Week 1
What is it, Person or not? Origins of in words, ect…
The word Pneumatology comes from the words pneuma(wind/spirit) and ology(study of) and refers to the study of the Holy Spirit. An example is “Pneumatic” as in “Air” tools. In Christian systematic theology, Pneumatology is the branch of study that investigates what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit.
Who/What Is the Holy Spirit?: The Person of the Holy Spirit has been subject to a lot of discussion and debate throughout the history of the church. The Bible mentions the Holy Spirit synonymously with God… and Jesus commands His followers to be baptized in the name [singularity] of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Scholars point out that these and other teachings help us understand that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Triune Godhead; the Trinity…3 in 1.
So, number one is then, according to scripture[this one scripture alone solidifies it for me], that the Holy Spirit is a person, it has an identity and is equal to and in accordance with the Father and the Son’s will respectively.
>>>What is the most familiar gift associated with the filling of The Holy Spirit?
Speaking in tongues, right? The formal name for it is called “Glossolalia”. I do want to cover it, just briefly though, since it is not the Holy Spirit per say, simply an affect of having Him/it upon you.
Speaking in tongues is described in scripture and there are different beliefs on how it affects people and what it sounds like. However all who believe in it call it miraculous and a Spiritual gift from God.
What I have read and understand about tongues is that God gives insight to people to utterences that elude to things like: things to come/things happening now to those around them/prophetic warnings and Spiritual blessings. Tongues can be both real unlearned languages like Latin or Russian or Chinese OR they can be what is called “language of the Spirit” or “Heavenly language” or “The Language of Angels”.
What I will do, before moving on, is give you some scriptures to look up and decide for yourselves what the Bible says on it and who gets it and the type of language it is.
Mark 16:17
Acts 2
Acts 10:46
Acts 19:6
1 Corinthians 12-14 AND for an OT example…
Isaiah 28:11
Whether or not you advocate for it or you are a cessationist in what it is now versus in the 1st century, there is no doubt that speaking in tongues is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps personal study will better define it in your heart.
We have seen in scripture that the Holy Spirit is a person, so I will refer to the Holy Spirit as a “Him”, although “Ruach” in reference to the Holy Spirit is feminine, either way the personhood remains. In keeping with this idea, some refer to Him as “God’s active force” in the world, but with this there is what we must steer clear of. What I’m referring to is “Gnosticism”, meaning some hidden knowledge aside from scripture is gained through the work of the Holy Spirit. That cannot be, the Holy Spirit would never offer man anything other or apart from scripture; the Holy Spirit is by nature one with the Father and son, therefore nothing different can come from him that would come from the other two of the trinity. A great example is the way certain groups claimed to have secret knowledge of God was in some early communities of faith. Some early communities of faith thought that Salvation came through spiritual knowledge, apart from the obedience that such spiritual knowledge should produce. The apostle John considered their error so great that he wrote in his letter about it. It’s in 1 John 4:3 where he says
“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that doesn’t is not from Him.”
This brings me to a very important aspect of what we define as the Holy Spirit; I’ve already briefly notated it, but it lies in what scripture says about Him, not what our nature says about him. The Holy Spirit is not the “god” within us which we possess, nor is he some amorphous [without a clear defined shape] “feeling” or “active force”. These views denigrate who he is and we have to steer clear of it and reject it.
His personhood has one other evidence today. Jesus said he would send “another” in his place [John 14:16]. The word he used was “Allosin” [Greek] and it refers to another just like Jesus. We can surmise that since Jesus was clearly a person, the Holy Spirit is just as much one. Jesus also refered to the Holy Spirit as a “Parakletos”, [defined as “enabler, encourager, comforter, ect…]. This requires him to be a person since the functions of a “Parakletos” are personal/ Jesus was a “Parakletos” to the disciples.
>>>How is He different in the Old and New Testament?
OT was it more selective.
In your mind and in your reading, how do you see the Holy Spirit offered/given to people?
To have a clear doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, we have to take great care since he is not as clear as in the New Testament. We don’t want to get it wrong and I definitely don’t want to preach it wrong. Having said that, there are references to Him in the [OT] and I’ll offer a few of them. In Genesis there are three references to him: Genesis 1:2, 6:3 and 41:38. The first one says that the Holy Spirit “Hovered over the waters”, showing his part in creation. The second part tells us, “My Spirit will not always strive with man.”, meaning it can come and it can go, depending on the vessel or group or church’s behavior. The Spirit will be withdrawn from humanity at some point[s] in time. [Revelation: 30 minutes quiet]. In Exodus, the Spirit added in the making of the priestly garments and the Tabernacle. It also afforded people gifted to be artisans to help with the accommodations of the Tabernacle. Joshua was said to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Moses cited on more than one occasion that the signs and wonders as seen by Israel were from God and due to the Holy Spirit’s interaction. In all these, the Holy Spirit comes to carry out God’s divine purpose.
But, it seems that he is more selective in the OT versus the outpouring in the NT. What is even more strange is that people did not necessarily have to be in good standing to be overcome by Him. Samson is in the midst of lust and sin is one example where the Holy Spirit comes upon someone not necessarily totally upright. [Judges 14-16] Samson is dedicated as a Nazarite and enjoys the blessing of the Lord. [Judges 13] The text says that the Spirit moved in Samson “at times”. So, it came and left according to the purposes of God. On one occasion Samson kills a lion with the aid of the Holy Spirit. On another occasion he kills 30 Philistines. In another encounter with the Holy Spirit, Samson kills 1,000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone.
We can look at Othniel, who was used by God’s Spirit to free the Israelites from Chushan-Rishathaim. Gideon is another well known example of how the Holy Spirit used him and then left after the mission had been a success. One last example we know is Saul, he was blessed in the early portions of his life; his knowledge and wisdom is well documented. Later in his life the Holy Spirit left him and an evil spirit takes His place. The Spirit seems to recede in the lives of people who do not do the will of God. [1 Samuel 16:14] In the life of David, Elijah, Zedekiah and Mecaiah the Holy Spirit played pivotal roles. There are more but what I want to show you is the way he moved in the [OT].
The role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament is much like His role in the New Testament. When we speak of the role of the Holy Spirit, let me briefly show you four general areas in which the Holy Spirit works:
1) Regeneration
2) Indwelling (or filling)
3) Restraint, and
4) Empowerment for service.
Evidence of these areas of the Holy Spirit’s work is just as present in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament.
New Testament He seems more prevalent.
Acts 19:1-7New International Version (NIV)
Paul in Ephesus
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
Who gets it? Paul had to re-Baptize those who did not receive the Spirit in the initial baptism. Why did they not receive the Holy Spirit?
The important thing I want you to see is that all who ask for it, receive it, which is a bit different from the OT.
What did it do in Christ?
• First we see in Luke 1:35 that he was begotten OF the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ so in essence, he was the creative force in the conception along with God.
• Because of that Spirit he led a sinless life. We have two natures: One wants to do the worldly things, the other has an eye on God. Jesus had only the one nature, yet he was still fully human. His holy nature made it possible for him to not sin.
• Third, he was anointed with power by the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38 says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."
What did/does it do in a church?
Worship is not worship without the Holy Spirit. Going back to those who had been baptized, but no Holy Spirit resided within them…How did their faith look? Dry, empty, dogma versus relationship. Worship is hollow without the very presence of the Holy Ghost.
There is a lot to learn in this sermon series. I hope you take the time to read up on the works, actions and aspects of the Holy Spirit. Let each us kindle a desire to have a closer relationship with this powerful aspect of the Trinity. Amen.
Next week: Baptism of the Holy Spirit
