19. The Gift of the Holy Spirit.
10. How does the exaltation of Christ ensure the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for the renewal of creation and the final victory over all powers of evil?
Reflect on the future hope of new heavens and a new earth and the consummation of Christ's reign over all things.
19. The Gift of the Holy Spirit The first act of Christ following His exaltation at the right hand of the Father is the sending of the Holy Spirit. In this exaltation, He received from His Father the Holy Spirit promised in the Old
Testament, and thus, according to His own promise, He now bestows Him upon His disciples on earth (Acts 2:33). The Spirit, whom He grants, proceeds from the Father, is received by Him from the Father, and is then distributed by Him to His congregation (Luke
24:49, John 15:26). It is the Father Himself who sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name (John 14:26).
This sending of the Holy Spirit, which occurred on the day of Pentecost, is a singular event in the history of Christ's church; akin to the creation and incarnation, it transpired but once; it was not preceded by any manifestation of the Spirit comparable in significance, nor can it ever be repeated. Just as Christ in His conception took on human nature, never to be separated from it again, so on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit consecrated the
congregation as His dwelling and temple, never to be parted from it again. Scripture distinctly underscores this unique significance of Pentecost, referring to it as the outpouring or pouring out of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 2:17, 18, 33; 10:45; Titus 3:6).
However, this does not preclude the Holy Spirit's activity and gifting before Pentecost. We have previously noted (pages 156 and 157) that, together with the Father and the Son, He is the Creator of all things and, within the sphere of re-creation, the Source of all life and salvation, of all gifts and abilities. Yet, there exists a significant and essential distinction between the Holy Spirit's activity and manifestation in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. This is evident, first, in the fact that the old dispensation still anticipated the coming of the Lord's Servant, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord would rest in all His fullness, as the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2). Secondly, the Old
Testament foretells that, though there was already some participation and activity of the Holy Spirit, He would not be poured out on all flesh—on sons and daughters, old and young, servants and maids—until the last days (Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28).
Both promises find their fulfillment in the New Testament. Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One of God. He not only received the Holy
Spirit in Mary's womb and was anointed with that Spirit without measure at His baptism, but He also lived and worked continually by that Spirit. By that Spirit He was led into the wilderness (Luke 4:1), returned to Galilee (Luke 4:14), preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out demons (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:18-19), gave Himself up to death (Hebrews 9:14), was raised up, and revealed as the Son of God
in power (Romans 1:3). During the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, He gave instructions to His disciples through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3). At the ascension, having subdued all enemies and made all angels, powers, and forces subject to Himself (Ephesians 4:8; 1 Peter 3:22), He became a full partaker of the Holy Spirit with all His gifts. Ascending into the heavens, He took captivity captive, gave gifts to men, and was exalted above all heavens, that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4:8-10).
This appropriation of the Holy Spirit by Christ is so complete that the Apostle Paul asserts in 2 Corinthians 3:17, "The Lord is the Spirit."
This does not blur the distinction between Christ and the Spirit, as Paul immediately refers to "the Spirit of the Lord" in the following verse. However, the Holy Spirit has become the possession of Christ, integrated into His being. Through His resurrection and ascension,
Christ became the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). He now holds the seven Spirits of God—the Spirit in His fullness—as He holds the seven stars (Revelation 3:1). The Spirit of God the Father has become the Spirit of the Son, emanating from both the Father and the Son, both in divine essence and in the economy of salvation, and is sent by the Son as well as the Father (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7).
By virtue of His perfect obedience, Christ received full and free disposal of the Holy Spirit and all His gifts and powers. He now distributes the Spirit as He wills, not in contradiction but in complete harmony with the will of the Father and the Spirit Himself. The Son sends the Spirit from the Father (John 15:26); the Father sends Him in the name of Christ (John 14:26); and the Spirit does not speak on His own, but speaks what He hears. As Christ glorified the Father on
earth, so the Spirit will glorify Christ, taking from Him and declaring it to His disciples (John 16:13-14).
