by “And Jesus came and spoke to them…Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:18-20, New King James Version). This is considered the Great Commission and is a command to Christians to make disciples. Effective disciple making is not easy and cannot be done by human efforts alone. God the Father elects who will truly believe in the gospel (God the Son) and be filled with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. A person that makes disciples needs the Holy Spirit to assist in all aspects of disciple making. The challenge is that the Holy Spirit’s actions are only seen through His effects and are only known because the Holy Spirit enables Christians to see and experience them by bringing awareness and communication.[1]
The Holy Spirit is the agent at conversion, He convicts humans of sin, He sanctifies them. Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who baptizes them into the body of Christ and resides in their hearts. The result is that all true born-again believers have the Holy Spirit.[2] The Holy Spirit assists with those moral actions and ministries that can be performed only by a human as they include teaching, preaching, regenerating, searching, speaking, interceding, commanding, testifying, guiding, illuminating, and revealing.[3] All of these are necessary for effective disciple making. From the proclamation to the ministry of Jesus, to the birth of the early Church, the Holy Spirit permeates the narrative, guiding, empowering, and transforming believers.
This research paper explores the role and influences of the Holy Spirit in the scope of disciple making within the context of historic and Orthodox Christianity. Through research of biblical principles, theological perspectives, and historical precedents, the research paper establishes the thesis that the Holy Spirit is critical to effective disciple making.
Disciple Making & Holy Spirit from the New Testament
The New Testament illustrates disciple making by depicting the transformative journey of those called by Jesus Christ to become His followers and ambassadors. There are multiple aspects of making disciples and the major ones will be examined. There are several critical roles of the Holy Spirit in disciple making as portrayed in the New Testament.
Disciple Making
Discipleship and disciple making is where Christians form their lives around Jesus and then help others to do the same.[4] Salvation has many spiritual components and activities that are important to the process. Regeneration is to be born again; Conversion is the way a believer transitions from not being reconciled to God to being reconciled to God. The union with Christ is a central source of salvation where all the other blessing’s flow from. Salvation is in Christ and the union with Christ is how the blessing of redemption is given to Christians.[5] This adoption from the work of God the Son and the Holy Spirit enables Christians to be part of the divine family.[6] There are several aspects to disciple making. There is witnessing and evangelism to those that are unfamiliar with God. Guidance and discernment on knowing what should be done and what is truth. The transformation, or regeneration of a Christian is the most critical aspect. Central to Jesus’ Great Commission, He tasks Christians with replicating the discipleship process in constantly making disciples.
Holy Spirit from the New Testament
“Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22) is a pivotal moment in the structure of the Gospel of John where the dynamic turns on this verse as it sums up what will follow. The giving of the Holy Spirit by the crucified and risen Jesus, the meaning of his death and resurrection is inseparably connected with receiving the Holy Spirit directly from Jesus.[7] Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit and instructs His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they receive Him. Pentecost was a one-time event that was transformative in the life of the early church which caused much zeal for evangelism and mission. In Acts, the Holy Spirit’s presence fostered community unity, spiritual maturity, and creates an environment conducive to disciple making. The epistles of Paul emphasize the Holy Spirit’s transformative work and explains the concept of being “in Christ” as the believers union with Christ by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Regarding the deity of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the point at which the Trinity becomes personal to the believer.[8] He possesses the attributes of God. One of these is omniscience.[9] “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor 2:10–11).
Regarding the personality of the Holy Spirit, He is the principal actor who works for the Christian’s sanctification, enabling the process by which they are conformed to the image of Christ and made holy.[10] The Holy Spirit brings conviction to the sinning heart.[11] “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin” (John 16:8-9). Confessing with the mouth is a believer’s first step toward salvation. He yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit he calls Jesus Lord.[12] “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:3). The Holy Spirit is a replacement for Jesus and will carry on the same role. This similarity is an indication that the Holy Spirit, like Jesus, must be a person.[13] “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. 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.” (John 16:7).
