The Holy Spirit in the New Testament: The Gospels

A while ago I spent some time reading through the entire New Testament looking for the Holy Spirit. Who is he? What did he do during Jesus' ministry? What did he do after Jesus' ministry? What is his role in the age of grace among believers? Non-believers? My interest in this study was relieving myself of any preconceived notions I may have had about who and what the Holy Spirit was all about. Except for looking up some Greek words occasionally, I tried not to use reference material of any sort. The ideas that follow are my own based almost exclusively on the New Testament text, mainly from the ESV translation. That also means I am open to being wrong. Trying to piece together a doctrine of the Holy Spirit from the wide array of books that make up the New Testament is difficult and certainly I have misconstrued some things. Respectful comments and reasoned arguments are always welcome. I am going to do this in parts, starting with what the Gospels have to say about the Holy Spirit.

The Gospels
Matthew 1:18 (also Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit (HS) conceived Jesus in Mary. Given that the HS is spirit, he is immaterial, with no body (Luke 24:39). That means this isn't and can't be physical sexual intercourse a la Mormonism (page 115, right column, 3rd paragraph). This immediately gives us a recognition of who the HS is when we compare these passages. The Matthew passage says that Mary was found with child from the HS while the Luke passage says that both the HS will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her. This equating of the HS with the Most High indicates that the HS is God given some Old Testament (OT) references that clue us in to whom the Most High is (Gen. 14:18-22; Deut 32:8; Psalm 9:2).

Matthew 3:11-12 (also Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16-17; John 1:33)
In these passages we find John the Baptist's comments about Jesus baptizing with the HS. Only Matthew and Luke say that Jesus will baptize with fire as well. The context bears out what this means. In both Matthew and Luke, John the Baptist says Jesus will gather the wheat into the barn the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. So, if you are baptized with the HS, you are "wheat" that will be gathered into the barn, while if you are not baptized with the HS, you are "chaff" that will be burnt with unquenchable fire. This seems to comport with the OT (Isa 17:13; 66:24; Jer 13:24; 15:7, etc.).We'll come back to this point in a minute. Some other observations are in order first. This seems to indicate that water baptism is a lesser baptism than HS baptism. It also seems as though Jesus is directing the HS, which raises a few questions. Namely: Does this mean our equating the HS with God as we did above is incorrect? Is the HS not God, but subordinate in deity to the Father and the Son and thus, directed by their will? Is the HS God, but functionally subordinate in some way like the Son submits to the Father concerning the cross even though the Son is fully God? (I will answer these questions as we go through the NT, but I want to be open to hearing what the text says, not what I think it says.)
Let's go back to the Baptism in the HS. This raises some serious issues if you are a Pentecostal/Charismatic. Traditionally, Pentecostals (article 11 in the link) have seen the Baptism in the HS as a second act of grace subsequent to the initial infilling of the HS at the salvation moment (when people generally say the sinner's prayer in order to be saved). This means that Pentecostals believe that this baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is different than the salvation experience, but could be concurrent with it. Pentecostals believe that the initial evidence for the Baptism in the HS is speaking in tongues, which they differentiate from the gift of tongues from 1 Corinthians 12:10 that is only for some believers as the HS gifts them. This Baptism in the HS gives a believer the ability to operate in the HS's gifts as enumerated in 1 Cor. 12:8-11. Charismatics, though not holding to a single doctrine of the Baptism in the HS, generally believe all of this except that the initial evidence of this baptism could be a wide array of things, not only tongues. Again, there are questions that the Gospel passages bring to the forefront. If the individuals who are not baptized in the HS are chaff that will be burned with unquenchable fire (they will go to hell), how is it that the Pentecostal Baptism in the HS is a second act of grace that is not necessary for salvation? These don't seem to go together.
Defenders of this doctrine point to John 20:22 and Acts 1:5 and 2:1-4. The apostles received the HS from the breath of Jesus in the upper room at the end of John's Gospel, but then are told they will be baptized with (or in) the HS not many days from now in the beginning of Acts. They will say that the John passage is salvation, while the Acts passage is the Baptism in the HS. People who object to this doctrine say the same thing about the John passage, it was the salvation experience for the apostles, but they differ on the Acts passage pointing to Peter's speech in Acts 2:17-18 that says the falling of the HS is fulfilled prophecy from Joel and therefore, is a unique experience that inaugurated the church. The objectors will say that no one has this sort of experience today, only the filling of the HS when people are saved (like the apostles in the upper room, we are "breathed on", so to speak, by Jesus). I think both of these are wrong.
I think both of these events in the apostles lives were unique. In John 20:22 Jesus breathed on the apostles, but the apostles still didn't understand the full impact of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection until they were baptized in the HS at Pentecost. This makes the objectors to the Pentecostal doctrine incorrect in saying that the apostles received the fullness of the HS in the upper room. If they did have all of the HS, why did they not start evangelizing with a clear understanding until Pentecost? As far as the day of Pentecost experience, I think that was unique as well. It was the inauguration of the body of Christ, the Church, being sealed by the HS. It was the transition between covenants. Clearly this was a unique event. If we consider John the Baptist's words in the Gospels about Jesus' baptism with the HS, this was necessary for the salvation of the apostles. But then that begs the question of what exactly the upper room experience was. This leads me to the conclusion that these were both unique experiences. The danger lies in thinking that we can use the apostles experiences as a strict model for what should happen to us. Acts itself has a number of different ways that people are saved and filled with the HS, both with and without tongues. In the next installment of this series I will address Acts in more detail with a comprehensive look at all of the passages dealing with salvation and filling of the HS. In the meantime, let me just say that I think any number of things could happen to an individual concurrent with salvation or after salvation. I also don't think there is just one experience to be had, what Pentecostals and Charismatics would generally call the Baptism in the HS, by believers. There is always more of the HS to be filled and empowered with as Paul says in Ephesians 5:18: "but be filled with the Spirit". As we continue through the NT we will encounter some other passages that deal with being filled with the HS after conversion.