Christ does not rule by force or violence in the kingdom given to Him by the Father. He did not do so during His humiliation, nor does He do so in His exaltation. His entire prophetic, priestly, and royal activity continues to be performed from heaven in a spiritual manner; He fights only with spiritual weapons. He is a King of grace and power, but in both senses, He carries out His reign through the Holy Spirit, who uses the Word as a means of grace. By that Spirit,
He teaches, comforts, leads, and indwells His congregation; and by that same Spirit, He convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). The final victory Christ will achieve over all
His enemies will be a triumph of the Holy Spirit.
After Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God, the second promise of the Old Testament can be fulfilled, which speaks of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh. Christ must first fully possess and make His own the Spirit before He can bestow Him upon His congregation. Before that time, that is, before the ascension, the Holy Spirit was not yet given in the same manner, since Christ had not yet been glorified (John 7:39). This does not imply that the Holy Spirit did not exist before Christ's glorification, as the Holy Spirit is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, and the Gospels record that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy
Spirit (Luke 1:15), that Simeon was led by the Spirit to the temple (Luke 2:26-27), and that Jesus was conceived and anointed by the Spirit. Nor does it mean that the disciples were unaware of the Holy
Spirit's existence before Pentecost. They had been taught about the Spirit by the Old Testament and by Jesus Himself. Even the disciples
of John, who told Paul at Ephesus that they had not received the Holy Spirit at their baptism and had not heard that there was a Holy
Spirit (Acts 19:2), did not mean to express ignorance of the Spirit's existence. They were unaware of the extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred at Pentecost. They knew John as a prophet empowered by God's Spirit but had not joined Jesus and thus lived outside the community that received the Spirit on Pentecost. On that day, there was an outpouring of the Spirit unprecedented in its magnitude.
The Old Testament already heralded this promise, and Jesus reiterated it often in His teachings. John the Baptist declared that the Messiah, unlike himself who baptized with water, would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (a purifying and consuming fire of the Holy
Spirit), Matthew 3:11 and John 3:11. This delineates two distinct operations of the Holy Spirit. The first is that the Holy Spirit, poured into the hearts of the disciples, comforts them, leads them into all truth, and abides with them forever (John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7). This
Spirit of comfort and guidance is bestowed solely upon Jesus' disciples; the world cannot receive Him, for it neither sees nor knows
Him (John 14:17). Conversely, the Holy Spirit's other operation in the world is to dwell in the Church and, from there, convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, thereby ruling over it (John
16:8-11).
Jesus fulfilled this promise to His disciples in a specific sense, to the Apostles, even before His ascension. On the evening of His resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, formally initiating them into their apostolic mission. He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you
retain anyone's sins, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). For the apostolic office they would soon assume, they needed a special gift and power of the Holy Spirit, which Christ Himself conferred before His ascension, distinct from the gift they would receive at Pentecost along with all believers.
The actual outpouring occurred forty days later during the Jewish feast of Pentecost, commemorating the completed harvest and the giving of the Law on Sinai. The disciples remained in Jerusalem, awaiting the fulfillment of Jesus' promise, constantly in the temple, praising and thanking God (Luke 24:49, 53). They were not alone but persisted in prayer with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, His brethren, and many others, numbering about one hundred and twenty persons (Acts 1:14-15, 2:1). As they were gathered, a sudden and unexpected sound from heaven, like a rushing mighty wind, filled the entire house where they were sitting. Tongues of flame appeared and settled on each of them. Under these signs, symbolizing the cleansing and illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).
The phrase "filled with the Holy Spirit" had been used earlier (Exod.
31:3, Micah 3:8, Luke 1:41), yet the distinction is clear. Previously, the Holy Spirit was given to select individuals for specific purposes; now He descended upon all members of the congregation, dwelling and working in them perpetually. Just as the Son of God had appeared on earth in the Old Testament but took on human nature permanently in Mary's womb, so the Holy Spirit had been active in various ways before, but on Pentecost, He made the congregation His temple, which He continually sanctifies and builds up, never departing. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit grants the Church of
Christ an independent existence, no longer confined to the nation of Israel or the borders of Palestine, but living through the Spirit dwelling within it, extending throughout the whole earth. From the temple on Zion, God now dwells in the body of the Church of Christ through His Spirit, birthing the Church as a missionary and a universal entity. The ascension of Christ finds its inevitable proof and consequence in the descent of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit first sanctified and perfected Christ through suffering and raised
Him to the highest glory, so now, in like manner and by the same means, He must shape the body of Christ until it reaches full maturity, constituting the fulfillment, the pleroma, of Him who fills all in all.
