1 THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is Deity (God) and is distinct from the Father and the Son. He is the third
Person of the Godhead.
He is not just 'breath' or 'wind' or an 'active form' as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
HIS DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES
1. He is a Person :
The personal noun 'He' is used when reference is being made to the Holy Spirit, and
personal acts are also ascribed to Him.
'Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will shew you
things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you'
(Jn.16:13,14).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
2. He is co-equal with (Jehovah) God the Father:
We understand this when we read the following Scriptures side by side :
(i) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation ..." (Heb.3:7,8); (ii) "... (They) have tempted me now these ten
times..." (Num.14:22); and also (i) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21); (ii) "And he
(Jehovah) said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream" (Num.12:6).
3. He is equal in His creative powers with God the Father, and with the Son :
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job
33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our image ..."
(Gen.1:26).
4. He is omnipotent:
He is called 'the power of the Highest' (Lk.1:35). The apostle Paul says that Christ wrought
by him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by
the power of the Spirit of God" (Rom.15:19).
"If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you"
(Rom. 8:11).
5. He is omnipresent:
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (Psa.139:7,8).
6. He is omniscient:
"But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
the deep things of God" (I Cor.2:10).
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth ... and
he will shew you things to come" (Jn.16:13).
He is known as "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge ..." (Isa.11:2).
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2 THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Let us consider in this chapter, some of the offices of the Holy Spirit as the third
Person in the Godhead. His ministry in the Church is dealt with separately in Chapter 9.
 1. He is one of the three Persons in the Godhead involved in the work of creation :
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.1:1). Here the word
used for 'God' in Hebrew is ELOHIM, a uniplural noun revealing the Trinity - the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost.
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life"
(Job 33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our
image" (Gen.1:26).
"Thou sendeth forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the
earth" (Psa.104:30).
2. He exists as the 'priest of the most high God':
He appeared to Abraham as 'Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high
God' (Heb.7:1). Jesus Christ, Who is the High Priest of our confession, was ordained a High Priest
'after the order (or similitude) of Melchisedec' by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Heb.7:21) that
He might grant us eternal salvation, and also present us faultless before the throne of God. Note
that the phrase, 'similitude of' or 'order of' Melchisedec (vs.15,21) suggests that Christ was NOT
Melchisedec, as many contend. Melchisedec was not the Son of God, but only 'made like unto the
Son of God' (Heb.7:3). Melchisedec was not the Father, because He is known as the 'priest of the
most high God' (the Father) (vs. 1). If He is not the Father, and not the Son, who can He be, but the
Holy Spirit Himself?
One more thing which is noteworthy is that no sacrifice could be offered or accepted
without the ministry of the high priest. When Christ offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the
redemption of man, it was necessary for a High Priest to officiate at the sacrifice. Who was the
High Priest Who officiated at the sacrifice of Jesus? It was the Holy Spirit, for, we read, "How
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? " (Heb. 9:14).
3. He is the Inspirer of the holy Scriptures :
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness" (II Tim.3:16).
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21).
4. He convicts the world of sin :
"And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment" (Jn.16:8).
5. He bears witness to the truth about Jesus Christ :
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (Jn.15:26).
"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath
given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:32).
6. He appoints and directs His ministers to places as He
wills :
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood"
(Acts 20:28).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
7. He possesses the same power of resurrection as the Father and the Son in the Godhead :
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you"
(Rom.8:11).
 "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body"
(Rom.8:23).
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (I Pet.3:18).
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3 THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Before studying in detail the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, it is
important to have a fair knowledge of the work of the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament. One can
see the ministry of the Holy Spirit even from the creation of the world. When "the earth was
without form, and void ... the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen.1:2), planning
its recreation. When the generations of Adam were departing from their Creator, letting sin corrupt
their thoughts and destroy their soul, the Spirit of the Lord was striving with them in their
conscience, trying to persuade them to return to the Lord. When there was nothing more that the
Lord could do, He said, "My spirit shall not always strive with man" (Gen.6:3). But the Spirit of
the Lord did not forsake man altogether. Whenever He found a man whose spirit would be
submissive to Him, He rested upon him to reveal His power and wisdom. Pharaoh was able to
sense the presence of the Spirit of God with Joseph, for he remarked, "Can we find such a one as
this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" (Gen.41:38).
MOSES :
In the days of Moses, when God commanded him to build a tabernacle for Him, God said
that He had chosen Bezaleel, "And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in
understanding, and in know- ledge, and in all manner of workmanship" (Exo.35:31).
When Moses presented his grievances to the Lord, saying that he was not able to bear all
the people alone, the Lord commanded him to gather seventy of the elders of Israel; and when they
were presented before the Lord, " the Lord ... took of the spirit that was upon him (Moses), and
gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they
prophesied, and did not cease" (Num. 11:25). Thus when the Spirit of the Lord came upon these
elders, they were able to share the burden with Moses.
JUDGES :
We further trace the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the days of the judges. Othniel judged
Israel with the help of the Spirit of God: "... the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel) and he
judged Israel, and went out to war ..." (Judg.3:10). The manifestation of the Spirit of God was also
apparent in the ministries of Gideon, Jephthah and Samson.
"...the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet..." (Judg.6:34).
"... the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and ... he passed over unto the children of
Ammon" (Judg.11:29).
"And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him (Samson) at times in the camp of Dan
between Zorah and Eshtaol" (Judg.13:25).
KINGS AND PROPHETS :
After the days of the judges, the Lord raised up kings and prophets, and the Spirit of the
Lord rested upon them to minister through them. Samuel told Saul, "the Spirit of the Lord will
come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them ..." and accordingly, "the Spirit of God came
upon him, and he prophesied among them" (I Sam.10:6,10). When God rejected Saul because of his
disobedience, the Spirit of God left him and came upon David. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil,
and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that
day forward ..." (I Sam.16:13).
