:1, he declares, in
"And
he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." Then, as if to
complete his teaching as to the relation of the Spirit to Jesus, he narrates
the visit to Nazareth and the citation by Jesus in the synagogue there of
Isaiah's words beginning, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," with
the detailed description of His Messianic activity, namely, preaching to the
poor, announcement of release to the captives, recovering of sight to the
blind, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus proclaims the
fulfillment of this prophecy in Himself (Luke 4:21). In Matthew 12:18 a citation from Isaiah 42:1-3 is given in
connection with the miraculous healing work of Jesus. It is a passage of
exquisite beauty and describes the Messiah as a quiet and unobtrusive and
tender minister to human needs, possessed of irresistible power and infinite
patience. Thus the highest Old Testament ideals as to the operations of the
Spirit of God come to realization, especially in the public ministry of Jesus.
The comprehensive terms of the description make it incontestably clear that the
New Testament writers thought of the entire public life of Jesus as directed by
the Spirit of God. We need only to read the evangelic records in order to fill
in the details.
The
miracles of Jesus were wrought through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Occasionally He is seized as it were by a sense of the urgency of His work in
some such way as to impress beholders with the presence of a strange power
working in Him. In one case men think He is beside Himself (Mark 3:21); in another they are
impressed with the authoritativeness of His teaching (Mark 1:22); in another His intense
devotion to His task makes Him forget bodily needs (John 4:31); again men think He has
a demon (John 8:48); at one time He is
seized with a rapturous joy when the 70 return from their successful
evangelistic tour, and Luke declares that at that hour Jesus rejoiced in the
Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21; compare Matthew 11:25). This whole passage
is a remarkable one, containing elements which point to the Johannine
conception of Jesus, on which account Harnack is disposed to discredit it at
certain points (Sayings of Jesus, 302). One of the most impressive aspects of
this activity of Jesus in the Spirit is its suppressed intensity. Nowhere is
there lack of self-control. Nowhere is there evidence of a coldly didactic
attitude, on the one hand, or of a loose rein upon the will, on the other.
Jesus is always an intensely human Master wrapped in Divine power. The miracles
contrast strikingly with the miracles of the apocryphal gospels. In the latter all
sorts of capricious deeds of power are ascribed to Jesus as a boy. In our
Gospels, on the contrary, no miracle is wrought until after His anointing with
the Spirit at baptism.
A
topic of especial interest is that of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus
cast out demons by the power of God's Spirit. In Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:28; Luke 12:10, we have the
declaration that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unpardonable sin. Mark
particularizes the offense of the accusers of Jesus by saying that they said of
Jesus, "He hath an unclean spirit." The blasphemy against the Spirit
seems to have been not merely rejection of Jesus and His words, which might be
due to various causes. It was rather the sin of ascribing works of Divine mercy
and power-works which had all the marks of their origin in the goodness of God--to
a diabolic source. The charge was that He cast out devils by Beelzebub the
prince of devils. We are not to suppose that the unpardonable nature of the sin
against the Holy Spirit was due to anything arbitrary in God's arrangements
regarding sin. The moral and spiritual attitude involved in the charge against
Jesus was simply a hopeless one. It presupposed a warping or wrenching of the
moral nature from the truth in such degree, a deep-seated malignity and
insusceptibility to Divine influences so complete, that no moral nucleus
remained on which the forgiving love of God might work.
See
BLASPHEMY.
(5)
Death, Resurrection and Pentecostal Gift.
It
is not possible to give here a complete outline of the activities of Jesus in
the Holy Spirit. We observe one or two additional points as to the relations of
the Holy Spirit to Him. In Hebrews 9:14 it is declared that
Christ "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto
God," and in Romans 1:4, Paul says He was
"declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (compare also Romans 8:11).
As
already noted, John the Baptist gave as a particular designation of Jesus that
it was He who should baptize with the Holy Spirit, in contrast with his own
baptism in water. In John 20:22, after the resurrection
and before the ascension, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said
"Receive ye the Holy Spirit." There was
probably a real communication of the Spirit in this act of Jesus in
anticipation of the outpouring in fullness on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 1:2 it is declared that He gave commandment through the
Holy Spirit, and in 1:5 it is predicted by Him that the disciples should
"be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence"; and in 1:8 it
is declared, "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon
you."
