Sheol; neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption" (Ps.
16:10).
(2) _His ascension was also a subject of prophecy_. "Thou hast ascended
on high, thou hast led away captives; thou hast received gifts among
men, yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with
them" (Ps. 68:18).
(3) _His coronation is foretold and described._ "I saw in the night
visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto
a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought
him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13, 14).
The above are only a few of the many predictions made by the Holy Spirit
as to the character, life, sacrifice and dominion of our Lord. We notice
now the work of the Spirit in, upon and through him.
1. HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph,
before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit"
(Matt. 1: 18). "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy
Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall
overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall
be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35).
2. HE WAS ANOINTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto
him and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon
him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:16, 17). "And it came to pass in
those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized
of John in the Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he
saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon
him: and a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son, in
thee I am well pleased" (Mark 1:9-11). "Now it came to pass, when all
the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized and
praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a
bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou
art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21, 22). "And
John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove
out of heaven; and it abode upon him, and I knew him not: but he that
sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt
see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that
baptizeth in the Holy Spirit" (John 1: 32, 33).
3. HE WAS LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matt. 4:1). "And
straightway the Spirit driveth him forth into the wilderness" (Mark
1:12). "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan,
and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness" (Luke 4:1).
4. HE WROUGHT MIRACLES BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "But if I by the Spirit of
God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you" (Matt.
12:28). "But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the
kingdom of God come upon you" (Luke 11:20).
5. HE OFFERED HIMSELF UP THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. "How much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:14).
6. HE WAS RAISED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ
Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through
his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11). "Who was declared to be
the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4).
7. HE GAVE THE COMMISSION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. "The former treatise I
made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to
teach, until the day in which he was received up, after that he had
given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had
chosen" (Acts 1:1, 2).
8. HIS ASCENSION AND CORONATION WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
"Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this,
which you see and hear" (Acts 2:33). "Let all the house of Israel
therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2:36).
Thus the Spirit predicted the coming of Jesus and the great facts of his
birth, baptism, anointing, miracles, death, burial and resurrection,
ascension and coronation, and then came from the Father to carry on the
work of extending his kingdom. In the light of this testimony we can
truly say with Paul in 2 Cor. 12:3: "Wherefore I make known unto you,
that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema: and
no man can say, Jesus is Lord, _but in the Holy Spirit_."
"I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the
world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept
thy word. Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me
are from thee: for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto
them; and they received them, and know of a truth that I came forth from
thee, and they believe that thou didst send me.... While I was with
them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded
them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the
scripture might be fulfilled.... I have given them thy word; and the
world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them from the world, but
that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one" (John 17:6-8, 12, 14,
15).
VI
THE SPIRIT AND THE APOSTLES
In interpreting Scripture, attention should be paid not only to the
speaker and his message, but also to the parties addressed. There are
passages that are universal in their application, others that are
national, and still others that are addressed to individuals only. Many
promises are addressed to children of God only, and do not apply to
those who are not citizens of Christ's kingdom. Again, there are
commands that are addressed solely to men in a state of condemnation,
and have no relevancy when applied to the children of God. Christ
uttered many things to his chosen ambassadors, chosen to establish his
kingdom on earth, which were never intended to be applied to any others.
It is a mistake for the Christian of to-day to make _universal_,
promises that were intended by our Lord for special individuals. It
confuses the whole scheme of redemption and makes a mystery out of
Scriptures that are perfectly clear when proper limitations are made.
Things addressed to a chosen few have been wrongly applied to all and
great confusion has resulted therefrom. It is my purpose in this chapter
to notice some of these.
The fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of John contain a
record of a private talk by our Lord to the twelve, and to _them alone_.
Jesus was approaching the close of his earthly ministry. He had chosen
his apostles, and they had left all to follow him. He had eaten, slept
and companied with them. He had taught them the great truths upon which
his kingdom would be founded. They had learned to depend upon him for
advice, instruction, comfort and guidance. They confessed this when they
said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life."
