Chapter 3: The Coming of the Holy Spirit

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will discover:

• The background for the Spirit’s coming.

• Descriptions of the Spirit’s coming.

• The sign of speaking in tongues.

• The importance of speaking in tongues.



AS A RESULT, you will be able to:

• View the Spirit’s coming as part of God’s plan.

• Learn how the Spirit manifests Himself.

• Understand the nature of speaking in tongues.
• Experience the benefits of speaking in tongues.

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 181-90; 205-7.

Key Scripture: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Key Words: Narrative Literature, Didactic Literature.

History has been defined as a continuous movement toward the kingdom of God. Christ’s incarnation and glorification were critical crossroads in this journey. In taking His acquired humanity into the Godhead, Christ glorified and perfected human nature in some mysterious way. This heavenly conjunction of humanity and divinity had earthly repercussions. The coming of the Holy Spirit is both a result of and a parallel to Christ’s glorification. In Christ’s glorification human nature was bathed in glory from without. In the coming of the Spirit, God’s life surged up from within the believer’s spirit, sanctifying and transforming it. The coming of the Spirit was a momentous turning point in God’s reclamation of this fallen world. It was a crucial step toward the final and complete establishment of the kingdom of God, in which God Himself will finally be “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28).

The book of Acts is our primary biblical source for understanding the gift of the Spirit. Acts is narrative literature; that is, it contains eyewitness descriptions of the Spirit’s coming. For this reason Acts has priority over interpretive, or didactic literature (e.g., the Epistles) in our study. We will focus especially on several key passages in Acts — 8:4-17; 9:1-19; 10:1-48, 11:1-18; and 19:1-7. To understand what it means to receive the gift of the Spirit, we will repeatedly return to these passages.

Three important truths act as the framework or setting for our study of the coming of the Spirit. First, the Spirit comes as a result of the promise of God the Father. After preaching on the day of Pentecost, Peter and the disciples were asked by the crowd: “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). His reply is given in the Key Scripture above. Note carefully what Peter has to say in the scripture following: “The promise [of the gift of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call” (v. 39). The promise of the Spirit is a continuing promise. Acts is largely a record of how God kept this promise as the disciples were scattered and preached the gospel throughout the world.

Second, the exaltation of Jesus made possible the giving of the promised Spirit. We have discussed this point already, but are far from exhausting its full significance. Let us emphasize here that the Holy Spirit is sent exclusively through the Son. Though the Holy Spirit ultimately comes from the Father, the exalted Jesus is the essential and indispensable channel through which He is received. Only as we exalt Jesus in our hearts and lives can we hope to know the presence of the Comforter promised of the Father.

Third, salvation and forgiveness of sins are prerequisites for receiving the Spirit. As we look at the events accompanying the reception of the Spirit in Acts, we find that redeeming faith in Christ invariably sets the stage. The Spirit is given to those who believe in Jesus — to “all whom the Lord our God will call” through Him (Acts 2:39).

It is important to realize that the coming of the Holy Spirit is not the coming of salvation. His coming presupposes salvation. True, the Holy Spirit is active in leading us to salvation. He is the Spirit of truth who allows us to recognize Jesus as Lord, who convicts us of sin, and who grants us grace to believe and be saved. He is also active as the agent of sanctification in all who are saved. But when the New Testament speaks of the “coming” or “gift” of the Holy Spirit, it refers to a phenomenon above and beyond salvation or sanctification. As we investigate the biblical language used to describe the Spirit’s coming in the next lesson, we will see more clearly what the gift of the Spirit means.

Further Study: Read the key passages in Acts given above; also review the scriptures under “Holy Spirit, D.3. The Spirit’s work in the church,” NIVTSB, p. 75.

Life Application: If you could add some dimension or quality to your present spiritual experience, what would it be? If you are a believer, you are a candidate for receiving that “something more” through the gift of the Spirit.

Key Concepts:

1. The proper human response to the gracious gift of the Spirit is grateful _____________________. [181]

2. _______________________ biblical literature has priority over didactic literature in understanding the coming of the Spirit. [182n.]

