The Work of the Holy Spirit, Part 2
I. Introduction
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Focus on one specific part of the Holy Spirit’s work.
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This area has historically led to much misconception: the
Holy Spirit’s work with the apostles.
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This study centers on chapters John
14, 15, and 16, which record Jesus’ teachings to His
apostles.
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These chapters are set during the Last Supper, in Jerusalem,
with Jesus speaking to the Twelve.
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Context: Jesus prepares His apostles for His departure and
promises a helper.
II. Context of John 14-16
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These chapters contain Jesus’ profound teachings on the Holy
Spirit, specifically addressed to His apostles.
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Jesus discusses His impending departure, His relationship with
the apostles, and the promise of the coming Comforter.
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Key themes:
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Jesus’s departure and the reassurance that He will send
another Helper.
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The Helper (Holy Spirit) will dwell with and within the
apostles.
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This work is particular to the apostles, not a general
promise to all individuals at this stage.
III. The Promise of the Holy Spirit as Helper and Comforter
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John 14:16-17: Jesus promises, “I
will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may abide with you forever.”
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The Helper is the Spirit
of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it
neither sees Him nor knows Him.
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The Spirit dwells
with the apostles and will
be in them.
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Jesus emphasizes that He will not leave the apostles as
orphans: He
will come to them.
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The original Greek word translated “another” indicates “of
the same kind”—the Spirit will be like Jesus in His
support and comfort.
IV. The Holy Spirit Among the Apostles
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John 14:26: The Spirit will
teach and bring
to remembrance everything Jesus said.
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The Spirit will abide
with and in the
apostles, guiding them precisely.
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Jesus’ physical presence will be replaced by the Spirit’s
continual guidance.
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The Holy Spirit is uniquely involved in the apostles’ teaching,
ensuring accuracy and truth.
V. The Spirit’s Role as Teacher and Witness
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John 15:26-27: The Spirit will
testify of Jesus and enable
the apostles to bear witness.
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The Spirit reveals
all truth and guides
the apostles into understanding it.
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The apostles did
not yet know all the truth; the Spirit would reveal it
gradually.
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The ongoing process: the Spirit miraculously instructs
the apostles when
needed.
VI. The Spirit’s Role in Jesus’ Departure and the Apostles’ Comfort
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John 16:5-7: Jesus explains His departure causes sorrow, but it
is to
their advantage.
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The Spirit will
come after Jesus leaves—to comfort,
guide, and support the apostles.
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The Spirit cannot
come until Jesus departs; this is necessary for the
Spirit’s miraculous work.
VII. The Holy Spirit’s Specific Works
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John 16:8: The Spirit will
convict the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment:
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Sin, because they do not believe in Jesus.
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Righteousness, because Jesus ascends to the Father.
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Judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
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The Spirit begins
His work immediately—His initial activity on the day of
Pentecost, convicting thousands of their sins.
VIII. The Spirit’s Revelation Through the Apostles
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1 Corinthians 2:9-10: The Spirit reveals
the deep things of God to the apostles.
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The Spirit guided the
apostles to speak
God’s words, revealing divine
truth miraculously.
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The apostles did
not originate truth but received it
through the Holy Spirit.
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The Spirit ensures the
Word is inspired
and without error.
IX. The Nature of the Spirit’s Revelation
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The Spirit reveals
truth not
miraculously to individuals today.
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His work in inspiration was limited
to the apostles.
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Today, the Spirit speaks
to us through the recorded
Word of God, not through visions or miraculous
revelations.
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Authentic spiritual understanding comes
from diligent study of the Bible, not
waiting for direct, miraculous communication.
X. The Holy Spirit’s Ongoing Role (continued)
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The Spirit continues to guide believers today through
the inspired Word of God, providing direction and
wisdom.
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The Holy Spirit works
through diligent study of the Bible—helping us
understand God's will and grow spiritually.
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Our proper
response to the Spirit's work is obedience,
which involves regularly reading, studying, and applying God's
Word.
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Instead of waiting for miraculous signs or experiences, we trust
the Spirit’s guidance revealed in Scripture.
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Through this process, the Spirit transforms our
hearts and minds, producing the fruits of the Spirit and
empowering us to live righteous lives.
XI. The Holy Spirit’s Role in the Present Day
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The Spirit does
not reveal all truth miraculously to individuals today.
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His work continues
through the inspired Word—the Bible.
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Believers access
the Spirit’s guidance by diligently studying and
obeying Scripture.
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Our response should
be obedience, faith, and faithful study—not waiting for
visions or direct messages.