The Spirit of God rested upon the prophets too. Elijah was transported by the Spirit of God
from one place to another. When Elijah ordered Obadiah to go and tell Ahab that he had come back,
the latter replied, "And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the
Lord shall carry thee whither I know not" (I Kgs.18:12). The Spirit of the Lord came upon Azariah
to encourage King Asa (II Chron. 15:1-8). Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, was stirred by the Spirit
of the Lord to prophesy to all Judah and to King Jehoshaphat (II Chron. 20:14,15). When the
children of Judah turned to idols in the days of King Joash, the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah
to warn them against the forthcoming judgment of God, and exhort them to return to the Lord (II
Chron.24:20).
Ezekiel testifies that the Spirit of God lifted him and carried him away (Ezek.3:14). Micah,
who lived in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, says, "But truly I am full of
power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his
transgression, and to Israel his sin" (Mic.3:8).
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY:
When Judah was taken captive to Babylon to serve God's sentence because of their
disobedience and wickedness, the Spirit of the Lord was present with them in their afflictions, to
reveal His power, wisdom and grace through dedicated servants of God and prophets.
By the mouth of Haggai, the Lord said, "According to the word that I covenanted with you
when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not" (Hagg.2:5).
Nebuchadnezzar, who had been depending on magicians, astrologers and soothsayers, to
win the favour of evil spirits in times of personal difficulty or political crisis, discovered in Daniel
an excellent spirit, far greater, wiser, mightier and different from all the spirits he had ever known.
During the course of a declaration, which he made "unto all people, nations, and languages, that
dwelt in all the earth" he said, "Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the
interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in before me ... in whom is the spirit of the holy
gods: and before him I told the dream" (Dan. 4:1,7,8).
It pleased God that Zerubbabel should build the temple after the captivity was over. The
Lord spoke to him by the prophet Zechariah, saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my
Spirit" (Zech.4:6). The ministry of the Holy Spirit did not cease with the prophets; they themselves
predicted the outpouring of the Holy Ghost which was to take place in the New Testament. We can
see this clearly in the next chapter.
All these reveal the operation of the Holy Spirit through the children of God in the Old
Testament. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct and separate experience, which the Old
Testament saints did not possess, as we shall see in the following chapters.
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4 THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Old Testament prophets predicted two outpouring of the Holy Spirit to be released
from heaven at their appointed times in the last days.
THE FIRST OUTPOURING CALLED 'THE FORMER RAIN' :
The first outpouring took place on the day of Pentecost and continued in every place where
the early apostles and their disciples carried the gospel. The book of Acts shows the works of the
Holy Spirit wrought through the apostles. Prophet Joel predicted this first Pentecostal outpouring
which came to pass during the apostolic days.
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall
see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my
spirit" (Joel 2:28,29).
When the Jews who had witnessed the marvellous manifestations of the Holy Spirit, heard
them speaking in tongues, they "were ... amazed ... saying one to another, What meaneth this?"
(Acts 2:12). Peter stood and replied, taking as his authority the prophecy of Joel "And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith 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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and
they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17,18).
When God poured out His Spirit like a former rain on the day of Pentecost, with that
outpouring came the hidden mysteries and doctrines of the New Testament which "in other ages
was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph.3:5). In his song, Moses referred to this
outpouring prophetically saying, "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the
words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the
small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass" (Deut.32:1,2).
THE LAST DAYS :
It was no exaggeration when Peter used the phrase 'in the last days' in his discourse. It is
absolutely scriptural to say that 'the last days', in the eyes of God 'who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will', began when He sent His own Son to save the world. Paul confirms this
thought thus: "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law" (Gal.4:4). The writer to the Hebrews states,"God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last
days, spoken unto us by his Son..." (Heb.1:1,2).
Nevertheless, the apostles believed that they were living only in the beginning of the last
days because they made their believers understand that the last days, which began during their own
life-time, would last for a considerable period and would end with certain signs. It will be helpful to
quote some of their words.
St. Peter wrote, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking
after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Pet. 3:3,4).
St. Paul also warned saying, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy" (II Tim.3:1,2). And again, "For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables" (II Tim.4:3,4).
THE SECOND OUTPOURING CALLED 'THE LATTER RAIN' :
James, the apostle, writing to the twelve scattered tribes, exhorted them to be patient 'unto
the coming of the Lord'. Explaining to them the reason for the necessity of additional patience, he
said that the Lord was delaying His coming because of His intention to send a further outpouring of
the Holy Spirit that was to be much greater than the one which they had received at the beginning
of their Christian lives. He explained that this second anointing would have the fulness of both the
early and the latter rain put together, (a 'double-Pentecost', a phrase which is commonly used today)
and that its purpose was to prepare them as the 'precious fruit of the earth'.
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early
and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh"
(Jas.5:7,8).
It is possible that the early believers received a second greater anointing individually, to be
made ready for His coming. But it is also clear from the above Scriptures that God's plan for the
Church that had received the first outpouring in the first century, was to bestow the second
outpouring upon it in these the last days of the last days, in order to prepare it as the precious fruit
(firstfruits) of the earth (Jas.1:18; 5:7). Although there were certain revivals from time to time since
the days of the apostles, they can never be compared with the earliest first century revival, which is
called the 'former rain'. Now on the eve of the coming of the Lord, He is sending another revival of
'the early and latter rain' together according to the promise in James 5:7,8.
 "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you
the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and
the latter rain in the first month" (Joel 2:23).
