God's Fullness
RELATIONSHIPS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Part III – The Spirit As God
The Holy Spirit and Jesus
When one studies the redemptive work of Jesus, one finds that He has a constant companion – the Person of the Holy Spirit. This should not be surprising since both God the Son and God the Spirit are as interested in the salvation of humanity as God the Father. All three Persons of the Godhead are involved in the marvelous plan of redemption. Each has a cooperative role that He appropriates and fulfills while in an inseparable relationship with the other members of the Trinity.
It should be noted at the beginning of our present investigation that all the attempts we make are scripturally based. This is a way of paying tribute and honor to the Holy Spirit. We acknowledge a point of beginning as did the apostle Peter when he wrote:
"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21).
This passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit guided the prophets in their speaking and in their writing. Moreover, the Holy Spirit's work with the Word extends far beyond the prophetic utterances. Indeed, "all Scripture is inspired [theopneustos = God-breathed] by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17; emphasis mine). Therefore, being convinced that the entire Bible (all Scripture) is the product of the Holy Spirit, we can safely say that the Holy Spirit speaks to us today.1
From of old the coming of a Savior was expected because this pronouncement was repeatedly made by the Holy Spirit through God's prophets.2 It was the Spirit that pinpointed the Messianic hope as resting on Jesus of Nazareth.3
Note the relationship of the Spirit with Jesus during Jesus' time on Earth in the flesh. It was the Spirit Who begot the holy child Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35). This was an absolutely unique event in the annals of history. It transcended all human experience and can be accounted for only on the basis of a onetime miraculous act of God. If one can believe a miracle ever happened, then one can believe that which was conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is brief and clear about how Jesus made His entrance in human history.
In the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Jesus we find the Spirit was the one Who authenticated the pronouncement of the Father that Jesus was indeed God's Son (John 1:29-34). This is important. As we contemplate this scene of Jesus' baptism, we realize how rare it is to find the Father, Son, and Spirit historically manifested together at a particular point and time. The Trinity converged at Jesus' baptism. This showed the involvement of the Godhead in the plan for mankind's eternal salvation.
Jesus began His ministry on Earth with baptism, fully acclaimed and identified by the Father and the Spirit. As John the Baptist prepared for the baptism, Jesus said, ". . . in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15b). As the baptism was completed, ". . . the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him; and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:16b-17).
The Holy Spirit did not recede into the heavens as the sound of the Father's voice faded away? Indeed not! The Spirit was not merely an authenticating agent of God the Father. The Spirit was to remain with Jesus "without measure," fully; personally, as a constant companion. However, Scripture says that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1).
When I heard this text read in the worship assembly as a child, I always wondered whose side the Spirit was on. Is that the way to treat a Friend? Through the maturing process, I have come to see something happening in the life of Jesus of which we should all be aware.
After about thirty years, Jesus took His public step into His personal ministry. His baptism became His launching pad, so to speak. In that decisive act He publicly committed Himself to fulfilling all the righteousness of God and in turn was publicly acknowledged as Son of the Father and presented with the presence of the Spirit.
The inevitable happened. Jesus became vulnerable to Satan, who saw Him as his most formidable public enemy. In full commitment to the will of His Father and in full possession of the Spirit, Jesus separated Himself from the furor of the world to face His arch enemy head-on in the desert of loneliness. The fight was not a standoff. Jesus won hands down. He resisted every type of temptation that Satan brought to bear. And what kinds of temptations were these? Note:
"Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away; and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).
From Matthew 4:1-11, one concludes that Jesus resisted the "lust of the flesh" (vv. 3-4), "the pride of life" (vv. 5-7), and "the lust of the eye" (vv. 8-10), as He "was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, while tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1b-2).
The Spirit did not lead Jesus into the wilderness in order to be tempted. Jesus was being led by the Spirit in His commitment to the redemptive work of God. This commitment inevitably requires a separation from "the world." This was a commitment that always leads to temptation. Jesus did not enter into and lead a sacrificial life in order to be tempted! Rather, His personal choice to live that life of service to mankind resulted in His being tempted.
This is the drama of the wilderness temptations. The application is clear. The key to victory is available. "Jesus returned [from these temptations] to Galilee in the power of the Spirit . . ." (Luke 4:14a; emphasis mine).
