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THE INFLUENCE ON THE CHARISMATIC
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
by Roger
Stronstad
Septuagint,
THEOLOGY OF ST. LUKE
charismatic motifs-such
Second,
the
The Old Testament influences Luke’s
theology
of the
Holy Spirit
in at least two ways.
First,
several Old Testament
as the transfer and
sign
motifs-are reflected in Luke-Acts.
which is the Greek Bible used
by Luke and
the
early Church, gives
Luke much of his terminology for describing the
activity
of the
Holy
times.
Therefore,
the
study
of the charismatic activity
of the
Spirit
of God in Old Testament
Spirit
in New Testament
preliminary
to a proper understanding
For the
purpose
of
demonstrating
Testament use of “spirit”,
times is a
necessary of the
Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts. the influence of the Old Testa-
the Old
ment on Luke’s
theology
of the
Holy Spirit,
I will not
investigate
for in both the Hebrew and Greek Bibles it ranges
in meaning from
breath, wind, and attitude or emotion to Spirit of God.
Rather,
I will focus
my investigation upon
the charismatic
of the
Spirit
of God.
By
“charismatic”
activity I mean God’s
gift
of his
Spirit
to
either an individual or to a group to
equip
them for divine service. This gift of the Spirit of
God has both
experiential
and functional
dimensions.
Western Roger
Stronstad (M.C.S., Regent College) is an instructor in Bible and Theology at
Pentecostal Bible College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
32
1
times. The texts
This
study
divides into two parts. In part one I will survey the charis- matic
activity
of the
Spirit
of God in Old Testament
activity
of the
Spirit
are both historical
With
regard
to the historical
which describe this charismatic
and
prophetic.
chronological
distribution of the charismatic
and
3) the Septuagintal the charismatic
data,
I will
survey 1)
the activity
of the
Spirit, 2) the
activity
of the
Spirit,
_
motifs or themes to be observed in the charismatic
terminology
used
by the translators to describe
activity
of the
Spirit.
With
regard
to the
prophetic
antici- pations
for the
gift
of the
Spirit
in the
coming age
of restoration, explore 1) the Spirit
and the
Messiah,
and
2) the Spirit
and the
people
of
God.
I will
upon
survey 1) the Spirit
and the Messianic the
chronological
Septuagintal terminology
in
Luke-Acts,
In
part
two I will
explore
the influence of the Old Testament Luke’s
theology
of the
Holy Spirit
With
regard
to this
influence,
I will
age:
fulfillment in Luke-Acts,
2)
distribution of the
activity
Part One: The Charismatic
Activity
Old Testament Times.
A.
Historical
Data
1. The Distribution of Texts
the
Spirit
of God in Old Testament defined
periods.
These
correspond religious development
of the
Spirit, 3)
the and
4)
charismatic motifs.
of the
Spirit
in
25-29; 23:6 (LXX); 24:2;
The distribution of texts which describes the charismatic
activity
of
times is restricted to five
clearly
to
key phases
in the
political
and
of Israel:
1) the founding
of Israel in the Wilder- ness
(Ex. 28:3; 31:3; 31:3; 35:31; Num. 11:17;
27:18; Deut. 34:9), 2) the
time of the
Judges (Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29;
the
founding of the Monarchy (1
11:6; 16:13; 19:20; 23;
2 Sam.
23:2), 4) the time of Elijah
and
Elisha (1 Ki.
18:12, 2
Ki.
2:9, 15-16),
and
5)
the
period
of Exile and restoration
13:25; 14:6;19;15:14), 3)
(Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 11:1, 5, 24;
Sam. 10:6-10;
37:1; 43:5;
1 Chron.
12:18, 2
On the basis of the
chronological three inferences about its
significance.
Chron.
15:1; 18:20-23; 20:14; 24:20;
Neh. 9:20,
30).
distribution
of texts, we can draw . First,
the offices which corre-
spond
to the five
periods
of Israel’s
political
and
religious developmen
– 33-
2
are charismatic.
In Moses, Joshua, and the elders, the
fledgling
nation has its
founding fathers,
in judges such as Othniel and Gideon the tribal society
has its charismatic warriors or deliverers,
the
priest
and others-Judah
in Saul and David the kings,
in
Elijah
and Elisha an
and in Ezekiel, Zechariah
during
the exile and and
priests.
With few
excep-
‘
tribal confederation has its charismatic apostate
Israel has its charismatic
prophets, the son of Jehoiada
restoration has its charismatic
prophets tions the charismatic
concentrated
Second,
there is no
experiential
activity
of the
Spirit
of God is
successively upon founding fathers, judges, kings, prophets
and
priests.
continuity
between these five
periods
of charismatic
activity.
With the
possible exception
of the time of
the
Judges,
these
periods
of charismatic chronologically,
and are
separated more. The texts demonstrate
experience
always anticipate
a future
outpouring
activity
are
clearly
defined
.
The nation can
by gaps
of
up
to two centuries or
that the cessation of the charismatic
in
any one period
need not be
permanent.
of the
Spirit,
such as the
prophets predict
for the
coming age
of the Messiah. Because it is Israel’s God who gives
his
Spirit
at these
key periods
of its
political
and
religious develop- ment, the continuity
is to be found in him and not in those who receive the
Spirit.
