Point of View

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of an occasional series of commentaries examining and explaining the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention's confession of faith.

Christians reflected on the person and work of the Holy Spirit in greater depth in the 20th century than in any other era of Christian history. Some theologians refer to "three waves" of the Holy Spirit in the 20th century: the Pentecostal wave beginning in 1906, the charismatic wave starting in 1960, and the Vineyard wave of the 1980's. Despite the emphasis given to the Spirit over the past century, 21st century Christians possess no more understanding of the Spirit than our Baptist forefathers. J. L. Dagg, the first Baptist theologian from the South, insightfully wrote: "The Holy Spirit is the author of holiness in all those who are saved."

First, the BF&M affirms the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). The term "Spirit" functions as a neuter noun in the Greek language. Grammatical rules mandate that a pronoun agree with the term it modifies in gender. The noun "Spirit" grammatically requires the neuter pronoun "it." Jesus, however, referred to the Spirit as a "He," that is a person. The Holy Spirit is neither an "it" nor a "force." The Holy Spirit is "fully divine" and shares with God the Father the nature of personhood. If an individual conceives of the Holy Spirit as a power, as did Simon (Acts 8:18-24), then the question becomes, "how can I get more of it?" If an individual understands the Holy Spirit as a person, then the question becomes, "how can I submit more of my life to the person of the Holy Spirit?"

Second, the BF&M sets forth the purpose of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 16:14). Jesus explained the role of the Holy Spirit as "testifying about Me" or "glorifying Me." The BF&M expresses the purpose of the Holy Spirit as the exaltation of Christ.

Third, the BF&M describes the plan of the Holy Spirit in the fulfillment of the purpose. The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures that testify to Christ. In addition, the Spirit illumines human minds to the message concerning Christ in Scripture. The Holy Spirit draws people to Christ through conviction of sin (John 16:8) and the calling of sinful human beings to the Savior. The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration; the Holy Spirit births people into life in Christ. The Spirit of God places people in the Body of Christ through the act of baptism (1 Cor. 12:13). The BF&M 2000 committee added the important clarification, "At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ." The statement combats Pentecostal teachings that claim the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs after conversion. Finally, the Holy Spirit purposes to reproduce Christ within the believer by cultivating character. The language of cultivation in the BF&M explains the internal work of the Spirit in producing fruit (Gal. 5). The fruit of the Spirit portrays Christ.

Fourth, the BF&M highlights the pledge of the Spirit. The New Testament explains the security of the believer with the image of the seal of the Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22) and the pledge of the Spirit (Eph. 1:14; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5). In the first century, a seal denoted authentication, ownership, and protection. Like the seal of a notary, the presence of the Spirit in an individual authenticates our status as Christians (Rom. 8:9). Further, the Spirit's seal signifies that the believer belongs to God. A merchant sealed the contents of a shipping container to provide protection. The Spirit of God protects the believer by enforcing His seal. The Spirit also functions as the pledge of the ultimate redemption of a Christian. A pledge or earnest was a non-refundable deposit that committed a person to close a business transaction. Through the presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer, God personally committed Himself to the completion of salvation. The BF&M 2000 strengthened the BF&M's language from "assurance" to "guarantee" that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ."

Finally, the BF&M expresses the prerogative of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11). The Spirit "bestows spiritual gifts" as the Spirit wills. Every believer receives a spiritual gift, yet the Sovereign Spirit distributes spiritual gifts without the input of human desire. The New Testament term for spiritual gift is "charisma." The translation for "charis" is "grace." "Ma" is a suffix indicating "result." A spiritual gift (a charisma) is a grace gift that produces results. God gifts individual Christians for the benefit of the Body of Christ, not personal glory or benefit.

Mark Rathel is associate professor of theology at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.