There are many names and titles applied to God throughout scripture, and each of them is used to represent some fundamental truth about His nature. Last week we learned that the Hebrew word translated Spirit is ruwach, and the Greek word is pneuma. Both can be translated wind or spirit.
So when we refer to God as King, immediately some idea of his nature comes to our mind. We call him Father, and again that carries with it certain mental images. But when the Bible refers to Him as the Holy Spirit, the idea is one of moving on earth.
Wind - The apparent moving of the invisible - Holy Spirit.
Review – Old Covenant
We discovered that in the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was active in:
- transformation (creation)
- empowerment
- communication
But it seemed that there were limitations to this activity. The anointing was :
- external
- temporary
- only available for a few
We also looked at prophecies in the Old Testament that spoke of a time when this would change, and the Holy Spirit would dwell in the heart of all men that would receive Him.
Transition
In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was first mentioned in creation. The first mention of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant is in the birth of Christ.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Matt 1:18 (NIV)
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35 (NIV)
In a moment, we will be focusing on the difference between creation and birth. The Holy Spirit’s activity does not change much in the New Testament, but there is a noticeable difference in His methods. But before we delve into that, let’s look at an important point regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the Father of Christ
We all know that Jesus is the Son of God. He is also called the Son of Man. Why? Because he was literally both! Who was the father of Jesus? God.
And the scriptures also make it clear that God was in Jesus. Completely. Permanently.
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." Matt 1:23 (NIV)
But specifically, in Matt 1:18 and Luke 1:35, we find that the Holy Spirit is the father of Jesus. This makes it clear that the scripture makes no distinction between the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Christ, as many Christians try to do.
- The Holy Ghost is the Father of Jesus, and it is due to the conception by the Holy Ghost that Jesus is called the Son of God
- The Spirit of the LORD (Jehovah) was to rest upon Christ (Isa 11:2)
- Peter tells us that it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the prophets leading them to testify (1 Pet 1:10-11). Pet also says it was the Holy Ghost (2 Pet 1:20-21)
- Jesus identified himself as the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (John 14:16-18, 26)
A study of Christian History reveals that the early church made no distinction between the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ.
Athanasius (300-373) was the first theologian to extensively promote the concept of the Holy Ghost as a third and distinct person, and so was the first to define a true trinitarian theology. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit was not officially declared the third member of the trinity until the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.
The debate over the Father and the Son eventually extended to the Holy Spirit. For most of the fourth century, the status of the Holy Spirit was unclear in the minds of many. As late as 380 Gregory of Nazianzus wrote that among the defenders of Nicea “some have conceived of him as an activity, some as a creature, some as God; and some have been uncertain which to call him.” David Bernard - Trinitarian Controversy in the Fourth Century p 37
So the idea of a separate and distinct person developed over nearly four centuries – but the idea was certainly not one held by the apostles. To them, God was a Holy Spirit. Period.
Primary Difference Between Old Covenant and New Covenant
As we mentioned last week, the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Covenants is significant:
- Old Covenant – begins with Spirit moving to create
- New Covenant – begins with the Spirit moving to give birth
- First Adam – a created man
- Last Adam (Jesus) – a born man
- Creation is from the outside, coming in
- Birth is from the inside, coming out
In the New Covenant, we notice immediately a difference in the way the Holy Spirit’s interaction with man is described. Let me give you some examples:
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Luke 1:15 (NIV)
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41 (NIV)
37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39 (NIV)
Notice these words:
- filled with
- flow from within
- Spirit given and received
John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit
Why the difference, in John the Baptist? First of all – the writer was a Spirit-filled believer. The story of John the Baptist was written later, from the viewpoint of a man that had a point to make. Remember that Luke would go on to write the Book of Acts, as a sequel to the Book of Luke. And the theme throughout is the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Luke is leading the reader to their own infilling, and he chooses his words carefully.
But this was not just semantics. John the Baptist was an Old Covenant preacher. But he was unique amongst the prophets. He was the forerunner, or the one that introduces, Christ. And there is much about his life and ministry that reveals New Covenant principles.
For instance – baptism. This was not an Old Testament practice. And yet John’s baptism was not the same as the New Testament sacrament (that’s why John’s disciples needed to be rebaptized). But there was definitely a transition being revealed in John.
The same with the Holy Spirit indwelling. Notice Jesus’ discussion of John the Baptist in Matt 11:
Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matt 11:9-11 (NIV)
John’s place in God’s plan set him apart from other Old Covenant believers. And yet his experience and relationship with God still fell short of that of New Covenant believers!
Furthermore, we read from John 7:38-39 that the Holy Ghost had not yet been given.
Jesus Christ Must be the Firstborn
Let’s look more closely at this. Why was the Holy Ghost not yet given? Because Jesus was not yet glorified.
We have said that the primary difference between the Spirit’s activity in Old and New is shown in the difference between creation and birth. Jesus was born of the Spirit – but that birth was not complete in Bethlehem. It was complete when he was born into the presence of God. When he was glorified.
You see – at Jesus’ resurrection, He became the firstborn.
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Col 1:18 (NIV)
That word firstborn implies much.
- He was born to God at His resurrection (born)
- Nobody had been born in such a fashion prior to His resurrection (first)
- Others would be born in such a fashion afterwards (firstborn – not onlyborn)
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29 (NIV)
The Birth of the Spirit is available to us
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." John 3:5-8 (NIV)
This is the beauty of the New Covenant. God has not changed. The Holy Spirit has not changed. But my ability to interact with the Spirit has changed! Because of the work of Christ – because he became the firstborn – I also have the privilege of being born of the Spirit.
This is where we will pick up in the next class. Last week, we talked about the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant. This week, we discussed the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant. Next lesson, we will focus on the Holy Spirit in Me! |