Matthew 3:16 (also Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32)
After Jesus is baptized, the Spirit of God descends on him like a dove. What spirit is this? Matthew says Spirit of God; Mark says Spirit; Luke says Holy Spirit; John says Spirit. Putting all these together we can see that this is the HS and that he is God. Jesus is unique, so I am not going to try to draw any conclusions about the Baptism in the HS debate above from his baptism by water and receiving the HS.

Matthew 4:1 (also Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1-2)
This is Jesus' temptation period. The text says he was led or drove by the HS into the desert. This is our first indication, of many more to come, that Jesus was dependent on the HS during his ministry on Earth. In some way this serves as an example for us. That we should be as reliant on the HS's guidance as Jesus was on Earth, though we can never obtain the perfection of submission that Christ did due to our imperfect lives.

Matthew 10:20 (also Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12)
In the context of persecution, Jesus tells the apostles not to worry about what to say (v. 19) because the Spirit of the Father will speak through them. Though this was said specifically to the apostles, I think this could be for all believers based on the fact that Jesus was sending them out (v. 5) and he has also sent us out (28:19). Also, in the Luke passage, Jesus is discussing "everyone who acknowledges me" (v. 8), not just the apostles.

Matthew 12:18-21
Matthew quotes from Isaiah 42:1-3. This passage says that God will put his Spirit upon his servant to do three things: proclaim justice to the Gentiles, bring justice to victory, and bring hope to the Gentiles. This is another passage that points to Christ's reliance on the HS during his earthly ministry.

Matthew 12:28
Jesus casts out demons by the Spirit of God. Yet another passage about Jesus' empowerment by the HS.

Matthew 12:31-32 (also Mark 3:29-30; Luke 12:10)
The blasphemy of the HS is outlined. It will not be forgiven. It is unclear to me exactly what this blasphemy is. Blasphemy by definition is the speaking profanely of God. The Mark passage's context is that of the scribes accusing Jesus of casting out demons by Satan's power. So it would seem that the blasphemy of the HS is not recognizing the HS actions.

