Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HOLY SPIRIT

The tremendous repelling yet fascinating and attracting dimension of the divine. One of the most elusive themes in the Bible and theology, the actual designation Holy Spirit (Heb. rûaḥ qāḏôš; Gk. pneúma hágion) is found only in a few late pre-Christian OT texts (Isa. 63:10-11; Ps. 51:11[MT 13]; Wis. 1:5; 9:17; 1QS 3:7). According to Jerome, the fact that Heb. rûaḥ is mainly feminine, Gk. pneúma neuter, and Lat. spiritus masculine shows that God has no gender at all.

Old Testament

The awesome creative power of God in the universe and in preserving the lives of people and animals (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30) can be a destructive force which dries up the waters (Hos. 13:15) or a saving or refreshing power (Exod. 14:21; 1 Kgs. 18:45). One can have an evil spirit from, but not of, Yahweh, causing dissension (Judg. 9:23), lies, and murder (1 Sam. 19:9; 1 Kgs. 22:23).

The Spirit figures prominently in God’s guidance of history, producing charismatic leaders at the necessary times. This is evident in the experience of the judges at the height of Israel’s theocracy (Judg. 3:10; 6:34), in the selection of kings Saul (1 Sam. 10:1-13) and David (16:13), in Zerubbabel after the Exile (Zech. 4:6), and the enigmatic Servant of Isa. 42, , and is emphasized by the prophets (Isa. 34:16; 63:10; Ezek. 18:31).

The primary manifestation of the Spirit is prophecy, as evident in Joseph’s dreams (Gen. 41:38), Balaam (Num. 24:2), and Saul (1 Sam. 10:10). Note the common usage “the Spirit of Prophecy” in the Targums. For Hosea the prophet is the “man of the Spirit” (Hos. 9:7). Micah declares that he is filled “with power, with the Spirit of the Lord” (Mic. 3:8). In the exilic and postexilic periods, especially in Ezekiel, the Spirit is an inspiring agent (Ezek. 2:2; 3:24). While in the OT the Spirit is not generally a personal being, texts such as Isa. 48:16; Zech. 7:12; Neh. 9:30 describe the Spirit more personally.

Eschatological and messianic activity characterize a final age of the Spirit, when God will send his definitive salvation to Israel and the nations. The Spirit and her gifts will rest upon the king, the servant, and the prophet (Isa. 11:1-10; 42:1; 61:1), and will be poured on the whole people (Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 39:29; Joel 2:28[3:28] [quoted by Peter at Pentecost, Acts 2:17-21]). Finally, God will pour the Spirit into the hearts of the people to turn them from stone to flesh and enable them to keep the covenant (Isa. 59:21; Ezek. 36:26-27).

Late pre-NT Judaism emphasizes the Spirit of prophecy, of revelation and guidance (Sir. 48:24), wisdom (Wis. 7:7; 9:17; 1QH 12:11-13), and occasionally praise. However, many (not all) believed that the Spirit had departed because of sin and would return at the restoration.

New Testament

In the NT the Holy Spirit, the experience of the powerful presence of God among his people, is widely treated in continuity with the OT. For 1 Peter it is the Spirit of glory (1 Pet. 4:14). The traditions of Luke, Paul, and John are particularly prominent. In the Gospels the focus is on the life and ministry of Jesus.

Gospels

In Mark the Spirit is stressed at significant moments: Jesus’ future baptizing in the Spirit (Mark 1:8), Jesus’ own baptism (v. 10), his constant conflict with unclean spirits (3:11; 5:12; 6:7; 7:25; 9:25), the accusation of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (3:29).

In contrast to the extraordinary conception of John the Baptist, Matthew describes with an ascending parallelism the virginal conception of Jesus through the creative activity of the Holy Spirit. He transfers Mark’s post-Easter speaking of the Spirit through the disciples (Mark 13:11) to the mission instructions (Matt. 10:17-22; 12:17-28). At the final commissioning he recalls the announcement that Jesus would baptize in the Spirit and gives an indication of the developing trinitarian understanding of the Spirit (Matt. 28:18-20).

For Luke the heart of the Church is mission, and at the heart is the movement of the Spirit for the increase of the Word, a veritable explosion of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit begins each part of his Gospel. When Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John, and Simeon are each filled with the prophetic Holy Spirit. The Spirit descends in bodily form at Jesus’ baptism and leads him in and out of the desert. Luke cites Isa. 61:2; 58:6 to describe Jesus’ manifesto of “good news to the poor” at Nazareth. The Spirit again figures prominently when Jesus sets his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 10:21; 11:13; 12:10, 12). Finally Jesus is the dispenser of the Spirit to the Church (Luke 24:49) — the Spirit is his replacement.

