Theology Proper
Who is God – what are all his attributes? How can we divide God’s character into different parts to get a handle on Him? The following is a paper I, Bryan D. Stallings, personally wrote. I am sharing it with you that it might further aid in your studies. To copy/paste this paper and submit as your own is PROHIBITED!
The importance of spirituality exists in the very ministry of The Holy Spirit. It remains through the believer that has accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior that the fruits of the spirit are displayed in The Believers life that remains accomplished through the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. It remains in this union the very basics of Christian living. Unfortunately, a person cannot totally understand the workings of The Spirit without knowing The Spirit. When a person thinks of The Holy Spirit, there exist two distinct definitions. On one hand, people look at The Holy Spirit as a force while other sees Him as a person. While both of these remain true of The Spirit, there also exist many names attributed to The Spirit. All one has to do is open The Bible and it pours out from the personality and deity of The Holy Spirit to numerous titles and emblems that represented The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit covers a multitude of areas and it is through this study, known as Pneumatology, one would see The Holy Spirit not only as an intricate force but also as a person that remains active in a believer’s life.
As one examines The New Testament, one would notice that there exist 13 descriptive titles [1] specifically applied to The Holy Spirit that are listed below:
· The Spirit of God (1st Corinthians 3:16)
· The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
· The Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)
· The Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
· The Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)
· The Spirit of Glory (1st Peter 4:14)
· The Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)
· The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
· The Comforter (John 14:26)
· The Spirit of Promise (Acts 1:4 and 5)
· The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)
· The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)
· The Spirit of Faith (2nd Corinthians 4:13)
While some of these titles have distinct meanings and purposes, they all simply show the relationship The Holy Spirit as the 3rd Person of The Trinity. However, with a little symbolism in mind, there also exist six specific emblems [2] that reveal His nature and mission that are the dove, water, oil, a seal, wind, fire, and an earnest.
There exists power and many characteristics, or attributes, of God stated throughout The Bible. The same goes for The Holy Spirit. The very Deity of The Holy Spirit remains in His omnipresence for “Where can I go... [and]...flee from Your presence?” [3], His omniscience “...for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the {thoughts} of a man except the spirit...” [4], His omnipotence because “the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” [5], eternality (Hebrews 9:14), equality with The Father and The Son (throughout the New Testament), and that He is God (Acts 5:3 – 4). These attributes bring about the knowledge “that The Spirit is divine.” [6] The attributes of The Holy Spirit start as far back as The Book of Job and go all the way to The Gospels. In The Book of Job it says, “The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” [7]
In Luke 11:13, we read that The Spirit exists and remains Holy for Jesus says that The Spirit remains given to those who ask. The ministry of The Holy Spirit includes many works such as regeneration, baptism, and intercession. The intercession aids in our prayer life “...for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words.” [8]
Whenever The Bible refers to praying in The Spirit, it is referring to “any prayer that is prompted by The Spirit” [9] for which is spoken of in Romans 8:26 – 27 [10] and “prayer in tongues” [11] spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:2. [12] The Book of Ephesians reveals a 9-fold purpose of the ministry [13] to which The Holy Spirit not only perfects the saints, but also aids in the very work of the ministry. The Holy Spirit edifies The Body of Christ and remains until all come together in the unity of faith. He brings forth the true knowledge of The Son of God and perfects man until the full measure of the stature of Christ. He assists until we, as children, no longer tossed back and forth, but speak the truth in love. Even in His power, The Holy Spirit remains separated from it and at the same time attached for The Spirit exist in not only force but also a person. Here are just a few verses that exemplifies this separation with the coming upon of The Spirit: Luke 1:35 says “the Holy Spirit will come upon you...” [14], in Acts 10:38 it says “...how God anointed Him with The Holy Spirit and with power...” [15], and finally in Romans 15:13 reveals “...that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. [16]
From the very start, The Holy Spirits’ existence, in Genesis 1:2 referred to as The Spirit of God, reveals that He not just a force but responds and moves with crystal-clear determination. The word spirit used here also refers to wind and breath. Here in The Creation Story, one can see that it takes not just wind in creative activity but also the very person of God. “The activity of ‘moving’...occurs [two] other times in The Old Testament, the other two being translated ‘shake’ in Jeremiah 23:9 and ‘fluttereth’ in Deuteronomy 32:11.” [17] The Holy Spirit even fell upon four of the judges in The Book of Judges, namely Othniel, Gideon, Jepthah, and Samson.
