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Promise of the Holy Spirit
 
《The Promise Of The Holy Spirit》
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In our previous lesson we surveyed the work of the Holy Spirit in
 regards to...
 a. Creation
 b. Revelation
 c. Confirmation
 d. Regeneration
 e. Sanctification
 
2. It is evident that the Holy Spirit has been at work throughout...
 a. The history of mankind
 b. The redemption of mankind
 
3. Of special interest is the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of
 a Christian...
 a. An area of study in which many have questions
 b. An area in which there is great diversity of views
 
[A good place to begin might be the promise of the Holy Spirit. Long
before Jesus came
God began making promises about the Spirit ...]
 
I. THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
 
 A. THE PROPHECY OF JOEL...
 1. Recorded in Joel 2:28-32 (ca. 800 B.C.)
 2. The elements of this prophecy included:
 a. The Spirit being poured out on all flesh - Joel 2:28
 b. Sons and daughters of Israel prophesying
and Israel's
 young and old men seeing visions and dreaming dreams (note
 "your") - Joel 2:28
 c. God's Spirit being poured out upon His menservants and
 maidservants (including Gentiles?) and their prophesying
  - Joel 2:29
 3. This prophecy began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost
 after the Ascension of Christ
 a. When the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Jerusalem 
 - Ac 2:1-4
 b. Who enabled them to speak in foreign languages - Ac 2:4-13
 c. Note that Peter ties the events of that day with Joel's
 prophecy - Ac 2:15-21
 -- It will be necessary to consider other passages to determine
 the full extent of the nature of this outpouring of the Spirit
 and its ramifications for today
 
 B. THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH...
 1. One recorded in Isa 44:3-5 (ca. 750 B.C.)
 2. Elements of this prophecy include:
 a. God pouring His Spirit upon Israel's descendants - Isa 44:3
 b. Connecting the promise of the Spirit with the figure of
 water given to him who is thirsty - cf. Jn 7:37-39
 3. Another prophecy that might relate to the promise of the Spirit
 - Isa 32:15-17
 a. Found in a section that appears to have Messianic
 implications - cf. Isa 32:1
 b. The result of this pouring of the Spirit: justice

 righteousness
and peace - cf. Ro 14:17
 
 C. THE PROPHECIES OF EZEKIEL...
 1. One recorded in Ezek 36:26-27
 2. Elements of this prophecy:
 a. God promises to put His Spirit "within you" (an indwelling)
 b. It will cause (enable) one to walk in His statutes and keep
 His judgments - cf. Ro 8:11-13; Ep 3:16
 3. Another prophecy that might relate to the promise of the Spirit
 - Ezek 39:29
 a. A prophecy that looks beyond the captivity and restoration
 of Israel
 b. One that might not have been fulfilled until the coming of
  the Messiah
 
 D. THE PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH...
 1. Recorded in Zech 12:10
 2. Elements of this prophecy:
 a. The Spirit of grace and supplication to be poured out on the
 inhabitants of Jerusalem
 b. Prompting people to look upon Jesus whom they have pierced

 and mourn because of Him - cf. Ac 2:32-37
 
[Whether the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah have reference to a
promise that would be fulfilled in the age of the Messiah may be
questionable
but certainly the prophecy of Joel and Isaiah demonstrate
that God promised an "outpouring" of the Spirit in a special way. We
now consider...]
 
II. THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
 
 A. THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST...
 1. He spoke of One coming who would "baptize you with the Holy
 Spirit" - Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7-8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:33
 2. While he himself administered a baptism in water
there was One
 coming who would be the administrator of a baptism with the
 Holy Spirit
 3. The promise was made to large crowds; only in its fulfillment
 can we determine its full extent
 a. We know that it is somehow tied to the events of Pentecost
 in Ac 2:1-4
 b. Because of Jesus' comments in Ac 1:4-5
 
 B. THE TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST...
 1. The Spirit would be given to those who ask the Heavenly Father
 - Lk 11:13
 2. The Spirit would be given as "living water" to all those who
 thirst and come to Him in faith
and drink - Jn 7:37-39
 a. Might this "living water" be "the gift of God" Jesus alluded
 to earlier? - cf. Jn 4:10-14
 b. Note again the comparison of the Spirit to water in Isaiah's
 prophecy - Isa 44:3
 3. To His apostles
Jesus promised the "Spirit of truth" who
 would...
 a. Be a Helper
and abide with them - Jn 14:16-17
 b. Bring to their remembrance all things Jesus taught them - Jn
 14:26
 c. Bear witness of Christ
together with the apostles - Jn 15:
 26-27
 d. Convict the world of sin
righteousness
and judgment - Jn 
 16:7-11
 e. Guide the apostles unto all the truth
including things to
 come - Jn 16:12-13
  f. Glorify Jesus
by taking of what is His and declaring it to
 them - Jn 16:14
 4. Jesus told His apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they
 received the "Promise of the Father" - Lk 24:49; Ac 1:4-5
 a. Which He clearly connects to the baptism of the Spirit
 spoken of by John
 b. In which they (the apostles) would receive power
and be
 eyewitnesses - Ac 1:8
 
 C. THE PREACHING OF PETER...
 1. On Pentecost
Peter ties the outpouring of the Spirit to the
 prophecy of Joel - Ac 2:14-16
 2. Then
in the course of his sermon
Peter...
 a. Speaks of the outpouring of the Spirit as a promise Jesus
 received from the Father - Ac 2:33; cf. Ac 1:4-5
 b. Offers the gift of the Spirit to all who repent and are
 baptized - Ac 2:38
 c. Says the promise is to them and others - Ac 2:39
 1) What promise does Peter have in mind?
 2) What promise would have immediately come to mind to his
 hearers?
 3) Would it not have been the promise he just alluded to?
 a) The promise received by Christ
and now poured out by
 Christ - Ac 2:33
 b) I.e.
the Spirit which Jesus Himself promised to
 believers - cf. Jn 7:37-39
 c) "That we are right in referring the word promise
in
 this sentence
to the promise of the Holy Spirit just
 made by Peter
is evident from the fact that this is
 the only promise made in the immediate context." 
 - J. W. McGarvey
 d) "For the promise... - Of pardon
and the gift of the
 Spirit." - B. W. Johnson
  e) "Acts 2:39 shows that the gift of the Holy Spirit is
 to all
Jews and Gentiles
who accept that call of
 God." - David Lipscomb
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. In this study we have seen the following...
 a. Old Testament prophets promised a special dispensation of the
 Spirit to come
 1) One that would include the manifestation of special gifts
 2) One that would enable the people of God to keep His will
 b. John and Jesus promised a baptism of the Spirit
administered by
 Jesus
 c. Peter in his first gospel sermon...
 1) Proclaims this promise to be fulfilled with the outpouring of
 the Spirit - Ac 2:16
33
 2) Appears to offer the Spirit as a gift to all who obey the
 gospel - Ac 2:38-39
 
2. This naturally raises several questions...
 a. Does this mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for us today?
 b. What exactly is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
 -- Questions I shall attempt to address in our next study
 
In view of the promises made concerning the Spirit
we should not be
surprised to read of the work of the Spirit in the life of the
Christian. Of course
the challenge will be to discern exactly what the
Bible reveals
and not read into the Scriptures any preconceived ideas
regarding His work...

－－《Executable Outlines》