In the nascent days of Christ's disciples, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit manifested in extraordinary powers and effects. Upon being filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they commenced speaking in diverse tongues, as the Spirit granted them utterance
(Acts 2:4). According to Luke's account, this was not a hearing miracle but rather a speaking miracle. Luke, a close companion and co-laborer of Paul, was well acquainted with the phenomenon of speaking in tongues (glossolalia), which was evident in places like
Corinth; he references it in Acts 10:46-47 and 19:6. Undoubtedly, the event at Pentecost was related to this speaking in tongues, for Peter later affirmed that Cornelius and his household had received the Holy Spirit as they had, (Acts 10:47, cf. 11:17, 15:8). Yet, there was a distinction. In 1 Corinthians 14, as well as in Acts 10:46 and 19:6, speaking in tongues is mentioned without the qualifier "foreign"; however, in Acts 2:4, it explicitly refers to "other languages."
When the members of the Corinthian congregation spoke in tongues, they were not understood unless there was subsequent interpretation
(1 Cor. 14:2f); but in Jerusalem, the disciples spoke in other languages before the crowd gathered and heard them, excluding the possibility of a hearing miracle (Acts 2:4). When the multitude heard them, they comprehended what was spoken; each one heard them in their native language (Acts 2:6, 8). The "other languages" in verse 4 are undoubtedly the same as the "own languages" of the hearers in verse 6, further identified as the languages in which they were born in verse 8. Thus, the disciples did not utter unintelligible sounds but spoke in other, new languages, as Mark 16:17 denotes, which the untrained Galileans were not expected to speak (Acts 2:7). In these languages, they proclaimed the mighty works of God, particularly those manifested in the recent resurrection and exaltation of Christ
(Acts 2:4 and 14ff).
Luke's account should not be construed to suggest that Jesus' disciples spoke all the languages of the earth at that time or that each disciple spoke all foreign languages. Nor was the purpose of this linguistic miracle to enable the disciples to preach the Gospel to foreigners in their own tongue, as these foreigners, having come to Jerusalem for Pentecost, would have understood Aramaic or Greek.
The fifteen names listed in verses 9-11 denote the regions from which these foreigners came, not distinct languages. Therefore, equipping the apostles with the gift of foreign languages was unnecessary. This specific gift of foreign languages is not mentioned again in the New
Testament; Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, never refers to it; Aramaic and Greek sufficed for communication throughout the known world.
The speaking in foreign languages at Pentecost was a unique event, connected to glossolalia but distinct and superior. While glossolalia represents a diminished form of prophecy, which Paul regarded as inferior to prophecy, the speaking in foreign languages at Jerusalem combined glossolalia and prophecy, being an intelligible proclamation of God's mighty works in foreign tongues. The power of the newly poured-out Spirit was so overwhelming that it dominated the disciples' consciousness, compelling them to speak in articulate sounds recognized by listeners as their native languages. The purpose of this linguistic miracle was not to endow the disciples with knowledge of foreign tongues but to impress upon them the significance of the event that had transpired. What better way to manifest this than through the nascent, universal Church proclaiming God's mighty works in various tongues? At creation, the morning stars sang and all God's children shouted for joy; at Christ's birth, a multitude of the heavenly host sang of God's goodwill; on the Church's birth, they themselves sang the mighty works of God in many tongues.
On the day of Pentecost, though speaking in tongues held a distinct place, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit manifested itself in numerous extraordinary powers and effects. The gift of the Spirit was often bestowed upon coming to faith, sometimes at baptism (Acts
2:38), or through the laying on of hands, whether before baptism (Acts 9:17) or after baptism (Acts 8:17, 19:6). Regularly, this gift comprised a special empowerment. Thus, we read that through the Spirit, the disciples were endowed with boldness to proclaim the word (Acts 4:8, 31), a robust strength of faith (6:5, 11:24), comfort and joy (9:31, 13:52), wisdom (6:3, 10), speaking in tongues (10:46,
15:8, 19:6), prophecy (11:28, 20:23, 21:11), visions and revelations
(7:55, 8:39, 10:19, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6, 20:22), and miraculous healings (3:6, 5:5, 12, 15, 16, 8:7, 13). These extraordinary powers, akin to the works of Jesus, elicited awe and amazement (Acts 2:7, 37, 43; 3:10;
4:13; 5:5, 11, 13, 24). They stirred opposition and incited hatred and persecution from enemies, but they also prepared the ground for the Gospel's reception. Initially, they were indispensable for granting the Christian confession access and stability in the world.