The Spirit and the Word were together with God in creation. The New Testament makes the astounding announcement that "the Word was God." Jesus was the living Word (John 1:14). He came out of the wilderness after the temptations full of the Spirit and in His power.
He went to worship at the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. When He stood up to read the Holy Scriptures, He read from the great Messianic prophet Isaiah as follows: "'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor'" (Luke 4:18-19). To the amazement of the worshipers, He said, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21).
In this memorable example we see the inspired (God-breathed) written Word made audible by the Spirit-filled Living Word! The crucial role of the Holy Spirit cannot escape our attention. When we follow the life, preaching, and teaching ministry of Jesus, we realize that the Holy Spirit's relation to the Word, both written and living, is a matter of life and death for us.
Through the written Word we learn of Jesus. Through Jesus and His teachings we see the supreme revelation of God the Father. From God comes every perfect gift (James 1:17), including eternal life (Romans 6:23). Consider the significance of Jesus' statement: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63). The "wonderful words of life" Jesus shared in His teaching and preaching serve as a channel for the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The healing ministry of Jesus was one of the most outstanding features of His earthly sojourn. That marvelous work also was done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Many of those miracles were recorded to help us believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His name (John 20:30-31).
On one occasion Jesus was pushing through the throng on His way to the home of a synagogue ruler named Jarius to answer his request to heal his daughter. A woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years made her way through the crowd and touched Jesus' garment, believing that by doing so she would be healed. She was healed because power proceeded from Jesus to affect this miracle (Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:40-48). At other times, Jesus healed many people from the multitudes by the "power of the Lord" that was in Him (Luke 5:17, 6:17-19).
Also, those "troubled with unclean spirits were being cured." One may doubt that this power of Jesus to heal people and cleanse them of unclean spirits was the power of His companion, the Holy Spirit. The scenario we now examine should remove that doubt.
Jesus healed a demon-possessed man. The Pharisees claimed He did it not by the power of God but by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus rebutted:
"And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:26-28).
This scene is a snapshot of the cosmic struggle between Satan and God. Just as a photo does not show the entire context of a picture, so this confrontation implies more than it shows. It reflects a provincial skirmish in the cosmic warfare. The war is between God and Satan, light and darkness, good and evil, right and wrong, angels and demons, righteousness and sin. The unleashed powers break out of the boundaries of earth and time. They pervade the universe. Therefore, they affect the destiny of the human race. We, made in God's image, are Satan's prime target. He was defeated in His temptations of Jesus. Now he is after us. But Jesus brings the kingdom (rule) of God to bear in this scene. He shows His supremacy over the demonic world and attributes His source of power to God's Spirit.
On another occasion when Jesus healed and exorcised demons, the Pharisees said, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons" (Matthew 9:34). Others said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub" (Mark 3:22), and, "He has an unclean spirit" (Mark 3:30). Some said, "He has a demon!" (Matthew 11:18).
There was general acknowledgment of Jesus' power. However, assigning it to Satan was the testimony of those who affirmed that Jesus and Satan were partners. This was a monstrous position to hold! It still is. If propagated and believed by enough people, it would destroy any hope for our salvation. It would turn God into Satan, light into darkness, good into evil, right into wrong, angels into demons, righteousness into sin. The consequences of such a transformation would be nothing short of total disaster. "You shall not murder" would become: "Murder anyone who gets in your way!" "You shall not commit adultery" would become: "Commit adultery as often and with as many people as you care to!" "You shall not steal" would become: "Steal anything you can get your hands on!"
Are we talking fantasy? Is the preceding scenario an exaggeration? Of course, God will not allow His people to be completely and eternally destroyed. Anything that tends in that direction is so serious that God takes an emphatic stand against it. One can scarcely conceive of anything more serious than admitting that Jesus had great power but believing it was the power of Satan!
This belief is so serious that Jesus, in the confrontation described previously, said,
"Therefore I say unto you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come, but [he] is guilty of an eternal sin" (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:29).
The belief that the Holy Spirit is "unholy" and the power Jesus had was given to Him by the Devil is a conviction people must scrupulously avoid in any age. Otherwise, the consequences are too horrible to imagine.
As Jesus continued in the timetable of His ministry, He expanded His efforts by selecting twelve men to be His apostles (Luke 6:13-16). They were given power to do miracles and were sent out to proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2). Eventually, Jesus chose seventy (NIV 72) others to join them. They, too, were given great power and the commission to preach the nearness of God's kingdom. They traveled ahead of Jesus from city to city (Luke 10:1-9).