Matthew 22:43
Jesus hints at the inspiration of the scriptures by saying that David wrote a Psalm in the Spirit.

Matthew 28:19
The Great Commission says that we should baptize people in the name of all three members of the Trinity including the HS. This may indicate their equality within the Godhead.

Luke 1:15
John the Baptist will be filled with the HS from the womb. This is an indication that he is a prophet.

Luke 1:41-43
Mary visits Elizabeth. John the Baptist jumps in the womb in the presence of Jesus (in Mary's womb). Elizabeth is then filled with the HS and acknowledges Jesus as Lord.

Luke 1:67
Zechariah filled with HS and prophesies.

Luke 2:25-27
Simeon filled with HS and knew that the baby Jesus was the Messiah. The OT saw the HS as the Spirit of prophecy in particular. These 4 examples show that idea in practice as all of these characters were prophets and/or prophesied when filled with the HS.

Luke 4:14, 18
Another indication that Jesus used the HS in his ministry. He began his ministry in the power of the Spirit.

Luke 10:21
Even in praise of God, Jesus was operating in the HS.

Luke 11:13
In the context of friends and fathers giving gifts, Jesus says that the Father will give the HS to those who ask him. Jesus is comparing us, who are evil, giving good gifts, with the Father, who is perfectly good giving the greatest gift of all, the HS. This would have been a radical idea to the Jews hearing this. In their view, only kings and prophets got the HS, but now Jesus is saying that anyone who asks can have the HS. While many Pentecostals will use this verse as a prooftext of the Baptism in the HS, there is no mention of this baptism in this passage.

Luke 24:49
Jesus says he is sending the promise of the Father so the disciples can be clothed with power. This is directly connected to the beginning of Acts (1:5, 8; 2:33) where the HS descends on the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus says this is so they can have power to witness (Acts 1:8).

John 3:34
Akin to the Luke 11:13 passage, Jesus will give the Spirit without measure. Here we have an equating of Jesus and the Father. Notice that they are both sending the Spirit apparently. At least in function it appears that the HS is subordinate to the Son and the Father.

John 6:63
After Jesus tells people that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life (v. 35-59), the disciples are confused. Jesus says it is the Spirit who gives life, not the flesh. I think he is correcting them in their thinking that they actually had to eat his flesh and drink his blood physically to have eternal life. He is not speaking literally here. This would discount the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.

John 7:37-39
Jesus says if you thirst, come to me and drink. Those who do will have rivers of living water flowing from their heart. In v. 39 John says that is the Spirit. Those who believe will get it after Jesus is glorified. Based on this passage, Jesus isn't glorified fully until he ascends to the throne (Acts 1:9). Then the HS is poured out on believers (Acts 2ff). This means the John 20:22 passage where Jesus breathes on the apostles in the upper room was unique and not a model for every believer. This further strains the Pentecostal Baptism in the HS doctrine because the upper room experience is seen as salvation before the baptism. But it seems to me that this is clearly one-of-a-kind because the HS wasn't given until Christ's glorification.

John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15
The HS is called the Helper which the Father gives to believers when Jesus asks him to. The world cannot receive him. He will teach us all things and bring to remembrance all of Jesus' teachings. The Helper will also bear witness about Christ. When Jesus goes away the Helper will come and he will: convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, guide believers into truth, won't speak on his own authority, and will glorify Christ by declaring what is his. These passages together portray the HS as being directed by the Father and the Son, but also as continuing the Son's work that was started during his ministry (proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven). This further helps us to understand that the HS is God, but functionally he is acting in submission to the Father and the Son even though he is equal in nature.

This concludes the Gospel portion of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Next time I will cover Acts all by itself. The Book of Acts has quite a bit to say about the actions of the HS and we will continue to look at the Pentecostal Baptism in the Holy Spirit doctrine.