The Deity of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church

I have written before about the deity of Christ and the Trinity in the early church. But now I want to document the belief in the deity of the Holy Spirit from the writings of Christians who lived before 220 A.D. in contrast to the false beliefs of Arianism and binitarianism. The Holy Spirit in the early church is often spoken of as the “Divine Spirit” who is the creator of all things and worthy of worship:

“For the Scripture saith in a certain place, Whither shall I go, and where shall I be hid from Thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there; if I go away even to the uttermost parts of the earth, there is Thy right hand; if I make my bed in the abyss, there is Thy Spirit. Whither, then, shall any one go, or where shall he escape from Him who comprehends all things?” (1 Clement 28:3-4).

“We wish you, brethren, all happiness, while you walk according to the doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; with whom be glory to God the Father and the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of His holy elect, after whose example the blessed Polycarp suffered, following in whose steps may we too be found in the kingdom of Jesus Christ!” (Martyrdom of Polycarp 22:1).

“And I again, Pionius, wrote them from the previously written copy, having carefully searched into them, and the blessed Polycarp having manifested them to me through a revelation, even as I shall show in what follows. I have collected these things, when they had almost faded away through the lapse of time, that the Lord Jesus Christ may also gather me along with His elect into His heavenly kingdom, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Martyrdom of Polycarp 22:3).

“These doubters then go to him as to a soothsayer, and inquire of him what will happen to them; and he, the false prophet, not having the power of a Divine Spirit in him, answers them according to their inquiries, and according to their wicked desires, and fills their souls with expectations, according to their own wishes” (Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 11 1:2).

“Thus, then, will the Spirit of Divinity become manifest. Whatever power therefore comes from the Spirit of Divinity belongs to the Lord” (Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 11 1:10).

“The holy, pre-existent Spirit, that created every creature, God made to dwell in flesh, which He chose. This flesh, accordingly, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, was nobly subject to that Spirit, walking religiously and chastely, in no respect defiling the Spirit” (Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 5 6:5).

“But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth, and declaring without grudging to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 6).

“For what is called by the Divine Spirit through the prophet ‘His robe,’ are those men who believe in Him in whom abideth the seed of God, the Word” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 32).

“There existed, long before this time, certain men more ancient than all those who are esteemed philosophers, both righteous and beloved by God, who spoke by the Divine Spirit, and foretold events which would take place, and which are now taking place” (Justin Martyr, Address to the Greeks, Chapter 7).

“Lifted in ecstasy above the natural operations of their minds by the impulses of the Divine Spirit, uttered the things with which they were inspired, the Spirit making use of them as a flute-player breathes into a flute” (Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians, Chapter 9).

“Who, then, would not be astonished to hear men who speak of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order, called atheists? . . . They know God and His Logos, what is the oneness of the Son with the Father, what the communion of the Father with the Son, what is the Spirit, what is the unity of these three, the Spirit, the Son, the Father, and their distinction in unity; and who know that the life for which we look is far better than can be described in words. . . . For, as we acknowledge a God, and a Son his Logos, and a Holy Spirit, united in essence, the Father, the Son, the Spirit” (Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians, Chapters 10, 12, 24).

“So the whole creation is contained by the Spirit of God, and the containing Spirit is along with the creation contained by the hand of God” (Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolychus, Book 1, Chapter 5).

“In like manner also the three days which were before the luminaries, are types of the Trinity, of God, and His Word, and His wisdom” (Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapter 15).

“Since by the one sovereign Spirit all things have been declared in all [the Gospels]: concerning the nativity, concerning the passion, concerning the resurrection, concerning life with his disciples, and concerning his twofold coming” (The Muratorian Fragment, verses 19-23).

“For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, ‘Let Us make man after Our image and likeness’” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 20, Section 1).

“I have also largely demonstrated, that the Word, namely the Son, was always with the Father; and that Wisdom also, which is the Spirit, was present with Him, anterior to all creation” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 20, Section 3).

“And has also poured out the Spirit of the Father for the union and communion of God and man, imparting indeed God to men by means of the Spirit, and, on the other hand, attaching man to God by His own incarnation” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 1, Section 1).

“But those who do indeed reject the Spirit’s counsel, and are the slaves of fleshly lusts, and lead lives contrary to reason, and who, without restraint, plunge headlong into their own desires, having no longing after the Divine Spirit, do live after the manner of swine and of dogs” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 8, Section 2).

“And then, when we have perfected the oblation, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may exhibit this sacrifice, both the bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ” (Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus, Fragment 37).

“That there are, however, two Gods or two Lords, is a statement which at no time proceeds out of our mouth: not as if it were untrue that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and each is God; but because in earlier times Two were actually spoken of as God, and two as Lord, that when Christ should come He might be both acknowledged as God and designated as Lord, being the Son of Him who is both God and Lord” (Tertullian, Against Praxeas, Chapter 13).

“And thus the Spirit is God, and the Word is God, because proceeding from God, but yet is not actually the very same as He from whom He proceeds” (Tertullian, Against Praxeas, Chapter 26).

“Discipline governs a man, power sets a seal upon him; apart from the fact that power is the Spirit, but the Spirit is God. . . . For the very Church itself is, properly and principally, the Spirit Himself, in whom is the Trinity of the One Divinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Tertullian, On Modesty, Chapter 21).

What Is Montanism?