Third,
the
descriptions programmatic,
of the Exodus
narratives
activity
of the
Spirit
are
of Moses’ charismatic
reports,
‘
of the charismatic
that
is, they point
to an
activity
of the
Spirit
more wide- spread
than is indicated
by the statistical data.
For
example,
the reader
would be
ignorant
leadership apart
from the record of the transfer of the
Spirit
from Moses to the elders. In this narrative, the reader discovers for the first time that Moses has the
Spirit upon
him
(Num. 11:17).
The narrative “Then the LORD came down in the clouds … and took some of the
spirit that was
upon
him and
put
it
upon
the
seventy
elders”
(Num. 11:25).
of the transfer of the
Spirit
from Moses to the elders implies
what is not stated elsewhere-Moses administered
the Old Testament
indicators for the ministries of Joshua,
Elijah,
Elisha and
This
description
power
of the
Spirit. Similarly, programmatic
others to
imply
a widespread charismatic
34
Israel
by the narrators
gave
ministry.
3
2.
Charismatic Motifs.
a. Transfer Motif.
The most
striking
motif or theme for the charismatic
activity
of the Spirit
of God is the transfer of the
Spirit
as
part
of the transfer of leadership responsibilities.
In the context of the
programmatic
character of the narratives we have
already
observed the transfer of the
Spirit
from Moses to the elders. In
addition, there is a transfer of the Spirit from Moses to
Joshua,
from Saul to David and from
Elijah
to Elisha.
The
partial
transfer of leadership
responsibilities
from Moses to the seventy
elders is the LORD’s
response
to Moses’
complaint,
“I am not able to
carry
all this
people alone,
the burden is too
heavy
for me”
(Num. 11:14).
The LORD then instructs
him, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel”
(Num. 11:16).
He then
promises,
.
… I will take some of the
spirit
which is
upon you
and
put
it
upon them;
and
they
shall bear the burden of the
people
with
you,
that
you may
not bear it
yourself
alone
(Num. 11:17). When Moses and the elders have
gathered
at the
Tabernacle,
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and
spoke
to
him,
and
took some of the
spirit
that was
upon
him and
put
it
upon
the
seventy elders;
and when the
spirit
rested
upon them, they
prophesied (Num. 11:25).
In this and
subsequent examples,
the transfer of the
Spirit
is the necessary complement
to the transfer of the
responsibility
of leader- ship.
At his
approaching
death both the
leadership
of Israel and the
gift
of the
Spirit
are transferred from Moses to Joshua. Mose
requests
that the LORD, “appoint
a man over the
congregation” (Num. 27:16).
the LORD instructs him,
Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the
spirit,
and
lay
your
hand
upon
him … You shall invest him with some of your
authority,
that all the
congregation
of the
people
of Israel
may
obey (Num. 27:18-20).
A parallel passage in Deuteronomy looks back to this incident. It reports,
– 35-
4
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the
spirit
of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands
upon him;
so the
people
of Israel obeyed him,
and did as the LORD had commanded
34:9).
(Deut.
This latter text makes
explicit
what was but
implied
in the earlier
account: the transfer of
leadership panied by
a
corresponding
of both
leadership
and the
Sprit
from Moses to Joshua is accom-
“the
Spirit
of the
transfer of the
Spirit.
With Saul and David we encounter a further
example
of the transfer
When Samuel anointed Saul to be king, “the
Spirit
of God came
mightily upon
him”
(1
Sam.
10:10). Similarly, when Samuel anointed David to be Saul’s
successor,
LORD came
mightily upon
David from that
day
forward”
( Sam. 16:13). That this is a transfer of the
Spirit
from Saul to David is confirmed
by the fact that
having
come
upon David,
“the
Spirit
of the LORD
departed
from Saul
(1
Sam.
16:14).
“I
pray you,
let me
request
is soon
The final
example
is the transfer of the
Spirit
from
Elijah
to Elisha. The text records that
Elijah
said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from
you.”
Elisha then
requests,
inherit a double share of
your spirit” (2
KL
2:9). This
fulfilled,
for the sons of the
prophets recognize that,
“The
spirit
of Elijah rests on Elisha”
(2 Ki. 2:15).
This transfer of the
prophetic
the
gift
of the
Spirit
is confirmed
vocation and by
Elisha’s
ability
to
part
the Jordan
just
as
Elijah
had done earlier
(2
Ki.
2:8-14).
b.
Sign
Motif The
description
call to
leadership.
God’s
(1 Sam.10:1).
He
of Saul’s
anointing clearly
states that one
purpose of the
gift
of the
Spirit
is to
give
a sign to confirm or authenticate
Samuel tells Saul that a
sign
will
confirm, “that the LORD has anointed
you
to be prince over his
heritage”
then enumerates three
signs
that will come to Saul:
1) at
Rachel’s tomb he will learn that the lost asses have been
found, 2)
at Bethel he will be given
two loaves of bread, and
3)
at Gibeah the
Spirit
of God will come upon
him and he will prophesy
(1 Sam. 10:2-6).
