Chapter 2: The Identity of the Holy Spirit

IN THIS LESSON, you will discover:

• The third Person of the Godhead.

• The nature of the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.

• The Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus.



AS A RESULT, you will be able to:

• Identify the attributes of the Holy Spirit.

• Understand the Holy Spirit as both personal and divine.

• Recognize the Spirit’s manifestation in the Old Testament.

• Grasp the Spirit’s crucial role in the ministry of Jesus.

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 137-48.

Key Scripture: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9).

Key Word: Paraclete.

We identified the Holy Spirit earlier as the energizer of sanctification. He is the heaven-sent advisor and enabler who empowers us for growth in Christian living. Knowledge of the Holy Spirit — who He is, what He does, and the nature of His gifts — is therefore essential if we are to be in step with God’s plan. This is true for us both as individuals and as members of the body of Christ. We will therefore devote the remainder of our study to learning about the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Our first topic will be the identity of the Holy Spirit.

First, we note that the Holy Spirit is a spirit. Ruach (Hebrew) and pneuma (Greek), translated “Spirit” or “spirit” in the Old and New Testaments, are fascinating words with a variety of meanings. The original meanings of both are “wind” or “breath,” phenomena that inspired deep awe in ancient times. Wind/breath was seen as a mysterious, immaterial power that moved about invisibly and freely. It animated living things and departed from them at death. The breath or spirit was the essence of life and the power behind all thought and movement. At times we see an interplay between the different meanings of wind/breath/spirit in Scripture (Ezek. 37:9-14; John 3:8; 20:22).

“Spirit” also had a more general meaning. Isaiah, for example, speaks of “spirits” of dizziness (19:14), justice (28:6), and despair (61:3). Finally, for both the Jew and the Greek, “spirit” came to represent the essence of the living personality, “the breath of the Almighty, that gives . . . understanding” (Job 32:8). As the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit reflects the infinite power and knowledge at the source of all existence. The Holy Spirit is the wellspring of life. He embodies and communicates the measureless, dynamic power (dynamis) of God.

Second, as the Holy Spirit He is utterly pure, expressing a “white heat of perfect righteousness” (RT, p. 138) that consumes any trace of sin or corruption. He is the “Spirit of glory” (1 Peter 4:14) who manifests the majesty of God’s moral perfection, the splendor of His power, and the intensity of His presence.

Third, as the Holy Spirit, He is singular and unique in His status and power. There are many human and non-human spirits, and though some are “holy,” there is but one Holy Spirit. All other holiness is derivative and imitative of the source of holiness Himself.

The Holy Spirit is called by different names in Scripture. He is called simply “the Spirit” (the expression most commonly used in the New Testament), “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of Christ,” and “the Spirit of your Father.” All these phrases describe the same reality, as our Key Scripture illustrates. The most common expression for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament is “the Spirit of the Lord.” Phrases such as “the Spirit,” “your Holy Spirit,” and “the Spirit of God” also appear. The variety of terminology in both Testaments indicates that the writers were encountering a living presence that they progressively understood to be not just the power of God, but God Himself (Acts 5:3-4).

Several titles appear in Scripture that provide us with insight into the nature of the Holy Spirit. He is called the “Spirit of truth” and the Paraclete — the divine comforter, counselor, and advocate. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to spiritual reality and communicates the wisdom and direction of God to our minds and hearts. He is called the “Spirit of holiness.” He is not just holy in Himself; He also makes holy those in whom He dwells. He is called the “Spirit of life.” Not only was the Holy Spirit the author of life in Genesis, but He is also the source of our new life in regeneration and of our ongoing spiritual life. The Holy “Ghost” is not a wistful, “ghostly” phenomenon. He is brimming with vitality and potentiality — positively boiling with life!

The Holy Spirit is also called the “Spirit of grace,” for He channels God’s grace to us. Also, He Himself is graceful as He operates within our minds and hearts, prodding us toward growth and wooing us toward God. For this reason the Holy Spirit has been characterized as a “gentleman.” Another title for the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of adoption,” for “by him we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). The Holy Spirit is also called the “Spirit of glory,” for where God is present there is glory. God’s glory filled the temple in an overpowering way in Exodus 40:35 and that same glory can be ours as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Finally, the Holy Spirit, as divine, is the “eternal Spirit” without beginning or end.

