Disagreements over the person and work of the Holy Spirit in both Christian and non-
Christian circles abound. A correct understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is
essential for correct Christian practice and living. Errors in pneumatology have spread, one in
particular teaching not all believers are baptised with the Spirit, creating division. Experience
trumps God’s Word in many circles. The Scriptures alone reveal the awesome work of the
Holy Spirit, and that He, along with the Father and Son, are one eternal God.
Numerous religions claiming to be ‘Christian’ deny the person and deity of the Holy Spirit.
Jehovah’s Witnesses claim the Holy Spirit is “not a person, but God’s active force.” (‘The
Truth That Leads to Eternal Life’, p.24). Similarly, Christadelphians, according to Oswald
Sanders, believe, “The Spirit is not a personal God distinct from the Father, but the radiant
invisible power or energy from the Father.” (Cults and Isms’, p.102). Contrary to these
deceptions Jesus refers to the Spirit as ‘He’ (John 16:13) Paul taught we can ‘grieve’ the
Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Grief requires personality to experience it. The Holy Spirit can be lied
to (Acts 5:3), demonstrating the Spirit is a person. Deity is attributed to the Holy Spirit from
the same passage in Acts. Acts 5:3 states the Holy Spirit was lied to, Acts 5:4 states that this
was God who was lied to. Paul Enns, referring to 1 Corinthians 2:11, notes “as man and his
spirit make one and the same being, so God and His Spirit are only one.” (‘Moody Handbook
of Theology’, p.262). Many of the Holy Spirit’s works, teaching, speaking, searching,
convicting, regenerating, sanctifying, witnessing, sealing, attest to His personality and deity.
The Holy Spirit, fittingly, is mention in the first and last chapters of the Bible (Genesis 1:2
and Revelation 22:17) and His works are present throughout all Scripture. One noticeable
difference between the Spirit’s function in the Old and New Testaments is the selective and
temporary indwelling and empowering of individuals in the Old Testament, compared with
His permanent and universal indwelling and availability of power for all believers in the New.
Compare Psalm 51:11 with Ephesians 1:14 for example. His creative involvement is seen
Genesis 1:2 as He ‘moves’ over the waters. In a similar way, Titus 3:16 describes the
’regenerating’ and ‘renewing’ work of the Holy Spirit when we believe. In both cases we see
the Spirit’s role in bringing about a new creation. A crucial work of God’s Spirit is the
guidance He gives as He leads believers (Galatians 518). In John 16:13 Jesus calls the Holy
Spirit ‘the Spirit of truth’. The Lord then prays in John 17:17 “Sanctify them in in the truth,
Thy word is truth.” The Apostle Peter teaches us the prophets were “men moved by the Holy
Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21). Likewise, Christ affirms David was inspired by the
Spirit to write Psalm 110. (Matthew 22:43-44). So, we see the Spirit of truth guiding and
sanctifying believers in the truth which He gave through inspiration, thus, the Spirit of
holiness (Romans 1:4) partaking in making believers holy also. The Holy Spirit is called the
“pledge of our inheritance” having sealed believers as the property of God, guaranteeing His
possessions a place in His kingdom. Just as the Spirit’s work is active from Genesis to
Revelation, so it is in the life of God’s children, from new birth, in sanctification, to future
glorification.
One of the most contentious areas of the Spirit’s work is that of the baptism with the Holy
Spirit, first referred to by John the Baptist. The crux of the issue is whether Spirit baptism
occurs at the moment of initial belief for salvation, or as a second experience subsequent to
salvation, to be sought after believing in Christ for everlasting life. The history of the ‘second
experience/blessing’ belief can be traced back to John Wesley’s teachings on holiness. “John
Wesley taught a definite second work of grace distinct from the remission of sins… Wesley
preveniently prepared the way for the Pentecostal concept of a crisis and conscious experience
of ‘the baptism of the Holy Spirit’ following conversion.” (Unger, ‘The Baptism and gifts of
the Holy Spirit’, p.8). William Kay concurs that the Wesleyan framework comprised the
Spirit’s work in two stages, conversion, then holiness, received after prolonged spiritual
exertion attempting to eliminate sinful habits. (‘Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies’, p. 83).
Unger sees Charles Finney bridging Wesleyan holiness and modern-day Pentecostal Spirit
baptism doctrine, noting Finney’s theology was essentially Methodism, styling the second
experience as “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” (p.8). Additionally, Donald Gee believes the
reception of the gifts of the Spirit occur as believers seek Spirit baptism. “there is an intimate
connection between the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit and the initial baptism with the
Holy Spirit.” (Donald Gee, ‘Concerning Spiritual Gifts’, p.14). Indeed, aligning with the
Pentecostal foundations of the Azusa Street revival, the ‘Assemblies of God Statement of
Fundamental Truths’, article 7, asserts, “All believers are entitled to and should ardently
expect the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire,”. (Gordon Fee, ‘Gospel and Spirit’, p.105).
The Biblical doctrine of the baptism with the Spirit is most clearly understood when the
uniqueness of the Apostolic period recorded in Acts is recognised not as normative, but as a
formative time of Christ establishing His church, bringing all people groups into His body. As
first, the Jews, then Samaritans, Gentiles and Old Testament disciples of John the Baptist
were being brought into the one body, evidence was required that these people groups shared
in the baptism initiated at Pentecost, establishing the new, one man, the body of Christ. 1
Corinthians 12:13 clearly states, “ For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body”. This
work of the Spirit universally places all believers into Christ at the moment of salvation.
Ephesians 1:7 explains, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood,”. If we are not in
Christ, we have no redemption through His blood, thus, not saved, and it is through the
baptising work of the Spirit that we are placed into Christ. Believers are commanded to be
continually filled with the Holy Spirit, but never told to be baptised with the Spirit, as to be
saved, Spirit baptism must already have occurred. All Christians are blessed with every
spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Not to recognise this is to detract from who we are, and all
we have in Christ resulting from His victorious death, burial and resurrection, and to distort
the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Bibliography
Enns, Paul. ‘The Moody Handbook of Theology’. (Moody Publishers, 2014).
Fee, Gordan. ‘Gospel and Spirit’. (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 1991).
Gee, Donald. ‘Concerning Spiritual Gifts’. (Gospel Publishing House, 1972).
Kay, William, Dyer, Anne. ‘Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies: A Reader’, (SCM Press,
2004).
Martin, Walter. ‘The Kingdom of The Cults’. [Quoting ‘The Truth That Leads to Eternal
Life’ Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1968]. Bethany House Publishers,
1985.
NASB Bible. (Lockman Foundation, 2008).
Sanders, Oswald. ‘Cults and Isms’. (Lakeland, 1973).
Unger, Merrill. ‘The Baptism and Gifts of The Holy Spirit’. (Moody Press, 1974).