The Holy Spirit
Nicolas Simon
Table of Contents
Introduction
I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you (John 16:7). The unique character of this present dispensation is defined by two, never before true, circumstances: 1) Christ, as a man, is glorified on high; 2) the Holy Spirit has a personal, abiding presence here on earth. It is the latter (though dependent on the former) that I wish to take up in this pamphlet. Without a Scriptural understanding of this all-important subject, we cannot possibly understand this present dispensation, nor walk as Christians. The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer will be our primary focus. The collective aspect of the Spirit’s activity will be touched on, but that much neglected subject deserves a separate treatment. If teaching concerning the Holy Spirit’s role within the individual has been found wanting, we must confess that the collective role of the Spirit of God, as dwelling within the church, has been entirely discredited, if not doctrinally, then certainly practically.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Before we consider the role of the Holy Spirit in this present dispensation, it will be necessary to make a few remarks as to the Old Testament. From the beginning of man’s history, we find the Holy Spirit striving with souls: “The Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Gen. 6:3). The activity of the Holy Spirit is certainly not limited to the New Testament. As one of the Persons of the Godhead, the Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit act together—we see this from the very beginning starting with creation (Gen. 1:1; 1:26, etc.). As to the activity of the Spirit in relationship to man, the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament acted as an external power, pleading with the conscience, or animating those whom He chose.
We find further examples of the Spirit acting in the book of Exodus—and by no means do we intend to look at all references. “Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Exod. 31:2). It was through the power of the Spirit of God that Bezaleel had the ability to produce the necessary articles for the tabernacle. It was no mere human cunning and artistry that produced those works; it was all of God. In this instance, we see one filled with the Spirit of God accomplishing a specific practical task at hand.
Our next portion is a most distinctive one. The contrast with what we find in the New Testament is very instructive. “I will come down and talk with thee there; and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. ... When the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. ... Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them” (Num. 11:17, 25, 29). It is evident from these verses that the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times rested upon individuals and that He could be removed. Few, it seems, enjoyed this blessed privilege.
We even find the Spirit of God coming upon individuals who had no faith: “Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him” (Num. 24:2). The Spirit can and will move man at God’s choosing. With Saul, the first king of Israel, we see the same activity of the Spirit: “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man” (1 Sam. 10:6; see also v. 10). Scripture gives us no reason to believe that Saul was ever a converted soul; the change was temporary. We later read: “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him” (1 Sam. 16:14). And stronger yet: “The Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy” (1 Sam. 28:16). When God, through the departed spirit of Samuel, tells Saul: “tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me” (v. 19), there is no reason to believe that He speaks of anything other than his death.
Returning to the time of the Judges we read of Othniel: “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him” (Judg. 3:10); and of Gideon: “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” (Judg. 6:34); likewise, with Jephthah (Judg. 11:29). Concerning Samson, we find: “The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times” (Judg. 13:25), and “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him” (Judg. 14:6; 15:14). In each instance, the key word is upon. The Spirit came upon men in power. Never once, in the Old Testament, do we find the Holy Ghost abiding with and in man and certainly not as an enduring thing. In contrast, the Lord Jesus in the New Testament promised the disciples: “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17).
It might be suggested that Ezekiel experienced the indwelling of the Spirit of God: “The Spirit entered into me when He spoke unto me” (Eze. 2:2; see also 3:24). If it was necessary for the Spirit of God to enter the prophet a second time, we must conclude that these were passing experiences. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke by the Spirit of God, and this is simply another example of that. “The prophets have enquired and searched diligently ... Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify” (1 Pet. 1:10-11). “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21).
Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin, said: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). The Holy Spirit has striven with man throughout his history—from the time of Genesis and on. Man, for his part, has stubbornly resisted the strivings of the Holy Spirit.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
A defining truth of this present dispensation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We do not read of the Spirit indwelling the saints of God until we have an ascended Christ in glory. As we have seen, the Old Testament saints did not have it—indeed, it was the promise of a future thing given by the Lord Jesus while He was here on earth (John 14:16-17). It depended on His departure: “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). There is much in John’s Gospel chapters 14 through 16 which speak of this promise. The reason for this revelation at this juncture in the Lord’s earthly ministry is not difficult to discern. The man Jesus was about to leave them, but they would not be left comfortless. The Lord tells His disciples, following the Last Supper, of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Not as One who would rest upon them, but as One who would abide, that is to say, remain in them, forever.