Scriptural symbols representing the Holy Spirit describe His nature and effect on believers. We have seen how the likeness of wind is used to suggest the invisible but powerful influence of the Holy Spirit. Comparisons to fire highlight the capacity of the Holy Spirit to purge our nature through His presence. The image of flowing (or “living”) water was especially powerful to a desert people that depended on fresh water for their existence. Jesus’ comparison of the Holy Spirit to “streams of living water,” which well up from the core of one’s being, reveal the Holy Spirit as an endless source of inner vitality and refreshment (John 7:37-39).

The image of the dove expresses not only the mobility of the Spirit but also His innocence, purity, and gentleness. The insignia or seal was a mark of identification in the ancient world. The presence of the Spirit in the believer is the Father’s seal designating His ownership and protection. It is also a down payment or guarantee foreshadowing the greater spiritual riches that the Father plans to bestow upon us.

In the Near Eastern world anointing with oil represented a conferring of authority. Priests and kings were anointed in Israel as a sign that God’s power and favor rested upon them. Mashiah (Messiah) and christos (Christ) are Hebrew and Greek words meaning “anointed one.” What the ritual of anointing with oil conveyed symbolically, the reception of the Holy Spirit fulfills. For us, as for Jesus, the anointing of the Spirit is a divine empowerment that brings about spiritual maturity, effective ministry, and true knowledge of God.

Further Study: Read “Holy Spirit,” pp. 446-48; and “Spirit,” pp. 960-61 in the NIDB; review the scriptures under “Spirit,” NIVTSB, p. 160.

Life Application: As you read about the attributes of the Holy Spirit, did they describe someone who is familiar to you? Do you know the Holy Spirit as your strengthener and encourager? As an intercessor who helps you pray? As a divine guide and teacher? As a giver of spiritual gifts for ministry? As a source of power to overcome sin? Then use this course not just as a tool for intellectual enrichment, but for self-searching and spiritual renewal. As you yield yourself to God, ask to be touched by the aspect of the Spirit that you need most.

Key Concepts:

1. “Spirit” conveys the note of (corporeality, incorporeality). [137]

2. The Spirit brings the _______________, or ____________ of God. [138]

3. The Holy Spirit (is, is not) identical with the Spirit of Christ. [139]

4. The Spirit of _________________ allows us to call God Abba, or “daddy.” [143]

5. To be God’s temple filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with the ____________ of God. [143]

6. ______________ and ______________ may be translated “_______,” “breath,” or “spirit.” [144]

7. The Spirit is represented as _________ because He consumes evil. [145]

8. The Holy Spirit that wells up in the believer may be compared to flowing _____________. [145]

9. The symbol of the ____________ represents the gentleness, innocence, and purity of the Spirit. [146]

10. The Holy Spirit as a ___________ designates both God’s ownership and His protection. [147]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 148-54.

Key Scripture: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Ps. 139:7).

Key Words: Procession, Hypostasis.

Acts 19:2 records Paul’s question to some Ephesian disciples: “ ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ ” Practically speaking, many Christians are in the same situation today. They know that the Holy Spirit is, but they are not quite sure who He is. This lesson will provide a general overview of who the Holy Spirit is in preparation for a deeper study of His nature and ministry.

Dr. Williams writes: “The Holy Spirit is not some reality less than God or other than God: He is God” (RT, p. 148). This is not only a creedal truth, but also a truth of experience. Revelation about the personhood and divinity of the Holy Spirit emerged only gradually as the collective experiences of the authors of Scripture were recorded. Old Testament references to “the Spirit of the Lord” and “the Spirit of God” left open the possibility that the Spirit was a messenger, an angel, or an impersonal extension of God’s power. When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the New Testament church, however, it was recognized as nothing less than an encounter with God. The New Testament prophet Agabus prefaced his pronouncements with the phrase “The Holy Spirit says” — a clear parallel to the Old Testament expression “Thus saith the Lord” (Acts 21:11). Here and elsewhere in Acts and in the Epistles the Holy Spirit is identified as God.

