Jesus demonstrates, emphatically, that men must be born again, or born from above, which is the work of regeneration on the heart of the wicked (John 3:3). 37 Full PDFs related to this paper. THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTRODUCTION During one of his missionary trips, the Apostle Paul questioned a group of Ephesian “church members” (actually, they were disciples of John the Baptist) about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The great fact of the incarnation of the Son in human flesh takes for granted that Christ’s manhood was immediately filled and led by the Spirit. THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS T HE Council of the ‘318’ fathers at Nicaea defined their belief in the Holy Spirit as simply that: Καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. This view, of the Western Church, was that of the magisterial reformers of the 16th century Reformation, and the Puritans and Westminster Confession of Faith in 1648. In our electronic age, more and more people are looking to add electronic books (ePubs, mobi and PDF formats) to their library – books from the Reformers and Puritans – in order to become a “digital puritan” themselves. - by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, What Is A Biblical Christian? The church has never been afraid to say in its corpus of writings and literature about theological issues, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.”. Take a moment to visit Puritan Publications (click the banner below) to find the biggest selection of rare puritan works updated in modern English in both print form and in multiple electronic forms. 5. 3. He is the third person of the Trinity co-equal with the Father and the Son. For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is the third person of the Trinity, the Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God. The Baptism of the Spirit is given for leading and service in a far wider manner in comparison to the Old Testament. Trace the history of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from the early church to the present. In this instance. The degree of the Christian’s sanctification and ethics will differ according to the Spirit’s will. The formal Christian economy following the Messiah was inaugurated at Pentecost. The change of gender in John 16 to the demonstrative pronoun (eikenos) demonstrates personality when it refers to “He” all through the passage. The second epoch of Greek theology and encompassing the Council of Ephesus (AD 431) there are statements that the Spirit proceeds from the Father only. Trace the history of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from the early church to the present. This order of Persons is from eternity. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? With Christ, though, it is very much different. - by C. Matthew McMahon, Atonement and the Covenant of Grace - by Hugh Martin (1821-1885), Bio of Loraine Boettner - by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, Can You Really Tell a Tree By its Fruit? Since Adam forfeited the Spirit in the garden, it is now part of the history of redemption to gain back the Spirit by God’s gracious work through Christ and through the Spirit’s work on the heart. A short summary of this paper. The Holy Spirit is not the ghost of Jesus as the old expression “the Holy Ghost” might lead one to mistakenly infer. In all this, though, the Greeks and Latins were overwhelmed by the teachings of the Western Church by exegesis rather than just attempted human logic. Though Justin the martyr speaks of the Holy Spirit, Tertullian is the first to use the term “Trinity” dogmatically. Matthew Meade (1661), An Inquiry into the Sum and Substance of the Gospel - by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, Are You a Real Christian? In all cases, the mission of the church (to convert souls and proclaim the kingdom) and the primary relationship of the church to Christ (to worship God) have never changed. All the Gospel evangelists refer to the Spirit’s work in connection with His birth, baptism and temptation. This demonstrates to us that the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament in the work of imparting the superhuman gift of prophecy to a few, and the comforting power of the Spirit to many. One of the most neglected topics in the history of the church is the theology surrounding the Holy Spirit and His Work. Even Joseph is said to have the Spirit of God in him when Pharaoh commented, “Can we find such a man as this – a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And being thus made one with Christ, they are truly regenerated and made partakers of him and all his benefits.” The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion state, “Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God’s purpose by His Spirit working in due season; they through grace obey the calling; they be justified freely; they be made sons of God by adoption; they be made like the image of His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works; and at length by God’s mercy they attain to everlasting felicity.”. The Spirit is everywhere where He will be forever and will never be in any other place since He is infinite. The need to get a Bible -based view of the Holy Spirit becomes more and more evident as various charismatic movements appear on the scene. If we look closely at this statement, we see that Wesley’s doctrine of the Holy Spirit was Trinitarian in structure, while soteriological, epistemological, and eschatological in emphasis. 4:6; 1 Cor. Sabellius believed that the Holy Spirit was merely a divine influence that was part of the three masks of God. However, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit by necessity relates closely to theological convictions concerning God (theology proper) and Jesus Christ (christology). Isaiah sets forth a vivid picture of the Spirit in numerous passages (Isa. 3) The co-ordinate rank and power that belong to Him equally with the Father and the Son prove His personality (Matt. At various points through the history of the church, the Spirit has more or less been seen in operation. The same numerical divine essence is common to three divine Persons known as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit: that they are further expected to be so animated with joy as to sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord,—to give thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,—and to submit themselves one to another in the fear of God (Eph. Spurgeon’s sermons provide just such a vantage point. to hold in the sense of wearing) then He is not God’s and not Christ’s. John 16:14 states, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” The Son is eternally generated from the Father, and hears what the Father commands and speaks. Since the fall, the plan of salvation has encompassed the replenishment of the defiled image of God by the operation of the Spirit upon wicked men who receive mercy through mediation. These men continued the line of Reformation Theology that placed preeminence on the sovereign power of the regenerating work of the Spirit on the believer. The image of God that Adam was first created in was wholly corrupted and defiled by his sin in the garden under the temptation of the