Spirit in the Church

Pneumatologists and theologians have long sought to define the role of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. These scholars' understanding of the Spirit differs greatly, not only in terms of the role of the Holy Spirit, but also in terms of whether those roles are central to the Christian church (Ryrie, 1997). Even the base concept of the perception of the Spirit differs among scholars and religious leaders.

This paper discusses the various notions of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church, as expressed by modern theologians and pneumatologists. Additionally, this paper will discuss the differing views of whether those roles are central to the Church, or if they are to be applied on a more diverse level. Finally, this paper will discuss ways in which the Spirit is celebrated and displayed in the lives of those who believe.

To understand the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church, it is first imperative to understand what is meant by the term 'Holy Spirit'. According to Dr. Charles Ryrie (1997), the Holy Spirit can be thought of as one of the three persons of God. In the Christian faith, God is a triune God, existing of a single God with three distinct persons, those of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Isaiah 45:5-6; Matthew 28:19: James 2:19). Ryrie (1997) argues that this trinity is not three separate Gods, but rather, three persons of the same God, each of whom has specific roles, and specific ways of relating to the world.

Once the Holy Spirit is known to be a person of the triad, it is possible to then begin exploring the person of the Holy Spirit. Theologian Sid Litke (1984) points out that to understand the role of the Holy Spirit, one must first understand that the Spirit is not an impersonal being or simply an influential being. According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit has intelligence (1 Cor.2:10-11), emotions (Eph.4:30), and will (1 Cor.2:11). As such, the Spirit must have roles to perform in order to clarify and utilize these characteristics.

The roles of the Holy Spirit existed even before the Church Age of Christianity. According to Litke (1984), these roles are clear throughout the text of the Bible. The Spirit was part of creation (Gen.1:2; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30), a protector of Israel (Isaiah 63:10-14), an integral part of the production of Scripture, by speaking through the Prophets (1 Peter 1:11: 2 Peter 1:20, 21), and played as the Agent of Christ's virgin birth (Luke 1:35) and his resurrection (Rom.1:4; 8:11). Clearly, even before the Church Age, the roles of the Holy Spirit were well defined.

In the Christian faith today, the role of the Holy Spirit is even more defined. From the moment of baptism, the Holy Spirit places the person into the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit's role in this is to unite the believer with Christ, so that the person is able to identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Additionally, the Spirit incorporates the person into the universal church (Litke, 1984). Baptism of the Spirit occurs once in a believer's faith, and lasts through their conversion.

Furthermore, the role of the Spirit includes the sanctification of the saved people. Sanctification refers to how those who have received the Spirit grow throughout their lives (Litke, 1984). According to Dr. Ryrie (1997), the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and does so on a permanent basis. Ryrie attributes this belief to the New Testament (Rom.5:5; 8:9; 1 Cor.3:16; 6:19, John 14:16), which was not true prior to the Church Age, or according to the Old Testament (1997).

It is through this indwelling, according to Ryrie, that the Spirit can perform other roles within the Church. According to Elder L. Lionel Kendrick (1997), one of those roles is to aid the faithful in prayer. This occurs as a two part process. First the Holy Spirit prompts the faithful to pray. Kendrick explains this with the concept that God knows what we need before we ask him, and thus, uses the Spirit to prompt us to pray for those necessities (1997). In this way, the Sprit not only prompts us to pray, but assures that our prayers are for proper things.

In addition to prompting, the Holy Spirit's role in prayer involves delivering those prayers to God, and in communicating His answers to our own spirits. As God sends his revelations, the Holy Spirit within us reveals the will of the Lord to our spirits. This role is imperative, in that it is through the Holy Spirit that the faithful are comforted, enlightened, inspired, led, and taught about the scripture (Kendrick, 1997). By leading us to prayer, petitioning God on our behalf and through the deliverance of God's answers, the Holy Spirit's role in prayer is undeniably vital.

Still another role of the Holy Spirit in the church is to 'fill' believers. Litke (1984) describes this as the role of the Spirit in allowing the believer to live a transformed life. This occurs through the Christian's Spirit-guided ability to change and grow in righteousness, by showing us the empowering work of God. Since spiritual growth is a matter of control, according to Litke (1984), then Christians are controlled by either the flesh or the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:4-11; Gal.5:16, 17). If we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we allow the Spirit to 'fill' us. By doing so, the Spirit is performing the role of 'walking' with the faithful, which involves helping the believer to lead a Christian life through better decision making and assistance with temptations (Litke, 1984). While the indwelling of the Spirit is permanent, the faithful must allow the Spirit to transform and 'fill' them.