Throughout the apostolic era, these extraordinary workings of the Spirit persisted. This is especially evident in the testimony of the Apostle Paul. Paul himself was richly endowed with these special gifts of the Spirit. In an extraordinary manner, through a revelation from Jesus Christ, he was converted on the road to Damascus and called to apostleship (Acts 9:3f). Subsequent revelations continued to come to him (Acts 16:6-7, 9; 2 Cor. 12:1-7; Gal. 2:2). He possessed the gifts of knowledge, prophecy, teaching, and speaking in tongues
(1 Cor. 14:6, 18). Signs, wonders, and mighty works accompanied him, serving as proofs of his apostleship (2 Cor. 12:12). He preached in demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor. 2:4); Christ Himself worked through him to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, through words and deeds, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God (Rom. 15:18-19).
Despite Paul's keen awareness of his apostolic dignity and his firm maintenance of it, the gifts of the Spirit were not exclusive to him but were granted to all believers. In 1 Cor. 12:8-10, cf. Romans 12:6-8, he enumerates various gifts, noting that they are distributed by the Spirit in varying degrees according to His will. Paul esteemed these gifts highly; they were not merited by the believers, for they had nothing that they had not received, and thus lacked any reason for
pride or contempt towards others (1 Cor. 4:6-7). All these gifts and powers are wrought by one and the same Spirit, fulfilling the Old
Testament promise (Gal.
3:14) and serving as firstfruits, guaranteeing a great harvest and pledging the heavenly inheritance to come (Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 1:22, 5:5; Eph. 1:14, 4:30).
Nevertheless, the apostle's judgment concerning these extraordinary gifts differed significantly from that of many congregation members.
In Corinth, some prided themselves on the spiritual gifts they had received, looking down upon those less fortunate and using these gifts not for the benefit of others but for personal glorification. They placed undue importance on the mysterious and unintelligible speech of tongues. Paul, however, taught them differently (1 Cor. 1214). He first established the criterion by which all spiritual gifts must be judged: the confession of Jesus as Lord. One who speaks through the Spirit of God cannot curse Jesus; only those who confess Jesus as Lord prove by this that they speak through the Holy Spirit. The hallmark of the Spirit and all His gifts and workings is their alignment with the confession of Jesus as the Christ (1 Cor. 12:3).
He goes on to elucidate that the gifts of the Spirit, though all conforming to the same divine standard, are distinct and uniquely bestowed upon each individual, not according to merit or worthiness, but according to the free will of the Spirit, as stated in 1
Corinthians 12:4-11.
Hence, these gifts should not be a cause for self-exaltation or contempt for others but ought to be applied wholeheartedly and willingly for the benefit of one another, for all believers are members of one body and need each other, as described in 1 Corinthians 12:12-
30. If the gifts are meant for this purpose, for the common good, as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:7, then there is also a hierarchy among the gifts themselves, for some are more conducive to edification than others. Thus, there are good, better, and best gifts. Therefore, in the final verse of 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle advises believers to earnestly desire the best gifts.
Love is the most excellent way to pursue the best gifts. For without it, the greatest gifts are worthless, as noted in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; love surpasses them all in virtue, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; and it surpasses them all in duration, for all gifts will cease, but love is eternal; among the three virtues—faith, hope, and love—love is the highest in value, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. Therefore, love must be pursued above all, even though the pursuit of spiritual gifts is not to be rejected, as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:1. However, in this pursuit, attention should be directed primarily to those gifts that serve to edify the congregation and thus most effectively put love into action. Viewed from this perspective, prophecy is much higher than speaking in tongues. For he who speaks in tongues is not understood, speaks mysteries that are incomprehensible to the hearers, speaks into the air, leaves his mind unengaged, does not bring unbelievers to faith, but rather gives the impression of madness. If there are members of the congregation who possess this gift, they must use it sparingly and preferably with interpretation; if this cannot be provided, let them remain silent in the church. On the other hand, he who prophesies, who proclaims the Word of God through revelation of the Spirit, speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort; he builds up the church and brings unbelievers to faith.