With
special emphasis
on
the third
sign,
the text
reports,
‘and all these
signs
came to
pass
that
day.
When
they
came to Gibeah, behold,
a band of
prophets
– 36-
met
him;
and the
spirit
of
5
among
them.
with
God came
mightily upon him,
and he
prophesied
And when all who knew him before saw how he prophesied the
prophets,
the
people
said to one
another,
“What has come over
the son of Kish? Is Saul also
among
the
prophets?” (2 Sam.
.10:9-1 1).
only gives
Saul the
experiential
This narrative makes it clear that the
gift
of the
Spirit
of prophecy not
confirmation or sign that God is with him (1
Sam.
10:7),
but also
publicly
demonstrates
the LORD’s anointed.
narratives. For
example, responsibilities,
identical
to the nation that Saul is
in several other of their new
leadership
him as the
For
Saul,
the
gift
of the
Spirit
of prophecy
may
function as but one sign among others,
but this
sign
is also observable
at the
beginning
the
Spirit
is placed upon the elders and
they prophesy. Moreover,
the
gift
of the
Spirit
to David at his
anointing
is described in
terms to the earlier
gift
to
Saul, authenticating
divinely
chosen successor to SauL Whereas no sign is reported when the Spirit
comes
upon David,
like his
predecessor
later text he
claims,
“The
Spirit
of the LORD
speaks by me,
his word is
upon my tongue” (2
Sam.
23:2).
he is also a prophet. In a
dimension
In addition to the
explicit sign
function of the
prophetic
of the
gift
of the
Spirit,
there is also a general association of the
gift of the
Spirit
and
prophecy. invariable
pattern:
In
Chronicles, the
description
for
example,
the texts follow an of the
gift
of the
Spirit
is
always
followed
by a report
of direct
speech.
This
pattern
is evident for Amasai,
Azariah the son of
Oded,
Jahaziel Jehoiada
pattern,
prophets
a
Levite,
and Zechariah
the son of
for those who are not
such as Balaam and
the
priest (1
Chron.
12:18, 2
Chron. 15:1; 20:14;
24:20).
This
which
implies prophetic inspiration
by office,
is also evident in
prophets
Ezekiel
(Num.
23:6
(LXX),
Ezek.
11:5).
And
so, whether
the evidence comes from the
experience
of Saul, the
seventy elders,
the
writings
of the Chronicler or
elsewhere,
the
prophetic
and functional
dimension;
a dimension which in some
cases, at least, serves as an explicit sign to authenticate
experiential
service.
_
– 37-
gift
of the
Spirit always
has an
or confirm God’s call to
6
3.
Septuagintal
Terminology.
While the charismatic motifs are the same whether
they
are derived from the Hebrew or Greek Bible, since the Biblical
quotations
text of the Old Testament,
terminology
merits
special study.
The translators
Acts reflect the
Septuagintal
many
verbs to describe the charismatic
are listed below in order of
increasing
in Luke-
the
Septuagintal
of the
Septuagint
used activity
of the
Spirit
of God.
They frequency.
1. to
carry (Tropeuo/io’t, aor., lx),
Ezek. 3:14.
2. to cast
(PL7rrw, aor., lx),
2 Ki. 2:16.
3. to
depart (a1TECIT17, aor., lx),
1 Sam. 16:14.
4. to fall
upon (1Tt1TúJ … E1Tt’ aor., 1 x), Ezek. 11 :25. 5. to
go
out with
(o’u?’EKTTopEuco?at,
aor., Ix), Judg. 13:25.
6. to bear witness
8. to life
up
aor., lx),
Neh. 9:20.
13. to take from 14. to talk 15. to clothe
2 Chron. 24:20. 16. to
give
7. to come
upon (EPX°j.Lat… E1TL, aor., 2x),
Ezek.
2:2;
3:24.
aor., 2x),
Ezek.
2:2; 3:14.
9. to
put upon (E1TLn{)17j.LL, fut/aor., 2x),
Num.
11:17,
25. 10. to raise
(acpc,a, aor., 2x),
1 Ki.
18:12;
2 Ki. 2:16. 11. to
speak (XEyw, aor., 2x),
Ezek.
3:24;
11:5.
12. to stand
(LCIT17j.Lt, aor., 2x),
Ezek.
2:2;
3:24.
fut/aor., 2x), Num. 11:17, 25.
aor., 2x),
2 Sam.
23:2;
Ezek. 3:24.
aor., 3x), Judg. 6:34;
1 Chron.
12:18;
aor., 3x),
Num.
11:29;
Neh. 9:201 Isa. 42:1. 17. to have
(Exw, pres., 3x),
Gen. 41:38; Num. 27:18; Dan. 5:12. 18. to
fill(1TLj.L1TÀ17j.Lt,aor., 4x),
Exod.
28:3; 31:3; 35:31;
Deut. 34:9. 19. to rest
upon (E1TavaTTavúJ… E1TL, 4x),
Num.
11:25-26;
2:15;
Isa. 11:2.
2 Ki.
20. to lead
(ayw, aor., 5x),
Ezek.
