THE HOLY SPIRIT
This nine-part series was originally developed for a class environment, and later adapted for use in a prison ministry conducted via correspondence. Because of that background, questions were developed for each lesson for participants to use in a setting conducive to discussion, or as handouts for private use if the lessons are presented as sermons. At the beginning of each part of the series, I will include the outline of the series.
OUTLINE OF THIS SERIES OF STUDIES
Part 1
Introduction, Holy Spirit as deity
Names of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Part 2
Holy Spirit in the NT (apostles to receive power)
Gabriel’s message to Mary
Foreseen by NT characters—Jesus, John
What we learn from Jesus in John 14,16
The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
Baptism in, or by, the Holy Spirit
Baptism of believers
Part 3
If I do not go away the Holy Spirit will not come
Men received and were dependent on the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Guarantee
Grieving the Holy Spirit
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
Being Filled With the Spiritl
Part 4
The Holy Spirit in the Functioning of the church (first installment)
(1 Cor 12; Rom 12; Eph 4)
Gifts of the Spirit
The Head
Grace as Gifts (did not delve into each of the gifts, or special aptitudes, given by the Holy Spirit)
Functions “God Has Appointed”
Tongues/prophesying
Part 5
The empowering gifts of the Holy Spirit
Bestowing honor upon less “presentable” members
Order of functions (First apostles, second prophets, third teachers) Teachers discussed in Part 6
Part 6
Teachers
First apostles, second prophets, third teachers.
Part 7
Ministries of the Holy Spirit
Are the Bible and the Holy Spirit the same?
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
Part 8
Fruit of the Spirit
The Spirit vs the Flesh
Attributes of the Holy Spirit
Part 9
Acting in opposition to the Holy Spirit
• Lying to the Holy Spirit
• Resisting the Holy Spirit
• Quenching the Holy Spirit
• Grieving the Holy Spirit
• Defiling the Temple of the Holy Spirit
• Insulting the Spirit of Grace (doing despite)
Intercessor (though mentioned previously)
How Can I Know if I Have the Holy Spirit?
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Part 1
Introduction
The study of the Holy Spirit is often avoided or passed over lightly, leaving many questions unanswered. It is difficult to grasp in concrete terms what the Bible says about him. The Holy Spirit has no physical appearance, except as a symbol, like “descending like a dove upon Jesus at the time of his baptism” (Mark 1:10), or a sound, “like a mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:2) when the disciples were assembled on the day of Pentecost. Jesus, on the other hand, was visible to humans when he “became flesh” (John 1:1, 14) and took upon himself the form of a man (Philippians 2:7, Galatians 4:4) and was born, as humans are, of a woman (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12). No one has actually seen God’s face (Exodus 33:20), for as he said, anyone who did so would die; but men have seen representations of God in visions (Isaiah 6:1-5), as well as representatives of God (Genesis 32:24-30).
While the Father himself does not present himself physically but in various representations--most significantly in the person of Jesus Christ--he did interact with men, sometimes speaking with them directly, as with Adam and Eve, the patriarchs and prophets, and “as friend with friend” with Moses (Exodus 33:11), and upon one occasion, allowed Moses to see his glory from behind (Exodus 33:21-23). So the Father and the Son are easier for our minds to grasp than a being who presents himself so differently, without features familiar to the tangible world we live in. However, though harder to grasp, what the Bible records about the Holy Spirit is very important.
The Holy Spirit is deity, or God (2 Corinthians 3:17, John 4:24). This is one of the things that make the Holy Spirit difficult to understand. God is said to be one (Deut 6:4), and yet the scriptures tell us that the Son also is God (in the beginning the word (Christ) was with God and the word was God – John 1:1), and that the fullness of “the godhead” dwelt in him bodily (Colossians 2:9). Jesus told his disciples that anyone who had seen him and also seen the Father (John 14:7-9), and in fact, God himself, calls the Son “God” (Hebrews 1:5-8). The Spirit was present in the beginning at the creation (Genesis 1:2), and was involved in it (Psalm 104:24-30). Sometimes Christ accomplished things “through the Spirit.” (Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 3:18) The seven letters to the churches in Asia were plainly from Christ (Revelation 1:18), yet within those very letters, he says “he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:11, etc.) God spoke to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:9-10, but Paul said “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers,” and then quoted from those words God had spoken to Isaiah (Acts 28:25).
So we live in a world ruled by a God who is the undivided one, and yet is shown to us in three distinctly different ways. But the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are often spoken of as distinct identities, or personalities (John 16:7: Ac 2:33-38). Paul mentions the three in his benediction to the Corinthian Christians, 2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
This does not mean that there are three separate characters, or persons, who are united only by purpose and plan, as one doctrine of the trinity suggests. The oneness of God is more tightly interwoven and significant than just being three persons who are in agreement. The teaching “the Lord is one,” given to Israel through Moses, demands an understanding of God as singular. Perhaps it will help to realize that the Holy Spirit is not a person separate from God; the Holy Spirit is the person of God. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence, just as Jesus, in a different way, was not a separate person from God during his earthly walk; he was the person of God, revealing God’s very nature.
Scholars have struggled ever since the New Testament was written to exactly define the three-in-one nature of God, and while we accept what we know of it as God’s own revelation, a full and clear understanding of the mystery in human terms lies beyond us. We live on an earthly plane and are limited by our capacity to understand the things of God, who lives in the heavenly realm (Isaiah 55:8).
