5 God the Son: His Present Activity and Future Role; God the Holy Spirit
5
God the Son
His Present Activity
and Future Role
God the Holy Spirit
We continue our exploration of what the creed has to say about Jesus Christ by looking at the sections dealing with his ascension, his return and the activity of his Holy Spirit.
The Ideas Explained
A. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father
The creed now moves forward from Easter Day to Ascension Day. Jesus’ ascension took place forty days after the resurrection (Acts 1:3) and is thus celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Day.
The basic ideas stated in this section of the creed can be summed up thus: Jesus was “exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33). In the resurrection Jesus was liberated from the bonds of death; now he is restored to the close presence, power and majesty of his Father. The story of the ascension is related only in Acts 1:1-11; however, the basic idea it expresses may be found throughout the New Testament. Jesus is the “great high priest who has gone through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14; 9:11-12). Having come down to earth from heaven to redeem us, Jesus now returns to heaven to intercede for us. He came down to earth from heaven in great humility; he returns to heaven in triumph and glory, having accomplished all that was necessary for our salvation. “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
But notice the effect of the ascension on the disciples. They don’t remain standing, rooted to the spot, completely overwhelmed by the fact that Jesus has returned to heaven. Their thoughts return immediately to earth—for there is work to be done. The ascended Christ commissions them to carry on his work on earth. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). In his Acts of the Apostles, Luke tells us that the disciples left the mountain of the ascension and plunged themselves headlong into the needs of the world for which Christ died. They preached and healed; they proclaimed the good news to all by word and deed. Faith in the ascension does not mean any diminished interest in the world. It means a renewed commitment to that world and new resources with which to meet its needs and cares.
In no way does the ascension of Christ mean that Christ is now absent from his world. It is utterly impossible to read Acts and gain the impression that Jesus is no longer present with his people! The ascension does not mean, and was never intended to mean, that Christ is now restricted to some very limited region. Far from it. Through the resurrection Christ broke down the barriers of time and space, allowing himself to be available to all (symbolized by the ripping of the temple curtain; Matthew 27:51). The doctrine of the ascension assures us that Christ has been exalted and glorified and that his power and glory can be revealed and reflected in our lives. The ascended Christ lives in believers through the Spirit (Galatians 2:20). The Christ who was exalted to heaven may also be exalted in our lives (Philippians 1:20). He is able to knock at the door of our lives (Revelation 3:20-21). We must not allow the limitations of our reason and imagination to impose restrictions on what the risen and exalted Christ can do!
Finally, the creed states that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). This is a very powerful image. Two main ideas are suggested, each of considerable importance.
1. It suggests special favor and status. To be allowed to sit at the right hand of a dignitary is a special favor (Psalm 16:8; 110:1). Not even the angels are allowed to sit at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:13). Jesus’ being allocated this place of honor confirms his unique status. It confirms all that this book said earlier concerning Jesus’ unique status and relationship to God. Jesus is enthroned beside the Father, crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:7-9) on account of the great victory he gained over sin and death, through obedience to his Father’s will. The mocking crown of thorns has now been replaced with a glorious crown of gold. This is the scene captured in the vision of John:
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise! (Revelation 5:12)
2. It suggests that Jesus has the Father’s ear. The New Testament insists that the risen, ascended and glorified Christ intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). Sitting at God’s right hand, Jesus is able to plead our case for us. Christians pray in the name of Jesus Christ, acknowledging that the effectiveness of their prayers rests on what Jesus Christ has achieved in the past and will achieve in the future. This point is made well in Charles Wesley’s ascension hymn “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise”:
Still for us he intercedes, Hallelujah!
His prevailing death he pleads, Hallelujah!
Near himself prepares our place, Hallelujah!
He the first-fruits of our race, Hallelujah!