Montanism is a sect that broke away from the church in the second century following the teachings of Montanus and his prophetess followers Priscilla and Maximilla. They claimed to have new prophetic revelation from God and drew a large number in the church to themselves. They spoke against the distinction between the clergy and the congregation because all Christians are equal to each other. Women were allowed to speak prophetically in church just as the men were. The Christian apologist Tertullian at first opposed them, but later became a Montanist himself.

Some of the followers of Montanus claimed that he was the incarnation of the Holy Spirit. The church father Eusebius of Caesarea writes concerning them:

“For some persons, like venomous reptiles, crawled over Asia and Phrygia, boasting that Montanus was the Paraclete, and that the women that followed him, Priscilla and Maximilla, were prophetesses of Montanus” (Church History, 5.14).

Epiphanius gives us some of Montanus’ prophetic words as he claims to be speaking the words of God:

“Behold, man is like a lyre; and I flit about like a plectron; man sleeps, and I awaken him; behold it is the Lord who changes the hearts of men and gives man a heart” (Panarion, 48.4.1).

“Neither angel nor envoy, but I the Lord God the Father have come” (Panarion, 48.11.1).

“I am the Lord God, the Almighty dwelling in man” (Panarion, 48.11.9).

Eusebius quotes Apollinarius of Hierapolis who describes these prophetic utterances as ecstatic in nature and lacking in self-control:

“There first, they say, when Gratus was proconsul of Asia, a recent convert, Montanus by name, through his unquenchable desire for leadership, gave the adversary opportunity against him. And he became beside himself, and being suddenly in a sort of frenzy and ecstasy, he raved, and began to babble and utter strange things, prophesying in a manner contrary to the constant custom of the Church handed down by tradition from the beginning. Some of those who heard his spurious utterances at that time were indignant, and they rebuked him as one that was possessed, and that was under the control of a demon, and was led by a deceitful spirit, and was distracting the multitude; and they forbade him to talk, remembering the distinction drawn by the Lord and his warning to guard watchfully against the coming of false prophets. . . . And he stirred up besides two women, and filled them with the false spirit, so that they talked wildly and unreasonably and strangely, like the person already mentioned. And the spirit pronounced them blessed as they rejoiced and gloried in him, and puffed them up by the magnitude of his promises” (Church History, 5.16).

They were all later excommunicated from the church:

“And the arrogant spirit taught them to revile the entire universal Church under heaven, because the spirit of false prophecy received neither honor from it nor entrance into it. For the faithful in Asia met often in many places throughout Asia to consider this matter, and examined the novel utterances and pronounced them profane, and rejected the heresy, and thus these persons were expelled from the Church and debarred from communion” (Church History, 5.16).

Maximilla was reported to have prophesied that war was shortly to break out which never came to pass:

“And has not this been shown clearly to be false? For it is today more than thirteen years since the woman died, and there has been neither a partial nor general war in the world; but rather, through the mercy of God, continued peace even to the Christians” (Church History, 5.16).

According to Epiphanius, she also claimed that she would be the last prophet before Christ came: “After me there will no longer be a prophet but the end” (Panarion, 48.2.4).

Apollonius wrote that Montanus taught that the institution of marriage was now dissolved. The prophetesses abandoned their husbands in light of this belief:

“His actions and his teaching show who this new teacher is. This is he who taught the dissolution of marriage; who made laws for fasting; who named Pepuza and Tymion, small towns in Phrygia, Jerusalem, wishing to gather people to them from all directions; who appointed collectors of money; who contrived the receiving of gifts under the name of offerings; who provided salaries for those who preached his doctrine, that its teaching might prevail through gluttony. . . . We show that these first prophetesses themselves, as soon as they were filled with the Spirit, abandoned their husbands. How falsely therefore they speak who call Prisca a virgin” (Church History, 5.18).

According to Tertullian, Priscilla believed that abstaining from sex resulted in prophetic visions: “Purification produces harmony and they see visions” (Exhortation to Chastity, 10.5).

For serious offenses, they believed there could be no forgiveness from God. Tertullian, as a Montanist, quotes from one of their prophets claiming to be speaking by the Spirit: “The Church can pardon sin, but I will not do it, lest they also commit other offences” (On Modesty, 21.7).

According to Epiphanius, they forbade Christians from marrying a second time after their spouse had died (Panarion, 48.9.7).

The Montanist Tertullian said that any second marriage is a form of sexual immorality:

“If we look deeply into his meanings, and interpret them, second marriage will have to be termed no other than a species of fornication” (Exhortation to Chastity, 9.1).

Apollonius records that they accepted expensive gifts and were motivated by greed:

“Does not all Scripture seem to you to forbid a prophet to receive gifts and money? When therefore I see the prophetess receiving gold and silver and costly garments, how can I avoid reproving her? . . . . For we will show that those whom they call prophets and martyrs gather their gain not only from rich men, but also from the poor, and orphans, and widows” (Church History, 5.18).

Some of the Montanists held to a belief in modalism as Oneness Pentecostals do today:

“And some of these assent to the heresy of the Noetians, and affirm that the Father himself is the Son” (Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, 8.12).

From these testimonies, we can see several problems with this movement:

1. The lack of self-control in their prophecies is contrary to Paul’s description of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:32: “And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.” A true prophet is in control of his own spirit describing the orderly nature of New Testament prophecy.

2. Their desire for wealth and taking money from the poor parallels the greed of the Word of Faith movement today. The health and wealth gospel preys upon the poor and needy by giving them empty promises (2 Pet 2:3).

3. The teaching that marriage is dissolved is contrary to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Forbidding others from marrying is a doctrine of demons.

