The Holy Spirit

© Copyright, John Edmiston 2005
May be freely reproduced and distributed for non-profit Christian ministry but may not be sold in any way.

Contents

The Holy Spirit Is God                                                            3

Symbols Of The Spirit                                                            5

The Work Of The Spirit                                                          7

The Spirit In The Believer                                                       9

The Spirit Upon The Believer                                                 10

The Gifts Of The Spirit                                                           11

Healing & The Laying On Of Hands                                       13

Study 1 - The Holy Spirit Is God

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and can also be referred to as:

- The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9, 1 Peter 1:11)

- The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)

- The Spirit of Our God (1 Corinthians 6:11)

The Trinity is one God in three persons, just as we have one Universe in three spatial dimensions, or as water is ice,water and steam. The symbol at left is an ancient symbol of the Trinity known as the “triquetra” and is made up of three arcs of a circle joined end to end.

Read each statement below, then look up the verses listed and discuss their meaning and significance.

The Personal Nature Of The Holy Spirit

1. The Holy Spirit is personal – that is He has “personality” and is not just an impersonal divine force. The Scritures always refer to the Holy Spirit as “he” even though in Greek “spirit” should be neuter gender e.g John 16: 13-14; 15:26, 16:7,8

2. The Holy Spirit is intelligent ( 1 Corinthians 2:10-11), has feelings (Ephesians 4:30) and will (1 Corinthians 12:11).

3. The Holy Spirit teaches (John 14:26), guides (Romans 8:14), commissions (Acts 13:4) commands men (Acts 8:29), restrains men (Genesis 6:3), intercedes (Romans 8:26) and speaks (John 15:26, 2 Peter 1:21)

4. The Holy Spirit can be obeyed (Acts 10;19-21), lied to (Acts 5:3) resisted (Acts 7:51), reverenced (Psalm 51:11), blasphemed (Matthew 12:11), grieved (Ephesians 4;30) and outraged (Hebrews 10:29)

The Deity Of The Spirit

5. The Holy Spirit is given names which are only appropriate to God (1 Corinthians 6;11, Romans 8:9, 15; 1 Peter 1:11) and is even called Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17,18)

6. He is equally associated with other Persons of the Trinity (Matthew 28;19, Acts 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 13:14)

7. The Holy Spirit possesses divine attributes – Omniscience (1Corinthians 2:10-11), Omnipresence (Psalm 139:7), Omnipotence (Genesis 1:2) , Truth (1 John 5:6), Holiness (Romans 1:4),
Life (Romans 8:2,11) and Wisdom (Isaiah 40:13)

8. The Holy Spirit does the works of God – Creating (Genesis 1:2), Inspiring (2Peter 1:21), Begetting Christ (Luke 1:35), Convincing men (John 16:8) Regenerating (John 3:5-6), Comforting (John 14:6), Interceding (Romans 8:26-27) and Sanctifying (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

9. The Spirit comes forth from God - (John 15:26, Galatians 4:6, John 16:7) and is poured out on believers by Jesus Christ who is at God's right hand. (Acts 2:33, 10:45)

Symbols Of The Holy Spirit

Read the followng verses and list
a) The symbol that is being referred to
b) Its meaning and significance
c) What it says about the nature of the Holy Spirit

1. Luke 24:39

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2. Matthew 3;16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1;32

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3. 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 1:14

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4. Acts 2:3, Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16, Revelation 4:5

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5. Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38, 2 Corinthians 1;21, 1 John 2:20,27

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6. Ephesians 1;13, 4:30,2 Corinthians 1:22

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7. John 4:14; 7:38-39, Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Ephesians 5:26; Revelation 22:17

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8. Psalms 68:9; 72:6; Isaiah 32:15; Hosea 6:3; 10:12; 14:5

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9. John 3:8, Acts 2:1-2, 2 Kings 19:11; Ezekiel 37:9

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(There are also some lesser known symbols of the Holy Spirit such as cloud and light, the hand of God, the finger of God and the servant Eliezer as a “type” of the Holy Spirit in Genesis 24.)

The Work Of The Holy Spirit

Discuss the following bible verses and note the ways in which the Holy Spirit works.