Whatever gift one has received, its measure is the confession of Jesus
as Lord, and its goal is the edification of the church. God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as affirmed in 1 Corinthians 14.
This profound treatise on spiritual gifts did not only bear fruit for the church in Corinth but continues to hold significance for the church throughout the ages. Again and again, individuals and groups have placed greater value on extraordinary phenomena, on revelations and miracles, rather than on the Spirit's work in rebirth, conversion, and the renewal of life. The abnormal draws attention, while the normal remains unnoticed; people revel in apparitions, ecstatic experiences, and sensational excesses, turning a blind eye to the slow and steady growth of the Kingdom of God. But Paul had a different view; no matter how much he valued the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, he admonished the brothers in Corinth: do not be children in your thinking, but be infants in evil, and in your thinking be mature.
In this manner, the Apostle redirects our attention from the transient manifestations of the Spirit to His enduring and essential work in the life of the congregation. This perspective was already taking shape in the Old Testament era. While various extraordinary gifts and powers were attributed to the Holy Spirit, the prophets and psalmists, growing increasingly aware of Israel's waywardness and the deceitfulness of the human heart, proclaimed with even greater force and clarity that true renewal through the Holy Spirit was necessary for Israel to become a people of God in the fullest sense. As Jeremiah notes, a Moor cannot change his skin, nor a leopard his spots; similarly, those trained in evil cannot do good (Jer. 13:23). It is God who must transform the heart by His Spirit for His people to walk in His ways and keep His statutes. The Spirit of the Lord alone is the
master of true, spiritual, and moral life, as affirmed in Psalms 51:1314, Isaiah 32:15, and Ezekiel 36:27.
This message is echoed in the Gospel of John. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Christ explains that entrance into and participation in the kingdom of heaven are only possible through rebirth by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 5). In His farewell discourses (John 14-16), He elaborates that the Spirit, whom He will send from the Father after His glorification, will take His place among the disciples. It is thus beneficial for them that Christ departs, for only then will the Comforter come to them. Once Christ goes to the Father, it signifies that He has fully accomplished His earthly mission. In heaven, He stands at the right hand of the Father as High Priest and Advocate for His congregation on earth, interceding for all their needs. He particularly asks the Father for the Holy Spirit in all His fullness to be sent to His disciples. This Spirit will then take Christ's place among them as Comforter, Guide, Intercessor, and Guardian.
In this, the disciples will not suffer loss. While Christ walked the earth and associated with His disciples, there remained a degree of distance and misunderstanding. However, the Spirit who comes to them will dwell within them, not remaining external or distant.
Christ's earthly presence was temporary, but the Spirit He sends will remain with them eternally. Indeed, Christ Himself will come to them through the Spirit; He will not leave them as orphans but will come to them, uniting Himself with them in an unprecedented manner. They will see Him again, live because He lives, and understand that Christ is in the Father, they in Him, and He in them.
Through the Spirit, both the Father and the Son will come to the disciples and make their abode with them. This is the primary work
of the Holy Spirit: to create a profound communion between the Father, the Son, and the disciples, surpassing anything previously known.
When the disciples partake in this fellowship and live by it, when they are united to Christ as branches to the vine, no longer servants but friends, the Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth. He will remind them of Christ's teachings, continually testify about Christ, and declare to them things to come. The disciples will not only have communion with Christ and the Father but will also be conscious of it. The Holy Spirit will inform them about Christ, His unity with the Father, and their fellowship with both. The ultimate goal is that all believers be one, just as Christ and the Father are one, so that the world may know that the Father has sent the Son (John 17:21-23).