Leaving The Old Testament and moving into The New Testament, one sees that The Holy Spirit remained absolute. Here, a persons’ salvation and the permanency of the indwelling shines bright. It is noted, “The Holy Spirit now guided, taught, and helped believers on a scale not found in The Old Testament”. [18] The actual ministry of The Holy Spirit begins here even though The Gospels record the revelation and witness to Jesus as The Messiah. The Holy Spirit remains a vital and critical part to the people of Israel. The Book of Luke records the filling of The Holy Spirit at birth. [19] He is also involved with the conception of birth. [20] The very existence of a pattern for spiritual growth and direction remains found in The Book of Acts.
The very gifts of The Spirit never functioned exclusively for one person. They always benefitted the entire Body of Christ from Acts 1:11 where the gift of wisdom came through an angel to the disciples to Acts 5:15 – 16 where the gift of healing operated through Peter for the sick on the streets. Even the gift of miracles operated through Paul in raising a dead man to life in Acts 30:7 – 12. In The Book of Acts on can see the church being born, spiritually growing throughout the entire stages of human development ending in that last chapter of Acts that is still being written. This book contains 7-outpourings of The Spirit that enabled not only the ability for the church to grow in numbers, but also for individuals to be empowered by The Spirit to be witnesses.
These 7-outpourings [21] are as follows:
· The 1st Jerusalem Outpouring (2:1 – 4)
· The 2nd Jerusalem Outpouring (4:31)
· The Samaritan Outpouring (8:14 – 17)
· The Damascene Outpouring (9:17 – 18)
· The Caesarean Outpouring (10:44 – 46)
· The Antiochian Outpouring (13:1 – 4)
· The Ephesian Outpouring (19:1 – 7)
Later, The Early Church Fathers, also known as The Apostolic Fathers, where interested in the workings of The Spirit in respects to The Trinity but the topic of The Holy Spirit in a theological sense remained greatly under-developed. There existed great feuds in the 1st Century and Clement of Rome wrote a letter to The Church of Corinth referring to The Holy Spirit by stating, “Thus a profound and abundant peace was given to you all, and ye had an insatiable desire for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you all”. [22] Two decades after Clement, a letter written by Ignatius Bishop of Antioch “...reveals a leader full of spiritual power, with a genuine awareness of the work of The Holy Spirit in The Church.” [23] A 2nd Century document written called The Didache [24], or the Teaching of The 12 Apostles, remains the first document that takes the account of charismatic ministry. Granted The Early Church Fathers writings reflected biblical proclamations, early apologists such as Justin Martyr, Tatian, Athenagoras, and Theophilus of Antioch sought to protect and defend the fundamental beliefs of The Christian. However, the doctrinal language and grammar that existed in this period remained immature and The Holy Spirit was used to quite frequently in referring to the pre-existence of Christ, The Third Person of The Godhead, as well as all Three Persons (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit).
The attributes and relationship to The Trinity of The Holy Spirit in its’ entirety have remained, at times, neglected through the years. It remains my earnest plea that one takes the time and energy to search The Word of God in discovering the power of The Spirit and His ministry. This should not be the task of the church solely, but in every individual who believes. The Holy Spirit, through a multitude of areas stretching from The Old Testament to The New Testament and beyond, remains active in every believer’s life guiding them through life’s trials and misunderstandings.