The Holy Spirit implants believers with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22). He provides spiritual gifts to Christians for the edification of the church. They include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, prophecy, teaching, speaking in tongues, and interpreting tongues (1 Cor 12:4-11). The gifts are many and varied, but there is only one Spirit, who gives them in ways that are meant to be complementary and not competitive.[14] Some gifts, such as faith and service, are qualities or activities expected of every Christian. Since none of the lists includes all the gifts found in the other lists, it is quite conceivable that collectively they do not exhaust all possible gifts of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 explain how all gifts are important and the Holy Spirit apportions the various gifts to whoever He chooses and as He wills.[15] This is how the Holy Spirit works through humans to make disciples as He enables them to minister beyond their abilities, at the same time expressing each gift through their life experience, character, personality, and vocabulary.[16]
Unfortunately, there are disagreements and misconceptions of the Holy Spirit from the New Testament. This is because we have less explicit revelation in the Bible regarding the Holy Spirit than about either God the Father or God the Son. There are no systematic discussions regarding the Holy Spirit as the only extended treatment is Jesus’s discourse in John 14–16. On most of the occurrences, the Holy Spirit is mentioned in connection with another issue. Another issue is that the terminology of the King James Version and other older English translations, which refer to the Holy Spirit as the ‘Holy Ghost.’[17] The doctrinal understanding of the Holy Spirit has leaned more on humans’ firsthand experiences than on biblical sources.[18]
Holy Spirit with Witnessing and Evangelism
Witnessing and evangelism are foundational aspects of disciple making as they involve sharing the Gospel with nonbelievers and inviting them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. To talk to those that do not know God, a person needs to tell their conversion story (witness) and evangelize (share the gospel) to them. Witnessing and evangelism are expressions of love and reinforce the Great Commandment and the Second Commandment of loving God and loving others. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt 22:37-39).
The Holy Spirit provides courage to assist with witnessing and evangelism. “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). John 16 assists with understanding the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit confronts the world with judgement (John 3:19, 5:22, 27, 30, 12:31) and reveals Jesus to the world through believers preaching Him (John 16:7-11). Keener writes, “In a sense, then, we might speak of Christian epistemology as kerygmatic epistemology: founded on historical evidence, yet confirmed by the living testimony of God’s own Spirit. People become responsible for how they respond because God directly challenges their hearts in the gospel.”[19]
The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to exalt Jesus Christ. It is the work about which He is always most concerned as everything else the Holy Spirit does connect to this primary task (John 15:26). It is always the Holy Spirit’s mission to exalt Jesus Christ.[20] The Holy Spirit also empowers Christians to witness. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” The Holy Spirit will be active in a Christian’s witness and will empower them for service.”[21]
God has sealed Christians and given them the Holy Spirit in their hearts as a guarantee (2 Cor 1:22, Eph 1:14). When Christians experience the influence of the Holy Spirit, they will have assurance to testify that they are true believers. Having the Holy Spirit within a believer is not optional as the Holy Spirit is the only way to be of Christ.[22] Romans 8 explains that the resurrection power of the indwelling Holy Spirit adds to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11, 16) which creates encouragement to witness and evangelize. This activity of the Holy Spirit as one who bears witness to Jesus Christ begins in the Old Testament and continues today.[23] Another version of witnessing and evangelism is expository preaching of the gospel to nonbelievers. Expository preaching is testifying to what has been deposited already by the Holy Spirit in the Bible and respects not only the author’s original intention but also the Holy Spirit’s placement and sequencing of the text.[24] Palma writes, “The Holy Spirit alone can convict and convince people of their need for salvation. The believers’ responsibility is to declare and share the message of salvation, and to leave the results in the Lord’s hands as He speaks to hearts by His Spirit.”[25]
Holy Spirit with Guidance and Discernment
Guidance and discernment are important aspects of disciple making as Christians need to know who, what, when, and where to go with their evangelism and discipleship efforts. They equip the Christian with the wisdom needed to understand God’s will, navigate complexity, identify opportunities, discern spiritual realities, and avoiding pitfalls. Understanding the Word of God correctly is important in giving biblical truth to others.
The Holy Spirit assists Christians when they are reading the Bible as He gives them the capacity to understand the meaning of it. They see the truth of God intensely and sharply. That is the work of the Holy Spirit in illumination.[26] The Holy Spirit makes it possible for the Christian to detect and diagnose demonic activity no matter how hidden or disguised it may be.[27] He is the one who discloses the truth of Jesus Christ that alone can set nonbelievers free from the bondage of sin and the horror of eternal life without God (Rom 1:4, 1 Cor 2:9-16).[28]
The divine work of the Holy Spirit on Scripture and prophecy is throughout the Bible. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Peter also emphasizes the influence of the Holy Spirit in prophecy as it did not originate in humans (2 Pet 1:21). This is also true with understanding truth for the Christian. “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is a teacher (John 14:26).