B. He will come again to judge the living and the dead
Having dealt with Jesus in the past and the present, the creed now points to the future: Jesus will one day return as judge of all persons, whether they are alive or dead at the time. Older English versions of the creed use the phrase “the quick and the dead.” Quick is an Old English word for “living,” which still survives in words such as quicksilver (mercury, which is a liquid metal at room temperature) and quicksand.
The basic idea encountered in the first part of this section is usually known as “the second coming.” The Son of God, who once came to this earth in great humility, will one day come again in great glory. The saving plan of God, inaugurated in the first coming of Jesus Christ, will reach its grand finale with his second coming. The long-promised and awaited kingdom of God will be established. Our hope of the second coming is expressed particularly well in another of Charles Wesley’s hymns:
Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train;
Hallelujah! Christ appears on earth to reign.
The second idea to be dealt with is judgment. “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Many people find the idea of judgment deeply threatening. I hope the three points that follow may be helpful.
1. We are being judged by someone who knows us totally. We need not fear a superficial judgment based on inadequate knowledge of us and our situation. Many of us manage to keep up an outward appearance that is very different from our real selves. Our public image often bears little relation to the way we really are. The advertising agencies and public relations media are often geared to projecting a desired image and hiding the reality. While we may be able to fool other people, however, God is not taken in. The Old Testament emphasizes that God knows us totally (Psalm 139:1-4) and loves us still. This theme is stressed especially in John’s Gospel: Jesus knows us. In his dealings with Nathanael (John 1:47-50), with the crowds (John 2:23-25) and with the Samaritan woman (John 4:18), we find the same pattern emerging: even before people tell Jesus anything about themselves, he already knows all about them.
For some people this is a deeply disturbing thought. How awful that God sees through me like that! In fact, however, it ought to be a deeply reassuring thought. It means we can be honest about ourselves with God, in a way that is impossible with other people. If you decide to tell someone else about something that is troubling you, they might respond, “I never knew you were like that! I am deeply shocked.” God, however, knows us. He knows the reality that lies behind the façade.
2. We are being judged by someone who is passionately committed to us. The cross reveals God’s love for us (John 3:16) as well as his judgment upon us. We are being judged by someone who cares for us and is committed to us. Jesus himself was condemned by biased judges, hostile crowds and an indifferent public prosecutor; we, on the other hand, will be judged by one who cares deeply for us and is sympathetic toward us. It is deeply comforting to recall that our judge lived on this earth as one of us and knows at first hand what we have to go through. He is not some far-off and distant figure who has no understanding of our situation.
There is a magnificent story told about shepherds in East Anglia, the center of England’s wool trade in the Middle Ages. When a shepherd died, he would be buried in a coffin packed full of wool. The idea was that when the day of judgment came, Jesus would see the wool and realize that this man had been a shepherd. As he himself had once been a shepherd, he would know the pressures the man had faced—the amount of time needed to look after wayward sheep and so on—and would understand why he hadn’t been to church much! The story makes an important point, in however amusing a manner, that we must treasure as one of the greatest of the many Christian insights into God. We are not dealing with a distant God who knows nothing of what being human means. He knows and understands—and so we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16).
3. We are judged by someone whom we know and trust. We are already judged by our attitudes toward Jesus. Our response to the tender image of Christ dying on the cross determines our attitude toward God and the results this brings in its wake. Jesus judges with the full authority of God. “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:35-36). All authority on earth and in heaven has been granted to the risen Christ (Matthew 28:18), including the authority to judge. This is in no way inconsistent with the great Old Testament emphasis on God as the sole judge of humanity. We saw earlier that only God can save—yet, on account of his divinity, Jesus saves. In the same way, only God can judge us—yet, on account of his divinity, Jesus judges us.
