A Study of the Holy Spirit

(Pneumatology)

Based on the Book

“What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit”

By

Dr. Stanley M. Horton

Unit One – Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Goals:

Be able to describe the various meanings of the word spirit as they relate to the Holy Spirit.

Explain the place of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity.

Define the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, as defined in Scripture.

Recognize personally that the Holy Spirit is real and powerful.

LESSON 1 – A DIVINE PERSON

A Real Person

The Bible shows that the Holy Spirit has the qualities of a ______________, which are:

1. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

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Each of the following passages shows us one of the above-mentioned personality characteristics. List it beside the Scripture reference.

Romans 8:27 ______________________________________

1 Corinthians 12:11 ______________________________________

1 Corinthians 2:11 ______________________________________

Romans 15:30 ______________________________________

The Holy Spirit also does things that only a person can do. Look at each passage below and list the action that shows personal action.

Acts 8:29 ______________________________________

Acts 11:12 ______________________________________

Acts 13:2 ______________________________________

Acts 13:4 ______________________________________

Acts 16:6, 7 ______________________________________

Revelation 22:17 ______________________________________

Genesis 6:3 ______________________________________

Revelation 2:7, 11 ______________________________________

The Holy Spirit can also suffer as only a person can suffer. List these below.

Isaiah 63:10 ______________________________________

Hebrews 10:29 ______________________________________

Matthew 12:31 ______________________________________

Acts 5:3 ______________________________________

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Acts 5:9 ______________________________________

Acts 7:51 ______________________________________

Ephesians 4:30 ______________________________________

One other interesting thing that points to the Holy Spirit being a person is the way John refers to Him in the following passages:

John 16:7, 8, 13, 14

List all the pronouns used to speak about the Holy Spirit in these verses, listing each one, even if it is a duplicate.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is why this is important to notice. The Greek word pneuma (spirit) is a neuter word, meaning it is neither masculine or feminine, therefore the laws of language require it to be spoken of by neuter pronouns, such as it or its. But, because the pneuma John speaks of is a person and not a thing, he uses masculine pronouns to signify which emphasize that the Holy Spirit is a ____________________, and not just a thing or an energy source floating around aimlessly.

NOTES:

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The Word Spirit

The King James Version term Holy Ghost is __________________ the same as the term Holy Spirit used in newer translations.

In both Hebrew and Greek, the word translated spirit is also translated _________ and ___________.

Deity of the Spirit

Now that we have seen that the Holy Spirit is a real person, we will now examine how the Bible shows He is a divine person. This does not mean He is simply ___________________, but He is fully divine. He is as much God as the __________________ and the ___________.

Let’s look at the following Scriptures that give names and/or titles that show His deity:

Genesis 6:3 ______________________________________

Exodus 31:3 ______________________________________

Job 32:8 ______________________________________

Judges 6:34 ______________________________________

Isaiah 61:1 ______________________________________

Matthew 10:20 ______________________________________

John 14:17 ______________________________________

Romans 8:9 ______________________________________

Galatians 4:6 ______________________________________

2 Corinthians 3:3 ______________________________________

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Another way to determine the deity of the Holy Spirit is to look at Scriptures that show Him to possess attributes that only God is capable of possessing. These attributes are:

A. Omniscience – all knowing

B. Omnipresent – present in all places at the same time

C. Omnipotent – all powerful

D. Eternality – eternal; always has been, always will be

Beside each passage below, write the letter of the corresponding attribute above:

___ Psalm 139:7-8

___ Isaiah 40:13

___ Zechariah 4:6

___ 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

___ Hebrews 9:14

___ John 14:17

___ Psalm 104:30

NOTES:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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A Distinct Person

While the purpose of this study is not to go into all the mystery of the Trinity, it is possible to see the Holy Spirit’s association with the other members of the Trinity is a way that shows both His deity and the fact that He is a distinct person from the other two members.

The following is a paragraph written by British minister, Edward Bickersteth (1786-1850) that puts it quite well. Note that the Old Testament scriptures quoted are from the messianic prophecies found in Isaiah.

We see this (the deity and distinctiveness) in the mission, ministry and atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one but a Divine Being could share the counsels of Jehovah in sending the Savior into the world; and yet we read, “From the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord God, and His Spirit, hath sent me” (Isaiah 48:16). No one but a Divine Being could have enabled Christ for his unparalleled ministry; yet we read, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings” (Isaiah 61:1). No one but a Divine Being could have poured the unction of his grace upon that offering for the sins of the world; and yet we read, “Christ through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14). Can you imagine any angel or man taking this part? It is impossible. He who fulfills it must needs himself be God. – The Holy Spirit, Edward Bickersteth, pp. 58-59.

