1ST
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
April, 1940
Even the most brief and casual setting forth of the manifestation» and activities of the Holy Spirit cannot fail to quicken the whole spiritual life of the believer in Christ, and to stimulate to a higher thought concerning Christ artd a higher quality of life in Christ* The Holy Spirit in the New Testament W HEN we come to study the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testa ment, we are at once confronted with a wide range of activities by the same Holy Person to whom we have been in troduced in the Old Testament. His activities cover the entire gamut of ex perience, not alone of man in his rela tions to God and to his fellow men, but also of the God-Man in His relations to God and man. By J. C. MASSEE Winona Lake, Indiana The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts In the Book of Acts we find wondrous events linked to the inauguration of the Spirit’s age and dispensation in the earth. Another has called Pentecost the “natal day of the Holy Spirit.” In a marvelous sense this is true. On that day He began, under new conditions and with new manifestations, His career as Advocate of the Lord Jesus Christ with His church on the earth.
His great office and the work thereof, He was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for His season, of testing through conflict with Satan (Lk. 4:1, 2; cf. Matt. 4:1; Mk. 1:12; Lk. 4:14). Then He introduced Himself to His fellow citizens at Nazareth under the sponsorship of the Holy Spirit. “And he opened the book, and found the place whefe it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . , And he began to say unto them, Today hath this scrip ture been fulfilled in your ears” .(Lk. 4:17, 18, 21). So through all His life and earthly ministry He must have had the companionship, teaching, and encourage ment of the Holy Spirit, for we read at last in Hebrews 9:14: “. . . the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, [shall] cleanse your consci ence from dead works to serve the liv ing God.” Thus we understand that, from cradle to cross, the holy and unblamable Son of God was indwelt of the Holy Spirit. It will be no marvel then for us to find the highest spiritual, ecstacy and expe riences of men are obtained through His gift of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit in the Gospels Apart from the Spirit’s ministry in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, He appears in characteristic ac tivities in the lives of others before Pen tecost. There is the case of Simeon (Lk. 2:25). This is a typical case, put first for its, two great lessons: First, that the Holy Spirit reveals the presence and character of Christ to men; and second, that it is by the Holy Spirit that men are able to receive Him (cf. 1 John 4:2; 1 Cor. 12:3). There is .the case of Elisabeth: “And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 1:41), and forthwith pro ceeded with exultant joy to bless the Lord and to offer Him praises. So also Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:67), and he prophe sied and blessed the name of the Lord. Perhaps this is one of the most constant evidences of the Spirit’s presence and power in men—that spontaneous and praiseful testimony to God breaks forth from their lips.
' The Holy Spirit and the Christ The annunciation to Mary introduces to us the Holy Spirit in vital connec tion with the very life of our Lord. ■’‘The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee:, wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten, shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). Again, in Matt. 1:20: ‘‘Joseph, thou son .of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is con ceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” These passages tracing His human genealogy are in perfect harmony, there fore, with John (1:18), who traces His divine origin when he calls Him ‘‘the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father.” Thus, from the very beginning of the gospel message, we are, made aware of the identity and sin gularity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Now, having been the divine Agent in the begetting and the, human birth of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit, we find, undertakes His tutelage in prep aration for His life work. There was first of all the heavenly witness to Him at His baptism by John, at the hour of His formal induction into His Messianic office. ‘‘And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou are my beloved Son: in thee I am well pleased” (Lk. 3:22). After this, in order that He might be fully tested as to His fitness for [Portions of one chapter in Dr. Massee’s forthcoming book, The Holy Spirit, are combined in this article and are used with the permission of the author and of the publisher, Fleming H . Revell Co. Scripture references in this article are taken from the Ameri can Revised V e r s i o - - T ditor ] .
He - appointed overseers of the churches (Acts 26:28). He determined the mission policies of the churches (cf. Acts 13:1-3; 15:28). He enabled His workers to meet crises in their work (Acts 13:9). By His hand the door of the kingdom was opened both to the Jews and to the Gentiles (Acts 2 and 10). The Holy Spirit in the Epistles The Epistles bear in every page infal lible evidence of the Spirit’s presence and power. He inspires Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16 and 2 Pet. 1:21). He bears testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 5:10-12). By the Holy Spirit the believer in Christ has confirmed the inner witness of his own spirit that he is the child of God (Rom. 8:16). By Him believers are baptized, are indwelt, are sanctified, empowered, guided, instructed, kept, and sealed unto the day of redemption. By Him is produced in their lives the wondrous fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25). By Him the church receives at once its charismatic gifts and has appointed unto it its various offices and officers (1 Cor. 12 and 14). He brings to fruitage in the human life the “greatest thing in the world”— love, at once the sign and the seal of sonship (John 13:35 and 1 John 3:1-4). In the Revelation' The Holy Spirit closes the canon of Scripture, adding His voice to that of the church and of those who hear the call of God, bidding all who will to come and take the water of life freely. Thus, through all the inspired Word of God, as in all the experience of the saints, truly He speaks not of Himself, but takes the things of Christ and re veals them: to His own. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come” (Rev. 22:17).
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