We are thus not judged on the basis of something unknown but on the basis of our response to Jesus Christ. To believe in Jesus Christ is also to believe in the One who sent him—God the Father (John 12:44-45). Our attitude toward Jesus determines our attitude toward God and hence the divine judgment upon us. That judgment is confirmed, not contradicted, at the last day. We have already been judged and know the outcome of that judgment, what remains is the confirmation and enactment of that judgment. It is this idea that underlies the doctrine of justification by faith. “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Faith is the basis of the divine judgment. However, as we saw earlier, faith does not mean mere belief that God exists. Justifying faith is a trusting, obedient and transformative faith. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
C. I believe in the Holy Spirit
The trinitarian structure of the creed is now completed. Having dealt with faith in God the Father and God the Son, the creed turns to deal with the Holy Spirit.
In both of the main biblical languages—Hebrew in the Old Testament, Greek in the New—the words for “wind,” “breath” and “spirit” are the same. It is very easy for the English reader, unaware of these associations, to miss the full richness of the biblical witness to the person and work of the Holy Spirit (for example, see John 3:6-8 for wordplay on “wind” and “Spirit”). To gain some insights into the vitality of the biblical understanding of the Spirit of God, we shall consider briefly two ideas.
1. The Spirit brings life. When God created Adam, he breathed into him the breath of life, as a result of which Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7). The basic difference between a living and a dead human being is that the former breathes and the latter does not. God is the One who breathes the breath of life into empty shells and brings them to life. Just as God brought Adam to life by breathing into him, so God is able to bring individuals and his church to life through his Spirit today. The famous vision of the valley of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) also illustrates this point: the bones come to life only when breath enters into them (Ezekiel 37:9-10). The Spirit, then, can be thought of as God bringing new life to his creation.
2. The Spirit brings power. All of us are used to seeing things being moved by an invisible force—the wind. We often see papers blown across the road by the wind or trees bending before its force. And in those areas of the world where hurricanes or tornadoes are common, entire towns may be destroyed by the power of this invisible force which we call the wind. The Old Testament writers, noticing the way the wind acts, could hardly fail to observe an obvious parallel with the way God acts. The Spirit of God is like the wind—an unseen force that acts upon things and people. The Spirit can be thought of as God in action.
These images, then, help us begin to think about what the Holy Spirit is like. Wind and human breath are invaluable visual aids for thinking about the Spirit. But what does the Spirit do? What do Christians believe about him? We have only enough space to hit the high points of the richness of the Christian understanding of the work of the Spirit; much more could—and should—be said.
1. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. It is a mammoth, indeed superhuman, task to convince people that they really are sinners. Yet we are not alone in this task. God gives a gift that is equal to the task. Jesus promised his disciples the continued presence and power of the Spirit after he had left them. The Spirit would convict the world of its guilt and sin and convince them of the reality of judgment (John 16:7-11). The practical outworking of this may be seen in Peter’s great Pentecost sermon, when all barriers of language were broken down in order that individuals might be confronted with and convicted of their sins (Acts 2:1-13, 37-41).
2. The Holy Spirit is a pledge of our salvation. God “put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:22; comapre 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). The Greek word for “deposit”—arrabōn—is often translated as “pledge” or “surety.” It is an unusual word, probably deriving from Phoenician traders. Its basic meaning is “down payment” or “token of commitment.” In many purchase agreements, the buyer has to put down a deposit or a down payment to secure possession of the item; that deposit promises that there is more payment to come and also ensures possession of the item. God places his Spirit within our hearts as a down payment: it demonstrates that we are his and promises that there is more to come. It is a surety or pledge of our salvation.
3. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. As Jesus prepares to leave his disciples, he promises to send them a comforter (John 14:25-26), the Holy Spirit. The Greek word paraklētos is usually translated as “comforter,” “advocate” or “counselor.” (Incidentally, if you are used to singing very old hymns, you may have come across references to the “Paraclete”—this is simply a way of referring to the Holy Spirit.) The Spirit will comfort the disciples by reminding them of Jesus (John 14:26; 15:26). He will bring them peace.