1. Creation - Genesis 1:2, Pslam 104:30, Isaiah 40:2, Pslam 33:6

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2. Inspiration - 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21, 2 Samuel 23:2, Ezekiel 2:2

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3. Revelation – Exodus 19:9, Isaiah 6:1, Acts 1:16, Acts 2:16-21
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4. Convicting and Teaching– John 14:26, 16:8-11, 1 John 2;20-27, 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

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5. Regenerating – Titus 3:5, John 3:3-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17,
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6. Indwelling – Ephesians 5:18-20, 1 Corinthians 6;19, John 14;16, Romans 8:9
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7. Baptizing / Outpouring – Matthew 3:11, 3;16, 28;19, Acts 1:5, 2:38,39, 1 Corinthians 12:13
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8. Sealing & Loving – 2 Corinthians 1;22, Romans 5:1-5, Ephesians 1;13, 3:17-21, 4:30

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9. Sanctifying & Transforming - 2 Corinthians 3:17,18, 2Thessalonians 2:13
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10. Ordaining/Selecting/Anointing Acts 13:4, 1 Corinthians 12:11, 1 John 2;20,27
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11. Empowerment, Strength and Endurance Acts 1:5-8, Ephesians 3:17-21, Colossians 1:11,12
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12. Resurrection – Romans 1:4, 8:11, 1 Peter 3:18,
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The Spirit In The Believer

The Holy Spirit takes up residence “in” the life of the Christian and does inward works producing wisdom and various fruits of the Spirit for perosnal inward transformation in grace. Read and comment on the following bible passages.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB (19) Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (20) for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

John 14:16-17 HCSB And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. (17) He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.

Galatians 5:22-23 ASV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

1 John 3:24 HCSB The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us.

1 John 4:4 HCSB You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Ephesians 1:17-19 HCSB I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (18) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, (19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.

Romans 8:5-6 HCSB For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. (6) For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:9-11 HCSB You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (10) Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

The Spirit Upon The Believer

The Holy Spirit comes “upon” the believer to equip for “outward” works and heroic acts, miracles, prophecy and gifts of the Spirit to build up the Church.

Read the following passages and note:

a) Who does the Holy Spirit come upon?

b) What are the effects?

c) Is there promise or principle that we can learn?

Acts 1:8 MKJV But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Numbers 11:25-26 MKJV And Jehovah came down in a cloud and spoke to him, and took of the spirit on him and gave it to the seventy elders. And it happened when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they never did so again. (26) But two of the men stayed in the camp; the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other was Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. And they were of those who were written, but did not go out to the tabernacle. And they prophesied in the camp.

Acts 2:17-18 MKJV "And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. (18) And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy.

Judges 14:19 MKJV And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to them who told what the riddle meant. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

Matthew 3:16-17 MKJV And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. (17) And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Note: The Holy Spirit was “in” Jesus from conception, but came “upon” Him at His baptism in the River Jordan)

John 1:33 MKJV And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, that One said to me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

The Gifts Of The Spirit

The gifts of the Spirit are special spiritual abilities given by God to believers so that they can build up the Church. For each of the following bible passages list:

a) Any spiritual gifts that are mentioned

b) Any principles about how God gives spiritual gifts and how spiritual gifts should be used

c) Any warning, prohibitions, or attitude corrections about how the spiritual gifts should not be used

Passage

Gifts Listed

Principles

Warnings & Prohibitions

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:13-26

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

1 Corinthians 14:1-22

1 Corinthians 14:23-40

Romans 12:3-8

1 Peter 4:8-11

Ephesians 4:7-16

Healing & The Laying On Of Hands

The Holy Spirit can be imparted by the laying on of hands, also the presence of the Holy Spirit can bring healing. In your small group read and comment on the following verses and their implications for the Christian life.

Healing & Miracles

Luke 4:40 MKJV And the sun sinking, all, as many as had sick ones with different kinds of diseases brought them to Him. And laying hands on each of them, He healed them.

Luke 13:13 MKJV And He laid His hands on her. And instantly she was made erect, and she glorified God.

Acts 5:12 MKJV And many miracles and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

Acts 14:3 ASV Long time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Acts 19:11-12 ASV And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: (12) insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the evil spirits went out.

(see also James 5:14-16)

Receiving The Holy Spirit

Acts 8:17 MKJV Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:5-7 ASV And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. (7) And they were in all about twelve men.

Ordination For Ministry

Acts 9:17-18 MKJV And Ananias went and entered into the house. And putting his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord, Jesus, who appeared to you in the way in which you came, has sent me to you that you might see and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (18) And instantly scales as it were fell from his eyes, and he instantly saw again. And rising up, he was baptized.

1 Timothy 4:14 MKJV Do not neglect the gift in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the body of elders.

2 Timothy 1:6 MKJV Therefore I remind you to inflame anew the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands.

Acts 13:2-3 ASV And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (3) Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.1

Acts 6:6 MKJV They set these before the apostles. And having prayed, they laid hands on them.