Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

The Hebrew Scripture contains rich and sometimes even unique material about the Spirit of the Lord, so those specific thoughts are not repeated in the Newer Testament. To summarize the priceless teaching of the Hebrew Bible on the Spirit of God into one article is almost an impossible task. Crucial questions intrude: What can one know about the Holy Spirit on the basis of the Old Testament, from the Bible of Jesus Christ, His Apostles, and the Early Church? Who is the Spirit of God or the Spirit of the Lord? In this overview study, a big picture will be painted about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament according to the three partied division of the Hebrew canon (the Torah, Prophets, and Writings). The examination of the topic of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament is usually approached from a doctrinal point of view, because people want to know if the Holy Spirit is a mere influence or a person. Nevertheless, the main purpose of why the Bible speaks about the Holy Spirit is to point to His different functions and to testify that the Holy Spirit needs to lead us, and not that we should possess the Holy Spirit. We cannot use the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit is the One who must use us. This presentation proceeds from the exegetical-theological perspective and is based on the inductive methodology.

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Retrieved July 23, 2015, from the Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

Journal Title

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

Volume

24

Issue

2

First Page

18

Last Page

58

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