He was soon to leave them, and knew that they would feel that they were
"as sheep without a shepherd." He wishes them to know that they should
not be left orphaned. He tells them, "I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you _another_ Comforter that he may abide with you for ever,"
or to the remotest age. That is, as long as you shall have need of him.
The Greek word translated "for ever" does not necessarily mean unlimited
duration. It is often applied to much shorter periods, even to a
lifetime.
The word "Comforter" is a translation from the Greek word _Paracletos_,
and it is a very inadequate translation. There is no word within my
knowledge that will fully express in English the Greek word. It is much
better to Anglicize the word into the English "Paraclete." This word is
used of the Holy Spirit only four times in the New Testament, and is
only used by the Saviour in his private address to the twelve, found in
the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of John. It is never
applied to the work of the Holy Spirit in relation to mankind in
general. It is promised only to the chosen, and Jesus tells them that
_the world_ can not receive "him."
This Paraclete is a distinct gift to the twelve, to take the place of
the personal presence and guidance of the leader who is preparing to
leave them.
What is the nature of this promised one? By examining the lexicons we
find that Paraclete is:
1. One called or sent to assist another.
2. One who pleads the cause of another.
3. A monitor.
4. An instructor.
5. A guide.
6. A helper.
7. A supporter.
8. A comforter.
Of this Paraclete Jesus says:
1. Whom the world _can not receive_.
2. He dwelleth with _you_ and shall be in _you_.
3. He shall teach _you_ all things.
4. He shall bring all things to _your_ remembrance whatsoever I have
spoken unto _you_.
5. He shall testify of me.
6. He shall convict the world of sin.
7. He shall convict the world of righteousness.
8. He shall convict the world of judgment.
9. He shall guide _you_ into all truth.
10. He shall show _you_ things to come.
11. He shall receive of mine and show it _unto you_.
Here we have eleven distinct things that the Paraclete is to do for the
apostles.
All these offices of the Paraclete were needed by the apostles in their
work of proclaiming Christianity and establishing the church. They were
ignorant and unlearned, humanly speaking, and could never have gone
forth to success without this supernatural Paraclete. They took no
thought what they should say, for it was given them at the proper time.
Others have to take thought. Paul tells Timothy to "study to show
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth." Timothy had to study because he did
not possess the Paraclete. Yet Timothy did possess the gift of the
Spirit. "For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up
the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands" (2
Tim. 1:6).
Men to-day are required to study that they may know what to say. A
failure to observe this exhortation of the apostle is the reason why a
great many do not know what to say. The Paraclete was not only an
instructor, but he was an infallible guide. This is evident from the
fact that no apostle ever contradicted another nor said anything
foolish. I never heard a man of to-day lay claim to being guided "into
all truth by the Spirit," who did not say something foolish in the next
five minutes. If any man claims the direct guidance of the Spirit
to-day, he can not consistently deny that same claim to others. But we
have all sorts of men teaching all sorts of doctrines, often
contradicting each other. Does the Spirit guide one man to preach up
Universalism and another man to preach it down! The same is true of
Calvinism, Mormonism or any other ism.
This teaching places the Spirit in a very unenviable position, that of
preaching four or five different teachings at the same time, each
within a half-mile of the other. Suppose a preacher were to do that!
What would the people think of him? It would ruin the reputation of any
preacher in Christendom. There is something wrong, and that something is
_to apply to the world_ the promise of the Paraclete, which was _only
given to the apostles_.
Paul tells Timothy: "The things thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to
teach others also." Was that not an impertinence in Paul if Timothy had
the same divine leading as he? Was it not impertinence in Jude to say
that the faith was "once for all delivered to the saints," if there were
deliverances being constantly made? What need to preach the gospel to
the heathen world if God is directly leading men into the truth? What
need for a New Testament if all men possess this Paraclete? How can one
man deny the claims of another whom he admits to be divinely guided into
all truth?