It might be asked: Are all believers indwelt with the Holy Spirit or was this promise just for the disciples? The fulfillment of the Lord’s promise came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit visibly appeared upon the believers at Jerusalem as cloven tongues of fire and “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4). We know from the previous chapter that at least 120 disciples were present in Jerusalem at the time—many more than the twelve (Acts 1:15). But we do not rest our teaching solely on this event. In the book of Acts, we have an historic record of the Holy Spirit acting both within individuals and the Church of God. In the Epistles we find the doctrine concerning these things. In Romans we read: “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). This leaves no room for doubt; all who are Christ’s have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. In the epistle to the Ephesians, we have a confirmation of this truth: “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). It is evident, therefore, that all who possess salvation in Christ have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It was not for the twelve alone, nor is it a state limited to the most spiritual of believers, nor is it a passing experience.
We must not confuse the work of the Holy Spirit in quickening souls (John 6:63; Eph. 2:5) with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. One is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) until they are quickened. The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God, that incorruptible seed, and produces life (1 Pet. 1:23). This work of the Spirit is quite distinct from the gift, or indwelling, of the Spirit. Likewise, we should recognize the various aspects of that gift. The sealing of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13) is different from the unction of the Spirit (1 John 2:20). By the sealing of the Spirit we have the assurance of Christ’s mark upon us. The unction, on the other hand, speaks of the believer’s ability to know and discern truth and error: “Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). The Spirit is also given as our earnest (2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14). I leave it to the reader to search these out. Too often the things which God has distinguished for our instruction are treated as one and the same. They become a blurred mixture of the same muted color. Contrariwise, a study of the different roles which the Holy Spirit plays in the life of the believer is instructive and most encouraging. It is also important not to attach our own meanings to these expressions; one must look carefully at the context in which they are used and not let our fancies go beyond the plain Word of God.
We should not treat these things of which I speak as mere doctrine. We cannot walk as Christians except in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a very real and distinct person of the Godhead, and the indwelling of the Spirit in the believer is equally as real. The net effect on the believer should, therefore, be both powerful and eminently practical. This is readily apparent, by way of example, in Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians: “Do ye not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God; and ye are not your own? For ye have been bought with a price: glorify now then God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 JND). Far from being a passive presence, the Holy Spirit is the power of the new life in the believer. A new car may be mechanically perfect, but without fuel it cannot run. It is by the Holy Spirit that we give expression to the new life in our walk. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).
It is a common misconception that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit the moment we have new life, and yet the Samaritans in the eighth of Acts did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John laid hands upon them. Cornelius, in the tenth chapter, is another example. He possessed new life before Peter ever arrived in Caesarea (Acts 10:2, 22, 44). The man in the seventh of Romans had new life. There was a true desire to do that which was right and pleasing in the sight of God (Rom. 7:15-20)—such desires do not have their source in the flesh—and yet, the individual had no peace or rest; all was doubts and fear (Rom. 7:24). It is not until we arrive at the eighth chapter, when the Holy Spirit is brought in, does he have settled peace. It could hardly be said that Cornelius had settled peace before God. He was “pious, and fearing God with all his house, both giving much alms to the people, and supplicating God continually” (Acts 10:2 JnD). Sadly, many Christians would identify with this position and describe its attainment as the pinnacle of the Christian walk. As to their state of soul, and the assurance of their salvation, one will find that all is uncertain. Cornelius was told by the angel that Simon would come and “tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). They were quickened; they had new life; but the Word of God does not call them saved. It wasn’t until they heard the words of salvation, and received them, that: “the Holy Ghost fell on them” (Acts 11:15).
I do not suggest that one who has received new life can lose it; truly, when God begins a good work, He will carry it to its end (Phil. 1:6). Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that there was a period in which God worked until we arrived at that settled peace known as salvation. Part of the difficulty lies with failing to recognize that new life precedes believing. A dead person cannot hear let alone believe. Quickening must precede belief: “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Eph. 2:4). “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44). New life from God must come first, then believing, followed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. “In whom ye also have trusted, having heard the word of the truth, the glad tidings of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, ye have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13 JnD).
