The Spirit and the Word Part 8

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 G.o.d 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 a.s.sembly 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 pa.s.sage teaches nothing of the kind, nor does any other pa.s.sage 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, G.o.d 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 pa.s.sage 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 G.o.d; he claimed to come down from heaven; he claimed to be G.o.d 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 G.o.d; they denied his claim to divinity and called him a blasphemer for making himself equal with G.o.d; 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 ill.u.s.tration 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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.sage 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 p.r.o.nounced 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 G.o.d, and likewise convinced that G.o.d 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. G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d_." 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?

There are some who claim that "the gift of the Spirit" is one that belongs to all who obey the gospel to-day, that it is independent of the instrumentality of the gospel, and is the peculiar heritage of those who repent and are baptized for the remission of sins; that it performs a work in them other than is performed by the Spirit operating through the truth. There are others who claim that the "gift of the Spirit" was a supernatural power and was conferred on persons to qualify them to do a work or works peculiar to the age of miracles which obtained in the apostolic church. The only way to settle this is by appealing to (1) the consciousness of individuals, (2) to the Divine Word.

Before appealing to either of these tribunals, there are a few facts that we must consider. (1) _This is the only pa.s.sage in the New Testament that connects "the gift of the Spirit" with obedience to the gospel in the preaching of the apostles_. We have remission of sins so connected on various occasions (see Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18, etc., etc.), but nowhere else is this "gift of the Spirit" promised. If it is to be as universal as "remission of sins," ought it not to have the same prominence in apostolic preaching? This is an important factor in settling the matter. (2) In the only instance in which it is promised it is inexorably connected with _baptism for the remission of sins_. It is promised to no others, and all others are ruled out by the explicit terms of the promise.

With these facts before us, let us now _appeal to the consciousness of the individual_. If we consider numbers, it is safe to say that ninety-five per cent. of those who to-day claim "the gift of the Spirit"

have never been baptized for the remission of sins. _They have never performed the conditions upon which the gift was bestowed_. Are they competent to testify? Of the remaining five per cent., there is not one who can give any definite reason why he is _conscious_ of the personal indwelling of the Spirit within him. To demonstrate my statement I appeal to the consciousness of my readers. Are you _conscious_ of any influence within you except a holy joy that comes from obedience to the will of G.o.d? If you are not, what evidence have you that the Spirit personally dwells in you? So much for the argument from consciousness.

_Now let us appeal to the Divine Word_. When the apostle Peter promised "the gift of the Spirit," he followed it with the words, "_For the promise_ is to you and to your children, and to all them that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our G.o.d shall call." He distinctly states that the gift of the Spirit is in fulfillment of "the promise." Now, is there in the Scripture any promise of a personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a _result of obedience_? Let us search the words of the Master. In Luke 11:13 our Lord says: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" This pa.s.sage may be disposed of by saying that in the original it is _a holy spirit_ and does not refer to _the Holy Spirit_ at all. It represents G.o.d's willingness to give _a holy disposition_. Matthew explains it in the words "good gifts to them that ask him." In John 7:38, 39 we have recorded another promise: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified."

This is evidently a supernatural gift, as he represents the recipient of it as a fountain from which flows rivers of living water. This is obviously not true of us to-day. Our Saviour also dates the bestowal as following his glorification, or on the day of Pentecost. In Mark 16:16-18: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." These five things that accompanied the believers are all supernatural. Of the three promises of Jesus--which are all that are recorded in the New Testament--only two refer to the Holy Spirit, and both of these to its _supernatural manifestation_.

If we go back of the Saviour to the Old Testament, we find a distinct promise of the gift of the Spirit: "And it shall come to pa.s.s afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the hand-maids in those days will I pour out my Spirit" (Joel 2:28, 29).

This promise is the one quoted by Peter to explain the manifestations on the day of Pentecost to the people drawn together by that wonderful event. From it he delivers by the Spirit a sermon on the claims of our Lord. He shows that they had taken the Lord by wicked hands and had crucified and slain him; that G.o.d had raised him from the dead and had exalted him to his right hand; had given him the _promise of the Holy Spirit_; that what they _saw_ and _heard_ was the fulfillment of Joel's promise. This promise was not simply to the apostles, for we read in the preceding chapter that the apostles, and the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethren to the number of one hundred and twenty all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. "And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon _each of them_. And they _were all filled_ with the Holy Spirit, and began _to speak_ with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This shows that the gift of the Spirit came upon all the followers Jesus left behind him. When the mult.i.tude were convicted by the apostle's discourse, they "said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins: and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. _For to you is the promise_, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our G.o.d shall call unto him." What promise! Evidently the promise of G.o.d, "I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh." There is no other promise in the mind of Peter and his hearers, and I know of no other promise the reader can have in mind. This position is amply supported by after-developments. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that _heard the word_. And they of the circ.u.mcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify G.o.d. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have _received the Holy Spirit_ as well as we?" (Acts 10:44-47). This was in fulfillment of the promise not only to the Jews, but the Gentiles, whom the Jews regarded as "far off." Paul, speaking to Gentiles, says: "But now in Christ Jesus, ye that were once far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). In this incident "the gift of the Holy Spirit" and "receiving the Spirit" are the same. And when Peter was taken to task for baptizing the Gentiles, he defends himself on the ground that G.o.d, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, _giving them the Holy Spirit, "the like gift as he did also unto us_." In the above instances, Pentecost and the house of Cornelius, the gift of the Spirit was the result of the baptism of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit was an outpouring or falling of the Spirit upon the Jews at Pentecost and the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, to signify his acceptance of both Jew and Gentile into the kingdom of Christ. Paul undoubtedly refers to this when he says: "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether _Jews_ or _Greeks"_ (1 Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the Spirit ceased when its object--the making of one body out of Jews and Gentiles--was accomplished, but "the gift of the Spirit" did not cease.