In 1066 Norman armies under William the Conqueror successfully invaded England. That event was commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry, a remarkably detailed record of the events of the campaign. One of its scenes depicts a column of Norman soldiers on horseback. They are followed by the bishop of Bayeux, who is busy poking the last man with a large stick. The caption to this little scene reads: “Bishop Odo comforts the soldiers.”
Most of us would feel that this is the sort of comfort that we could well do without! Yet the Greek word for “comfort” can bear the meaning “urge on” or “encourage to do greater things.” There is a sense in which the Spirit does prod us, encouraging and empowering us to do things we otherwise would not—and could not—do.
The Ideas Applied
A. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father
Frederick Langbridge once penned the following lines:
Two men look out through the same bars:
One sees the mud, and one the stars.
It is quite possible for two people to be in exactly the same situation and yet see it in quite different ways. Two persons looking out through the same prison bars see very different things. One looks down and sees the mud; the other lifts his eyes to heaven and sees the stars. The point Langbridge is trying to make is that some people see nothing but the rut of everyday life, ending in death, while others raise their eyes to heaven, knowing that their ultimate destiny lies with God. Their situation is more or less the same—but their outlooks axe totally different.
One of the main differences between a believer and a nonbeliever is their attitudes toward life. The nonbeliever often adopts an “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die” attitude (1 Corinthians 15:32). If there is nothing more to life than this earth, we might as well enjoy it while we can. Let’s not even think about death; let’s deny that it will ever happen to us. Perhaps you know people in this situation. Their lives are not just firmly rooted in this world; they are trapped by it. They pursue “happiness” and the pleasures of this world, thinking that they are conquering the world—when in fact they axe conquered by it.
The Christian, on the other hand, sees this world in a very different perspective. It is like the desert that leads to the promised land. It is our place of exile, not our permanent home. It is the “distant country’’ (Luke 15:13), far from our home and our waiting Father. We know that we are not trapped by the world: we are in the world but not of it (John 17:13-19). We are committed to the world, because it is God’s world for which Christ died and because there is work to be done—but in the end we recognize that the world cannot be an end in itself.
The world can too easily become a substitute for God. It is all too easy to allow the creation to subvert the place of the Creator. “We are to learn to pass through this world as though it were a foreign country, treating all earthly things lightly and declining to set our hearts upon them” (John Calvin).
Think of your church or your Christian group as a “colony of heaven.” Paul uses this idea when writing to the Christians at Philippi, a Roman colony (Philippians 3:20). A Roman colony was basically made up of a small group of Roman citizens who had settled abroad. Although they were living in a strange and distant land, they kept the laws and customs of their homeland; they spoke its language and longed for the day when they could return home. So it is with the Christian community. It is a colony of heaven on earth. Christians are “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). Although their community is set in the midst of hostile territory, its members keep the laws of heaven and speak its language in worship and adoration. And they look forward to the day when they can return home to their native land, their exile finally ended.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2). With these words Paul stresses the need for a right perspective on life. It is very easy for the believer, like anyone else, to get trapped in a rut. Work, family responsibilities, financial anxieties—all can become burdens that make us tired and weary. We look ahead and see only more of the same sort of thing confronting us. It is very demoralizing! But Paul has some vital advice for us. Look up! Raise your head and look to the skies. Christ has ascended, blazing a trail we can follow.
Thinking about the ascension is a helpful way of making sure that our outlook on life is right. It helps us recall that our destiny does not lie on this earth but with the ascended Christ, who has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us. He is waiting for us now. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). This gives us a new perspective on the chores of everyday life. It sets before us a vision that keeps us going. It is like an oasis in a desert—vital refreshment in the midst of the heat of life.
B. He will come again to judge the living and the dead
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2). Many Christians find themselves puzzled by these words. At first sight they seem to suggest that Christians should not judge other people, Christians included. Yet on closer examination these and other verses (such as Matthew 7:3-5) clearly suppose that Christians do judge others; such passages offer advice on how that judgment should be carried out. The point is that we all have a built-in tendency to be lenient and understanding when it comes to judging our own actions and quite a bit harsher when it comes to judging those of others.