XII. Summary & Final Emphasis
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The chapters in John 14-16 were
specifically given to the apostles to guide them during
their unique role in establishing the church.
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The Holy Spirit worked
miraculously through the apostles to reveal and record
divine truth.
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Today, the
Holy Spirit’s message is accessible through the Bible,
which He
inspired.
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The Spirit continues
to work within believers as we study
God’s Word and align our lives with His truth.
XIII. Final Thoughts
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The Holy Spirit is
our Comforter, Helper, and Guide, but His work today operates
through the Word rather than through miraculous signs
or visions.
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Obedience to Scripture is our way to experience the
Spirit’s work in our lives.
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We are encouraged to trust
the inspired Word as the Spirit’s ongoing method of
guidance and instruction.
Narrative:
The Work of the Holy Spirit, Part 1
Today, we focus on one particular aspect of the Holy
Spirit’s work—an area that has historically caused much confusion:
His activity with the apostles. This subject is primarily found in
three chapters in John’s Gospel—John 14, 15, and 16—where Jesus
speaks directly to His disciples during the last supper in
Jerusalem. These chapters record Jesus’ teachings about the coming
of the Holy Spirit and His vital role in guiding and supporting the
apostles, a role that was uniquely significant during that time.
It is essential to remember that these chapters are
set within the context of Jesus’ conversation with His twelve
apostles. During this moment, Jesus prepares them for His impending
departure. He comforts them, assures them that they will not be left
alone, and promises that the Spirit will come to be their Helper,
their Guide, and their Advocate. The word “another” in these
passages is crucial because it indicates that the Spirit will be of
the same kind as Jesus—His support, His comfort, and His guidance
will continue even after Jesus is gone.
In John 14:16-17, Jesus says, “I will pray the
Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with
you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He
dwells with you and will be in you.” Here, Jesus promises that even
though He will leave physically, the Spirit will dwell with and in
the apostles, providing ongoing guidance and support.
Throughout these chapters, Jesus emphasizes the
Spirit’s role as a teacher, reminding, and revealing. He indicates
that the Spirit will teach the apostles all things and bring to
their remembrance everything Jesus had said to them. This Spirit of
truth would reveal divine truth gradually, helping the apostles
understand things they couldn’t grasp fully at that moment because
of their mortal limitations.
The Spirit’s role as a testifier of Jesus is also
emphasized. In John 15:26-27, Jesus states, “When the Helper comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who
proceeds from the Father—He will testify of Me. And you also will
bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” The
Spirit would reveal deeper truths about Christ and empower the
apostles to testify effectively, sealing their role as witnesses of
the Gospel.
Jesus also prepares His apostles for His departure in
John 16, explaining that their sorrow will turn to joy once the
Spirit arrives. He says in verses 7-8, “It is to your advantage that
I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.
But if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He
will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.” The
Spirit's work would begin immediately, convicting the world of
sin—drawing people to repentance—and guiding them into
righteousness.
The Holy Spirit’s work in the early church is further
seen at Pentecost. Acts 2 records how the Spirit empowered the
apostles to preach boldly, convicting thousands of their sins and
leading many to obey the Gospel. The Spirit’s role was to work
through the apostles by inspiring and guiding their words—an
activity unique to that initial period in history.
It is important to understand that the chapters in
John 14-16 specifically refer to the Spirit’s work with the
apostles—those who were chosen by Christ to establish the church and
record His teachings. The Holy Spirit did not reveal all truth
directly to individuals today in the same miraculous way. Instead,
His work in guiding the apostles ensured that the Gospel was
accurately recorded and preserved in the inspired Scriptures.
The Spirit continues His work today through the Word
of God. When we study the Bible, we are engaging with the Spirit’s
revealed truth. The Spirit does not operate miraculously through
visions or direct revelations now; rather, He dwells within
believers as they read and obey God’s Word. His ongoing work is to
guide, instruct, and empower us through Scripture, shaping our
character and guiding us on the path of righteousness.
Our response to the Holy Spirit is clear—we must
engage with the Bible actively. We obey His guidance not through
visions or special manifestations but through diligent study and
obedience to God's inspired Word. When we do, we invite His presence
into our lives, allowing Him to work within us to produce the fruits
of the Spirit and to lead us closer to Christ.
In conclusion, the Holy Spirit’s work with the
apostles was to give divine guidance and revelation during a special
period in history. Today, His ongoing work continues through the
Bible—His inspired words, which He uses to instruct, guide, convict,
and empower believers. As we seek to walk faithfully, let us
remember that the Spirit is working within us as we study and obey
The
church of Christ