Holy Spirit with Transformation and Spiritual Growth
The transformation of a nonbeliever to a believer is critical to a person’s salvation as that is when they become a disciple of Jesus. As mentioned earlier, this is where the union and adoption take place and where sanctification, or spiritual growth, begins. These aspects of disciple making are the goal and outcome of the process. One of the ultimate goals of making disciples is to have them reflect the character and actions of Jesus Christ (Christlikeness). Transformation and spiritual growth facilitate this by renewing the Christian’s mind, conforming them to His likeness. Transformed and spiritually mature Christians bear fruit of the Holy Spirit and reproduce themselves by making disciples. As Christians mature, they constantly give glory to God which provides exponential opportunities to witness and lead with integrity, having nonbelievers curious on why there is so much joy in the Christian.
The Holy Spirit is heavily involved in this process because He is the one that indwells in the believer at transformation and assists with their spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit seals believers, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). Another instance in the Bible is, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). When Christians make the transformation, God takes His invisible stamp of ownership, the Holy Spirit, and brands their life as His presence in them is a mark that they belong to God.[29] John 3 mentions the regeneration of the believer being born again of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity that provides the necessary rebirth and renewal for the Christian (Titus 3:5).
The Holy Spirit has a significant role in the continued transformation of moral and spiritual character so that the Christian’s life comes to mirror the standing he or she already has in God’s sight. It is important to live by the Holy Spirit and not the flesh to have eternal life with God. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:13). If Christians allow the Holy Spirit to lead them, then they are the children of God.[30] “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14).
Holy Spirit with Fellowship and Worship
Making disciples is a team sport and having other players that are on team Jesus to assist is important. Fellowship provides Christians with a support network for encouragement to one another, learning from one another, and to be held accountable to one another in making disciples. Equally important is that each Christian has a strong relationship with God through prayer and worship to be rejuvenated in faith and rest in God’s presence which help with preparing for mission and disciple making.
“fellowship of the Spirit” (Phil 2:1, 2 Cor 13:14) is where Paul uses the Greek lemma κοινωνία, koinonia, which is normally translated as “fellowship” or “communion.” This concept is inseparable from that of the Church as the body of Christ. Palma states, “There are two basic, but not mutually exclusive, interpretations of the phrase ‘the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.’ One is that it means the partaking of the Holy Spirit by Christians. The other refers to the work of the Spirit that forms Christians into a community or a fellowship.”[31] Each of these require the work of the Holy Spirit. Bearing and sharing burdens with one another is important. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:1-2). Instead of putting other people down and seeking self-pleasure, Christians will bear one another’s burdens and be concerned about restoring the fallen brother.[32]
The Holy Spirit prompts Christians to worship and adore the ever-living God. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:18-19) exemplify the influence of the Holy Spirit in worship.
The Holy Spirit impacting Disciple Making as it Relates to Historic and Orthodox Christianity.
The use of the term “Holy Ghost” of the King James Version of the Bible in the sixteenth century was confusing but means what we today understand as the Holy Spirit.[33] Over the centuries, the Holy Spirit has been neglected by theologians and scholars when looking at three Persons of the Trinity being co-equal. Outbreaks of Pentecostal phenomena have occurred throughout the history of the church as they began within the church as reform or holiness movements. People did not have access to Scripture because Bibles were extremely expensive and only clergy had easy access. This caused the movements to fall by the wayside. People began to confuse their emotions with the Holy Spirit because they did not have access to Scripture to keep them on the straight and narrow path.[34]
In the Eastern church, evidence of the Holy Spirit was highly valued. Ammonas (late fourth century) asserted that the highest of them all is effective service. Abdīsho held that the first sign of the Holy Spirit’s operation is “the love of God” that “burns in the heart of a person like fire.” Other clues that he declared were humility, perfect love, and inner illumination. Symeon the New Theologian highlighted the sign of penthos, “an abiding sorrow for sin.”[35] There was also confusion on the administration of baptisms and the Holy Spirit. Mills writes, “Cyprian argued against the ability of Marcionite bishops to administer valid baptisms by linking the Holy Spirit to sanctification: ‘For water alone is not able to cleanse away sins, and to sanctify a man, unless he also has the Holy Spirit.’”[36]
Regardless of the confusion, the Holy Spirit has been instrumental in the spread of Christianity (starting at Pentecost) and the making of disciples and fulfilling the Great Commission. In Orthodox Christianity, the Holy Spirit is understood as the third person in the Trinity and all Christians are to be filled with Him living a life empowered by Him.
