THE
HOLY SPIRIT
Thomas
Paul Simmons
"There is
much confusion and error current in this day concerning the personality,
operations, and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Conscientious but misguided
scholars have held wrong views concerning this doctrine. It is vital to the
faith of every Christian that its Scriptural teaching be seen in its true light
and held in its right proportions" (Bancroft, Elemental Theology).
I.
THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In ascribing
personality to the Spirit we mean that He is not an impersonal energy,
influence, or emanation. He is a self-conscious, self-determined, willing,
feeling intelligence. "Personality may be said to exist where there is
found united in a single combination intelligence, emotion, and volition, or
self-consciousness and self-determination" (Bancroft, Elemental Theology).
That the Holy
Spirit is a person is proved by-
1. The Mention of
Him along with Other Members of the Trinity.
Matt. 28:19; 2
Cor. 13:14.
2. His Association
with Other Persons in Personal Relationship.
Acts 15:28.
3. The Ascription
to Him of Emotion and Volition.
1 Cor. 12:11; Eph.
4:30.
4. The Ascription
to Him of Personal Acts.
(1) He searches
the deep things of God.
1 Cor. 2: 10.
(2) He speaks.
Matt. 10:20; Acts
10:19,20; 13:2; Rev. 2:7. See also passages under inspiration where the Spirit
is said to have spoken by the prophets and other Scripture writers.
(3) He teaches.
Luke 12:12; John
14:26; 1 Cor. 2:13.
(4) He leads and
guides.
John 16:13; Rom.
8:14.
(5) He intercedes.
Rom. 8:26.
(6) He bestows
gifts.
1 Cor. 12:7-11.
(7) He calls men
to service.
Acts 13:2 and
20:28.
5. The
Representation of Him as being Affected as a Person by the Acts of Others.
(1) He may be
rebelled against and vexed or grieved.
Isa. 63:10; Eph.
4:30.
(2) He may be
blasphemed.
Matt. 12:31.
(3) He may be lied
to.
Acts 5:3.
6. The Use of the
Masculine Pronoun with Reference to Him.
In John 16:13,14
the Greek masculine pronoun "ekeinos" is used in alluding the Holy
Spirit. This is very significant since the Greek word for "spirit"
(pneuma) is neuter. Thus we see that the idea of the personality of the Spirit
is so strong that it here takes precedence over grammatical order. In Rom.
8:16.26, in a closer construction, the grammatical order is allowed to prevail.
This is true in other places also. However this does not annul, but rather
serves to emphasize, the setting aside of the grammatical order in the former
case.
7. The Application
of the Masculine Noun "Parakletos" to the Spirit.
"Parakletos"
is the Greek word for "Comforter" in John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7.
"The name
'parakletos' cannot be translated by 'comfort,' or be taken as the name of any
abstract influence. The Comforter, Instructor, Patron, Guide, Advocate, whom
this term brings before us, must be a person" (Strong, Systematic
Theology).
II.
THE RELATION OF PENTECOST TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. The Holy Spirit
Was in Existence Before Pentecost.
Gen. 1:2; Neh.
9:20; Psa. 51:11; Isa. 63:10; 2 Pet. 1:21. We have seen that the Holy Spirit,
as a member of the Trinity, is coeternal with the Father.
2. He had Access
to the Earth and Operated in Man Before Pentecost.
See all passages
immediately above that follow the first passage.
3. He Came on the
Day of Pentecost in Special Capacity.
This explains the
meaning of Christ's promise to send the Spirit. This special capacity was:
(1) Perhaps as the
antitype of the Shekinah.
Num. 9:15-22; 2
Chron. 7:1-3. The Shekinah, in the case of the tabernacle, was for leadership,
and in the case of the temple it was a symbol of ownership and possession. The
coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost meant both of these to the church.
(2) In fulfillment
of prophecy and promise.
Joel 2:28; Matt.