It
is clear from the preceding that in the thought of the New Testament writers
Jesus is completely endued with the power of the. Holy
Spirit. It is in large measure the Old Testament view of the Spirit;
that is to say, the operation of the Spirit in and through Jesus is chiefly
with a view to His official Messianic work, the charismatic Spirit imparting
power rather than the Spirit for holy living merely. Yet there is a difference
between the Old Testament and New Testament representations here. In the Old
Testament the agency of the Spirit is made very prominent when mighty works are
performed by His power. In the Gospels the view is concentrated less upon the
Spirit than upon Jesus Himself, though it is always assumed that He is acting
in the power of the Spirit. In the case of Jesus also, the moral quality of His
words and deeds is always assumed.
2.
The Holy Spirit in the
Our
next topic in setting forth the New Testament teaching is the Holy Spirit in
relation to the
(1)
Synoptic Teachings.
We
consider briefly the synoptic teachings as to the Holy Spirit in relation to
the
If
we who are evil give good gifts to our children, how much more shall the
"heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." This is
a variation from the parallel passage in Mt (
(2)
In the Writings of John
In
the Gospel of John there is a more elaborate presentation of the office and
work of the Holy Spirit, particularly in John 14-17. Several earlier
passages, however, must be noticed. The passage on the new birth in John 3:5 we notice first. The
expression, "except one be born of water and the Spirit," seems to
contain a reference to baptism along with the action of the Spirit of God
directly on the soul. In the light of other New Testament teachings, however,
we are not warranted in ascribing saving efficacy to baptism here. The
"birth," in so far as it relates to baptism, is symbolic simply, not
actual. The outward act is the fitting symbolic accompaniment of the spiritual
regeneration by the Spirit. Symbolism and spiritual fact move on parallel
lines. The entrance into the kingdom is symbolically effected
by means of baptism, just as the "new birth" takes place symbolically
by the same means.
In
John 6:51 we have the very
difficult words attributed to Jesus concerning the eating of His flesh and the
drinking of His blood. The disciples were greatly distressed by these words, and in 6:63 Jesus insists that "it is the spirit
that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing." One's view of the meaning
of this much-discussed passage will turn largely on his point of view in
interpreting it. If he adopts the view that John is reading back into the
record much that came later in the history, the inference will probably follow
that Jesus is here referring to the Lord's Supper. If on the other hand it is
held that John is seeking to reproduce substantially what was said, and to
convey an impression of the actual situation, the reference to the Supper will
not be inferred. Certainly the language fits the later teaching in the
establishment of the Supper, although John omits a detailed account of the
Supper. But Jesus was meeting a very real situation in the carnal spirit of the
multitude which followed Him for the loaves and fishes. His deeply mystical
words seem to have been intended to accomplish the result which followed,
namely, the separation of the true from the false disciples. There is no
necessary reference to the Lord's Supper specifically, therefore, in His words.
Spiritual meat and drink, not carnal, are the true food of man. He Himself was
that food, but only the spiritually susceptible would grasp His meaning. It is
difficult to assign any sufficient reason why Jesus should have here referred
to the Supper, or why John should have desired to introduce such reference into
the story at this stage.
In
John 7:37 we have a saying of
Jesus and its interpretation by John which accords with the synoptic reference
to a future baptism in the Holy Spirit to be bestowed by Jesus:
"He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow
rivers of living water." John adds: "But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believed on him were to receive: for
the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified." No
doubt John's Gospel is largely a reproduction of the facts and teachings of
Jesus in the evangelist's own words. This passage indicates, however, that John
discriminated between his own constructions of Christ's teachings and the
teachings themselves, and warns us against the custom of many exegetes who
broadly assume that John employed his material with slight regard for careful
and correct statement, passing it through his own consciousness in such manner
as to leave us his own subjective Gospel, rather than a truly historical
record. The ethical implications of such a process on John's part would
scarcely harmonize with his general tone and especially the teachings of his
Epistles. No doubt John's Gospel contains much meaning which he could not have
put into it prior to the coming of the Spirit. But what John seeks to give is
the teaching of Jesus and not his own theory of Jesus.