Some have thought that Christ bestowed the Paraclete upon the apostles
when he breathed upon them and said: "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." At
best that was a prophetic and not an actual bestowal, for after that
onbreathing we find Peter (Acts I) calling upon the assembly of brethren
to _take a vote_ as to who should succeed Judas in the apostolic
college. If he had possessed the Paraclete at that time, he would not
have been compelled to resort to the judgment of his brethren to
determine such a question. Moreover, Christ indicated when the Paraclete
would come, by stating the work that would follow his coming: "_When he
is come_ he shall convict the world [age] of sin, of righteousness and
of judgment." How did he do this?
1. His first act at his coming was to baptize the apostles in the Spirit
and endow them with the Paraclete. "Ye shall be baptized in the Holy
Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5).
2. When the Spirit baptized these apostles with divine guidance he began
his work of convicting the world through them.
(1) _To convict the world of sin_. Not of sin in general. It is a
mistaken idea that the Spirit is sent to personally convict a man of the
sin of lying, stealing or defrauding his neighbor. When I was a boy in
old Kentucky the colored people used to hold great revivals; they
generally selected corn-planting-time or harvest-time for these
meetings. Many of them would lie for days in a cataleptic condition,
which, they said, was a "conviction of the Spirit." A man would go
groaning and moping to his task because he was "under conviction of the
Holy Ghost." The above passage teaches nothing of the kind, nor does any
other passage in the New Testament teach it. There is not a case in the
New Testament where the Holy Spirit ever made an issue with a man to
personally convict him of sin. All men are convicted of sin by the
Spirit, but it is the Spirit working through the preaching of
Spirit-filled men. "And he, when he is come, will convict the world [the
Jewish world or age] in respect of sin, because they _believe not on
me_." They called him a blasphemer, they rejected him, they took him
with wicked hands and crucified and slew him; and the first thrust of
the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was at this sinful act of the world:
"This same Jesus whom ye took with wicked hands and crucified and slew,
God hath raised him up and made him both Lord and Christ."
(2) "_Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no
more_." If this passage teaches that men are individually convicted of
sin, it also teaches that they are individually convicted of
righteousness, and this would be a most herculean task, even for the
Spirit, to perform. It is a contradiction of terms to say that the
Spirit convicts a man of sin, then, in the next breath, that he convicts
the same man of righteousness. And yet, the Spirit was to convict men
"of righteousness"; but whose righteousness? _The righteousness of Jesus
Christ_. "Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me
no more." When Jesus was on earth he claimed to be the Son of God; he
claimed to come down from heaven; he claimed to be God manifest in the
flesh; but, at the same time, he was a "man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief." "There was no beauty that we should desire him." On this
account the Jews refused to accept him as the Son of God; they denied
his claim to divinity and called him a blasphemer for making himself
equal with God; they believed that he was unrighteous in making that
claim, and Jesus died because his claims were not accepted by his
people; but after his death he was crowned with glory and honor at the
right hand of the Majesty on high, and the Spirit came to demonstrate
the righteous claims Jesus made while on earth. The Spirit came to
convict men of the righteousness of Christ, and not their own
righteousness. A simple illustration will probably throw light upon this
thought. Forty years ago my father lived in a little village in the
State of Illinois, midway between St. Louis and Indianapolis. One
afternoon two young lads, covered with dust and toilworn, came to his
house and told him they were sons of an elder of a Christian Church in
Indiana; that they had been robbed in St. Louis, and were making their
way home on foot; they asked for something to eat. My father doubted
their claims; he felt that they were impostors; but my mother, who had
boys of her own out in the world, and who always believed the best of
everybody, said: "We will feed them and care for them during the night."
Their wants were supplied, and they were given lodging for the night,
and sent on their way the next morning with a good lunch for the day.
Six months afterward, I preached in Monroe County, Indiana, and,
stopping with one of the elders of the church, two young lads were
introduced to me as his boys. They asked me if my father lived in
Illinois. I told them he did. They then recounted their experience at my
father's home, and said to me: "We would be glad when you return home if
you will tell your father that you stopped at our house, and that you
know we were what we claimed to be when we sought his aid." When I
returned to my father's home I convicted him of the righteousness of
those boys in the claim which they set forth, and which he had hitherto
doubted. In a similar manner the Spirit of God came down to convict the
world, that had rejected the claims of Jesus, of his righteousness in
making those claims.
