hardwick 23458229 nbst 655 paper 2

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JOHN

A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. JAMES MANN

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE COURSE NBST 655

LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

BY

R. CLAY HARDWICK

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1

Spirit Passages in John.....................................................................................................................1

Paraclete Passages in John.............................................................................................................10

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................18

Bibliography..................................................................................................................................19

INTRODUCTION

The Holy Spirit has been studied by many scholars over the years. The subject of the

person and work of the Holy Spirit is often related to gospel and epistle passages. If a search is

done for passages containing the Holy Spirit with the Gospel of John, multiple passages will be

found. It will be the focus of this paper to discuss a total of six passages in John that discuss the

spirit or Holy Spirit. The paper is structured to review three passages on the spirit in its context

and three other passages more specifically focused on the Paraclete. It is the purpose of the

paper to show five areas of each passage: 1) basic interpretation, 2) significance, 3) person and

work of the Holy Spirit, 4) author’s intention and 5) relevance to our culture today. It is worthy

to note that the personality of the Holy Spirit will be analyzed by looking for three distinguished

characteristics. They “are intelligence, will, and emotions, traditionally regarded as the three

fundamental elements of personhood.”1 Also, please note the relevance commentary on the

Paraclete passages will be inclusive of all three passages discussed.

SPIRIT PASSAGES IN GOSPEL OF JOHN

JOHN 1:32-33 32John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33"I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'

Basic Interpretation

John is not referring to a vision that he had. “He actually saw the Holy Spirit come down

upon Jesus in a form like that of a dove.”2 Tricia Brown notes that “the phrase ‘like a dove’, 1 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 1998),878.

2 Morris, The Gospel According to John, Revised. (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), 151.

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since it was an integral part of the John the Baptist tradition (Matt 3:16;Mark 1:10;Luke 3:22),

probably does not have independent significance for the Fourth Evangelist. He has adopted it as

a piece of traditional imagery.”3

Significance of the passage

In John 1:32-34, the descent of the Spirit is evident but what is the significance? It is

important to see that “the spirit’s abiding presence on Jesus legitimates Jesus as being from God

and validating John’s confession of Jesus as God’s Son.” 4 Also, the passage does not indicate

that Jesus was empowered by the spirit. Rather, he is the one who will confer spirit to those who

accept him.

Person and work of the Holy Spirit

If the passage (John 1:32-34) is examined for the person (intelligence, will, emotions) of

the Holy Spirit, the “will” is most evident. It is the will of the Holy Spirit to “descend and

remain” on Jesus. In regards to the work of the Holy Spirit, this passage doesn’t connect to the

work of the Holy Spirit with the life of a disciple or believer. At this point in the narrative, Jesus

is being declared a position by John the Baptist as the “one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist in the next verse (v.34) states that he “testifies this is Son of God.” He clearly

wants his audience to make the connection to the deity of Jesus.

3 Tricia Gates Brown, Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific Perspective, Supplement. (T&T Clark Int’l, 2004), 89.

4 Ibid.,96.

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Author’s intention

John the Evangelist has intended in these two verses to show that Jesus is intimately

associated with the person of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing demonstrated in the passage

about Jesus being “empowered or indwelled” like a disciple of his would be. Instead, the

intention is for the reader to see that Jesus is directly connected with the Holy Spirit and no other

person under heaven has this qualification.“This conclusion of the narrative demonstrates Jesus

unique status as the true Son of God and thus as the only possible mediator between God and

humanity. “ 5

Relevance

The relevance of this passage would have to be identified with Christ follower. The

Christ follower must trust in Jesus as a person for their salvation and they must come to realize

the constant involvement of the Holy Spirit with Jesus during his earthly ministry. As Brown

points out, “the Holy Spirit is central in the commencement of Jesus earthly ministry, is

highlighted during the course of that ministry and plays a pivotal role in its concluding scene.” 6

John 6:60-63 60Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" 61But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? 62"What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.


Jesus has just given teaching to his disciples (not to mean the 12 disciples at this time).

He has been making claims the Father sending him, and to follow him you must eat of his flesh

5 Ibid.,96.6 Ibid.,97.

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and drink his blood (v.54-58). The disciples are reacting to this very challenging teaching with

confusion, concern, and reluctance (“who can listen to it?”). Jesus knows that his teaching is

hard for all to accept and only a few can follow him. He pushes further with his questions for the

disciples, “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?” Morris

points out that the form of the question indicates that a severe testing is in store and that it could

be a reference to the cross.7 Jesus moves to an explanation about the Spirit giving life which the

flesh (spirit of man or human) has no connection to and cannot profit from as long as it is flesh-

dominated. He puts emphasis on his words being distinctive and uniquely qualified to bring

spirit and life.

