The Ministry of the Holy Spirit In Old Testament Believers

By Clifford Rapp, Jr. [1]

Chafer Theological Seminary

Clifford Rapp earned his B.A. degree from Biola University; and a Th.M. degree in Old Testament Literature and Exegesis from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is a professor of Old Testament and general biblical studies at Chafer Theological Seminary. Cliff also pastors Orange Coast Free Methodist Church, Costa Mesa, California.

Introduction

In John 14:17 Jesus says of the Holy Spirit, He dwells with you and will be in you. This saying indicates a change in the ministry of the Spirit in the life of believers, but what is the nature of the change? I will limit consideration in this paper to the consideration of four ministries of the Spirit that are spoken of in the New Testament, but not specifically mentioned in the Old: the ministries of regeneration, indwelling, sealing and baptizing.

One can argue that because the Old Testament does not use terms for the regenerating, indwelling, sealing, and baptizing ministries of the Spirit that all of these ministries are part of the new relationship of the Spirit to the believer that began at Pentecost. [2] However, an argument from silence is a weak argument to begin with, but a careful look at scripture reveals several passages in which the Bible does have something to say about these ministries in the Old Testament.

I would like to look individually at each of the four ministries of the Spirit under consideration to try to determine whether or not they were a part of the experience of Old Testament saints.

The Ministry of Regeneration

Ryrie defines regeneration as “that act of God which imparts eternal life.” [3]

Were Old Testament saints regenerated? Some have argued on the basis of the experience of saints such as Nicodemus and Saul of Tarsus, who excelled in Judaism, but were not regenerated, that regeneration was not available under Judaism. That only with the beginning of the church age is regeneration available. [4] This argument leads to the conclusion that since Old Testament saints were not regenerated, they did not pass “from an unsaved to a saved state.” [5] This in turns leads to the conclusion that since the Old Testament saints had a lesser spiritual experience then they must have had a lesser form of evil with which to contend. [6]

Chafer attributes a form of renewal less than full regeneration to Old Testament saints, but admits “there is no definite doctrinal teaching relative to the extent and character of that renewal.” [7] What kind of an intermediate state could there be between being spiritually dead and being born again, regenerated by the Spirit? The Old Testament does not use the term regeneration, but the entire Bible says nothing of semi-alive, “renewed” believers.

Others have argued from the conversation of the Lord Jesus with Nicodemus that since Old Testament saints were a part of the kingdom that they must have been born again. Aldrich expresses the argument this way,

It is assumed that regeneration is common to every dispensation. Some have questioned this, but the matter is settled beyond dispute by the Word of God.“ Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). It is clear that the Old Testament saints were in the kingdom of God (cf. Luke 13:28–29); therefore, they must have experienced the new birth. In addition, the doctrine of total depravity demands the new birth in every age since the fall. [8]

Additionally it could be pointed out that the highs of Old Testament spirituality expressed in the Psalms and other devotional passages can only be accounted for by the existence of born again believers.

A clear indication of regeneration in Old Testament saints is found in Jeremiah 24:7, I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. These words are spoken of the Jews who would return from the Babylonian captivity. The time that God would give them “a heart to know Him” is upon their return from the 70 year captivity. This return began under the decree from Cyrus, king of Persia, in 538 B.C. As certainly as God fulfilled His word in bringing them back to Judah, He also regenerated them.

The Ministry of Indwelling

Walvoord states that the ministry of indwelling “is the abiding presence of the Spirit … ” [9] Chafer writes,

The present age is distinguished as a period of the indwelling Spirit, whose presence provides every resource for the realization of a God-honoring daily life…the indwelling Spirit is now an unlimited Resource who sustains in every aspect of human life…each one without exception has received the Spirit and each one is therefore confronted with the necessity, if he would fulfill the divine ideal, of living his life in the enabling power of the Spirit …  [10]

The matter of the permanent indwelling of the Spirit being exclusive to the church age is bolstered by the statement of John 14:17 that the Spirit will be “in you” (ἐν ὑμιν). This is seemingly a distinct expression of indwelling. It is future to the end of Christ’s earthly life, since it was spoken on the night of His betrayal. It is contrasted with the current ministry of the Spirit in the apostles, “He remains with you” (παρ῎ ὑμιν).