devil (Gen. 3:1-15; John 3:6). But it has no power, without the Holy Ghost, to work the righteousness of God, that is, spiritual righteousness; since the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. This is done by faith which involves the teaching of the Father (John 6:45), the drawing of the Son (John 12:32) and the life-giving power of the Spirit (John 6:63). In the fourth century it was Arianism that denied the Son and the Spirit as God, and instead, made the Son a created being and the Spirit a force. Systematizing the robust theology that has undergirded John MacArthur’s well-known preaching ministry for decades, this overview of basic Christian … During this time, the Spirit was seen as proceeding from the Father and the Son. Smeaton states, “The Holy Spirit supplied prophets and apostles, as chosen organs, with gifts which must be distinguished from ordinary grace, to give forth in human forms of speech a revelation which must be accepted as the word of God in its whole contents, and as the authoritative guide for doctrine and duty.” This would include miracles that immediately prove the truth of the doctrine and the inspiration of the messenger. This God is a Trinity of persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; each person distinct from the other two: the Father is not the Son nor is the Father the Holy Spirit, the Son is neither Father nor Spirit and the Spirit is neither Father nor is the Spirit the Son, yet this God remains one.” The doctrine of the Trinity then is a summary statement of Christian faith and experience. - by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon, Holy Feasting - by Lewis Bayly (1575-1631), How Can We Give Thanks in Everything? There are no other workbooks like these anywhere that will help you work through the best biblical theology. 37 Full PDFs related to this paper. He laid stress on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and wrote very acceptably On Grace and Free Will. - A Timeline of the Bible, Why All Should be Thankful - by William Cooper, Why NT Wright is NOT Reformed - by Rev. Some think that He is simply a force or a guide. Thomas Watson (1620-1686), Twenty Motives that Christ Might Have the Love of Your Hearts - by Rev. He has done so, so we can be redeemed from sin and know what is true and right (2 Timothy 3:16). But who is this Spirit? Such is the case with His carrying along the prophets to speak and write down the Word of God. 2) His distinction from the Father and the Son, and His mission from both, prove His personality (John 15:26). . Handling his subject under three divisions, Smeaton treats first the testimony … 3. Christ’s cause on the earth is advanced through the Spirit, through individuals who are indwelt by the Spirit. In the New Testament His function is poured out over the whole covenant community, and in the Old Testament He chose specific people to be more or less anointed for service. Rutherford, Blair, Henderson, Owen, Charnock, Goodwin, Howe and others wrote extensively on the work of the Holy Spirit. 1. Arius laid stress on the subordination of the Son and Spirit to the Father, and denied they were coequal. The Western Church (of which Augustine was part) believed the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son, where the Eastern Greek Church believed He proceeded only from the Father. Cite reasons why understanding the doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been and continues to be difficult. As John 16:13 says, “for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”. When we include theology and christology along with pneumatology, we… Believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit, indwelt by him, and filled. The Holy Spirit is a personal being just as the Father and the Son. The grand security for the perseverance of the saints is the leading of the Spirit. Arianism is still active today through the Jehovah’s witnesses, and various other cults such as New Age have turned the Spirit into a force, such as the Manicheans of old. In the very earliest literature, in the apostolic Fathers, and in the Epistle of Clemens especially, there are a host of allusions to the Holy Spirit. He is not the spirit or the ghost of Jesus that follows Jesus. At other times, such as the Great Awakenings under the preaching of men like Jonathan Edwards, we find curious outpourings of the Spirit on His people for the purpose of revival and sanctification. The Spirit is given authorship of these gifts (Hebrews 2:4). Yet how ignorant is the average Christian concerning matters pertaining to the Spirit. They are part of the historical narrative of the Gospels. He addresses those who walk after the Spirit, of whom we have to understand contrary things to the former. 5. The first degree of this anointing of the Spirit took place at his incarnation (Luke 1:35; Luke 2:40). He is intelligent, has a will, power and wisdom that He acts upon. It will consist of two parts. "The general doctrine of the Scriptures is that the Spirit is the executive of the Godhead. 3:5; 1 Cor. The Spirit illuminates through His indwelling presence within the individual (John 16:16; 2 Tim. How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us - by Dr. Roger R. Nicole, Ph.D. Hypocrites and Christ - by Rev. James M. . (Gen. 41:38).” The blessing of Abraham and the promise of the Spirit were always bestowed upon all those that believed God and His promises. There is and has only been one church and one Spirit in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Now the enthroned Messiah seated at the right hand of God would send the Holy Spirit. He is the author of saving faith (2 Cor. The Greek Church was overrun, so to speak, with allusions to the Holy Spirit all through their worship liturgy. The best all around introduction to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is R.C. Ezekiel was extraordinarily involved in the Spirit’s prophetic work (Ezek. Throughout the Old Testament the Spirit worked upon and in men for the glory of God. The apostolic Epistles demonstrate an acute awareness of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Christian ethics are an immediate result of the Spirit’s work on the believer. Here is a summary of the sermon: Today, we will look at Pneumatology, the study of the Holy Spirit, to understand it deeply through 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. The history of Presbyterianism is more but not less than a history of the interpretation of the work of the Holy Spirit. Systematic … Augustine, in contrast to the British monk Pelagius who opposed sovereign grace, wrote vehemently against Pelagius for the truth. An overview of the resources for the study of categories common to Systematic I, II, and III, The Holy Spirit in Biblical Teaching, Through the Centuries, and Today, Chad Brand (Editor); Ralph Del Colle (Contribution by); H. Ray Dunning (Contribution by); Larry Hart (Contribution by); Stanley Horton (Contribution by); Walter C. Kaiser (Contribution by), John Stott; Michael S. Horton (Foreword by). And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Luther says, “We have need of the Spirit of Christ, without whom all our works are worthy of condemnation.” The Reformed Confessions echo these sentiments. 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