Yet another role of the Holy Spirit in the Church is to grant spiritual gifts, or charisms, to believers (Stanley, 1995). These 'gifts' can be thought of as God-given abilities to serve the Lord. According to Stanley (1995), these are not positions in the Church, nor are they natural abilities, such as singing or mathematical abilities. Spiritual gifts are privileges, given by the Holy Spirit, assist in the accomplishment of the spiritual ministry God wants. They have a multitude of purposes, including equipping others to minister, the ability to glorify God, and the ability to encourage others in their journey to salvation (Stanley, 1995).

Some of these gifts, according to Litke (1984) appear to have been temporary gifts, allowing the Holy Spirit to serve in the role of the creation of the Christian Church, and to help the Spirit verify the gospel. These types of gifts included the ability to heal, work miracles, speak in tongues, interpret tongues, and apostleship. Further temporary gifts served the Holy Spirit during the Old Testament in His role of assisting man in writing the New Testament. These gifts included wisdom of word, words of knowledge, and the gift of prophecy (Litke, 1984).

In current times, the Holy Spirit's role of gift-giving imparts the giving of abilities in areas such as teaching, serving, giving, administration and leadership, evangelism, exhortation, and mercy. These gifts are vital to the operations of the church, and to the Christian faith as a whole. However, as Litke (1984) points out, these gifts do not develop on their own. While the Holy Spirit's role involves the giving of these gifts, the believer must also allow the Spirit to act in the role of helping to nurture those gifts. Stanley (1995) points out that the best way to allow the Spirit to perform this role is to allow Him to guide us to meeting the needs of the ministry, and in using these gifts appropriately. Since we receive the gifts at the point of trusting Christ as the Savior, Stanley (1995) argues, then the believers must also continue to have faith that the Holy Spirit will lead us to proper use of those gifts.

Still another role assigned to the Holy Spirit by theologians is that of salvation. Ryrie (1997) states that since it is the Holy Spirit who directs and enables evangelical efforts to occur (Philip/Ethiopian -- Acts 8:26, 29; Great Commission -- Acts 1:8), then He is obviously central to the role of salvation. Furthermore, since the Holy Spirit is the entity responsible for the conviction of the unbelievers (John 16:8-11), and since it is the Spirit that indwells us (Eph.5:18), unites us with Christ (Rom.6:3-5), and teaches us of Scripture (John 16:13), it is therefore also His role to assist us in salvation (Rom.8:16). Ryrie (1987) also points out that, since the Holy Spirit cleanses the believer from sin, and seals the person by entering him through baptism (Eph.1:13), the Spirit is also vital in the role of salvation.

It is fairly obvious, based on the various roles of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church, that the Spirit's role is central to the success of the church in some aspects, yet more diverse in others. According to David Bednar, President of Brigham young University, the main focus for centralization of the role of the Spirit comes from the testifying power and the confirming witness that can only come from the Holy Ghost (2003). Bednar (2003) argues that this central role is shown in 2 Nephi 26, in which the speaker discusses the power of the Holy Ghost to convince the Jews that Jesus is the son of God. The speaker continues the discussion in the passage by stating that the Holy Ghost will manifest Himself "unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people" (2 Nephi 26:12). Bednar (2003) sees this power as central in the role of the Church as the entity responsible for confirming witness.

Stanley (1995) also points to the Holy Spirit's role as a central role in Christianity. For Stanley, the central theme of the Holy Spirit is that of salvation. According to Stanley, without first receiving the Holy Spirit, man cannot be saved. By indwelling believers permanently, Stanley points out, the Holy Spirit protects us from sin, and guides us to a righteous life. By sealing the believer with Christ, the Holy Spirit verifies their future glorification in Christ. His control over the believer is what allows the individual to act in ways fruitful to God, which ensures our eternal life with God (Stanley, 1995).