Conclusion
Nonbelievers are spiritually dead and do not understand, nor care about their trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). This makes it difficult to make disciples as they have no innate interest as they are satisfied with succumbing to their fleshly desires. They are not convicted of their sin and most consider themselves a nice person that tries to do the right thing but a victim of circumstances. The devil attempts to keep them away from God and uses distraction, deceit, fear, and bad theology to ensure an eternal life without God. Some of the major aspects of disciple making are witnessing, evangelism, spiritual guidance, biblical discernment, regeneration, spiritual maturity, fellowship with other believers, and consistent worship to God.
The Holy Spirit is the only one who moves them to become aware of their spiritual need. Then they must decide whether to continue in their sinful state or to respond positively to the Holy Spirit.[37] When people accept Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to work in their lives by convicting them of sin, convincing them of righteousness, and dwells within them (John 6:44; 14:17; Roman 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13). No one becomes a Christian without the gracious work of the Holy Spirit.[38] Wibowo, Tanhidy, and Ming write, “Church believers must continue to maintain and correlate the Holy Spirit and the Bible together…continue to pray and strive to be continually renewed by the Holy Spirit through Bible study so that they become faithful doers of God’s Word and become more like Christ.”[39]
Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead.[40]
The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in all aspects of making disciples. From empowering Christians to witness and evangelize to transforming the nonbelievers. Historic and Orthodox Christianity affirm the leading role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian who is making disciples. Disciple making is not easy and is impossible if only left to human efforts. This is why the Holy Spirit is critical to effective disciple making.
Notes from Professor: Overall, Shawn, this is a super-good documented research paper with a valid thesis statement and a sound argument. Presented extremely well. It’s been an honor to serve you. – Dr. Cky Carrigan
Bibliography
Bicket, Zenas. Assemblies of God: Our 16 Doctrines: What We Believe. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2017.
Bloesch, Donald G. The Holy Spirit: Works & Gifts. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Butler, James. “The ‘long and winding road’ of faith: learning about the Christian life and discipleship from two Methodist congregations.” Practical Theology 13, no. 3 (2020): 277-289. DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2019.1678859.
Dresselhaus, Richard. Assemblies of God: Our Distinctive Doctrine: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2017.
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.
Ford, David F. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In Interpretation: A Journal of Bible & Theology 77, no. 4 (October 2023): 358–68. DOI:10.1177/00209643231184850.
Harrington, Bobby, and Josh Robert Patrick. The Disciple Maker’s Handbook: Seven Elements of a Discipleship Lifestyle. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5608121.
Harold, Godfrey, and Euginio Nel. “An Investigation on Demonic influences on human beings: Demonic Oppression or Demonic Possession: The Role of the Holy Spirit.” Pharos Journal of Theology 103, no. 2 (April 2022): 1–20. DOI:10.46222/pharosjot.103.2033.
Heisler, Greg. Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2007.
Horton, Stanley M., ed. Systematic Theology: Revised Edition. Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2007.
–––. What the Bible Says about the Holy Spirit. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2005.
Keener, Craig S. Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.
Mills, D. F. “Water Alone Cannot Sanctify: the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier for Cyprian of Carthage.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 66, no. 3 (09, 2023): 523-38, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/water-alone-cannot-sanctify-holy-spirit-as/docview/2919871441/se-2.
Moody, Christopher. Disciple-Making Disciples: A Practical Theology of the Church. Franklin, TN: Carpenter’s Son Publishing, 2021.
Palma, Anthony D. The Holy Spirit: A Pentecostal Perspective. Springfield, MO: Logion Press; Gospel Publishing House, 2001.
Riggs, Ralph M. The Spirit Himself. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1977.
Sproul, R. C. Who Is the Holy Spirit?. Vol. 13. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012.
Stott, John R. W. The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
Ward, Mark, Jessica Parks, Brannon Ellis, and Todd Hains, eds. Lexham Survey of Theology. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018.