This second outpouring began at the beginning of the 20th century in many cities of the
U.S.A., such as Kansas, California and Los Angeles. One such great outpouring of the Holy Spirit
was witnessed in Wales in 1905. Since then, the outpouring has been spreading all over the world.
The cities of Chicago, Winnipeg, New York, London, Sunderland, Amsterdam, Oslo, Calcutta,
Bombay and Allahabad, along with various other cities and towns, received mighty visitations of
the Holy Spirit.
God is still pouring out His Spirit everywhere, upon Catholics, upon Protestants and upon
earnest seekers of all nationalities. People of various denomina- tions, in great numbers, are being
visited by the Holy Ghost. This Pentecostal flood will continue, shower after shower, until the
Church is made ready, spotlessly pure, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, for the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
According to the Word of God, there are two groups of saints who will meet Christ at His
coming: (1) the dead in Christ and (2) the living in Christ
(I Thess.4:16,17). Both should have the same standard of life. Dead or alive, they are
expected to have lived an abiding life in Christ Jesus, and grown to the 'measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ' (Eph.4:13).
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5 THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
We have seen that the Holy Spirit has been at work since the creation of the world, and that
He abode with certain chosen men of the Old Testament to guide them in their ministry and to help
the people of Israel. We shall see in this chapter that the baptism in the Holy Spirit which Jesus,
John the Baptist and the apostles preached, is entirely different from the experience of the Holy
Spirit known to the Old Testament saints, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit has raised the New
Testament Church to a higher plane than that of the Old Testament Church, and that the Holy Spirit
works in every area of the lives of those who are called to be in the New Testament Church.
UPON ALL FLESH:
In the days of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit abode with only a few people chosen from
among the elders, kings, prophets and priests, so that they might fulfil a particular ministry,
according to their calling and need. But in the New Testament the gift of the Holy Ghost is for
every one.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it
sat upon EACH OF THEM. And they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized EVERY ONE OF YOU in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call" (Acts 2:38,39).
THE SPIRIT INDWELLS US :
The Holy Spirit could not dwell in the Old Testament saints, but only with them. Christ's
own words to His disciples read: " ... the Spirit of truth ... dwelleth with you, and shall be in you"
(Jn.14:17); From this it is evident that even the few privileged Old Testament saints, who had some
experience of the Holy Spirit, did not enjoy the blessedness of His indwelling presence. Some may
be shocked by this statement, but it is absolutely true.
Quoted below are Scripture passages which clearly show the reasons why the Holy Spirit
could not abide in the saints of the Old Testament.
 (a) All the promises and covenants belonged primarily to Israel, as St. Paul mentions in his
epistle to the Romans: "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the
covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the
fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.
Amen" (9:4,5).
In spite of these promises, Israel had not sufficiently grown spiritually as a nation, to inherit
these blessings. The appointed time did not come until Christ was born for them.
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though
he be lord of all: But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so
we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Gal.4:1-4).
(b) As long as they were under the law they could not come under grace. The law "was
added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was
made ..."(Gal.3:19). "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith
which should afterwards be revealed" (vs.23). "Moreover... the law was their schoolmaster to bring
them unto Christ ..." (vs.24).
(c) The Old Testament saints did not have the privilege which we have today, of being
cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of our sins, of being
forgiven and of being justified by Him. Their greatest experience was that their sins were covered
(Psa.32:1). The animal sacrifices which they offered could not take away sin (Heb.10:4). Removal
of sin, (which under the Old Testament was left under cover and not removed) is necessary for
receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is another reason why the Holy Ghost could not come
down in all His fulness and power to make His dwelling in the Old Testament saints. We, who are
of the New Testament, can now become the entire possession of the Holy Ghost, because we have
been saved by grace, freed from the dominion of sin and the law, washed and cleansed by the
blood of the Lamb of Calvary, have every iniquity forgiven and absolutely removed and our nature
of sin has been dealt with at baptism, all by grace. In the Old Testament the triune God dwelt in the
earthly tabernacle, but now He dwells in us, the temples not made with hands.
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ?" (I
Cor.3:16).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19,20).
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT :
The Old Testament saints had not even heard of the blessedness of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit which we are experiencing in the New Testament era. John, the Baptist declared it for the
first time in his message, saying, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh,
the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire" (Lk.3:16).
The Greek word 'baptizo' means to 'dip' or 'immerse'. Similarly, when a believer has
received the Holy Spirit, he is baptized or completely immersed in the Holy Spirit. At the same
time he is 'filled with the Holy Ghost' (Acts 2:4). He is wrapped with the Holy Spirit within and
without. This is something to be spiritually discerned and comprehended. It is like a sponge being
immersed in water and water permeating the sponge. One is immersed in the Holy Spirit, while the
Holy Spirit fills him to overflowing with all His power and glory. This overflowing experience is
compared to rivers of living water, springing and overflowing from our heart. "In the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive" (Jn.7:37-39).
This is just what happened on the day of Pentecost. We are not only baptized into one body, but we
are also made to drink into one Spirit
(I Cor.12:13).
Two distinct experiences took place when they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
Firstly, they entered into a vital fellowhip with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Jesus had told them, "At that day (the day when the Holy Spirit would fill them), ye shall know that
I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" (Jn.14:16,20).
Secondly, the one hundred and twenty believers who received the Holy Spirit, were
baptized into one Body. They became one in essence through the Holy Spirit. They were moulded
into one Body or one unit, to live and serve the Lord, in the Spirit. Every kind of distinction -
whether national or social or of caste - was destroyed. Not only the hundred and twenty, but we
ourselves today are also baptized into one Body, the Body of Christ.
We are indebted to offer our ceaseless praises to God for revealing to us the dimensions of
the power of the Holy Ghost, which were hidden from the saints in ages past.