4. Not allowing Christians to marry after their spouse has died is contrary to 1 Corinthians 7:39.

5. The abolition of the clergy goes against Paul’s instructions to the church in 1 Timothy 3 that each church is to have elders who instruct the people. This is similar to the later belief of the Quakers.

6. Their imposed fasting and asceticism is legalistic and goes beyond the warrant of Scripture (1 Cor 4:6).

7. They share in common with the charismatic movement that the gift of prophecy is still given in contrast to the rest of the church at that time which apparently did not have prophets of its own.

8. Some of them gave false prophecies concerning the future (Deut 18:22).

9. The egalitarianism of the movement is contrary to Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 concerning women in the church.

10. Refusing to forgive some sinners is contrary to 2 Corinthians 2:10. God will forgive all who repent of their sins (1 John 1:7).

In other words, they were greedy legalistic egalitarian ecstatic charismatics who gave false prophecies. I can’t think of anyone like that today.

What Is Binitarianism?

Binitarianism is the rare belief that the Holy Spirit is not God while the Father and the Son are God. It differs from Arianism in that it affirms that the Son is God while disagreeing with trinitarianism by denying that the Holy Spirit shares equally with the Father and the Son the one divine nature. It reduces the Holy Spirit to God’s active force and makes him a created being. This viewpoint was common among the semi-Arians of the fourth century who were known as the pneumatomachi or those who fight against the Spirit. The leading spokesman for this group was Macedonius I, bishop of Constantinople. Eusebius of Caesarea and Origen could be classified as binitarians since they held that the Spirit is a created being though they often subordinated the Son to the Father (Khaled Anatolios, Retrieving Nicaea, 67; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical Theology 3.6.3; Origen, Commentary on John 2.6). Binitarianism was seen most recently in the beliefs of Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God.

The reason why there are so few binitarians is because while they deny the deity of the Holy Spirit, they also deny the chief argument used against trinitarianism: the divine nature cannot be shared by more than one person or else this would lead to polytheism. While they are not trinitarians, they have no problem with God existing as more than one person. But very few of those we might classify as binitarians are true binitarians. They cannot consistently argue against trinitarianism while at the same time affirming that the divine nature can be shared by more than one person. This is why binitarians almost always hold to some form of subordinationism in their understanding of the relationship between the Father and the Son. They are not actually true binitarians, but we call them this because they refer to the Son as God even though there is almost always some qualification in their assertion that the Son is God.

While some scholars assert that the apostolic church fathers were binitarians and trinitarianism only developed later, there is ample evidence to indicate this is incorrect. One of the most common titles for the Holy Spirit in the writings of the early church is “Divine Spirit” which affirms that the Spirit is divine or God (Justin Martyr, First Apology 32; Dialogue with Trypho 7; Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians 9; Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.8.2). The trinitarian formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is common throughout their writings and the Spirit is always closely associated with God. An example of this can be seen in Athenagoras: “Who, then, would not be astonished to hear men who speak of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order, called atheists?” (A Plea for the Christians 10). The Spirit is viewed as the one who created all things (Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 5.6.5). And only God created all things (Isa 44:24).

Why Many Charismatics Lack Discernment

I have always wondered why certain Christian leaders say and do things that are wildly unbiblical and lacking in discernment. How can people who know the Bible endorse false teachers and partner with those who oppose the gospel? How could John Piper share the stage with a female Word of Faith preacher and why would Michael Brown interview Benny Hinn? Both charismatics and cessationists can make decisions that are utterly lacking in discernment, but it seems that charismatics are more guilty than cessationists in this regard. Both Phil Johnson and Justin Peters have both noted the same trend that charismatics who should know better have no problem associating themselves with false teachers. But why would they do such a thing?

The reason for this is because charismatics view one another as being more in step with the Spirit than non-charismatics. They are willing to overlook serious doctrinal errors in each other’s theology because they are in agreement when it comes to the gift of tongues and prophecy. Charismatics share a common bond in believing that God still speaks today outside of his written Word and that belief leaves them open to searching for revelation from God in charismatic teaching. The reasoning is, “Well, that preacher might be wrong on a lot of issues, but at least he doesn’t believe I’m speaking gibberish when I speak in tongues and therefore I respect him more than that other preacher who thinks I’m crazy but is more doctrinally precise.” Those churches which do not believe that God is still speaking today through prophecy are viewed as places where the Spirit’s power is absent, even if the church’s statement of faith is pristine.

This is especially true in Pentecostalism with its two-tiered system of Christianity where those who have never spoken in tongues have not yet experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. From this perspective, some Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit while others have not. Why would you want to listen to a preacher who has never experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit? He does not have the anointing of God while that preacher who may have questionable theology at least has experienced the power of God in speaking in tongues.

Because all of the teachers in the Word of Faith movement are in agreement that tongues and prophecy are for today, this attracts those who agree with them on this issue. We like to listen to those who agree with us, not to those who hold to beliefs that are different from our own. Charismatics have constructed an echo chamber for themselves in which they can listen to voices that affirm their experience of speaking in tongues, even though many of those voices teach heresy. And the more voices, the better. But we are not called to listen to voices that already agree with us, but to the one voice of Scripture which is God’s final and authoritative Word on the subject. God has already spoken once and for all in Scripture. We do not need to go searching for his voice anywhere else.