When the outpouring of the Holy Spirit transpired on the day of Pentecost, it was understandable that the extraordinary phenomena accompanying this rich spiritual effusion initially drew significant attention. However, we must not overlook the deeper and more significant reality: through the gift of the Spirit, the disciples were united in the formation of a singular, independent, holy congregation. They were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they held all things in common. For a brief period, the unity Christ spoke of was realized within the church at Jerusalem. As the fervor of their first love waned and a more tempered mindset emerged, as congregations were established in other places and among diverse peoples, and as divisions and schisms arose within the Christian church, the unity binding all believers took on a different form. Though it became less lively and deep, sometimes nearly imperceptible, we must remember
amidst all differences and strife, that this unity has persisted in essence to this day and will manifest more gloriously in the future than it did briefly in Jerusalem.
Among the Apostles, it is Paul who vividly presents this ideal of church unity, steadfastly adhering to it despite the divisions he witnessed in his time. The church is one body, wherein all members need and serve one another (Romans 12:4, 1 Corinthians 12:12ff).
This unity is because it is the body of Christ (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 1:23, Colossians 1:24). The unity of the church is rooted in and springs from fellowship with Christ. He is the head of every believer, of every local church, and of the church as a whole. All believers are new creatures, created in Christ for good works, that they might walk in them (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10). Christ lives and dwells in them, and they live, move, and have their being in Him, He being their very life (Romans 6:11, 8:1, 10, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians
2:20, Philippians 1:21, Colossians 3:4). The phrase "in Christ" (in the Lord, in Him) appears more than one hundred and fifty times in the New Testament, indicating that Christ is not only the constant source of spiritual life but also directly and immediately lives in the believer.
The unity is as intimate as that between the cornerstone and the temple, man and woman, head and body, vine and branch. The faithful are in Christ, just as all things are in God by virtue of their creation and maintenance, just as the fish lives in the water, the bird in the sky, the man in his work, and the scholar in his study. They have been crucified with Him, died, buried, raised up, seated at God's right hand, and glorified with Him (Romans 6:4ff, Galatians
2:20, 6:14, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 2:12, 20, 3:3). They have put on Christ, take on His form, reveal in their bodies both His suffering and life, and are made perfect in Him; in a word, Christ is all and in
all (Romans 13:14, 2 Corinthians 4:11, Galatians 4:19, Colossians 1:24, 2:10, 3:11).
This intimate fellowship is possible because Christ communicates Himself to the believers through His Spirit. Since Christ, through His suffering and death, has wholly acquired the Spirit with all His gifts and powers as His possession, He can be called the Spirit (2
Corinthians 3:17). He has acquired the right to distribute this Spirit to whomever He wills. The Spirit of God has become the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Son, the Spirit of the Lord (Romans 8:9, 1
Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 4:6, Philippians 1:19).
Receiving the Spirit is synonymous with having Christ within, for whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him and is not His (Romans 8:9-10). The faithful are one Spirit with Him
(1 Corinthians 6:17), they are temples of the Holy Spirit, through whom God Himself dwells in them (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19).
They are continually led by the Spirit and sealed until the day of redemption (Romans 8:15-16, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13,
4:30). By the same Spirit, they all have access to the Father and are built together on the foundation of the apostles and prophets into a dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:18, 22).
Thus, the Holy Scriptures describe the profound union between Christ and His congregation, later termed unio mystica (mystical union; mysterious, hidden union). This union, in its depth and intimacy, surpasses our understanding. It is distinct in nature and character from the union within the divine being of the three persons, for while all three share the same divine essence, Christ and the faithful remain distinct in essence. The union between Christ and the church is often compared to the union between Him and the
Father (John 10:38, 14:11, 20, 17:21-23). Yet, Christ speaks not as the only begotten Son but as the Mediator, exalted at God's right hand, through whom the Father accomplishes His will. Just as the Father chose His own in Christ before the world's foundation (Ephesians
1:3) and has blessed and redeemed them in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6-7, Acts 20:28), so He gathers them all into one in Christ
(Ephesians 1:10).
But as close and indissoluble as the union between the Father and the Mediator is, so is the union between Christ and the believers.
This union surpasses in its inner strength any other union found among creatures, and even that which exists between God and His creation. While it is distinct from all pantheistic associations, it far transcends all deistic separations and contractual relationships.