We
give next an outline of the teachings in the great John 14 to 17, the farewell discourse of Jesus. In
"He
shall bear witness of me," and yet more emphatically in
In
John 16:7-15 we have a very
important passage. Jesus declares to the anxious disciples that it is expedient
for Him to go away, because otherwise the Spirit will not come. "He, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of
sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (16:8). The term
translated "convict" (elegksei) involves a cognitive along with a
moral process. The Spirit who deals in truth, and makes His appeal through the
truth, shall convict, shall bring the mind on which He is working into a sense
of self-condemnation on account of sin. The word means more
than reprove, or refute, or convince. It signifies up to a certain point
a moral conquest of the mind:
"of sin, because they believe not on me" (16:9).
Unbelief is the root sin. The revelation of God in Christ is, broadly speaking,
His condemnation of all sin. The Spirit may convict of particular sins, but
they will all be shown to consist essentially in the rejection of God's love
and righteousness in Christ, i.e. in unbelief. "Of
righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more" (
We
may sum up the teachings as to the Spirit in these four chapters as follows:
He
is the Spirit of truth; He guides into all truth; He brings to memory Christ's
teachings; He shows things to come; He glorifies Christ; He speaks not of
Himself but of Christ; He, like believers, bears witness to Christ; He enables
Christians to do greater works than those of Christ; He convicts the world of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He comes because Christ goes away; He
is "another Comforter"; He is to abide with disciples forever.
These
teachings cover a very wide range of needs. The Holy Spirit is the subject of
the entire discourse. In a sense it is the counterpart of the Sermon on the
Mount. There the laws of the kingdom are expounded. Here the means of
realization of all the ends of that kingdom are presented. The kingdom now
becomes the kingdom of the Spirit. The historical revelation of truth in the
life, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus being completed, the
Spirit of truth comes in fullness. The gospel as history is now to become the
gospel as experience. The Messiah as a fact is now to become the Messiah as a
life through the Spirit's action. All the elements of the Spirit's action are
embraced:
the
charismatic for mighty works; the intellectual for guidance into truth; the
moral and spiritual for producing holy lives. This discourse transfers the
kingdom, so to speak, from the shoulders of the Master to those of the
disciples, but the latter are empowered for their tasks by the might of the
indwelling and abiding Spirit. The method of the kingdom's growth and advance
is clearly indicated as spiritual, conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, and obedient and holy lives of Christ's disciples.
Before
passing to the next topic, one remark should be made as to the Trinitarian
suggestions of these chapters in John. The personality of the Spirit is clearly
implied in much of the language here. It is true we have no formal teaching on
the metaphysical side, no ontology in the strict sense of the word. This fact
is made much of by writers who are slow to recognize the personality of the
Holy Spirit in the light of the teachings of John and Paul. These writers have
no difficulty, however, in asserting that the New Testament writers hold that
God is a personal being (see I. F. Woods, The Spirit of God in Biblical
Literature, 256, 268). It must be insisted, however, that in the New Testament,
as in the Old Testament, there is little metaphysics, little ontological
teaching as to God. His personality is deduced from the same kind of sayings as
those relating to the Spirit. From the ontological point of view, therefore, we
should also have to reject the personality of God on the basis of the Biblical
teachings. The Trinitarian formulations may not be correct at all points, but
the New Testament warrants the Trinitarian doctrine, just as it warrants belief
in the personality of God. We are not insisting on finding metaphysics in
Scripture where it is absent, but we do insist upon consistency in construing
the popular and practical language of Scripture as to the second and third as
well as the first Person of the Trinity.