The Deity of the Holy Spirit

“I believe in the Holy Spirit.” These are the words of the Apostles’ Creed which Christians have confessed throughout the ages. They are the words Charles Spurgeon spoke before entering the pulpit to preach the Word of God. But who is the Holy Spirit? I have written previously on the personal nature of the Spirit, but here I want to outline some of the biblical evidence for the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, sharing equally with the Father and the Son all of the attributes of God. He is the creator of all things and brings regeneration through the preaching of the gospel.

The Holy Spirit is described as Yahweh in the story of Samson: “But he did not know that the LORD had left him” (Judg 16:20). “The Lord” is parallel to “the Spirit” who comes upon Samson in the rest of the story and gives him strength (Judg 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God. A parallel text is 1 Samuel 18:12: “Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul.” This statement echoes the previous verses which speak of the Spirit coming upon Saul (1 Sam 10:10; 11:6; 16:13-16; 19:23). 1 Samuel 16:14 is especially striking: “Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul.” That is directly parallel to 1 Samuel 18:12 which speaks of the Lord departing from Saul. Therefore, to say that the Spirit has left someone is to say that the Lord has left him and vice versa.

The deity of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by his work of creation. Only God can create as Isaiah 44:24 says, “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.'” That means if the Spirit creates, then he must be God. Job declares in Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” We also know that the Spirit is God because he shares the attributes of God. The Spirit is described as being omnipresent or everywhere: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psa 139:7). The Spirit and God’s presence are equated here just as the Lord and the Spirit are equated in the stories of Samson and Saul. The omniscience of the Spirit also demonstrates his deity since only God is all-knowing: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (Isa 40:13-14).

One of the clearest evidences of the deity of the Holy Spirit is Acts 5:3-4 where lying to the Holy Spirit is parallel to lying to God. To lie to one is to lie to the other. The Holy Spirit speaks as God in prophecy and through the authorship of Scripture which is the Word of God. In Acts 28:25-27, Paul quotes the words of God as coming from the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet” (Acts 28:25) followed by a quotation from Isaiah 6 where God speaks to Isaiah the prophet. In 1 Corinthians 2:11 we read this amazing statement: “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” Only the Holy Spirit can comprehend God’s thoughts which is impossible for any creature (Isa 40:13). The Spirit must be God in order to comprehend the infinite thoughts of God. This expression is similar to Matthew 11:27 where we read, “And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.” Only God can know himself perfectly and the Son is so vast and infinite that only the Father can know him. The Son must therefore be God if only the Father can know him. Therefore, the Spirit must be God if only he can know the thoughts of God. The inclusion of the Spirit in the many triadic or threefold formulas of Scripture is strong indirect proof of his deity (Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14).

Paul identifies the Spirit as the Lord in 2 Corinthians 3:16-18: “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Christians are described as being both temples of God and temples of the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16); “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you” (1 Cor 6:19); “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor 6:16). To be the temple of the Holy Spirit is the same as being the temple of God.

Another place where a quotation from God in the Old Testament is applied to the Holy Spirit is Hebrews 3:7-11 which quotes Psalm 95:7-11. Verse nine says, “Here your fathers put me to the test and saw my works” identifying the Spirit as the one whom the Israelites tested in the desert. Another example of this is Hebrews 10:15-17 where the Holy Spirit speaks God’s words out of Jeremiah 31. The Holy Spirit is described as eternal in Hebrews 9:14 and therefore must be God since only God is eternal. The last evidence that I will make reference to is 2 Peter 1:19-21 which describes the work of inspiration as coming from the Holy Spirit. And since we know that God is the author of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16), the Holy Spirit must be God. Other examples where the Spirit speaks Scripture are 2 Samuel 23:2; Matthew 22:43; Acts 1:16; and Acts 4:25.

Does God Still Give Dreams and Visions Today?

I was asked to write about how I would respond to a woman who claims that she received a dream from God saying that Christ is coming soon. Here is my response:

Thank you for sharing your dream with me. Acts 2:17 does say that in the last days “your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” We should strive to be like the first-century church and imitate their faith and trust in God. However, there are false teachers who claim to receive dreams from God and use them to twist the Scripture. For example, Jude 1:8 says, “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” That’s why we need to examine the content of our dreams to see whether or not they match the teachings of Scripture. Acts 17:11 says that we must be “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so.” If we think that we have received a dream from God, we must examine all of it by Scripture alone and if any part of it is not from God, then it is not a dream from him. The Bible is our ultimate authority and we must test everything by it (2 Tim 3:16-17).

The Bible does teach clearly that Jesus is coming soon: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done” (Rev 22:12). However, Jesus warns us strongly about anyone who would say they know exactly when he will return: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matt 25:13; 24:36, 50). Later he says, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). If someone claims that they know exactly when Jesus is coming back, then they are not speaking in accordance with Scripture.

It could be that this is not a dream directly from God, but is the result of your being saturated in the Scripture and the promises of Jesus. If God has given you a dream, you should be like Mary who “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I do not think it would be wise for you to share this dream with the entire church because some of them are not used to God working in supernatural ways (we are Baptists after all). The truth that Jesus is coming again soon is a plain truth revealed in Scripture and we don’t need a dream to share with others this great message.

Dreams from God are rare occurrences and usually occur in the context of persecution. We see this from the testimony of missionaries where dreams are given in unique circumstances to help break down barriers to hearing the gospel message from missionaries or to bring comfort in the midst of terrible suffering. Because of this, I think that it is more likely that your dream is the result of you being saturated with the Word of God and looking forward to the coming of Christ to redeem his bride. If this dream has been used by God to cause you to long more for the coming of Christ, then I praise God for it.

