Pneumatology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

Nature of the Issue 3

Purpose of the Study 6

Procedure of the Study 6

CHAPTER 1THE CREATION 8

In the Beginning 9

Christ Revealed in Genesis 12

CHAPTER 2THE REDEMPTION 16

The Incarnation 16

The Baptism 20

The Ministry 22

The Sacrifice 26

CHAPTER 3REGENERATION AND RENEWAL 28

The Spirit and the Mission 28

The Personality of the Spirit 31

CHAPTER 4FOLLOWING CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT 34

The Power of the Spirit 34

The Dark Night of the Soul 35

Prayer 38

CONCLUSION 40

INTRODUCTION

Nature of the Issue

If the Old Testament can be called the Age of the Father, and the Gospels the Age of the Son, the time since Pentecost can be referred to as the Age of the Holy Spiritfor it is at Pentecost that the Paraclete comes to the Apostles, confirms them in the Faith, and gives them the courage to set about on their mission of evangelizing the world. The Holy Spirit is thus important to understand because time is shaped so thoroughly by this Third Person of the Holy Trinity. As a divine person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is at work from the beginning of time even to now. Yet in mans time, recognition that the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world through the Son, as part of the divine plan of mans redemption and attainment of Heaven, has not always been accepted. In fact, the nature of the Trinity has been disputed throughout historyand even the nature of Jesus Christ has been disputed (was He God and Man, only Man, only God, or neither?). This dispute has led to confusion in modern times about the nature of mans relationship to God and particularly to the Holy Spirit.

Before getting into the various disputes that have arisen, it is helpful to first understand that the Holy Spirit and the Triune God is a mystery that man is asked to accept from faith: St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:5 states clearly that the Spirit of God is something beyond the ken of manit is not something that can be understood through direct application of reason because it is divine and above the understanding of man: My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirits power,so thatyour faithwould not rest on mens wisdom but on Gods power. This quote from St. Paul shows that the Spirits power and Gods power are the same. This admonition from St. Paul is also an indication that the wisdom of God is higher than the wisdom of man. It does not mean, however, that Gods wisdom and Its expression through the Holy Spirit cannot be seen and accepted by man. On the contrary, the work of the Holy Spirit is evident from the beginning of creation to now. The problem is that man often wants to understand more than he is capable of understanding, and so that results in his attempts to explain away the mysteries of God and His Triune nature that has been revealed to man through Scripture and through the work of the Christian church.

Nonetheless, the fact that Gods wisdom is above mans has not prevented man from attempting to understand the things of God. St. Augustine, for instance, put his own powers of reason to the subject of the Trinity. Coffey describes the effort this way:

In Trinitarian theology, St. Augustine is renowned for his doctrine of the filioque: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from a single principle. This doctrine gave to Western Trinitarian thought and indeed to Western theology in general a distinctive stamp, which despite the…

Pneumatology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

Nature of the Issue 3

Purpose of the Study 6

Procedure of the Study 6

CHAPTER 1THE CREATION 8

In the Beginning 9

Christ Revealed in Genesis 12

CHAPTER 2THE REDEMPTION 16

The Incarnation 16

The Baptism 20

The Ministry 22

The Sacrifice 26

CHAPTER 3REGENERATION AND RENEWAL 28

The Spirit and the Mission 28

The Personality of the Spirit 31

CHAPTER 4FOLLOWING CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT 34

The Power of the Spirit 34

The Dark Night of the Soul 35

Prayer 38

CONCLUSION 40

INTRODUCTION

Nature of the Issue

If the Old Testament can be called the Age of the Father, and the Gospels the Age of the Son, the time since Pentecost can be referred to as the Age of the Holy Spiritfor it is at Pentecost that the Paraclete comes to the Apostles, confirms them in the Faith, and gives them the courage to set about on their mission of evangelizing the world. The Holy Spirit is thus important to understand because time is shaped so thoroughly by this Third Person of the Holy Trinity. As a divine person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is at work from the beginning of time even to now. Yet in mans time, recognition that the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world through the Son, as part of the divine plan of mans redemption and attainment of Heaven, has not always been accepted. In fact, the nature of the Trinity has been disputed throughout historyand even the nature of Jesus Christ has been disputed (was He God and Man, only Man, only God, or neither?). This dispute has led to confusion in modern times about the nature of mans relationship to God and particularly to the Holy Spirit.