3. Jesus and Peter referred to the Spirit as the “_______________ of the Father.” [183]

4. It is clear from Acts 2:38-39 that the promise of the Spirit is a (fulfilled, continuing) promise. [184]

5. John wrote that the Spirit could not be given until Jesus had been _______________. [185]

6. Though the Son is intimately involved in the sending of the Spirit, the __________________ ultimately gives the Holy Spirit. [185]

7. True or False. It is not necessary to experience salvation before receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. [186]

8. The promise of the Father and the exaltation of Christ were totally objective; salvation, however, is deeply ________________________. [188-89]

9. The book of Acts has (much, little) to say about the activity of the Holy Spirit in the occurrence of salvation. [206]

10. In the church there has traditionally been a functional ______________ __________________ of the Holy Spirit to Christ. [206-7]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 190-205.

Key Scripture: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message” (Acts 10:44).

When we speak of God’s omnipresence, we mean that He is present everywhere. However, God’s omnipresence is not the same as His dynamic presence. When the Spirit came at Pentecost, He made Himself felt “like the blowing of a violent wind” and appeared as “tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:2-3).

Scripture variously speaks of the dynamic manifestation of God’s presence as an invasion from without (the Spirit “poured out on,” “falling on,” “coming on”); an immersion (“baptism”); and a penetration or permeation (“being filled with”). It is not surprising that God’s Spirit comes to us both from without and from within, for the “where” of God encompasses both realms equally (Ps. 139:8). Indeed, “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God’s Spirit is transcendent, existing above and beyond the physical universe. Yet He is also immanent, closer to us than we are to ourselves. He is as present in the infinite depths of the heart as He is in the infinite immensity of space. Thus the presence of the Spirit acts not only to join us to the reality of God, but also to reality as a whole. His coming is always attended by a power and a glory that transforms, energizes, and gladdens. For God is infinite love, infinite being, infinite vitality.

Let’s look more closely at the terms used by Luke to describe the Spirit’s coming in Acts. The term “outpouring” was used by Peter in his preaching at Pentecost because it linked his message with the most significant Old Testament prophecies concerning the Spirit’s coming — Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 39:29, and especially Joel 2:28-32. We also read of the “outpouring” of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles in Acts 10. This was a momentous event in the history of the church. Were it not for the decisive and undeniable move of the Spirit upon Cornelius and his household, Christianity would have remained a Jewish cult. In one moment, centuries of prejudice and hatred were swept away by the divine breath of the Spirit, and the church was made a universal phenomenon.

The Jerusalem disciples were amazed to learn that “God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). Note Peter’s mention of “six brothers” (v. 12) who also witnessed the events at Cornelius’ home. All seven men testified that the Gentiles at Caesarea had received “the same gift” that the disciples had received at Pentecost in Jerusalem (v. 17). There could be no mistake; the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel concerning the pouring out of the Spirit on the house of Israel must now be understood to encompass all believers. Cornelius’ reception of the Holy Spirit amply shows the generosity of God implied by the term “outpouring.” It was a bounteous outpouring in that God gave the gift of the Spirit “without measure.” And it was a generous outpouring in that He gave the Spirit freely to “whosoever will.”

Another term used for the coming of the Holy Spirit is “falling on.” This term suggests both the forcefulness and the solemnness of God’s presence. Recall that the Hebrew word for “glory” literally means “heaviness.” Holiness is nothing to be trifled with. Latent within it are the power of life and death. Yet through the Holy Spirit, glory is communicated as grace. C. S. Lewis once stated: “Glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, p. 15). In the coming of the Spirit, God’s glory is both revealed and graciously shared. In this communion we receive the fulfillment of our heart’s desire.

“Coming on” is the most commonly used term in the New Testament. It suggests being “clothed,” “possessed,” or “occupied” by the Spirit. The Spirit was at work in the lives of the disciples prior to Pentecost. But at Pentecost the Spirit took control and laid claim to their lives in a new and powerful way. We, too, must realize that it is not enough to have the Spirit; the Spirit must have us.

The reception of the Holy Spirit is also referred to as the “baptism” in the Spirit. From His own baptism (John 1:33) to His ascension (Acts 1:5), Jesus is identified as the one who baptizes in the Spirit. In such a baptism, one is immersed in the Spirit, saturated with Spirit, submerged beneath the surface of the great sea of God. No part of one’s being remains untouched or unchanged in such a baptism.

The final term to note is “filling.” In Charles Finney’s moving account of His Spirit baptism, He says, “I recollect I cried out, ‘I shall die if these waves [of love] continue to pass over me’. . . yet I had no fear of death” (RT, p. 200n. 78). When we are filled with the Spirit, we reach the felt limits of our capacity to contain joy. We are swept away and buoyed up beyond earthly fear and delight by the power and presence of God.

