GOD THE SPIRIT
God the Spirit (Pneumatology): There is a rationale for developing and offering the material in God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit; a reason why particular studies about God are presented. Assume a writer has the audacity to write on a number of topics. Why does he or she choose certain subjects out of thousands? What prompts selectivity? The answer is simple. Logically, more important subjects demand primary consideration. Of course, those of us who love God never tire of learning more about the One who exceeds all understanding. This is true even though every attempt to more fully comprehend God becomes a reminder that God looms so far above us that our intellectualism is infantile before Him. Over a century ago the English preacher C. H. Spurgeon made an observation that still has power: “He who often thinks of God will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe.” As one might examine a multifaceted diamond, we seek to examine the Biblical teaching about God from different angles for the light that each reflects.
A major theme in studying God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit is that one’s view of God will ultimately shape one’s religion and life. As we enter a new millennium, fear has arisen among believers and nonbelievers alike. But through the fullness of God we have attempted to unfold the saga of God’s relationship with man as a wondrous story of God’s redemptive love and offering of reconciliation to all humanity, showing how fear is not what is required but respect and humility as we watch and participate in God’s plan for us.
God the Spirit completes our study of the fullness of God. Spirit is seen to be the essence of God, while the Spirit is one of the three distinct persons of Trinity. The Trinity is discussed against its early historical backgrounds, the canonized Bible, and early church struggles in formulating its nature. The personal characteristics, attributes, and relationship of the Holy Spirit are traced through the Old and New Testaments. His gifts receive special treatment from New Testament and present day perspectives.
I N D E X
The Essence of God
The Trinity Struggle
Trinitarianism From Then Till Now
The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament
The Holy Spirit In The New Testament
The Holy Spirit and Jesus
The Spirit, Jesus, and Jesus’ Disciples
The Holy Spirit and His Gifts
"Now Concerning Spiritual Gifts”
Living by the Holy Spirit
Bibliography