Before getting into the various disputes that have arisen, it is helpful to first understand that the Holy Spirit and the Triune God is…

Pneumatology: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

Nature of the Issue 3

Purpose of the Study 6

Procedure of the Study 6

CHAPTER 1THE CREATION 8

In the Beginning 9

Christ Revealed in Genesis 12

CHAPTER 2THE REDEMPTION 16

The Incarnation 16

The Baptism 20

The Ministry 22

The Sacrifice 26

CHAPTER 3REGENERATION AND RENEWAL 28

The Spirit and the Mission 28

The Personality of the Spirit 31

CHAPTER 4FOLLOWING CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT 34

The Power of the Spirit 34

The Dark Night of the Soul 35

Prayer 38

CONCLUSION 40

INTRODUCTION

Nature of the Issue

If the Old Testament can be called the Age of the Father, and the Gospels the Age of the Son, the time since Pentecost can be referred to as the Age of the Holy Spiritfor it is at Pentecost that the Paraclete comes to the Apostles, confirms them in the Faith, and gives them the courage to set about on their mission of evangelizing the world. The Holy Spirit is thus important to understand because time is shaped so thorougly by this Third Person of the Holy Trinity. As a divine person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is at work from the beginning of time even to now. Yet in mans time, recognition that the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world through the Son, as part of the divine plan of mans redemption and attainment of Heaven, has not always been accepted. In fact, the nature of the Trinity has been disputed throughout historyand even the nature of Jesus Christ has been disputed (was He God and Man, only Man, only God, or neither?). This dispute has led to confusion in modern times about the nature of mans relationship to God and particularly to the Holy Spirit.

Before getting into the various disputes that have arisen, it is helpful to first understand that the Holy Spirit and the Triune God is a mystery that man is asked to accept from faith: St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:5 states clearly that the Spirit of God is something beyond the ken of manit is not something that can be understood through direct application of reason because it is divine and above the understanding of man: My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirits power,so thatyour faithwould not rest on mens wisdom but on Gods power. This quote from St. Paul shows that the Spirits power and Gods power are the same. This admonition from St. Paul is also an indication that the wisdom of God is higher than the wisdom of man. It does not mean, however, that Gods wisdom and Its expression through the Holy Spirit cannot be seen and accepted by man. On the contrary, the work of the Holy Spirit is evident from the beginning of creation to now. The problem is that man often wants to understand more than he is capable of understanding, and so that results in his attempts to explain away the mysteries of God and His Triune nature that has been revealed to man through Scripture and through the work of the Christian church.

Nonetheless, the fact that Gods wisdom is above mans has not prevented man from attempting to understand the things of God. St. Augustine, for instance, put his own powers of reason to the subject of the Trinity. Coffey describes the effort this way:

In Trinitarian theology, St. Augustine is renowned for his doctrine of the filioque: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from a single principle. This doctrine gave to Western Trinitarian thought and indeed to Western theology in general a distinctive stamp, which despite the upheavals of its history has remained with it ever since (193).

Indeed, St. Augustines words on the matter are sufficient to settle all arguments, as Scripture is quite clear on the matter of the procession of the Holy Spirit. St. Augustine writes:

Nor can we say that the Holy Spirit does not proceed also from the Son, for it is not without reason that the same Spirit is said to be Spirit of both the Father and the Son. Nor do I see what else he intended to signify when he breathed in the face of the disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." For that bodily breathing, proceeding from the body with the sensation of bodily touching, was not the substance of the Holy Spirit but a manifestation through a fitting sign that the Holy Spirit proceeds not only from the Father but also from the Son. (De Trinitate 4, 20 (29) (PL 42, 908)

Here one can see clearly that the filioque argument for the procession of the Holy Spirit is squarely rooted in Scripture. But what does it say of the role of the Holy Spirit in general? What is one to think of the Holy Spirit in terms of Gods relationship to man? What part does the Holy Spirit play in the creation, redemption and regeneration of man?