John 14:16 (NIV)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever…

Which of the following two sentences best describes what you think Jesus meant when He said the Father would send another Counselor?

1. The Holy Spirit was Jesus Himself who would come back in spirit form.

2. Another Counselor, distinct from Jesus, would be given.

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In the Greek language, there are two words translated another.

heteros - ___________________________________________________________

allos - _____________________________________________________________

Which one do you think Jesus used in the above verse? ___________

Each member of the Trinity, though in perfect unity with the other members, has His own distinct person and work. Look at the following verses and decide how they show the Holy Spirit to be distinct from the Father and the Son:

John 14:26 ___________________________________________________

John 15:26 ___________________________________________________

John 16:7 ___________________________________________________

Now, consider this – if you need something from the store, and someone else is given the task of obtaining it for you, you sent them in your place. If, however, you go and obtain the item yourself, you did not send yourself, you simply went to the store. You would not say, “I sent myself to the store”, but you would say of another distinct person, “I sent them to the store”. So, when Jesus speaks of Him and the Father sending the Spirit, He is referring to another person who is distinct from Him and the Father.

This distinctness of Persons in the Trinity ___________________ create a hierarchy whereby the Son and the Holy Spirit are in any way ______________ to the Father – they co-exist in perfect unity and on the same level with each other.

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His Place in the Trinity

How do these two passages, Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14, show the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as to their “level” relationship? _________________

How do each of these passages draw attention to the fact that the members of the Trinity are on the same level? 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 4:4-6:

__________________________________________________________________

Not only is the Holy Spirit on the same level as the other members of the Trinity, He is in perfect unity with them. The word temple (sanctuary) is used in the Bible for a place where God lives or manifests His presence. Who is named as living in the temple in these verses?

1 Corinthians 3:16 ___________________________________________________

Colossians 1:27 _____________________________________________________

1 Corinthians 6:19 ___________________________________________________

It is important to notice that though the Persons of the Trinity are _____________, they do not act __________________________ of each other.

Notice in these pairs of verses, one from the OT and one from the NT, that in the first, the LORD, or God is credited with the action/saying, and in the NT quote of that same action/saying, the Holy Spirit is credited. How can this be? The members of the Trinity are distinct but operate in complete ________________.

Jeremiah 31:31, 33 and Hebrews 10:15, 16.

Isaiah 6:8, 9 and Acts 28: 25, 26

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What do you think is the main reason people have such a difficult time understanding the Trinity?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is a paragraph from Nathan Wood’s book, The Secret of the Universe, where he gives a great description of the Trinity:

His idea was that since God is triune (three in one) we should expect to find some reflections of His nature in His creation. One way Dr. wood saw the Trinity reflected was in space itself. For example, the space in a room is a unity. Yet there are three dimensions: length, width, and height. These dimensions are distinct, yet not separate. The length goes through the whole of the space in the room, as does the width and the height. To get the space in the room we do not add the three dimensions, we multiply. That means if the dimensions are equal we could multiply 1x1x1 and the answer would still be one. The Holy Spirit does not detract from or add to the nature of God; He permeates the divine unity entirely. It has been pointed out that when God is said to be one, the Hebrew Bible uses echad, which may be a compound unity, rather than yachid, which usually means a unity without any complexity. Echad is a unity of essence which may be made up of different parts.

NOTES:

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Problems in the Early Church

In the early days of the Church (specifically in the first few centuries after the close of the New Testament) some were accused of teaching that there were three Gods. While some of their writings might, on the surface, seem to indicate this, that was never the intent of these men. Mostly, they were struggling with how to best understand and explain this concept of the “Trinity” to a world that was polytheistic (many gods), while staying true to the Bible’s declaration that “the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29). Most Christians in the ancient world held strongly to the fact of only one God existing in three distinct persons.

The following is a simplified explanation of some of the early teachings that strayed from solid Biblical teaching and were the source of many of the early Church’s councils and creeds.

1. Gnostics -distinguished between the man, Jesus and the Christ Spirit. Taught that Christ was merely an emanation (an abstract but perceptible thing that issues or originates from a source) or radiation from a God who was too holy to contaminate Himself by coming into the physical world, therefore denying that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. They treated the Holy Spirit as a mere emanation or radiation, and therefore not God either.

2. Origen (of the school of Alexandria, Egypt, 3rd Century AD) – taught that God the Father was fully God, but that Jesus was under that Father and not fully God, and the Spirit was even lower and less God than that.

