The Silent One: In Search of the Holy Spirit

Written for my Acts to Rev class

It was the day of Pentecost. The believers were all gathered together to celebrate when a great noise surrounded the house and tongues like fire rested on them. Suddenly, they began to speak and prophesy in other languages. The Holy Spirit had filled all of the believers. Who is this mysterious member of the trinity? Churches rarely seem to delve into the character and being of the Holy Spirit. Today, He remains a relative mystery to believers; they only know that He silently resides in them and that He empowers them. Yet, if they begin to delve into the scripture, they see that the Spirit is anything but silent. He was not dormant one thousand years ago but was working in great ways through the early believers. Even now He is working just as diligently within every passionate believer. Believers need to begin to understand how the Holy Spirit worked in the early church in order to grasp how He is working today.

 Before Jesus parted with His disciples, He sought to comfort them because they were distressed after He had predicted that one of His own would betray Him. They did not yet understand what Jesus had to go through. In John 14, as He was bringing peace to the disciples' troubled hearts, He spoke of the Spirit, saying in verse 16, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (NASB). Notice how Jesus refers to the Spirit as a ‘Helper’. Believers today seem to think that the Holy Spirit takes a passive role in His relationship to believers. However, the descriptive name ‘Helper' explains this was someone who actively aids the believers. “This indicates that the Spirit’s presence with the disciples will replace Jesus’ encouraging and strengthening presence with them while on earth” (Kostenberger 436). Not only that, Christ said that the Spirit would be with them forever.

Jesus shared more about this mysterious Helper that the believers would soon receive. In verse 17, Jesus said, “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” The Spirit was not someone whom the world could receive, meaning that only believers could enjoy this close relationship with the Spirit. Indeed, the relationship is close because Christ also said that the Spirit would abide within the disciples and all believers.

The Holy Spirit is again mentioned in Acts 1:2 which says that before being taken up into heaven, Jesus had, “by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen” (NASB). More than likely, this refers to, “the influence by which his last instructions were accompanied, and by which the apostles were enabled to obey them” (Alexander 4). Believers should ask how this applies to them today. It would seem that the Holy Spirit prompts them and calls them to particular tasks. In addition to this, the Holy Spirit also enables believers to accomplish the tasks which He has called them to do.

The conversation between Christ and the disciples, recorded in John, was fulfilled during the day of Pentecost—the day the Holy Spirit descended from heaven. The day of Pentecost was also known as the Feast of Weeks and was an annual festival celebrated exactly fifty days after the Passover. We know that Christ was crucified during the Passover celebration (Brand 568). Thus, just as Christ had said, around fifty days after the crucifixion the Spirit had been sent by the Father to the believers.

The Spirit did not simply enter the believers but was sent in a magnificent fashion. Acts chapter 2, verses 2-4 says,

“And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the while house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

Charles Carter and Ralph Earle, authors of The Acts of the Apostles, had some interesting comments in regard to verse four, saying that this verse shows God’s desire to dwell within the soul of man (32). However, they note that before “such an unrivaled establishment of God in the soul of man could be realized, the inner nature of pollution and enmity against God must be cleansed away” (32). Only Jesus could fulfill this role. This means that only believers may receive the Holy Spirit. Regardless, one thing is strikingly clear in these passages. This was not a simple entrance for the Spirit; the magnificence through which He came down to the believers suggests the sheer importance of the event. Put bluntly, the coming of the Holy Spirit was a big deal.

Soon after, the Spirit began to work within the leaders of the early church. Peter, who had been afraid to even admit that he knew Jesus, now suddenly had the courage and strength to confess his faith before rulers, elders and scribes, the ones responsible for bringing about the crucifixion of Christ. We see this in action in Acts 4:8 which says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them...” In verse 10, Peter connected these rulers and elders with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It would seem that the Spirit empowered Peter with a courage that he had, in the past, lacked. No longer was this man denying Christ, instead, he now was not even afraid to acknowledge those who had been responsible for the persecution of Christ. Peter did this in the face of physical persecution and imprisonment. Then, in Acts 7:55, we see that Stephen is also filled with the Holy Spirit, “But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God...” It is interesting that this happened right before his death.