We
add a few lines as to John's teachings in the Epistles and Revelation. In
general they are in close harmony with the teachings in his Gospel and do not
require extended treatment. The Spirit imparts assurance (1John 3:24); incites to confession
of Christ (1John 4:2); bears witness to Christ
(1John 5:6). In Revelation 1:4 the "seven Spirits" is an
expression for the completeness of the Spirit. The Spirit speaks to the
churches (1John 2:7,11;
3:6). The seer is "in the
Spirit" (1John 4:2). The Spirit joins the
church in the invitation of the gospel (1 John 2:17).
(3)
In Acts.
The
Book of Ac contains the record of the beginning of the Dispensation of the Holy
Spirit. There is at the outset the closest connection with the recorded predictions
of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels. Particularly does Luke make clear the
continuity of his own thought regarding the Spirit in his earlier and later writing. Jesus in the first chapter of Ac gives commandment
through the Holy Spirit and predicts the reception of power as the result of
the baptism in the Holy Spirit which the disciples are soon to receive.
The
form of the Spirit's activities in Ac is chiefly charismatic, that is, the
miraculous endowment of disciples with power or wisdom for their work in
extending the Messianic kingdom. As yet the work of the Spirit within disciples
as the chief sanctifying agency is not fully developed, and is later described
with great fullness in Paul's writings. Some recent writers have overemphasized
the contrast between the earlier and the more developed view of the Spirit with
regard to the moral life. In Ac the ethical import of the Spirit's action
appears at several points (see Acts 5:3,9;
7:51; 8:18; 13:9;
We
now proceed to give a brief summary of the Holy Spirit's activities as recorded
in Acts, and follow this with a discussion of one or two special points. The
great event is of course the outpouring or baptism of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost followed by the completion of the baptism in the Holy Spirit by the
baptism of the household of Cornelius (2:1;
The
presence of the Spirit and His immediate and direct superintendence of affairs
are seen in the fact that Ananias and Sapphira are represented as lying to the
Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,9); the Jews are charged
by Stephen with resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51); and Simon Magus is
rebuked for attempting to purchase the Spirit with money (Acts 8:18).
The
Holy Spirit is connected with the act of baptism, but there does not seem to be
any fixed order as between the two. In Acts 9:17 the Spirit comes before
baptism; and after baptism in
See
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
In
Ac the entire historical movement is represented by Luke as being under the
direction of the Spirit. He guides Philip to the Ethiopian and then
"catches away" Philip (
One
or two points require notice before passing from Acts. The impression we get of
the Spirit's action here very strongly suggests a Divine purpose moving on the
stage of history in a large and comprehensive way. In Jesus that purpose was
individualized. Here the supplementary thought of a vast historic movement is
powerfully suggested. Gunkel asserts that usually the Spirit's action is not
conceived by the subjects of it in terms of means (Mittel) and end (Zweck), but
rather as cause (Ursache) and activity (Wirkung) (see Die Wirkungen des
heiligen Geistes, etc., 20). There is an element of truth in this, but the idea
of purpose is by no means confined to the historian who later recorded the
Spirit's action. The actors in the spiritual drama were everywhere conscious of
the great movement of which they as individuals were a part. In some passages
the existence of purpose in the Spirit's action is clearly recognized, as in
His restraining of Paul at certain points and in the appointment of Saul and
Barnabas as missionaries. Divine purpose is indeed implied at all points, and
while the particular end in view was not always clear in a given instance, the
subjects of the Spirit's working were scarcely so naive in their apprehension
of the matter as to think of their experiences merely as so many extraordinary
phenomena caused in a particular way.
We
note next the glossolalia, or speaking with tongues, recorded in Acts 2, as well as in later chapters and in Paul's Epistles.
