Doctrine Of The Holy Spirit

A. Haywood Part 5

1. Biblical Survey of Holy Spirit person and work

a. Old testament survey

In the books of the Law, Prophets, and Writings, God’s Spirit would “come upon” certain people to empower them to serve God or speak his word. There is no indication in the Old Testament that most followers of the Lord were indwelt with God’s Spirit. Rather, he came upon certain people at certain times for particular tasks.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 495.

Which time that the Holy Spirit came on people in the old testament stands out to you?

b.New testament Survey

Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Summary > New Testament Survey)

In the New Testament, the person and work of the Holy Spirit are intimately related to God the Father and the Son. The Son, who was sent by and accomplished the will of the Father, was empowered and indwelled by the Spirit. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus while he accomplished ministry in his earthly body also empowers his body, the church, in its witness of Jesus throughout the earth. The Spirit indwells and empowers believers to do the Father’s work on earth. That work includes Spirit-filled living and Spirit-filled preaching about the Son, who gave himself for sinners. God redeems, transforms, and sanctifies people today by the power and work of his Spirit through his people.

In the New Testament when would the power of Holy Spirit indwelling stand out to you?

Historical Survey the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We will consider selected writings and theologians from the early, medieval, and early modern eras of the church. The historical survey will conclude by briefly mentioning the contemporary renewal movement.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 513.

a. Apostolic Fathers

The prominent theme in these writings was the Spirit’s work of inspiration—both during and following the biblical period. For example, 1 Clement contains several statements in which Old or New Testament texts are quoted, and the author of 1 Clement attributes the words to the Holy Spirit

b. Early Apologist

1. Justin Martyr: wrote Dialogue with Trypho in the format of a conversation. In Dialogue 4, Trypho asks, “Will the mind of man see God at any time, if it is uninstructed by the Holy Spirit?” In reply, Justin mentions that prophets filled with the Holy Spirit spoke what they heard and saw. Justin also wrote this phrase when quoting from the prophet Isaiah, “as the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of Isaiah, cries, speaking thus while he personates them.” In that text, Justin revealed his view that the Holy Spirit both spoke through and indwelled Isaiah. Justin indicts Trypho’s Jewish teachers because of their rejection of Jesus the Christ and Son of God as “convicted by the Holy Spirit of inability to perceive the truths taught by God.” Further, the Holy Spirit declared by the prophet Isaiah that the virgin would have a son, fulfilled in Christ

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 514–515.

2. Athenagoras: argues against the charge of atheism and for the Christian view of God as uncreated and who “framed all things by the Logos, and holds them in being by His Spirit.” Also, Athenagoras refers to the prophets, who were “guided by the Spirit of God” and “who moved the mouths of the prophets like musical instruments.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 515.

c. Church Fathers

1. Irenaeus: views on the Holy Spirit are seen in his responses to the gnostics and early adoptionists. Irenaeus emphasizes the Spirit’s work in creation, in the life of Jesus, and in the revelation of prophecy and Scripture

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 516.

2. Tertullian :summarized the “rule of faith” by explaining that the one God created all things through the Word, his Son, who was “brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary” and who sent “the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as believe.” For Tertullian, the Spirit was active in the incarnation of Christ as well as his ministry, and then the Spirit led those who would believe in Jesus after his ascension to the Father.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 517.

3. Basil of Caesarea responded to doubts about the full divinity of the Spirit in his work On the Holy Spirit. Basil accused a group of heresy16 because they argued from three prepositional phrases (from whom, through whom, and in whom) that Scripture indicates differences in nature among the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Through an abundance of biblical quotations, Basil demonstrates that the phrases are not limited to the person, as attributed by his opponents. The references in Scripture to the Father, Son, and Spirit do not indicate differences in nature. Basil points to the biblical references to the Spirit as well as the Father and Son at baptism, the indivisibility of the Spirit from the Father and the Son, and argues against the “sub-numeration” (ontological subordination) of the Spirit to the Father or the Son. Finally, Basil argues, Scripture uses the term “Lord” when referring to the activity of the Spirit, and—like the Father and the Son—the Spirit is beyond comprehension

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 518.

4. Augustine: views on the Holy Spirit are best discerned by considering his views on the Trinity, to which he gave a considerable amount of thought, reflected in his work On the Trinity. Augustine clarifies that whatever one affirms about one person of the Trinity, one also affirms about the others because they are of the same essence.21 For Augustine, neither the Father nor the Son is more true than the Spirit, and neither the Father nor the Son is greater than the Spirit; the persons of the Trinity are equally true and great

The church fathers surveyed above worked out their doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the context of errant teachings

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 520.

d. Medieval theologians

Medieval theologians understood the Holy Spirit to be one of the persons of the Trinity who ministered to Jesus and believers, and who imparted gifts for growth in the knowledge of God and service to others. Claims of personal experiences of Pentecost, baptism in the Spirit, and prophetic visions occurred during the middle ages, exemplified in the life and ministry of Hildegard of Bingen.

GREGORY THE GREAT

BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 523.

e. EARLY MODERN THEOLOGIANS

MARTIN LUTHER

GEORGE FOX

JOHN WESLEY

EDWARD IRVING

Early modern theologians such as Luther emphasized the teachings of Scripture when addressing claims of extrabiblical revelation. Others, such as George Fox, preferred such revelations and experiences with the Spirit to the teachings of Scripture. John Wesley’s evangelistic ministry attempted to strike a balance of elevating the teachings of Scripture without dismissing claims of extrabiblical revelation or unusual manifestations of the Spirit’s ministry. Edward Irving’s eagerness for manifestations such as tongue-speaking and physical healing, as well as his emphasis on the imminent return of Christ, anticipated the renewal movement.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 527.

f. THE RENEWAL MOVEMENT

The term renewal movement refers to the current global charismatic-Pentecostal movement of theology and practice expressed at Azusa Street in 1906, among other places.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 528.

3. THEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S PERSON AND WORK

Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Chapter Summary > Chapter 21: Theological Survey of the Holy Spirit’s Person and Work)

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, who is personal and can be grieved. The Spirit’s work in salvation includes conviction, conversion, sanctification, and empowerment. He baptizes, fills, and seals believers. The Spirit gifts believers for the advance of God’s work and the benefit of others. Christians differ on whether the miraculous gifts that occurred in the first century should be expected in the twenty-first century. Cessationists say, “no”; continuationists say, “yes”; contextualists say, “sometimes.”

WHO IS THE SPIRIT? AND WHAT DOES HE DO?

THE SPIRIT’S WORK IN SALVATION

BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT

BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

SEALED BY THE SPIRIT

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVE BELIEVERS MIRACULOUS GIFTS TODAY?

Cessationism

The view that miraculous gifts have ceased to function in the church.

Continuationism

The view that miraculous gifts continue to function in the church.

Contextualism

The view that miraculous gifts continue among some groups of believers but have ceased among other groups of believers, and the reason for the continuation or cessation of miraculous gifts might depend on the context of those believers.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 540.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 534.

Adam Harwood, Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022), 532.

B. Blount Article 2.3