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6 THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST
It is often contended by some children of God that the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit
are one and the same person. It is therefore very important to make sure whether it is so, or not. In
this chapter we shall endeavour to show from the holy Scriptures that they are two distinct SPIRITS
as much as they are two distinct PERSONS, differing in their offices.
As we have already seen in Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity,
while Christ is the second Person of the Trinity. They exist as two different Spirits.
THE 'WORD':
The Spirit of Christ is referred to as 'the Word'. "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Jn.1:1). Before 'the Word was made flesh', He existed
as the Spirit of Christ. It is this Word that created all things. "All things were made by him (the
Word or the Spirit of Christ); and without him was not any thing made that was made" (vs.3). The
Spirit of Christ is therefore, creative and is existent in the Word of God, written or expressed. That
is why St. Paul says, " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the gospel or the Word) is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ..." (Rom.1:16). The 'gospel of Christ'
means the word-revelation of Christ committed to the apostles; the Spirit of Christ is in that Word.
It saves, delivers and sanctifies those who accept this Word. Jesus Himself said, "It is the spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life" (Jn.6:63). That is how His authoritative word of spirit and life, brought Lazarus out of his
grave when he lay dead for four days (Jn.11:43,44). Jesus said in another occasion, "Marvel not at
this : for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall
come forth ..." (Jn.5:28,29).
THE INCORRUPTIBLE SEED:
His Spirit and the eternal life were in the words which Jesus spoke. No wonder Simon
Peter exclaimed, "... Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life" (Jn.6:68).
Those who believed on Him, believed on His Word which instilled eternal life in them. It is
the Word of God which brings about new birth or regeneration in a penitent sinner who turns to
God for forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Peter therefore says that we are "... born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I
Pet.1:23). Jesus too told His disciples, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man"
(Matt.13:37).
All these passages refer specifically to the direct operation of the Spirit of Christ, through
His Word.
CHRIST'S EXHORTATION CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT:
 Christ never taught that His Spirit was the same as the Holy Spirit. He referred to the Holy
Spirit as 'another Comforter' (Jn.14:16). He had to go to the Father to send the Holy Spirit. He
therefore said, "... if I go not away, the Comforter will not come" (Jn.16:7). In John 14:17, Jesus
refers to the Holy Spirit as 'the Spirit of truth'. Therefore, 'the Spirit of Christ' and 'the Comforter'
Who is otherwise called the 'Spirit of truth' are not the same person.
Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and
shall shew it unto you" (Jn.16:13,14). This Scripture portion shows that the work of the Holy Spirit
concerning Jesus Christ, is to reveal Christ and to glorify Him.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
There are Scripture passages which explicitly confirm that the Spirit of Christ existed side
by side with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and that He is different from the
Holy Spirit. Let us examine a few of them.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6).
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from
of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2).
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all ... And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had
done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath
put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" (Isa.53:5,6,9,10).
There is not an iota of doubt that these prophecies refer directly to the Spirit of Christ. It
was this Spirit of Christ (called the Word) Who, when He took upon Himself the human form, 'was
wounded for our transgressions'. The Lord hath laid the iniquity of us all on Him and made His soul
an offering for sin.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT:
This Spirit of Christ was in the prophets of the Old Testament, as stated by Peter in his
epistle.
"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of
the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
that should follow" (I Pet. 1:10,11).
But they did not have the baptism in the Holy Ghost or its fulness: "... the Holy Ghost was
not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (Jn.7:39).

7 WHEN DO WE RECEIVE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT ?
Many world-renowned preachers and evangel- ists hold the traditional belief that a man
receives the Holy Spirit the moment he repents of his sins and turns to God for forgiveness, and is
born again through Christ. This view has no scriptural support.
Let us search the Gospels and the book of Acts, for it is there that we can see whether
converts received the baptism in the Holy Spirit at new birth, or as a separate experience
subsequently.
THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST:
 We may be sure that the disciples of Christ had a definite experience of the forgiveness of
sin, because it is said that "They went out, and preached that men should repent" (Mk.6:12).
Further, they had received "power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases" (Lk.9:1).
Jesus had assured them that their 'names (were) written in heaven' (Lk.10:20). With all these
remarkable credentials, Jesus still made them realize that they had not yet received the Holy Spirit,
and that they must therefore go and tarry at Jerusalem in order to receive the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit; this was so that they might have a deeper life and a more powerful ministry.
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Lk.24:49). "But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Accordingly, they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, a few days after the
ascension of Jesus (Acts 2:1-4). It is clear therefore, that in the case of the disciples of Christ, the
new birth experience and the baptism in the Holy Spirit were two distinct events.
On the day of Pentecost, when those who heard the first message of Peter asked, "Men and
brethren, what shall we do?", Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts
2:37,38). This proves that the experience of the baptism in the Holy Ghost generally follows
repentance and that we do not receive the Holy Spirit when we are born again.
THE SAMARITAN BELIEVERS:
In Samaria, "when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of
God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12).
Needless to say, it would certainly have been Philip's practice to make sure that his candidates were
genuine converts, before deciding to baptize them. The question now is : Did they really receive the
Holy Spirit at the time they believed in Christ for their salvation and forgiveness of sins? The
answer is evidently 'NO', because from the account of the subsequent happenings in Samaria, we
learn that when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the gospel,
they sent Peter and John to pray for the new converts to receive the Holy Spirit. "...when the
apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto
them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive
the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he [the Holy Spirit] was fallen upon none of them: only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then laid they their hands on them, and they recieved the
Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:14-17). This is clear proof that one does not receive the baptism in the Holy
Spirit as part of the experience of being born again.
