"He is the Lord and Giver of life, everywhere present, and is the source of all good thoughts, pure desires, and /Wly counsels In men. By Him the prophets were moved to speak the · Word of God, and aU the writers of the Holy Scriptures inspired to record infalltbly the mind and will of God. The dispensation of the gospel is espedaUy committed to Him. He pre­pares the way for it, accompanies it

. with His persuasive power, and urges its message upon the reason and consdence of men, so that they who reject its merdfuI offer are not only without excuse, but are also guiIt;y of resisting the Holy Spirit. " WCF 34:2

As seen in the Introduction, the work of the Spirit is summed up in Jo1m 16:14, where the Lord Jesus says, "He shall glorify Me." Commenting on this passage,James Boice writes, "The work of the Holy Spirit is primarily to glorify Christ. Indeed; when they are correctly understoQd, all the other works that might be mentioned are included within this one overriding purpose.' James M. Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, p. 381.

As we begin our study of the work of the Spirit, we first need to recognize that HisworkifwhollyChrist-centered. There is an inextricable relationship between Pneumatology(Doctrine of the-­HolySpitit) andChristology. The Spirit carries on the ministry of the Lord Jesus, after His ascension to the right hand of the Pather.JesusHimselfteaches this inJohn 16:5-15. Luke further illu­minates this fact in the book of Acts.

The book of Acts is, in a sense, volume two of Luke's gospel. A comparison of Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1: 1 ,2 confirms this. The gospel is an account of the person and work of Christ, I.e., what Jesus "began" to do

and teach CActs 1:1). The book of Acts, on the other hand, is an account of His continuing work through the Spirit C v. 2), who as Abraham Kuyper says, unlike Jesus, "leaves no footprints in the sand~" Cited in R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, p. 7.

In Acts 2 we read of the ascension of Christ. At His coronation, Jesus received the promised Spirit, which He poured out upon His church (v. 33); He baptized His church with the Holy Ghost (Lk. 3:16; Acts 1:5,8). Each and every Christian has been

A srvDY OF THE PERSON AND WORK

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

BASED ONTHE WESTMINSTER STANDARDS

anointed by Christ with His Spirit (1 In. 2:20,27).

By means of this Spirit baptism, the Lord is continually with His body (Mt. 28:20) . The Holy Spirit, then, is properly called the "Spirit of Christ" (Rom. 8:9; 1 Pet. 1: 11). Jesus Himself taught that only after His ascension would His people receive the gift of the Spirit; thUS, it was better forthe church that Christ depart Qn. 16:7). In this way Christ "becomes life-giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45), and fills all things (Eph. 4: 10).]ohn Calvin, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:45, and Semans in Ephesfans, on 4: 7-10.

C.H. Dodd writes, "the Holy Spirit in the church is the sign of Christ's present power and glory." C.H. Dodd, The Apostolic Preaching and its Development, p. 42.

24 ~ TIll! COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ June, 1993

The Christ-centeredness of the Holy Spirit is further corroborated by the fact that 20% of the New Testment references to the Spirit are found in the gospels and 80% in Acts through Revelation. In other words, it is after the ascension that we see the fullness of the Spirit's ministry. The LordJesus is now the heavenly Parac1ete (parakletos, 1 In. 2: 1) who makes intercession (entunchano, Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:2':) for the saints. The Spirit, on the other hand, is now the "earthly," indwelling Paraclete (parakletos, In.

14:16) and intercessor (enttmchano, Rom. 8:27). In these passages, the same Greek words are used of Christ and the Spirit, thus s t ressing the Christ­centeredness of the Spirit's work.

R.C. Trench further points out that in John 14: 16, the Lord says that He will send "another" (allos) Paraclete. The Greek work alios means "another of the same kind." This is

significant, in that it reveals the similarity of the furtction of Christ and His Spirit. R.c. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, pp. 357-361.

