The Ministries of the Spirit

The Ministries of the Spirit

 Almost as far-reaching is John's change of emphasis in recording the promised functions of the Spirit in the interadvent years, as not the Spirit of power bestowing "gifts" and capacities for ser-vice, but the Spirit of truth revealing Christ more perfectly to the ongoing church. This ministry in the realm of truth is expounded in the upper room discourse with exceptional fullness.

 1. Comforter —Counselor. The root idea here is anyone-friend, neighbor, family member, priest, or professional advocate (British, Queen's Counsel; American, Counselor) — who in an emergency is "called alongside to help" in whatever way the need requires.

From this root idea spring several shades of meaning. The friend who hurries to one's side in trouble "comforts" in a general way, though sympathy, pity, and the emotional sharing of pain was not the intended meaning when KJV/AV chose the title "Comforter" for the Spirit. "Comforter" belonged with "fort," "fortification," "fortitude," and meant one who fortifies greatly, who imparts courage - in modern terms, an enabler of others.

Legally, the one who stands beside the accused to answer on his behalf is called Advocate, or Counsel. This title faintly echoes Jesus' promise that the Spirit will give to the persecuted the words to answer to governors and kings. Perhaps more faintly still, the title recalls the "accuser of our brethren" who in the courts of heaven plays "devil's advocate" against the godly (Job 1:6-12 where "the satan" means "the adversary"; ef. Rev. 12:10).  In Romans 8:27, the Spirit makes intercession for the saints; in 1John 2:1 Jesus Christ the righteous is the "advocate" for sinful people.

Pastorally, however, the title has a third dimension, for in Greek "counselor" (or "paraclete") is related to exhortation, counseling, encouragement ("paraclesis"); the ministry toward one's fellow Christians that aims to uphold, to edify, to encourage. This is the main purpose of in-church preaching in the New Testament. Barnabas, being "full of the Holy Spirit," was for this reason nicknamed "son of encouragement," as one who ever came alongside weaker souls to uplift and strengthen (Acts 15:37-39; 9:26f). So gracious a gift for "strengthening one's brethren" and bringing the best out of others was very early recognized as a clear mark of those in whom "the Comforter" had his way. This was his work.

2. Spirit of truth. Jesus has many things to say, the disciples many things to learn: the answer to this need is the promise of the Spirit who (as we have seen) will bring all things they have heard and seen back to their remembrance, illuminating their hindsight, guiding them in "all the truth." Each detail of this teaching ministry of the Spirit is of central importance still, as he "replaces" Jesus as teacher, bringing to Christian minds truth still to be understood, and making all timelessly relevant.

The Spirit's subject is Christ. "He will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he is given to speak, that he will say. ... He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." That implies no limitation of the Spirit's ministry, since Jesus can say, "All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." But it does provide a well-founded test of what is, or is not, "of the Spirit." The one sure mark of the Spirit's ministry is that he will not speak about himself. What is truly of the Spirit will be recognizably Christ-centered, never Spirit-centered. Jesus said so.

The special manner of the Spirit's teaching ministry is suggested by the words "he will guide you into all the truth." That scarcely indicates the imparting of new information about Jesus: we have that information in the Gospels. Nor does "guiding into" truth promise supernatural revelation through visions and voices. What is foreseen here is progressive discovery, through experience and practice equally with reflection, of the full implications and the continually new applications of what they had already learned through Christ.

Thus the Spirit of truth is the spur and guide of all Christian development in every generation, the Spirit of intellectual and moral progress.

3. Convictor of the world. As Spirit of truth also to the world, the Spirit of Jesus will prosecute the world with the same power of argument with which he defends Christians. For he will continually keep before the world's conscience the truth concerning Jesus.

He will convict the world of sin for rejecting Christ. That is the chief sin, in John's eyes: that Jesus should come to his own home and his own people receive him not; that light should come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light. This is the judgment: since by belief in Christ people have life, to disbelieve or to reject him is to "abide in death." Of that supreme folly, the ultimate sin, the Spirit will convince men and women.

He will convince the world of righteousness by showing how Jesus was vindicated, proved to have been right, by his resurrection and ascension. And he will convince men and women of judgment, by showing them that "the ruler of this world" is judged, the power of evil is broken, and its hold over them is relaxed, since Jesus died (ef. 16:11 and 12:31).

Just how the Spirit will accomplish all this is not explained. Certainly, he will not indwell the world, which cannot receive, see, or know him (14:17). John knew, by the time he wrote, that the Spirit would work upon men and women through the Spirit-filled church. It would scarcely be true to say, in that upper room, to men so fearful and unready, that the church would convince the world! But the Spirit, through the church, adding authority and power to their witness and manifesting in the lives of believers the truth and power of Christ, would - and did — and does -convince men and women of the real nature and cost of sin, of the meaning of righteousness as seen in Jesus, and of the judgment wrought upon evil through the cross of Christ.

 4. Spirit of prophecy. This means not merely "of prediction," but in the fuller Old Testament sense of illuminating events and problems as they arise, irradiating the way forward, foreshadowing the outcome of actions and attitudes: so "he will declare to you the things that are to come."

The future (as Jesus always insists) is "in the Father's own authority" (Acts 1:7), and it is not for us to know the times or the seasons, or the things God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9), until the Spirit makes them plain. As the future unfolds, the Spirit will show as much as we need to know, guiding our feet and assuring our hearts that all that God has planned is coming to pass.

Once again we must bear in mind the double timing in the record. When Jesus spoke, "the things" immediately "to come" were his own death and resurrection, about which the disciples would sorely need the Spirit's illumination if their faith was to survive. But when John wrote, "the things to come" carried for him and his fellow believers another meaning, signifying all the way into the dark future, the outcome of the church's struggle with Rome, and "the last things." This, too, the Spirit would illumine, leading always forward into God's tomorrow, on to the end of time.

--The Night He Was Betrayed, R.E.O. White

 

 

 

 

I dared not hope that Thou wouldst deign to come

And make this lowly heart of mine Thy home,

That Thou wouldst deign, O King of kings, to be

E'en for one hour a sojourner in me;

Yet art Thou always here, to help and bless,

And lift the load of my great sinfulness.

(E. Hatch [1835-1889])