When they came back from their mission, they were joyous that they had cast out demons in Jesus' name. Jesus, knowing the extent of the power even more than they, spoke of the superiority of the Spirit's power in terms of Satan's "fall from heaven" (Luke 10:17-18). However, He instructed them not to rejoice over their power but to rejoice because their names were written in heaven. In other words, their proper allegiance was of prime importance (Luke 10:19-20).
Jesus took this occasion to rejoice "greatly in the Holy Spirit" (Luke 10:21). Jesus was witnessing the expanding work of the Holy Spirit. These seventy men, as well as the twelve apostles, had received from Jesus the power of the Holy Spirit to heal, exorcise demons, and proclaim the kingdom of God. The reception of these precious gifts by those whose names were written in heaven was, indeed, an occasion for rejoicing. These gifts, and many others, were of assistance to the early Christians after Jesus returned to His Father.
However, Jesus' return to His heavenly Father was preceded by an event of stupendous significance. We may correctly say our personal destiny hinges upon it. We are speaking of the Gospel event. The apostle Paul spoke of this event later when he wrote to the Christians at Corinth, saying:
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Paul discussed this Gospel event in his letter to the Christians at Rome. He said: ". . . I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). Paul was speaking of a power strong enough to raise Jesus and us from the grave to immortality. This is why we are told "of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . . ." (2 Timothy 1:10). The power of the Gospel becomes the power of our salvation when "we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
The preceding references to Christ's resurrection tell us that "Christ was raised." This is a passive voice expression, which means that Someone applied power to resurrect Jesus. The Scriptures speak of God the Father raising Jesus from the dead (Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20a). Jesus Himself spoke of rising from the dead (Luke 24:7; John 10:17-18).4 The power of the resurrection is the activating power of the Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16).5
The Holy Spirit, Jesus, and His Disciples
The Holy Spirit and Jesus were intimately associated. The Father gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus "without measure." The Holy Spirit filled and empowered Jesus. The personal ministry of Jesus was permeated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus specifically chose about seven dozen disciples, including the apostles, to assist Him in His expanding ministry. To aid them in their task Jesus shared with them some of the Spirit's "works of power" (1 Corinthians 12:9-10). The New Testament contains some anticipatory teachings with reference to the Holy Spirit. By this we mean the teachings of Jesus about the Holy Spirit that would affect the lives of His followers after His departure.
Mark, chapter 13, is often called the "Little Apocalypse." There are parallel passages in Matthew and Luke. Jesus' vivid apocalyptic-style teaching came in response to a question asked by His apostles, Peter, James, John, and Andrew. Jesus had just announced that the magnificent temple in Jerusalem would be totally destroyed. They can conceive of such an incredible catastrophe only in connection with the "end-time." In their minds, this could only be an eschatological (end-time) event.
Therefore they ask, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?" (Mark 13:1-4). Sign (semeion) was a favorite word of the apostle John. Later he used it in his Gospel not merely to describe a miracle (dunamis) but also to speak of a miraculous happening in view of its purpose (John 21:30-31). In the question before us, the apostles, including John, asked about "the sign." In other words, they seemed to be searching not only for information about these coming events but also for the overall purpose for such a disruption of history.
In His answer to their inquiry Jesus clearly showed His empathy for them. He understood their perplexity. His answer stressed their involvement during those troubled times: "See to it that no one misleads you. . . . do not be frightened; . . . But be on your guard . . ." (Mark 13:5-9).
More germane for our present study than any of the other facets of the "Little Apocalypse" are Jesus' words to those four apostles: "And when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit" (Mark 13:11; emphasis mine).6
What an assurance! What a consolation! Troubled times lay ahead. They would be involved. But they were given encouragement. They would see the purpose of it all. They would be able to speak and explain to the worldly opposition the plan and telos of God. The companionship and leading of the Holy Spirit would be a source of strength and knowledge for them.
Those apostles would need God's help. There is no doubt this precious promise applied to all the apostles. However, the subsequent history of Peter, James, and John, mentioned here, shows how the apostolic band was indeed embroiled in those turbulent times. Peter fell to the point where he vehemently denied he even knew Jesus (Mark 14:71). James was the first apostolic martyr (Acts 12:1-2). John was exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Did these things mean that Jesus' promise that the apostles would be guided by the Holy Spirit applied only to events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple?7 By no means. Moreover, the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives did not immunize them against temptation, grief, or death. That is a fact worth remembering.