Criticism and judgment are an essential aspect of the life of the Christian community. Judgment is a means of personal and communal growth. Without the criticism of others, each of us would become set in our ways, probably unaware of the negative and hurtful effect our words and deeds can have on others. Criticism is a vital tool by which our own defects can be identified and corrected. Personal growth depends on our knowing what needs to be improved—and other Christians can help us in this way (Titus 2:15).
The passage from the Sermon on the Mount quoted above draws a clear connection between God’s judgment of us and our judgment of others. Our judgment of others should demonstrate the same pattern as God’s judgment of us. In other words, God has set us an example in Jesus Christ of what Christian judgment should be like. See the gospel as God’s criticism of us, which exposes us as sinners—but which also opens the way to salvation.
1. Criticism must be based on love and commitment to the other person. Think of the cross of Christ, which shows both God’s criticism of us and his love for us. In his love God shows us what is wrong with us. But God doesn’t just tell us that we are sinners and leave us there! He offers to stand by us and provide us with the resources we need if we are to be forgiven and grow in grace. In other words, he commits himself to be with us, supporting us as we respond to his criticism. Criticism is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. God criticizes us in order to save us from ourselves.
The consequences of this are obvious. First, restrict your criticism to those you love and feel committed to. See criticism as presupposing commitment to the well-being of the other person. Second, don’t let criticism become an end in itself. You must avoid criticizing people for the sake of it, or because it makes you feel good. Criticism must be directed toward the good of that person or the well-being of the Christian community as a whole. Third, be prepared to help your friends. There is no point in criticizing anyone unless you are prepared to stand by them and help them if they accept and respond to your criticism. Your criticism must also be an offer of help. Don’t just say, “You irritate people.” Rather, say something like “I care for you, and as a result, I think I ought to tell you that you irritate people. But I can help you deal with this one. Will you let me?”
2. Criticism must be informed. One of the reasons it is easy to take criticism from God is that we trust his judgment. He is fully informed. He knows us. But your criticism of your friends may not be informed. You may not be completely in the picture. You may not wholly understand their situation. You may lack experience of the sorts of situations they’re in. It’s very easy to criticize someone from the outside.
Take time to understand your friends, just as you would like them to take time to understand you. Understanding people doesn’t mean you can give up criticizing them—but it does mean that your criticism will be informed and helpful—and less frequent!
Finally, before you criticize anyone, take a good look at yourself. You may not share exactly the same problem as your friend—but there may be others there instead. Criticism of others should presuppose criticism of yourself (Matthew 7:3-5). If you feel you must criticize anyone, why not invite them to criticize you in return? That way both of you may grow in faith and love.
C. I believe in the Holy Spirit
Many Christians feel anxious over the question of spiritual gifts. They read passages such as 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and feel that they lack these spiritual gifts. They wonder then if they are second-class Christians; some even wonder if they really are Christians! It is important to make the crucial distinction between the fruit of the Spirit—such as joy, peace and love—(Galatians 5:22) and the gifts of the Spirit. Think of two trees. One is an apple tree. If it really is an apple tree, it ought to bear apples. You know it by its fruit (Matthew 12:33). Similarly, Christians ought to show the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, although the extent will vary from one person to another.
Now think of two fir trees. One is growing in a forest. The other is a Christmas tree inside a home, with presents around its base. Those presents have nothing to do with the tree! They didn’t grow there. They were placed there by someone. They are someone’s gifts, not the natural fruit of the tree. Not every fir tree becomes a Christmas tree and gets surrounded by presents—but that doesn’t deny that they are fir trees! Spiritual gifts are gifts. God gives them to those who he feels need them, or who he feels can use them especially well. But they are not all given to everyone. It is no stigma to lack a charisma—a particular spiritual gift.
