Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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QUESTION: Who is the Holy Spirit? How is he related to the Father and the Son? Is the Holy Spirit a divine person, one of the three persons of the Trinity? ANSWER: I have addressed this issue in chapter one of my larger book on the Holy Spirit, Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit (College Press, 2007). This chapter is called “The Person of the Holy Spirit.” In it I establish three basic facts. According to the Bible, (1) the Holy Spirit is a person in the full and true sense of the word; … Continue reading →

“CALLED” TO THE MINISTRY?

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QUESTION: A friend of mine says he feels “called” to the ministry. What does this mean? How can one know whether he or she is thus “called”? ANSWER: There is considerable confusion over this issue. One reason is that there is no really clear Biblical teaching on the subject. The teaching that best seems to address the question is the material about what we call “spiritual gifts.” For example, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). The “giver” in this verse is actually Jesus; but … Continue reading →

A NEW BOOK ON BAPTISM: A REVIEW

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I really like this book! It is arguably the best book on baptism (except my Baptism: A Biblical Study, of course!) since George R. Beasley-Murray’s Baptism in the New Testament appeared in 1962. The book is called Recovering the Evangelical Sacrament: Baptisma Semper Reformandum (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013; 403p., pb.), written by Anthony R. Cross. Like Beasley-Murray, Cross is a British Baptist. A member of the faculty of theology and religion at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, Cross is an expert in Baptist history and doctrine and in the theology and practice of baptism. This work is … Continue reading →

The Holy Spirit and Acts 8

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QUESTION: As Philip evangelized the Samaritans, many believed and were baptized (Acts 8:12). But verses 15-17 seem to say that the converts did not receive the Holy Spirit at their baptism, but rather when apostles from Jerusalem came and laid hands on them. Other texts also separate the receiving of the Spirit from baptism (e.g., Acts 10:44-48). How can we explain this, especially in light of Acts 2:38? ANSWER: All Zwinglians—those who separate baptism from salvation—love to call attention to such data from the book of Acts. They believe that the data show that there is no appointed connection between … Continue reading →

Did Jesus’ Power To Work Miracles Come from the Holy Spirit?

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Did Jesus’ Power To Work Miracles Come from the Holy Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 10:13am QUESTION: I have a question about Jesus’ ability to perform miraculous deeds. Do you think that He had this ability of His own accord, or did He need the Spirit’s empowerment to be able to do such things while on earth? Is this a “false choice” question? I know that Jesus surrendered some of His divine prerogatives (Phil. 2:5ff.), but He certainly didn’t cease being God. While on earth, though, did He need the Spirit’s empowerment to do … Continue reading →

Why Was Jesus Filled with the Holy Spirit?

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Why Was Jesus Filled with the Holy Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 2:55pm QUESTION: Why was Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; 4:18; John 3:34)? Is it possible that Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His baptism in much the same way WE receive the Holy Spirit at our baptism (Acts 2:38), for the same reason? ANSWER: The relation between Jesus and the Holy Spirit is an interesting but somewhat elusive subject. I have discussed it in quite some detail in my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About … Continue reading →

Are Sinners “Begotten” to New Life Before Being “Born Again” in Baptism?

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Are Sinners “Begotten” to New Life Before Being “Born Again” in Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 1:14pm QUESTION: What do you think about the analogy that the work of the Holy Spirit before baptism is similar to that of the gestation period in the birth of a baby? This is the idea that the seed of the Word of God begins to produce spiritual life as soon as the sinner believes and repents. As that seed develops and grows, and as changes begin to occur in the attitudes and actions of the individual, he … Continue reading →

What Is the Trinity?

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What Is the Trinity? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:48pm QUERY: I have a relative who is a Jehovah’s Witness. He accepts that Jesus is the son of God but denies that he (Jesus) is God. How would you explain the triune God? ANSWER: For details, see chapter 3 of my book, “What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer” (pp. 117-174). Here I will summarize a section of my book, “The Faith Once for All” (pp. 70-73): God is ONE, but he is also THREE. He is one and three at the same time. … Continue reading →

What Is the Meaning of the “Baptism in Fire” in Matthew 3:11?

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What Is the Meaning of the “Baptism in Fire” in Matthew 3:11? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 3:37pm QUERY: You have discussed both baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit, but what is the “baptism in fire” mentioned in Matt. 3:11 and Luke 3:16? ANSWER: In both of these texts John the Baptist says that when the Messiah comes “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The main issue is whether the fire baptism is the same as or separate and distinct from the Spirit baptism. Will Jesus give just … Continue reading →

What Is the “One Baptism” in Ephesians 4:5?

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What Is the “One Baptism” in Ephesians 4:5? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, January 8, 2010 at 8:18pm A RECENT QUESTION: Does 1 Cor. 12:13 teach that water baptism or Spirit baptism brings a sinner into union with Jesus Christ? What about Gal. 3:27 – is it water or Spirit baptism? What is the ONE baptism of Eph. 4:5? MY REPLY: Though some (such as mid-Acts dispensationalists) deny it, water baptism has been the church’s practice from its beginning on the Day of Pentecost. (We cannot infer this from John’s practice of baptizing in the Jordan River, since John’s … Continue reading →