1. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
Pneumatology
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

2. Preliminary Thoughts
The Holy Spirit does not get a lot of discussion in the church or even in small group Bible Studies.
It is interesting to see that the Holy Spirit does not get a lot of discussion and yet it’s a part of the Trinity.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force
Muslims do not believe in the Holy Spirit.
Mormons believe the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.
What do orthodox (right believing) Christians believe about the Holy Spirit?

3. The Person of the Holy spirit
Third Person of the Trinity.
Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19
The Holy Spirit is not an “it” but a “he.”
The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1-4). Thus, he possesses divine attributes:
Eternal. Heb. 9:14
Omnipresent. Ps. 139:7-10
Omniscient. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

4. The Holy Spirit in the OT
Hebrew word ruah. Means “wind,” ”breath.”
Genesis 1:2, “ And the Spirit of the LORD hovered over the waters.”
Genesis 1:26, “Come let us make man in our own image.”
Numbers 11:29, “Would that all of the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD put his Spirit on them!”
Words of Yahweh are attributed to the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 6:9-10
Acts 28:25
Ps. 95
Heb. 3

5. The Holy Spirit in the OT
Roles of the Holy Spirit in the OT:
Empowerment
Joshua, Saul, David
He filled certain people for specific tasks in the Old Testament. Only at Pentecost would the Holy Spirit empower and indwell in God’s people.
Creation
Sustains the creative decrees

6. The Holy Spirit in the NT
Greek word pneuma. Means “wind,” “breath,”
In the New Testament, when Jesus talks about life he is not talking about “living things” but a particular quality of life or kind of life.
A spiritual life is what Jesus is referencing here. John 10:10
The Holy Spirit applies the work of redemption to the believers life
God the Father initiates the plan of redemption; Christ performed all that was necessary to effect our redemption and the Holy Spirit applies Christ’s work to us and makes it ours by imparting new life to dead souls.

7. The Holy Spirit in the NT
Regeneration – the act of God awakening spiritual life within us, bringing us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3
Two realities concerning man’s spiritual condition:
We’re dead!
We can’t save ourselves.

8. The Holy Spirit in the NT
The Holy Spirit works in us to awaken our hearts to spiritual life.
The Holy Spirit inspires the sacred Scriptures
The Holy Spirit also illuminates Scripture.
Illumination: Brings the truth of Scripture to the forefront.

9. The Holy Spirit in the NT
The Holy Spirit Teaches, Helps, Counsels, Encourages, Appoints to office
The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph. 4:30)
The Holy Spirit can be lied to (Acts 5)
The Holy Spirit can be resisted
The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (Matt. 12:22-32; Mark 3:29-30)

10. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
Four possible interpretations of this passage:
1. This sin could only be committed while Christ was on earth.
Problem: The context doesn’t fit this interpretation and it is so general it seems unlikely that this is meant just for the time when Jesus was on earth
2. Sin is unbelief that continues until the time of death; therefore, everyone who dies in unbelief has committed this sin.
Problem: The context doesn’t fit this interpretation either. What they have in view is a willful rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit.

11. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
3. Sin is serious apostasy by genuine believers, and that only those who are truly born again could commit this sin
4. Sin consists of unusually malicious, willful rejection and slander against the Holy Spirit’s work attesting to Christ, and attributing that work to Satan.

12. The Paraclete
John 14-16
Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete or parakletos in Greek.
Para – “alongside of”
Kletos – “to call”
Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spiriit is another comforter.
1 John 2:1, The Holy Spirit is another advocate
The Holy Spirit is sanctifier.

13. Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12-14
There’s a diversity of gifts, yet one body.

14. Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:16-26
Paul makes a comparison between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit
It’s fruit of the Spirit and not fruits of the Spirit. All of them are incorporated in the believers life.
Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.