There is an intriguing teaching of Jesus on the efficacy of prayer. In Matthew it is found in the "sermon on the mount." In Luke it is found after Jesus teaches the "Lord's prayer" to his disciples. In yet another setting, Jesus illustrated how the bounty of the supremely good heavenly Father far overshadowed the gift of a friend who gave him "as much as he needs." Jesus' conclusion is: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall [your] Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:1-13, esp. v. 13). The parallel passage in Matthew reads: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11, esp. v. 11; emphasis mine).
Although from a literary point of view the settings in Matthew and Luke are different, we may assume that each conclusion is essentially the same. Each is preceded by the same teaching about prayer. The NASB of Matthew 7:11b speaks of your Father Who is in heaven Who shall "give what is good (dosei agatha = "shall give goods" or, "good things"). In Luke 11:13 the NASB reads: "How much more shall [your] Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit [dosei (the) pneuma ’agion = "shall give (the) Holy Spirit"].8 Thus we conclude that Luke spoke in metonymic fashion of the Holy Spirit as the epitome of all the good gifts that God the Father lavishes upon His people:
"God . . . will give only good to his children who seek it. Indeed, he will give them the supreme gift, the Holy Spirit. . . . Human bounty is still only a trifle in comparison with that of the heavenly Father. What is given is not only `as much as he needs' [v 8], but the supreme gift of the Spirit."9
The future tenses found in both the Matthean and Lucan texts suggest that this promise of the Holy Spirit to God's people looks forward to the Christian age. As Fitzmyer puts it, "Here Luke makes Jesus speak of the gift to be given in the Period of the Church (24:49; Acts 1:4, 7, 8)."10 The anticipatory view of God's promise of the Holy Spirit for His children as noted previously is also in harmony with other teachings of Jesus about the gift of the Holy Spirit for His disciples.
Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2, 10). It was a controversial experience for Him. But "on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39). Here, again, there is a promise "of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive." The reason for the prospective nature of the promise is given: "Jesus was not yet glorified." This is a typically Johannine explanation of Jesus' work and teaching.11
No doubt Jesus' "glorification" had reference to His cross experience terminating in His victory over death. Other statements of Scripture lead us to this conclusion. This great triumph of Jesus is the watershed marking the transition from His anticipatory promise of the Holy Spirit to His followers to their actual reception of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' ministry was carried out according to His own timetable. The Gospel of John helps us to see His plan unfold as He moves to His glorification. Early on, He tells His mother, "My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4b). Later, when His opponents became so enraged they were trying to seize Him for execution, it is said that "no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come" (John 7:25, 30).
As His ministry was nearing its close, Jesus realized that His purpose was about to be accomplished. His hour was at hand. He spoke of His pending death as the fulfillment of that "hour" (John 12:23, 27, 31-32). Jesus did not merely see His death as the climax of the "hour": "Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father . . ." (John 13:1a).12 The longest recorded prayer of Jesus was offered near the end of His life. It began with: "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee . . ." (John 17:1b).
The Holy Spirit had not been given because Christ had not been glorified. Christ's glorification was His death, burial, and triumphant resurrection.13 As He drew near the cross experience, Jesus took the opportunity to speak to His apostles in anticipatory language about the Holy Spirit. (Earlier in His ministry Jesus had shared with His apostles and many of His other disciples certain of the Holy Spirit's gifts of power to aid them as they assisted Jesus in His earthly ministry) Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His apostles about the Holy Spirit Himself, which would become effective after Jesus' glorification and exaltation at God's right hand (Colossians 3:1).
The "last discourse" of Jesus (John 14-16) is a rich source of information on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. It was addressed to the apostles for their information and encouragement to sustain them in their work after Jesus' departure. It was followed by Jesus' longest recorded prayer (John 17). Then came His Gethsemane experience (Luke 22:39-54). Framed by such vivid experiences, the lessons Jesus taught the apostles that eventful night about the Holy Spirit must have made a lasting impression in their minds and in their lives. Specifically; Jesus said:
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (John 14:26).
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me . . ." (John 15:26).
"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and You no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you" (John 16:7-15).
Several observations follow that are based on these passages.