3:11. We do not hold, however, that the day of Pentecost marked the complete
and ultimate fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. This day saw only a partial and
spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy. Indeed Peter's words need be understood
as meaning no more than that the thing being witnessed on that day was the same
in kind as that of which Joel had foretold. The literal, ultimate, and complete
fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32 will come in the conversion of the Jewish nation at
the second coming of Christ. See Zech. 12:9-11; 13:8,9; Rom. 11:26.
(3) To empower the
church.
Acts 1:4,8.
(4) As the abiding
comforter and teacher of believers.
John 14:16,17; 1
John 2:20,27.
In John 14:17 note
that Jesus told the disciples that the Spirit "dwelleth WITH you, and shall
be IN you." Here the two tenses- present and future, and the two
prepositions- with and in are significant. As already noted, before Pentecost
the Holy Spirit had access to the earth. He was God's agent in creation. He
inspired the prophets. He even came upon such wicked men as King Saul and
Balaam. He also regenerated men. But an inseparable union between the soul of
the believer and the Holy Spirit was not formed then as it is now. (This
inseparable union as now formed is clearly shown in John 7:37-39; Rom. 8:26;
Eph. 1:13,14; 4:30.) While, by the special dispensation of God, the Spirit was
in the prophets (1 Pet. 1:11); yet, as a rule, He was only WITH the people of
God until the day of Pentecost. This is further shown by John 7:37-39. Note
John's explanation that the blessing promised by Christ could be fulfilled only
when the Holy Spirit had been given, manifestly alluding to Pentecost. Even the
presence of the Spirit WITH God's people before Pentecost was not necessarily
permanent. His presence could be forfeited then by sin. Thus it was that David
prayed: "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psa. 51: 11). Before the
day of Pentecost, believers could have the Holy Spirit through prayer. Luke
11:13. But after the day of Pentecost, as we shall note more at length later,
there is no indication that believers should or did ask for the Holy Spirit. He
now abides constantly and inseparably in believers. (John 20:21,22 must be
considered exceptional, because the recipients of the Spirit were apostles, or
anticipatory of Pentecost.)
(5) To convince
the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
John 16:8-11. We
hold this passage as referring primarily to an indirect work of the Spirit. For
the difference between the direct and indirect work of the Spirit see later
under the treatment of His work in the lost.
4. His Coming on
Pentecost was Dispensational and Final.
There is
absolutely nothing to justify the belief that Pentecost is to be repeated in
the experience of each believer. It came in fulfillment of definite and
particular prophecy and promise. It marked the beginning of the special
dispensation of the Spirit.
Pentecostalism is
the most absurd nonsense. One might as well talk of a repetition of the
resurrection and ascension of Christ as to talk of a repetition of Pentecost.
Pentecost has never been and never will be repeated. The occurrence in the
house of Cornelius was merely supplemental to Pentecost (Acts 10:44-47), and
was brought about that Peter might know that believing Gentiles were received
of God on the same footing as believing Jews.
5. Since Pentecost
the Holy Spirit Enters Every Believer at Conversion and Never Departs.
John 7:38,39; Acts
19:2 (R. V.); Rom. 8:9; Gal. 3:2; 4:6; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; Jude 19-20.
It is folly for
the believer to pray for the Holy Spirit, though he may pray for His power and
fullness. Neither does the believer need to pray that God will not take the
Holy Spirit from him; for, though the believer may grieve the Spirit and quench
Him (1 Thess. 5:19)- refuse His impulses; nevertheless, the believer is
permanently sealed by the presence of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
6. The Believer,
therefore, Should Seek Neither the Presence nor the Baptism of the Spirit, but
His Fullness.
Eph. 5: 18.
We have shown that
each believer has the Spirit. It now remains only to be remarked that there is
no warrant in Scripture for affirming a baptism of the Spirit today either in
or after regeneration. The Scripture is silent on the notion of a baptism of
the Spirit for this day. The passage usually referred to, to substantiate a
baptism of the Spirit in regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13) refers to water baptism.
See its treatment under water baptism.