Luke recorded that Peter, Paul, and the disciples were “filled” with the Spirit more than once (Acts 4:8; 13:9; 13:52). Being filled with the Spirit thus seems to refer to a unique event and also to a state or condition that can be repeated or maintained. In terms of Christian living, we should expect to experience one baptism in the Spirit but many fillings with the Spirit. Paul commanded us in Ephesians 5:18 to “be filled with the Spirit”; that is, to “keep on being filled” (RT, p. 202n. 86).

Further Study: Read “Gentiles,” pp. 382-83 and “Samaritans,” pp. 888-90 in the NIDB.

Life Application: One hundred twenty persons were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. William Barclay notes that since there were four million Jews in Palestine, fewer than one in thirty thousand were then Christians. Despite such odds, this tiny band was directed by God to evangelize the known world. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they succeeded. We have the same mandate today. Although a higher percentage of Christians may be found in our nation, we too need to be filled with the Spirit to bear fruit in witnessing.

Key Concepts:

1. About (500, 120) believers experienced the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. [191]

2. At the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the ________________. [191]

3. Peter identified the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost with that prophesied by the prophet ___________. [193]

4. True or False. There were several outpourings of the Spirit prior to Pentecost. [193]

5. The three major movements of the Holy Spirit in the twentieth century are the classical ___________________ (1901), neo-Pentecostal/charismatic (1950s), and the Catholic charismatic (1967). [194]

6. Philip preached the gospel to the hated ___________________, who were likewise baptized in the Holy Spirit. [195]

7. The primary biblical term for the coming of the Holy Spirit is “________________.” [196]

8. The agent or baptizer in Spirit baptism is _____________. [199]

9. The word “baptize” means to ______________. [199]

10. We may experience (one, many) filling(s) of the Spirit. [202]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 209-25.

Key Scripture: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4).

Key Words: Glossolalia, Suprarational, Xenoglossolalia.

In studying the coming of the Spirit in Acts, we are inevitably brought face to face with the phenomenon of speaking in tongues, or glossolalia. The presence of the Spirit at Pentecost was signaled by the appearance of “tongues of fire that separated and came to rest” on the disciples, causing them to “speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (2:3-4). In three of the five incidents of Spirit baptism recorded in Acts, glossolalia is the definitive sign of the presence of the Spirit (2:4-13; 10:45-46; 19:6). In the two remaining incidents, the manifestation of tongues is strongly suggested (8:17-19; 9:17-18; cf. 1 Cor. 14:18).

Luke, the author of Acts, is highly respected for his historical accuracy. Throughout Acts he appears to identify speaking in tongues as the distinguishing mark of the Spirit’s outpouring. This also seems to be the view of Peter. Though “astonished,” Peter and his companions were forced to conclude that the Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit because “they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (10:45-46). Speaking in tongues has also accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the twentieth-century renewal movement (see RT, p. 212n. 14). In this lesson and the next we will study the nature and meaning of this primary sign of the gift of the Spirit.

We can begin learning about the genuine nature of tongues by examining three common misconceptions about biblical glossolalia.

Glossolalia is a hysterical utterance caused by emotional excess and loss of self-control.

Anthropologists have noted glossolalia-like exhibitions during primitive rituals designed to produce frenzied, ecstatic psychological states. But aside from aberrations practiced by some extremist groups, the experience of Christians who speak in tongues is of quite a different order. The saying “the Holy Spirit is a gentleman” proves true in regard to the sign of speaking in tongues. For the Spirit-baptized person, speaking in tongues involves no divine seizure during which the speaker is forcibly possessed by the Spirit and loses self-control. The individual remains volitionally in control at all times. In fact, an individual must will to speak and then actually do so for glossolalia to occur. In glossolalia the person does the speaking; the Spirit’s role is to supply the syllabic content that is spoken or sung.

Another evidence that biblical glossolalia is not an expression of emotional delirium is the fact that glossolalia has intelligible content. This is clear from the experience of the crowd at Pentecost: “Each one heard them speaking in his own language…we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:6, 11). When we compare the intelligibility of tongues mentioned here with the intelligibility of tongues evident when the gift of interpretation is in operation (1 Cor. 14:1-17), it is clear that intelligible meaning is always implied when tongues are spoken. Thus speaking in tongues, if considered an “ecstatic” phenomenon, must be considered ecstatic in a suprarational rather than an irrational sense. Though their content is unintelligible to the ordinary understanding, tongues are intelligible and meaningful on a level above that of mere human rationality.