Footnotes:
[1] Wilmington, Dr. Harold L., The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit Revised and Expanded, (Lynchburg: Liberty Home Bible Institute, 1987), pgs. 25 – 29.
[2] Ibid, pgs. 31 – 37.
[3] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Psalm 139:7
[4] Ibid., 1 Corinthians 2:10 – 11
[5] Ibid., Genesis 1:2
[6] Ryrie, Charles, The Holy Spirit, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1965), pg 22.
[7] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Job 33:4.
[8] Ibid., Romans 8:26
[9] Miller, Denzil R., In Step With The Spirit: Studies in The Spirit-Filled Walk, (Springfield: AIA Publications, 2008), pg. 144.
[10] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words...because He intercedes for the saints according to {the will of} God.” Romans 8:26 – 27.
[11] Miller, Denzil R., In Step With The Spirit: Studies in The Spirit-Filled Walk, (Springfield: AIA Publications, 2008), pg. 145.
[12] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in {his} spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 14:2.
[13] Sumrall, Dr. Lester, The Gifts and Ministries of The Holy Spirit, (Tulsa: Harrison House, 1982), pg. 199.
[14] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Luke 1:35.
[15] Ibid, Acts 10:38.
[16] Ibid, Romans 15:13.
[17] Couch, Mal, The Coming of The Holy Spirit, (Springfield: Tyndale Theological Seminary, 2001), pg. 24.
[18] Ibid, pg. 35.
[19] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb”, Luke 1:15.
[20] Ibid, “...for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”, Matthew 1:20.
[21] Miller, Denzil R., Empowered for global mission: a mission-pneumatological investigation of Acts, (USA: Life Publishers International, 2005), pgs. 91 – 251.
[22] Ernest C. Marsh, “Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter II.-Praise of the Corinthians Continued”, 1999, <http://www.ecmarsh.com> (accessed 25 March 2011).
[23] Burgess, Stanley M., The Holy Spirit: Ancient Christian Tradition, (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1984), pg. 19.
[24] Peter Kirby, “The Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)”, 2001, <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com>, (accessed 25 March 2011).
The importance of spirituality exists in the very ministry of The Holy Spirit. It remains through the believer that has accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior that the fruits of the spirit are displayed in The Believers life that remains accomplished through the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. It remains in this union the very basics of Christian living. Unfortunately, a person cannot totally understand the workings of The Spirit without knowing The Spirit. When a person thinks of The Holy Spirit, there exist two distinct definitions. On one hand, people look at The Holy Spirit as a force while other sees Him as a person. While both of these remain true of The Spirit, there also exist many names attributed to The Spirit. All one has to do is open The Bible and it pours out from the personality and deity of The Holy Spirit to numerous titles and emblems that represented The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit covers a multitude of areas and it is through this study, known as Pneumatology, one would see The Holy Spirit not only as an intricate force but also as a person that remains active in a believer’s life.
As one examines The New Testament, one would notice that there exist 13 descriptive titles [1] specifically applied to The Holy Spirit that are listed below:
· The Spirit of God (1st Corinthians 3:16)
· The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
· The Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)
· The Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
· The Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29)
· The Spirit of Glory (1st Peter 4:14)
· The Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)
· The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
· The Comforter (John 14:26)
· The Spirit of Promise (Acts 1:4 and 5)
· The Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)
· The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)
· The Spirit of Faith (2nd Corinthians 4:13)
While some of these titles have distinct meanings and purposes, they all simply show the relationship The Holy Spirit as the 3rd Person of The Trinity. However, with a little symbolism in mind, there also exist six specific emblems [2] that reveal His nature and mission that are the dove, water, oil, a seal, wind, fire, and an earnest.
