Dr Paul Allen

Introduction The Holy Spirit is universally recognized by Christians as the third person of the Trinity—eternal, divine, and sharing God's attributes. His role spans creation, salvation, and sanctification. While Christians agree on the Spirit's work in inspiring Scripture, they differ on the extent and nature of his involvement in the world and in personal salvation. Biblical Survey of the Holy Spirit Old Testament The term rûaḥ refers to the Spirit of God, signifying wind, breath, or divine life. The Spirit empowered individuals like Bezalel (for craftsmanship), prophets, judges, and kings (e.g., Saul and David) for specific tasks. The Spirit’s presence was occasional and task-specific, not permanent for most individuals. New Testament The Gospels : The Spirit is central to Jesus' life—from his conception to baptism, ministry, death, and resurrection. He empowers Jesus for miracles and ministry. Acts : The Holy Spirit descends at Pentecost, initiating the church's gl...

When we focus all of our attention on the flesh of Jesus either by a statue etc, then the real significance of Jesus is missed, and the kinds of objections raised both by ‘the Jews’ and by ostensible disciples quickly surface - namely eat my body and drink my blood when misunderstood becomes a misdirection. But if flesh does not give life, what does? One of the clearest characteristics of the Spirit in the Old Testament is the giving of life (e.g. Gn. 1:2; Ezk. 37:1ff.; cf. Barrett, HSGT, pp. 18–23).  The Spirit gives life.  Jesus says in John 6:63 - the words I have spoken to you are spirit (i.e. they are the product of the life-giving Spirit ) and they are life (i.e. Jesus’ words, rightly understood and absorbed, generate life —5:24). To feed on Christ is to feed on Christ’s words, enabled by the Holy Spirit.  Before I was unregenerate unable to hear or understand jesus words and the Spirit gave me life now I can understand and consume Jesus word giving me life Carson...

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire - Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist often spoke about the baptism of the Spirit. He continually emphasized that once the Messiah arrived, He would baptize His followers with the Holy Spirit. In all probability, the people of that day had no idea what it meant to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. They may have had ideas, but nobody knew exactly what John meant. Jesus did not speak about the baptism of the Holy Spirit until He prepared to ascend into heaven: “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’ ” (Acts 1:4—5). In these verses, Jesus equates the baptism o...

English: Job's Sons and Daughters Overwhelmed by Satan, by William Blake. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) It is in such a book as Job that many suffering souls will find consolation and sustaining, and this because no attempt is made to explain the why of suffering, but rather an expression is given to suffering which leaves one with the inspiration of an explanation in the final issue. The problem in connection with suffering arises from the fact that there is seemingly no explanation of it. To say that Job was perfected by means of his sufferings is begging the question, for Job was perfect in moral and religious equipment before suffering touched his life. “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that . . . escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8). Job suffered “according to the will of God”; he never knew the preface to his story. Verses 6-12 are a record of the supernatural; there is nothing familiar to our minds in them....