See also: “Why I Am A Cessationist”

Did the Holy Spirit Indwell Old Testament Believers? (Part 2)

The Spirit’s indwelling work can be seen in several places in the Old Testament besides the case of Joshua in Numbers 27:18. All of the Old Testament prophets are described as being indwelt by the Spirit as well as those who authored Scripture (2 Pet 1:19-21). Joseph in Genesis 41:38 is described as one “in whom is the Spirit of God” and Daniel in Daniel 4:8-9 is said to have the Holy Spirit from the perspective of the polytheistic worldview of the Babylonians. Bezalel is filled “with the Spirit of God” in Exodus 31:3 and given gifts of the Spirit in Exodus 35:30-36:1. I could give a description of every instance of an Old Testament believer having the Holy Spirit, but I will simply give you some of the biblical references: (Gen 41:38; Exo 31:3; 35:30-36; Num 11:17; 27:18; Deut 34:9; Judg 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 16:20; 1 Sam 10:6, 10; 11:6; 16:13-14; 19:20, 23; 1 Chron 12:18; 2 Chron 15:1; 20:14; 24:20; Neh 9:30; Psa 51:10-11; 139:7; 143:10; Isa 59:21; Eze 11:19-20; 36:25-27; 37:14; Dan 4:8-9; 5:11, 14).

You will notice that in many of these texts it says that the Holy Spirit “came upon them” and gave them special abilities (like Samson which he temporarily lost) or prophetic utterance. It is even used to refer to the Spirit working in unbelievers such as Balaam, King Saul, and Caiaphas (John 11:51) which can come and go. Therefore, this work of the Spirit is different than the saving indwelling work of the Spirit unique to believers. This “second blessing” is the giving of special gifts of the Spirit to individuals and is not a guarantee that they have the indwelling Spirit as a believer already. It also means that just as it cannot be proven that a person has a saving indwelling work of the Spirit just because the Spirit comes upon them, it cannot be proven that the Spirit coming upon them disproves the fact that they already have the indwelling work of the Spirit. This provides a further analogy to understand that the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost does not preclude a previous indwelling work if such a work is necessary for regeneration and sanctification without which no man can be saved (John 3:3; Heb 12:14).

Jesus says in John 3:3 that a man must be born again to be saved. But what does it mean to say that a man is born again if he is not indwelt by the Spirit? John 3:5’s “born of water” (which is essential to salvation) is an allusion to Ezekiel 36:25-27 which is a description of the cleansing and indwelling work of the Spirit. To be born again means to experience what Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Jeremiah 32:40 are talking about. If “normal” people could not be indwelt before Acts 2, how can Jesus say in Luke 11:13 that the Father will “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”? If Old Testament believers were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then could they be demon possessed? How can someone be regenerated or born again without the Holy Spirit indwelling them? How is sanctification possible without the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit? (1 Cor 2:10-16; 2 Cor 3:17-18). How can a person be adopted without the indwelling Spirit? (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6-7). How can a person pray without the indwelling work of the Spirit? (Rom 8:26-27; Jude 1:20). Were Old Testament believers sealed by the Spirit? (Eph 1:13-14). How will they be raised from the dead? (Rom 8:11). How could they experience God’s love? (Rom 5:5). Were they among the worldly people who are “devoid of the Spirit”? (Jude 1:19). If they were devoid of the Spirit, why were they not worldly people?

The strongest argument in favor of all believers in all ages having the indwelling Spirit is that it is impossible to please God apart from him. Romans 8:7-9 says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Were Old Testament believers in “the flesh” or in “the Spirit”? If they were in the flesh, then they could not be saved, since those in the flesh cannot please God, but faith and repentance are pleasing to him. How could they be in the Spirit or belong to Christ if they did not have the Spirit dwelling in them? Paul conditions being in the Spirit with the Spirit of God dwelling in them. For these reasons, the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit is necessary for all believers because man’s fallen condition has never changed after the fall.

Did the Holy Spirit Indwell Old Testament Believers? (Part 1)

Is the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit only for New Testament Christians or did Christians living before the coming of the Messiah also have this indwelling presence? If you object to my use of “Christians” to describe those believers living before Christ, I already know how you are going to answer this question (a Christian is someone who follows Christ). I would affirm that all regenerate believers in all ages experience the Spirit’s indwelling work and I would like to explain why.

Let me start off by answering the common objections to this position based on John 7:39 and 14:17. The story of Joshua in the Old Testament gives us a paradigm to differentiate between the indwelling work of the Spirit and his subsequent work of filling and gifting. In Numbers 27:18 we read, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.” The parallel in Deuteronomy 34:9 also says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him.” Notice that Joshua was already indwelt by the Spirit before Moses laid hands on him, but after he did, he was filled with the spirit of wisdom. This distinction between being indwelt by the Spirit in Numbers 27:18 and being filled with the spirit of wisdom in Deuteronomy 34:9 (the receiving of new gifts from the Spirit – in the case of Joshua, a gift of wisdom for leadership) is key to interpreting the falling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. The way that I interpret the Spirit’s coming in Acts 2 is that the Christians were already indwelt by the Spirit, but the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost is the receiving of new gifts from the Spirit that had never been given before. This being “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49) is the receiving of the New Testament ministry of the Spirit with new gifts such as apostleship and speaking in tongues which marked the beginning of this new era. It is in this sense that his disciples received the Spirit (John 7:39). To receive the Holy Spirit is simply another way of speaking of receiving gifts from the Spirit. The receiving of the gifts of the Spirit in Scripture is spoken as a receiving of the Spirit himself. King Saul received the Spirit in the sense that he received the gift of prophecy but did not have the saving indwelling work of the Spirit (1 Sam 10:6-11; 19:20-24).