One possible answer to these questions might also come from St. Augustine, for at the same time that he puts forward the filioque argument, St. Augustine also puts forward the mutual-love theory, which has received acceptance particularly among the Orthodox churches. As Coffey points out, St. Augustine identifies the Holy Spirit as the communion that exists between the Father and the Son (196). This idea is made apparent in these words of St. Augustine:

The Holy Spirit ... is properly called Holy Spirit relatively, since He is referred to both th.......ot itself apparent in that name, but it is apparent when He is called the gift of God, for He is the gift of the Father and of the Son, because "He proceeds from the Father," as the Lord says, and because that which the Apostle says, "He who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him," he certainly says of the Holy Spirit. When, therefore, we say the gift of the giver, and the giver of the gift, we speak in both cases relatively in reciprocal reference. Therefore the Holy Spirit is a certain unutterable communion of the Father and the Son (De trinitate 5, 11 (12) (PL 42, 919).

While this explanation helps to clarify the Holy Spirits relation to man, it leaves open room for exploring the meaning of the Holy Spirits role in Trinity. For that reason, some focus needs to be given on the questions asked above. In spite of the two arguments of St. Augustine that can be used to explain the Holy Spirit, it is important to examine this issue more closely so as to maintain a fuller knowledge of God that one might more fully love Him still. As Coffey points out, St. Augustines argument still only tells us about the Spirit's relation to us and not about His relation to the other two persons in the immanent Trinity (197). It is the aim of this paper to provide a deeper explanation of the Holy Spirit so as to facilitate the development of ones understanding.

Purpose of the Study

This paper will explain how the Holy Spirit is at work from the beginning in the act of creation; and how the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Father through the Son, who prepared the Apostles for the coming of the Paraclete that they might be filled with the Holy Spirit and enabled to set about their mission of facilitating mans Regeneration and spreading belief in the Resurrection. To do so, it focuses also on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Redemption and in the renewal of man. This tri-fold role of the Holy Spirit in the story of man aligns well with the tri-fold nature of God and reflects the tri-fold nature of the mysteries of the rosary as fixed by Pope St. Pius V in 1563 (Duffner).

Procedure of the Study

This study proceeds by first examining the Holy Spirit within the context of the Holy Trinity. The Creation, the Redemption, and the Evangelization of the world are all examined in terms from the standpoint of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 1 focuses on the Creation. Chapter 2 focuses on the Redemption and the role of the Holy Spirit there. Chapter 3 focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and evangelizatin. Chapter 4 discusses what this can mean for people today who seek to live and follow in the footsteps of Christ.

CHAPTER 1THE CREATION

Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.Whoeverspeaksa wordagainsttheSonof Manwill be forgiven,butwhoeverspeaksagainsttheHolySpiritwill not be forgiven,eitherinthisageorintheone to come. (Mat. 12:32)

Why does God insist that speech against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin? The reason lies in the nature of the Holy Spirit, for it is the very life and love of Godthe very essence of His being. Christ received the rebukes and buffets of the world and He did so willingly, to pay for mans sins. But He also understood that the scorn he received was because of mans pride and fallen human nature. To err in attacking Him through unbelief or doubt (like that which Thomas showed before seeing the Resurrected Christ, or like that which Peter showed when he denied Christ three times following His arrest) is not an unpardonable sin: Christ could forgive it as a weakness of the will. But to resist the Holy Spirit is to resist the very grace necessary for reunion with God: it is to resist the invitation altogether; it is to close all ones windows and doors to any discourse or to any possibility of discourse with God. It is to reject life itself. This lifeor rather Lifeis the spiritual foundation of the world, of all creation. That is why Christ views rejection of the Spirit as unpardonable: he who rejects the Spirit rejects God totally, and who rejects God also rejects any opportunity to have peace with Him in eternity. It is unpardonable because the sinner refuses the possibility of pardon. The person who rejects the Spirit becomes like Judas, hanging himself.

To truly understand the gravity of Christs admonition, it is helpful to understand the Spirit as the foundation of life. To that end it is helpful to understand the foundation from the beginning. One must look at the beginning, to see ones end.

Understanding the creation of the world provides context into the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. To see how the Holy Spirit has operated from the beginning of time, this chapter will examine the creation story of Genesis, the Fall, and the aftermath.

In the Beginning

The creation of the world saw the Holy Spirit at work: but regeneration (John 3:5-8) and resurrection (Romans 8:11) also see the same Holy Spirit at work. Why? The reason is simple: after the creation, when the Holy Spirit breathed life into the world, the Fall of Man occurred, which corrupted creation and brought about a need for more divine intervention to correct the mistake that man had made in failing to fulfill the will of God in the Garden of Paradise (Gen.1:2; Psa.104:30).

