The Holy Spirit

What I have learned about the Holy Spirit…

I grew up in the Lord’s church and for more than twenty-five years I can honestly say I cannot remember ever hearing one meaningful, in-depth, scriptural sermon on the subject of the Holy Spirit. There were lessons on the promises of Christ to the disciples in John 14-16; on the outpouring of the Spirit upon the apostles in Acts 2; the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles in Acts 10; and the limitations of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 13. But when it comes to the deeper, more “difficult,” texts and issues I cannot remember a single discussion.

Before entering full-time ministry almost twenty years ago I started an in-depth examination of the Holy Spirit and the contended issues and passages. It seemed to me then, as it does now, that the debate centered on “the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38) and that I needed to come to some educated position on this passage in order to build a starting point in order to be able to sort out the Spirit’s function in the Christian’s life today. After much study I came to a conclusion but then in September 1995 I heard brother Robert R. Taylor, Jr. speak on the subject at a lectureship in Steubenville, Ohio and the scholarship, historicity, and clarity of the message had an indelible and decisive effect on me. From that initial period of study, brother Taylor’s lecture, and ongoing extensive study, preaching, and teaching on the subject I have learned much.

While there are numerous views about the “gift” in Acts 2:38 the two most prominent are that it either refers to either the “ordinary measure” of the Spirit (i.e., the literal personal indwelling of the spirit) or the “secondary measure” (i.e., the miraculous gifts that were given through the laying on of the hands of the apostles). It is this later view that I have come to hold and while I believe that the gift of the Spirit in Acts 2:38 is the miraculous it is not the same as the baptism (or outpouring) of the Spirit upon the Apostles earlier in the chapter. I also do not believe that the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 10 was exactly like that upon the Apostles in Acts 2 for the Gentiles in Acts 10 did not have the ability to pass on gifts by the laying on of hands like did the Apostles.

In the past fifteen years I have preached and taught on Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit on numerous occasions. In 2011 I preached a seven lessen series on the Holy Spirit of God. What I learned overall was that I did not know as much as I thought I had known and my previous study had left me wanting more as well as the need to formulate arguments that would allow me to retain more of the information needed to make a coherent, biblical argument about the operation, personage, and historicity of the Holy Spirit.

Concerning the position that the “gift” is the Spirit Himself there were a number of objections that came forth from my study. For one the verb is transitive, and the direct object is gift, not the Holy Spirit (dorea). The phrase, “of the Holy Spirit” is in the possessive case (i.e. “…the book of Tim Dooley”…Tim Dooley’s book”). So “…the gift of the Holy Spirit” does not mean the Holy Spirit Himself, but the Holy Spirit’s gift. Compare this with the “gift of God” in John 4:10 and “the gift of Christ” in Ephesians 4:7.

Secondly, since the Word is said to do everything for the Christian that the Spirit does and if the Spirit literally dwells within the Christian, but does not operate separate and apart from the Word, then the natural question to me was, and is, “What is the Spirit doing in the Christian?” This leads to another of my objects to this position, that is, it can be a dangerous position to take for only one who takes a literally indwelling position ever crosses the line to a miraculous, supernatural, present-day operation of the Spirit on the heart of man.

The third reason I rejected the literal indwelling position was due to the argument that the promise was to everyone who is baptized into Christ. The argument based upon Acts 2:39, I believe, is a fallacious argument. It just does not say that the promise is for everyone. However, the promise is limited to “you” (current generation), to “your children” (next generation), and “to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Gentiles). This is consistent with the teachings of Christ and the Apostles as to the universal nature of the calling (Matt 11:28-30; John 10:16; Eph 2:17).

The events of the Day of Pentecost were extraordinary! It made sense to me to ask how those who were there on that day would have understood the promised gift more so than how men today might see it. We have in Acts two the fulfillment of the promise of Christ “baptismal measure” of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; Luke 24:49). We have the results of this outpouring, that is, each one of the apostles speaking in a different language as the Spirit gave them utterance. The people are “astonished” (v 12). Peter and the others are speaking by way of inspiration. Would the audience have concluded that it was the “ordinary measure” of the Spirit in the midst of so many miraculous activities?