The believer has
all of the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit does not usually have all of the
believer. His presence is an expansive one. He fills so much of the believer as
is emptied of selfishness and sin. Thus the exhortation to be filled with the
Spirit is an exhortation to surrender completely to Him. The more completely He
fills us the greater will be the manifestation of His power in our lives (Acts
6:3-5; 11:24). The evidence of the fullness of the Spirit will be found in the
fruit of the Spirit. See Gal. 5:22,23.
III.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. His Work in General.
(1) He was the
agent of God in creation.
Gen. 1: 2.
(2) He inspired
the Scripture writers.
2 Pet. 1:21. See
other passages under discussion of verbal inspiration.
(3) He is, in
general, the agent of God in all God's works.
Job 33:4; Psa.
104:29,30; Isa. 40:7; Luke 1:35; Acts 10:38.
2. His Work in the
Lost.
(1) His indirect
work in the lost.
By the indirect
work of the Spirit in the lost we mean such work as He performs mediately
through the Word and not immediately by personal impact upon the soul. Any work
produced by the Word is a work of the Spirit, for He is the author of the Word.
This is proved by Acts 7:51,52, where the resisting of the word spoken by the
prophets is said to be resisting the Holy spirit.
In the indirect
work of the Spirit in the lost He-
A. Strives with
them.
Gen. 6:3. This
striving is done through men, such as Enoch and Noah, in the preaching of the
Word.
To use Gen. 6:3,
as many preachers do, to prove that the Holy Spirit strives directly and
immediately with all sinners today and that He can be compelled to withdraw
because of man's refusal to yield, is to misuse it inexcusably. The passage
makes no allusion to the direct work of the Spirit, and it does not remotely
suggest that a man can drive the Spirit away. The passage simply means the
indirect ministry of Spirit for that generation was to continue for only one
hundred and twenty years longer; this being the length of time that would
elapse before the destruction of that generation in the flood.
B. He convinces
them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
John 16:8-11. The
presence and operations of the Spirit in the world, as one who came to take the
place and carry forward the work of a rejected and crucified Christ, constitute
a potential convincing of sin. Had Christ been an imposter, His promise of the
Spirit would not have been fulfilled. It is as though the ghost (spirit) of a
man should come back to haunt his murderers and to carry on the work that the
murderers had tried so vainly to end. Such would tend to convince the murderers
of their guilt and witness to the righteousness of the man they had killed.
Thus it is with
the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6). And thus it is that
the Holy Spirit gives evidence of the righteousness of Christ by manifesting
that He has gone to the Father and by manifesting that He is thus seen to have
triumphed over Satan, who sought in every way to prevent the purpose of God
through Christ. By this means He convinces men of the sin of rejecting Christ,
and of the certainty of judgment to all that remain in league with Satan,
because Satan is already judged (John 12:31). "This judgment of Satan was
secured at the cross and he was potentially rendered powerless"
(Bancroft).
Let it be noted
that the Holy Spirit in His convincing or convicting work, "convicts, not
primarily of the sin of lawbreaking, but of the sin of unbelief, 'of sin,
because they, believe not on me.' (Acts 2:36-37). As all sin has its root in
unbelief, so the most aggravated form of unbelief is the rejection of Christ.
The Spirit, however, in fastening this truth upon the conscience, does not
extinguish, but, on the contrary, consummates and intensifies the sense of all other
sins" (Bancroft, Elemental Theology).
We call special
attention to this last sentence above. Many would have it that unbelief is the
only damning sin. Some would even say that this is all that men will suffer for
in hell. Such a notion is abundantly contradicted by the Bible. See Rom. 2:5,6;
7:7-11; Gal. 3:10,24; 1 John 3:4; Rev. 20:12. The Spirit does not merely
convict of the sin of unbelief, but of sin because of unbelief. That is, He
shows men their sinful condition by causing them to see that they are rejecting
the Christ of God, thus showing rebellion against God. Unbelief is the
principal symptom of the disease of sin, whose essence is lawlessness.
The indirect work
of the Spirit, not only may be resisted, but is constantly resisted by sinners.
Sinners do nothing else but resist the Spirit until the Spirit, by direct and
personal impact upon the soul, quickens the dead sinner into life. This as already indicated,
explains Acts 7:51,52.