3. The Macedonians – did not call the Spirit God, but also would not call Him a created being.

4. The Arians (followers of Arius in the early 4th Century AD) – said Jesus was a created being and was called “God” only because He enjoyed God’s favor. They also had no place for the deity of the Holy Spirit.

5. Followers of Origen – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different manifestations of one divine Person.

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6. Sabellius, about 250 AD – said that the one divine Person simply manifested Himself in different modes or capacities. When acting as Creator He was Father. When manifesting Himself on earth and dying on the cross He was the Son. Now, as He works in the Church, He is the Spirit. This is like saying a man is a doctor in his office, a fisherman at the lake, and dad at home to his children. Unfortunately, this fails to explain verses like Matthew 3:13-17. If this explanation of Sabellius (and his followers, still present today) is accurate, then we serve a God that is a ventriloquist and/or suffers from multi-personality disorder.

The Problem Resolved – The Councils, Creeds, and Persons

1. The Council of Nicaea, 325 AD, dealing with the Arian teaching – here is the part of the Nicene Creed that speaks of the Holy Spirit:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

This creed assigns the title “Lord” to the Spirit, just as it does to the Father and the Son, as well as saying He is “adored and glorified”, terms indicating worship reserved for God and God alone. When it says, “who proceeds from”, it simply means the Spirit was “sent out by” the Father and Son for a specific task related to humankind. It does not mean the Spirit was created or is an emanation from the Father and/or the Son.

2. Athanasius (died 373 AD) – person with the greatest influence during these times who held firmly to the unity of God as present in the Trinity. Here is his creed:

We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is on Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit; but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

Simply put, the Three are one God, but the Three are not one Person masquerading under three names or aliases.

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3. The Church of England (aka, Anglican Church) – simply states in their creed:

And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

4. The Methodist Creed of 1789 – follow a similar path to the one above:

In the unity of this Godhead, there are three persons in one substance, power and eternity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

While the creeds and confessions of the Church opened the way to study the work and person of the Holy Spirit, He has been largely neglected by the Church throughout the centuries. We would do well to allow Him to carry out His complete work in our lives, just as we allow the Father and Son to do.

NOTES:

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LESSON 2 – THE INSPIRER OF SCRIPTURE

Lesson Objectives

- Describe the Holy Spirit’s function in both inspiration and illumination of the Bible.

- Define the scope of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the Bible.- Learn why the guidance of the Word and illumination of the Spirit are both

essential to right belief and right conduct.

Key Definitions and Scripture Passages

Inspiration – divine influence on a person who receives and communicates God’s Word to man.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Illumination - making clear, explaining, giving added understanding.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2 Timothy 3:14-4:8

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Peter 1:12-21

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NOTES:

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Why An Inspired, Objective “Word” Is Needed

Define OBJECTIVE: ________________________________________________

What do most religions say is necessary to obtain “salvation”?__________________________________________________________________

Now, look at the following verses, then circle the statements that are true in the list below:

Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 10:8-15; John 16:7-15; John 3:3,5, 14-16

a. We cannot save ourselves by our own good deeds or good thoughts.

b. We must understand the whole Bible in order to be saved.

c. We need an objective knowledge of the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection to be saved.

d. All we need in order to be save is to give mental assent to the truth of the facts concerning Christ’s death and resurrection.

e. God has given the Holy Spirit to help us understand the truth and who it is that gives us new life.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Christianity teaches us that something other than our good works and deeds are needed for “salvation”. The way in which God has determined to teach us this is through the written word – the Holy Bible.

In fact, many religions – even those with “holy books” – are known for making man’s “salvation” something mysterious, hidden, and difficult.

The Bible, however, takes mankind on a journey, illuminating his knowledge of God’s plan, working it out over several centuries, making sure that His plan was preserved in an inspired written form.

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From the very beginning, God made it plain that He had a plan, and a ______________________ that would result in mankind’s “salvation”.

Read Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; and Galatians 3:14, 16 and tell who that “person of blessing” was to be, from the very beginning.

_________________________________

Not only did God make sure that mankind had a written, objective record of the plan and the person, He also made sure that a means of knowing about and obtaining this “salvation” was preserved in that same written, objective record.