The prevailing view at present is that "speaking with tongues" does
not mean speaking actual intelligible words in a foreign language, but rather
the utterance of meaningless sounds, as was customary among the heathen and as
is sometimes witnessed today where religious life becomes highly emotional in
its manifestation. To support this view the account in Acts 2 is questioned, and Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 14 are cited. Of course a man's
world-view will be likely to influence his interpretation in this as in other
matters. Philosophically an antisupernatural world-view makes it easy to
question the glossolalia of the New Testament. Candid exegesis, however, rather
requires the recognition of the presence in the apostolic church of a speaking
in foreign tongues, even if alongside of it there existed (which is open to
serious doubt) the other phenomenon mentioned above. Acts 2:3 is absolutely conclusive taken by itself, and no valid
critical grounds have been found for rejecting the passage. 1 Corinthians 14 confirms this view when its most
natural meaning is sought. Paul is here insisting upon the orderly conduct of
worship and upon edification as the important thing. To this end he insists
that they who speak with tongues pray that they may also interpret (1 Corinthians 14:5; chapter
13). It is difficult to conceive what he means by "interpret" if the
speaking with tongues was a meaningless jargon of sounds uttered under
emotional excitement, and nothing more. Paul's whole exposition in this chapter
implies that "tongues" may be used for edification. He ranks it below
prophecy simply because without an interpreter "tongues" would not
edify the hearer. Paul himself spoke with tongues more than they all (1 Corinthians 14:18). It
seems scarcely in keeping with Paul's character to suppose that he refers here
to a merely emotional volubility in meaningless and disconnected sounds.
See
TONGUES,
(4)
In Paul's Writings.
The
teachings of Paul on the Holy Spirit are so rich and abundant that space
forbids an exhaustive presentation. In his writings the Biblical
representations reach their climax. Mr. Wood says correctly that Paul grasped
the idea of the unity of the Christian life. All the parts exist in a living
whole and the Holy Spirit constitutes and maintains it (Wood, The Spirit of God
in Biblical Literature, 268). In fact a careful study of Paul's teachings
discloses three parallel lines, one relating to faith, another to Christ, and
the third to the Holy Spirit. That is to say, his teachings coalesce, as it
were, point by point, in reference to these three subjects. Faith is the human
side of the Divine activity carried on by the Holy Spirit. Faith is therefore
implied in the Spirit's action and is the result of or response to it in its
various forms. But faith is primarily and essentially faith in Jesus Christ.
Hence, we find in Paul that Christ is represented as doing substantially
everything that the Spirit does. Now we are not to see in this any conflicting
conceptions as to Christ and the Spirit, but rather Paul's intense feeling of
the unity of the work of Christ and the Spirit. The "law" of the
Spirit's action is the revelation and glorification of Christ. In his Gospel, which came later, John, as we have seen, defined the
Spirit's function in precisely these terms. Whether or not John was
influenced by Paul in the matter we need not here consider.
(a)
The Spirit and Jesus
We
begin with a brief reference to the connection in Paul's thought between the
Spirit and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of God's Son (Romans 8:14; Galatians 4:6), as the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). He who confesses Jesus does so by the Holy
Spirit, and no one can say that Jesus is anathema in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Christ
is called a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45); and in 2 Corinthians 3:17 the
statement appears, "Now the Lord is the
Spirit." All of this shows how completely one Paul regarded the work of
Christ and the Spirit, not because they were identical in the sense in which
Beyschlag has contended, but because their task and aim being identical, there
was no sense of discord in Paul's mind in explaining their activities in
similar terms.
(b)
In Bestowing Charismatic Gifts
The
Spirit appears in Paul as in Ac imparting all kinds of charismatic gifts for
the ends of the Messianic kingdom. He enumerates a long list of spiritual gifts
which cannot receive separate treatment here, such as prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:19) ;
tongues (1 Corinthians 12-14); wisdom
(1 Corinthians 2:6); knowledge
(1 Corinthians 12:8); power to
work miracles (1 Corinthians 12:9);
discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10);
interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10); faith (1 Corinthians 12:9); boldness
in Christian testimony (2 Corinthians 3:17);
charismata generally (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 4:8, etc.). See SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
In addition to the above list, Paul especially emphasizes the Spirit's action
in revealing to himself and to Christians the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-12; Ephesians 3:5). He speaks in words
taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13). He
preaches in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
In
the above manifestations of the Spirit, as enumerated in Paul's writings, we
have presented in very large measure what we have already seen in Acts, but
with some additions. In 1 Corinthians 14 and elsewhere Paul gives a new view as
to the charismatic gifts which was greatly needed in
view of the tendency to extravagant and intemperate indulgence in emotional
excitement, due to the mighty action of God's Spirit in the Corinthian church.
