The Holy Spirit: Continuity and Discontinuity between the Testaments

This post is concerned with determining the role and nature of the Spirit as it relates to both the Old and New Testament. Therefore, I will seek to answer two questions: “What was the nature of the Spirit's ministry in the OT?” and “Does the Spirit minister differently in the New Testament?”

Let’s first address the issue of the role and nature of the Spirit in relation to the OT. We cannot begin without first citing the presence of the Spirit in creation (Gen. 1:2) and it is actively involved in establishing the stage in which salvific history would play out.  Next, I wish to set before us that the Spirit fulfills a wide variety of roles in the OT. The Spirit can generally endow understanding (Job 32:8; Prov. 1:23), and enable people with the technical skills needed to complete a task (see how workmen were equipped by the Spirit with skills in order to construct the tabernacle in Ex. 31:3; 35:31). The Spirit is also associated with inspiring human beings to prophesy (1 Sam. 10:6; 19:23-24; 2 Chr. 20:14; Neh. 9:30; Ezek. 2:2; 3:24; Zech. 7:12) and they are sometimes referred to as men “of the spirit” (cf. Hos. 9:7). Also, it is interesting to note that while the Spirit is said to inspire prophetic speak, it seems that Jeremiah went out of his way to discredit such a notion (Jer. 5:13). However, such a view could merely be due to the perversion of other prophetic tradition (possibly Canaanite religious traditions), and only serves as a strong warning or positive discouragement against those who falsely claim to be speaking according to the Spirit (also see Deut. 13:1-5; 189-22). Moreover, such a clever distinction could be a possible example of the theological diversity of the OT and its depiction of the Spirit, but more specifically it seems to express a point of vindication and revelation. In other words, the role and nature of the Spirit in the OT is one of endowing, equipping and inspiring, but overall it seems to be one of vindicating and revealing the plan and/or work of God is throughout salvific history. In other words, humanity vindicates their encounter with God through or by the Spirit.

Next, God’s work among his covenant people in the OT is not starkly different to his working and dealings with them in the NT. In addition to what we have seen in the OT, the NT as well adds to the daunting list of what the Spirit does. However, much of what we have already discussed finds its place in the NT as well. In 1 Cor. 2:6-16 the secret divine wisdom is only revealed to “us” by the Spirit. In other words, just as God vindicates and reveals his plan and work through the Spirit in the OT, he is also doing it during the NT. For it is only through the Spirit that one can know the plans and work of God.

 

It is at this point that I find it crucial to make two distinctive points about the role of the Spirit between the testaments; namely empowering and indwelling, and the futuristic language of the “coming” of the Spirit, which is clearly expressed in the NT. In the NT the Spirit often functions in an empowering or enabling way (Matt. 12:28; Rom. 8:9; 15:19). It is also been said to come upon Jesus (Matt. 3:16) just as, I assume, it come upon Saul (1 Sam. 10:10; 11:6), left him and come upon David (1 Sam. 16:13-14). I take this to be a reference to the empowering of the Spirit and not a reference to the indwelling of the Spirit. The day is coming when the Spirit will permanently come upon God’s people, thus empowering them to carry out special tasks in ministry. But to say that the Spirit of God never dwelt in his covenant people is absurd. How are we to understand a passage like Rom. 8:8-9? In other words, did Abraham please God and belong to him? I think so. And could he have done so without having the Spirit of God dwelling in him? I think not.

The futuristic language for the "coming" of the Spirit is all too real. It refers to the “coming,” “receiving,” “sending,” “being clothed,” etc. language of the Spirit on Pentecost (also see the language of Jn. 16:5-15). But again the problem arises when one assumes that "coming" equals "indwelling." This is false, because there seems to be no passage that makes any sort of equation. Note that there is a highly debated textual variant in Jn. 14:17, and I prefer the present-tense ejstivn rather than the future-tense ejvstai, and I would be happy to discuss this further if anyone has questions.

Now, let me try to sum up my answers to the questions. First, the role of the Spirit in the OT and the NT is of wide variety. The role of the Spirit in the OT was one of enabling, empowering, endowing, inspiring, vindicating and revealing. The role of the Spirit in the New is similar to that of the Old, but with one particular addition: The day is “coming” (and has arrived of course) when the Spirit will permanently come upon his people. Note that under both, the Spirit indwells his people, but it only empowers some in the OT. And in the New, there is an enabling of all of God’s people to possess the empowering nature of the Spirit in order to accomplish the mission God has seek before us.