Not surprisingly, the Spirit plays such a prominent role in Acts that it could well be entitled “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.” There is a clear parallel between the beginning of the Gospel and that of Acts. Jesus bestows his Spirit at Pentecost, the birth of the Christian community. Dramatic outpourings of the Spirit on believers are recorded at Acts 2:1-4; 4:28-31; 8:15-17; 10:44; 19:6. All Christians now have the Holy Spirit. Peter, John, Philip, Stephen, Barnabas, and Paul are “filled with the Holy Spirit” to witness boldly and enthusiastically in proclamation, in good news and signs and wonders. Thus Luke combines God’s universal saving will, Jesus’ model ministry, and the worldwide mission of the early Church.

Paul

Paul, with his problem- and situation-centered theology, describes the Christian experience in terms of the Spirit (“in the Spirit,” Rom. 8:9), whereas the Synoptics speak the language of the Kingdom. The Spirit is distinct from, yet clearly related to, the risen Jesus and dwells in the Christian (Rom. 15:30; 1 Cor. 6:11; 12:4).

Paul insists that the gospel comes not in word alone but in the powerful Holy Spirit bringing conviction and joy (1 Thess. 1:5-6; 2 Thess. 2:13). Paul warns, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess 5:19, his only reference using the definite article). This is a gift of God’s grace but involves a struggle between the spirit (involving the full Christian person) and the flesh (the person as subject to sin).

The lively character of the Spirit is evident in the nine gifts described in 1 Cor. 12-14: wisdom, the utterance of knowledge, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, the interpretation of tongues. But the greatest gift is love. The Corinthians themselves are Paul’s “letter” written by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:2).

In Galatians, a forerunner of Romans, Paul’s reflection on the reception of the Spirit is developed quite passionately. The Spirit is received into the heart so that we can cry “Abba” as adopted children. She comes through faith rather than works of the law, from whose slavery the Christian is released and justified (Gal. 3:2-5; 5:5). The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). A Christian is sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, “the first installment of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:11; 3:14-19).

Romans (esp. ch. 8, where the new age breaks into view) is a good summary of Paul’s pneumatology. Christ has achieved what the law was unable to do. The life led by the Spirit is the life of God’s free children, heirs of Christ, free from fear and sin. The Spirit helps people pray because they are too weak to pray properly. She is involved in the redemption of all creation (Rom. 8:18-27). The Spirit witnesses to Paul’s great sorrow and anguish for his own people (Rom. 9:1-2).

John

While Luke stresses the external experience of the Spirit and Paul the inner experience of the person in the charismatic community, John describes the Spirit as “another Christ” (John 14:16) and stresses the individual’s relationship to Christ through the Spirit. The Baptist describes his revelation of Jesus’ identity “on whom you see the Spirit descend” (1:33). Rebirth comes through the Spirit “blowing where it chooses” (3:5-8). God is Spirit (4:24). Life to the fullest comes from the Spirit (6:63).

John goes further than even Paul in speaking of the Spirit as Paraclete, an advocate, counselor, or comforter. The Paraclete’s functions are copied from those of Jesus: developing Jesus’ teaching to meet new situations (John 16:14) — “what Jesus would have said” or what John did in writing his Gospel; stressing and teaching what has already come with Jesus, even though there are a future resurrection, judgment, and parousia (5:28-29); helping to make real the kingdom of life and love, even though the world does not see his coming (14:15-21). John’s greatest contribution is this teaching of the ongoing presence of Jesus in the heart of each individual (1 John 3:24).

The Apocalypse brings together God, Jesus, and the Spirit (the sevenfold flame continually burning before God’s throne; Rev. 1:4); and it is the Spirit who invites all to “come” to the gift of life-giving water (22:17). But it is Matt. 28:19, together with 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:13; Jude 19–21, which seems to have pointed the way for the fuller development of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

Bibliography. R. E. Brown, The Gospel According to John, 2 vols. AB 29-29A (Garden City, 1966-1970); Y. Congar, I Believe in the Holy Spirit, 3 vols. (New York, 1983); J. D. G. Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (1975, repr. Grand Rapids, 1997); Michael P. Hamilton, ed., The Charismatic Movement (Grand Rapids, 1975); Watson E. Mills, The Holy Spirit: A Bibliography (Peabody, 1988); C. F. D. Moule, The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids, 1978); M. Walker, God the Spirit (Minneapolis, 1994).

Seán P. Kealy, C.S.Sp.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HOLY SPIRIT

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)