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Scripture focus
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
John 15:26 KJV
At a glance
Why does the Holy Spirit receive so little attention compared to the Father and the Son?
Not because his work matters less, Packer argues, but because his particular ministry is to point away from himself to Christ — which makes it easy for the church to overlook the very Spirit who makes faith in Christ possible in the first place.
Summary of the chapter
Packer describes the Holy Spirit as the most neglected person of the Trinity in ordinary church life, even though the New Testament treats his work as indispensable. Jesus' promise of 'another Comforter' in John's Gospel presents the Spirit as a distinct, fully divine person continuing Christ's own ministry among believers after his ascension.
The chapter explains why this neglect is not accidental: the Spirit's characteristic work is to testify about Christ rather than to draw attention to himself, so a church fixed on the Spirit's own glory has actually misunderstood his mission. His self-effacing ministry can be honored precisely by being unnoticed — which makes it easy, over time, for that ministry to be forgotten altogether.
Packer presses the point that without the Spirit's work there would be no faith, no new birth and no church, since it is the Spirit who opens blind eyes to see Christ truly. The chapter's closing challenge asks whether believers honor the Spirit by relying on and cooperating with his work, or dishonor both him and the Lord who sent him by quietly ignoring it.
Key points
- The Trinity is one God in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — foundational to Christian faith even when rarely discussed.
- The Spirit's own ministry is to testify about Christ, which is part of why he receives comparatively little direct attention.
- Without the Spirit's work, Packer argues, there would be no faith, no new birth, and no church at all.
- Honoring the Spirit well often looks like relying on his ordinary work rather than seeking experiences that draw attention to him.
- Neglecting the Spirit's role is, in the end, a way of dishonoring the Lord who sent him.
A line worth remembering
Without the Spirit there would be no faith and no new birth — in short, no Christians.
J. I. Packer Knowing God, ch. 6
Related Scripture
- John 14:16-17
- John 16:13-14
- 1 Corinthians 12:3
- Titus 3:5
For reflection and discussion
- Why might a ministry designed to point away from itself be the very ministry most easily forgotten?
- Where in your own life have you seen evidence of the Spirit's quiet work in opening your eyes to Christ?
- What would it look like, practically, to honor the Holy Spirit's work rather than simply ignore it?
These notes are an original UECF.NET study companion and are not a reproduction of the book. Read the full chapter — chapter 6, “He Shall Testify” — in Knowing God by J. I. Packer (InterVarsity Press / Hodder & Stoughton, 1973).