God the Holy Spirit

By Oscar M. Baker

The great commission of the kingdom age (Matt 28:19) included baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). The word name is in the singular, not plural. So Father is not a name. Son is not a name. Holy Spirit is not a name. But there is a name that includes all three. Do you know that name? It is the name that is given to Jesus (Ph'p. 2:8-11). It is first mentioned in Psalms 7:17. It is Jehovah Elyon (Jehovah, the most high God). That is the name of the one individual which consists of three persons.

What name was Israel to make known? We have already written about God the Father, and God the Son. Now we take up God the Holy Spirit. The subject would fill a book, so for a sample we take the 9 occurrences in Eph. and set them forth.

1. 2:18. The Holy Spirit is the means of access to God, the Father. This person
is one.
2. 2:22. The Holy Spirit is the Builder of the holy temple which is a habitation of
God. It is built of living stones, believers.
3. 3:5. The Holy Spirit is the Revealer. He revealed the mystery of Christ to the
apostles and prophets.
4. 3:16. The Holy Spirit is the Giver of all power and might. Here is a purpose.
5. 4:3. The Holy Spirit is the Origin of the spiritual unity. Here it is the genitive
of origin, a figure of speech.
6. 4:30. The Holy Spirit can be grieved or offended. Read the next two verses
and see what offends the Spirit.
7. 5:18. The Holy Spirit is the Filler. He can so fill a believer that he will overflow
with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in his
heart to the Lord. He runs the cup over.
8. 6:17. The Holy Spirit carries the sword. He also provides it for the believer to
make up his panoply of armor. The Holy Spirit has given us the Word of
God.
9. 6:18. The Holy Spirit is the source and power of all prayer. When we know not
what to pray for, He can make intercession for us.

Although we find much about the nature and attributes of the Father and the Son, we do not find so much about the Spirit. And the reason? He does not speak of Himself, but gives testimony of the Son. Christ is the theme of the Bible from beginning to end. And our Lord said that when the Holy Spirit was come He would not speak of Himself, but of Christ.

So although we find a great deal about the activities of the Holy Spirit in the Word, we do not learn very much about Himself. He is there all the way through. He is just as omnipresent as any other person of the Godhead.

This should set you out on a search for further information. You will not find Him in Colossians. Look through the rest of the post-Acts epistles of Paul for Him. References: See notes on above texts in the Companion Bible, Appendices 9 and 101 in the same, and The Giver and His Gifts by E.W. Bullinger.