Errors Concerning the Holy Spirit Refuted
There are many errors concerning
the Holy Spirit, but we shall notice only a few that are
the most common.
ERROR 1. "Spirit of Christ and
Spirit of God different."
REFUTED.—Those who propagate the
above named error teach that the Spirit of Christ is
received in justification and the Spirit of God in
sanctification. This is basely false for several reasons.
(1) This would make four in the Godhead, when the Bible
teaches but three; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matt.
28:19. (2) This false theory would make two Spirits, when
the Bible says, "There is one body, and one Spirit,
even as ye are called in one hope of your calling."
Eph. 4:4. (3) The rule by which there are supposed to be
two Spirits proves more than two, hence is incorrect. The
argument used is, that the Bible says Spirit of Christ and
Spirit of God. The Bible also says, "Spirit of
truth" (John 16:13), "Spirit of glory" (1
Pet. 4:14), and "Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:29);
so according to this rule, there would be at least five
Spirits; Spirit of Christ, Spirit of God, Spirit of glory,
Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of grace. Such is the
height of foolishness. These different names are only
figurative names of the Holy Spirit.
By this same false reasoning we
could prove a plurality of Gods; for the Bible speaks of
Jehovah, Lord, God, etc. It would also prove many Christs,
as the Bible mentions Emanuel, Christ, Messiah, Lamb of
God, Savior, etc. This lowers the Bible to the plane of
heathen philosophy, which teaches many gods. The truth of
the matter is, that all these different appellations are
used for the same three persons; Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
ERROR 2. "Holy Spirit and Word
of God, or New Testament, identical."
REFUTED.—Those who believe that
the Word and the Spirit are the same draw their
conclusions from John 6:63, where Jesus said, "The
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are
life." Jesus here had no reference to the new
covenant in general, but was speaking of the words which
He had just spoken. "The declarations which I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life."—Rotherham.
That is, the bread which He gave, of which He had just
finished speaking was unlike the bread which was eaten in
the wilderness; one was temporal food; the other,
spiritual food, producing spiritual life.
The apostles received the words of
Jesus before the day of Pentecost (John 17:8), but did not
receive the Holy Spirit till that day; hence the Word and
the Spirit are not the same thing. The Samaritans first
"received the word of God" (Acts 8:14), after
which they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:15,16. This is
conclusive evidence that the Word and the Spirit are
different. Any man who ever knew anything about the Holy
Spirit knows that this position is false, and only those
who, like the blind followers of Alexander Campbell, never
received the Holy Spirit could be induced to believe such
fabricated sophistry.
ERROR 3. "Gift of the Holy
Spirit and the reception of the Holy Spirit
different."
REFUTED.—Three verses of
Scripture are sufficient to expose this error. "While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all
them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out
the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 10:44, 45. This is
clear and plain, that the Gentiles here received the
"gift of the Holy Ghost"; and if we can
ascertain what they received we can arrive at a conclusion
as to what the "gift of the Holy Ghost" is.
"Can any man forbid water that these should not be
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as
we?" Acts 10:47.
This is too plain to need further
comment; both dews and Gentiles received the Holy Spirit
as a gift from God, hence it is called "the gift of
the Holy Spirit."
ERROR 4. "The Holy Spirit
dwells in impure temples, or in the hearts of unholy men
and women."
REFUTED.—Many profess to have the
Holy Spirit, who are impure at heart and live unholy
lives; but all such are deceived, for the Spirit of God is
pure and dwells with only the pure. "If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor.
3:17. The children of God are His temple or dwelling
place, in which He dwells through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22);
and "all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple in the Lord." Eph. 2:21.
ERROR 5. "The Holy Spirit is
received at conversion."
REFUTED.—This doctrine is
believed by the majority of professed Christians; but it
is, nevertheless, false. Paul, who understood well the
operations of the Spirit, asked certain disciples the
question, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost SINCE ye
believed?" Acts 19:2. Paul knew that they did NOT
RECEIVE Him WHEN they believed. He also said to the same
disciples afterward, "After ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." Eph. 1:13.
For a further exposition of this point see
"Sanctification," in a preceding chapter.
ERROR 6. "Only the apostles
received the Holy Spirit."
REFUTED.—The above error is
believed by only a few, so far as I know, who are very
ignorant of the truth. A few texts of Scripture will
settle this once for all. On the day of Pentecost at the
first descent of the Holy Spirit there were present about
one hundred and twenty-three, and only twelve of these
could possibly have been apostles, and yet we read,
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."
Acts 2:4. We also read of the house of Cornelius (Acts
10), the Samaritans (Acts 8), the Ephesians (Acts 19), and
many others who were not apostles, who received the Holy
Spirit. In fact the promise is made to "all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call." Acts 2:38, 39.
ERROR 7.—"The baptism of the
Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire different."
REFUTED.—There is a false notion
among several different classes of people that we receive
a baptism of fire subsequent to the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. This position is falsely based on the language of
John in Matt. 3:11. "He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost, and with fire." That the baptism of the
Holy Spirit and fire are the same work, or that they come
at the same time, needs but little comment for all
reasonable minds to understand it. The visible appearance
of fire at the notable scene of Pentecost, at which time
the Holy Spirit was received, was literal fulfillment of
this prophecy. It is also fulfilled when the Holy Spirit
comes to our hearts and burns away all depravity at the
time of sanctification, or baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Many men have supposed to find in
these words of the prophet John many things that are
foreign to the truth. Some have thought that affliction is
the baptism of fire here mentioned; some have thought it
to be some great visitation of persecution; some have
thought it to be the fire of judgment; some have thought
it to be the fire of hell, and the Catholics think they
find here the fire of purgatory. Our modern
"fire-worshippers," or so-called
"Fire-baptized Holiness Bands," etc., think they
find in this text a justification of their extraordinary
gesticulations and frantic jumping; but the Holy Spirit
does not behave itself unseemly, and we cannot accept
forced shouts and e m p t y screeches for the
manifestations of holy fire. While the Holy Spirit brings
the fire and sometimes causes people to leap and shout for
joy, it is vastly different from the wild screams and
vulgar actions of those under the influence of
"strange fire." For a further explanation of
this subject see chapter on "Baptism of the Holy
Spirit and Fire." >