Yet the Holy Spirit was always recognized by those willing to acknowledge the role of God in the shaping of all things. As Job 33:4 states, The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. The Spirit and the breath of God are spoken of in the same sentence, both having a part in the creation and life-giving process. The Spirit is identified as maker, and the breath of God as life-giver. Regardless of how one chooses to interpret these words, the fact is clear: the wise Job, who never lost faith in God, sees the work of the Spirit in his creation quite clearly. This Spirit is there from the beginning: In the beginningGod createdthe heavensand the earth.Now the earth was formlessand empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep,and the Spirit of Godwas hoveringover the waters (Gen. 1:1-2).

Is it necessary to have a complete understanding of how the Spirit operates? Given the admonition of St. Paul, already noted, that Gods wisdom is beyond that of man, it is fitting to accept these mysteries as mysteries and to be content with only an outline or a kind of silhouette of the picture. God gives one sufficient understanding of this mysteryenough that man can see the picture without knowing necessarily how it all works. The Holy Spirit is involved in the creation of the world. This is plain from Scripture. This knowledge can help one to understand more clearly that the Holy Spirit is present in the work of God.

Horton laments the fact that people often see the Holy Spirit as typecast or as making cameo appearances as though He were but a bit playera bit of a third wheel, brought on only to break up the monotony of events (24). The point that Horton makes is that the Holy Spirit is an active participant in the life of every man who is of God. Romans 8:9 makes clear that those who do not believe in Christ do not have the Spirit within thembut every man has been created as a Temple of the Holy Spirit, which is to say, he has been built to possess the indwelling Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This is an astonishing thing to think aboutbut it is evident that this was the case from the beginning. The Holy Spirit was there, involved in the creation of the world, in the beginning. And the Holy Spirit filled Adam and Eve, which allowed them to enjoy their union with God in the Garden of Eden.

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose to work with a malevolent spiritSatanby disobeying Gods commandment regarding the Tree of Knowledge. This defection from God to join the ranks of the fallen angel and his legion is what is known as the Fall. At this moment, Adam and Eve broke with God and the Holy Spirit departed from them. Whereas they were once clothed in innocence and love, the departure of the Spirit from their souls left them ashamed, empty, destitute, aware of their separation from God, and suddenly no longer in perfect control of themselves or of the gifts that God gave them. Their break from God was a break with His Spirit. The communion that they enjoyed was now gone. The Fall led to punishment: God barred Adam and Eve from Paradise; closed the gates of Heaven; ensured them that they would toil and labor and suffer and die for their transgression. Yet He also promised that there would come one who would crush the head of the serpent: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel (Gen. 3:15). In this promise, one sees the Holy Spirit again at work, according to St. Augustines mutual-love theory: the Spirit is there in that promise of a Redeemer, in that foretelling of the love between the Father and the Son that is to be expressed in the Redemption.

The children of Adam and Eve bore children of their own and the worlds population increasedbut the children of man continued to displease God, Who wanted love in return for his sustaining of all life. When the sins of man mounted to such a point that God, in justice, could no longer tolerate the behavior, he sent the Flood and directed Noah to preserve two of all species, that life might continue once the waters subsided. God then made a covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy the Earth through Flood again.

By assisting in the restoration of the Earth, God showed his faithfulness to those who, like Noah, were faithful to Him. He did not withhold the Spirit from the world, but directed the world to ready itself that it might receive the Spirit properly. The time would come when the Paraclete would come directly to men to empower them to preach the Word of God to the world, that men might be made perfect in Christ, the Redeemer. Thus, to all nations and in all languages, the Word of God has been revealed, and the Holy Spirit has facilitated that process of evangelization.

Christ Revealed in Genesis

It is not possible to understand the Holy Spirit without understanding the Trinity; thus, it is necessary to understand the Father and the Son and their presence from the beginning as well. It is not difficult to see the Father at work in Genesis. He is ever-present, openly engaged in discourse with Adam. But where is the Son? Where is the Word? For that matter, where is the Holy Spirit?

God actually reveals His nature during the course of creation. At the very beginning of time, the God of the Universe revealed