Is Christ’s statement in John 14:17 really a clear statement of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Other ministries of the Spirit take place “in” the lives of believers. How can the ministry of regeneration take place anywhere other than “in you”? The sealing of the Holy Spirit takes place in the hearts of believers (2 Corinthians 1:22, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν). Christ’s statement is most likely not an exclusive reference to the indwelling ministry of the Spirit, but to the expanded ministry of the Spirit in the church age.

Does Christ’s statement, “he remains with you” (παρ’ ὑμῖν μένει), exclude the concept of indwelling? An examination of the Greek usage of the preposition para will show that it not only does not exclude the idea of indwelling, but that it conveys that very sense when used with terms involving dwelling or lodging. [11] Six verses after this statement John uses similar language to describe the relationship of the Father and the Son to the obedient believer (μονὴν παρ᾿ αὐτῶ ποιησόμεθα, John 14:23). [12] Usually this is translated as we will make our abode with him [13] or we will make our home with him. [14] Certainly John is not intending us to think that the Father and the Son are nearby, but external to us because he uses the preposition (with, παρά).

Additionally, the vocabulary used in the Old Testament for the Spirit’s work in people’s lives unmistakably indicates inward activity, not some nearby, external operation.

When the Old Testament does speak of the Spirit’s coming on Old Testament saints for the purpose of empowerment, it uses verbs which clearly speak of coming within them: e.g., “entering into” (bo’, Ezek. 2:2; 3:24), “overpowering” (tsalah, Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 10:10; 11:6), “clothing” (labash, Judges 6:34; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 24:20), “being filled” (male’, Exodus 31:3; 35:31), and “falling upon” (naphal, Ezek. 11:5). None indicate the idea of simply being near or in the vicinity of. [15]

Further I might note that Ryrie cites John 14:16 as proof of the permanence of the Spirit’s indwelling of Church age believers. [16] There the Holy Spirit is promised to be with you (μεθ῎ ὑμων) for ever. If with you (μεθ῎ ὑμων) includes the concept of indwelling, it seems rather arbitrary to say that with you (παρ῎ ὑμιν) cannot include the same concept, especially when used with a verb of dwelling. The contrast in the statement he remains with you and will be in you is not a statement simply about indwelling, but about the greater ministry of the Spirit in the church.

The Bible definitely states that the Holy Spirit did indwell believers prior to the crucifixion. Matthew 10:20 declares that the Holy Spirit will speak in the apostles (ἐν ὑμιν) the same expression used in John 14:17, He will be in you). Joseph (Genesis 41:38), Joshua (Numbers 27:18), David (1 Samuel 16:12–13), and Daniel (Daniel 4:8, 5:11–14, 6:3) all had the Spirit in them. To dismiss these examples as being a temporary and limited indwelling of the Spirit is not sound exegesis. There is no statement in scripture that the Spirit departed from any of these men.

It is true that David prays that the Lord will not take His Holy Spirit away (Psalm 51:11). It is also stated that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). In a similar situation the scripture says of Samson, the Lord departed from him (Judges 16:20). In evaluating these expressions, it is helpful to note that in the Old Testament some believers had the Spirit come on them for a specific, short term task, while others had the Spirit in them for an extended time. Among those who were empowered by the Spirit for a specific, short term task were Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (Judges 6:34), Jephthah (Judges 11:29), Samson (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14), Bezaleel and Aholiab (Exodus 31:1–6), Azariah (2 Chronicles 15:1–7), Jahaziel (2 Chronicles 20:1, 22–23), Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20), and Amassai (1 Chronicles 12:18). Those who experienced a longer term ministry of the Spirit are Moses and the 70 elders (Numbers 11:17), Joshua (Numbers 27:18), Saul (1 Samuel 16:14 by implication), David (1 Samuel 16:13), Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:9, 15).