We find no instruction for, or examples of, the believer asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is true that in Luke’s Gospel we read: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13). However, to take this position now places one in the same condition as the disciples prior to the cross. The disciples of the gospels were representative of that faithful Jewish remnant who looked for redemption in Israel (Luke 2:38; 24:21). For the Jew, the relationship with Jehovah God was a distant one bridged by the Aaronic priesthood established by the law. Jehovah dwelt in thick darkness (1 Kings 8:12). After the cross, however, everything changed. The disciples were brought into a new relationship with God. God had been revealed as Father through the Son. Whereas all had been uncertain, the cross secured peace for the soul and redeemed them from the curse of the law. Between the ascension of Christ and the day of Pentecost the disciples could be found in the upper room at Jerusalem praying. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). There they were to remain, as instructed, until the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was a time of great vulnerability—Christ was no longer with them in person and the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. “Wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:4-5). They no doubt prayed in anticipation of this event in answer to what we find in Luke. After this, however, there are no accounts of an individual praying that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Scripture simply does not support prayer for the Spirit—neither for the indwelling nor for the baptism of the Spirit.
The Book of Acts
Up until the cross the disciples were with the Lord Jesus personally, but God had a greater thing in view for them and us. In John’s Gospel, He tells His disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who would abide with them forever. This was, and remains, an extraordinary thing—do we truly grasp the significance of it? The Lord, up until that time, had been their personal, immediate resource. He was, however, about to return to the Father. Another would come from the Father to abide with them forever (John 14:16). Everything hinged on the Lord’s departure which, as we know, was by way of the cross. They had witnessed mighty miracles done by the Lord, but they would do greater: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father” (John 14:12).
The abiding presence of the Spirit of God on this earth gives Christianity its defining character. In Acts we read of it first with the disciples (Acts 2:1-4), and then the 3000 (Acts 2:38-41); this is followed by the Samaritan believers (Acts 8:17), the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:17), Cornelius and those with him (Acts 10:44), and the proselytes of Ephesus (Acts 19:6). The activity of the Holy Spirit is seen everywhere in-between. Truly, it has been suggested that the Acts of the Apostles may be better named the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit is especially seen in this book as a Divine Person acting according to the Divine will: “Then the Spirit said unto Philip” (Acts 8:29); “While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him” (Acts 10:19); “the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2).
When the Samaritans first received the Holy Spirit, the apostles prayed for them and laid hands upon them. “Peter and John ... when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost ... Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:15, 17). It might be asked, isn’t this an example of prayer for the Holy Spirit? We do not read of the Samaritans requesting this; it was on the initiative of the apostles. The way it took place served a unique purpose at the time. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:9). It was difficult enough for a Jew to eat with a gentile (Gal. 2:12) but the Samaritans were an altogether different story. Not only were they gentile, but their national religion was a corrupt version of Judaism. The Samaritans, having rejected Jerusalem, made Mount Gerizim their center of worship (John 4:20). They were truly despised. To be brought into the same body of believers by the Holy Spirit was a difficult thing for a Jewish believer to accept. One can, therefore, understand the profound significance of Peter and John praying for and laying hands upon those whom they had so long despised and shunned. There was the very great potential of churches being formed along national lines, but this was not to be. Paul, writing to the Colossians, declares that all national identity is set aside in Christ: “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). It is by the Holy Spirit that we are all brought into that one body: “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” (1 Cor. 12:13).
The physical laying on of hands is a statement of identification (Acts 13:3; 1 Tim. 5:22). Peter and John, in laying hands upon the Samaritan believers (and that, in connection with the receiving of the Holy Spirit,) openly identified them with the nascent church in Jerusalem. There would be one body spiritually and one body in practice. It should be, therefore, with great sorrow that we note that many so-called churches have arisen along national and sectarian lines—I say so-called because the common usage of that word (church) is inconsistent with its scriptural meaning.
