review: bloesch, d. g., “the holy spirit: works and gifts”, intervarsity press, 2000

8/9/2019 Review: Bloesch, D. G., The Holy Spirit: Works and Gifts, InterVarsity Press, 2000.

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Name: Stephen T. Adair

Student ID Number: 2060329784

Email Address: [email protected]

Course Name: The Doctrine o the !ol" Spirit

Course Number: #T $73 %S&303

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!"e #odule Number$ Audio Number (if applicable)$ and Project Number (if

applicable) must be accurate in order to process t"e lesson and record t"e grade% !"e

correct information is stated in t"e Course Stud& 'uide%

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found on t"e first page of t"e Stud& 'uide: 20'20404Degree Program: )A in *i+lical St,dies

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Independent Study students must write a one-page double-spacedabstract for each required text as described under Abstract Content andAbstract Format below. Please submit each abstract separately as youcomplete them. ou will recei!e a grade for each abstract. "he percentage!alue for each indi!idual abstract is determined by di!iding #$% by the

number of required textboo&s in this course.

Abstract Content

'. (egin each abstract with the bibliographic citation for the text.Please consult the current edition of )ate *. "urabian+s A ,anual forriters of esearch Papers/ "heses/ and 0issertations for thecitation information needed. "he citation ser!es as the abstracttitle.

#. (eneath the citation write a one-page double-spaced abstract innormal font that describes in the following order1

2 )ey concepts in the boo&3

2 Strengths and wea&nesses of the text3 and

2 Issues or concerns raised for you in relationship to life/ wor&/or ministry.

*loesch D. . The Holy Spirit: Works and Gifts %nter5arsit" -ress 2000.

4loesc" emplo&s a dialogical approac" to pneumatolog& 5"ic" engages 5it" bot"

5it" scripture and ,arious c"urc" traditions% !"e opening c"apter attempts to define "is

pneumatolog& as a 6transmodern786re,elationalpneumatic79% .e describes it as a 6t"eolog&

of ord and Spirit7% C"apter 9 discusses ;e& elements of t"e contemporar& debates

concerning t"e .ol& Spirit (,i pro,ide an object sur,e& of

"istorical pneumatological t"in;ing from t"e C"urc" 2at"ers to 6/ecent De,elopments in

!"eological !"oug"t%

In C"apter 8? 4loesc" describes "is o5n ,ie5s on pneumatolog&$ emp"asising t"e

necessit& of bot" ord and Spirit$ and noting t"at an anal&sis of /eformation literature

demonstrates t"e consistent belief t"at t"e ord is onl& efficacious 5"en illuminated b& t"e

Spirit (p9@)% .o5e,er$ t"is c"apter is disappointing as 4loesc" interacts ,er& superficiall&

5it" muc" of t"e pneumatological t"oug"t described in t"e pre,ious nine c"apters% 2or

8Contra modern and postmodern%9Contra cogniti,epropositional$ eBperientialeBpressi,e$ and culturallinguistic%

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instance$ 4loesc" concludes t"at Spirit 4aptism occurs at regeneration (pp9$ 9>>) and is not

an eBperience 5"ic" is subseuent to con,ersion 5it"out an& discussion of t"e issues at

"and=% 4loesc" see;s to emp"asise t"is point noting t"at con,ersion eBperiences ,ar&

significantl&$ uoting se,eral eBamples (p=??)% !"ere are t5o significant problems 5it" t"is

comment: firstl&$ none of t"e people in t"e eBamples uoted regarded t"e eBperience to 5"ic"

4loesc" refers as a con,ersionF and secondl& all of t"ese eBperiences 5ere tangible and

emotional encounters 5it" t"e .ol& Spirit$ and as suc" are not t&pical of most con,ersion

eBperiences%

#oreo,er$ 4loesc"Gs treatment of c"arismata demonstrates poor understanding of t"is

subject area% 2or instance$ noting PaulGs comment in 8 Cor% 898$ 4loesc" concludes t"at

6tongues7 is associated 5it" immaturit& and s"ould not be practiced b& a mature belie,er

(p9>8)% !"is conclusion is clearl& incorrect$ as Paul ne,er states t"at tongues are infantile$ and

actuall& claims to use t"e gift 6more t"an all of &ou7 (8 Cor% 8:8) % 4loesc" assumes t"at

tongues are al5a&s an ecstatic utterance (pp9>89>9) 5it"out demonstrating t"is position

eit"er from a biblical or a c"urc" tradition perspecti,eH% 2inall&$ 4loesc"Gs comment When

Pentecostals see faith as only preparatory for the gift of the Spirit, they tend to diminish

faithis a terrible misrepresentation of Pentecostal doctrine%

4loesc" eBpresses a strange interpretation of o"n 8=:89?$ asserting t"at t"e 5as"ing

of t"e disciples feet b& esus 5as s&mbolical of t"eir future cleansing at t"eir con,ersion

(p=?H)$ 5"ic" completel& misses t"e point t"at esus noted t"at t"e disciples "ad alread& been

cleansed full&$ but just needed occasional restoration@%

=4loesc" includes /om% :> in parent"esis impl&ing t"at "is point is pro,ed b& t"is scripture% .o5e,er$

reference does not mention baptism in t"e Spirit%Indeed$ se,eral "ad professed fait" for man& &ears prior to t"is eBperience$ and some (suc" as o"nesle&) "ad been engaged in ministr& and missionar& acti,it& for man& &ears prior to t"e eBperience%Paul 5as noting t"at t"e manner in 5"ic" t"e Corint"ian c"urc" used some of t"e gifts (includingtongues) 5as infantile$ not t"at t"e gift itself 5as infantile%HAs a life long Pentecostal C"ristian$ 5"o uses t"e gift of tongues in pri,ate de,otions$ m& eBperience

is t"at tongues are rarel& an ecstatic eBperience$ but are ordinaril& rational and controlled% !"is in fact is5"at Paul 5as ad,ocating in 8 Cor% 898%@esus eBplained to Peter 6t"ose t"at "a,e "ad a bat" need onl& 5as" t"eir feet7 (,8?)%

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4loesc" closes 5it" a c"apter on t"e t"eolog& of t"e C"ristian life$ 5"ic" "e describes

as a pilgrimage 5"ic" "e asserts is best portra&ed as a battle%

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review: bloesch, d. g., “the holy spirit: works and gifts”, intervarsity press, 2000

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