The plural you (humeis) of these specific passages applied to the apostles. They were the ones to whom Jesus gave His farewell address. Within the parameters of the entire address (John 14-16) there are some statements from which truths may be deducted and applied to Christians in all eras, especially in light of other New Testament teachings. However, one must be extremely judicious in this matter to avoid false conclusions. Our remarks concern Jesus' teaching about the Holy Spirit as it applied to the apostles. In these verses a grand display of the intimate relationships and perfect harmony of the Trinity is given. Each Person works in unison with the other two for the sake of mankind.14
The Holy Spirit is "another" Helper (allon parakleton). Jesus had been their Helper, but He is to make His exodus (exodos [Luke 9:31 ] ) shortly. He promises "another" Helper after His ascension.
In these texts, parakletos is translated in various ways: NASB: Helper; KJV and ASV Comforter; RSV and NIV Counselor; JB and NEB: Advocate; NAB: Paraclete. The translations tell the story The Holy Spirit Himself will act as their helper when they need intercession, their comforter when they need encouragement, their counselor when they need representation, their advocate when they need defense.15
What a magnificent role! What a precious companion. One can empathize with the NAB translators who opted to transliterate the word parakletos instead of translating it. The significance of paraclete is more broad than one English word can convey.
The Holy Spirit would remain with them continually and always. He would be their teacher and remind them of what Jesus had taught them. He would "bear witness" of Jesus. He would be a gift sent to them from the Father and the Son. He would guide them into all truth, including things to come.16 As He shared truth with the apostles, the Holy Spirit would be emphasizing Christ in all His glory. Through them the Holy Spirit would accomplish His work of convicting the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. They would have an immeasurable advantage in their apostolic work.
They would enjoy another advantage in their ministry. Although they were promised the Holy Spirit after Jesus went away, they are not deprived of Jesus' eternal presence. He "went away" in death. He "came back" in resurrection. Before He ascended to His Father, He said to His apostles:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age " (Matthew 28:19-20; emphasis mine).
Since Jesus promised to be with his apostles always, it is not surprising to find Him also in the role of parakletos.17 In the role of advocate, Jesus functioned as one called alongside to help. This help would come from the One Who is the propitiation (satisfaction) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). This help came in His intercession (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25) or mediation (1 Timothy 2:5). The apostles had not "lost" their Savior. Rather, they were to be doubly blessed with the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Jesus was resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit. On the very day of His resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, who were hiding in fear behind closed doors. They gazed in wonder and amazement. Could it be? Was it true? Jesus surely sensed the impact of His post-burial appearances on them. He said, "Peace be with you" (John 20:17a). This was a common greeting among the Jews. Here, however, it had the added effect of allaying their fears. He showed them the identifying scars in His hands and His side: "The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord" (v. 20b).
Jesus had given them peace before His crucifixion (John 14:27). He reassures them now, as if to say, "My death will not rob you of the peace I gave you." He had sent them out on preaching missions before His crucifixion (Matthew 10:7, 16). He reassures them now, as if to say, "My death will not hinder the mission I gave you." He had shared with them some miraculous gifts of the Spirit to assist them in their ministry (Matthew 10:1, 8), and this had been followed with the promise that the Father and He would actually send the Holy Spirit to them (John 14:26, 15:26). He reassures them now, as if to say; "Be not dismayed. The power you have and the promised Holy Spirit will not be withheld from you because of my death. See, I have risen! I have overcome!" This assurance was solemnized in symbolic ritual. "He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22). Their peace was promissory, their mission was preparatory, and their new relationship with the Holy Spirit was anticipatory.
These three elements of the apostolic ministry were fully assimilated into their lives. During the weeks that followed this memorable meeting with His apostles, Jesus was at last acknowledged as being God (John 20:28). This was a perception of deep spiritual insight.18
Jesus gave the apostles a worldwide commission to be carried out with the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). Along with that, ". . . He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen" (Acts 1:2b). He promised them, saying, ". . . you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:5b). Then, He said, ". . . you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).19
They were commanded to stay in Jerusalem and "wait for what the Father had promised" (Acts 1:4b). While they waited they took note of Judas's betrayal of Jesus as that which had fulfilled a prophecy of the Holy Spirit through David. They no doubt remembered Jesus' Messianic application of David's Forty-first Psalm to Himself when He said of Judas, "He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me" (John 13:18-30, esp. v. 18). They knew Judas was "the son of perdition" who perished "that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12b). They could see in other Psalms of David the demise of Judas and his replacement according to the words of the Holy Spirit (Psalms 69:25, 109:8).20
The day of Pentecost was known as the Feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:16), Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23:16), and First Fruits of Wheat Harvest (Exodus 34:22). It fell on the fiftieth day after the first day of Passover. When the day of Pentecost arrived after the ascension of Jesus, the apostles received what they had been promised. From that day forward they were never to cower behind closed doors in fear (John 20:19). There would never be any more perplexing moments of doubt about the authenticity of Jesus (Matthew 28:17). There was no more disquiet. They were given a peace that was full and free, even to the point "which surpasses all comprehension" (Philippians 4:7). Their promised gift of peace was in place.