Richard Gaffin aptly summarizes the matter:

"The work of the Spirit is not some addendum to the work of Christ. It is not some more or less independent sphere of activiry that goes beyond or supplements what Christ has done. The Spirit's work is nota 'bonus' added to the basic Slllvationsecured by Christ. Rather the corning of the Spirit brings to light not only that Christ has lived and has done certain things but that He, as the source of eschatological life, now lives and is at work in the church. By and in the Spirit Christ reveals Himself as present. The Spirit is the powerfully open secret, the revealed

mystery, of Christ's abiding presence in the church." Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Perspectives on Pentecost, pp. 19,20.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of Christ

The Christ-centeredness of the Spirit is clearly set forth in His work in the life of Christ. The Spirit is the agent ofthevirginbirth(Mt.1:20;Lk.1:35); He was present at the baptism of Christ (Mt. 3:16), where He anointed the LordJesus (lk. 4:18; Heb. 1:9), filling Him "without measure" (In. 3:34; also Lk. p,30 4:1), for His earthly ministry as Prophet (d. 1 Kgs. 19:16; Ps. 105: 15), Priest (d. Ex. 29:5-7; Ps. 133), and King (d. 1 Sam. 16: 13).

The Spirit also led Christ during the temptation in the wilderness (Mk. 1:12). Jesus was empowered by the Spirit(Mt.12:28; lk. 4: 14); He rejoiced in the Spirit (lk. 10:21); He exorcised demons by means of the Spirit (Mt. 12:28); and He "takes away the sin of the world" (In. 1:29) by means of baptizing with the Holy Spirit (v. 33). It is the Son, along \vith the Father, who sends the Spirit to accomplish His role (economically) in redemptive history (In. 15:26; 16:7).

It was the eternal Spirit who was present at the crucifixion of Christ (Heb. 9: 14), the resunection of Christ (Rom. 1:4; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:18), and the ascension of Christ (Acts2:33). It was at the ascension that the Lord Jesus poured out His Spirit upon His church (ActS 2:33), "to supply the defect of His absence." John Calvin, Institutes IV: 17:26. And now, when the resumcted and ascended Lord speaks to His church, He does so through His Spirit (In. 16: 13-15). (This is also recognizable byacomparison of Rev. 1:12,13; 2:1; with 2:7; Rev. 1:17,18; 2:8; with 2:11; Rev. 1:16,19,20; 3:1; with 3:6; etc.)

General Revelation

general and special revelation. Here the Confession follows Calvin, who taught that the Spirit of God has implanted a sensus deitatis, an innate, ineradicable knowledge of God, in all mankind. This enables men to see the rich revelation of God in creation, which is equally clear. All men have an inescapable, cognitive knowledge of the Triune God of Scripture, which leaves them without excuse. John Calvin, Commentary on Romans 1:18-21; 2:14,15.

Nevertheless, says Calvin, due to the noetic effects of sin, fallen man, who possesses the seed of true religion, continually suppresses that which he knows to be true (Rom. 1: 18). And without the ·spectacles· of special revelation (the Bible), sinful man is not able to come to a saving knowledge of God. John Calvin, Institutes 1:3-5; 1:6: l.

At this point in chapter XXXIV, the Confession is not adding anything to the teachings of the earlier chapters (1,1; XXI,l). But in the first sentence, additional information is added about the Spirit's work in common or non­saving grace, which is a part of general revelation, and the overall doctrine of God's creation and providence. Common or non-saving grace is the work of God's Spirit with regard to all men; it is common to all. God gives good gifts to all men: rain, sunshine, crops, etc. (Mt. 5:44; Acts 14:17). He graciously restrains sin in all men (Gen. 6:3; Rom. 2:14,15; 1 Tim. 1:8-10). Furthermore, God gives natural gifts toallmen(Ex. 31:2-11; 1 Kgs. 7:13,14; Ecc\. 2:26). Louis Berkhof writes: "In the sphere 0 fnature it is the Holy Spirit that gives birth to all life, organic, intellectual, and moral, that maintains it amid all changes, and that leads it to its development and destiny.' Louis Berkhof, Manual of Christian Doctrine, p.223.

extended to all of those who come under the hearing of the gospel. This is the universal call referred to in the Confession (X,4): "Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved."

The Bible teaches that this common oman -saving grace is withdrawn from the non-believer only in hell (Rev. 14:9-11; 2 Th. 1:9,lO).John Gerstner writes, "Inhell ... God's ... grace, mercy, and pity are gone forever, never for a moment to return." John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards: A Mini-Theology, p. 105.

As stated above, although general revelation is abundantly clear,leaving all mankind without excuse, it does not lead to a saving knowledge of God. The Westminster Confession does not adopt a "natural theology." Neither does Calvin, the father of the theology of the Standards. The divinely implanted sense of deity, and because of this, the daily disclosure of God in nature, are more than sufficient to manifest the God of Scripture as the one and only true God.833 John Calvin, Institutes 1:3-5.