Significance of passage

Jesus has just spoken to a crowd of disciples in a way that would cause them to question

whether they can be followers of Jesus to the very end. In 6:27-58, Jesus has instructed his

listeners to see him as the “bread of life” and for them to accept him completely…they will

symbolically eat of his flesh and drink of his blood for eternal life. It would seem logical that the

words Jesus has spoken would cause hesitation among the listeners. Some would not see how

Jesus, a son of Joseph, could be the bread of life and give eternal life. Others would simply not

want to accept such a difficult teaching.

In verses 60-63, Jesus wants to strongly impress upon his listeners that they are of flesh

are in no position to mediate access to eternal life. Jesus makes reference to “The Spirit who

gives life”. Brown explains that “it means that Jesus, the one who is ‘of spirit’ as opposed to

those ‘of flesh’ can mediate access to life.”8 It is most likely that John wants his reader to

comprehend that eternal life is a gift from God and it is only God who is uniquely qualified to

7 Ibid., 384.

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give eternal life. Jesus had methods of teaching truth that no disciple had ever seen or

experienced and his pronouncements were quite distinct. His words were divinely chosen to

bring about maximum impact for those who would listen fully with their minds and heart. It is

significant to note that just as Jesus’ words caused disciples to pause during the time he lived,

they do also today.


If the passage (John 6:60-63) is examined for the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the

passage most conspicuous in its reference is where John the Evangelist writes “It is the Spirit

who gives life.” The Spirit is written with a capital ‘S’ and one wonders why this is so. Some

scholars take ‘The Spirit’ to mean the Holy Spirit. Leon Morris is such a scholar and he says

“there is a contrast between ‘the spirit that giveth life’ and the flesh that does not profit. The

antithesis between flesh and spirit would lead us to think that the spirit of man is meant. But the

human spirit is not life-giving. There is unquestionably a reference to the Holy Spirit, the Life-

giver.”9 As obvious as it may be to Morris that this is a reference to the Holy Spirit, other

scholars disagree. Brown explains that:

Reading it with a capital ‘S’ suggests that the personified ‘Spirit’ confers life. But such an interpretation is not warranted. The word ‘spirit’ is presented as the antithesis of ‘flesh’ in v.63a. Since the ‘flesh’ surely should not be capitalized and personified, neither should the spirit. ‘The spirit gives life’ does not mean that ‘the Spirit’, a divine person similar to the Paraclete found in Farewell Discourses, gives life. In the Fourth Gospel ‘life’ is a gift from God who believe in Jesus. It means that Jesus, the one is ‘of spirit’ as opposed to those ‘of flesh’, alone can mediate access to life.10


9 Morris, The Gospel According to John, Revised. (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 384-385.

10 Tricia Gates Brown, Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific Perspective, Supplement. (T&T Clark Int’l, 2004), 149-150.

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With these two perspectives represented it is difficult to assess which holds the strongest

position. Between Morris and Brown’s commentary, Brown’s views are more strongly

defended. Even though her perspective could be viewed as incorrect, this paper will side with

her view. She adds further insight when she states:

What we know about the nature of ‘spirit’ and ‘life’, according to the dualistic perspective of John, is that it comes from God. Hence the metaphor ‘Jesus’ words are spirit and life’ means that Jesus’ words are not fleshly words…for Jesus’ very words come from the realm of spirit and life…his words have offended his disciples, many of whom are about to turn away from him rather than accept them. In the face of this rejection of his ‘teaching’, Jesus’ purports to have the authority to speak as a representative of the God realm, to speak spiritual words which mediate access to life.11

Based on Brown’s research it is more important for the reader of John’s Gospel to understand

that Jesus wanted others to see the distinction he is making about his words. They are not merely

human words but much more than this and any disciple who would claim Jesus as master would

be smart to heed his teaching. Unlike other passages discussed, the person and work of the Holy

Spirit is determined to be vacant from this passage even though other scholars may disagree.