8:3; 11:1, 24; 37:1;
43:5. 21. to come
mightily upon (17Àa’t’o … E1Tt,7x),Judg.14:6, 19; 15:14;
1 Sam.
10:6;
16:13.
22. to take
up (avaÀaj.L!3avúJ, aor., 7x),
Ezek. 2:2;
3:12, 14; 8:3;
11:1, 24:
43:5. 23. to come
upon (YLvo¡;.at…
E1Tt, aor., 9x),
Num.
23:6; 24:2; Judg.
3:10; 11:29;
1 Sam.
19:20, 23;
2 Ki.
2:9;
2 Chron. 15:1.
38
7
of terms; some
twenty-three
take/put,
the
complex
character of the
Though
Clearly,
in order to describe
charismatic
activity
of the
Spirit
of God, the translators used a multitude
different verbs in the
Septuagint. man
may
have the
Spirit,
and God
may
either fill with the
Spirit,
and
give
the
Spirit,
most often the
Spirit
Typically,
the
Spirit
acts
upon (ETTL), and occasionally
individual or
group.
exception,
the translators use the aorist tense to describe this charis- matic
activity
of the
Spirit, thereby emphasizing
(rrpoa)
a
particular
than a condition or a state.
B.
Prophetic
Data 1. The
Spirit
In addition to the historical
and the Messiah
Moreover,
acts
directly. in/by (rev)
or to almost without
the historical act rather
of the charismatic
activity
for the
gift
of
descriptions
of the
Spirit
of God, there is also a prophetic anticipation
the
Spirit
in the
coming age
when God would
again
visit his
people
and restore their fortunes. This
activity
of the
Spirit
is concentrated unique
charismatic leader and a
people
who are both
empowered
renewed
by
the
Spirit.
wisdom and
understanding,
upon
a
and
(Isa. 11:1). Having continues,
A final text seems to describe He
claims,
The
prophet
Isaiah describes the
gift
of the
Spirit
to an
enigmatic leader who
is,
“a shoot from the
stump
of Jesse”
established his Davidic
lineage,
the
prophet
And the
Spirit
of the Lord shall rest
upon him,
the
spirit
of
the
spirit
of counsel and
might,
the
spirit
of
knowledge
and the fear of the Lord
(Isa. 11:2). In a further text the Lord
puts
his
Spirit upon
his
servant, proclaiming,
Behold
my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen,
in whom
my
soul
delights;
I have
put my Spirit upon him,
he will bring forth
justice
to the nations
(Isa. 42:1).
the
experience
of the
prophet
himself.
The
Spirit
of the Lord God is
upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to
bring good tidings
to the
afflicted;
he has sent me to bind
up
the brokenhearted,
– 39-
to
proclaim liberty
to the
8
captives,
and the
opening
of the
prison
to those who are bound
(Isa 61:1). Whatever
stands clear the Messiah.
The charismatic
difficulties these texts create for the
interpreter,
they
describe a charismatic leader-the
simply hereditary.
one fact Lord’s anointed or
succession. He
expresses
the
gift
of the
Spirit
of the Lord to the Messiah has a two-fold
significance.
In the first
place,
it signifies that his
ministry
is not
Like David himself, he will fill his office
by right
of divine call rather than
by dynastic
consciousness of his call in the
claim,
“And now the Lord God has sent me and his
Spirit” (Isa. 48:16).
In fact, the
gift
of the
Spirit gives
the Messiah a status
unequalled among
either David’s sons or the
prophets, for it
puts
him in the tradition of Israel’s
great
charismatic founders-
Moses, Joshua and David.
charismatic
predecessors,
In the second
place,
the
gift
of the
Spirit
to the
Messiah,
as for his
equips
him with the skills
appropriate call. It is fitting that for his
unparalleled
endowment of the
Spirit
which is recorded in
Scripture:
Spirit
of wisdom and
understanding,
for his
mission he receives the fullest
the six-fold counsel and
strength,
and know-
character of with
any
of Israel’s charismatic
ledge
and the fear of the Lord
(Isa. 11 :2). The programmatic these texts indicate that in
comparison
the Messiah is
uniquely
a man of the
Spirit
leaders,
2.
The
Spirit
and the
People
of God
gift
of the
Spirit
with
the restored widespread reads,
In the
coming age, however,
the
Spirit will
not rest
exclusively upon the Messiah. Rather, he will share the charismatic
people
of God. In the
prophet
Joel we meet the vision of a
or
prophetic ministry.
charismatic
Hiw now classic oracle
And it shall come to
pass afterward, that I will
pour
out
my spirit
on all
flesh;
your
sons and
your daughters
shall
prophesy,
your
old men shall dream dreams,
and
your young
men shall see visions.
Even
upon
the menservants and maidservants in those
days,
I will
pour
out
my spirit (Joel 2:28-29).
– 40-
9
of the
Spirit
is for “all flesh”
to Israel’s
leaders, nor
will
.
As Joel
predicts it,
this
outpouring
which in context means all IsraeL It will be universal both in extent and status. That
is, when
God visits his
people
to restore their
fortunes,
the Spirit
of prophecy will no longer be restricted
it be given in conformity to the norms of Israelite
society,
for God will give the
Spirit
to the
young
men as well as to the
elders,
to daughters and even to slaves. This
outpouring
of the
Spirit will,
in fact, create a charismatic
community.