Believers must be careful when they interpret these verses, however. It would be very easy to read over one of these instances in which the Spirit empowered an early follower and believe that the Holy Spirit turns us into fearless speakers for Christ. Aspiring biblical interpreters should be asking what being “filled with the Holy Spirit” means with regard to the context. Immediate context might suggest that the Spirit gave them the strength to become fearless speakers. This interpretation does not appear at first glance to be far from wrong. However, it is important to look at the extended context of the New Testament. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he tells them that he, “did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God” (2:1). Then in verse three, he continues, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” If being “filled with the Holy Spirit” is interpreted as being given the ability to speak fearlessly and bravely, then there is a contradiction between those verses and what Paul was saying to the Corinthians. Paul said that he was a fearful and non-persuasive speaker. However, it is important to notice that the Spirit was still demonstrated in his speech. Was Paul wrong? Surely not!

Returning to John 14, we see that Jesus went on to explain the Spirit’s role in greater detail in verse 26, “But 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.” Jesus simply stated the role and purpose of the Spirit, to teach and bring remembrance of Jesus’ teachings to believers. In light of this verse, a better interpretation of the Spirit’s involvement in Peter’s and Paul’s message was that He empowered and directed their words in that particular situation. F. F. Bruce, author of an exceptional commentary on Acts, also reinforces this interpretation by saying that in Acts 4:8, “In words inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter made his reply” (99). The Spirit worked through them to share the Gospel regardless of their temperament and speaking style. Thus, it is more likely that Peter and Paul simply had differing abilities in public speaking. Note, however, that this did not change the effectiveness of their message. The power of the Spirit was displayed in both instances. With Peter, the leaders were amazed at the confidence of one they understood to be untrained in the scripture. Then Paul himself says that his message was, “in demonstration of the Spirit and power” (I Cor 2:4).

Understanding how the Spirit was at work in the early church leaders in these particular instances is very practical and applicable for believers today. First, believers do not need to feel like they have to be powerful, confident speakers in order to effectively share Christ with others. Peter appeared to be a powerful speaker, but Paul was not. Nevertheless, both were very effective at reaching out and sharing the Gospel with others because the Spirit worked through them in sharing the message. Believers can feel encouraged simply by knowing that God will use them no matter what their speaking abilities are, and the Spirit will work through them. From my own personal experience, there seem to be many believers, including myself at times, who are afraid to break out of our comfort zones when speaking out about our faith because we are uncomfortable about our ability to speak. There is confidence in knowing that the Holy Spirit will use us anyway.

Second, it is empowering to know that the Spirit is going to be guiding our speech and working through our words to impact others. Knowing this is actually very humbling; the power of the Gospel has nothing to do with the way we present it but rather how the Holy Spirit uses it. One particular life example comes to mind for me that, I think, really illustrates these two points. A number of years back, I went to a high school camp that was held in California. I spent one of those days on the beach with some friends, and we wanted to go out to evangelize, inviting others to join us for a worship service on the beach that evening. None of us had ever gone to the streets to evangelize to strangers before, so we were very nervous, but we ended up talking to a group of skater guys covered in tattoos and piercings. We were as nervous as we could be, stuttering our way through what we had to say. After we finished, all of us were certain that there was no way that any of those kids would join us for worship that evening. To our surprise three of them stopped by, and one actually attempted to follow along with the worship songs. It was clear to us that the Holy Spirit had been at work because we knew that nothing we had done personally brought those kids to our worship service.

Another way the Holy Spirit works is through the teachings of Scripture. This can be seen as the Holy Spirit working through believers, but it can also be seen as the Holy Spirit working within the hearts of unbelievers. Paul speaks to the Thessalonians, saying, “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (I Thess. 1:5). The power of the Holy Spirit brought full conviction to the people of Thessalonica. We see that, “the Holy Spirit accompanied the gospel proclamation as the one who convinced the hearers of its truth” (Green 96). The Gospel was preached in power, ultimately meaning that it had, “the ability to do something” (Wanamaker 79). It arrested the attention, convinced the mind, and convicted the heart (Wanamaker 79).