Author’s Intention

John the Evangelist in v.60-63 has intended to show the great importance of Jesus’

words. In previous verses (v. 51-58), he used graphic language (‘eat the flesh of the Son of

Man’) to heighten the offense of Jesus’ words to the Jews. He progresses on in v. 60 -63 to

stress that Jesus’ audience did not accept such strong language easily and that those that would

commit to following him (and his teaching) would not ever take his words as just ordinary

speech from human lips but more as Life-giving words from a Messiah whose words surpass that

of any prophet, even that of Moses.

11 Ibid.,151.

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Relevance

The relevance of John 6:60-63 to the modern day believer is that Jesus words are

sometimes comforting and sometimes they pose a challenge to the fleshly nature of man. People

have always been in need of words and teaching from God but the value of Jesus words, as

revealed to John, are that they are words that are distinct in message, content, and truth. This is

because Jesus’ words are from God and not an earthly realm. As the helper, the Holy Spirit, is

present to give life to those who trust in Jesus in current day, so did Jesus in his time,

communicate life to his listeners. His words were sometimes graphic in their detail because that

was what the crowd or disciples needed to hear. The Holy Spirit today continues to use these

graphic teachings of Jesus to impress upon the listener the important teaching of eternal life.

John 7:37-3937Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" 39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.


Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles and he is speaking on the last day. The last day could

have been the seventh or eighth day of the feast.12 On this last day, Jesus declared “If anyone is

thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” Carson in his commentary explains “these ceremonies of

the Feast of Tabernacles were related in Jewish thought both to the Lord’s provision of water in

the desert and the Lord’s pouring out of the Spirit in the last days.” A water rite (or custom) was

part of the Feast and it “symbolized the fertility and fruitfulness that only rain could bring.”13

12 D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 321.13 Ibid.,322.

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As Jews celebrate the provision of rain, Jesus boldly announces that “he is the one who can

provide the waters.”14 It is Jesus who satisfies the deep thirst of those who are poor in spirit.

From this point in v. 37, Jesus adds that belief in him is linked to the “innermost being flowing

with living waters.” Whether Jesus was referring to the “innermost being” of himself or the

innermost being new believers is not easily translated. According to Brown, “the Greek wording

of Jesus’ proclamation is ambiguous and its meaning can be altered depending on how one

chooses to punctuate it. Two options are usually presented: (1) one can place a full stop after the

word [‘drink’], or (2) one can place the full stop after [‘believes in me’].” 15 Between the

options, scholars take different views. “Option 1 suggests that the believers are the subject of the

scriptural quotation in v. 38 and thus the source of living water to which Jesus refers. Option 2

suggests that Jesus intends the scriptural quotation to refer to himself as the source of living

water (and spirit).” 16 It is beyond the scope of this paper to defend an option.

Proceeding on to v. 39, John is now explaining the Jesus’ words. He wants the reader to

know Jesus has spoken of the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit would be given to those who

put their trust in Christ. Carson notes that he “sees the source of the promised Holy Spirit to be

Jesus himself, once he had been glorified, once he had died, risen, and ascended to his Father.”17


14 Ibid.,322.15 Tricia Gates Brown, Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific

Perspective, Supplement. (T&T Clark Int’l, 2004), 155.

16 Ibid.,155.17 D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 329.

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In the context of a festival where the Israelites are celebrating and recalling Moses’ water

miracle in the desert, Jesus set himself up as the replacement of Moses and the fulfillment of all

the Israelites’ thirsts and longings. This leads to division among an already divided crowd. “In

contrast to those who pledge their allegiance to Moses and await a future reiteration of his water

miracle, those who remain loyal to Jesus are promised ‘rivers of living water’ in the present age,

an outpouring of spirit. The Evangelist presages that those who are remaining faithful to Jesus

despite the mounting opposition of ‘the world’ will be rewarded with spiritual birth and the

benefit of eternal life.”18


If the passage (John 7:37-39) is examined for the person of the Holy Spirit, the “will” is

most noticeable. In v. 39 is the phrase “the Spirit was not yet given.” “Given” is a word that

denotes a will. It takes a person with a will to “give” something therefore upon close

examination of the passage it can be argued that the person of the Holy Spirit is present. As far

as the work of the Holy Spirit goes in the passage, there is no language given by John that shows

the work or influence of the Holy Spirit upon another.