Scripture reveals something of its essence by comparing it to the relationship between vine and branches, head and members, husband and wife. It is a union that binds the entirety of Christ with the entirety of His congregation and each of its members in the depth of their being, at the core of their personality, fully and forever. It began in eternity when the Son of God declared Himself ready for the mediatorship; it acquired its objective substance in the fullness of time when Christ assumed human nature, entered into the fellowship of His people, and gave Himself up to death for their sake; and it is realized personally in each believer when the Holy Spirit descends into them, incorporates them into Christ, and they, in turn, acknowledge and declare this union with Christ in faith.
This fellowship with the person of Christ also entails fellowship in all His goods and benefits. There is no participation in the benefits of Christ without sharing in His person, for the benefits are inseparable
from His person. This would be conceivable, at least to some extent, if the goods that Christ gives were of a material nature; for one can give us their money and possessions without giving themselves to us.
But the goods that Christ gives are of a spiritual nature; they consist, first and foremost, in His favor, in His mercy, in His love, and these are thoroughly personal and cannot be separated from Christ. The "treasure of merit" is therefore not deposited anywhere on earth by Christ in the hands of pope or priest, in church or sacrament; rather, the treasure of merit resides solely with and in Christ Himself. He is that treasure; in Him, the Father turns His kind, benevolent face toward us, and that is all our salvation.
Conversely, there can be no communion with the person of Christ without simultaneously sharing in all His treasures and goods. The relationship between the Father and Christ serves as the foundation and example for the relationship between Christ and His congregation. The Father has given Himself to the Son, and specifically to the Son as the Mediator of God and man; He has retained nothing for Himself but has given everything to Christ. All things have been given to Him by the Father (Matthew 11:27, John
3:35); whatever the Father has is His (John 16:15, 17:10); the Father and Christ are one, the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father
(John 10:38, 14:11, 20, 17:21-23). In turn, Christ communicates Himself and all He possesses to the congregation through the Holy
Spirit (John 16:13-15). He reserves nothing for Himself. As the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily (Colossians 1:19, 2:9), so He fills the congregation until it reaches the measure of His fullness and is filled to the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:23, 3:19,
4:13, 16); He is all in all (Colossians 3:11).
It is a fullness that we receive from Christ, a divine fullness, a fullness of grace and truth, a fullness that never runs dry, giving grace upon grace (John 1:14, 16). This fullness dwells in Christ
Himself, in His person, in His divine and human nature, during His state of humiliation and exaltation. There is a fullness of grace in His incarnation, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). There is a fullness of grace in His life and death, for in the days of His flesh
He learned obedience through what He suffered, and being perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey
Him (Hebrews 5:7-9). There is a fullness of grace in His resurrection, for by it He was declared to be the Son of God in power, and He has regenerated us into a living hope (Romans 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3). There is a fullness of grace in His ascension into heaven, for by it He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8). There is a fullness of grace in His intercession, for through it He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). It is a long, broad, deep stream of grace, carrying believers from beginning to end and into eternity. It is a fullness that gives grace for grace, grace upon grace, replacing one grace with another, flowing continuously without delay or interruption. It is all grace, pure grace, flowing from Christ to the church.
The benefits which Christ bestows upon His people in communion with Him can be comprehensively summed up under the singular name of grace. This term, however, encompasses a fullness, an incalculable wealth of blessings. The reconciliation wrought by Christ through His sufficient sacrifice, establishing peace with the Father, is but the beginning. In Christ, God has renounced His wrath and
established a relationship of peace with the world (2 Cor. 5:19). The Holy Scriptures enumerate these blessings abundantly: vocation, regeneration, faith, conversion, justification, remission of sins, adoption as children, redemption from the law, religious freedom, hope, love, peace, joy, consolation, sanctification, preservation, perseverance, glorification, and more. These blessings encompass all that the congregation collectively, and every believer individually, has received, is receiving, and will receive from the fullness of Christ through all ages, in all circumstances, in prosperity and adversity, in life and death, on this side of the grave and in the hereafter for all eternity.
Given this multitude and wealth, it is impossible to fully develop each benefit; it is exceedingly difficult to obtain a comprehensive overview of them. Even categorizing them in a systematic order and assigning each its rightful place in relation to the whole presents numerous challenges. Different theologians rank them variably.
However, three main groups of benefits can be distinctly identified.