By distinguishing these two different types of experiences we can find parallels with New Testament experiences. For example, Peter is said to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4 to preach on Pentecost and then again in Acts 4:8 in making defense before the Sanhedrin. This intermittent filling of Peter to empower him for specific tasks reminds us of Samson, who was filled on four different occasions to win victories. No one thinks that Peter lost the indwelling of the Spirit in between his fillings. As Chafer writes, “The Holy Spirit is received but once and He never departs; but there are many fillings as need for them arise.” [17] There is no biblical evidence that Samson lost the indwelling of the Spirit in between his special empowerments by the Spirit.

The experiences of those Old Testament saints who had an extended empowerment by the Spirit are more closely akin to the gifting ministry of the Spirit than to the indwelling ministry. Ryrie defines a spiritual gift as “a God given ability for service.” [18] Walvoord writes that the coming of the Spirit on these Old Testament saints was, “a sovereign gift usually associated with a special call to service, and it had in view enablement for a specific task.” [19] The similarity to spiritual gifts is so close that Walvoord actually used the term “gift” to describe it in the preceding quotation. Not all spiritual gifts were the permanent possession of the persons to whom they were given. This seems to be the case with the apostle Paul’s gift of healing. On various occasions he was able to heal people (Acts 19:11–12; 28:8) and on other occasions he was not able to heal people (Philippians 2:26–27; 1 Timothy 5:23). The gift of healing was present in Paul’s early ministry, but seems not to have been present in his later ministry. No one would suggest that the withdrawal of Paul’s gift of healing indicates that the Spirit did not permanently indwell him. So why should one read such an idea into the interpretation of the experience of Old Testament saints? If Saul lost the gift of administration and David was concerned that the gift might be withdrawn from him does this not speak to the issue of indwelling?

Finally in considering the indwelling ministry of the Spirit in Old Testament believers, one must raise the question, “how can regeneration be sustained without the continual indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit?” It seems impossible to conceive of God imparting the divine nature through regeneration and then abandoning the person whom He has regenerated. As Ryrie states of the New Testament believer,

The Spirit cannot leave a believer without throwing that believer back into a lost, unsaved condition. Disindwelling has to mean loss of salvation, and loss of salvation must include disindwelling. The security of the believer and the permanent indwelling of the Spirit are inseparable doctrines. [20]

Chafer offers a similar opinion, “The indwelling, being a feature of salvation and secured by saving faith, is common to all regenerate persons alike. The Holy Spirit is received but once and He never departs.” [21] The new life consists of the impartation of the Spirit and cannot exist apart from the Spirit’s presence. The Old Testament believers must have been indwelt by the Spirit, if they were regenerate.

The Ministry of Sealing

Enns writes,

The principal [sic] idea of sealing is that of ownership. The believer is sealed with the Spirit to identify the believer as belonging to God. Branding cattle would be a parallel; the rancher puts his brand on the steer as a sign that the steer belongs to him. God has put His seal, the Holy Spirit, within the believer to verify that the believer belongs to Him. Second Corinthians 1:22 indicates that the Holy Spirit Himself is the seal … Moreover, the sealing is permanent--with a view to the believer’s ultimate glorification (Eph. 4:30). Hence, the sealing not only emphasizes ownership but also security. The Holy Spirit verifies that the believer permanently belongs to God [emphasis in the original]. [22]

The Old Testament does not speak of believers being sealed for the day of redemption. However, all the features of sealing are spoken of in the Old Testament. Who can miss the matter of God’s ownership of Israel (Leviticus 26:12; Deuteronomy 26:17–19, etc.) and of individual believers (1 Kings 19:18; Psalm 1:6; Nahum 1:7, cp. 2 Timothy 2:19)? The indwelling Holy Spirit is the seal (2 Corinthians 1:22) and it has been demonstrated that the Old Testament saints were indwelt by the Spirit. As to the matter of the security of the believer, the saints of former dispensations were regenerated and indwelt and, therefore, must be as secure as those regenerated and indwelt today.

