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God is omnipresent by means of His spirit flowing out from His personal
presence. This spirit-power is universal in upholding all things in the
natural world. For the Performance of work that is supernatural and sacred,
the same spirit by special concentration of Divine will becomes Holy Spirit
for the holy or sacred work determined to be done.
This doctrine is intended to present the Bible teaching on the subject of
the Holy Spirit. At the time the above proposition was compiled, the chief
antagonist to the correct defining of the Holy Spirit was orthodox Christianity
with its Trinitarian inventions. The two preceding articles of this series
dealt with the unity of the Father and of the special birth of His only
begotten Son. It is not possible to come to a correct understanding of the
Bible as long as the notion of the trinity is harbored in one's mind. We
must come to appreciate God as the Creator, the Author, the Designer, the
cause of all things. There is no combination of things which has not been
appointed by Him; nothing limits His course of action other than His moral
excellence or His declared word. Thus, when it is said concerning the resurrection
of Christ, "it was not possible that he should be holden of it"
(Acts 2:34), it does not mean that there was some power greater than that
of God which dictated what He must do or not do; it means that since Christ
had met the moral requirements of laws imposed upon him by God, it was impossible,
or inconsistent with the justice and reliability of God, to renege on what
God had bound Himself to do. It is not possible for God to lie, therefore,
when He makes a statement or enters into a covenant, the conditions which
He imposes upon Himself will be met (cp. Heb. 6:17-18).
The Holy Spirit is not a person; it is a spirit, and a spirit is an influence,
power, or energy sent forth or generated by someone or something. While
the trinitarian deceit declares the Holy Spirit to be the third person of
the trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, the Scriptures testify
in Acts 10:38, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power. " How, it has been asked before and we raise the question
again, how can one co-equal take another co-equal and anoint yet another
co-equal with that second one? Of course it makes no sense; but an examination
of some passages of Scripture will show us that the Holy Spirit is simply
God's power by which He accomplishes certain works.
In Genesis 1:2 it is written: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the
face of the waters." It was the will or wish of God for certain creative
developments to occur, and His will was all that was needed to accomplish
that creative work. He did not have to consult with others, or call upon
His Spirit as a separate entity to get busy with the work. In other places
in the first chapter of Genesis it is stated that God said, "Let there
be" such and such a thing, and upon His sole will that such a thing
was to be. It is further stated that "it was so." All that was
needed was for God to will it, and it happened exactly as He willed it.
To ascribe this as being done by His power or by His Holy Spirit is in accord
with the facts, for the Holy Spirit is the special, underived power by which
God acts and expresses Himself (cp. Jet. 51:15).
God made two great lights (Gen. 1: 16), the sun and moon, to rule the day
and night. This was done by His willing that these lights come into existence
and occupy a place in the firmament of the heaven so that they could properly
give light to the earth as He willed. God does not need to 90 through this
process repeatedly, to place the sun and moon in their position, for He
willed in the beginning that they should be fixtures in His creative arrangement.
Therefore, it can be said that His Spirit-power upholds them, as does many
other things of the natural creation.
We read in judges 14:6 concerning Samson: "And the Spirit of the Lord
came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and
he had nothing in his hand." Here we have an instance where God dispensed
His Spirit, or specially empowered Samson to perform an act of supernatural
strength. At another time, with an absence of the Spirit of the Lord, it
is probable that the lion would have reversed the course of events and slain
Samson. From accounts in Scripture, it is demonstrated that the Holy Spirit
has been given to men to perform feats of an extraordinary nature such as
Samson did. Men have been able to recount dreams of another person and interpret
them; men have raised others from the dead; men have accurately prophesied
events of the future; men have turned a rod into a serpent and reversed
the process; and various miracles have been performed with the power of
the Holy Spirit.
We say that God is omnipresent by His Spirit. We recognize that He is able
to hear all the utterances of man, even to perceive all his thoughts. He
is not physically present in the room with us to hear us speak or to read
our thoughts, therefore we say that this is done by His Spirit. It is integral
to our faith to wholeheartedly recognize the omnipresence of Deity. Anything
less is doubt or disbelief. If we believe that we, that is man in general,
can come to God, then we are told by Scripture that he must believe that
God is, or exists, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek
Him (Heb. 1 1:6). Diligently seeking Him implies reasonable success in finding
the revelation of Himself that He has caused to be written. How can He do
it without being able to observe the actions and the motives of those who
claim to serve Him? His omnipresence provides for this.
We would like to quote a few extracts from The World's Redemption by Thomas
Williams: " The omnipresence of Deity is difficult to understand consistent
with the idea of His being a personality, but what great truth is there
without difficulties for finite minds to understand? That God has a dwelling
place and is therefore localized, is evident from the following testimonies.
Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, prays: 'And hearken thou to the
supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray
towards this place; and hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place." (1
Kings 8:30). In the Lord's prayer we are not commanded to say, 'Our Father
who art everywhere.' That He is everywhere is, of course, true; but He is
not everywhere in the same sense that He is in His dwelling place. Hence
we are commanded to say, 'Our Father who art in heaven.' Consistent with
Deity's omnipresence we can truthfully say we are always in His presence;
for in Him all things 'live and move and have their being' (Acts 17:28).
Jesus was in this sense, and still in a higher sense, in the presence of
God before he ascended to heaven; yet he said, 'I go to the Father.' The
Apostle Paul says that Jesus 'entered into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us' (Heb. 9:24). In speaking of his return to
the earth at the 'times of the restitution of all things' spoken by the
prophets, the Apostle Peter says, 'And he (God) shall send Jesus Christ'
(Acts 3:20).
Now this localization of God, which implies His personality, is not in conflict
with His omnipresence. He is everywhere by means of His Spirit, which radiates
from His august presence and pervades the universe. Hence the Psalmist asks,
'Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in hell (sheol),
behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in
the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy
right hand shall uphold me' (Psa. 139:7,10). The sun is located in the heavens
above; but he is present here by his rays and the rays of the sun are an
extension of the sun itself, a fact which in no way conflicts with his localization
as a great body of focalized light. This helps the mind to understand, in
measure, how God can be a being having a 'dwelling place,' and yet be everywhere
by His Spirit flowing out from Himself. It is a source of great comfort
to know the one true God, to understand how He sends forth His Spirit or
to understand how He upholds all things by that same Spirit. The Bible,
as His inspired Word, is a reflection of that Spirit or power, for in it
is contained the power of God unto salvation. "For the prophecy came
not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21). God wants to communicate to
man a complete understanding about Himself and His plan, and it is only
through searching His Word that we receive this communication. " Uphold
me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of
my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto
thy statutes continually. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from
thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood ... therefore I love thy testimonies"
(Psa. 119:116-119). -J.S.
In introducing our subject, it may be proper to ask. "Why was the Spirit
given?" The gifts of the Holy Spirit were given primarily because of
Jesus' departure from the earth. They were the fulfillment of a promise
he made: "The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have told you" (John 14:26) Also: "When
the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John
16:13). Note that it says, "he will guide you into all truth,"
not merely a part of the truth.
Here the question arises: "Did the Spirit do what Christ promised it
should?" When this question has been answered, the pro ,position will
have been proved that forms the basis of this article. We repeat, therefore:
"Why was the Holy Spirit given?"
Let Paul answer. In Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-16, it is written: "Unto every
one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ;
wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men ... And he gave some apostles; and some, prophets;
and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ; that we be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and
cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ; from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by
that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in
the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto edifying of
itself in love. Here we are taught that the Spirit was given for the "perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ"
There is no doubt about the purpose for which the Spirit was given in such
testimonies. But there is more. It is recorded: "Now concerning spiritual
gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant... Now there are diversities
of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of operations,
but it is the same God which worketh in all. But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit
the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing by
the same Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy-,
to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues;
to another, the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one
and self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (1
Cor. 12.1,4-1 1). These are further explained in verse 28: "And God
hath set some in the ecclesia, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of hearings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues." How beautifully this fulfills a prophecy uttered
ages before. In 1 Corinthians 14:21, Paul declares: "In the law it
is written, With 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, but
prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe."
As already intimated, these offices (apostles, prophets, teachers, etc.)
had to be constituted and filled for the "perfecting of the saints,"
that they might attain to the "perfect man," even "the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ" This is borne out by the
Apostle Paul, who says, in 2 Corinthians 13:9: "For this also we wish,
even your perfection." He further relates in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10:
"For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy
wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; night and day praying exceedingly
that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in
your faith?" That they might be "complete in him, who is the head
of all principality and power" (Col. 2:10).
It is important to remember why the Spirit was given. Jesus, himself, stated
in John 14:26 that it was to teach the disciples "all things and bring
all things to their remembrance," and "to guide them into all
truth" (John 16:13). Many of Pauls writings show what it was given
for, and its operations when it came, in the "perfecting of the saints."
Did it accomplish the purpose for which it was sent? If there were no other,
the unquestionable testimony of Paul as recorded in Acts 20:17-32, would
be sufficient to settle the matter once and for all. It is written: "And
from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the ecclesia. And
when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day
that I came unto Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations
which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: and how I kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and taught you publicly
and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold,
I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God,
shall see my face no more. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and
to the word of his Grace (which was revealed by the Holy Spirit through
the apostles) which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance
among all them which are sanctified."