Wibowo, Moses, Jamin Tanhidy, and David Ming. “The Role of the Holy Spirit for Church Believers in the Hermeneutic Context between Biblical Authority, Illumination and Interpretation.” Pharos Journal of Theology 103, no. 2 (April 2022): 1–9. DOI:10.46222/pharosjot.103.2039.
Wood, George O., and Randy Hurst. Living in the Spirit: Drawing Us to God Sending Us to the World. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2009.
[1] James Butler, “The ‘long and winding road’ of faith: learning about the Christian life and discipleship from two Methodist congregations,” Practical Theology 13, no. 3 (2020): 287, DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2019.1678859.
[2] Ralph M. Riggs, The Spirit Himself (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1977), 39.
[3] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 786.
[4] Bobby Harrington, and Josh Robert Patrick, The Disciple Maker’s Handbook: Seven Elements of a Discipleship Lifestyle (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017), 22. ProQuest Ebook Central. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=5608121.
[5] Fred Sanders, “The Holy Spirit and Salvation,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
[6] Ibid.
[7] David F. Ford, “Receive the Holy Spirit” in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible & Theology 77, no. 4 (October 2023): 360–61. DOI:10.1177/00209643231184850.
[8] Erickson, Christian Theology, 772–773.
[9] Ibid., 782.
[10] R. C. Sproul, Who Is the Holy Spirit?, vol. 13, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012), 36.
[11] Riggs, The Spirit Himself, 37.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Erickson, Christian Theology, 785.
[14] Gerald Bray, “The Mission of the Spirit,” in Lexham Survey of Theology, ed. Mark Ward et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).
[15] Erickson, Christian Theology, 798.
[16] David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” in Systematic Theology: Revised Edition, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2007), 462.
[17] Erickson, Christian Theology, 773.
[18] Ibid., 806.
[19] Craig S. Keener, Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016), 158.
[20] George O. Wood and Randy Hurst, Living in the Spirit: Drawing Us to God Sending Us to the World (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2009), 163–164.
[21] Wood and Hurst, Living in the Spirit, 173.
[22] Christopher Moody, Disciple-Making Disciples: A Practical Theology of the Church (Franklin, TN: Carpenter’s Son Publishing, 2021), 96–97.
[23] Mark D. McLean, “The Holy Spirit,” in Systematic Theology: Revised Edition, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2007), 392.
[24] Greg Heisler, Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2007), 22.
[25] Anthony D. Palma, The Holy Spirit: A Pentecostal Perspective (Springfield, MO: Logion Press; Gospel Publishing House, 2001), 69.
[26] Sproul, Who Is the Holy Spirit?, 70.
[27] Godfrey Harold and Euginio Nel, “An Investigation on Demonic influences on human beings: Demonic Oppression or Demonic Possession: The Role of the Holy Spirit,” Pharos Journal of Theology 103, no. 2 (April 2022): 17, DOI:10.46222/pharosjot.103.2033.
[28] Donald G. Bloesch, The Holy Spirit: Works & Gifts (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 285.
[29] Wood and Hurst, Living in the Spirit, 167–168.
[30] Erickson, Christian Theology, 797.
[31] Palma, The Holy Spirit, 64–65.
[32] Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says about the Holy Spirit (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2005), 177–178.
[33] Zenas Bicket, Assemblies of God: Our 16 Doctrines: What We Believe (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2017), 8–9.
[34] McLean, “The Holy Spirit,” 375.
[35] Bloesch, The Holy Spirit, 55.
[36] D.F. Mills, “WATER ALONE CANNOT SANCTIFY: THE HOLY SPIRIT AS SANCTIFIER FOR CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 66, no. 3 (09, 2023): 530, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/water-alone-cannot-sanctify-holy-spirit-as/docview/2919871441/se-2.
[37] Palma, The Holy Spirit, 67.
[38] Richard Dresselhaus, Assemblies of God: Our Distinctive Doctrine: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2017), 5.
[39] Moses Wibowo, Jamin Tanhidy, and David Ming, “The Role of the Holy Spirit for Church Believers in the Hermeneutic Context between Biblical Authority, Illumination and Interpretation,” Pharos Journal of Theology 103, no. 2 (April 2022): 7, DOI:10.46222/pharosjot.103.2039.
[40] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 60.