The facts became clear, the provision of miraculous endowments was the main operation of the Spirit in the early days of the church prior to the completion of the inspired Word. Since there was no written revelation the work of the apostles and the functioning of a congregation depended upon miraculous gifts. The gospel was not only revealed but it was also confirmed by miraculous operations. Since the miraculous operation of the Spirit was necessary for the revelation of the gospel and its confirmation, what would be the most likely meaning of the gift of the Spirit in Acts 2:38? Would it be possible for the gift of the Holy Spirit to refer to miraculous gifts? Would the idea that the gift of the Holy Spirit was miraculous contradict anything the Bible teaches?

We then turn our attention to two other passages that are of paramount importance in understanding the “gift.” In Acts 8:14-20 the apostles heard that Samaria had received the word of God and sent Peter and John to them who, once arriving, prayed for them, “that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”  And when Simon the Sorcerer saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, “he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.” They had been baptized but they had not yet received the Spirit (vv 15-16). So the apostles laid hands on them, “and they received the Holy Spirit” (v 17). What did they receive? Verses 18-20 make it clear that it was the miraculous that they received through the laying on of the apostle’s hands.

In Acts 19:1-6 we a similar situation where Paul comes to Ephesus and finds disciples who had not yet received the Holy Ghost. Once baptized with a proper baptism Paul lays his hands upon them, “the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.”

It seemed only logical and biblical then to conclude that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 refers to the miraculous manifestation of spiritual gifts bestowed upon baptized believers through the laying on of the apostle’s hands. And this was not (nor is it) a novel idea, but one that bible scholars have affirmed for years (David Lipscomb, T. W. Brents, Alexander Campbell, H. Leo Boles, Franklin Camp, Guy N. Woods) and many still do.

One other point I recently came to was, while teaching the book of Romans, I conclusion that it is not the Holy Spirit Himself that makes intercession for us but the one who “who searches the hearts” (Rom 8:26-27). Namely, and biblically, Jesus the Son who “always lives to make intercession” for us (Heb 7:23-25). Obviously this essay is not exhaustive of what I have learned nor what I still may need to learn.

While over the years there has been much controversy in the church on the meaning of “the gift of the Holy Spirit” it should not be a matter of fellowship! So long as our view of the operation of the Spirit does not violate the Scriptures the manner of indwelling should not cause division. “In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things love.”

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Is It Hell or Hades?

The titled question is asked a lot these days.  Since the Bible uses the term “hell” with some frequency, it is important that we understand its meaning.  Depending on the Bible translation one is using, the term “hell” may represent one of two things: (1) Hades, or (2) Eternal Punishment.  For example, the King James Version uses the term for both.

In Matthew 16:18 (KJV) it says, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Being that the New Testament was written in Greek, we look to the original language – and what we discover is that the word “hell” in Matthew 16:18 is actually “Hades” in Greek.  Hades is defined as “the common receptacle of disembodied spirits” (Online Bible Greek Lexicon); “the abode of departed spirits” (New American Standard Greek Lexicon); “the place of departed souls” (Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words).  Some occasionally refer to Hades as “the grave of the soul” because that’s where a person’s soul goes when they physically die (Lk. 16:19-31).

Since most English speaking Bibles rely on the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament, the original language of the Old Testament (in those Bibles) is based on Hebrew (with some Aramaic) as the original language.  As a result, the word for “the place of departed souls” in the Old Testament is not “Hades” but “Sheol.”  Both are a reference to the same exact place (Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27).