In his Institutes, Calvin speaks of the religious andlor moral argument (1:3:1,2; 1:5:8-10), the cosmological argument 0 :5 :6; I: 16:8,9), the argument from common grace (1:5: 7), etc. But these, says Calvin, are vain apart froma Christian presuppositional stance, which is founded upon the Word of God (1:6:1). Not even the knowledge of the resurrection of Christ led the disciples to faith; it merely confirmed it (IlI:2:2-5). For Calvin, as well as the Westminster Confession, the Bible is the axiomatic staning point for all knowledge.

Special Revelation and Evidences

Section two begins by asserting that But beyond this, the common Special revelation, which is now the Holy Spirit is the author of both blessing, omon-saving grace of God is found only in the sixty-six booksofthe

JWle, 1993 ~ TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ 25

. . -- -.. -. -_ .. . - . .... _- _. __ . -- - --+-- - ---- -------. . - - -

Old and New Testaments, is the direct work of the Spirit of God. Section two says that, "by Him [the Spirit! the prophets were moved to speak the WordofGod,andallthe writers of the Holy Scriptures inspired to record infallibly the mind and will of God. "See also Westminster Confession of Faith 1,1,2,4-6,10.

Too, the Confession (1,4,5) speaks of the numerous internal and external evidences which attestto the Bible as being the Word of God. And yet apart from the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit there is no conviction that this is true:

"The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word ofGod ... Wemaybemoved and induced by thetestimony of the church to an high and reverend esteem of the Holy Scripture, and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the pans, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are argumentswherebyit dothabundandy evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the inf<tllible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts."

The Reformer of Geneva, in complete accord with the Westminster Standards, maintained that Scripture

itself is self-authenticating. John evidentialist apologetics is "doing Calvin, Institutes 1:7:5. things backwards" (1:7:4).

There are, said Calvin, in his Institutes, various indicia (evidences), both internal and external, that the Bible is God's infallible revelation to mankind. There is the antiquity of the Bible, its majesty and impressiveness, numerous miracles and prophecies, the universal consent of the church,

and the faithfulness of the martyrs 0:8:3-13). But apart from the inward testimony of the Spirit, these are "vain"; they are "secondary aids to our feebleness" (1:8: 13). In other words, the evidences can be used apologetically as "very useful aids: but never inductively from a neutral position (1:8: 1), because although there is common ground between the believer and non-believer, as both of them are made in God's image, there are no common notions (1:5:13). Therefore, says Calvin, it is ''not right to subject it [the Bible! to proof and reasoning" (1:7:5). "The highest proof of Scripure derives ... from the fact that God ... speaks in it...the testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason" (1:7:4). True faith rests alone in an implicit belief in the Word of God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit (IIl:2:6-1O). According to Calvin,

Finally, we note, asJohn OWen has rightly stated, that the innertestimony of the Spirit is infallible; not that our faith isinfallible, but theSpirit'swimeSs to it is. Non-believers may have a certain intellectual understanding of the Word of God (indeed sometimes it may be very great), but it is not a

saving knowledge. The latter comes only by means of the Spirit. John Owen, Works, Vol. IV, pp. 17-20, 155,156.

Special Revelation: Inspiration And Author1ry

The Wesnninster Con­fession is very clear in its teaching on the subject of inspiration and allthority. All ~ixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are "given by inspiration of God" (1,2). Therefore, the Bible is fully authoritative, and to be believed and obeyed "because it is the

Word of God" (1,4). It is the Spirit of God "bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts" Who convinces us that this is true (1,5); He is "the Supreme Judge ... speakingin the Scripture" (1,10).

According to the Confession, the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture (d. 2 Sam. 23:1,2; 2 Pet. 1:20,21). Both "the Old Testament in Hebrew ... and the New Testament in Greek. .. [are) immediately inspired by God [the Spirit)" (I,8). P1lritan John Ball writes that "to be immediately inspired is to be as it were breathed, and to come from the Father by the Holy Ghost...in the originals [Le., the autographa - "original autographs")." CitedinBenjaminB. Warfield,Selected Shorter Writings, Vol. II, p. 579.

This is the meaning of the Greek theopneustos ("God-breathed") used in 2 Timothy 3: 16.

26 ~ TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ June, 1993

For this reason Augustine can call the Scriptures "the august pen of the Spirit."; Augustine, Confessions VII:21:2 7.

Calvin asserts that Scripture is "the school of the Holy Spirit," and "the mouth of the Lord." John Calvin, Institutes IIl:21:3, and Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:16.