Not only does the Spirit work through believers and in the hearts of unbelievers, but He also aids believers in understanding the Scriptures which are God-breathed. Briefly going back to John, Jesus again speaks of the Spirit in chapter 16, saying, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (vs. 13). Clearly, the Holy Spirit aids us in understanding God’s Word for us. This is seen again when Paul talks to the Corinthians about matters of the spirit, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (I Cor. 2:14). Believers get special help in truly understanding the scriptures and seeing it for its spiritual value. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, author of Grasping God's Word, argue that non-believers are able to comprehend the basic message of the scriptures, however do not apply it (207). “When Paul goes on to say that a man without the Spirit ‘cannot understand’ the things of God, he is referring to a personal, experiential kind of understanding” (Duvall 207). The Holy Spirit enlightens believers to the significance of the Scripture.

It is encouraging to know that I have a Helper that is constantly aiding me in understanding God's Word. The Spirit does not just want me to know the Scriptures but also to fully understand their significance and to be able to apply it to my life. In my Bible classes that I have taken in college, studying the Word has caused Scripture to “pop” out at me, almost as if it is alive. I firmly believe that only the Holy Spirit could do that. When the Holy Spirit is at work, revealing the secrets of the scriptures, the Word truly is alive—breathing new life and renewing me each day.

It is also relieving to know that the Spirit works through me to impact others. That fact is both humbling and comforting. All of the glory belongs to God because He is the one who truly changes hearts. I find myself thanking God from time to time that I do not have to do that all by myself.

Believers today need to open their eyes to what the Spirit is doing in the world. He is diligently at work, empowering His faithful followers to do the work of God and also to grow in their understanding of the Scriptures. So often, it seems, the body of Christ glosses over the Spirit—so much more emphasis is put on the Son and the Father. Yet, the Spirit is the One who works closest to the believers. The New Testament abounds with the work of the Spirit, particularly through the early church followers. Modern-day believers should not expect any different. The Holy Spirit is not so silent after all.

Works Cited

Alexander , J. A. Acts: The Geneva Series of Commentaries. Carlisle, PA : The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980. 4. Print.

Brand, Chad Owen., Charles W. Draper, and Archie W. England. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tenn.: Holman Bible, 2003. Print.

Bruce, F. F. The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Book of the Acts. Grand Rapids MI : Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980. 99. Print.

Carter , Charles W., and Ralph Earl. The Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, MI : Zondervan Publishing House, 1973. 32. Print.

Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God's Word. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. 207. Print.

Green, Gene L. The Letters to the Thessalonians . Grand Rapids, MI : William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company , 2002. 96. Print.

Kostenberger, Andreas J. John: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004. 436. Print.

Wanamaker, Charles A. New International Greek Testament Commentary: Commentary on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wanamaker, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990. 79. Print.

New Beginnings

It's a restricting, almost suffocating feeling to not be able to sit down and write for so long. Recently, it seems like there is always some sort of wall in the way which has prevented me from penning something new and reasonable for posting. I suppose these are the hurdles all writers must face. Either we find our lives consumed with other matters that are more pressing and which keep us from sitting down to think and write, or when we finally do sit down to write, we find that we have nothing to write about. Creativity is like lightning; it flashes for a moment and consumes our every thought until it fades just as quickly when our attention is diverted elsewhere. I personally find that I am most creative when I am not actually able to sit down and write. Either I am lying down in bed, fading quickly into sleep or I am busy with school or work, with not a minute to spare, or in the company of friends or doing really anything that would keep me from writing.

I hardly doubt I am the only writer who must face this annoyance. It's unfortunate really, because it seems like my best ideas are the ones that I forget before I can jot them down. This just makes the me wonder. If all writers were able to record every creative idea from their heads and run with them, would we have more works like those of the most famous authors such as Shakespeare (who can, of course, be substituted with any other author you may prefer more)? What about the whole world? If everyone were able to devote full attention to every creative idea their minds ever entertained, would our world, our culture and our technology be even more advanced than it already is? This is either a fascinating or frightening thought. Perhaps it is best that the human mind is forgetful.

If you were hoping all of this was leading up to something that would be meaningful or applicable to your life, I'm sorry to dash your hopes. I really have no intentions of taking any of these thoughts anywhere; I simply wanted to record them out of a desire to write. It's been too long. Though I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, it just seems fitting to make this post into a new beginning. Over the last few months, I have not been nearly as involved with blogging as I have been in the past and I want that to change.

Here's to a new year and a new beginning, filled with many new ideas, most of which will likely be forgotten before they have a chance to be written about but some which will undoubtedly find themselves posted here.

- Sean