When we come to Cornelius and his companions, there we read: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44). One might ask why not the laying on of hands in this instance? The text gives the reason plainly enough: “They of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 10:45). Those Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were completely surprised; the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out without intervention of any kind. The Jew could not claim superiority over the gentile. The receiving of the Holy Spirit was independent of them; it was from God alone. The Apostle Paul constantly encountered hostility from the Jews for his work among the gentiles (1 Thess. 2:14-16). For the gentile to be brought into blessing outside the fold of Judaism was, for the Jew, intolerable. For this reason, circumcision was often pressed upon early Christians; a circumcised Christian was more acceptable than an uncircumcised one (Gal. 2:3-5). It brought him into the fold of Judaism. This was, however, a corruption of the gospel and the Apostle Paul strongly denounced it (Gal. 1:6-9; Phil. 3:2-3). The events on that day, among the gentile believers, paralleled the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost among the Jewish believers. Indeed, Peter recalls the occasion when he recounts the conversion of these gentiles to his Jewish brethren in Jerusalem (Acts 11:16).
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
I have used both the expression the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It is important to distinguish between the two. I think it fair to say that many Christians view these interchangeably. Certainly, at the baptism of the Holy Spirit individuals received the Spirit. Nevertheless, it was a collective event of notable significance and not merely an individual one.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in each of the four Gospels (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). In each instance John the Baptist speaks of it as a future thing. Finally, in the book of Acts the Lord Jesus Himself makes the promise: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). The next occurrence of the expression makes it clear when this took place: “As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 11:16). The Holy Ghost fell upon the disciples— “as on us at the beginning”—on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
The final reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs in First Corinthians where it is treated as an accomplished thing: “For also in the power of one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bondmen or free, and have all been given to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13 JnD). Here we have its doctrinal significance; we have been baptized into one body, the church—the body of Christ: “The church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22-23). This body was incorporated on the day of Pentecost when the believers from among the Jews were baptized into one body. The gentiles in the home of Cornelius were later added to that same body when they were baptized by the same Spirit (Acts 11:16). “There is one body, and one Spirit” (Eph. 6:4). These two events—the one on the day of Pentecost and the other in Caesarea—are alone referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Though separated by a few years they form a single operation: the incorporation of the church, as the body of Christ, consisting of both Jew and gentile.
An individual is never spoken of as being baptized with the Holy Spirit—neither when he receives the indwelling of the Spirit nor as a later experience. One will search the Scriptures in vain for verses to support this popular view. Some may offer the verse in First Corinthians as an example. It is, however, entirely consistent with all that has been presented. In the business world, a business is incorporated at its founding. Employees of that business will, however, freely use language such as: We were incorporated in such and such year. The individual may not have been present at the time, nor for that matter even born, and yet their language is correct and unambiguous. We should note the absence of the definite article in this verse—baptized into one body, not the one body. If the article had been present, then it might add credence to the thought that a body existed to which believers were added. This, however, was not the case. Believers were baptized in the power of the Spirit into one body. It was the very act which formed the body.
The Fruit of the Spirit
First and foremost, the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, making known the Father’s counsel concerning His Son. “The Spirit of truth ... shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:14). It is the Spirit who reveals the deep things of God. “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (2 Cor. 2:10).
In Romans, we read: “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). The love spoken of is not that initial appreciation of God’s love towards us in redemption but a deeper sense of His love—an appreciation that grows with each step of our wilderness journey. It is the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with an overwhelming sense of God’s love, especially in our trials.
The Spirit of God settles the anxious heart, first as to our standing before God, and secondly in all our circumstances. “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:15). It is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we have the consciousness of our relationship with God as children. The Spirit also gives us to know our place as sons whereby we can cry Abba Father.
During Christ’s absence from this earth the life of Christ is to be on display through His redeemed people by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ should be manifest in our lives daily. It is the fruit of the Spirit which provides the preeminent characteristics of the Christian walk. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22). Our walk is to be an outward manifestation of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). The Holy Spirit will reproduce the moral characteristics of Jesus in our life. Without the Holy Spirit we quite simply cannot walk as Christians.
