The
Church and the Holy Spirit
The Doctrine of the
Church - Lesson # 7
I. Old Testament expectation - Ezek. 36:25-27;
Joel 2:28-32; Gal. 3:14; Eph. 1:13
II. What is the relationship between Christ,
the Holy Spirit, and the church? - Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19; 2 Cor. 3:17; Jn.
16:13-15
III. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit
A. Individually in the Christian - 1 Cor.
6:19
B. Corporately in the church - 1 Cor.
3:16
C. The personal indwelling of the Holy
Spirit - Eph. 1:13-14; 3:14-16; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Rom. 8:9, 11, 15-16; Gal.
4:6; Jude 19; 1 Jn. 4:13; Acts 5:32; 2 Tim. 1:14
IV. The gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2:38
A. Grammatically the phrase "the
gift of the Holy Spirit" can mean "the gift given by the Holy
Spirit" or "the gift, that is, the Holy Spirit. If the former, the
gift might be salvation. If the latter, then the Holy Spirit, himself, is the
gift given to us by God.
B. "Salvation" as the gift of
the Holy Spirit is unlikely, because "salvation" or "eternal
life" is usually spoken of in the Bible as the gift of God - Rom. 5:15;
6:23; 2 Cor. 9:15; Eph. 2:8; Jas. 1:17.
C. The context suggests that the gift is
not something the Holy Spirit gives, but the gift is the Holy Spirit - Acts
2:33, 39.
D. When the Bible speaks of the Holy
Spirit giving something, it is usually plural ("gifts") and the term
charismata is used (1 Cor. 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31), whereas in Acts 2:38 the
term is singular ("gift") and it is dorea.
E. The Holy Spirit as a gift given by God
and Christ to the church, then, is the most likely meaning of the "gift of
the Holy Spirit," and this is in full accord with other biblical teaching
that the Holy Spirit has been given to the church - Acts 5:32; 10:45; Rom.
8:15; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13-14.
IV. What role does the Spirit play in the life
of the church in each of the following? (from Everett Ferguson, The Church
of Christ, 109-10).
A. Baptism - 1 Cor. 12:13; Tit. 3:5
B. Sanctification - 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thess.
2:13
C. Christian growth - Gal. 5:22-23
D. Love - Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5:22
E. Joy - 1 Thess. 1:6
F. Morality, basis for - 1 Cor. 6:9-20
G. Serving God, done in the Spirit - Rom.
7:6
H. Worship - Jn. 4:23-24; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1
Cor. 14:15
I. Prayer - Eph. 6:18; Jude 20; Gal. 4:6;
Rom. 8:26
J. Preaching - 1 Thess. 1:5; Eph. 6:17
K. Leadership and ministry - Acts 20:28
L. Guarding the truth - 2 Tim. 1:14
M. Enduring suffering - 1 Pet. 4:14
N. Creating unity - Eph. 2:14-18, 21-22;
4:3-4
O. Spiritual power - Eph. 3:16
V. The Spirit and miraculous gifts - Heb.
2:3-4; 1 Cor. 13
VI. Memory verse - Jn. 6:63