Similar to the verses preceding v. 37-39, John the Evangelist desires to represent Jesus as

a teacher unlike any ordinary Jewish teacher before him. He wants people to know Jesus as the

Messiah. John has witnessed the bold teachings of Jesus among his disciples and he knows

Jesus’ words get to the core of a person’s need for redemption. He brings attention to Jesus’

claim of satisfying deep spiritual thirst while not bypassing the importance of Jesus’ reference to


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the Holy Spirit. In these three verses, John has put focus on the spiritual thirst present among

people, the person of Jesus claiming an answer to the thirst, and the means by which future

disciples would access salvation and redemption in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Relevance

The relevance of John 7:37-39 would have to be identified with that of the non-believer.

Jesus’ was speaking to non-believers at the Feast of Tabernacles. He knew people were

desperate for hope and fulfillment. His words of invitation to drink living water were relevant to

the non-believer of that time period and they still are today. It is the drinking of living water

that allows for a person to pass from the earthly realm to the God realm. A person who gets

living water will be ‘born of spirit’ and become a child of God.

PARACLETE PASSAGES IN GOSPEL OF JOHN

John 14: 16-17"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”


Jesus has been teaching his disciples and giving them instructions about making requests

in his name and being faithful in keeping his commandments. In v. 16, Jesus is now

transitioning to the news that another Helper (Parakletos) will be given that will be with disciples

forever. Carson explains “the one whom Jesus will ask the Father to send is called ‘another

Paraclete’ (allon parakleton).19 In v. 17, the identity of the other Paraclete is made clear. He is

the Spirit of truth. The world does not know the Spirit of truth and cannot accept him but the

19 D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 500.

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disciples know him already and they will later know him more intimately after Jesus has been

exalted and has sent the Spirit of truth. 20


As made clear in John 14:15, it is important for the disciples of Jesus to be obedient and

keep his commandments. Faithfulness and loyalty are essential to a fruitful relationship with

Jesus. Disciples who exhibit faithfulness are privileged with benefits. “The Paraclete, or Spirit

of Truth, introduced in 14:16, constitutes one such benefit. Verse 14.16 functions to distinguish

the disciples, to whom the Paraclete has been sent, from the world who, because of their

unbelief, cannot receive him.” 21


If the passage (John 14:16-17) is examined for the person of the Holy Spirit, the “will” is

most evident. In the verse is the phrase, “But you know Him because He abides with you and

will be in you.” Abide means to dwell or remain. It takes a person with a will to “dwell or

remain”. By describing the Paraclete with these terms it is clear that the Holy Spirit is a person.

In regards to the work of the Holy Spirit, these verses do not mention any other work in the life

of a disciple except for abiding (or dwelling) with them.


Kostenberger explains that according to John, “the primary role of the Spirit is that of

substitute presence for Jesus: ‘he lives with you and will be in you’ (14:17). When the Spirit

20 Ibid.,500.21 Tricia Gates Brown, Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific

Perspective, Supplement. (T&T Clark Int’l, 2004), 199.

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comes to dwell in believers, it is as if Jesus himself takes up residence in them. ‘The Spirit is the

divine presence when Jesus’ physical presence is taken away from his followers.’”22

John 14: 25-56"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.


In the preceding passages (v. 24-25), Jesus is pointing out how his words come from the

Father and that he has been uttering them in obedience. He points out that he dwells physically

(‘abiding’) with his audience of disciples but that now another Helper (parakletos) will be sent

by Father. It is important to note that he says the Helper will come “in My name”. “Just as Jesus

came in his Father’s name as his Father’s emissary, so the Spirit comes in Jesus’ name.”23 After

Jesus is glorified, the Holy Spirit reminds the disciples of Jesus’ teaching and it will help them to

further grasp the significance of what He speaks to them.


John’s first Farewell Discourse contains one other Paraclete saying at 14:25-26. In this

passage, Jesus has again stated that the Paraclete is sent by the Father and in his name (14:16).

“According to 14:25-26, the Paraclete will not only perpetuate Jesus’ presence among believers,

but he will also teach them ‘all things’, recall the words of Jesus to them, and declare to them the

things that are to come. The larger context of the promise suggests the Paraclete does not teach

22 Andreas J. Köstenberger, Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective (Baker Academic, 2002), 157.

23 D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 505.

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the disciples ‘all things’ independently of Jesus, but rather continues ‘these things’ that Jesus has

said in their presence (v. 25).”24


If the passage (John 14:25-26) is examined for the person of the Holy Spirit,

“intelligence” and “will” is most evident. In v. 26, Jesus has stated that the Helper will “teach

you all things”. It takes a person with intelligence to teach, thus a person with intelligence can

be identified in this phrase. Following this phrase is the additional detail that the Holy Spirit will

“bring” all the things that Jesus has said to them to their remembrance. Only a person with a will

can “teach” or “bring something to remembrance”. In regards to the work of the Holy Spirit,

these verses do not show any particular work in the life of a disciple besides teaching them and

helping them remember the words said by Jesus.