Romans 10:11-17

What does this verse say must be present and happen for people to obtain this knowledge of “salvation”?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTES:

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Inspiring Word and Acts

List some of the people from both the Old Testament and the New Testament to whom, or through whom the Holy Spirit spoke?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write down what action was inspired by the Holy Spirit in each of these passages:

Numbers 11:25 - ____________________________________________________Exodus 31:2-5 - _____________________________________________________Judges 14:5, 6 - _____________________________________________________

Now, read these passages and select which of the following statements express what these Scriptures show us about inspiration:

Numbers 17:8-11; Acts 9:5; Revelation 1:10-11; 2 Samuel 23:2

A. The writers of Scripture always heard an audible voice telling them what to write.

B. The Word always came to them by inner inspiration.C. Sometimes the writers heard the actual words of the Lord. Sometimes the

Spirit used other ways to reveal the message to them.D. Sometimes the Spirit inspired them in a more direct way, giving them the

words or utterance.

Read Hosea 1:1; Hosea 4:1; Joel 1:1; Amos 1:3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13; Amos 2:1, 4, 6

In each of these, how does the prophet introduce their message:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notice that the prophets who wrote down the Scriptures were first moved or led by the Spirit to ___________ God and _______________ help carry on His plan. They were themselves involved in many of the events they recorded. Thus, the

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Spirit inspired their _____________ and their _______________ messages before they were written down. This is the emphasis of 2 Peter 1:20, 21.

Did all the prophets write down their messages from the Holy Spirit? ______

We have only one letter from Elijah – 2 Chronicles 21:12-15.

What about each of these? Did they leave any writings behind?

Nathan ____Elisha ____John the Baptist ____

So, why did those who DID write do so?

Read Exodus 34:27 and Jeremiah 36:1-2, 27-28, 32 to find the answer.

__________________________________________________________________

Finally, in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, what does the word scripture mean or imply?

__________________________________________________________________

NOTES:

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Illuminating the Truth to Us

Is reading and/or memorizing the Bible enough? ________

Is regarding the Bible as “true” enough? ________

Is “knowing” the Bible enough? ________

Just as the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to write the Word, He also is given the task to illuminate that written Word so that it can accomplish the purposes stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

REVIEW:

Inspiration – divine influence on a person who receives and communicates God’s Word to man.

Illumination - making clear, explaining, giving added understanding.

2 Timothy 3:16, 17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NASU)

This passage not only gives us reliable witness to the divine origin of the Bible (inspiration), but it also gives us the purposes for which it was written (illumination).

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Purposes Behind God Inspiring the Bible to be Written

Useful/Profitable:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Teaching:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rebuking/Reproof:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Correction/Correcting:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Training in Righteousness:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thoroughly Equipped/Adequate For Every Good Work:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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A Guide to Right Belief

From what we have seen so far, it is clear that the inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit gives us the _______________________ that the Bible is _____________________ and that it tells us the _______________ about God and Christ.

Since this is true, we can rely on the Bible to be our GUIDE TO RIGHT BELIEF.

Define BELIEVE (verb):

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Define BELIEF (noun):

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why is BELIEF and BELIEVING the right thing so important? Romans 10:9, 10

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is right belief alone enough for us? _______

That’s why we need:

A Guide to Right Conduct

Define CONDUCT:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Right conduct is another way of saying we are walking in God’s ______________.

For each Scripture passage, write down some of the RIGHT CONDUCTS that God’s says we should do to be in His will.

Micah 6:8 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:15-17

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ephesians 5:15-21

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

James 1:18-27

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We can rely on the Bible to be our Guide for Right ________________ and ______________, because we can rely on the __________________________ as the Inspirer and Illuminator of Scripture.

NOTES:

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LESSON 3 – THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER

Cooperation in Creation

We are quickly introduced to the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Look at Genesis 1 and tell who is the subject of most of the sentences: __________________________

In what verse is the Holy Spirit introduced? _____________________________

Look at John 1:1-4. Who do these verses indicate was also present during the creation of the world? _______________________________________________

It is obvious then that the Trinity was involved in Creation account. One way to look at it is to say that:

The _____________ willed it.

The _____________ spoke it.

The _____________ “did” it.

The Hovering Spirit

While we do not have a clear explanation of the Holy Spirit’s work in Genesis 1:2, we may draw the following conclusions about it:

1. His work was probably preparatory for the six days of creation.

2. Since the word hovered in Hebrew indicates continuous action, it may be that we are to understand that His task was continued on through all six days of creation.

3. Since the verb is active, we are to understand that the Spirit was dynamic and not just a spectator in creation.

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Some Bible teachers/scholars find that the Holy Spirit’s activity in Creation can also be seen in the following biblical episodes:

Exodus 31:1-11

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exodus 35:30-36:1

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Chronicles 28:11-12

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does/Can the Holy Spirit do this type of creative activity in people’s lives today?