Jesus taught His followers about the nature of the presence that worked through Him and would empower them after His resurrection. His solemn warning, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matt. 12:31), indicates the high status of the Holy Spirit. Against whom but God can unforgivable blasphemy be committed?

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is uniquely disastrous because it is He that enlivens and instructs the human conscience. The Spirit of truth enlightens us, enables us to recognize truth, and challenges us to respond to truth. Only in cooperation with the Spirit is repentance possible. To deny the Spirit is to shut off all access to truth and to God. It is to become like a hungry man paralyzed by his stubbornness. Rather than admit his need and accept the gift of bread, he chooses to deny the reality of hunger — or even that bread exists! This is the position in which the Pharisees found themselves when faced with Jesus’ claims of divine authority and His call to repentance.

The divinity of the Holy Spirit also may be seen from His presentation in Scripture as having the attributes of God and doing the works of God. The three divine perfections of omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence are His. He is the active power in creation, providence, the Incarnation, regeneration, and sanctification. Whenever and wherever we encounter God in action, we encounter the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit must not be thought of as an impersonal divine influence. Though the Greek phrase for “the Spirit” is neutral in gender, masculine pronouns are used to describe the Spirit throughout the New Testament. More important, the experiences of those who encounter the Holy Spirit indicate that He is a person. The actions taken by the Spirit show Him to be intelligent and purposeful. He guides, He plans and commands, He judges, He intercedes, He forbids, He wills, He testifies, He can be grieved, and He enjoys fellowship.

Once we understand that the Holy Spirit is personal and divine, the question arises: In what sense is He to be distinguished from the Father and Son? If He is considered a different person than they, does this mean there are three “Gods?” Of course, the answer is no. The Old Testament, the New Testament, and the historic church testify with a single voice that there is but one God. The doctrine of the Trinity, like our understanding of the Holy Spirit, evolved out of the experience and inspired teaching of the New Testament writers and the early church Fathers. They recognized that the divinity of Christ and of the Spirit must be incorporated within the unity of the one God (Deut. 6:4).

The Trinity — or “tri-unity” — is an eternal dynamic movement within the divine Being. It does not suggest change or development within God. It belongs to the very nature of God and reflects the profound truth that earthly personhood and community have their counterparts in divine reality. The Incarnation of the Son and the “sending” of the Spirit were manifestations of the Son and Spirit on the plane of history. But there was never a moment when the Father did not beget the Son, or when the Holy Spirit did not emanate from the Father — a relationship known as procession (John 15:26).

Within the eternal dynamic reality of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Spirit share one divine essence, yet are distinct. The church Fathers used a Greek philosophical term to describe the “both/and” quality of this interrelationship. Each member of the Trinity was referred to as a hypostasis, literally a “standing under.” The eternal persons of the Trinity exist mutually within, or “under” the unity of the one divine essence or being. They are one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (A fuller discussion of the Trinity may be found in Renewal Theology 1, pages 83-94.)

The mystery of the Trinity can be contemplated, but never fully understood. However, it can be experienced. In opening ourselves to the person and power of the Holy Spirit, we receive a clearer revelational knowledge of the Father and the Son. As we allow the Spirit to search our spirits, He reveals to us the deep things of God that can only be spiritually discerned. God becomes a personal reality to us, providing a foretaste of the day we shall see Him “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12).

Further Study: Review the scriptures under “Holy Spirit, A. Related theme; B. The Spirit’s divine nature; and C. The Spirit as a person,” NIVTSB, p. 74.

Life Application: Is God real to you? Do you sense that He cares about your pains, your hopes, and your fears? Do you experience Him as a wise king and as a friend in time of trouble? Or do you feel He is an indifferent potentate who is impersonal, remote, and uncaring? The Holy Spirit can help you to know God more intimately. Pray that God would make Himself real to you as the promised Comforter.

Key Concepts:

The three perfections or “omni” qualities that the Holy Spirit shares with the Father and the Son are: [149]

1. ___________________.

2. ___________________.

3. ___________________.

