142 – The Holy Spirit – His Coming on the Day of Pentecost

SEMESTER 3

142 – The Holy Spirit – His Coming on the Day of Pentecost

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY III LESSON # 42
THE HOLY SPIRIT   (HIS COMING ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST)

 INTRODUCTION:

1. To hear some teachers talk, we might think the Holy Ghost was born on the day of Pentecost like the manner of Christ’s incarnation.
2. You might, also, think His work is confined to “instant replays” of His Pentecostal activity.
3. Such an opinion indicates neither knowledge of, nor Bible study about the Holy Spirit.

III: You may be sure, that the more one talks of Him, the less they know of Him.

I. HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND PRE-PENTECOSTAL MINISTRY

1. He was eternally existent with the Father and the Son. (Gen. 1:2, Neh. 9:20, Ps. 51:11, Isa. 63:10, II Pet. 1:21)
2. All but Gen. 1:2 of the above passages, would establish His pre-Pentecos­tal work with man.

II. HIS PENTECOSTAL APPEARANCE WAS ONLY IN A SPECIFIC CAPACITY

1. This was a special ministry to the believer, like Christ’s personal ministry had been.
2. This explains:

i. Why Christ said He would send Him.
ii. Why He would not come, except Christ went away.

3. It is thought by many that He was the anti-type of the Shekinah glory. Read Num. 9:15-22 and II Chro. 7:1-3 and consider this possibility.
4. The Pentecostal coming was the fulfillment of prophecy. (Joel 2:28, Mat. 3:11)

i. Some consider it the total fulfillment of Joel 2:28.
ii. Some consider it only a token of a dispensation begun at the cross.
iii. Some consider it a partial fulfillment of a dual prophecy. (Zech. 12:9-11, Zech. 13:8-9 and Rom. 11:26)

5. He came on Pentecost to empower the church (institutional). (Acts 1:4-8)
6. He came as an abiding comforter and teacher of believers. (Jn. 14:16-17, I Jn. 2:20 and 27)

i. He came to be with men before Pentecost.
ii. He came to be in believers after Pentecost.

6. He came to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. (Jn. 16:8-11) This should be seen as convicting work, not the work of regeneration. Both are equally real, but not to be confused.

III. THIS COMING WAS DISPENSATIONAL, NOT INDIVIDUAL

1. That is to say, it was a onetime event, for the entire church age.
2. The notion that each believer should seek a personal Pentecost is non-biblical foolishness.
3. Acts 10:44-47 was an extension of, not a repetition of, Pentecost.

IV. THE HOLY GHOST NOW ENTERS EVERY BELIEVER AT CONVER­SION

1. He is in us a perpetual out-flowing stream. (Jn. 7:38-39)
2. All who are Christ’s have the Holy Ghost. (Rom. 8:9)
3. We receive Him by, and at the time of saving faith. (Gal. 3:2)
4. He is sent into our hearts on the basis of sonship. (Gal. 4:6)
5. We are sealed by Him until the day of redemption. (Eph. 1:13 and Eph. 4:30)

V. THUS, WE ARE NOT TO SEEK THE PRESENCE OR THE BAPTISM

1. To seek the “Baptism of the Holy Ghost” is to display biblical ignorance of what it was to be.

III: It is like praying that Christ would be “lifted up.”

2. To seek His presence is a statement of doubt, concerning Christ’s promise.
3. We are to seek His fullness, and that, by seeking to constantly be empty of self.
4. We should pray, not to be the possessor of His power, but the instrument of it.

(I gladly acknowledge that the basic structure of this outline is the work of T. P. Simmons.)