If you have been entrusted with spiritual gifts, try to view them in the right way and use them wisely. To start with, remember that gifts are gifts, not rewards. “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Furthermore, remember that God gives gifts for a purpose—they aren’t there for ornament but are meant to be used “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:1-30) makes this point especially well. The parable tells of a master who entrusts his money to some servants during his absence, and of the variety of ways in which the servants make use of that money. There are three main points being made by this parable, all of which are important.
1. Our talents are gifts from God. The servants had no claim on the money: it was their master’s, entrusted to them during his absence. In one sense it was a gift to them—but a gift that they would eventually have to surrender. They were stewards rather than possessors of the money. They were responsible for its wise use during the master’s absence. In much the same way, we have been entrusted with gifts from God—not on account of our personal worthiness but on account of the tasks and responsibilities God may have in mind for us. The important thing is to identify what your particular gifts might be, as the first step in using them in God’s service.
2. God’s gifts are given in order to be used. You mustn’t think of spiritual gifts as some kind of ornament, there just to decorate you and make you a more interesting person. They are there to be used in the building up of the people of God and the furthering of his kingdom. In the parable the returning master is furious with the servant who buried his talent and refused to use it. Some Christians adopt this ostrichlike approach to spiritual gifts, ignoring them or failing to use them. But spiritual gifts are task-oriented, there for a purpose. They are all on loan. We are responsible for expending them in the world, and we will be held accountable for the way we use them.
3. God’s gifts increase as they are used. The parable tells of three servants, two of whom use their talents and the third who buries his in the ground. This final talent remains unaltered in its hole in the ground. It is not used and therefore does not grow. The two other servants, however, find that the money with which they had been entrusted increases as they use it wisely. And so it is with the spiritual gifts God gives us.
So if you have spiritual gifts, make sure you use them; if you do not have such gifts, you need not be anxious. You may have genuine gifts and talents of a different sort; it may be that God will bestow a spiritual gift upon you later in life, to meet a specific situation. If in doubt, you may find it helpful to pray for discernment. But there is no need for anxiety—simply honesty!
Key Bible Passages
A. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father
Acts 1:1-11: The ascension of Jesus
Acts 2:32-36: What the ascension of Jesus says about him
Colossians 3:1-3: The way all Christians participate in the ascension of Jesus
B. He will come again to judge the living and the dead
Matthew 25:31-46: Part of the teaching of Jesus about his coming again as judge
Acts 10:42: Judgment as an integral part of the message of the gospel
1 Thessalonians 4:13—5:11: Paul’s teaching about the return of Christ and its implications
C. I believe in the Holy Spirit
John 14:15-27: Part of what Jesus told his disciples about the work of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-21: The events surrounding the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost
1 Corinthians 14:1-25: Paul addresses some issues surrounding the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church
Questions for Group Discussion
1. Pray together, then read Colossians 3:1-4.
2. Why is it wrong to suggest that, following the ascension, Jesus is now absent from the world?
3. What are some practical implications of the fact that Christians are “citizens of heaven”?
4. Do you find the prospect of future judgment disturbing? How does it help to know that Jesus will be the judge?
5. What have you found to be helpful and unhelpful when people criticize you? How might this change the way you offer criticism to others?
6. How would you summarize who the Holy Spirit is and what he does?
7. What gifts has God given you? In what ways do you use them?
For Further Reading
Green, Michael. The Empty Cross of Jesus. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter Varsity Press, 1984. Includes discussion of the ascension, along with more detailed material relating to the resurrection.
——. I Believe in the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1989. A first-rate introduction to the subject. Thoroughly recommended.
Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. Reprint, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. A fine literary allegory that weaves together many of the threads of the Christian understanding of judgment. Entertaining and thought-provoking.
Ramsey, Michael. Holy Spirit: A Biblical Study. 1977. Reprint, Cambridge, Mass.: Cowley, 1992. A fine study by a former archbishop of Canterbury. Particularly helpful for those who already have some knowledge of the subject.