In these passages it has been John’s focus to show that disciples are in need of helper,

especially to remind them of Jesus’ teachings. As much as the disciples love Jesus, they do not

always fully understand him. As Carson explains, “one of the Spirit’s principal tasks, after Jesus

is glorified, is to remind the disciples of Jesus’ teaching and thus, in the new situation after the

resurrection, to help them grasp its significance and thus to teach them what it meant.” (Carson,

505)

John 15:26


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"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."


In this passage, Jesus’ words are not very different from what was written by John in

14:26. Again, Jesus has stated that the Helper (Parakletos) comes from the Father. “Jesus asks

the Father to send the Paraclete (14:16), or the Father sends the Paraclete in Jesus’ name (14:26).

Otherwise put, the Spirit of truth is the one who goes out from the Father.” (Carson, 528) Also,

Jesus’ says “He will testify of Me”. This means that everything the Holy Spirit does is consistent

with testimony of Jesus. The passage contains the phrase “you also will bear witness”. This

shows that not only has Jesus determined that Holy Spirit is going to testify of Him but that the

disciples (and future disciples) are going to play a critical part. Their witness of Jesus’ life and

teachings will be embedded in their minds and hearts and they will have the power to represent

Jesus to the world.


In this passage, Jesus says the Helper (Paraclete) will testify to the world. Why would

this be so? Presumably because Jesus is no longer going to be physically present in the world

and thus no longer able to testify for himself. “During his ministry, Jesus bore witness to the

world, and its rejection of Jesus’ epitomizes sin. After Jesus departure, his witness continues

through the Paraclete. The Paraclete perpetuates Jesus’ witness because he provides a

‘connection’ to Jesus after his departure.”25


25 Ibid.,216.

14

If the passage (John 15:26) is examined for the person of the Holy Spirit, the “will” is

most evident. Jesus states “He will testify of Me”. Simply put, only a person with a will can

choose to testify or give witness. The work of the Holy Spirit is not so evident in how it is

relating to the disciple. It would not be too far off track to say that the disciples would be

encouraged by the Spirit testifying about Jesus but the word “encouragement” is not found in the

text.


The key point in this passage is “He will testify of me”. John wrote about Jesus in such a

way that his reader would see how important it was for Jesus’ teachings to remain with the

disciples. John knew that Jesus’ will was to have his teaching go forth with “life”. In these

verses, the reader of John sees how the disciples have been with Jesus from the beginning but

they still need a Helper to testify of Jesus.

Relevance of the Paraclete passages

When reviewing the Paraclete passages in John and its relevance to peoples’ lives today,

it is clear that the relevance of the passages would be for the Christ-follower. The passages

emphasize the coming of the Helper for the disciples. As the first disciples of Jesus experienced

the abiding presence, teaching, testifying, and truth of the Holy Spirit--so also do Christians in

today’s world. All of the Paraclete passages show that Jesus was thoughtful and providential in

his plans for his disciples then and now.

CONCLUSION

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The Holy Spirit is found in various activities in the Gospel of John. This paper has put

focus on a total of six passages. From studying the passages, one notices two areas of emphasis

by the author. One is that “Jesus not only bears and bestows the Spirit, but he gives the

eschatological Spirit (John 7:37-39).”26 The second is that the Spirit in the Farewell discourses, is

given as a consequence of Jesus death and exaltation. Out of the four gospel writers, John is

most articulate in describing the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. His recording of

Jesus’ words impacted the disciples for their time in history and they still do today. The Holy

Spirit does indeed “teach you all things”.

Bibliography

26 D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Zondervan, 2005), 278.

16

Brown, Tricia Gates. Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific Perspective. Supplement. T&T Clark Int’l, 2004.

Carson, D. A. The Gospel according to John. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.

Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 2005.

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 1998.

Köstenberger, Andreas J. Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective. Baker Academic, 2002.

Morris. The Gospel According to John. Revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971.

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