4. The Holy Spirit has such personal characteristics as intelligence, will, and ___________________. [151-52]

5. There is distinction, but no _____________________, between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [152]

6. True or False. The Holy Spirit is sent “by the Father through the Son.” [153]

7. The theological term that describes the eternal relationship between the Father and the Holy Spirit is _______________________. [153]

8. The dynamic movement within the Trinity occurs by (the Father’s will, nature). [153]

9. True or False. As the “Third Person” of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son. [154]

10. The (“procession,” “sending”) of the Holy Spirit takes place in time. [154n.]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 155-67.

Key Scripture: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zech. 4:6).

We now consider the Holy Spirit’s role in forming and preserving God’s covenant community, Israel. The activity and expression of the Holy Spirit differ significantly between the Old and New Testaments. In general, the Spirit’s manifestations in the Old Testament were transitory. He would “fill,” “come upon,” “clothe himself with,” or “possess” chosen individuals temporarily to accomplish a particular mission or purpose. These tasks most typically involved leadership (Moses and the elders, Joshua); judgment (Othniel, Gideon, Samson); kingship (Saul, David); and prophecy (Moses, Samuel, Balaam, and others).

Special empowerment was bestowed upon those chosen by the Spirit according to the nature of their ordained task. Bezalel was given supernatural artistic skill to craft God’s tabernacle according to divine instruction. Samson received supernatural strength to overcome the Philistines. Zerubbabel received the aid of the Spirit in successfully rebuilding the temple (see Key Scripture). The Holy Spirit even acted as a divine transportation system, shuttling Elijah and Ezekiel through space to wherever God needed them.

As we shall see, the Spirit’s pattern of taking temporary and occasional possession of individuals changes in the New Testament. Key prophecies in the Old Testament pointed to a time when the Spirit would become not merely a temporary outer manifestation given only to a few, but an abiding inner reality available to all.

The Holy Spirit’s appearance to individuals in Old Testament times was not for personal sanctification or salvation. His main purpose was to prepare a people of faith to be His covenant community, one through which God’s kingdom could be manifested. Through the “Anointed One” — the Messiah or Christ — God acted decisively to bring this to pass.

The prophets specified that the Messiah would sit on the throne of His father David. Among all the Old Testament personages, the Spirit chose to reside permanently with David alone. His messianic offspring was to be like Him in this regard. But the Spirit was not only to rest upon the Messiah continuously; He was also to manifest wisdom, righteousness, and power through Him in an unprecedented way. After the Holy Spirit descended and remained upon Jesus at His baptism, Jesus publicly ascribed the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Anointed One to Himself (Luke 4:14-21; cf. Isa. 61:1-3). God’s kingdom had arrived in the form of Jesus’ Spirit-inspired words and deeds.

As the New Testament opens, we see the Holy Spirit at work in much the same manner as in the Old Testament. He touches various individuals and enables them to prepare for the advent of the Messiah. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, was filled with the Holy Spirit, even in His mother’s womb. The Holy Spirit anointed Him with the “spirit and power” of Elijah (Luke 1:17) so that he could prepare the way for the coming Messiah, as Malachi had prophesied at the close of the Old Testament (3:1). Because the Spirit rested on John even before birth, His anointing surpassed that of previous Old Testament prophets. Yet Jesus said that John was inferior to the “least in the kingdom of heaven” for whom the Holy Spirit would bring power as well as salvation and sanctification (Matt. 11:11)!

The Holy Spirit’s procreative act — overshadowing Mary “so the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35) — parallels His creative work in Genesis. When Elizabeth, pregnant six months with John, was visited by Mary, her baby leapt within her for joy, igniting a flame of praise in the hearts of both mothers. Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit and prophesied concerning the blessed character of Mary and her unborn son. Mary extolled God in the beautiful words of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Because of the bond between Jesus and John created by the Holy Spirit, we can understand how John intuitively recognized Jesus years later as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Zechariah was struck speechless for disbelieving the angel who announced that Elizabeth, though barren, would bear a son. When his voice returned, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied concerning John and Jesus. Simeon had received the promise that he would not die until he had seen “the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). He was directed by the Holy Spirit to the temple court and to the baby Jesus on the day of Jesus’ circumcision. Filled with the Spirit, he prophesied that the child would be a channel of universal salvation.

Zachariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon and John were the last upon whom the Holy Spirit moved in the manner of the Old Testament prophets. They were righteous men and women whose faith, expectancy, and obedience made them fit vessels for the Spirit. They experienced joy and blessing as the Spirit used them to usher in a new era of salvation. Mary was even allowed to “cross over” into the promised land — the kingdom of God made present in the person of her divine son. Though a sword of grief was to pierce her heart, her sorrow turned to joy. She was among those who witnessed the birth of a new age (Acts 1:8, 14; 2:1-4) — one in which the Spirit is being poured out “as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

Further Study: Review the scriptures under “Holy Spirit, D.1. The Spirit’s work in the Old Testament,” NIVTSB, p. 74.

Life Application: The Holy Spirit’s anointing lifted from Israel’s prophets, priests, judges, and kings when they proved faithless to Him (Isa. 63:10). Is there some area of your life that you feel is devoid of God’s blessing because of your lack of obedience? What changes does God want you to make? Let your prayer be: “Make me love thee as I ought to love.”

Key Concepts:

1. Those energized with the Spirit to rule Israel after entering Canaan were called ________________. [156]

2. The prophet Samuel anointed ______________ as king of Israel, after which the Spirit of the Lord came to rest upon him permanently. [157]

3. When the Spirit fell upon (Eldad, Balaam), he prophesied concerning Israel, even though he was a non-Israelite. [158]

4. A primary mission of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was (empowerment, redemption) of the community of faith. [161]

5. The Messiah was called the “____________________ One” because the Holy Spirit was to rest upon Him permanently and powerfully. [161]

6. _________________________________ was filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. [163]

7. True or False. Joseph, husband of Mary, was the human father of Jesus. [163]

8. When ___________________________ was visited by Mary, John leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Spirit and prophesied. [164]

9. The Holy Spirit revealed to (Zechariah, Simeon) that he would see the Lord’s Christ before his death. [165]

10. The context for the activity of the Holy Spirit is faith, expectancy, and ______________________. [166]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 167-79.

Key Scripture: “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (John 3:34).

Key Words: Adoptionism, Dynamis.

It is important to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life and ministry for two reasons. First, we must learn step-by-step how God overcame the separation caused by sin to draw us more fully to Himself. At Jesus’ baptism heaven was “torn open” (Mark 1:10), and God the Spirit descended upon Jesus in His fullness. In the past the Spirit had dwelt with humanity only briefly through anointed prophets or locally in the tabernacle and temple. In Jesus the heavenly Spirit was fully present, though still localized.

At Jesus’ death another “tearing” occurred as the veil between the Holy of Holies and the outside world was “torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). The Spirit’s presence was limited and localized no longer. Through the incarnation, atonement, and glorification of Jesus, God demolished the partition caused by sin. He freed His Spirit to be shed abroad in its fullness and to dwell within believing hearts forever.

The second reason that we need to understand the Holy Spirit’s role in Jesus’ life is that Jesus is the practical model for every Christian. One might object that imitating Jesus is an impossible ideal. This is true in a sense. As God the Son, Jesus was something we can never be. Yet it is also true that Jesus lived His life as a human being. The works He did He performed as a Spirit-endowed man. As you study the role of the Spirit in Jesus’ life, pay close attention to the ways that the Spirit met Jesus’ needs and equipped Him to meet the needs of others. We need — and can receive — the Holy Spirit for the same reasons today. Indeed, if Jesus Himself needed the Holy Spirit’s power, how much more do we?

The first notable operation of the Spirit in Jesus’ life was His physical conception through the virgin Mary. The second occurred approximately thirty years later, following His baptism by John. All four Gospels record that immediately after this baptism the Spirit descended upon Jesus, and the Father verbally affirmed His Sonship. Jesus did not “become” the Son of God at His baptism as the theory of Adoptionism holds. (Review this heresy discussed in Renewal Theology 1, page 313nn. 43 and 46.) From the perspective of His humanity, however, He did become the Spirit-anointed Messiah, or Christ, indwelt permanently by the fullness of the Spirit (see Key Scripture). The image of the Holy Spirit descending from the Father to the Son in the form of a dove is often reproduced in religious art. There is a good theological reason for this, for in that image we momentarily glimpse the triune Godhead in dynamic personal interaction.