Complementing
Using
a wide
range
of metaphors
community,
this creation of a future charismatic
God will also create a new Israel
through
the inward renewal of the
Spirit.
and
allusions, the prophets Isaiah and Ezeikiel
give voice
to this
hope.
This renewal of the
Spirit
is described in terms of the
cleansing
or
purifying
action of water and fire
(Isa. 4:4).
It will also be like the
life-giving
rain in the desert
(Isa. 44:3). Moreover,
this inward renewal will
require
a new covenant
And as for me, this is my covenant with
them, says
the Lord.
My
spirit
which is upon
you,
and
my words which I have put
in your
mouth,
shall not
depart
out of your mouth, or out of the mouth
of your
children,
or out of the mouth of your children’s
children,
says
the
Lord,
from this time forth and for evermore.
(Isa. 59:21)
God
guarantees Israel,
the effectiveness of this new covenant
by promising
A new heart I will give you, and a new
spirit
I will put within
you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and
give you
a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within
you,
and cause
you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe
my ordinances
(Ezek 36:26-27).
age
to come will be characterized
charismatic
to come is
simply
one of magnitude.
As the
prophets
describe it, then, the
gift
of the
Spirit
of God in the
by two
new dimensions. First God will pour
out his
Spirit
on a universal scale. The difference between the
activity
of the
Spirit throughout
Israelite
history
and the
age In the
age
to come the
gift
of the
the
gift
of the
Spirit
to Israel’s
Spirit
to the
community
will
supercede
charismatic leaders.
Second,
in the
age
to come God’s
people
will also
a new dimension of the
Spirit-the indwelling
of the
Spirit.
experience
– 41-
10
demands.
will
complement
the charis-
future
community and moral or
spiritual
By his Spirit
God will cleanse and
purify
his people from their
sins,
create new life in them, and
impart
to them the
power
to
keep
his convenantal
This inward renewal
of theSpirit
matic
gift
of the
Spirit.
With God
pouring
out his
Spirit upon
them the
of the Lord’s anointed will receive both charismatic
power.
Part Two:
Upon
Luke’s
The Theology
Influence of the Old Testament
of the
Holy Spirit
It is
against
this
background the
prophetic
of charismatic
leadership
in
Israel,
of
gift
of the
Spirit
and
hope
for the
coming
of the Lord’s anointed and for a community
which will receive both the charismatic
the
indwelling
of the
Spirit,
that the
gift of the Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts is
to be
interpreted.
1.
The
Spirit
and the Messianic
narratives of Luke-Acts.
Age:
Fulfillment in Luke-Acts
activity
of the
The
activity
of the
Spirit
is a central theme in the two
inauguration
In the
Gospel,
the
widespread
Spirit
in the
opening
narratives finds its climax in the descent of the
Holy
Jesus at his
baptism by John (Lk 3:21-22). Similarly,
in Acts
narrative focuses
upon
the
gift
of the
Spirit
to the
Spirit upon
the
inquguration
disciples
on the
day
of Pentecost
Both of these narratives fulfills
prophecy.
interprets
his
baptismal experience prophet Isaiah, declaring, “Today
emphasize
For his
synagogue homily.
after his
baptism,
(Acts 2:4).
that the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
Jesus
in terms of an oracle from the this
Scripture
has been fulfilled in
your hearing” (Lk. 4:18-21). Similarly,
Peter claims that the
experience of the
disciples
on the
day
of Pentecost
“But this is what was
spoken by
the
prophet
Luke alone records this consciousness Jesus and the
disciples
that
they
have received the
Holy Spirit
in ful-
announces,
2:16). Of all
the
evangelists,
fillment of
prophecy.
Luke’s record
fulfills an oracle from Joel. He
Joel”
(Acts
in
of this
appeal
to the
prophets
demonstrates that in the
experience
of the
early
church and the
theology of Luke the last
days
have now dawned the ministries of Jesus and the
disciples.
– 42-
11
Moreover,
in
appealing
vocational
experience.
Jesus and the
disciples
upon
the
disciples causing
them to prophesy. It is noteworthy
to the
Prophets,
express
their conviction that the
gift
of the
Spirit
is a charismatic or
That
is,
the
Holy Spirit
is
upon
Jesus
anointing him to
preach
the
Gospel,
and
subsequently
that in identifying the
gift of the Spirit on the
day
of Pentecost with the
prophecy
from one of the numerous
prophetic
inward renewal of the
Spirit,
Peter cites the
only prophetic
outpouring
explicitly speaks
of a charismatic community
of God’s
people.
2.
Chronological
Distribution
Historically,
this outburst
of Joel, rather than
quoting references to the
indwelling
and
text which
of the
Spirit upon
the
activity
of the
Spirit
of the charismatic
ends a centuries
long
dearth of the
activity
of the
Spirit
of God
among
his
people.