Theologian David Steers (1998) also argues that the role of the Holy Spirit is central in His role as a unifier of the Church. Steers points out that during the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit broke the barriers between people of many different environments. He also reflects that the Spirit calls believers to promote co-operation among their faiths, and in some cases, to seek understanding of other Christian faiths. In this way, says Steers, the Spirit is central to the enrichment and enlightenment of our faith, without which we would not be saved (1998).

Other theologians, however, express the more diverse role of the Spirit in the Christian church. Charlotte Barres (2004) points to the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those unable to spread the word or bear witness. For individuals confined by circumstances or age, the role of the Holy Spirit is much more powerful on a personal level. Barres believes this role of the Spirit in the personal life of believers places Him not at the center of the Christian Church, but joined in harmony with all aspects of the Triad. For example, she states that those in less fortunate circumstances, such as the poor or the ill, can still find the Holy Spirit active in areas such as encouragement, prayer, love, and fair and wise judgment. These roles, while perhaps not central to the church as a whole, are valuable tools for those in desperate situations, and are clear reflections of not just the Holy Spirit, but Christ and God, as well (Barres, 2004).

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio (2003) also argues for a more unified role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian church. D'Ambrosio points to the 'charisms' given by the Spirit as an important role of the Holy Spirit, but one which relies on the natural gifts already given by God (2003). He believes that there are 'gifts' of the Spirit, which include such central ideas as speaking in tongue, healing, prophecy and miracle working. However, D'Ambrosio also believes the 'charisms' given can be more peripheral in their design, working from a natural talent already given by God (2003). For example, someone who has a unique vocal talent, given by God, may also be given the gift of evangelism through the Holy Spirit. Together, these two gifts may compliment one another in a way that makes the gift far more powerful. Thus, D'Ambrosio states, the Holy Spirit and other members of the Trinity work together, not with a center and peripheral support, but as one (2003).

Perhaps Kilian McDonnell (1985) sums up the argument best. McDonnell states that the real issue among pneumatologists and theologians is not so much if the role of the Holy Spirit is central, but instead is which member of the Trinity is the most central. According to McDonnell, this type of argument overemphasizes the distinction between the mutual missions of God, the Son, and the Spirit, and thus, incorrectly leads to the idea of three Gods. McDonnell asserts that believers should visualize circles of equal depth and size, superimposed on one another. Each circle, or part of the Triad, is unmixed and separate, yet appear to be one piece (McDonnell, 1985). This representation takes the focus from the centrality of the Holy Spirit, and instead properly displays the roles of all portions of the Trinity as one God redeeming humanity.

Whether one believes the role of the Holy Spirit is central or unified with the other members of the Trinity, the celebrations of the Spirit and the response to the displays of the Spirit within believers in undeniable, furthering the role of the Spirit in the church. These celebrations and displays of Spirit are vital to the role of the Spirit, in that it is through these revelations of the Spirit that sanctification occurs. While the focus of this paper is to demonstrate examples of these displays and celebrations, it should be noted that the display of Holy Spirit can be seen in an almost infinite number of ways.

One of the first celebrations of the Holy Spirit is during the baptism ceremony. During the ceremony, the believer 'receives' the Holy Spirit, which allows a multitude of other benefits to occur. The individual is forgiven of their sins, saved, reborn to a life with God, sealed by the Holy Spirit for everlasting life, and joined with Jesus Christ. In many Christian religions, baptism is also a requirement for entering heaven (Fanning, 1990). Further, this ceremony allows the Spirit to bestow the 'gifts' mentioned previously, and empowers the believer to manifest God's love to his people, and cleanse the soul. Without the Holy Spirit in the ceremony, none of the 'gifts', washing away of sins, or sealing could occur (Fanning, 1990).

Another celebration representing the Holy Spirit's place in the Christian church is that of Pentecost. Historically, Pentecost was a festival at which fresh fruits were offered to God. On the day of the first Pentecost, according to scripture, the participants began speaking in their own languages, but were understood by all (Holweck, 1990). Furthermore, the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to the church, and is therefore celebrated each year as the birth of the church and the celebration of the gift of the Spirit as a unifying force.

A smaller, yet important celebration is that of the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Celebrated on the Sunday following Pentecost, the feast celebrates the Trinity of God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as a unity of roles of a single God. Prayers to all three parts of the Trinity are offered, and the 'gift' of the Holy Spirit is once again praised (Weiser, 1958).