There exists power and many characteristics, or attributes, of God stated throughout The Bible. The same goes for The Holy Spirit. The very Deity of The Holy Spirit remains in His omnipresence for “Where can I go... [and]...flee from Your presence?” [3], His omniscience “...for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the {thoughts} of a man except the spirit...” [4], His omnipotence because “the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” [5], eternality (Hebrews 9:14), equality with The Father and The Son (throughout the New Testament), and that He is God (Acts 5:3 – 4). These attributes bring about the knowledge “that The Spirit is divine.” [6] The attributes of The Holy Spirit start as far back as The Book of Job and go all the way to The Gospels. In The Book of Job it says, “The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” [7]
In Luke 11:13, we read that The Spirit exists and remains Holy for Jesus says that The Spirit remains given to those who ask. The ministry of The Holy Spirit includes many works such as regeneration, baptism, and intercession. The intercession aids in our prayer life “...for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words.” [8]
Whenever The Bible refers to praying in The Spirit, it is referring to “any prayer that is prompted by The Spirit” [9] for which is spoken of in Romans 8:26 – 27 [10] and “prayer in tongues” [11] spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14:2. [12] The Book of Ephesians reveals a 9-fold purpose of the ministry [13] to which The Holy Spirit not only perfects the saints, but also aids in the very work of the ministry. The Holy Spirit edifies The Body of Christ and remains until all come together in the unity of faith. He brings forth the true knowledge of The Son of God and perfects man until the full measure of the stature of Christ. He assists until we, as children, no longer tossed back and forth, but speak the truth in love. Even in His power, The Holy Spirit remains separated from it and at the same time attached for The Spirit exist in not only force but also a person. Here are just a few verses that exemplifies this separation with the coming upon of The Spirit: Luke 1:35 says “the Holy Spirit will come upon you...” [14], in Acts 10:38 it says “...how God anointed Him with The Holy Spirit and with power...” [15], and finally in Romans 15:13 reveals “...that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. [16]
From the very start, The Holy Spirits’ existence, in Genesis 1:2 referred to as The Spirit of God, reveals that He not just a force but responds and moves with crystal-clear determination. The word spirit used here also refers to wind and breath. Here in The Creation Story, one can see that it takes not just wind in creative activity but also the very person of God. “The activity of ‘moving’...occurs [two] other times in The Old Testament, the other two being translated ‘shake’ in Jeremiah 23:9 and ‘fluttereth’ in Deuteronomy 32:11.” [17] The Holy Spirit even fell upon four of the judges in The Book of Judges, namely Othniel, Gideon, Jepthah, and Samson.
Leaving The Old Testament and moving into The New Testament, one sees that The Holy Spirit remained absolute. Here, a persons’ salvation and the permanency of the indwelling shines bright. It is noted, “The Holy Spirit now guided, taught, and helped believers on a scale not found in The Old Testament”. [18] The actual ministry of The Holy Spirit begins here even though The Gospels record the revelation and witness to Jesus as The Messiah. The Holy Spirit remains a vital and critical part to the people of Israel. The Book of Luke records the filling of The Holy Spirit at birth. [19] He is also involved with the conception of birth. [20] The very existence of a pattern for spiritual growth and direction remains found in The Book of Acts.
The very gifts of The Spirit never functioned exclusively for one person. They always benefitted the entire Body of Christ from Acts 1:11 where the gift of wisdom came through an angel to the disciples to Acts 5:15 – 16 where the gift of healing operated through Peter for the sick on the streets. Even the gift of miracles operated through Paul in raising a dead man to life in Acts 30:7 – 12. In The Book of Acts on can see the church being born, spiritually growing throughout the entire stages of human development ending in that last chapter of Acts that is still being written. This book contains 7-outpourings of The Spirit that enabled not only the ability for the church to grow in numbers, but also for individuals to be empowered by The Spirit to be witnesses.
