Aug 18
20
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Acts 13: 1-5
The Person of the Holy Ghost is set forth as taking the action of
“speaking.” V2: The Holy Ghost said; the Holy Ghost takes the action of
“commanding”: V2: Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work; the Holy
Ghost takes the action of “calling”: V2: The work whereunto I have
called them; the Holy Ghost takes the action of “sending”–V4: So they,
being sent forth by the Holy Ghost. Also, notice the personal pronouns
used here,–V2: Separate me (for me)…for the work whereunto I have
called them. So the Holy Ghost is declared here as a Person, distinct
from God the Father and God the Son–the third person in the Trinity.
Furthermore, the Person of the Holy Ghost is declared to be God, one
with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is God. Scripture
declares plainly that only God calls and ordains his servants. As we
read of Aaron. (Hebrews 5: 4.) Likewise, the scripture declares plainly
that Christ Jesus the Son of God gives his messengers to the church
(Ephesians 4: 11.) And here in our text, we find this work attributed to
the Holy Ghost, V2: Separate me (for me)…for the work whereunto I have
called them. So in this we see that just as the Father is God, and the
Son is God, so too, the Holy Spirit is God.
Thirdly, we see the Person of the Holy Spirit fulfills a specific
office. The service to which Holy Spirit separated and called and sent
forth Barnabas and Saul, is said to be for the Holy Ghost or for the
work of the Holy Ghost. In this place it not said here to be the service
of God or the service of Christ, or the service of the Church (though
Barnabas and Saul were the servants of them) but this service is
described by the Holy Ghost as a separation “for me” and is “the work
where unto I have called them.” Being God, the third person in the
Trinity, the work of the Holy Ghost is in perfect harmony and one with
the work of God the Father and God the Son (John 14: 26.)
By God the Holy Spirit calling and ordaining Barnabas and Saul, the
eternal power of the Holy Ghost, the third Person in the Godhead is set
forth as a distinct Person. He is God even as God the Father and God the
Son. The specific work of the Holy Spirit is set forth as the
administration within the church for the edifying and gifting of the
saints and for the preaching and glorifying of Christ Jesus the Lord. In
sovereign power, the Holy Spirit works within each saint, and the Holy
Spirit acts within the church, particularly giving unction to the
ministers of the word and to the hearers. I Corinthians 12: 7-11; John
14: 13-15.)
Clay Curtis.