They were made aware of the comprehensive nature of the mission they had been given. Jews from many lands, who spoke many languages, stood before them. Now they had the opportunity to begin teaching all nations in their own languages. The promised Holy Spirit had arrived! "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." (Read Acts 2:1-11).21
The apostles' promissory peace was now fulfilled. Their limited preparatory mission was now expanded to all nations. The anticipated Holy Spirit was now fully received. All of this applied to the apostles. Their freedom from fear was seen in their boldness of action. Their broad commission was seen as they addressed the diverse multitude. The presence of the Holy Spirit was manifested by tongues as of fire that rested on each one of them and in their ability to speak so those who spoke different dialects could understand in their own language. The three elements of the apostolic ministry were assimilated into their lives.
One may disregard the chapter division at Acts 2, since the chapters and verses were not a part of the original biblical manuscripts. One finds that after Matthias is numbered with the eleven apostles the plural pronouns they (v. 1), they (v. 2), them (v. 3), they, and them (v. 4), all have the plural noun apostles (Acts 1:26) as their antecedent.
The point is that on the eventful day of Pentecost the apostles received the Holy Spirit directly from heaven just as Jesus had promised. Jesus did not send a "part" of the Holy Spirit. He did not "measure out" a "portion" of the Holy Spirit and send that. He sent the Person of the Holy Spirit to the apostles as a gift. Just as Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit as He began His teaching and preaching ministry (Luke 4:14-15), the apostles were empowered by the Spirit's presence as they began their teaching and preaching ministry. There is no hint that they received a "portion" or "measure" of the Spirit. The text speaks of a Person called the Holy Spirit Who was sent from above to be with the apostles. The Holy Spirit then gave the apostles the power and ability to do what they did – viz., speak in "foreign" languages.
We have come to a watershed in New Testament history. Jesus had returned to the glory that He had with the Father before the creation (John 17:4-5; Acts 1:9-11). The Holy Spirit was sent as Jesus had promised. The Holy Spirit's arrival to the apostles is described metaphorically as an overwhelming, a baptism.22 Jesus had shared some gifts of the Holy Spirit with the apostles during their limited ministry (Mark 6:7,13). Now the Holy Spirit Himself was with them in all His fullness (Acts 2:4).
The Bible tells us plainly that ". . . He [God] gives the Spirit without measure" (John 3:34b, emphasis added). This is a statement about a Person. God sent His Son without measure for our eternal benefit. Likewise, He sent His Holy Spirit without measure for the same reason. Just as it is unthinkable to imagine God the Father passing out parcels of His Son for our salvation, so it is unthinkable to conceive of the Father giving out measures of the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit came in Person to live with, or "indwell," the apostles. As their promised Companion, He shared with them all the power, benefits, and abilities that were promised by Jesus (John 14-16). Their teaching, work, and writings in the New Testament show how beneficial and indispensable the Person and work of the Holy Spirit are.
Footnotes:
1Geoffrey W. Bromiley, "The Holy Spirit," in Fundamentals of the Faith, ed. Carl F. H. Henry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1969): "The Holy Spirit, from whom life comes, is the master of personal relations; we may confidently affirm that, as His work, the inspiring of Scripture is effected without either violence to the writers or prejudice to the finished work" (156).
2Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 4:12-17; Isaiah 11:1ff.; Acts 13:22-24; Isaiah 53; Luke 18:31-33; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:21-24.
3Read Acts 13 carefully, esp. vv. 2, 4, 9, 23, 33, 41, 47, 52.
4William Barclay, The Gospel of John, vol. 2 (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1955), 77. In discussing John 10:17-18 Barclay states: "Jesus always saw the Cross and the glory together. He never doubted that He must die; and He equally never doubted that He would rise again. The reason for this confidence was Jesus' confidence in God."