“The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). In Ephesians, where we read of the armor of God, the concluding component is prayer: “Praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18 JND). We do not pray to the Spirit; we pray in the Spirit. If I pray to the Spirit, who is doing the praying? It is the Spirit which gives us utterance—not eloquence. Our prayers may well be with groanings for which language is inadequate.
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Comforter—standing by to strengthen, support, and encourage. The activity of the Spirit is not, however, limited to our trials. The Spirit lifts our thoughts outside of ourselves to the excellencies of God Himself. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and boast in Christ Jesus, and do not trust in flesh” (Phil. 3:3 JnD). As with prayer, we do not address our worship to the Holy Spirit; it is by the Spirit that we worship. If I worship the Holy Spirit, then it raises the question, by what spirit am I worshiping?
Much could be written as to the fruit of the Spirit, but our overview must be cursory. It is a rich field that demands further study and meditation. The indifference shown by Christendom towards the Holy Spirit on the one hand, or the misguided preoccupation with spiritual gifts on the other, are neither healthy nor scriptural.
Spiritual Gifts
The Greek word for gift is charisma. The Charismatic Movement is, as the name suggests, occupied with the gifts poured out upon the early church, and especially the miraculous gifts of healing and speaking in tongues. In this they have fallen into the same snare as the church at Corinth.
The assembly at Corinth came behind in no gift (1 Cor. 1:7). Despite this, their problems were numerous: divisions, carnality, immorality, and even the denial of the resurrection! Each of these are addressed by the Apostle Paul in his first epistle. To this mix we must also add the abuse of gift. The Corinthians liked to speak in tongues and the Apostle devotes much of chapters 13 and 14 to this subject—as the spirit moved them, they exercised their gift (1 Cor. 14:26, 29). But what spirit was it? It wasn’t a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
Fundamental to the error held by Charismatics is their misunderstanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To them it is something one experiences after salvation (distinct from the indwelling of the Spirit,) filling them with the power of the Spirit for witness and ministry. In their view, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is something to be sought after and prayed for. Some also believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in tongues.
These teachings are at variance with the Scriptures. As to the first, this has been addressed. I will merely repeat what the Apostle Paul gives us: “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” (1 Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the Holy Spirit incorporated the first believers into the body of Christ, the church. There is nothing here about a second blessing or the filling of the Spirit. As this is the only verse which gives us the doctrinal significance of the event, any alternative interpretation is nothing but an invention on man’s part. After Pentecost we have no examples of, nor do we receive instruction for, prayer for the Holy Spirit—not for the Spirit’s indwelling and certainly not for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
As to the teaching that tongues must accompany the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in one sense this is correct. On both the day of Pentecost and at Caesarea, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those believers (baptizing them into that one body), they did indeed speak in tongues (Acts 2:4; 10:46). The error lies in viewing the baptism of the Holy Spirit as individual—as something to be experienced by every believer.
In my student days, I was standing one afternoon by the gates of the university waiting for a ride from my brother. As I stood beneath the shady trees framing the entryway, I was approached by a young man who asked me as to the state of my soul. I received his greeting gladly; it was encouraging to encounter another believer—they were few and far between. While I don’t question the young evangelist’s faith, what he went on to say, however, was completely foreign to me. He told me that unless I had spoken in tongues, I could not be sure of my salvation! That speaking in tongues was a necessary part of the Christian experience was as disturbing then as it is now. The young man went on to claim that when an individual received the Holy Spirit in the New Testament it was always accompanied by tongues. There were certainly such cases: “When Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). About that time my brother arrived, and our conversation ended. It wasn’t until sometime later, as I was reading through the book of Acts, that I realized the falseness of his statement. There we find occasions where one received the Holy Spirit or was filled with the Spirit and yet there is no mention of tongues (Acts 4:8; 8:17; 9:17; 13:52, etc.). No doubt there was something that evidenced the presence of the Spirit with the individual, but to insist upon tongues is adding what Scripture does not say.