Without question the most detail given in the Bible of this “common receptacle of disembodied spirits” is found in Luke 16:19-31.  While some believe this is simply a parable, it nonetheless offers insight into what happens to the soul (between now and the Judgment Day) when a person dies physically.  In that passage Jesus describes two people who physically die.  Both of them (their souls) went to Hades (vv. 23-26).  One of them, a beggar named Lazarus, was comforted there, whereas the other one, a rich man, was tormented there (v. 25). The passage reveals that those in torment (the condemned) are separated from those comforted (the saved, Lk. 23:43) by a great impassable gulf so that none can cross from one side to the other (v. 26).

It is worthy to note that when Jesus died on the cross He did not go to heaven – nor did He go to hell (Gr., gehenna), as some suppose; rather, He went to Hades.  Peter confirms this in Acts 2:27 when he quotes David’s prophecy concerning Christ: “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”  He added, “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (v. 31).  Additional proof that Jesus did not go to heaven when He died is seen in His statement to Mary Magdalene in John 20:17 after His resurrection: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father…’”

In a nutshell, this is what the Bible teaches about where souls go when people physically die between now and the Judgment.  The Bible mentions nothing of “Purgatory,” “Limbo,” “Nirvana,” etc. (these are all man-made concepts).

Please look for “Part Two” in this small series as we continue to answer the question, “Is there really a Hell?”

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Are We Any Better?

Concerning the religion of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus remarked, “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). When we look at some of the religious people today, are we any better when we compare the two?

If we do not study our Bibles regularly, then we are no better than the Catholics. They encourage their followers to ingest their spiritual instructions straight from the priest, and do not encourage personal study. In fact, they abuse Second Peter 1:20-21 in stating that it is impossible for an average person to understand the Bible—only one of the clergy can properly interpret and teach its meaning. Therefore, to a Catholic, they discourage Bible study throughout the week and encourage instruction to come from someone else. Nevertheless, if we as Christians do not open our Bibles throughout the week and study it ourselves, but only ingest what the local preacher in the congregation says, then we are no better than they are!

If we do not sing in worship, then we are no better than the Baptists (or any other religions that use choirs). Large congregations with praise bands and choirs simply want the worshipper to sit back and relax while others praise God. To the contrary, Paul commanded, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). We are to sing and praise God to “one another,” something of which we can only do when we all sing together. I am amazed at some brethren who do not sing because they “cannot carry a tune in a bucket.” God could care less about the melody from your mouth—he is interested in the song on your heart! Nevertheless, if we as Christians do not open our mouths to sing, we might as well have a chorus or choir sing to us—there is no difference, and we are no better than they are!

If we do not believe in the providence of God in our lives with faith, trust and hope, then we are no better than deists are. Deism is simply the doctrine that God created man and placed us on the earth for his perusal—He does not interact with humanity at all. Well, some Christians have so little faith in the providence of God working in their lives and live their lives with fear and doubt rather than with trust and hope, they are no different than deists are.

If we do not live our lives carefully every day, then we are no better than Calvinists are. One of the prominent themes of Calvinism is the perseverance of the saints, also known as “once saved, always saved.” They believe that a child of God cannot sin to lose his soul. Yet, in the way that some Christians are living their lives recklessly, they might as well believe in that horrible false doctrine, since they are living as if they believe it!
Considering the religions around us, are we any better?

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Remember

Remember Egyptian Bondage or Remember His Death?

It is obvious that Jesus went to the weekly gathering of the Jews in the synagogue. What most have failed to see is that the synagogue assembly on the Sabbath was never observed in the Old Testament. Synagogue worship began when the Jews were scattered by the Babylonian captivity in 536 B.C., and it was devised as a way for Jews to spend time together. Worshiping together on Saturday began a thousand years after God commanded to “remember the Sabbath.”

God revealed that the purpose of the Sabbath rest day was because the Jews had been slaves and had no rest. On each Saturday after they left Egypt they were to rest (Deut. 5:14-15). It was a holy day when an entire nation ceased working.