The rabbinic tradition
states,
‘
and
Malachi, died,
When the last
prophets, Haggai, Zechariah,
the
Holy Spirit
ceased out of
Israel;
but nevertheless it was
granted
them to hear communications
mysterious
While it is later than New Testament
from God
by means of a
is almost
always
from First Maccabees to Josephus the
Sprit
of prophecy-was intertestamental literature,
voice
(Tos.
Sotah
13, 2).
times,
this tradition
merely
echoes the establishment conviction to be found in the literature of Judaism
that the
Spirit-who
no
longer
active in Israel.
According
to this
God had withdrawn his
Spirit
because of Israel’s
sin, leaving only
the
deposit
of the law and a shadowy hope for a
a hope which
implies
the renewed
gift
of the
Spirit
to
coming prophet, Israel.
recurring pattern
of charismatic
Israelite
This absence of the
Spirit
in Judaism and the renewed
activity
of the Spirit
in the ministries of Jesus and the
disciples
is reminiscent of the
activity throughout
Just as we observed a concentrated outburse of the charismatic of the
Spirit
of God at key periods of Israelite history, followed
by gaps
in
that
activity,
so there is an observable Spirit
in the
period
of Exile/Restoration Messianic
history. activity
gap
between the
activity
of the
and the
inauguration
of the
of Jesus
age.
The historical distance between the
experience and the earlier
activity
of the
Spirit
reminds us that the
gift
of the
Spirit
– 43-
12
does not
depend
on
experiential the God
who, having promised anointed charismatic
continuity. Rather,
the
continuity
is in
through
the
prophets
leader and to create a charismatic
the last
days,
fulfills it in the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
to Jesus and the
disciples.
,
3.
Septuagintal Terminology
In
comparison
to send a
Spirit-
community
in
in Luke-Acts
with John and
Paul,
Luke has a distinctive termi- nology
for the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit.
Absent in Luke-Acts is such
characteristic Johannine Paraclete.”
of the
Spirit,” “the only
is characteristic
terminology
in the Johannine
as,
“the
Spirit
of truth,” and, “the
absent in the
Reflecting
a different
heritage
Also absent is typical Pauline
terminology
such
as, “the fruit
gifts
of the
Spirit,”
and “the seal of the
Spirit.”
Not
Johannine and Pauline
terminology
writings
of Luke, but common Lukan
terminology
is either absent or rare
and Pauline literature.
than do both John and Paul, Luke
commonly
describes the
activity
of the Holy Spirit
in
septuagintal terminology.
for the
This influence of the
Septuagint upon
Luke’s
terminology activity
of the
Holy Spirit
is illustrated
Septuagintal
Terminology Frequency
– 44-
in the
following
chart.
Luke-Acts
13
This data which we have outlined leads to two conclusions. In the first
place,
while Luke does not limit himself to septuagintal terminology, he is
clearly
a debtor to the Greek Bible for his most distinctive terminology by
which he describes the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit. However, though
Luke is-indebted to the
Septuagint
for much of his terminology,
he is not a slavish imitator.
Rather, he creatively describes the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit
in New Testament times in terms of his scriptural
and
theological heritage.
In the second
place,
this
septuagintal terminology
in Luke-Acts describes the same kind of
experience
for Luke as it did for the translators of the
Septuagint.
This is the charis- matic
activity
of the
Spirit among
the
company
of God’s
people.
Conse- quently,
this
terminology
does not describe what
contemporary
inter- preters
term to be initiation or
incorporation.
– 45-
14
4. Charismatic Motifs
times, is also prominent
unexpected
outburse
Luke
reports
reminiscent
in the transfer of the
solely upon
Jesus. As
of the
gift
of the
Spirit
to
The transfer of the
Spirit motif,
so characteristic of Old Testament
in Luke-Acts,
particularly
Holy Spirit
from Jesus to the
disciples. Though
the
Gospel opens
with an
of the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit,
from Jesus’ baptism
to his ascension, the
Spirit
is concentrated
it,
he is full of the
Holy Spirit,
led
by
the
Spirit
and ministers in the
power
of the
Spirit (Lk 4:1, 14).
Luke’s record is
of the
programmatic descriptions
Moses and
Elijah,
and makes
explicit
what is implicit in Jesus’ claim to
is the
unique
bearer of the
Spirit.
Having
become the Lord’s anointed,
Jesus becomes the
giver
of the
Spirit
to the disciples
on the
day
of Pentecost. Peter
explains
the Pentecostal
messiahship-he
Spirit
at his
baptism,
the
Spirit saying,
or the
unique
bearer of the
gift
of
Being
therefore exalted at the
right
hand of
God,
and
having
received from the Father the
promise
of the
Holy Spirit,
he has
poured
out this which
you
see and hear
(Acts 2:33).
The
outpouring
of the
Holy Spirit upon
the
disciples, then,
is a transfer of the
Spirit
from the risen and exalted Lord to his
disciples. Interestingly,
than the Lukan
writings. According
to the Gospel
of John as well, Jesus is the exclusive bearer of the
Spirit during his
public ministry
and the
given
of the
Spirit
to the
disciples
after his
this motif is more
widespread
resurrection
(Jn. 7:39; 16:7; 20:22).
reminiscent
The transfer of the
Spirit
from Jesus to the
disciples
is
strikingly
of the transfer of the
Spirit
from Moses to the elders. Both involve a transfer of the
Spirit
from an individual to a group. In both cases the transfer of the
Spirit
results in an outburst of
prophecy.
