More thoughts on the Holy Spirit
Manifestations are His to give, while the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us reassures
I wrote my first thoughts on the Holy Spirit based on a friend’s observation of confusing and conflicting representations of the Holy Spirit amongst Christians.
In my aspiration to be a scribe, I offered scriptural support for the reassurance that the Holy Spirit will be given to all those who believe in Jesus Christ. We can take this on faith. I also proposed that a lot of our confusion around the Holy Spirit is in how He is made manifest in those who believe.
My friend and I have continued our discussion, confirming that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is, in fact, the source of her confusion. She has given me permission to share from our discussion (I have made some edits to her precise words while trying to stay faithful to her meaning):
The subjectivity regarding the Holy Spirit's actions that can sometimes be present in Christian circles can be problematic and perpetuates doubt and insecurity.
I think people mistake emotions for Holy Spirit. Look at church services in certain denominations: when the music crescendos, people are all of a sudden “moved by the Spirit.” People are speaking in tongues, and proclaiming that “the Spirit is moving. I can feel it.” Obviously I can't say the Holy Spirit is not acting, but it seems doubtful that the Spirit functions mainly at the rhythm of music in a church service.
Another example comes to mind when a doubting friend as a child went to a church service where people were apparently speaking in tongues. As an experiment she started speaking total gibberish to see what would happen. What resulted is that the people were “moved by the Spirit” and started proclaiming “Yes, Lord!” to what my friend was saying.
Observations like these are confusing for me. I analyze everything. I wish I didn't. But when there is so much subjectivity in the faith, I struggle with knowing what is *actually* true. Small untruths sprinkled in the midst of truths. This is the hardest information for me to weed through. I feel like I have to be on guard all the time.
I don't know if I am looking at this from the wrong angle or not (very possible), but this aspect of the faith is not making sense. In any given group, the Spirit can be leading multiple people in different directions, and they claim, “God spoke to me and said…” I know we are supposed to compare what we believe the Spirit is saying to what is in Scripture. Yet, interpretations of Scripture can even vary to support what the person is feeling they are led to do. It gets messy.And if believers believe what is in Scripture as they say they do, why the need to conjure so many emotions and fake experiences?
I am just so plagued by doubt when I see these things. It just doesn't make sense.
I love her honest appraisal. Her observations support the recent findings I shared, from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University in their American Worldview Inventory, that the worldview of most American “Christians” is actually Syncretism, a “fusion of disparate ideologies, beliefs, behaviors, and principles culled from a variety of competing worldviews into a customized blend.” Bluntly, I believe most American Christians are suffering from Biblical illiteracy, leaving them confused as they attempt to practice this faith and confusing others in the process.
That is my testimony. I called myself a Christian but had never read the Bible. When I did, I realized I had made up my own religion. When I finally started reading the Bible, I was convicted by the advice to never read more about it than actually read it. Without knowing its contents, we are vulnerable to false teaching, and deceptive experiences and practices.
In contemplating my friend’s desire to discern when the Holy Spirit is truly made manifest, I returned to Blue Letter Bible and the 93 instances of “Holy Spirit” I found in the New American Standard Bible. Once again, I advise you not to take my word for this, but to do your own prayerful search and study.
Jesus taught before His death, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26), and “when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a). He also taught, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12).
Jesus taught after His resurrection and before His ascension into heaven, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). From these teachings of Jesus, we can understand the Holy Spirit as a Teacher who guides us into all truth and who enables us to witness of Jesus.
This ability to witness to others of Jesus is precisely what occurred on the day of Pentecost, after Christ’s resurrection, when His followers were gathered together: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:4). A crowd gathered and testified, “we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God,” and asked, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:11-12). Peter explained that Jesus, “having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:33). The crowd’s response to Peter’s explanation of Jesus (Acts 2:14-36) was, “‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37b-38). “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41).
Peter and John were arrested in the temple after this, for “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2b). After a night in jail, they were questioned, threatened by the Council of religious leaders, and commanded “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18b). When they gathered again with their companions, they prayed, “‘Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31).
The apostles got arrested after this for their bold witness and told the questioning Council, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:30-32).
Stephen was martyred soon after this (Acts 6:8-Acts 7:60), and “on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1b). Philip, who was an apostle, one of the twelve, went to Samaria and many “believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” and were baptized. What happened next has confused us ever since. When “the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17). So, what was special about this circumstance? Was it the involvement of the apostles? Philip was an apostle, but the new believers did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John prayed for them. Was it the laying on of hands? The Holy Spirit had been given previously without the laying on of hands. Was it simply being baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” when Jesus instructed baptizing “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)?