Satan is a wily enemy. We know that he has used deceptive spirits in the past to put words into the mouths of men: “I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets” (1 Kings 22:24). We should fully expect him to do the same today. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). I do not suggest that all cases of tongues are the work of a false spirit, or even the majority for that matter. However, the pressure to speak in tongues (imagine if your salvation depended on it) can lead one into deceiving themselves, or, worse yet, opening themselves to Satanic influence. Speaking in tongues is a miraculous gift easily laid claim to. Without an interpreter, who can judge? Even with an interpreter, who can be sure that they are faithfully translating?
The saints at Corinth contended for the display of their spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:23, 26), but it wasn’t for the edification of others; it was for self-edification (1 Cor. 14:4), or, we might say, self-glorification. Paul writes: “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. ... He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Cor. 14:1, 3). Why this fascination with tongues? How does it glorify God? Especially when the babbling presented today as tongues is perceived by unbelievers as madness (1 Cor. 14:23).
Consider for a moment the disciples of the Gospels and compare their conduct with that found in the book of Acts—what accounts for this great difference? We see, for example, little of the Peter we know from the Gospels in the one preaching in Acts two. This great difference is to be accounted for by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They were not the same men. Their courage, the powerful preaching, this is the Holy Spirit at work. The apostles were “unlettered and uninstructed men”, but their preaching was a cause of wonder. Furthermore, “they recognized them that they were with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). It should be our desire that others might recognize that we, too, have been with Jesus. This is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we should seek after—not tongues and not sign gifts.
Tongues were given as a sign for those who did not believe, and especially the unbelieving Jew. “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not” (1 Cor. 14:21-22). We see a fulfilment of this at the day of Pentecost. “There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ... How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? ... We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:5, 8, 11). For a Jew to hear the wonderful works of God in any tongue other than Hebrew was truly marvelous—Hebrew had been, and still is, uniquely associated with the Jew’s religion. Expressing the things of God in a gentile tongue had unprecedented significance. “Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you” (Rom. 10:18-19).
Although I do not dismiss the possibility of speaking in tongues in this present era—and by that, I mean in a known foreign language as on the day of Pentecost—it was a gift that served a unique purpose in the early days of the church. At that time, it was a clear and visible testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit. Miracles, however, do not save (John 2:23-24; Luke 16:30-31). The Holy Spirit’s testimony has now been fully revealed in the Word of God and both Jew and gentile, just as with Israel of old, resist that testimony (Acts 7:51).
Although Paul spoke in tongues (more than them all) he would rather speak five words in the assembly “with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue” (1 Cor. 14:18-19). It is remarkable that the only Scriptural teaching we have concerning tongues, encourages us not to use them! “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying” (1 Cor. 14:4-5). Paul doesn’t deny the gift of tongues nor the blessedness of it; but there is something better—those manifestations of the Spirit which edified the assembly. Note also, in saying, “I would that ye all spake with tongues”, it is evident from this verse that this gift was not universal. There isn’t a single passage of Scripture that expresses the necessity of speaking in tongues—as evidence of salvation or otherwise.
Some believe that those who speak in tongues speak in the language of angels. They quote the Apostle Paul: “He that speaks with a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Cor. 14:2). “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels” (1 Cor. 13:1). As to the first verse, it is an unjustified extrapolation to suggest that this supports the argument. If one spoke Russian, Mandarin, or Hindi, it would profit me nothing though God would understand. As Paul later says: “If I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian [foreigner], and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian [foreigner] unto me” (1 Cor. 14:11 JnD). No mention of angels here! As to the second, Paul used this expression to show that even if he could speak in all the various tongues of men, and more than that, in the tongues of angels, without love he might as well be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. We cannot conclude from this that Paul, or anyone else, spoke in the language of angels. The gift of tongues was God’s answer to the confusion that resulted from Babel (Gen. 11:1-9); it was not to add to it. In First Corinthians thirteen, Paul considers those things which puffed up the saints in Corinth—tongues, prophecy, understanding, knowledge, faith (vss. 1-2)—and shows that without love the exercise of these gifts benefited no one. Towards the end of the chapter, Paul plainly says: “Love never fails; but whether prophecies, they shall be done away; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be done away” (v. 8 JND). Prophecy and knowledge shall be done away with when “that which is perfect is come” (v. 10 JND). Concerning tongues, however, it does not say “shall be done away” nor does the tenth verse speak of it; verse eight plainly says that tongues shall cease.
