The Holy Spirit-Pneumatology
- What is the filling of the Spirit?
- What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
- What is the sealing of the Holy Spirit?
- What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
- What is the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
- Do you believe that tongues are for today?
- Are all the gifts of the Spirit operative today?
What is the filling of the Spirit?
Most Christians misunderstand the filling of the Spirit. I don't think Scripture could be more clear about the meaning of the filling of the Spirit. I will not go into a full argument for my position here, but will present one aspect of my view. I believe the filling of the Spirit is when the Holy Spirit places the Word of God within our hearts.
A comparison of these two passages that parallel doctrinally, show my view.
Ephesians 5:18-21 "18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
Colossians 3:16 "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. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
These two passages are clearly parallel in their doctrinal presentation by the apostle Paul. A cursory reading of the verses following both of these passages reveals that Paul presents the same teaching as follows: husband and wife relationship; parent and child relationship; and master and slave relationship. Clearly, these passages are parallel. With that said, note that in Ephesians 5:18 the filling of the Spirit results in communication, rejoicing, thankfulness, submission and in Colossians 3:16 "letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly" results in the same. That would mean the filling of the Spirit is the same as letting the word of Christ dwell in you richly. The Holy Spirit is filling the believer with the Word. Jesus even prophecies such as recorded for us by the apostle John in John 16:13, 14 "13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show [it] unto you." These are the words of Jesus to his disciples. The Holy Spirit will take Christ's Word and reveal it to the disciples. This is consistent with the work of the Holy Spirit in filling believers with Christ's Word as seen in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
The baptism of the Spirit is when the Holy Spirit places a believer both in Christ and in His body (the church) at the moment of salvation. There is only one baptism and it takes place for all true believers at the moment of faith. The Holy Spirit places all believers in the Body of Christ, the church. 1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." The Spirit places all believers into Christ's death and resurrection. Romans 6:3-5 "3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {were: or, are} 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection"
What is the sealing of the Holy Spirit?
The sealing “of” the Holy Spirit is actually being sealed “with” the Holy Spirit. Note the use of sealing in Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The Holy Spirit is the seal and this makes Him the down payment (earnest v. 14) of our salvation. The implication is that God guarantees our salvation with the person of the Holy Spirit.
What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit must be seen as distinct from the other works of the Holy Spirit discussed above. It means He permanently resides within every believer. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 says, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
What is the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit convicts the non-believer (How about believers too?) of their sin, of their need for righteousness and their inevitable judgement. John 16:8-11 "8 And when he is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: {reprove: or, convince} 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." The word translated reprove or convict here is a Greek word meaning to provide overwhelming evidence that results in a conviction.
Do you believe that tongues are for today?
I see three different usages of tongues in Scripture: The first is the special language that did not need an interpreter in Acts 2 where each one heard the same message in their own language. The second is the gift given to some in the church for revelation and needs an interpreter to be understood (1 Corinthians 12-14. The third is personal worship in tongues privately between the one speaking and God (1 Corinthians 14:2).
I believe tongues in Acts were an authentication that the Holy Spirit had been given to Jews in Acts 2, to Samaritans in Acts 8 and to Gentiles in Acts 10. This is no longer necessary because the Gospel has been spread to the three primary distinctive groups mentioned in Scripture: Jew, Gentile and Samaritan.
I believe tongues as a gift, was primarily revelatory and is no longer necessary today because of the completion of the Cannon of scripture. I believe it is very possible in private worship there may be tongues functioning in the lives of some believers. I have no knowledge of how these work and have never experienced this myself. 1 Corinthians 14:2 "For he that speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands [him]; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries."
Are the gifts of the spirit operative today?
I see some gifts as foundational and some as revelatory. I don't believe these gifts are operative today: the gift of apostle, prophet, tongues, interpretation of tongues, word of knowledge, word of wisdom and working of miracles. I believe these are no longer are necessary for the Church.