CORNELIUS:
Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian band had the following spiritual experiences, even
before the angelic visitation. He was a devout man, one that feared God, one who gave much alms
and prayed to God alway; and his prayers and alms had gone up 'for a memorial before God' (Acts
10:2-4). All these show that he was a child of God, but he did not receive the Holy Spirit until the
apostle Peter went and preached the Word of God to him. "While Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word" (Acts 10:44). It seems that God sent Peter to
Cornelius for the express purpose of pouring out the Holy Spirit on him and on the others who had
gathered there.
THE DISCIPLES AT EPHESUS:
When the apostle Paul came to Ephesus, he met disciples who were converts of Apollos.
Apollos was 'mighty in the scriptures', but he had known 'only the baptism of John' (Acts 18:24,25).
His converts had taken John's baptism unto repentance (Acts 19:4), but had not received the Holy
Ghost. When Paul asked them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?", they replied:
"We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" (vs.2). From this we learn two
things. Firstly, St. Paul did not believe that one received the Holy Spirit when one became a
believer. Otherwise, he would not have asked them, 'Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed?' Secondly, they did not know that there was such an experience as receiving the Holy
Ghost. Only after St. Paul had spoken to them more clearly on the subject, and had re-baptized
them, and had laid his hands on them, did the "Holy Ghost (come) on them; and they spake with
tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
This is another clear demonstration of the fact that receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit
is not something which occurs simultaneously with new birth but that it is an experience which is
separate from and subsequent to, new birth.
When writing to the Ephesian believers on the same subject and reminding them of their
initial experience, St. Paul says, "... after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise"
(1:13).

8 SPEAKING WITH TONGUES
Those who contend that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is received at new birth, believe that
it is a spontaneous spiritual experience which takes place in the soul unnoticed, and as such, not
being tangible to physical or spiritual senses, it has to be accepted by faith. They do not believe in
signs or outward manifestations. In their opinion, it is 'an evil genera- tion' that 'seeks a sign'
(Lk.11:29). They forget that in some cases God Himself gives signs and that He expects His people
to look for them. The prophet Isaiah prophesied to Ahaz, saying, "Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"
(7:14). Jesus Himself said, " ... these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover"
(Mk.16:17,18). Apart from this, Jesus told the disciples of a number of signs, which would take
place in the last days. The early believers prayed for signs and wonders, saying, "And now, Lord,
behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy
word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name
of thy holy child Jesus" (Acts 4:29,30).
In this chapter we shall see that there were different manifestations wherever people
received the Holy Spirit in the first century, , and that 'speaking with tongues' was always present in
addition to other manifestations.
THE DAY OF PENTECOST:
If the receiving of the Holy Spirit was to be accepted by faith, assuming that such an
experience takes place unconsciously and unnoticed by the receiver, it would have been pointless
and meaningless for Jesus to command His disciples to 'TARRY ... in the city of Jerusalem, UNTIL
(they were) endued with power from on high' (Lk.24:49). They would have tarried endlessly even
after the day of Pentecost and still nothing would have happened. In the event, however, many
things happened on the day of Pentecost when they received the Holy Ghost in the upper room. The
Book of Acts chapter 2 records the happenings that took place that day:
1. "... there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house" (vs.2).
2. "And there appeared unto them (not to the onlookers) cloven tongues like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them" (vs.3).
3. "they ... began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance' (vs.4).
4. They expressed an ecstatic joy which was mistaken by the onlookers for intoxication
(vs.13).
The above manifestations were so real and so powerful that it drew thousands of spectators,
of whom three thousand gladly received the word spoken by Apostle Peter and were baptized
(vs.41).
 PHILIP'S CONVERTS AT SAMARIA
The book of Acts does not record anything that took place when the converts of Philip
received the Holy Spirit at Samaria (8:17). But this does not mean that nothing happened, because
we read, '... Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given'
(vs.18). We must bear in mind that Simon was a very successful magician and that he had
performed many miracles with demonic power. He "... bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out
that himself was some great one" (vs.9). Furthermore he had witnessed 'the miracles and signs
which were done' by Philip (vs.13). But when the apostles laid hands on the converts for them to
receive the Holy Spirit he saw something absolutely astonishing, beyond anything he could have
achieved by means of witchcraft, and greater even than the miracles of Philip. Therefore, he "...
offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may
receive the Holy Ghost" (vs.18,19). What could he have seen? Not miracles, or healings which he
had already seen. It must be speaking with tongues, which he could not achieve through witchcraft.
CORNELIUS:
When Cornelius and 'his kinsmen and near friends' received the Holy Ghost, it was
dramatic. It was not a quiet, inconspicuous event unnoticed by the recipients or by those who
ministered to them. It was such an amazing spectacle that they of the circumcision (Jews) who had
come with St. Peter marvelled that God had 'poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost' upon the
Gentiles also (Acts 10:45). How did they become aware that these Gentiles had received the Holy
Ghost? The answer is that they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God (vs.46).
When the Jewish brethren in Jerusalem challen- ged Peter, saying, "Thou wentest in to men
uncircum- cised (Gentiles), and didst eat with them," not realizing that God had shed the Holy
Spirit on those Gentiles also, Peter rehearsed all that had happened in the house of Cornelius and
proved to them that the Holy Ghost had fallen on them, as on the disciples themselves at the
beginning (Acts 11:15). What happened at the beginning? "...they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The
onlookers could see them magnifying God and proclaiming the wonderful works of God (vs.11).
Peter observed, with profound awe, reverence and conviction that all that took place that day at
Caesarea was precisely the same as in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS:
The book of Acts furnishes the following account about the disciples at Ephesus receiving
the gift of the Holy Ghost. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
It is evident here that there were outward manifestations when they received the Holy
Ghost: "they spake with tongues and prophesied'. In all these cases, the manifestations were
obviously different from one another. All did not see 'tongues like as of fire' or prophesy; the Holy
Ghost did not come as 'a rushing mighty wind' in every place. But one thing that was evidently
common to every case was that they all spoke with tongues. We therefore insist that speaking with
tongues is the evidence of receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
'DO ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES?'