When Gentiles were united with the Jews under a new covenant, the bondage in Egypt had little significance. The New Testament does not command even one Christian to “remember the Sabbath.” There is something every Christian is commanded to do. In that upper room, Jesus told the disciples He would eat the Lord’s Supper with them in the church (Matt. 26:18). His command was, “Do this, in remembrance of Me.” Christians are not commanded to remember a day given to the Jews to remind them of a time when they had no rest. There is another event which is far greater for us to remember—His death and the salvation of the world found in His blood. The remembering of Egyptian bondage of the Old Testament is not worthy to be compared to the greatest day of history—the redemption of the world at the cross.

The apostles revealed when the church was to assemble to eat at His table. Study Paul’s first letter to Corinth. There was a time when the entire church assembled at the same time (1 Cor. 11:18; 14;19, 23, 26). Chapter 14 shows that in this assembly there was singing, praying and preaching (inspired preaching called prophecy). Chapter 16 shows that there was also giving when they assembled. Look carefully at chapter 11 to see Paul’s rebuke of them for not having the Lord’s Supper and then his instructions about how to properly eat the Lord’s Supper. The central purpose of their coming together was to eat the Lord’s Supper (11:33-34)!

Chapter 16 shows what day of the week they assembled. It was Sunday! We must do the same today. The Lord commanded us to remember Him at His table. The apostles show us how God revealed to them the day it should be done.

Sunday is not a holy rest day like the Old Testament Sabbath (rest) day. However, it is the day we fulfill His command to assemble and eat His supper. He commanded us to remember Him and then showed us how to do it!

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The Meaning of Life

What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything? For millennia, man has tried to answer this basic question. During the Renaissance, philosophers began to believe that man could, beginning with just himself, find his own answers to this great question. Over time, though, man has discovered that he cannot do this. Instead of turning his mind toward a spiritual answer, today’s man has determined that there is no answer at all. An author named Douglas Adams accidentally came up with the right answer to this great question. In his Sci-Fi series, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, he gives his answer.

In the “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, all the great philosophers of the galaxy came together and tried to answer that question. After much debate they could find no answer, so they built a super-computer named Deep Thought to compute the answer. After Six Million Years, long after the galaxy had forgotten what the question was, Deep Thought came up with the answer. It was Forty-Two! I can tell you that we know this is the correct answer! Forty-Two is the answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything, just not the way Mr. Adams meant it.

Douglas Adams was an atheist and, as such, he did not believe that there is an absolute standard. He, like his fellow humanistic philosophers, came to the conclusion that there is no meaning to life, the universe, and everything. Therefore, he picked for the book what he thought was a purely arbitrary answer. His arbitrary answer is as good an answer as can be found, if God does not exist.

Christians know that God does exist, and that His Two Testaments, written by about Forty different men, contain the answer. Thus, Forty-Two, otherwise known as the Bible, has the answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything. As far as man is concerned, this great question can be broken down into three basic questions: “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” The Bible contains the answer to all of these.

The first question, “Who am I?” is answered in the book of Genesis. In chapter 1:26-27, we learn that we were created in the likeness of God. We were not created in a physical likeness to God, because God is a spirit and has no physical body, but we are like God in that we have an immortal soul. We have within our physical body a spiritual soul that will never cease to exist, somewhere.

The second question, “Why am I here?” is summed up by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man.”  Solomon taught that we are here to glorify God through our obedience to Him. Jesus states our two greatest reasons for existence in Matthew 22:37-39, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

The third question, “Where am I going?” is the most important one of all, for we know that this world is not our home. We all know that we are going somewhere. We are all going to either one of two places, depending upon which path we take. Which path we take depends upon which guide-book we choose to follow. If we adopt “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” as our guide book, we will end up some place we never wanted to go, just as Arthur, the protagonist of the Hitchhiker’s trilogy, ended up at the “Restaurant at the End of the Universe.”  To him this restaurant was an eternally boring and weird place.

In reality, the destination we will find if we follow the godless philosophy behind the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is one of eternal fire and damnation. However, if we adopt the Bible as our guidebook, we cannot fail to reach the other destination: Heaven.

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