We do know that this authority to bestow the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands was enticing to Simon, a former magician who had become a believer, and he offered money for it, and was rebuked by Peter (Acts 8:18-24).
The next account of someone receiving the Holy Spirit was Saul (later known at Paul) through the laying on of Ananias’ hands (Acts 9:17-18). Ananias was not known as an apostle, though He was directly sent to Saul by the Lord (Acts 9:11).
After this, Peter was sent by the Lord to the house of the centurion Cornelius, who had called together his relatives and close friends “to hear all that [Peter had] been commanded by the Lord” (Acts 10:33b). While Peter was speaking of Jesus, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins,” “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.” They “were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God” (Acts 10:43-46).
During Paul’s third missionary journey, there is another episode that confuses us:
Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
Acts 19:1-6
We can get focused in these stories on how the Holy Spirit is imparted, but we actually find no consistency other than belief in the truth. Apostles aren’t always involved. Laying on of hands isn’t always involved. Baptism sometimes occurs before, and sometimes after. When believers in Jesus haven’t yet received the Holy Spirit, it seems that clarification of what they are believing in results in their receiving the Holy Spirit. This is a long way of study to get back to the initial reassurance that we know we will receive the Holy Spirit if we believe. There is no specific formula. If we are unsure, we only need ask the Father, who is faithful to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).
We can also get focused in these stories on how the presence of the Holy Spirit in these believers is made manifest. Because, as we’ve learned, the Holy Spirit enables us to give testimony of Christ, sometimes that enabling, in these early accounts, occurred through people speaking foreign languages that could be understood by those listening. That last story, in Ephesus in Acts 19, described this as “speaking in tongues” and “tongues” has now a focus of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on which we’ve become focused.
It’s important to look at definitions. In Strong’s Concordance, “tongues,” refers to languages or dialects used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations. “Prophesying,” which they did in these “tongues,: means declaring things “which can only be known by divine revelation.” This episode in Ephesus of receipt of the Holy Spirit, then, is consistent with all the other episodes in that it resulted in understandable testimony of the things of God.
The apostle Paul taught,
each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11.
He goes on to teach that we will not all speak in tongues, even if we are filled by the Holy Spirit.
God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
1 Corinthians 12:28-30
The entirety of 1 Corinthians 14 speaks to the desire many struggle with to have “tongues” be the manifestation that someone is filled with the Holy Spirit.
So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
1 Corinthians 14:22-28
Tongues “are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers.” I propose we have become focused on tongues for a sign to those who believe. We wish to see it manifest in others, so we can be reassured they believe and have received the Holy Spirit. We wish to manifest it in ourselves so other believers will know we have received the Holy Spirit. It becomes about us. If public tongues are not understandable and interpretable by anyone else, this is not in keeping with what Jesus taught us of the Holy Spirit, which is that it will enable us to testify about Him. Any focus on manifestation of the Holy Spirit which takes the focus off Jesus seems counter to His role.
Paul adds this helpful statement after the verses we just read: “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:32-33). All claimed utterances of the Spirit must be subject to what has been uttered by those we know as His prophets and apostles, as recorded in His Scripture. And if they cause confusion and not peace, that is not of Him. Paul taught, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22). We can be reassured of the Spirit in us, in others, and in corporate settings if we observe this fruit manifest. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another” (Galatians 4:25-26). If we boast of gifts supposedly manifest by the Spirit, if we challenge one another to manifest those gifts, or if we find ourselves comparing our gifts to others, that does not seem to be of the Spirit. The Spirit distributes of Himself “just as He wills” (1Corinthians 12:11b), not as we will.
I’m so grateful to have found in this study the phrase “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32). All utterances by men on behalf of God must be subject to the utterances by men on behalf of God that He recorded. Scribes know what He recorded and can direct us there. When I was in my early twenties, I was nearly led astray be a deception, by men claiming to speak things on behalf of God that sounded good and reasonable to me. A friend sat me down with the Scriptures and by them refuted the things that I had heard.
He has promised us His Holy Spirit to those who believe. He has given us His Word. “He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13a). We can believe His promise, whether or not He allows it to be manifest in us by various gifts of the Spirit, by His will and to give testimony of Him. Because He is a good Father, He gives us the fruit of His Spirit. Our experience of the “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” that only He could have given us reassures us that His Spirit is, in fact, in us.