Names of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is referred to by many names in the scriptures; however there is one Spirit, not many (Ephesians 4:4). The Spirit, the Spirit of God (or the Lord), the Spirit of truth, Comforter, Helper, Holy Ghost (in early English translations), etc.
Words in the original languages:
In the Old Testament, the word used in the original language is ru^ach, which means wind, or breath exhaled forcefully, or blown.
In the New Testament, the word in the original most often translated as Spirit is the Greek word pneuma, which also means wind, or breath blown out forcefully. That word occurs 345 times in the New Testament, and is preceded by the word “Holy” 89 times. There is no evidence that something or someone different is meant when the word “Holy” is present where the context shows clearly that the Holy Spirit is meant.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the expression “Holy Ghost” occurs 89 times, with the same word, pneuma, translated as “ghost.” A ghost in ordinary language was thought to be a disembodied spirit. Perhaps that was the reason the King James Version translators to adopt the expression, Holy Ghost, as the English equivalent of hagios (sacred or holy) pneuma (wind, or blown breath). Most if not all later English translations use the words “Holy Spirit,” which captures the meaning better.
In telling his disciples that he would ask the Father to send the Comforter (John 14:17,26; 15:26; 16:7,13; John 16:7,13), Jesus used the Greek word, which means an intercessor, consoler, advocate, or comforter. The word is sometimes translated “helper.” In 1 John 2:1 the Greek word parakletos was used by John in reference to Jesus himself.
As his fitting name shows, it is characteristic of the Holy Spirit that the effects of his actions are seen, but the Holy Spirit himself is not seen. It is like the wind blowing. The wind itself cannot be seen, but the tree branches swaying in the wind reveal its effects, and are the evidence of the wind at work. It is the same when we blow out a candle. The “wind” from our mouth is invisible, but its effect is evident. The Holy Spirit operates in a similar way. He is like wind, or blown breath, and his effectiveness is apparent in the hearts and actions of those who are under his influence.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
As seen already, the Spirit was active in the times written about by the Old Testament writers, including the creation. But time after time, the Old Testament tells us the “Spirit of the Lord” was upon men, moving them to act as the Lord directed. Some of them were judges of Israel (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19: 15:14). King David received the Spirit of the Lord, enabling him to prophesy (1 Samuel 10:6; 16:13). After David had sinned with Bathsheba and further in the death of Uriah, he pled in anguish with the Lord, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). The Lord heard and must have responded favorably to David, for among his last words before dying, he said “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:1-2), showing the Spirit to be the source of the magnificent praises and prophecies contained in David’s psalms. Prophecies were made as men, moved by the Holy Spirit, spoke from God (2 Peter 1:21). Many of their utterances were concerning Christ, such as Isaiah 11:1-2 and Isaiah 61:1-2. Seven hundred years later, Jesus explained to the men in his hometown synagogue that Isaiah’s prophecy was about Jesus himself. Other prophets, such as Ezekiel, prophesied by the Spirit of the Lord concerning various things that were to happen with the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (Ezek 11:5; 37:1).
The Holy Spirit’s future role was foreseen by prophets. To Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:19-20), the Lord revealed that he would put a new Spirit “within them,” meaning either the Holy Spirit of God, or the spirit of man, the seat of the Holy Spirit’s renewing work, in which are new principles of light and life, grace and holiness; a new understanding of themselves, of God and of Christ, of divine things and Gospel truth; new affections for God, and all that is good; new and stronger desires for grace and righteousness, longing for God and communion with him, his word and commands, and for conformity to Christ; in short, all things become new. This appears to look forward first to the return of the exiled Jews in Babylon, who would be released to return to their homeland under the Persian king Cyrus, and in a larger, fuller sense, it looks forward to the gospel age when it would be fulfilled on a spiritual level.
The Holy Spirit’s future role was also revealed to the prophet Joel, looking forward to the day of Pentecost after Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Joel 2:28-29, Joel wrote "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit,” and continues with other highly figurative, related prophecies. In Acts 2:16-21, Peter said “This is that which Joel prophesied,” and later showed that those who would repent and be baptized would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the next part we will study the words of Jesus as he described the Holy Spirit he would ask the Father to send to the apostles, and the Holy Spirit’s work in the New Testament period.
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THE Holy Spirit
Part 1 Questions
Questions:
1. What is the earliest mention of God’s Spirit in the Bible?
2. Did the Holy Spirit have a role in the creation?
3. Is the Holy Spirit visible?
4. Is the Holy Spirit a diety (a divine, uncreated being)?
5. What prophet foretold the events that occured on the day of Pentecost?
Answer True or False by circling T or F:
1. T F The word most often used in the scriptures to refer to the Holy Spirit means “wind.”
2. T F The Holy Spirit, the Helper, and the Comforter are the same.
3. T F God removed the Holy Spirit from David after David’s sin with Bathsheba and Uriah.
4. T F The future role of the Holy Spirit was seen by prophets.
5. T F The Holy Ghost is the same as the Holy Spirit.
Discussion:
1. What is your understanding of how the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son are one, and yet are three?
2. Has any person ever seen God’s face? What do you think about Jacob’s experience (Gen 32:24-30), and Isaiah’s vision in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-7)?
3. If they saw God, why didn’t they die?
4. Other comments or observations about the Holy Spirit?