Even as early as the second century, lrenaeus wrote about the four gospel accounts of the LordJesus, which were, "held together by one Spirit." Cited in F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, p. 24.

In section two, the Confession correctly states that the Spirit spoke through the prophets and apostles. These were all "inspired to record infallibly the mind and will of God." In other words, SCripture is the Word of God, as infallibily and inerrantly written by men. This is the "organic" view ofbiblical inspiration. Theauthors were acted upon by the Spirit in an organic way, in accordance with their personalities, characters, tempera­ments, gifts, and talents. Each author used his own style in his prophecy, epistle, gospel, etc. But all the while it was the Spirit of God who was "moving" them along so that they would write infallible truth (2 Pet. 1:20,21), the influence of sin being totally removed from the author and the text. Calvin writes that "the apostles were the certain and authentic amanuenses of the Holy Spirit and therefore their writingsareto be received as the oracles of God ... [as found in) the Holy Scriptures." JohnCalvin, InsUtuftsN:8:9.

According to the Confession 0,8), the same Spirit who inspired the original autographs, likewise has so worked providentially that "by His singular care and providence [the Scriptures have been) kept pure in all ages, [and) are therefore authentical." That is, the orignal sacred text, the autographa, has come down to us through the ages, in the various

translations, copies, etc., in essential purity, through the work of the Spirit.

The Confession also correctly maintains that the canon of Scripture is restlicted to the sixtY-Six books of the Old and New Testaments (1,2). Since the prophets (and prophetiC men, e.g., Ezra, Nehemiah) and apostles (and immediate apostolic disciples, e.g., Mark, Luke) were the only ones inspired by the Spirit to write Scripture, then of necessity, when they died and! or ceased writing inspired epistles, there could be no additional special revelation. There would be no need for it. The Sixty-six books thoroughly eqUip us for every good work (2 Tim. ~:16,l7).

The Westminster divines clearly held that the extraordinalY offices of apostles, evangelists, and prophets ceased with the close of Scripture. In the Form of Presbyterial Church Government, which was also fOlmulated and passed by the original Westminster Assembly, we read: "The officers which Christ hatll appointed for the edification of His church, and the perfecting of the saints, are some extraordinary, as apostles, evangelists, and prophets, which are ceased." Warfield confirms this in his The Westminster Assembly and its Work, where he cites various commissioners (e.g., Edward Reynolds and John Lightfoot) as teaching that all miraculous word gifts ceased with the close of the canon. The Holy Spirit speaks in Scripture alone. Benjamin B. warfield, The Westminster Assembly and its Work, pp. 232, 280ff.

The close of the canon is explicitly taught in 1 COrinthians 13: 8-13. Here Paul is dealing with the place of the miraculous word gifts in the visible church. What is their purpose and duration? Paul says that they have a place, but they are a panial means of revelation (w. 9,10). When the perfect, or complete (teleios) comes, then the partial will be done away with. The

apostle is contrasting that which is complete and endures (e.g. , love, v. 8), with that which is partial. The fully canonized Word of God is complete (2 Tim. 3:16,17), and perfect (Jas. 1:25), and endures forever (1 Pet. 1:24,25). It is all sufficient. Prior to the close of the canon, the partial means of relating God's Word (prophecy, tongues, supernatural means of relating knowledge,etc., v.8) were used. These were for the infant age of the church (v. 11; cpo 14:20,21). Then God's people only saw dimly, as in a mirror. But by the time that the canon was complete Call 66 books), they would know fully; they would have the whole counsel of God (v. 12).

Hence, the Confession is correct in maintaining that "those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people [are) now ceased" 0,1). "Nothing at any time is to be added [to the 66 books), whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men" (1,6). The sixty-siX canonical books "which are given by inspiration of God [are to be) the [sole) rule of faith and life" (1,2). (Note that the Westminster divines are saying that the Word of God does not merely deal with matters of religion ["faith"), but aU of "life").

The same Spilit who inspires the Word of God, also illuminates it for Christians and causes them to recognize its full authority over all of life. In the words of Willem VanGemeren: "The Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture and teaches the deep things of God to those who search ... When the student ofthe Bible approaches the Bible with openness to the Spirit, the Holy Spirit witnesses to the authority of the Word, illumines and transforms the life."Willem VanGemeren, The Progress of Redemption, p. 28.