A quick review of the Gospels shows us that our characterization of Jesus as a Spirit-anointed man is an accurate one. After being anointed by the Spirit, He was led by the Spirit and filled and empowered by the Spirit for ministry. He spoke with authority and wisdom derived from the Spirit. Indeed, His very words were spirit and life (John 6:63). He healed the sick and performed other miracles through the power (dynamis) of the Spirit. Through His message and works the kingdom of God — His “royal rule” — was made manifest. By bringing in God’s kingdom through the power of the Spirit, Jesus deposed Satan and broke his grip on suffering, sinful humanity. When Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven in a vision, He realized the full implications of the cosmic warfare the Father was waging through Him. And Jesus exulted, “full of joy through the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21).

Jesus taught His disciples much about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwelt “with” them in Jesus, but would dwell “in” them after His ascension (John 14:17). This second Paraclete (Jesus was the first) would empower the disciples as Jesus had been empowered at the beginning of His ministry. It was to their advantage that Jesus leave them physically, so that He might return to them spiritually in and through the Spirit.

Why did Jesus’ death and glorification have to precede the coming of the Spirit? It is difficult to answer this question fully. Certainly the Holy Spirit was present and active before Jesus’ advent. Yet for some profound reason there could be no Pentecost without Calvary. Part of the reason for this is undoubtedly expressed in the spiritual principle: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). Through Jesus’ selfless love and through our imitation of that love, we discover the key to spiritual reality and power.

Also, from the perspective of God’s plan of salvation, Jesus became eligible to baptize in the Holy Spirit through His obedient self-sacrifice in the Atonement. Jesus’ heavenly victory opened a way for the Spirit to be present as never before. Those who know Jesus can now experience God’s Spirit directly through Him. The enigmatic analogy of the brass serpent found in John 3:14 communicates something of this mystery.

Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit reveals patterns of application that are still relevant for us today. First, He was born of the Spirit. In our case, this occurs in regeneration. Second, repentance precedes the reception of the Spirit. Jesus’ baptism in the Spirit occurred after He vicariously identified Himself with sinful humanity through John’s baptism of repentance. Finally, Luke records that Jesus received the Spirit as He was praying. There was nothing automatic about receiving the Spirit for Jesus. And it is the same for us. Jesus encouraged all who follow Him to “seek” and “find” the gift of the Spirit (Luke 11:9-10), so that we too may receive the promise of the Father (24:49).

Further Study: Review the scriptures under “Holy Spirit, D.2. The Spirit’s work in the life of Jesus Christ,” NIVTSB, p. 75; read “Bronze Snake,” NIDB, p. 175.

Life Application: Read the illustration given in Luke 11:5-13 carefully and prayerfully. Note especially that the man in the parable is asked to give bread for a friend of a friend (vv. 5-6). Think of someone needy. Pray for their need as well as for the divine empowerment necessary to minister to them. As you open your heart to the needs of others, your quest for the Spirit will take on an urgency that is pleasing to God.

Key Concepts:

1. True or False. The Holy Spirit was given to Christ without limit. [167]

2. Jesus became the ___________________ One after being baptized in the Spirit. [167]

3. The heresy that Jesus became the Son of God after being baptized is called ________________________. [168]

4. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism in the form of a __________. [168]

5. At Jesus’ baptism the ____________ is seen in personal interaction. [168]

6. Jesus was anointed with power for the work of (repentance, ministry). [169]

7. Jesus performed His miracles and ministry as a Spirit-anointed ______. [170]

8. In a vision Jesus saw ______________ fall from heaven as God’s kingdom was enlarged through His ministry. [172]

9. Jesus’ final words to His disciples were to wait for the “_____________ of the Father” — the baptism in the Holy Spirit. [177]

10. The Spirit would bring the _____________ or power needed to witness to the world. [179]