The Spirit of God does not occupy us with ourselves but with the Lord Jesus Christ. It cannot be stressed enough that the proper witness of the Spirit of God is not the exaltation of man, nor even the Holy Spirit, but the Lord Jesus Christ. “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (John 15:26). The Lord also told His disciples: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, bearing witness to the truth and recalling the words of the Lord Jesus. “When He is come, the Spirit of Truth, He shall guide you into all the truth: for He shall not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear He shall speak; and He will announce to you what is coming. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine and shall announce it to you” (John 16:13-14 JND).
We have been focusing on the abuse of spiritual gifts, and especially sign gifts, and yet, it is just as important to recognize that we each have a gift. “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Cor. 12:7). We are to be good stewards of the gift that we have received; we are not to leave our gift unused: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10). There are times, as with Timothy, when we may need to be encouraged to use the gift that we have received: “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Tim. 4:14). And there may also be occasions when we are discouraged and must be reminded to rekindle the gift that is within us: “I put thee in mind to rekindle the gift of God which is in thee” (2 Tim. 1:6).
There is considerable diversity of gift. Some are public, for example, prophecy and teaching—these are for the ministering of the Word and the edification of the church. Others are more private, such as shepherding, helps, or giving (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:27-31; Rom. 12:8). Wondering which gift we have is a common concern. Such preoccupation, however, has the unfortunate tendency of directing our thoughts inward. If, on the other hand, we prayerfully go on in a godly, faithful walk for the Lord—not living in the flesh satisfying its lusts (1 Pet. 4:2-3)—daily reading the Word, waiting on His guidance, I have no doubt that He will lay on our heart a burden appropriate to our gift. Our service will not be undertaken with great fanfare, but quietly for the Lord.
Gift is not to be confused with ability. It is a mistake to look to our abilities to decide what gift we may have—this is to reason from the spirit of man and is often confused with the leading of the Spirit of God. Moses demurred from the task God gave him because he wrongly reasoned from his abilities (Ex. 4:10). God will give us both the gift and the ability. “Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability” (Matt. 25:15). Likewise, “unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (Eph. 4:7). By confounding gift and ability, some have chosen a path which does little to glorify God and much to glorify and amuse man.
The Lord uses whomever He chooses. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Service is not about the servant; it is about the One whom we serve. When we get our eye upon others, and measure ourselves against them, our hearts can easily become envious. “They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12). A focus on self and gift will always result in a competitive, striving spirit as we find at Corinth. “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:3). “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16).
Filled, Grieved, or Quenched
Although seeking the baptism of the Spirit is unscriptural, desiring to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not. Various examples, and the accompanying power of the Spirit’s testimony, are found in the book of Acts (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55; 11:24; 13:9, 52). We also have explicit teaching in the epistle to the Ephesians exhorting us to be filled with the Spirit. “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). When the disciples were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they were accused of being drunk with wine (Acts 2:13). This was more than a disparaging accusation. Wine offers a counterfeit experience to the joy of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). I do not suggest that the behavior of a drunken man mirrors one filled with the Holy Spirit. To the contrary, “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). That is to say, the prophets are in control of their spirit. The very fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Gal. 5:23). Rather, the parallel may be drawn elsewhere; it is “wine that maketh glad the heart of man” (Psa. 104:15). In this, wine is not alone; there are many things which can offer us counterfeit spiritual experiences. Music can make our spirits soar high; it can also make us melancholy and sad. A crowd singing in unison to loud music, heavy in rhythm, with colored and flashing lights will have a powerful effect upon the psyche. We can find churches, so-called, where this is presented as worship; it is a false imitation. It is not difficult to search the internet to find groups advertising this type of worship as being ‘Spirit filled’.