These 7-outpourings [21] are as follows:
· The 1st Jerusalem Outpouring (2:1 – 4)
· The 2nd Jerusalem Outpouring (4:31)
· The Samaritan Outpouring (8:14 – 17)
· The Damascene Outpouring (9:17 – 18)
· The Caesarean Outpouring (10:44 – 46)
· The Antiochian Outpouring (13:1 – 4)
· The Ephesian Outpouring (19:1 – 7)
Later, The Early Church Fathers, also known as The Apostolic Fathers, where interested in the workings of The Spirit in respects to The Trinity but the topic of The Holy Spirit in a theological sense remained greatly under-developed. There existed great feuds in the 1st Century and Clement of Rome wrote a letter to The Church of Corinth referring to The Holy Spirit by stating, “Thus a profound and abundant peace was given to you all, and ye had an insatiable desire for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you all”. [22] Two decades after Clement, a letter written by Ignatius Bishop of Antioch “...reveals a leader full of spiritual power, with a genuine awareness of the work of The Holy Spirit in The Church.” [23] A 2nd Century document written called The Didache [24], or the Teaching of The 12 Apostles, remains the first document that takes the account of charismatic ministry. Granted The Early Church Fathers writings reflected biblical proclamations, early apologists such as Justin Martyr, Tatian, Athenagoras, and Theophilus of Antioch sought to protect and defend the fundamental beliefs of The Christian. However, the doctrinal language and grammar that existed in this period remained immature and The Holy Spirit was used to quite frequently in referring to the pre-existence of Christ, The Third Person of The Godhead, as well as all Three Persons (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit).
The attributes and relationship to The Trinity of The Holy Spirit in its’ entirety have remained, at times, neglected through the years. It remains my earnest plea that one takes the time and energy to search The Word of God in discovering the power of The Spirit and His ministry. This should not be the task of the church solely, but in every individual who believes. The Holy Spirit, through a multitude of areas stretching from The Old Testament to The New Testament and beyond, remains active in every believer’s life guiding them through life’s trials and misunderstandings.
Footnotes:
[1] Wilmington, Dr. Harold L., The Doctrine of The Holy Spirit Revised and Expanded, (Lynchburg: Liberty Home Bible Institute, 1987), pgs. 25 – 29.
[2] Ibid, pgs. 31 – 37.
[3] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Psalm 139:7
[4] Ibid., 1 Corinthians 2:10 – 11
[5] Ibid., Genesis 1:2
[6] Ryrie, Charles, The Holy Spirit, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1965), pg 22.
[7] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Job 33:4.
[8] Ibid., Romans 8:26
[9] Miller, Denzil R., In Step With The Spirit: Studies in The Spirit-Filled Walk, (Springfield: AIA Publications, 2008), pg. 144.
[10] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words...because He intercedes for the saints according to {the will of} God.” Romans 8:26 – 27.
[11] Miller, Denzil R., In Step With The Spirit: Studies in The Spirit-Filled Walk, (Springfield: AIA Publications, 2008), pg. 145.
[12] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in {his} spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1 Corinthians 14:2.
[13] Sumrall, Dr. Lester, The Gifts and Ministries of The Holy Spirit, (Tulsa: Harrison House, 1982), pg. 199.
[14] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), Luke 1:35.
[15] Ibid, Acts 10:38.
[16] Ibid, Romans 15:13.
[17] Couch, Mal, The Coming of The Holy Spirit, (Springfield: Tyndale Theological Seminary, 2001), pg. 24.
[18] Ibid, pg. 35.
[19] New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition (La Habra: The Lockman Foundation), “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb”, Luke 1:15.
[20] Ibid, “...for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”, Matthew 1:20.
[21] Miller, Denzil R., Empowered for global mission: a mission-pneumatological investigation of Acts, (USA: Life Publishers International, 2005), pgs. 91 – 251.
[22] Ernest C. Marsh, “Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter II.-Praise of the Corinthians Continued”, 1999, <http://www.ecmarsh.com> (accessed 25 March 2011).
[23] Burgess, Stanley M., The Holy Spirit: Ancient Christian Tradition, (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1984), pg. 19.
[24] Peter Kirby, “The Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)”, 2001, <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com>, (accessed 25 March 2011).