THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT #1
Why Study the Holy Spirit

INTRODUCTION
A. The study of the Holy Spirit is a very fascinating, fundamental and foundational study for the child of God.
B. The study of the Holy Spirit is both challenging and consoling, both interesting and intriguing, and both controversial and complex.
C. Minds brilliant and minds not so brilliant have given serious thought to the glorious being of the Holy Spirit.
D. As we venture into this study remember: “If you do not know what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit – you know nothing at all about the Holy Spirit”

DISCUSSION
A. WHY STUDY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1. It is a biblical theme
a. He was active in the creation … Psalm 104:30
b. He was active in the work done by the judges, prophets and kings
1) 2 Peter 1:21
2) 2 Samuel 23:2
c. His work permeates the New Testament – note two brief examples:
1) Luke 1:35
2) John 16:8
3) Of course, this is just the hem of the garment…
d. The Holy Spirit is very much a Biblical theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 – this should wet our spiritual appetite to study this subject.

2. To appreciate more fully His mission
a. God created man in his image … Genesis 1:26-27
b. Yet, God’s crown of creation toppled into transgression
c. Heaven’s mission onward was man’s redemption
1) The Father was the Divine Architect
2) The Son was the Divine Executor of pardon’s plan
3) The Spirit became the Divine Revealer
d. The less we know about the Godhead – the less we know about the scheme of redemption
e. The Holy Spirit plays a part in the redemptive process, and we will show how in later lessons

3. To be able to speak correctly of Him
a. The language of Ashdod was not just a problem faced by Nehemiah (13:23-24). It is still very much with us today.
b. Sound doctrine must be couched in sound words
1) Titus 2:1, 8
2) 2 Timothy 1:13
c. The denominational world is very careless in this regard
d. This has been especially true in their emotionally directed terms relative to the Holy Spirit and to His person and mission.
e. Many of our own brethren have climbed on the “bandwagon” of Ashdod – using unbiblical terms.

4. To be able to refute errors taught relative to Him
a. We have a twofold obligations here:
1) To detect error
2) To refute error
b. False Pentecostal positions concerning the Holy Spirit are being accepted more and more by the masses. A few of examples:
1) That the Holy Spirit Baptism still exists today
2) That the Holy Spirit works on the heart – separate and apart from the world of God
3) Present day miracles
c. We will discuss these in future lesson in great detail

5. To accept and appreciate the all-sufficiency of His inspired product
a. To have a false or warped view of the Holy Spirit is to depreciate Biblical inspiration
b. Many count themselves equal with the apostles – saying they are miraculously inspired.
c. Many are claiming that the Bible is insufficient and that the indwelling of the Spirit does more for them – thus, they weaken the Spirit’s ability in providing all truth
1) John 14:26
2) 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3) 2 Peter 1:3

B. SCRIPTURAL NAMES
1. The Old Testament – “the Spirit of God” (Gen. 1:2), “My spirit” (Gen. 6:3), “the Spirit of the Lord” (Jud. 6:34; 2 Sam. 23:2), “the good spirit” (Neh. 9:20), “they holy spirit” (Psa. 51:11), “the Spirit of the Lord God” (Isa. 61:1), “his holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:11) and “the spirit” (Eze. 2:2).
2. The New Testament
a. In the KJV he is called the “Holy Ghost.”
1) Ghost today does not mean what it did in 1611
2) In 1611 “ghost” meant “guest”
b. He is called “Spirit of God” (Mat. 3:16), “the Spirit” (Mat. :1), “the Spirit of your Father” (Mat. 10:20), “my spirit” (Mat. 12:18), “the Spirit of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18), “the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 11:13), “Comforter“ (Jn. 14:16), “the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:17), “spirit of holiness” (Rom. 1:4), “Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9), “Spirit of his Son” (Gal. 4:6), “the holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13), “the holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30), “the eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14), and “the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 3:1).

C. IS THE GODHEAD ONE OR THREE?
1. The Godhead is the divine family – there are three that constitute the Godhead.
a. Manhood is what makes man a man.
b. Womanhood is what makes woman a woman.
c. The Godhead is what makes God – God.

2. The case from the Old Testament
a. Genesis 1:1 … Elohim a plural word
1) The second and third persons of the Godhead were involved in creation
2) John 1:1-3 … Jesus involved
3) Job 26:13 … The Holy Spirit involved
b. There is the use of plural pronouns:
1) Genesis 1:26
2) Genesis 3:22-23
3) Genesis 11:7
4) Isaiah 6:8
c. That unique “us” is a precious portrait of the active Godhead at work in caring for the creation and the caring out of their plans and purposes.

3. The case from the Synoptic Gospel accounts
a. In the initial chapter of Matthew all three of the Godhead are mentioned
b. Mark 1:9-11 … all three present
c. Luke 1:32-35 … all three mentioned

4. The case from John’s gospel record … John 1:29-32 … all three mentioned

5. The case in Acts … Acts 10:38 … all three mentioned

6. The case in the epistles … Jude 20-21 … all three mentioned

7. The case in Revelation … Revelation 1:4-6 … all three mentioned

8. Conclusions reached
a. Three divine persons compose the Godhead.
b. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
c. The Father is the Divine Architect, the Son is the Divine Executor, and the Holy Spirit is the Divine Revealer.

D. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIM BEING A PERSON
1. Being a Spirit does not negate His being a person
a. The Father is a person and the Son is a person
b. The Holy Spirit is also a person

2. Many religious folks concede the first two of the Godhead is a person, but deny the personality of the Holy Spirit. Why?
a. The perceive that the Holy Spirit is simply an influence
b. They reduce Him from being a person to a mysterious IT

3. It is unfortunate that some renderings refer to the Spirit as “itself” (Rom. 8:16, 26 – KJV) … The ASV and NKJ improved on the translation by using “himself”

4. Misguided religionists deem Him to a liquid that can be poured out of Heaven and received into a zealous vessel of humanity
a. They fail to grasp the metaphorical language of Joel 2:28-32, and Peter on Pentecost in Acts 2 who speak of the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh
b. The Spirit, when given on Pentecost, so overwhelmed the spirits of the Apostles that it could be said they received the baptism (the total immersion) of the Holy Spirit

CONCLUSION
A. There is much to learn concerning the Holy Spirit
B. Being uninformed or misinformed can weaken our faith