The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-15
HE DISCIPLES VIEW OF THE
ADVENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT


Ministerial Union was designed
explain the misunderstood position
the Church Of the Disciples, regard
the advent Of the Holy Spirit. BY
asest of members:
We cannot place too much emphasis
80 the necessity Of studying the sub-
q OF the Holy Spirit in its various
sses. for there is no subject of re-
ion more important. The better we
serstand the office and work of the
.gy Spirit. the better We will under
~ Gods whole plan of redemption.
clearer. more harmonious and more
,sssteut will be our views of all other
Luers presented in Gods Word In
re latter days more attention IS be-
given to the subject. And yet the
eatiOn it receives is sadly out of pro-
Etion to its importance. We seldom
,.ch about ii, seldom discuss IL I'm
etings of this kind.
readily admit that the subject is in
ny respects difficult and mysterious,
we encounter difficulties and nys-
in our investigation of any theme
cted with the divine economy. So
the subject is treated in the Scrip
lit bears vital relation to our re-
bus well-being, and We can therefore
|XHulre INTO we are Nv
under the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
IS presiding over the affairs of
! rist's Church He came from the
Mther to carry on and complete the
|rk begun by Christ. The subject OF
Holy Spirit is therefore many sided.
reat but one question IN connection
n IT, though incidentally other sides
subject may be touched upon. The
sstion is this: When and upon what
T. he I4Irr Cv.fr
ift by the individual? I will try as
as possible to avoid the speculative,
present what seems to me the Scrip
n teaching on the subject.
he treatment of the question as I
it involves first an answer, by way
Introduction. to the question of the
emit of the Holy Spirit in the world.
et Us observe that God has wrought
His purpose by a plan. Has the
ID person of the Trinity always been
earth? Or did He have a definite
of advent? Do the Scriptures point
q definite birthday for the Spirit as
do for Christ? These questions are
inent.
John T:ss. Jesus says: ''He that be-
eth on me. as the Scripture hath
out of his belly shall flow rivers of
bg water" And in the 39th verse the
Ter adds parenthetically: But this
ke He of the Spirit which they that
i've on Him should receive: for the
Ghost was not yet given: because
Jesus was not yet giorified." From
two conclusions could be drawn:
Il. that the Holy Spirit had once
i upon earth as now, but had been
drawn for a time; second, that pre-
s to a certain definite time after
Z words were spoken by Christ, the
Spirit had never taken up His
)e on the earth, but would make His
Int at a certain future time. a third
lion. held by some. that the third
bn of the Trinity has always had his
e on earth among Gods people, az
seems to me without Scriptural
dation. The one Scripture alone
Ia we have quoted refutes the posi-
~ first of the two possible conclu-
above mentioned I think is wholly
NYble when we remember that there
Scripture to be adduced, though
s5pirft is mentioned in former dispen-
ms, 10 point to a definite advent OF
Holy Spirit. previous to the Christian
ensation. / do not affirm that the
Spirit had not been upon the earth
Hous TO Christ's coming. But / do
m that He had never taken up His
e among men, to perform His special
d work.
bile I believe the Holy Spirit commu-
tied special miraculous power In Old
lament times, while the Spirit 1t
BIS incubated the waters which
fght forth the earth, while He strove
j men in their apostaSy, while He en-
I'd Gods chosen ministers with pro-
he power. yet these were special tenn
Hry services OF an entirely different
Ire from His present office work Dr.
u Gordon in his THE Ministry of
Spirit" quotes the following from
Tor Tophers 1.-THE Work OF the Holy
n in Nam" I'm the old diSpenSation
Holy Spirit wrought upon believers.
did not in His person dwell in be- |
RS and abide permanently in them. /
appeared unto men; He did not IN |
late Himself in man. His action was
nittent; He went and came Ike the |
(which Noah sent forth from the |
and which went to and fro andihs |
est: while in the new dispensation |
fwelIs. He abides in the heart OF the |
His emblem, which John saw de- |
din, and aIighting on the head OF 4
Affianced of the soul, the SPIRIT 1
Oft to see His betrothed. but was \
bet one with her: the marriage was I
contaminated until the Pentecost. 4
the glorification of Jesus Christ
she same work DIR. Gordon tells US
obsrIv's division of the course of re-
btion thus far accomplished INTO
stages. as follows: THE first
God the Father; the second age.
the Son; the third age. God the HOY
L." We today are living under the
age. the ministry of the Spirit
uote Gordon's own words: In the
of the unfolding ages We see each
10 persons of the Godhead in turn
Using an earthly ministry and deal
bith men in the work of redemption
r the law, God the Father comes
to earth and speaks to men from
ioud of Sinai and from the glory
n.sthe mercy-seat; under grace GOO
~ is in the world, teaching. su1er-
Hfsng and rising again; under the
Snsation and out-gatherinS now go
On. the Holy Spirit is here carrying
L. work of renewing and sanctitylng
xhurch which is the body OF CHRIST
Is a necessary succession OF these
ministries. both in time and CHAR
elieye then. at the time Jesus spoke
words in John 7:3s. that the Holy
had not yet been given for the
b. that John states in 3Sth verse:
8use Jesus was not yet glorineo:
parenthetical statement VIII ana
verifying what / believe TO De the
corcI,ision to be drawn from H.
h.. that the Holy Spirit took up ms
knent abode on earth at time sun
: y. Z