Just as Joshua received the spirit of wisdom (which I interpret to be the Holy Spirit based on the parallel to Numbers 27:18) from Moses, even though he was already indwelt by the Spirit, the disciples received the Spirit of New Testament gifts and power, even though they were already indwelt by him. Hence, it is a kind of “second blessing” after the initial indwelling which is spoken of as a receiving of the Spirit to mark the dramatic change which takes place due to the new gifts which are given. In John 7:39, the Greek text lacks the word “given” and I think it should be left that way. I would agree with Sinclair Ferguson’s interpretation that when John says “the Spirit was not yet” he is saying that the differences between the Old and New Testament work of the Spirit are so dramatic that it is as if the Holy Spirit did not exist yet. Translators are afraid that if they don’t insert “given” into the text for clarity, people will mistakenly deny the eternality of the Holy Spirit not recognizing John’s exaggerated language to describe the new age of the Spirit.

When Jesus says that the Spirit “dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:17), he is not denying that the Spirit is in them now any more than he is denying that the Spirit is with them now when he says that the Spirit will “be with you forever” (John 14:16). If Jesus can speak of the Spirit being with them in the future and yet not deny that the Spirit is with them now, can he not also speak of the Spirit being in them in the future without denying that he is in them now? The future tense is used to describe the certainty of the action, not denying a present reality. The present tense verb that is translated “dwells with” in John 14:17 to describe the work of the Spirit among the disciples before Pentecost is also used in 1 John 3:24 to describe the indwelling work of the Spirit now: “And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” Dwelling or abiding with and being in are two different ways of describing the same work of the Spirit in the life of believers. And now that Christ is in heaven, the Holy Spirit takes on the additional role of being the representative of Christ on earth who has been sent by the Father to communicate Christ’s words to his followers through the inscripturation of the New Testament canon and enlightening our minds to these truths (John 14:26).

Why I Am a Cessationist

A cessationist is someone who believes that at least some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased to be given because of the close of the canon of Scripture. These are known as the “miraculous gifts” (though all of the gifts are miraculous in nature) which include speaking in tongues, prophecy, and apostleship. This article will outline my cessationist argument against the beliefs of the charismatic movement who continue to practice what they believe are speaking in tongues and prophecy.

1. Tongues in Scripture are actual human languages and not ecstatic utterances or free vocalizations:

Acts 2:4-8 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?'”

The modern practice of speaking in tongues does not match the New Testament pattern which is the speaking of real human languages that can be understood by someone who is a native speaker of that language (1 Cor 13:1; 14:10-11). In my experience in charismatic circles (which is limited), I have never heard someone speak in a real human language who claimed to be speaking in tongues. I do not know of any evidence which demonstrates that those who claim to speak in tongues today are speaking in true human languages. If they were, it would be easy to demonstrate this by recording them speaking in tongues and then taking that recording to people who speak the language natively and having them translate it. The complete lack of evidence for this demonstrates that modern-day tongue speaking is not the same as tongues in the New Testament. Charismatics have redefined what tongue-speaking is on the basis of their experience with it rather than by defining it the way Scripture does. John MacArthur goes into great detail on this point in his book Strange Fire.

2. There are no more apostles today:

Paul made it clear that he was the last of the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15:8: “Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” Paul was the last person that Christ visited and personally commissioned to be an apostle. Being an apostle is tied to seeing the risen Christ (1 Cor 9:1). An apostle is marked by miraculous gifts, signs, and wonders that only God can do (2 Cor 12:12). They speak on behalf of Christ (1 Cor 14:37; 2 Cor 13:3) and have the ability to exercise authority over all churches (1 Thess 2:6; Phlm 1:8-9). If someone claims to be an apostle today, we have the right to demand of him evidence of miraculous gifts and test his doctrine (Rev 2:2). If there are apostles today, I would like to know who they are.

3. Because the gift of apostleship has ceased, it is possible for there to be other gifts that have also ceased:

Apostleship is one of the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to the church: “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues” (1 Cor 12:28). The gift and office of apostle are both tied together because all who hold the office also possess the gifts necessary to occupy it (Eph 4:8, 11). The same is true with the other positions of prophet and teacher. Where in the Bible does it ever differentiate between the gift of apostleship and the office of apostle? The offices of apostle and prophet were both foundational in the construction of the early church. As Ephesians 2:20 says, the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Now that the foundation has been laid, it is no longer necessary for there to be apostles and prophets since the church has already been established. With the passing of the apostles, the passing of the prophets and gifts that go along with them has also come about.

The most common objection to the cessationist position is based on 1 Corinthians 13:10 which says, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” This is interpreted to mean that no gift of the Spirit will cease until the eschaton when the new heavens and new earth arrive. While I agree that “the perfect” is eternity future, it is invalid to argue against cessationism this way since the same argument could be used to argue against the fact that the gift of apostleship has ceased. In such a case, we would need to have apostles today. But since apostles have ceased, this demonstrates that it is possible for at least some of the gifts to have ceased while all gifts will not cease until eternity future. If you accept that apostleship has ceased, then you are a cessationist.