(2) His direct
work in the lost.
We refer here to
regeneration. Regeneration is instantaneous. It cannot be otherwise, for there
can be no such thing as a man being partly alive and partly dead from a
spiritual standpoint. It is for that reason that we put conviction before
regeneration.
Sinners show evidence
of varying degrees of conviction through periods of varying lengths. Of course, it is only in the moment of
regeneration that conviction reaches its highest intensity. The indirect work
of the Spirit in conviction is brought to instantaneous completion in the
moment that the dead soul is quickened into life. But conviction exists before
the quickening. See Paul's experience, Acts 26:14. See also and compare Acts
2:37. Note that in the parable of the dry bones in the valley (Ezek. 37:1-10)
there was an effect produced by preaching before the Spirit (symbolized by
breath) came upon them. This illustrates the indirect work of the Spirit in
conviction prior to quickening.
The direct work of
the Spirit in regeneration is irresistible. This does not mean that the Spirit
violates the will. He simply works back of the will. Regeneration takes place
in "regions of the soul below consciousness" (Strong). It is the
means by which our wills are conformed to God's will strictly according to the
laws of the will and its action. See chapter on free-agency of man.
Regeneration is irresistible because it is a work of God, and is not dependent
upon the will of men (John 1:12,13). It is in regeneration that God enables men
to come to Christ (John 6:65). It is thus that He gives over His elect to
Christ (John 6:37). Regeneration is the drawing referred to in John 6:44,45, in
its consummation. Man can do nothing pleasing to God while spiritually dead,
being in the flesh (Rom. 8:7,8). But when quickened into life he is certain to
act in general harmony with the will of God (1 John 5:4; 3:9). Thus
regeneration is necessarily irresistible.
3. His Work in the
Saved.
We have seen
already that the Spirit indwells every believer. This indwelling is in order to
the accomplishing of a work in believers. The work consists of-
(1) Giving
assurance of salvation. Rom. 8:16; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14. The Spirit not only
witnesses to believers of present sonship, but gives assurance of final
salvation. It is in this latter sense in which the work of the Spirit is an
"earnest," which means a pledge, a part of the purchase price paid in
advance as a guarantee that the transaction will be completed. The presence of
the Spirit in our hearts affords us a foretaste of Heaven and is a guarantee of
our receiving the inheritance "incorruptible and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven" for us "who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last
time" (1 Pet. 1:4,5).
(2) Comforting,
teaching, and illuminating.
John 16:7; 1 Cor.
2:9-12; Eph. 1:17; 1 John 2:20,27.
(3) Leading in
obedience and service.
Rom. 8:14; Gal.
5:16; Acts 8:27,29; Heb. 8:10.
(4.) Calling to
special service.
Acts 13:2,4.
"The Holy Spirit not only directs the general tenor of the Christian life,
but He calls men out for special work, such as missions, the ministry,
teaching, etc."
"This passage
does not tell us how the Spirit calls men, presumably because He does not
always call men in the same way. It is for us to be willing to be called, to
desire it, and then to wait for the Holy Spirit to call us. He does not call
all to foreign missionary work, though every Christian should be willing to
answer that call. He does, however, call every Christian to some field of
service, and will lead him, if yielded, to that specific field"
(Bancroft).
(5) Distributing
spiritual gifts.
1 Cor. 12:4-11.
Note that "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man (that is,
every saved man) to profit withal (1 Cor. 12:7). No saved man may truthfully
say, therefore, that he is devoid of spiritual ability in the service of the
Lord.
(6) Empowering in
service.
Acts 1:8; 1 Cor.
2:4; 1 Thess. 1:5.
(7) Making
fruitful.
Gal. 5:22-25.
(8) Inditing
prayer and interceding.
Rom. 8:26,27; Gal.
4:6.
(9) Moving to
worship.
Phil. 3:3 (R. V.).
It has been said, "In our prayers we are taken up with our needs, in our
thanksgiving we are taken up with our blessings, but in our worship we are
taken up with God Himself."
(10) Finally
quickening the believer's body.
Rom. 8:11-23.