Pneumatology. The Study of the Holy Spirit. Introductory Session

Transcription

1 Pneumatology The Study of the Holy Spirit Introductory Session

2 An Introduction to Pneumatology In our study of Pneumatology we want to ask and answer some of the following questions: 1. Who is the Holy Spirit and how can He change your life? 2. How is it possible for God to be three in one? 3. How is the Holy Spirit s relationship towards New Testament saints different from those who lived before the coming of Christ? 4. Did the Holy Spirit have a unique relationship with Christ & His Apostles? 5. How do we demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is both a Person and God? 6. What role does the Spirit play before we are saved? 7. What ministries of the Spirit are realized on the day of our conversion? 8. What ministries of the Spirit are ongoing in the believer s life? 9. When does the Spirit become a reality in the Christian s life and why why does it appear in the Book of Acts that He came to believers at different times and in different ways than today? 10. What are some of the major errors concerning the Holy Spirit that have been taught in the history of Christianity beginning in the post-apostolic period to the present day? 11. What was the Holy Spirit s role in the writing of the Bible, and is He still giving new revelation as some claim? 12. How will the Holy Spirit s role change in the world during the time of the Great Tribulation and why should that be important to us? 13. What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and can it be committed today? 14. Are all the gifts of the Holy Spirit manifested in the early Church still being given today? 15. What are the conditions that must be met for the filling of the Spirit and how does this ministry relate to other on-going ministries of the Spirit?

3 Testing Your Knowledge About The Holy Spirit Part Answer the following multiple-choice questions: 1. The Holy Spirit can best be described as: a. an energy force of God b. a part of the Father c. a ghost & sometimes He is a bird - - both created by the Father d. a member of the Trinity coequal with the Father & Son e. a coequal & coeternal Person with the Father & Son 2. The word Trinity is found: a. in the Old Testament b. in the New Testament c. in both the Old & New Testaments d. only in the epistles of the New Testament e. no where in the Bible 3. The principal reason the Holy Spirit is given to the born again believer: a. is to enable us to live a supernatural life b. so that we can pray for the sick that they might be healed c. so that we can spread the gospel d. so that we might glorify Christ 4. The manner in which we receive the Holy Spirit today is: a. by being baptized in water b. by asking for Him to reside within us c. by waiting for Him as they did in the Upper Room d. when you go through confirmation e. by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior f. all of the above 5. The Holy Spirit can best be described as: a. a Person with emotions b. a Person who makes willful decisions c. a Person with intellect d. a Person with intellect, emotions, and will e. None of the above

4 6. In the Old Testament era the Holy Spirit: a. was found in every believer b. was found in a few selected believers c. permanently indwelt select individuals d. acted as a restraining influence towards unbelievers e. b & c only f. b & d only 7. The baptism of the Holy Spirit: a. was unique to the Old Testament era b. is a work of the Holy Spirit after conversion c. is a work of the Holy Spirit as seen by speaking in tongues d. is a work of the Holy Spirit taking place at the moment of salvation 8. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit can best be described as: a. an accusation against Jesus Christ b. an accusation against the Spirit working in Christ c. a sin that can be forgiven with genuine repentance d. attributing the works of the Spirit to the devil e. both b & d 9. The ministry of the Holy Spirit towards unbelievers involves: a. convicting them of their sin & unbelief b. convicting them for denying God s righteousness c. convicting them that Christ has the authority to judge d. all of the above 10. The Holy Spirit s role in writing the New Testament can be seen in that: a. He gave the writers recall of Christ s works & words b. He took over their personalities & bodies to write through each author c. He dictated to them precisely what they were to write d. He wrote by guiding them what to write while using their personalities e. both a & d f. both b & c

5 11. The work of the Spirit in helping us to understand Scripture is referred to as: a. revelation b. illumination c. inspiration d. animation e. all of the above 12. In the writing of the final product of Scripture one can say that God: a. accommodated Himself to prevalent scientific views b. inspired only the thoughts and concepts c. inspired every single word and stroke of the pen d. both a & b 13. The phrase being sealed with the Spirit refers to: a. a reality that every believer & unbeliever alike experiences b. the empowering of God on your life c. a special work of God for the truly dedicated d. a ministry involving God s ownership, authority & security over us 14. The gifts of the Holy Spirit can best be described as: a. natural abilities I possess b. the Holy Spirit living in me c. acquired skills that I develop with the Spirit s help d. an ability given by God at conversion 15. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given by: a. God the Father b. God the Son c. God the Holy Spirit d. by every member of the Trinity Part Answer the following true or false questions: 1. The gift of the Spirit is the same as a spiritual gift. ( )

6 2. Spiritual gifts are synonymous with the fruit of the Spirit. ( ) 3. God does not give me my spiritual gift until I reach a certain maturity level that is known only to Him. ( ) 4. In order to be guilty of blasphemy of the Spirit one must commit this sin multiple times. ( ) 5. One gives evidence of being filled with Spirit by speaking in tongues. ( ) 6. Only after we have lived a dedicated life are we sealed by the Spirit. ( ) 7. The filling of the Holy Spirit is a repeated experience. ( ) 8. Being spiritual and being filled with the Spirit are synonymous. ( ) 9. Natural talents can be transformed by spiritual gifts. ( ) 10. One example of a spiritual gift is the gift of young people s work. ( ) 11. An example of a spiritual gift would be the ability to sing. ( ) 12. Satan can display counterfeit spiritual gifts. ( ) 13. Pentecostalism is a reaction to the sterility that sometimes characterizes churches during the modern era. ( ) Part Briefly complete the following sentences: 1. One passage affirming the deity of the Spirit is: 2. One passage affirming the triunity of God is: 3. Two ministries of the Spirit taking place at the moment of conversion are: 4. Two ministries of the Spirit that are ongoing after conversion are: 5. The Spirit is most often defined with the adjective:

7