The Fruit of the Spirit, Revised Edition (Faith Case: Pentecostal Classic)

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The Holy Spirit both inspires the writing of the scriptures and interprets them to the Christian and the church. This phrase was based on John In , the Council of Chalcedon , being the fourth ecumenical council, affirmed the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. In , the Third Council of Toledo in its third canon officially accepted the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son "a Patre et Filio procedere". Eastern theologians were teaching that Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only notion referred as monoprocessionism , [69] while Western theologians were teaching that Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son notion referred as filioquism.

The " fruit of the Holy Spirit " [71] consists of "permanent dispositions" [71] in this similar to the permanent character of the sacraments , virtuous characteristics engendered in the Christian by the action of the Holy Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. In the Epistle to the Galatians these nine characteristics are in contrast to the "works of the flesh" and highlight the positive manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit in believers.

The " gifts of the Holy Spirit " [71] are distinct from the Fruit of the Spirit, and consist of specific abilities granted to the individual Christian. There is no generally agreed upon exhaustive list of the gifts, and various Christian denominations use different lists, often drawing upon 1 Corinthians 12 , Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. However, many Christian denominations hold that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is identical with conversion, and that all Christians are by definition baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The " seven gifts of the Holy Spirit " [71] pour out on a believer at baptism , and are traditionally derived from Isaiah Christian denominations have doctrinal variations in their beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit. A well-known example is the Filioque controversy regarding the Holy Spirit — one of the key differences between the teachings of the main Western Churches and various Eastern Christian denominations Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , Church of the East.

The Filioque debate centers around whether the Nicene Creed should state that the Spirit "proceeds from the Father" and then have a stop, as the creed was initially adopted in Greek and followed thereafter by the Eastern Church , or should say "from the Father and the Son" as was later adopted in Latin and followed by the Western Church, filioque being "and from the Son" in Latin. Towards the end of the 20th century, discussions took place about the removal of Filioque in the Nicene Creed from Anglican prayer books along the lines of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox approach, but these still have not reached a state of final implementation.

The majority of mainstream Protestantism hold similar views on the theology of the Holy Spirit as the Roman Catholic Church, but there are significant differences in belief between Pentecostalism and the rest of Protestantism. Non-trinitarian views about the Holy Spirit differ significantly from mainstream Christian doctrine. Jehovah's Witnesses view the Holy Spirit, not as an actual person separate from God the Father, but as God's eternal "energy" or "active force", that he uses to accomplish his will in creation and redemption.

He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones. The Holy Ghost, like all intelligent beings, is believed to be fundamentally eternal, uncreated, and self-existent. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost".

In his Introduction to the book Meditations , the Anglican priest Maxwell Staniforth discussed the profound impact of Stoicism on Christianity. Another Stoic concept which offered inspiration to the Church was that of 'divine Spirit'. Cleanthes , wishing to give more explicit meaning to Zeno's 'creative fire', had been the first to hit upon the term pneuma , or 'spirit', to describe it.

Like fire, this intelligent 'spirit' was imagined as a tenuous substance akin to a current of air or breath, but essentially possessing the quality of warmth; it was immanent in the universe as God, and in man as the soul and life-giving principle. Clearly it is not a long step from this to the 'Holy Spirit' of Christian theology, the 'Lord and Giver of life', visibly manifested as tongues of fire at Pentecost and ever since associated — in the Christian as in the Stoic mind — with the ideas of vital fire and beneficient warmth.

The Holy Spirit is frequently referred to by metaphor and symbol , both doctrinally and biblically.

Theologically speaking these symbols are a key to understanding of the Holy Spirit and his actions, and are not mere artistic representations. The Holy Spirit has been represented in Christian art both in the Eastern and Western Churches using a variety of depictions. The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove , based on the account of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove when he was baptized in the Jordan.

The dove also parallels the one that brought the olive branch to Noah after the deluge, as a symbol of peace.

The book of Acts describes the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles at Pentecost in the form of a wind and tongues of fire resting over the apostles' heads. Based on the imagery in that account, the Holy Spirit is sometimes symbolized by a flame of fire. Dove representation in the Baptism of Christ by Pietro Perugino , circa Ray of light representation in Russian icon of the Pentecost , 15th century. Holy Spirit Cathedral Minsk , Belarus.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the Christian view of the Holy Spirit. For the Holy spirit in other religions, see Holy Spirit. For other uses, see Holy Ghost disambiguation.