Some seem to think that speaking with tongues is not for all, because St. Paul asks in I
Corinthians 12:30, 'Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?...' We must bear in
mind here that St. Paul is not dealing with the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the baptism in the
Holy Spirit, but that he is speaking about 'divers kinds of tongues' which is one of the GIFTS of the
Holy Spirit. Please note that chapters 12, 13 and 14 of I Corinthians deal with the gifts of the Holy
Ghost. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are nine
(I Cor.12:8-10), namely:- 1) Word of wisdom 2) Word of knowledge 3) Faith 4) Gifts of
healing 5) Working of miracles 6) Prophesying 7) Discerning of spirits
8) Divers kinds of tongues 9) Interpretation of tongues
 St. Paul is explaining in chapter 12 that God has distributed these nine gifts to
different members of the Church, 'dividing to every man severally as he will' (vs.11). All do not
have the same gift or all the gifts. So, when St. Paul said, 'Do all speak with tongues?' he evidently
referred to the gift of divers kinds of tongues, or diversities of tongues (I Cor.12:10,28) and not to
the sign of tongues, which everyone who received the Holy Ghost had. Jesus said, "... these signs
(not gifts) shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils: they shall speak
with new tongues" (Mk. 16:17). If St. Paul's inquiry, 'Do all speak with tongues?' supports the view
that all are not supposed to speak with tongues, what could be the explanation to the contradiction
we find in almost every place where they spoke with tongues when they received the Holy Spirit in
the time of the apostles? It is evident from the following verses that everyone of them spoke with
tongues. On the day of Pentecost "... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). In the house of Cornelius "the
Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word' and the onlookers "heard them speak with
tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44,46). Peter further confirms, "the Holy Ghost fell on them,
as on us at the beginning" (Acts 11:15). This proves that everyone spoke with tongues. Again, all
the twelve disciples of Ephesus, on whom St. Paul laid his hands and prayed "spake with tongues,
and prophesied" when the Holy Ghost came on them (Acts 19:6).
THE APOSTLE PAUL:
Some say that St. Paul did not speak with tongues when he received the Holy Spirit. The
full account of all that happened between Ananias and Paul at Damascus is not given. When
Ananias put his hand on Paul, it was not so that he might receive the Holy Ghost, but that he might
be healed; because he had "... seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his
hand on him, that he might receive his sight" (Acts 9:12). There is no instance in the Bible where
the Holy Spirit was poured out before the people were prepared through proper teaching. We do not
know when exactly St. Paul received the Holy Spirit. It must have been during his stay of 'certain
days with the disciples which were at Damascus' (Acts 9:19). In any case, it is clear from his own
confession that he spoke with tongues. He says: 'I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than
ye all' (I Cor.14:18). As in every other case, it is sure that he started to speak with tongues from the
time he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
THE USE OF SPEAKING WITH TONGUES:
Here are some reasons why every Spirit-baptized person must speak with tongues.
Firstly, it is a sign to an unbeliever that we have received the Holy Spirit, and that it is the
Holy Spirit Who speaks through us. "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other
lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
Wherefore tongues are for sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but
prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe" (I Cor.14:21,22).
Secondly, the one who speaks with tongues edifies himself, though the listener does not
understand what is spoken. "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and
exhortation, and comfort"
(I Cor. 14:3).
Thirdly, when a person speaks with tongues, God speaks to him mysteries which are
discerned spiritually and not intellectually. "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh
not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries" (I Cor.14:2).
Fourthly, there is an experience of singing, praying and praising in tongues, which edifies
the one who sings or prays though it may not edify the listener. Advising on the use of such graces,
St. Paul says, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is
unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with understanding also: I will
sing with the spirit, and I will sing with understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the
spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at the giving of thanks,
seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" (I Cor.14:14-16).
Fifthly, speaking with tongues brings inner rest to the weary soul. The Holy Spirit quickens
the one who speaks with tongues, relieving him of his burdens and filling his soul with heavenly
rest. This is also called the 'refreshing'. "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak
to this people, To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this
is the refreshing: yet they would not hear" (Isa.28:11,12).
Sixthly, when tongues are interpreted, it edifies the church. St. Paul, therefore, advises the
one who speaks with tongues to pray for the gift of interpre- tation also: "I would that ye all spake
with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh
with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Even so ye, forasmuch as
ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore let
him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret" (I Cor. 14:5,12,13).
EVIDENCE FROM CHURCH HISTORY
Irenaeus, a scholar of Polycarp who was a disciple of the apostle John, says in his book
'Against Heresies' (page 6):
"We have many brethren in the churches having prophetical gifts and by the Spirit speaking
in all kinds of languages."
Tertullian, in defending orthodox Christianity, challenged Marcion in the following words,
requiring him to produce evidence of any occurrence among his followers such as it occurred
among his people:
'Let him exhibit prophets such as have spoken, not by human sense, but by the Spirit of
God, such as have predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart. Let
him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer, only let it be by the Spirit in an ecstacy, that is in a rapture,
whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him' (Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol.4,
Page 3310).
St.Augustine, the noted theologian, author of the famous 'City of God' wrote :
'We still do what the apostles did when they laid hands on the Samaritans and called down
the Holy Spirit on them by the laying on of hands. It is expected that converts should speak with
new tongues'.