The tongues spoken at Pentecost were foreign languages; afterwards tongues were ecstatic spiritual utterance.

Based on the account in Acts 2:1-12, some theologians hold that the gift of tongues given at Pentecost was xenoglossolalia — the supernatural ability to speak earthly foreign languages. These would be the “other tongues” mentioned in 2:4. However, this position introduces an inconsistency into our understanding of the nature of biblical glossolalia. Furthermore, such a theory is unnecessary to explain the reaction of the crowd at Pentecost.

According to the phrasing of 2:6 and 11, all the foreigners “heard” the disciples speaking in their own languages. It appears that God supernaturally enabled them to hear the meaning of the disciples’ spiritual utterance in their own language. Thus Pentecost involved a miracle of hearing as well as of speaking. This is very similar to the operation of the gift of interpretation described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 14.

All tongues speaking is xenoglossolalia.

This theory is popular among those who insist that the gifts of the Spirit were meant only as missionary aids to help the disciples spread the gospel in the first century. After that period the gifts supposedly became unneeded and were withdrawn by God. Upon examination, the theory that all tongues were xenoglossolalia is clearly inconsistent with Scripture. Why would new Christians at Caesarea and Ephesus speak in foreign tongues when they shared the same language? Paul explicitly says that apart from the gift of interpretation, glossolalia is speech directed to God, not man (1 Cor. 14:2-3).

According to Mark 16:17-18, speaking in tongues is a new sign appropriate to the new epoch of the Spirit. Speaking in tongues does not constitute the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is, rather, a gift of the Spirit — one that stands as initial evidence of the Spirit’s dynamic presence. While the gifts of the Spirit are not to be confused with the gift of the Spirit, they naturally accompany the Spirit. As surely as the Spirit Himself is meant to be a continuing reality, spiritual gifts continue to testify to His presence and power.

Further Study: Read “Tongues, Gift of,” NIDB, pp. 1023-24; also “II. Pentecost and the Preaching (2:1-47),” IBC, pp. 1273-75.

Key Concepts:

1. In Acts ______________ the magician offered Peter a bribe for the ability to lay hands on others and apparently cause them to speak in tongues. [211]

2. Tongues may be called the primary or ______________ evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. [212]

3. _____________________ was the first person in modern times known to speak in tongues as the result of seeking baptism in the Spirit. [212n.]

4. The technical term for speaking in tongues is ______________________. [213]

5. True or False. In tongues, the Holy Spirit does the speaking. [213]

6. If we speak of tongues as ecstatic language, we must understand it as (irrational, suprarational) ecstasy. [214-15]

7. The miracle at Pentecost, when “each one heard them speaking in his own language,” was primarily a miracle of __________________ rather than speaking. [215]

8. When one speaks in tongues, the Holy Spirit (controls, provides) the language. [221]

9. The phenomenon of the interpretation of tongues shows that tongues have (unintelligible, intelligible) content. [221]

10. Speaking in tongues is a new and peculiar __________ of a new and mighty act of God — the gift of the Spirit. [223]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 225-36.

Key Scripture: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Rom. 8:26).

Key Words: Jubilation, Supplication.

The topic of speaking in tongues evokes powerful emotions in many Christians. For some, speaking in tongues makes possible a new intimacy of communion with God. Others unfairly make it a theological test of the authenticity of one’s salvation. Many are curious, but frightened to “let go” and let an unknown power govern their speech. A few simply find it a curious theological footnote without contemporary relevance. What are tongues? Why are they important? And what should be our attitude toward them today?

What are Tongues?

Tongues are best thought of as spiritual utterance. Yet no coercion is involved in speaking in tongues. The speaker simply speaks forth, allowing the Holy Spirit to articulate the sounds that flow from him. The result is a melodious profusion of vowels and syllables that may or may not resemble an earthly language. Although the syntactic structure of glossolalia may not be recognizable, Scripture tells us that spiritual utterance has definite intelligible content. It is, after all, a prayer language. Indeed, it is the expression of the most powerful intelligence in existence — God — working in concert with our own spirits on the deepest level (see the Key Scripture).

Scripture reveals that the intelligible content of spiritual utterance falls into three main categories:

Praise. The thoughts and emotions of those filled with the Holy Spirit naturally overflow into transcendent praise. Such praise can only be expressed adequately in the self-transcending language of other tongues. Thomas Aquinas, a medieval theologian, described jubilation as the wordless outcry of unspeakable joy that occurs when one worships from the depth of his spirit. The fact that we use words such as “Hallelujah!” and “Hosanna!” to express praise shows our natural need to break the boundaries of language to enter new spheres of praise.