Thus it is that Augustine can say: "it is to the canonical Scriptures alone that I am bound to yield such implicit

June, 1993 ~ lliE COUNSEL of Chatcedon ~ 27

subjection as to follow their teaching, without admitting the slightest suspicion that in them any mistake or any statement intended to mislead could find a place." Augustine,Lette7s82.3.

The Work of Creation

The Westminster divines held that in His eternal decrees, God "foreordained whatsoever comes to pass," and that God executes these decrees through "the works of creation

. and providence." The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q 7,8.

There is a senseinwhichwe can say that the totality of God's works can be summed up in the works of creation and providence. The Spirit,as the third person of the Godhead, is intimately involved in both. See the Westminster Confession of faith, IV,l,2; V,1-6.

Moreover, "theworkofcreationis, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good." This creative activity includes the creation of man, whom God made "after His own image." The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q 9,10.

In Genesis 1:2, we read that the Spirit (roach) of God "moved upon the face of the waters." He actively participated in the work of the creation of the universe. In Psalm 33:6b, David declares that it was by theruach (Spirit) ofJehovahthat the heavens were made. Herman Bavinck, 1heDoctrineofGai,p.258.

InJob 26:13 and 33:4,Job asserts t!,lat the divine Spirit was an active agent in the creation of all things, including mankind. (In chapter one we saw that the verb bara in Genesis 1:2 speaks to both a creational and sustaining, Le., providence, activity,) It is also likely that Genesis 2: 7, where God is said to have "breathed" into man's nostrils the "breath" oflife has reference to the work of the Holy S~irit in the creation of man. MatthewHenry, Commentary on Genesis 2:7.

Meredith Kline maintains that the Isaiah 40:12-14, it is the Spirit who is nonnaltranslation of Genesis 3:8, "the said to be sovereignly, providentially cool (ruach) of the day," is improper. controlling the universe. Likewise, in According to Kline, it should be Psalm 104:20-30, the third person of rendered, "the Spirit of the day," the Trinity is involved in preserving referring to the divine presence orthe and providing for all of the world's Holy Spirit coming in judgment on creatures. Job 26:13 maintains that fallen man. Inthissense,Genesis3:8is God the Spirit not only creates, but to be viewed as the primal "Day of the also adorns (garnishes) the universe. Lord." Meredith G. Kline, Images oj the " In his 1536 diti f hr' Spirit, pp. 97-13l. ' '. e ono t e nstitutes,

If this is true, and there is much to commend it, then it is a very early manifestation of the personal, divine Spirit of God; coming to carry out Ris role within the economic Trinity. It would also give us greater under­standing of the Spirit's function in the numerous "Day of the Lord" occurren­ces of both the Old and New Testaments,

In his Commentary on Genesis 1: 1 ,2, Calvin teaches that the "eternal Spirit of God" was involved in both the immediate creation of all of the Universal, fonnless "mass" (v. 1), and the mediate creation of fashioning that "mass" into an orderly universe (vv. 2-31). Thus, he can write:

"Indeed, that testimony of Moses in the history of the creation is very clear, that 'the Spirit of God was spread over the deeps: ... or fonnkss matter forit shows not only that the beauty of the universe (which we now perceive) owesits strength and preservation [Le., providence) to the power of the Spirit

J olm Calvm wrote that the Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, was not only active in creating the universe and all things therein, but also in maintaining, supporting, leading, and preserving all things "by His goodness and power, without which all things ""ould inunediatelycollapse and vanisl:i into nothing."Cited in John Calvill, edited by John Dillenberger, pp. 282,283.

Douglas Kelly is in full agreement with Calvin. He writes, "We must not fail to realize that all order in the world, every so- called law of nature also is the law of God and comes from the organizing, hatmonious power of the Holy Ghost."Douglas F. Kelly, The Creation, p. 19.

This is why Werner Ktusche can properly state that to Calvin, and Calvinism in general (as in the Westminster Standards), "The Holy Spiritistheauthorofprovidence."Cited in Readings in Calvin's Theology, edited by Donald K. McKim, p. 78,(1 To be continued.

but that before this adornment was r,=-~~======~=~ added, even then the Spirit was IIjH'hat occupied with tending thai confused i'fW J

mass." John Calvin, Institutes 1:13:14. Cal.',-n The Work of Providence '"

"God's works of providence," states the Shorter Catechism (Q ll), "are, His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His ,creatures, and all their actions." The Bible confirms that this is the work of the third person of the Godhead. In

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