The Ministry of Baptizing

Enns defines the baptizing work of the Spirit as “that work whereby the Spirit places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).” [23]

When we come to the baptizing ministry of the Spirit there is unshakable evidence that this ministry did not begin until the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. John the Baptist spoke of it as a future ministry (Matthew 3:11). At the end of His forty day post-resurrection ministry the Lord Jesus still spoke of it as something future and very near (Acts 1:5). The “before many days” time frame that the Lord Jesus speaks of in Acts 1:5 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit leads to the conclusion that it took place in Acts 2 with the pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost. This conclusion is supported by the only other specific mention of the baptism of the Spirit in the Book of Acts. In Acts 11:16 Peter calls the gift of the Spirit given to Cornelius a fulfillment of John the Baptist’s prophecy about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the following verse he declares that it was the same thing that happened to the apostles. So the baptism of the apostles by the Spirit must have occurred between Acts 1 and Acts 10 when Cornelius received the baptism of the Spirit. The most likely occasion for this to have happened is on Pentecost in Acts 2.

The Old Testament believers were not baptized into the body of Christ, but they had a similar concept. Israel was conceived of as God’s son, His first-born son (Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1). Individual Israelites were sons of God by virtue of their membership in the first-born son, Israel (Deuteronomy 14:1, 2). Year by year they confessed this unity during the Passover celebration by declaring that the Lord had brought them (not their forefathers) out of Egypt (Exodus 13:8, 9, 14, 15). On any other occasion that a parent was asked by his son about the “meaning of the testimonies, and the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord … commanded” they were to refer to their (not their forefathers’) slavery in Egypt and God’s deliverance of them (not their forefathers) according to Deuteronomy 6:20–25. The history of Israel, God’s first-born, was the personal history of each Israelite just like the history of Christ becomes the personal history of each believer, baptized into Christ.

We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Conclusion

It has been demonstrated that the change in the Spirit’s ministries for church age believers does not involve regeneration, indwelling, or sealing. Both the Spirit’s ministries of regeneration and of indwelling are specifically mentioned in the Old Testament. The ministry of sealing was present by implication. Of the four ministries of the Spirit that have been considered the one specific ministry that is exclusive to the church is that of baptizing.

Notes

1. This article has been undertaken in honor of Paul E. Best, a friend and colleague at Chafer Theological Seminary, who entered into his eternal abode on July 7, 1996.
2. Systematic Theology, by Lewis S. Chafer (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1948), p. 73.
3. The Holy Spirit, by Charles C. Ryrie (Chicago: Moody Press, 1965), p. 64.
4. Chafer, p.73.
5. Ibid.
6. Chafer, p.83, “It is evident that His [Christ’s] purpose was to assign a new and hitherto unexperienced character to evil as it appears in this age.”
7. Ibid., p.73.
8. Bibliotheca Sacra, Volume 114, Number 455, July-September, 1957, “The Transitional Problem in Acts,” by Roy L. Aldrich.
9. The Holy Spirit, by John F. Walvoord (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), p. 155.
10. Chafer, p. 123.
11. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament, by F. Blass and A. Debrunner, translated and edited by Robert W. Funk (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1961), section 238, p. 124.
12. John 14:23.
13. KJV and NASB.
14. NKJV, NIV, RSV, and NRSV.
15. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, by Leon J. Wood (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), pp. 86–87.
16. Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, p. 43.
17. Chafer, p. 124.
18. Balancing the Christian Life, by Charles C. Ryrie (Chicago: Moody Press, 69), p. 94.
19. The Holy Spirit, Walvoord, p. 72.
20. Basic Theology, by Charles C. Ryrie (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986), p. 356.
21. Chafer, p. 124.
22. The Moody Handbook of Theology, by Paul Enns (Chicago: Moody Press, 1989), p. 269.
23. Enns, p. 266.