Moses
expresses
the earnest desire “?Vould that
elders have
prophesied,
all the Lord’s
people
were
prophets,
After the
that the Lord would
put
his
spirit
upon
them!” The transfer of the
Holy Spirit
from Jesus to the
disciples
on the
day
of Pentecost
potentially
of the
Spirit
to the
disciples
the
age
of the
prophethood
has dawned.
Because the
day
of Pentecost
fulfills Moses’
desire,
for with the
gift
of all believers
represents
a transfer of the
Spirit
from Jesus to the
disciples,
it must have a similar
meaning
for them as it
– 46-
15
did for the
baptismal gift
of the
Spirit
to Jesus.
Though
Luke uses
different
terminology
in each
narrative, disciples
is functionally
inaugurating
as it was in Old Testament
the
gift
of the
Spirit
to the
ministries.
Consequently,
equivalent
to the
anointing
of Jesus
by the Spirit,
and
empowering
their
respective
times, and for the ministry of Jesus, the gift of the
Spirit
to the
disciples
on the
day
of Pentecost
in both
purpose
and result.
day
of Pentecost. In
Samaria, through
is primiarly vocational ‘
place subsequent
to the
hands
(Acts 8:18).
In
‘
in tongues and
prophesied
hold of Cornelius, which is
independent reminiscent
Not
only
is the Old Testament
The transfer of the
Holy Spirit also’takes
Simon saw that the
Spirit
was
given
(3La)
the
laying
on of the
apostles’
Damascus,
Ananias laid his hands on Saul so that he might see
again
and be filled with the
Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).
At Ephesus,
his hands on the
disciples,
the
Holy Spirit
came on them, and
they spoke
(Acts 19:6).
The
gift of the Spirit
to the house-
when Paul
placed
of the
imposition
of
hands, is
of the
of the transfer of the
Spirit
from Moses to the elders.
transfer motif characteristic gift of the Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts, but the
complementary sign
motif is
Luke does
not, however,
use the
septua-
the
sign
motif is evident in the
the
gift
of the
Holy
also
prominent
in Luke-Acts. gintal sign terminology. Nevertheless, visible and audible
phenomena Spirit.
For
example, Matthew, Spirit descended,
Luke
reports
that the
Spirit descended, 3:22). By
this
qualification
which
accompany
Mark and John
simply report
that the “like a dove”
(Matt. 3:16;
Mk.
1:10; Jn. 1 :32), whereas
manifestation
“in
bodily form,
as a dove”
(Lk.
that the descent of the
Luke
emphasizes
Spirit upon
Jesus is not
visionary;
it is an external,
physical
and
objective
of the
Spirit.
Concomitant with the descent of the
Spirit,
a voice from heaven
declares,
“Thou art
my
beloved
son,
with thee I am
(Lk. 3:22).
The descent of the
Spirit
and the voice from heaven, then,
are the visible and audible
?signs
which attest to the
well-pleased”
anointing
or
messiahship
of Jesus.
Pentecost
And
suddenly
Just as the
anointing
of Jesus is attested to
by visible and
audible signs,
so the transfer of the
Holy Spirit
to the
disciples
on the
day
of
is also attested to
by
visible and audible
signs.
Luke
reports,
a sound came from heaven like the rush of a
might wind,
and it filled all the house where
they
were
sitting.
to them
tongues
as of fire, distributed and
And there
appeared
– 47-
16
gave
them utterance
resting
on each one of them. And
they
were all filled with the
Holy Spirit
and
began
to
speak
in other
tongues,
as the
Spirit
(Acts 2:2-4).
The visible
sign
is the
tongues
of fire and the audible
signs
are the sound
speaking
with other
tongues.
of the wind and the
disciples’ observes in his Pentecost
address, experience
Holy Spirit
to the Samaritans, Ephesians.
Gentiles”
witness to
them (eliaprvpi7uEv
As Peter the transfer of the
Spirit
is an
of Luke’s record of the
gift of the
of Cornelius
speaking
in
out even on the that
God, “bore
disciples
at
Ephesus,
(Acts 19:6).
Luke’s
demonstrates
Spirit.
In his
terminology, “witness” to the
gift
of the
Spirit.
As in Old Testament which is most
closely
identified
which the crowd could both, “see and hear”
(Acts 2:33).
The
sign
motif is also characteristic
the household of Cornelius and the
After the Samaritans had received the
Holy Spirit, Simon, “saw that the
Spirit
was
given through
the
laying
on of the
apostles’ hands”
(Acts 8 :18). Having
heard the household
tongues,
“the believers from
among
the circumcised … were
amazed, because the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
had been
poured
(Acts 10:45).