First, there are benefits that prepare humanity and introduce them to the covenant of grace, enabling them to receive and accept the blessings of that covenant with willing hearts: vocation, regeneration
(in the narrow sense), faith, and conversion. Second, there are blessings that alter a person's standing before God, freeing them from guilt and renewing their conscience: justification, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children, the testimony of the Holy Spirit with our spirit, deliverance from the law, spiritual freedom, peace, and joy.
Third, there are benefits that transform a person's state, freeing them from the stain of sin and renewing them in the image of God: rebirth
(in the broader sense), dying and rising with Christ, ongoing conversion, walking in the Spirit, and perseverance to the end. These
acts of grace are perfected and completed in the heavenly glory and bliss which God is preparing for His own, and which will be discussed in a separate paragraph at the end of this teaching of the Christian religion.
Before focusing on these three groups of benefits, it is crucial to note that both they and Christ Himself are given to us solely by the Holy
Spirit. We have seen that the Father is in Christ, that only in Christ does He show us His favorable countenance, and that only in and through Him does He make His dwelling with us. Similarly, Christ is in the Holy Spirit, and He cannot and will not come to us except through that Spirit. Through the Spirit, Christ shares Himself and communicates His benefits to us. The Spirit is called the Holy Spirit because He stands in a special relationship to the Father and to Christ, thereby placing us in a special relationship to both. Therefore, we must not think that we can ever have fellowship with the Father and Christ in any way other than through the Holy Spirit. Everyone who names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity (2 Tim
2:19).
According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration and faith (John 3:5, 1 Cor. 12:3). He is the Spirit of truth, leading us into all truth and making known to us the things given to us by God
(John 16:13, 1 Cor. 2:12). He justifies our conscience and testifies of our adoption as children (Rom. 8:15, 1 Cor. 6:11, Gal. 4:6). He pours out God's love in our hearts, gives peace and joy, and frees us from the law, flesh, sin, and death (Rom. 5:5, 8:2, 14:17). He is the Comforter, the Intercessor, who defends our interests, protects and supports us, and does not leave us like Christ did according to His human nature but remains with us always, comforting us and
praying within us (John 14:16, Acts 9:31, Rom. 8:26). The spiritual life is not only awakened by Him but also constantly maintained and guided by Him; He is the law and rule of it all (Rom. 8:2, 14, Gal.
5:18). He renews and sanctifies that life, makes it bear fruit, and makes it pleasing to God (Rom. 15:13, 16, Gal. 5:22, 2 Thess. 2:13,
Tit. 3:5, 1 Peter 1:2). The Christian's whole life is a walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:4ff, Gal. 5:16, 25). He unites all believers into one body and builds them up into one temple, the dwelling place of God (Eph.
2:18-22, 4:3, 4). He guarantees their heavenly inheritance (2 Cor.
1:22, 5:5, Eph. 1:13, 4:30), and also brings about their resurrection and exaltation (Rom. 8:11, 1 Cor. 15:44).
In a word, Christ and all His benefits, the love of the Father and the grace of the Son, become our portion only in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Study Questions for Reflection 1. What is the significance of Christ sending the Holy Spirit after His exaltation, and how does this fulfill Old Testament promises?
Reflect on how the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost completes Christ's work and fulfills the promises made in the Old Testament.
2. How does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers and the Church differ from His activity in the Old Testament?
Consider the unique and permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament compared to His selective presence
in the Old Testament.
3. What roles does the Holy Spirit play in the life and ministry of Jesus, according to the chapter?
Reflect on the various ways the Holy Spirit empowered and guided Jesus throughout His earthly ministry and beyond.
4. How does the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost mark a new era in the history of redemption?
Discuss the significance of Pentecost as a singular event in the life of the Church and its implications for the ongoing work of the Spirit.
5. In what ways does the Holy Spirit continue the work of Christ in His absence?
Reflect on how the Holy Spirit teaches, comforts, leads, and indwells believers, continuing the mission of Christ in a spiritual manner.
6. How does the Holy Spirit's presence and work in the Church serve as evidence of Christ's ascension and ongoing reign?
Consider the relationship between Christ's ascension, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the manifestation of the Spirit's power in the Church.
7. What are the two distinct operations of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the chapter, and how do they manifest in the life of the Church and the world?