4. The canon of Scripture is closed:

The canon has been closed which means that we are not expecting any further revelation from God. The book of Revelation was the last “revelation” God has revealed and it ends perfectly tying together the rest of Scripture. As Revelation 22:18 says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.” Because there are no more apostles, we can expect no more books of Scripture since it was the apostles who penned the New Testament. Since the apostles are no more, the authors of Scripture are no more. The apostles in the New Testament filled the same role as the prophets in the Old Testament as the authors of the Bible.

5. New Testament prophecy is infallible like Old Testament prophecy:

Many charismatics argue that New Testament prophecy was fallible unlike Old Testament prophecy and therefore they can believe in prophecy today while still holding onto sola Scriptura. Cessationists believe that during the period of inscripturation (the first century church), prophecy coexisted with Scripture as the Word of God. But even then, those who claimed to be prophesying were examined by Scripture to determine whether or not what they were saying was actually prophecy because even one error would invalidate them as a prophet (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thess 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1). Their words were not being examined to determine what parts were true and what parts were false, but to determine whether they were prophesying at all (Deut 13:1-5; 18:21-22). The examination of claims to prophecy and tradition by Scripture is known as the primacy of Scripture (Matt 15:1-6; Acts 17:11). Now that prophecy has ceased, the Bible alone is our ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice because God no longer speaks directly and infallibly through human beings (this is the doctrine of sola Scriptura). But was prophecy in the first century infallible? The answer is yes based on the following Scriptures:

Acts 2:17-18: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” (This is a quotation from Joel 2:28 and everyone agrees that prophecy in Joel’s day was infallible).

Acts 21:11: “And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'” (Agabus uses the formulaic expression “thus says the Lord” just like the infallible Old Testament prophets claiming to be speaking the words of God. Compare this expression to 2 Samuel 23:2; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 4:25; 13:2; 28:25; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 3:7; 10:15; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 2:7; and 14:13).

1 Corinthians 12:3: “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” (A person speaking in the Holy Spirit is guarded from speaking error and blasphemy).

And Agabus was not wrong in his prophecy about the binding of Paul. Paul alludes to Agabus’ own words later in Acts 28:17 when he says, “Yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.” If Paul did not believe Agabus got it wrong, why should we? Paul’s hands would have already been bound when they were beating him (Acts 21:32). You tie up the hands of those you are going to beat to prevent them from fighting back. When the soldiers appeared, the Jews relented and did not resist them when handing Paul over to the Romans who made Paul’s restraints more secure so he could not run away. There is probably something wrong with your system of belief when you need to adopt the interpretation of skeptics of the Bible who deny inerrancy to maintain your position.

If New Testament prophecy is not infallible, then we can’t apply Deuteronomy 18:22 to test whether or not a prophet is from God. Why couldn’t Joseph Smith simply say, “Oops, well, New Testament prophecy isn’t infallible so you can’t hold my old predictions against me. Even Agabus got it wrong.” when questioned about his many false prophecies? As Sam Waldron says, “The definition of prophet in Deuteronomy 13 and 18 was never rescinded, and this requires infallibility.” The belief that New Testament prophecy was not infallible is a historically novel viewpoint created to justify preexisting charismatic practices while still claiming to believe in sola Scriptura.

6. Prophecy has ceased because the canon is closed:

The Old Testament is summarized as “the prophetic word” (2 Pet 1:19-21), “the law and the prophets” (Rom 3:21), or “Moses and the prophets” (Luke 16:31), while the New Testament is summarized as the “apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20) because they are its authors. Because the canon has closed and there are no more apostles, there is no one who can give infallible revelation from God. This means that for sola Scriptura to be true, there can be no more prophecy. If there are still prophets alive today, then the canon would not be truly closed since a prophet speaks the very words of God. How can we know that the canon is truly closed if there are still apostles and prophets around?

A common objection to cessationism are the miracles that occurred in the life of Charles Spurgeon where the Spirit supernaturally revealed information to him. To give one example:

“At the Monday evening prayer-meeting at which Mr. Spurgeon related the foregoing incident, he also mentioned the sermon at Exeter Hall, in which he suddenly broke off from his subject, and, pointing in a certain direction, said, ‘Young man, those gloves you are wearing have not been paid for; you have stolen them from your employer.’ At the close of the service, a young man, looking very pale and greatly agitated, came to the room which was used as a vestry, and begged for a private interview with Mr. Spurgeon. On being admitted, he placed a pair of gloves upon the table, and tearfully said, ‘It’s the first time I have robbed my master, and I will never do it again. You won’t expose me, sir, will you? It would kill my mother if she heard that I had become a thief.’ The preacher had drawn the bow at a venture, but the arrow struck the target for which God intended it, and the startled hearer was, in that singular way, probably saved from committing a greater crime” (Autobiography, 2:60).

I would describe what we see in this passage as an extraordinary providence of God or divine premonition rather than prophecy. Prophecy in the Bible is speaking the very words of God as we see in the case of Agabus when he says, “Thus says the Holy Spirit” (Acts 21:11). Spurgeon never claimed that his words were the very words of God himself. If Spurgeon’s words were the exact words of the Holy Spirit, then we would no longer have a closed canon because God would still be speaking audibly today. When it came to his own views, Spurgeon was not a charismatic. God’s supernatural revelation of information to a Christian today is not the same as prophecy. The problem with the debate between cessationists and charismatics is that they are defining the terms “prophecy” and “tongues” differently. When cessationists speak about tongues, they are talking about real human languages that a native speaker could understand. When charismatics speak about tongues, they are talking about ecstatic utterances that no human could understand. When cessationists speak about prophecy, they are talking about speaking the very words of God himself. When charismatics speak about prophecy, they are talking about fallible impressions of the Spirit in order to maintain that the canon is still closed. From a biblical perspective, the biggest problem I see with the charismatic position is that its definition of tongues and prophecy does not match that of Scripture. It also does not help matters that many charismatics who should know better endorse and partner with false teachers.