We find no example of musical instruments used in worship in the New Testament; it was associated with Jewish worship, a worship suited to the natural man. Conversely, we are instructed: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19), and again: “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Although these verses speak of singing, they do not mention musical instruments. Why then have they been brought into Christian worship? Why has the part they play increased in recent years? Modern worship is about creating a feeling in us, rather than adoration to God flowing from us. Man seeks an aid to fill him with a ‘feeling of worship’. The dishonor we show God in bringing Jewish principles of worship (and worse yet, pagan) into Christianity is simply not recognized. This is the modern counterpart to the condition found in the book of Malachi: “If ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?” (Mal. 1:8). The reaction to such a statement is: “Wherein have we despised thy name? ... Wherein have we polluted thee? (Mal. 1:6-7). It is the spirit of Laodicea: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
Why aren’t we filled with the Holy Spirit? When we fill our lives with activities and earthly pursuits the Spirit of God is shut out. The faithful remnant in the days of Haggai were busy building themselves nice homes, and yet the house of God remained in ruins. There is nothing inherently wrong with a nice home, but we will be the poorer for it if God is excluded. God’s message to them was simple and direct: “Consider your ways” (Hag. 1:7). We would likewise benefit from a reassessment of our own ways. Jehovah reminds them, “according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not” (Hag. 2:5). The Spirit has not changed. We are the ones who have changed. As with the Ephesian saints, we have lost the freshness of first love and all its accompanying affection and activity (Rev. 2:4).
We should not, however, expect an outpouring of the Spirit of God as on the day of Pentecost. Spiritual pretension is as bad as spiritual indifference. The condition of the Jewish remnant in Haggai’s day resulted from God’s hand of government upon them. The glory of the house of God was nothing compared to its former glory—it is God who reminds them of this (Hag. 2:3). To reject God’s counsel against ourselves is Pharisaical (Luke 7:30). We must own and recognize the ruin of the Christian testimony and our part in it.
Just as truly as we can be filled with the Spirit, we can also grieve the Spirit. “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). When we act contrary to the mind of the Spirit, the Spirit is grieved. Various ways in which we can do this are given in the verses which follow: bitterness, wrath, anger, quarrelling, and hurtful words (Eph. 4:31). The characteristic marks of the Spirit are also provided: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). An unforgiving spirit especially seems to be a grievance to the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is to yield a matter up to God. Debt is frequently used in the Word of God to illustrate forgiveness (Matt. 6:12-15; 18:21-35; Luke 7:41-43). In the Old Testament, the forgiveness of a debt is called “a release to Jehovah” (Deut. 15:2 JnD). The matter is entirely given over to God: all claims are relinquished, the offending party is released from their obligation, and the matter is dropped. Unquestionably, forgiveness costs us something, for the debt is not repaid—not, at least, by the individual in question. God, however, is no man’s debtor; He will repay (Rom. 12:19). Failure to forgive does not injure the offending party; by it we injure ourselves and grieve the Holy Spirit.
“Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19). To quench the Spirit is to suppress the activity of the Spirit. We may do this as individuals, but the statement is broader. The instructions at the close of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians are general exhortations to the assembly—the exhortation following, for example, is “Despise not prophesyings” (v. 20). The activity of the Spirit is quenched whenever a substitute is provided in place of the Holy Spirit’s leading—a program for worship, a worship leader, a minster who conducts the service—each one of these stands in place of the Spirit’s leading. It will be asked, but surely the Spirit can direct the worship leader or minister? He may choose to do so, but why would we dictate the channels through whom the Spirit may act? This is an extraordinary presumption on our part. It establishes a clergy distinct from the laity, a division of which Scripture does not speak. The priestly order of the Old Testament was done away with in the New. In its place, every true believer stands before God as a priest: “Jesus Christ ... hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father” (Rev. 1:5-6). To introduce a mediator, or to restrict the channel through which the Holy Spirit may act, especially in worship, is a direct challenge to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-22). These verses are for us all. It shows the liberty of every true believer in Christ to approach God in worship in contrast to the restricted access permitted under the law. Christendom rather quickly retreated from this broad access and restricted priestly service to just a few.
Conclusion
I have attempted to highlight some of the distinctive characteristics of the Holy Spirit’s ministration in this present dispensation. A booklet, such as this, is plainly inadequate to fully address this rich subject. Thankfully, there are excellent resources to which the searching individual may turn: “Another Comforter” by W.T.P.Wolston, and William Kelly’s “Lectures on the Doctrine of The Holy Spirit” are two that come to mind.