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Jesus in Christianity Virgin birth Crucifixion Resurrection. This section relies largely or entirely on a single source.

Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles. Holy Spirit in Johannine literature. Holy Spirit in the Pauline epistles. History of the Filioque controversy and Eastern Orthodox teachings regarding the Filioque. Holy Spirit Christian denominational variations. Holy Spirit in Christian art. Guildford Cathedral , UK. In Understanding be Men: A Handbook of Christian Doctrine sixth ed. An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Expectation of the Messiah and his Spirit nos.

The Making and the Remaking of Trinitarian Theology. Bullinger , Kregel Publications, An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are decreasingly evident as a normal part of many Pentecostal churches. Third, the way Pentecostals form their Pentecostal doctrines has come under scrutiny.

Some of this has been good and has evinced a good response from Pentecostal scholars.

But this is not enough. Because of the growth and influence of charismatic, Third Wave, and other quasi-Pentecostal churches, pastors on the local level need to be increasingly astute at demonstrating the credibility of the Pentecostal approach. By what hermeneutic can it be demonstrated that speaking in tongues is normative, and not, rather, normal, but unnecessary?

This is a critical issue and failure to answer it adequately will result in a continued decline in certainty among Pentecostals and the transfer of members to other groups. To solve this problem we can start by identifying the major spiritual elements of Christian life and set them out in an orderly way. It seems many spiritual activities can be readily identified. I have made a list of nine elements that model the spiritual activity in the life of any Christian. This list could be shortened, expanded, or reorganized. Furthermore, the results of one set of activities and experiences may overlap with others.

Still, there are definite distinctions that are unique because they are achieved through the various activities and experiences believers have with God.

The goal is to try to understand what is involved in spiritual life and how it is accomplished. The nine elements are:. This list shows there are many significant spiritual activities in the life of any believer. We all know people who strongly disagree with the doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit No. For example, there are many non-Pentecostal ministers who have not had a Pentecostal experience and do not speak in tongues, but have, nonetheless, wonderful ministries by virtue of their knowledge of the Word, the sufferings they may have endured, and the discipline of a rich prayer life.

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Most Christians agree that the above list represents the critical areas of spiritual life, but other groups would organize the spiritual life of the believer and the experiences that go with it in different ways. Charismatics are satisfied with the list, but they eliminate tongues as the essential item in No. They also believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for personal edification and spiritual growth more than an empowering for service. Third Wave Christians probably agree with the elements in the list, but de-emphasize the unique experiential quality of No. Also, they eliminate the necessity of tongues for this enabling to occur.

Over-reaching Pentecostals see No. Some even include No. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry Luke This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth Acts 8: With the baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit John 7: There is one potentially problematic sentence in this statement.

This would mean that non-Pentecostals — nontongues speakers — have no power or gifts for ministry. If all gifts follow, then none precede. It cannot be any other way. This can only mean that non-Pentecostals do their work in the flesh and not the Spirit. This cannot possibly be the meaning of the authors of this statement.

Help in understanding this issue is provided in a position paper on initial evidence produced by the Assemblies of God in In addressing the question of the ministries of those who are not Pentecostal it says:. What about truly born-again people who have accomplished great things for the Lord but who do not speak with tongues?

Enrichment Journal - Enriching and Equipping Spirit-filled Ministers

Can believers who have not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit minister with supernatural signs following? As the question is stated, the answer must be yes. Miracles were wrought through people like Stephen and Philip who did not have apostolic positions. The full range of gifts was everywhere seen after the Day of Pentecost. It was as if a high-octane fuel additive propelled the Church to incredible growth and outreach. Activity after the Day of Pentecost was not just an extension of activity before the great outpouring. The Church had experienced a major empowerment for more effective ministry.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, is the doorway leading to a greatly empowered church of Jesus Christ. The last sentence in the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths also reveals the Pentecostal understanding of the results of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The language here is important. It speaks of something extra, something added on. The authors do not claim that all fullness, all reverence, all consecration, and all love come from the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but that something more is added to what God has already done.