It was conferred by the laying on of the hands of the apostles through all their lives. A few ill.u.s.trations may be mentioned from the Scriptures.

_The Samaritans_. When a b.l.o.o.d.y persecution arose at Jerusalem, following the death of Stephen, the disciples were scattered and went everywhere preaching the Word. Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. "But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of G.o.d and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:12). "For as yet _the Holy Spirit was fallen upon none of them_: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16). If the gift of the Spirit is to all baptized believers, why did not the Samaritans receive it? Philip was not an apostle and did not have the power to confer "the gift of the Spirit" by the imposition of hands, and, in order that they might receive this "gift," it was necessary that two apostles, Peter and John, should go to Samaria and lay hands on them, that they might receive the Spirit. Here is a clear case of baptized believers receiving the Holy Spirit by the imposition of hands.

_Disciples at Ephesus_. In Acts 19 Paul met certain disciples that had received the baptism of John. He showed them that John did not preach a full gospel, which embraced a belief in Christ. "And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul had _laid his hands upon them_, the Holy Spirit came on them." This is another clear case of the Spirit being given by the imposition of hands.

_Timothy_. In 2 Tim. 1:6 Paul tells Timothy: "For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of G.o.d, which is in thee through the _laying on of my hands_." This is a third instance of the gift of the Spirit by the imposition of hands, and they form just _three more instances_ than can be found of the Spirit taking his personal "abode in men because they have believed and been baptized."

That the Spirit was imparted to many Christians in a similar way is clear. Paul tells the brethren at Borne: "For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some _spiritual gift_, to the end that ye may be established." It was not necessary that he see these brethren to the end that he might proclaim the gospel unto them; but it _was necessary_ that he see them that he might lay hands on them and _impart the gift_ of the Spirit.

In Mark 16:17, 18 Jesus concludes the commission as follows: "And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Here is clearly the promise of supernatural power which he calls "signs." Signs of what?

There is but one answer that can be given: signs of the indwelling of G.o.d's Spirit by which alone they could work these signs. Are these signs in existence to-day? No thoughtful reader will so affirm. If the manifestations of the Spirit have ceased, is it not reasonable that the "gift" has also ceased? If not, we have the remarkable fact of the Spirit dwelling in man and not being able to _manifest any signs_ of his indwelling.

We are now enabled to reach two conclusions of importance: First, the "gift of the Spirit" was a supernatural gift for the purpose of enabling the "believers" in apostolic days to work the "signs" which Christ said should accompany them that believe, and ceased when the signs ceased.

Second, many of the exhortations of the New Testament writers were to a church whose members were filled with the supernatural power of the Spirit, and should be interpreted in the light of that fact. We give a few examples that fall under this head: "Declared to be the Son of G.o.d with power, according to the spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1:4). "But ye are ... in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of G.o.d dwelleth in you"

(Rom. 8:9). "Ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit"

(Rom. 8:23). "My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit"

(Rom. 9:1). "Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit" (Rom. 15:30). "Now he that wrought us for this very thing is G.o.d, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 5:5). "Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13, 14). "Through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18). "Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). "If there is therefore any ... fellowship of the Spirit" (Phil. 2:1). "Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth ...

G.o.d, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you" (1 Thess. 4:8). "For G.o.d gave us not a spirit, of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline"

(2 Tim. 1:7). "He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (t.i.t. 3:5). "G.o.d also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Heb. 2:4). "Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?" (Jas. 4:5). "Ye have an anointing from the Holy One" (1 John 2: 20). "The anointing which ye received of him abideth in you" (1 John 2:27). "He hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).

All the above Scriptures become clear if we understand them to apply to a people through whom G.o.d was manifesting his presence by supernatural demonstrations, but many of them lack meaning when applied to people of G.o.d who no longer exhibit these supernatural powers.

VIII

THE SPIRIT AND THE WORLD

Hitherto we have been treating the Holy Spirit in terms of the past, but now we come to the present tense. Is the Holy Spirit a power in the present age? If so, what kind of a power? Is he making an issue with men as a direct power and working upon them immediately, or is he working through an instrumentality, and, if so, what is the instrumentality?

The Spirit is undoubtedly dealing with two cla.s.ses of persons in his work to-day.

First, those who are not believers, and therefore unconverted and "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel."

Second, those who have believed and obeyed the gospel, and are therefore children of G.o.d.

We shall devote this chapter to the influence of the Spirit upon the unbelieving world.

In the very nature of things, the work of the Spirit is to make believers out of unbelievers, and convert the perverted. We all believe this. We believe that all believers are made by the power of the Spirit.

We differ about whether he exercises that power directly from himself to the individual soul, or whether he exercises that power through the gospel, through the apostles and through Christ's word of truth. Reason, philosophy and experience exhausted themselves in discovering but two methods by which one spirit can exercise an influence over another.

First, a direct mechanical, immediate influence taking possession of the will and influencing the mind of and controlling the speech and actions of the subject. This takes place in hypnotism and is supposed to take place in clairvoyance and clairaudience.

Second, a rational moral influence exerted by ideas impressed upon the mind by teaching and words that represent ideas.

There is, there can be, no third way by which one spirit can influence another. You may study till you are gray-headed or bald-headed, for that matter, and you will discover no other way.