7. Speaking in tongues has ceased because speaking in tongues is a form of prophecy:

We know this because speaking in tongues and prophecy are equal to each other when someone interprets the tongue. As 1 Corinthians 14:5 says, “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

8. And the testimony of church history bears witness to the cessation of tongues and prophecy. It has almost always been heretics who continue to believe that prophecy is still given to undermine the sufficiency of God’s Word and draw people to themselves. This documentary by the Christ Presbyterian Church in Magna, Utah does a far better job of demonstrating this than I can in a single article. Many of the people who claim to be prophets and apostles today are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

But the question must be asked, “If tongues have ceased, then why do so many people claim to be speaking in tongues today?” I believe the reason is a desire for assurance of salvation. Speaking in tongues is an objective gift of the Spirit whereas hospitality is not. Anyone can show hospitality, but only a true Christian could possibly speak in tongues. Hence, modern-day tongue speaking is motivated by trying to find an objective basis for assurance of salvation in something that can be seen and experienced. The attitude is, “Because I can speak in tongues, I know that I am saved.” But because these are not real languages, they are not the New Testament gift of tongues but an emotional experience often manipulated through peer pressure. If you don’t believe me, I encourage you to watch the ending of this video of a Oneness Pentecostal VBS program. A similar manifestation of this desire for objective certainty in salvation is seen in the belief in baptismal regeneration: “Because I have been baptized, I know that I have been born again.” Another person might say, “Because I have prayed the sinner’s prayer, I know that I am saved” or “Because I have walked down the aisle during an altar call, I know that I am saved.” Their basis for assurance of salvation is in an experience rather than in what Christ has done.

For a short explanation of cessationism, I recommend the book To Be Continued? by Sam Waldron.

The Holy Spirit in Pastoral Ministry

The Holy Spirit is fully God as the third person of the Trinity (Acts 5:4).  The Spirit is not an impersonal force, but is as personal as the Father and the Son.  The Holy Spirit teaches Christ’s disciples, glorifies Christ, regenerates sinners to new life, intercedes on behalf of Christians in prayer, and inspired the authors of Scripture to write his God-breathed oracles (Rom 8:27).  The Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son to take out the heart of stone from dead sinners and give them new life through the preaching of the gospel.  He convicts sinners of their sins and gives new life through regeneration.  The Spirit makes Christ known through the gospel and seeks to glorify him.  The Spirit empowers believers to live the Christian life and gives gifts to believers so that they can serve God and each other (1 Cor 12:11).  The Spirit purifies Christians and progressively conforms them to the image of Christ in sanctification (2 Cor 3:18).  He unites believers together, guides them, gives assurance of salvation, and teaches them.  The Holy Spirit is the agent by which the Father and the Son carry out their work in the world.

Because only the Spirit can give new life, pastors must rely completely on the power of the Spirit to give life to the unregenerate sinners that they preach to.  The preacher can do nothing without the working of the Holy Spirit.  If the Spirit does not convict sinners and fall down upon the congregation when the Word is preached, then all is in vain.  The Christian leader must recognize his own helplessness to bring new life to those who are dead in their sins.  Only the Spirit can give new life as the gospel is preached.  Because of this, the pastor does not need to change the gospel to make it attractive to dead sinners.  The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18).  It is only when the Spirit takes away the veil that they can see (2 Cor 3:16).  The pastor must therefore pray that the Spirit would work to convict sinners when the Word is preached.  This cultivates humility, dependence, and boldness.  The pastor should ask God for confidence when preaching because God will honor the preaching of the Word and it will not return void without accomplishing God’s purposes (Isa 55:11).

Christian leaders can have confidence in prayer since the Spirit intercedes for them in their prayers.  Even if the pastor does not feel adequate to intercede for his congregation, the Spirit will equip him to pray if he comes to God in faith asking for God’s power and help in his ministry.  This is a great encouragement to pray and to have endurance in the face of trials.  When facing difficult decisions, the pastor knows that God has promised to be faithful to his people and will support them in the midst of their difficulties.  Christian leaders should therefore seek the power, conviction, boldness, and encouragement that only the Spirit of God can give through prayer.

Just as the Spirit seeks to give glory to Christ through making him known, the Christian leader should imitate the Spirit by seeking to glorify Christ in all that he does (John 16:14).  The pastor must seek first Christ’s glory in all things and find ways to make him known to those who have never heard.  The convicting work of the Holy Spirit should be a motivation to share the gospel with unbelievers because the pastor knows that the Holy Spirit will be with him as he shares the gospel.  He does not have to rely on his own wisdom or cleverness when presenting the message because it is only through the gospel that people are saved.  If the pastor preaches any other message beside that of Scripture, the Spirit will not work because it is only through the Word that the Spirit gives new life to sinners (1 Pet 1:23).  Because the Spirit has united all Christians together in one body, the Christian leader should strive for the unity of the church (Eph 4:4-5).  Each member has been given a gift from the Holy Spirit to serve the church (1 Cor 12:7).  The pastor therefore needs to exercise the gifts that he has been given to the fullest extent that he is able and encourage others to use their gifts.