He insists that all things be done unto edification, that spiritual growth is
the true aim of all spiritual endowments. This may be regarded as the
connecting link between the earlier and later New Testament teaching as to the
Holy Spirit, between the charismatic and moral-religious significance of the
Spirit. To the latter we now direct attention.
(c)
In the Beginnings of the Christian Life
We
note the Spirit in the beginnings of the Christian life. From beginning to end
the Christian life is regarded by Paul as under the power of the Holy Spirit,
in its inner moral and religious aspects as well as in its charismatic forms.
It is a singular fact that Paul does not anywhere expressly
declare that the Holy Spirit originates the Christian life. Gunkel is
correct in this so far as specific and direct teaching is concerned. But Wood
who asserts the contrary is also right, if regard is had to clear implications
and legitimate inferences from Paul's statements (op. cit., 202). Romans 8:2 does not perhaps refer to the act of
regeneration, and yet it is hard to conceive of the Christian life as thus
constituted by the "law of the Spirit of life" apart from its origin
through the Spirit. There are other passages which seem to imply very clearly,
if they do not directly assert, that the Christian life is originated by the
Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 6:11; Titus 3:5).
The
Holy Spirit in the beginnings of the Christian life itself is set forth in many
forms of statement. They who have the Spirit belong to Christ (Romans 8:9). We received not the Spirit of bondage but of
adoption, "whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15). "The Spirit
himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). The Spirit is
received by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:2). See also Romans 5:5; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 16:11; Galatians 3:3,14;
Ephesians 2:18. There are two or
three expressions employed by Paul which express some particular aspect of the
Spirit's work in believers. One of these is "first-fruits" (Romans 8:23, aparche), which means
that the present possession of the Spirit by the believer is the guarantee of
the full redemption which is to come, as the first-fruits were the guarantee of
the full harvest. Another of these words is "earnest" (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5, arrabon), which also means a
pledge or guarantee. Paul also speaks of the "sealing" of the
Christians with the Holy Spirit of promise, as in Ephesians 1:13 (esphragisthete,
"ye were sealed"). This refers to the seal by which a king stamped
his mark of authorization or ownership upon a document.
(d)
In the Religious and Moral Life
Paul
gives a great variety of expressions indicating the presence and activity of
the Holy Spirit in the religious and moral life of the Christian. In fact at every point that life is under the guidance and
sustaining energy of the Spirit. If we live after the flesh, we die; if
after the Spirit, we live (Romans 8:6). The Spirit helps the Christian to pray (Romans 8:26). The
Paul
contrasts the Spirit with the letter (2 Corinthians 3:6) and puts
strong emphasis on the Spirit as the source of Christian liberty. As Gunkel
points out, spirit and freedom with Paul are correlatives, like spirit and
life. Freedom must needs come of the Spirit's presence
because He is superior to all other authorities and powers (Die Wirkungen des
heiligen Geistes, etc., 95). See also an excellent passage on the freedom of
the Christian from statutory religious requirements in DCG,
article "Holy Spirit" by Dr. James Denney, I, 739.
(e)
In the Church.
Toward
the end of his ministry and in his later group of epistles, Paul devoted much
thought to the subject of the church, and one of his favorite figures was of
the church as the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is represented as animating
this body, as communicating to it life, and directing all its affairs. As in
the case of the individual believer, so also in the body of believers the
Spirit is the sovereign energy which rules completely. By one Spirit all are
baptized into one body and made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). All the
gifts of the church, charismatic and otherwise, are from the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4,8-11).
All spiritual gifts in the church are for edification (1 Corinthians 14:12). Prayer
is to be in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). The
church is to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). Love (Colossians 1:8); fellowship (Philippians 2:1); worship (Philippians 3:3) are in the
Spirit. The church is the habitation of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). The church is an epistle
of Christ written by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3). Thus the
whole life of the church falls under the operation of the Holy Spirit.
(f)
In the Resurrection of Believers
The
Spirit also carries on His work in believers in raising the body from the dead.