5Fred D. Gealy, The First and Second Epistles to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus, in The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 11, George Arthur Buttrick, gen. ed. (New York, Nashville: Abingdon, 1955), 421-22. In discussing 1 Timothy 3:16, Gealy admits perplexities in the phrase was vindicated in the Spirit. However, he says: "It seems more suitable to conjecture an event at the end of his [Jesus'] life, viz., the Resurrection, as interpreted in Rom. 1:4, where Jesus is `designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.' `Vindication' would then be the equivalent of `resurrection,' which took place through the Spirit (Rom. 8:11)."
6Matthew does not mention the promise of the Spirit to the apostles in his description of the destruction of Jerusalem. Perhaps he did not because he had already made that clear to them (chapter 10). The same applies to Luke (chapters 12 and 21).
7C. E. W. Dorris, A Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 1937): "This is a promise that they should be inspired, and consequently their defenses recorded in the book of Acts are the words of the Holy Spirit" (306).
8Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Bruce M. Metzger, and Allen Wikgren, eds., The Greek New Testament (Stuttgart, West Germany: Wurttemberg Bible Society, 1966), 257. This edition of the Greek New Testament does admit to some degree of doubt about the phrase pneuma ’agion (Holy Spirit) in Luke 11:13b, due to textual variants suggesting good gift, gifts, etc. However, the weight of textural evidence allows the use of "Holy Spirit." Thus pneuma ’agion is retained in the Greek text even though the definite article the is absent.
9Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Anchor Bible, vol. 25A: The Gospel according to Luke, (William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman, gen. eds. (Garden City; NY: Doubleday, 1985), 914.
10Ibid., 916.
11Other examples are: John 1:38, 42, 2:9, 21, 4:9, 6:1, 6, 71, 7:5.
12C.K. Barrett, The Gospel according to St. John (London: SPCK, 1965): "The hour of departure was at hand, and in fact Jesus was going to his eternal glory with the Father through the humiliation of the cross . . . This glory in humiliation is one of the major themes of chapters. 13-17, and the opening acted parable states it very well" (366).
13J. W. Roberts, Letters to Timothy (Austin, TX: Sweet, 1961), 44. Commenting on 1 Timothy 3:16, Roberts states that Jesus was vindicated in the resurrection by the Holy Spirit and compares this to Peter's "made alive in [by] the Spirit" in 1 Peter 3:18.
14Merrill C. Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1975) : "The Father sent the Son; the Son sent the Spirit; the Spirit represents the Son as the Son represented the Father. The three interact and also act separately; they are three individuals, but yet one God. All that the Father has belongs to the Son; and all that the Son has to teach is administered through the Spirit" (239).
15John Peter Lange, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: John (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, n.d.), 440.
16Donald Guthrie, "John," in The New Bible Commentary: Revised, eds. D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer, A.M. Stibbs, D.J. Wiseman (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970): "They will not only be aided by the Spirit in recalling all that Jesus had said, but they will also receive the Spirit's own interpretation . . . No view of Gospel origins which is not in harmony with the promised aid of the Spirit can be considered valid" (959).
17Lange, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: John: "The word itself is never met with in the New Testament except in the writings of John, yet the designation: allos [another] parakletos, announces that it may be applied to Christ," 440.
18C. H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel (Cambridge: University Press, 1965): "`Ho kurios mou' = `my Lord'; `kai ho theos mou' = `and my God.' `Ho kurios mou' identifies the One Who appears as `the Jesus of History' (cf. xiii. 13-14); `Ho theos mou' adds a theological valuation of His presence. I remember hearing F. C. Burkitt paraphrase Thomas's confession thus: `Yes: it is Jesus!-and He is divine!"', 430.
19F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Book of the Acts (Grand Raids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966): "Luke makes it plain that it is by the power of that same Spirit that all the apostolic acts which he goes on to narrate are performed, so much so that some have suggested, as a theologically more accurate title for his second volume, The Acts of the Holy Spirit" (33).
20Lange, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, n.d.), 395, 550.
21J.W. McGarvey, New Commentary on Acts of Apostles (Des Moines, IA: Eugene S. Smith, n.d.), 19-25.
22Cf. Mark 10:38-39, etc., for Jesus' own figurative use of the term baptisma.