(3) _He will convict the world of judgment, because the "prince of this
world is judged_." This passage does not say, as many preachers quote
it, "of judgment _to come_," but "of judgment, because the prince of
this world is judged." This Scripture is often quoted to show that a
judgment was pronounced upon Satan, who is often called the prince of
this world. The word for prince in the original is used thirty-seven
times--thirty-two times it clearly means an earthly ruler, and five
times it may apply to Satan. There is no reason why the expression, "the
prince of this world," may not mean an earthly ruler. It evidently
refers to Pontius Pilate, in John 14:30, when Jesus says: "The prince of
this world cometh, and he hath nothing in me." Pilate justifies that
statement when he says: "I find no fault in this man." Nevertheless, as
prince of this world, he pronounced the death-sentence and delivered him
up to be crucified. This was the judgment of the prince of this world,
but the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost reversed this
judgment and pronounced a righteous judgment in its place, thus judging
Pilate "the prince of this world." The above three things were
accomplished on the day of Pentecost by the coming of the Spirit. The
Jews were convicted of sin in rejecting and crucifying Christ; they were
also convicted of the righteousness of Christ in claiming to be the Son
of God, and likewise convinced that God had raised up Jesus and made him
both Lord and Christ. In accomplishing this work the Spirit did it
through the instrumentality of gospel preaching, and all subsequent
convictions of sin, of righteousness and of judgment have been
accomplished through the same agency, and will be till the end of time.
This Paraclete continued with the apostles till the end of their
ministry, guiding, leading, and showing them "things to come," bringing
all things to their remembrance that Christ had spoken unto them. Under
this direct and supernatural control they preached the gospel to all the
nations of the earth, and established the church with all its officers,
ordinances, privileges and duties. They wrote the epistles to the
churches and gave to mankind the New Testament, "the perfect law of
liberty." The work of the Paraclete being finished, and his mission
ended, no man has been guided, shown and directed personally by him
since. God does no unnecessary work, and the work of the Paraclete is
not necessary now. His work remains in the teachings and lives of the
apostles. There are many things in the above-mentioned chapters that
rightfully have a universal application, but the special promises
concerning the Paraclete are not included in those things.
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity
captive, And gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some to be apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of
ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all
attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:8, 11-13).
VII
THE SPIRIT AND THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
That the Holy Spirit sustained a relation to the apostolic church that
it does not sustain to the church of to-day is clearly evident to the
student of the Divine Word. The church of the apostolic age had no New
Testament as we have to-day. Hence the necessity of a more direct and
immediate leading than is necessary to-day. The apostle Paul states the
difference between the two when he says: "For we know in part, and we
prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is
in part shall be done away." This is not a contrast between the
imperfections of our day and the perfection of heaven, but between the
imperfection of the apostolic church and the perfection of the church of
to-day. That which is perfect _has come_; a perfect revelation of
Christian character, a perfect gospel, a perfect "law of liberty," a
perfect New Testament. The apostolic church was limited to knowing _in
part_ and prophesying _in part_. "But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given
through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of
knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another faith, in the same
Spirit; to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another
workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another
discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to
another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh the one and
the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will" (1 Cor.
12:7-11).
Now, here was manifestly a condition in the first churches that does not
exist to-day. Here are various direct and supernatural workings that are
manifestations of spiritual power resulting from a direct _gift of the
Spirit_ to members of apostolic churches. Now, there was a purpose to
be accomplished by this special gift of the Spirit. In the fourth
chapter of Ephesians the apostle tells us the purpose of this gift. "And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; _for_ the perfecting of the saints, _for_
the work of the ministry, _for_ the edifying of the body of Christ:
_Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God_." This gift of the Spirit accompanied the baptism of the
Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
This brings us to a very-interesting question; viz., Was the promise of
the "gift of the Holy Spirit," referred to by Peter on the day of
Pentecost, a universal one to all who obey the gospel, or was it limited
to those of the apostolic church who received it that they might
manifest it in a supernatural way "to profit withal," or to the profit
of all?