Music has always played a crucial role in worship because it, too, is a vehicle that allows praise to ascend beyond the limits of earthly utterance. Indeed, “spiritual singing” with glossolalia (see 1 Cor. 14:15) may have been the origin of liturgical plainsong and Gregorian chant, which are characterized by their tranquil and elevated beauty. Since the recent renewal movement has begun, the sound of glossolalial singing can once again be heard in churches — an unearthly sound that no one can hear without being strangely moved.

Mysteries. “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit” (1 Cor. 14:2). The Greek word mysterion is usually used by Paul to refer to the “deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). Through the practice of tongues, the Holy Spirit is at work teaching our spirit on very subtle levels. As the Spirit of God plumbs the depths of God, He communicates unspeakable reality and wisdom to us, ripening and preparing us to be sensitive to new dimensions of spiritual truth.

Supplication. Prayer is the highest work of the Christian. The central intent of our will — that which we treasure in our hearts — reflects our deepest, truest prayer (Matt. 6:21). Paul enjoined us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions” (Eph. 6:18) as a way of keeping our hearts constantly turned toward God and attentive to Him. God has also given us the responsibility to make supplication for the needs of others in prayer. As the body of Christ, we are allowed to participate with Him in the ongoing redemption of the universe. But how do we know what people, situations, and needs to pray for?

All effective prayer takes place through the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit. As we draw closer to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to use us in prayers of spiritual utterance, we draw closer to the source of effectual, mountain-moving prayer. We begin to move in harmony with the omniscient will of God. As we make ourselves available to God, He may even begin supernaturally to reveal the needs of others to us.

Why are Tongues Important?

The far-reaching importance of tongues should be apparent from what has been said above. To summarize:

• Tongues are important as a means of communication with God. We can both offer praise and receive insight through the subtle intermediation of the Holy Spirit at work in spiritual utterance.

• Tongues are important as a means of spiritual self-edification (1 Cor. 14:4). Our spirits are built up not only through the influence of the “mysteries” communicated by the Spirit, but also through expressing praise to God supernaturally. It is a cardinal spiritual truth that nothing edifies the creature more than glorifying the Creator. The only way we can achieve true fulfillment is to lose ourselves in Him who is the source and reason of our existence.

• Tongues are important as a supernatural aid in supplication. Through supplication we fulfill the needs of others and attain our own highest good. Self-giving love is the very form of God. It is, so to speak, His spiritual template. By pouring ourselves into supernatural works of mercy, we are conformed to the image of God.

• Tongues are important as an eschatological sign. In light of the prophecies in the Old and New Testaments concerning tongues, it is possible that God is seeking to communicate with His church in a special way in these last days.

What Should be Our Attitude Toward Tongues Today?

Glossolalia is not the essence of the Christian faith. One does not have to speak in tongues to be filled with the Spirit. But this is not the point. The point is that a Spirit-filled Christian may speak in tongues. Bearing in mind the many scriptural injunctions that urge us to be filled with the Spirit and to desire spiritual gifts, we should make this issue a matter of honest prayer and seeking.

Further Study: Read “Hallelujah,” p. 412; “Hosanna,” p. 451; and “Praise,” p. 817 in the NIDB.

Life Application: Do you feel the need for the supernatural aid and release that tongues can bring? If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, He is fully able to give you this gift now. But you must willingly volunteer your power of speech to the Spirit. Do not let fear or ignorance stand in your way.

Key Concepts:

1. At Pentecost and at Caesarea, the disciples expressed the ____________ of God through tongues. [225]

2. True or False. The tongues of Pentecost were “missionary tongues.” [225]

3. Some thought the disciples to be drunk because of their exuberant and rapturous ___________. [225]

4. It has been suggested that ___________________ chant developed from the ancient practice of singing in the Spirit. [228]

5. ________________________ is a term describing worship that passes beyond the power of ordinary speech in its expression. [228]

6. According to Paul, one who speaks in tongues utters ________________ in the Spirit. [229]

7. It is often useful to begin prayers of ___________________________ by praying first in tongues and then in ordinary language. [231]

8. True or False. It is wrong to speak in tongues for self-edification. [232]

9. According to the Westminster Confession, humanity’s “chief end” is “to glorify God and to ____________ him forever.” [233]

10. Tongues are an _______________________________ sign because prophetically they are a signal of the end times. [234]