Peter
subsequently reports
CfL.VrOL3), giving them the Holy
Spirit just as he did to us”
(Acts 15:8). Similarly,
the
Holy Spirit
came
upon
the
“and
they spoke
with
tongues
and
prophesied”
repeated emphasis
the
centrality
of the
sign
motif for his
theology
of the
Holy
the visible
on
“seeing”
and
“hearing”
and/or
audible
phenomena
prophecy
is the
sign
the descent of the
Spirit
prophetic ministry.
times,
so in Luke-Acts
with the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit.
For example, though
Jesus is more than a prophet,
upon
him anoints him for a
readily recognizable
Thus,
when he raises a widow’s son from the dead, the
people exclaim,
“A
has arisen
among
us”
(Lk 7:16).
Jesus seems to have
great prophet consciously patterned
his
prophetic
ministry
after the
prophets Elijah
prophets
he is rejected by his
and he
and
Elisha,
for like these
early
charismatic
own
people (Lk. 4:24-27),
he raises the dead
(Lk 7:14-15), multiplies
a little food into much food
(Lk. 9: 12ft). Moreover,
like Elisha he also heals the
leper (Lk 5:12)
and
gives sight
to the blind
(Lk. 18:43). Therefore it is not
surprising
to find that the crowds think that Jesus is
Elijah
or one of the other
prophets consistent
come to life
(Lk. 9:19). Moreover,
with his
prophetic ministry,
the
early
church identified Jesus to be the
prophet
like unto Moses
(Deut. 18:15-19/Acts
– 48-
3:22, 7:37).
17
The
prophetic sign
of the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
is not restricted to the
ministry
of
Jesus,
but is characteristic
throughout
Luke-Acts. For example,
as the follow chart illustrates, Luke uses “to be filled with the Holy Spirit”
as a technical term to describe the
inspiration
of the
Spirit.
Clearly, being
filled with the
Spirit
results in one of several
speech patterns
which Luke twice identifies as prophecy
(Lk 1:67,
Acts
2:4-17). Consequently,
when Luke
reports
that Peter
equates
the
experience
of the household of Cornelius with that of the
disciples
on the
day
of Pente- cost,
he
expects
that his readers will
identify
Cornelius’
“speaking
with other
tongues” (Acts 10:46)
to be
prophetic speech
as well. In his description
of the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
to the
Ephesians,
Luke makes this identification
explicit
for he
reports, “they spoke
with
tongues
and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
In Luke’s
perspective, therefore,
the terms “to be filled with the
Holy Spirit”
and “to
speak
with
tongues”
describe the prophetic sign
which attests to the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit.
.
Conclusion
.
From the
foregoing survey,
it has become evident that the Old Testament influences Luke’s record of the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit
in New Testament times. We have observed the same motifs in Luke-Acts as we observed for the Spirit of God in Old Testament times. We have also observed that Luke
typically
describes the
activity
of the
Holy Spirit
– 49-
18
by septuagintal terminology. Therefore,
in comparison with the record of the
Spirit
of God in the Old Testament, we conclude that in Luke’s theology
the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
is primarily vocational or charismatic.
Luke’s charismatic
theology, however,
also contrasts with Old Testament times. In the first
place,
this contrast is one of magnitude. In Old Testament times the charismatic
activity
of the
Spirit
of God is restricted to
leadership,
whereas in Luke-Acts it takes on a universal dimension. In the second
place,
in Old Testament times the focus of the activity
of the
Spirit
is upon the
nation,
whereas in Luke-Acts it is upon the
person
and mission of the
earthly
and risen Jesus. Therefore,
though Luke’s charismatic
theology
is greatly influenced
by the
Old Testament, it is also conditioned
by
the
overwhelming
consciousness that he is recording
the
gift of the Holy Spirit
to the Lord’s anointed and his
people in the last
days
or the
age
of fulfillment.
The fact that Luke is a debtor to the Old Testament has
important implications
for hermeneutics. In the first
place,
in light of the influence of the Old Testament on Luke’s
theology,
it is
impossible
to
interpret Luke as
though
he were PauL That is, even
though
Paul and Luke
may use similar
terminology,
such as “to be filled with the
Holy Spirit”
or “to be
baptized in/by
the
Holy Spirit”
Paul’s use of these terms is not determinative for their
meaning
in Luke-Acts. The all too common tendency
to make Paul the canon for the
meaning
of the
Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts of all
theological significance. Therefore,
to
press
Luke into the Pauline mold is to
impoverish
the Christian doctrine of the
Holy Spirit.
In the second
place,
in light of the influence of the Old Testament on Luke’s
theology,
it is no
longer possible
to
interpret
Luke as
though
he were a reformed
theologian.
In contrast to the
preoccupation
of reformed theology
with an
initiation/incorporation interpretation
of the
gift
of the Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts, the
gift
of the
Spirit
is primarily vocational or charismatic. Even
though
it
may
conflict with the rationalism of reformed
theology,
the
gift
of the
Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts is normally an experience reality
with visible and/or audible
phenomena witnessing
to the
gift
of the
Spirit.
This, then,
is an introduction to Luke’s
theology
of the
Holy Spirit. As in Old Testament
times,
the
gift of the Holy Spirit
in Luke-Acts is to equip
God’s
people
for service; that is, it is vocational or charismatic in both
purpose
and result.
.
.
– 50-
19
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