Chrysostom, another of the early Church fathers wrote:
'Whoever was baptized in the apostolic days straightway spake with tongues, for since in
their coming over from idols, without any clear knowledge of training in the ancient Scriptures,
they at once received the Spirit; not that they saw the Spirit, for He is invisible, but God's grace
bestowed some sensible proof of his energy, and one straightway spoke in the Persian language,
another in the Roman, another in Indian, another in some other tongue, and this made manifest to
them that were without it, that it was the Spirit in the very person speaking. Wherefore, the apostle
calls it "the manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit withal".
Martin Luther :- In Souer's History of the Christian Church (Vol.3, Page 406), the following
statement is found:
'Dr.Martin Luther was a prophet , evangelist, speaker in tongues, and interpreter, in one
person, endowed with all the gifts of the Spirit'.
Francis Xavier, according to Schaff and The Catholic Encyclopaedia, had 'possessed a
remarkable exercise of the gift of tongues'.
Charles Finney writes the following of his own experience :
'As I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire I received a mighty baptism in the Holy
Ghost. Without an expectation of it, without ever having a thought in my mind that there was any
such thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended on me in a manner that
seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression like a wave of electricity
going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love, for I could not
express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it
seemed to fan me like immense wings. No words can express the wonderful love that was shed
abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy; and I do not know but I should say I literally bellowed
out unutterable gushings of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me. One
after another, until I recollect I cried out, 'I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me'. I said,
'Lord, I cannot bear any more', yet I had no fear of death. How long I continued in this state, with
this baptism continuing to roll over me and go through me, I do not know' (Finney's Autobiography
pp.20,21).
Days of D.L.Moody :- Trials and Triumphs of Faith by Rev.R.Boyd, D.D., (Page.402) states
:
"In the days of D.L.Moody - When I got to the rooms of the Young Men's Christian
Association, Victoria Hall, London, I found the meeting on fire. The young men were speaking
with tongues, prophesying. What on earth did it mean? Only that Moody had been addressing them
that afternoon. What manner of man is this ? I thought. .... I cannot describe Moody's great
meeting: I can only say that the people of Sunderland warmly supported the movement, in spite of
their local spiritual advisers."
F.B.Meyer, writing to 'The London Christian', states:
'It is very remarkable, at a time when the Lutheran Church of this land has lost its
evangelistic fervour and is inclined to substitute forms and rites for the living power of Christ, that
God raised up a devoted nobleman, Baron Uxhall, to 1 THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is Deity (God) and is distinct from the Father and the Son. He is the
third Person of the Godhead.
He is not just 'breath' or 'wind' or an 'active form' as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
HIS DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES
1. He is a Person :
The personal noun 'He' is used when reference is being made to the Holy Spirit, and
personal acts are also ascribed to Him.
'Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will shew you
things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you'
(Jn.16:13,14).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
2. He is co-equal with (Jehovah) God the Father:
We understand this when we read the following Scriptures side by side :
(i) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation ..." (Heb.3:7,8); (ii) "... (They) have tempted me now these ten
times..." (Num.14:22); and also (i) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21); (ii) "And he
(Jehovah) said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream" (Num.12:6).
3. He is equal in His creative powers with God the Father, and with the Son :
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job
33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our image ..."
(Gen.1:26).
4. He is omnipotent:
He is called 'the power of the Highest' (Lk.1:35). The apostle Paul says that Christ wrought
by him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by
the power of the Spirit of ur land and in some of our foreign missions. Many of these experiences
appear not only to be genuine, but accompanied by a spirit of deep humility and soberness, and free
from extravagance and error'.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1968 :- Vol.22 Page 75 under 'Gift of Tongues' states the
following:
'Tradition has it that the gift of tongues was found also among the early Quakers and
Shakers, as well as among the converts of John Wesley and George Whitefield; and St.Francis
Xavier and St.Vincent Ferrer are said to have possessed it'.



9 THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
The Holy Spirit takes the most significant place in the life of a believer, and in the ministry
of the Church which is the Body of Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ handed over all the
respon- sibility concerning the Church to the Holy Spirit and it is through the Holy Spirit that He
thereafter expressed Himself to the Church. He had told His disciples, that He would send another
Comforter in time, that He might abide with them for ever, and that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter,
would guide the Church into all truth and would reveal Christ to them. "And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (Jn.14:16). "Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come"
(Jn.16:13). It is 'through the Holy Ghost' that He gave 'commandments unto the apostles', He had
chosen (Acts 1:2).
Vast and manifold are the responsibilities and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
New Testa- ment Church. Let us study the ministry of the Spirit under three specific headings,
namely (i) in a believer, (ii) in the Church, and (iii) in the servants of God.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN A BELIEVER
1. Every born-again child of God is sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption:
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise" (Eph.1:13). In
one sense we are already redeemed as far as our soul is concerned, but the redemption of the body
is yet to take place. In Romans 8:23, St. Paul says, we who have received "the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemp- tion
of our body". And St. Peter says we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Pet.1:5).
2. The Holy Spirit indwells each Spirit-baptized believer:
'And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' (Jn.14:16,17).
'Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?' (I
Cor.3:16).
3. The Holy Spirit grants power to be witnesses of Jesus Christ:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
This power must be renewed from time to time through fervent prayer and waiting on the
Lord. In Acts chapter 4 we read about the multitude who really prayed in the time of persecution,
and in verse 33 we read that with great power the apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus.
4. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God:
 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God"
(Rom.8:16).
5. The Holy Spirit bears witness with the saints, of the resurrec- tion of Jesus Christ:
"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is
also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5:31,32).
6. The Holy Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body:
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds
of the body, ye shall live" (Rom.8:13).
7. The Holy Spirit quickens our mortal bodies:
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you"
(Rom.8:11). The Holy Spirit quickens the bodies of the saints when they are afflicted with sickness
and when they go through persecution for the sake of Christ.
8. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities:
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for
as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered" (Rom.8:26). In this connection, St. Paul clearly says that He prays in us and for us, for
because of manifold worries, we do not know how we should pray or what we should pray for. The
Holy Spirit, praying through us, lifts our burdens, quickens our spirit and helps us to pray together
with Him. This is called praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).
9. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us:
The Bible speaks of three kinds of sanctification namely, sanctification by the blood,
sanctification by the Word of God and sanctification by the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification by the Spirit is the sanctification that comes into the inner man through the
working of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says " ... that the offering up of the Gentiles might be
acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Rom.15:16).
10. The Holy Spirit comforts us:
In Acts chapter 9 verse 31, we read that the churches had "... rest throughout all Judaea and
Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of
the Holy Ghost were multiplied." The Holy Ghost is called the Comforter (Jn.16:7).
11. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth to every believer:
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things
to come" (Jn.16:13). The revelation of the truth is threefold. Firstly, the Spirit of God reveals the
truth to us from the Word of God; secondly, He guides us personally in the way we ought to go;
thirdly, He reveals the hidden mysteries to us. St. Paul says, in I Corinthians chapter 2: "But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (vs.9,10).
12. The Holy Spirit reveals the powers of the world to come:
Throughout the Bible we see God and His power revealed through mighty signs, wonders
and miracles. In writing to the Hebrews St. Paul says, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them
that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?" (2:3,4). And while speaking of
the awfulness of backsliding, he says: "... it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the
good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them
again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to them- selves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an
open shame" (6:4-6). 'Signs, wonders, miracles' signify the 'powers of the world to come'.
13. The Holy Spirit refreshes us:
One of the purposes and blessings of speaking in tongues, is to refresh the believer. In
Isaiah 28:11,12 we read, "For with stammering li1 THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is Deity (God) and is distinct from the Father and the Son. He is the
third Person of the Godhead.
He is not just 'breath' or 'wind' or an 'active form' as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
HIS DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES
1. He is a Person :
The personal noun 'He' is used when reference is being made to the Holy Spirit, and
personal acts are also ascribed to Him.
'Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak : and he will shew you
things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you'
(Jn.16:13,14).
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2).
2. He is co-equal with (Jehovah) God the Father:
We understand this when we read the following Scriptures side by side :
(i) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation ..." (Heb.3:7,8); (ii) "... (They) have tempted me now these ten
times..." (Num.14:22); and also (i) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Pet.1:21); (ii) "And he
(Jehovah) said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream" (Num.12:6).
3. He is equal in His creative powers with God the Father, and with the Son :
"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job
33:4).
"And God said, Let us (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) make man in our image ..."
(Gen.1:26).
4. He is omnipotent:
He is called 'the power of the Highest' (Lk.1:35). The apostle Paul says that Christ wrought
by him to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, "Through mighty signs and wonders, by
the power of the Spirit of ength comes from the Holy Spirit, for, as we read in Ephesians 3:16, we
are to be "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man".
The second reason why we must be strong in the inner man, is to resist Satan and to
overcome him. In writing to the believers at Ephesus, St. Paul says: "Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wicked- ness in high places" (6:10-12).
17. The Holy Spirit helps us to worship God in the Spirit:
Whilst speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus said, 'God is a Spirit; and they that worship
him, must worship him in spirit and in truth' (Jn.4:24). St. Paul, writing on another occasion to the
Philippians says, "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confi- dence in the flesh" (3:3). The Spirit-baptized believer is able to
bring his spirit under the control of the Holy Spirit, who enables him to come into God's presence.
18. The Holy Spirit introduces to us a higher law, called the law of the Spirit:
In writing to the Romans, St. Paul says, "There
 is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of sin and death" (8:1,2). This is the highest law under which there is no condemnation, or
bondage to the law of sin and death.
19. The Holy Spirit keeps the believer by His power, from falling:
St. Peter says that we are 'kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed in the last time' (I Pet.1:5). Many believe that once saved, a man is saved for ever, and
that he is eternally secure. But this teaching has no scriptural bearing because St. Paul says, "Now
the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we
are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul"
(Heb.10:38,39). He also points out here the possi-
bility of a person who backslides being lost completely, if he is careless. It is the Holy Spirit
Who keeps us from falling, until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH
1. The Holy Ghost baptizes all the believers into one body:
St. Paul says: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I
Cor.12:13).
2. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of the Spirit to every believer according to His will:
St. Paul says, "... the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man ('common' - in the
Original Tongue) to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another
the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts
of healing by the same spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will"
(I Cor.12:7-11). The Holy Spirit manifests Himself through the gifts of the Spirit and thus edifies
the Church, that it may grow to the very measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT IN
SERVANTS OF GOD
1. The Holy Spirit anoints His servants for their ministry and directs them:
At Antioch when certain prophets and teachers assembled together and were fasting and
praying, the Holy Ghost said, "... Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have
called them" (Acts 13:2). Exhorting the overseers of the churches, St. Paul says, "Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). In
the same chapter he says, " ... I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that
shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and
afflictions abide me" (vs. 22,23). Here it is clear that the Holy Spirit not only goes with the servants
of God, but also anoints them to preach the gospel and to minister to God. In Acts 10:38, we read:
"... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him".
2. The Holy Spirit gives messages to the ministers of God in order that they may in turn
give them to the Church :
All the messages in the Book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, were given directly to the
angels of the churches, that is, to the servants of the churches; and after each message, comes the
exhortation: 'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches'. This clearly
proves that it is the Holy Spirit Who gives the messages to the servants of God, that they may teach
them to the believers in the Church.