________ Explain: __________________________________________________

What about the events of Luke 1:26-35? How would you describe and explain the activity of the Holy Spirit here?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Creation of Man

Genesis 1:26-31

What is meant by the phrase “in our image” in verse 26, and “in his own image, in the image of God” in verse 27?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Perhaps looking at the following passages will help clarify it:

John 4:24a; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10

What is the real area of our existence that we are “created in the image of God”?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Breath of Life

Genesis 2:7

Note: in the Hebrew, the phrase “breath of life” is actually plural and should read “breath of lives”.

What do you think this plural “lives” really signifies?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did Elihu (one of Job’s “friends”) view this in Job 33:4?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Sustainer of Creation and Life

Define sustain:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, let’s look at Scriptures that describe the Holy Spirit’s sustaining activity in creation and life.

Nehemiah 9:19-21____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 14:16-18____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ezekiel 36:25-27____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 6:63a____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Luke 12:11-12____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Acts 2:1-4____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Corinthians 3:16____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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1 Corinthians 12:7-11____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 14:26____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 8:1-6____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, based on the Holy Spirit’s activity in the lives of mankind as shown in these Scripture passages, what would you say is the Holy Spirit’s role in YOUR life?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTES:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Unit Two – The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

LESSON 4 – THE SPIRIT IN ISRAEL’S BEGINNINGS

Abraham

If you read the records of ancient kings and rulers you might get the idea that all they did was win victories, build great structures, and do great exploits. If you want to know about their defeats and failures, you have to read the records of their __________________.

In the Bible, however, we find that the Holy Spirit led the writers to record both the good and the bad of the men and women God used. Though He is not always mentioned, we will see the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of early Patriarchs and Leaders of Israel, beginning with Abraham.

Hebrews 11:8-19 – List the various items here that show the “invisible” hand of the Holy Spirit at work in Abraham’s life:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Genesis 15:6 – How does this verse show us the Holy Spirit at work?__________________________________________________________________

Galatians 3:14-21 – Paul connects Abraham’s faith to the promise of an inheritance given by God. This promise not only included many descendants that would become a great nation, but also the one “seed”, who was ____________________, which also includes the gift of ______________________ we now experience.

Genesis 20:1-18 – Here is one of those cases where we see the “human” side of Abraham. But notice what God says of him in verse 7:

…for he is a _______________....

What is a prophet?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What this teaches us for today is that the Holy Spirit can and will use us and work through us before we are __________________________________________.

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Patriarchs and the “Anointed Ones”

Psalm 105:8-22

Who are the ones listed here that were in Israel’s continuing storyline after Abraham?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Look especially at verse 15. What does this verse call these men?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anointing in the Old Testament often involved what substance? ______________

What was this substance a type of? __________________________

In this verse, we do not see any indication that the anointing was done with oil, so therefore, it must simply be speaking of an anointing of the __________________ directly.

We see in verses 8-14 that this anointing was directly tied to what?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Next, take each of the men mentioned in this passage from Psalms, and list some of the things from their life that show their anointing and the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Abraham________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isaac________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Jacob________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joseph________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTES:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Moses and the Children of Israel

After the time of Joseph and the other Patriarchs, Israel fell into almost 400 years of bondage in Egypt – see Exodus 1.

About the end of this 400-year period, God raised up an Israelite to be the deliverer of His people – see Exodus 2 through 4.

Although it took a while, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt – see Exodus 5 through 12.

Once they were in the wilderness, between Egypt and the Promised Land, God gave Moses not only the Tablets containing the Ten Commandments, but He gave him instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and other items necessary to the worship of Jehovah during their travels.

Exodus 31:1-11; 35:30-35

What do we see the Holy Spirit doing in these passages of Scripture?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the Holy Spirit still operate in this manner today? If so, what are some specific examples you can think of?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We see here that the Holy Spirit gave the chosen men wisdom, but not wisdom as we commonly think of it. How would you describe the wisdom given these men?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Moses’ Calling

One task of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was to anoint people to the office of prophet.

What is a prophet? ___________________________________________________

Moses was one such person. In fact, we might say that in the history of the nation of Israel, he was their ________________ prophet.

Why would we not consider any of the patriarchs to be this?__________________________________________________________________

We know for sure that Moses was a prophet because of God’s words in Numbers 12:1-16.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At what time and at what event did God put the Holy Spirit on Moses to make him a prophet?__________________________________________________________________

Let’s read about this, and about how long it took Moses to fully accept and understand this anointing to the office of prophet.

Exodus 3:1-15; 4:1-17; 7:1-2____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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