Could one ask for any more practical and indisputable evidence of the work
required of the apostles than that furnished in the record of the Pentecostal
outpouring of the Holy Spirit? In Romans 10:15-18, Paul says: "How
shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings
of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Esaias saith, Lord who hath believed our report? So, then, faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard?
Yes, verily their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the
ends of the world." Is anything omitted here? If this is not complete
and universal how shall it be expressed? Matthew 24:14 reads: "And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the habitable for a
witness unto all nations: then shall the end come." Was this preaching
and witnessing accomplished? Look at Acts 2 where we find a list of those
who heard, and who are described in verse 5 as "out of every nation
under heaven" If this is not sufficient, note what Paul writes in Colossians
1:21-23: "And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh
through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in
his sight; if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven."
These passages show that the word begun under the direction of the Holy
Spirit was carried on throughout the whole Roman habitable. The Spirit fulfilled
precisely what Jesus said it would, namely to " guide them into all
the truth." God's witnesses prove also that the "all truth"
necessary to be spoken had free course, that all the counsel of God had
been declared, and resulted as the Father had purposed from the beginning.
The testimony of John goes right to the point "And many other signs
truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book: but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is
the Christ; the son of God,- and that believing ye might have life through
his name" (John 20:30-31). What but inspiration could have suggested
that some things recorded were essential to believe if one was to have hope
of obtaining life eternal? Such a record having been written that men might
believe, proves not only the reliability but the sufficiency of that record!
It was given under Holy Spirit guidance, to insure the eternal life of any
who might accept and believe it Can there be any doubt as to the completeness
and sufficiency of the record written under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, in view of the statement in I John 5: 1 0 that" he that believeth
not God hath made him a liar. because he believeth not the record that God
gave of his son."
Here let us ask a question which, in view of the testimony, becomes most
pertinent. What purpose would the miraculous presence of the Holy Spirit
now serve? The work was finished, a complete record of it was made, and
we have it in our own tongue. It is for these reasons that we dare to say
that he who now claims to possess the Holy Spirit, as given at Pentecost,
renders the possession of the New Testament unnecessary. At the same time,
this possession makes the work of the Spirit, accomplished in the first
century, incomplete. Let it be admitted that the work of the Spirit was
" perfect and complete, wanting nothing" and no difficulty will
be found in understanding the following words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:8:
"Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away." It is evident that these gifts served only for
a time, and accomplished their purpose, and were finally withdrawn. The
Spirit's departure probably occurred toward the end of the first century.
At no time since has the Spirit been present in the world in the sense of
"guiding into all truth," apart from the printed Word. It having
been spirit-spoken and spirit-recorded, becomes as sufficient and infallible
a guide as the Holy Spirit would be, even if it were miraculously present
and visible.
The "prophecies have failed," the "tongues have ceased,"
and "knowledge has vanished away" (1 Cor. 13:8), for these gifts
are no longer visible among men. If the Spirit- given word or record as
we have it, saved then, it saves now. If it is sufficient for every good
work, and finally brings eternal life, it is but reasonable to insist that
a word or record that will do all of this meets every requirement of a loving
and intelligent faith. The visible presence and possession of the Holy Spirit
was simply the means through which the word that saves came, which word
is the Gospel, "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth"
(Rom. 1:16). The Holy Spirit was not the word of salvation, but the vehicle
of its transmission "No man is led by the Spirit of God who is not
led by an intelligent belief of the truth." This startling statement
has an unquestionable it confirmation in the declaration of Peter, who says:
"Be mindful of the words which were spoken 4 before by the holy prophets,
and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior,"
(2 Pet 3:2) and of John, who says: "He that knoweth God heareth us;
hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error' (1 John 4:6).
How utterly without foundation, in view of these facts, is the modern claim
to the possession of the Holy Spirit by those who know not the truth. No
more certain evidence is needed than that which becomes clear the moment
they are put to the test of "the law and the testimony," of which
they are totally ignorant.
Our plea, therefore, is strongly for the sufficiency of New Testament revelation,
as a complete and infallible record of the "whole counsel of God."
This revelation, as well as the Old Testament Scriptures, is declared to
be "given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
It is also able to make one wise unto "salvation through faith which
is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15). The recorded work of the Spirit
being complete, it is, therefore, a sufficient rule of faith and practice,
making void the supposed necessity of priestly interference and interpretation
These efforts show themselves to be both arrogant and presumptuous, as well
as absurd. Therefore, no one should question the sufficiency of God's methods
and feel shortchanged because the spectacular gifts are not in evidence.
God's Word is sufficient. For we find that knowledge of God and of Jesus
our Lord, according as his divine power (His Holy Spirit) hath given unto
us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge
of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us
exceedingly great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers
of the Divine nature..." (2 Pet 1:24). - C. C. V, Abridged
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