In Romans 8:11 Paul asserts that the
present indwelling in believers of the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the
dead is the guarantee of the quickening of their mortal bodies by the power of
the same Spirit. See also 1 Corinthians 15:44; Galatians 5:5.
We
have thus exhibited Paul's teachings as to the Holy Spirit in some detail in
order to make clear their scope and comprehensiveness. And we have not
exhausted the material supplied by his writings. It will be observed that Paul
nowhere elaborates a doctrine of the Spirit, as he does in a number of
instances his doctrine of the person of Christ. The references to the Spirit
are in connection with other subjects usually. This, however, only serves to
indicate how very fundamental the work of the Spirit was in Paul's assumptions
as to the Christian life. The Spirit is the Christian life, just as Christ is
that life.
The
personality of the Spirit appears in Paul as in John. The benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14
distinguishes clearly Father, Son and Spirit (compare also Ephesians 4:4). In many
connections the Spirit is distinguished from the Son and Father, and the work
of the Spirit is set forth in personal terms. It is true, references are often
made to the Holy Spirit by Paul as if the Spirit were an impersonal influence,
or at least without clearly personal attributes. This distinguishes his usage
as to the Spirit from that as to Christ and God, who are always personal. It is
a natural explanation of this fact if we hold that in the case of the
impersonal references we have a survival of the current Old Testament
conception of the Spirit, while in those which are personal we have the
developed conception as found in both Paul and John. Personal attributes are
ascribed to the Spirit in so many instances, it would
seem unwarranted in us to make the earlier and lower conception determinative
of the later and higher.
In
Paul's writings we have the crowning factor in the Biblical doctrine of the
Holy Spirit. He gathers up most of the preceding elements, and adds to them his
own distinctive teaching or emphasis. Some of the earlier Old Testament
elements are lacking, but all those which came earlier in the New Testament are
found in Paul. The three points which Paul especially brought into full
expression were first, the law of edification in the use of spiritual gifts,
second, the Holy Spirit in the moral life of the believer, and third, the Holy
Spirit in the church. Thus Paul enables us to make an important distinction as
to the work of the Spirit in founding the
(5)
The Holy Spirit in Other New Testament Writings.
There
is little to add to the New Testament teaching as to the Holy Spirit. Paul and
John practically cover all the aspects of His work which are presented. There
are a few passages, however, we may note in concluding Our general survey. In He the Holy Spirit is referred to a number of times as
inspiring the Old Testament Scriptures (Hebrews 3:7; 9:8; 10:15). We have already referred
to the remarkable statement in Hebrews 9:14 to the effect that
the blood of Christ was offered through the eternal Spirit. In
LITERATURE.
I.
F. Wood, The Spirit of God in Biblical Literature; article "Spiritual
Gifts" in EB; Gunkel, Die Wirkungen des heiligen Gelstea; Gloel, Der
heilige Geist in der Heilsverkundigung des Paulus; Wendt, Die Begriffe Fleisch
und Geist im biblischen Sprachgebrauch; Weinel, Die Wirkungen des Geistes und
der Geister; Dickson, Paul's Use of the Terms Flesh and Spirit; Smeaton,
Doctrine of the Holy Spirit; Walker, The Spirit and the Incarnation; Denio, The
Supreme Leader; Moberly, Administration of the Holy Spirit in the Body of
Christ; Hutchings, Person and Work of the Holy Spirit; Owen, Pneumatologia;
Webb, Person and Office of the Holy Spirit; Hare, The Mission of the Comforter;
Candlish, The Work of the Holy Spirit; Wirgman, The Sevenfold Gifts; Heber,
Personality and Offices of the Holy Spirit; Swete, The Holy Spirit in the New
Testament; Moule, Veni Creator; Johnson, The Holy Spirit Then and Now; Kuyper,
The Work of the Holy Spirit; Biblical Theologies of Schultz, Davidson, Weiss,
Beyschlag, Stevens; list appended to the article on "Holy Spirit" in
HDB and DCG; extensive bibliography in Denio's The Supreme Leader, 239.
E.
Y. Mullins
From http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T4400