With this in view, a clearer model of the Pentecostal understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit can be fashioned. What do Pentecostals mean by the baptism in the Holy Spirit? I think that a definition can be set out that does not claim to be comprehensive, but identifies the major elements in this Pentecostal experience. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is significant additional power for life and ministry given by God subsequent to salvation. By virtue of this, a deep sense of mystery and emotion is often experienced. It is also characterized by speaking in tongues.

Speaking in tongues establishes a noncognitive and nonrational communication with God. It is not antirational. It is an immediate contact with God that does not include human words, nor can it be expressed in human words. The baptism in the Holy Spirit does not and cannot take the place of the other necessary spiritual experiences that God has provided for His believers. Now, a critical question. If the baptism in the Holy Spirit confers additional power for ministry, how much additional power is gained?

Considerable evidence indicates that the baptism in the Holy Spirit confers a dramatic amount of power for ministry on the believer who receives this experience. His statistics are drawn from the development of Pentecostal missions in the 20th century. In Chile, the Methodists grew to approximately 5, members, while the Pentecostals grew to 2,, In Brazil, the Baptists grew to 1,,, while the Pentecostals grew to over 21 million. Worldwide, the Christian and Missionary Alliance grew to 1. More current year statistics show that Assemblies of God worldwide members and adherents have grown to nearly 48 million, not including the nearly 2.

These statistics cannot be ignored. These accomplishments are the reason that Fuller Seminary undertook a study of Pentecostal missions that has drawn attention to the spectacular success of Pentecostal ministry. Other scholars are drawing similar conclusions.

Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, recently wrote a new book, The Next Christendom , in which he demonstrates that the growth patterns of the Pentecostals will make the 21st century a Pentecostal century. Pentecostal ministry is not slightly more effective. It makes a dramatic difference. The baptism in the Holy Spirit provides a significant amount of power for supernatural ministry resulting in striking accomplishments for the Kingdom.

All that is needed to clarify the Pentecostal understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and its relationship to other schools of thought is the fact Pentecostals do not believe all power and gifting for ministry occur only after the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Non-Pentecostals are certainly spiritually enabled for ministry. But the baptism in the Holy Spirit confers dramatically more power for ministry, especially in the supernatural realm of miracles, signs, and wonders; ministries that promote the apostolic or missionary call to plant the church and minister in the supernatural.

This additional power, enablement through spiritual gifts and passion, is added along with the miraculous and spiritually profitable practice of speaking in tongues; first for personal edification 1 Corinthians This clarification of the Pentecostal position has many salutary effects. First, it gives the nine elements in the outline presented above their rightful, important places. Some Pentecostals give too little attention to these issues in their emphasis on No.

Second, it puts the baptism in the Holy Spirit into proper perspective. It is not the only important experience in the life of the believer. Third, it retains the importance, uniqueness, and subsequence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals do not need to protect this doctrine because it is their own unique distinctive. If it is biblically unsound, it should be discarded. The desire to retain it is due to the fact it is biblical and to lose it — or have it diluted by including some of it in other categories and dispensing with the rest — does great harm to the church, especially in a day when the church needs all the power available, not less.

Fourth, it clarifies the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is given primarily to add significant supernatural power for ministry and to enhance a noncognitive and experiential relationship with God. Fifth, it retains the vital importance and value of speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence for the unique experience called the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The noncognitive, nonrational character of speaking in tongues is spiritually healthy when it is in balance with the other elements of spiritual life. The liberty to escape the cognitive dimension and enter into edifying communication with God, connecting in a different way — heart to heart, rather than head to head with the words of human language — should not be undermined.

And, by giving the other elements their proper role, it provides safeguards for the legitimate fear that this nonrational experience could result in fanaticism. Read the nine areas of spiritual activity again to see how important it is to have the balance provided by the other eight elements. Connected to this are the vitality, energy, and passion that the baptism in the Holy Spirit can produce.

Pentecostals have discovered anew that the nonrational, even the highly emotional and passionate, are helpful to a Christian who is greatly concerned about the salvation of the world. This is not to say that others do not care; they certainly do, but Pentecostal missions speak of the fruitful effects of a highly passionate ministry corps that function in the miraculous.

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