The Filling of the Holy Spirit: A Critique of Edlon Woodcock Article in Bibliotheca Sacra

JOURNAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE

of

Woodcock, Eldon. “The Filling of the Holy Spirit.” Bibliotheca Sacra 157, no. 625 (Jan. 2000): 69-87. http://www.galaxie.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/article/bsac157-625-06.

THEO 510 LUO (Spring 2013)

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Nathan C. Merrill (ID# 01189706)

February 24, 2013

Introduction

     The doctrine of the Pneumatology has been rather neglected throughout most of church history,
 especially when juxtaposed to other theological disciplines like, Christology, Soteriology, Hamartiology, etc… In fact, it has only been since the last century that the doctrine has been systematized.[1]  With the rise Pentecostalism and Charismaticism at the turn of the twentieth century, there has been an upsurge in interest in the Holy Spirit.  Though this newfound attention in Pneumatology has been a boon for the church, it has also caused a lot of confusion - being pervaded with much theological error.  Consequently, theologians have been forced to explicate and refine their work in Pneumatology.  One such work, by Eldon Woodcock from the Bibliotheca Sacra (Jan 2000) called the, “The Filling of the Holy Spirit” makes an effort to expound the proper biblical view of man’s relationship to the Holy Spirit. This short critique will examine the above mentioned article by Woodcock, in an attempt to elucidate his thoughts on being filled by the Holy Spirit. Woodcock endeavors to answer such questions as:  What did the believer’s of the Apostolic Church Age do when they were filled with Holy Spirit?  How did this filling happen? What did the filling involve? How does the modern day believer experience the filling of the Holy Spirit?       . 

Brief Summary

     Throughout his article, Woodcock argues that the filling of the Holy Spirit constitutes an all enveloping influence of the Holy Spirit over the believer.  He begins by explaining that the two Greek verbs (πληρόω and πιμ́πλημι) for filling of Holy Spirit hold virtually identical meanings - “to finish, fulfill, or complete.”  They indicate a constant surrendering of the believer unto the Holy Spirit’s pervasive domination.  The results of being filled, according to Woodcock, are manifest in the believer’s character, worship, and ministry.[2]  The believer’s character will display: the fruits of the Spirit; a yearning for a more intimate relationship with God; a submissive heart; and a preoccupation with spiritual things.[3] Their worship will constitute a heartfelt joy and sense of gratitude towards God for everything. Moreover, this attitude of thanksgiving and joy will persist even during times of non-corporate worship, continually permeating the believer’s spirit. Lastly, Woodcock argues that effective ministry, especially evangelism, can only be wrought through the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Critical Interaction

     Woodcock opens his paper with a short word study on the two Greek verbs for filling (πληρόω and πιμ́πλημι).  He states that the underlying idea has to do with filling, fulfilling, or completing.[4] He uses a host of biblical verses to support his study.  For example: Luke 7:1 describes Jesus as completing his message;  Colossians 1:25 speaks of Paul proclaiming the Word of God in its fullness; Matthew 13:48 depicts nets being filled with fish; Romans 8:4 addresses fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law; and Philippians 1:11 portrays Christians filled with the fruits of righteousness.  Woodcock concludes that a Spirit-filled believer is one who is wholly dominated by the Holy Spirit; so completely that he/she becomes characterized by many of Holy Spirit’s qualities.[5] His view is corroborated by other leading Protestant conservative theologians, such as Charles Ryrie and Paul Enns.  Ryrie and Enns both agree that being Spirit-filled is an experiential process characterized by an extensive control of the Spirit over the believer’s life.[6] In addition, Woodcock has provided abundant Scriptural support for his position on being Spirit-filled.   

     After establishing what it means to be filled by the Spirit, Woodcock outlines the results of being Spirit-filled.  He suggests that the filling of the Holy Spirit manifests in three major ways, namely: in the believer’s character, worship, and ministry.[7]  The believer’s character will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit; a yearning for a more intimate relationship with God; a submissive spirit; and a zealous heart for spiritual things. He cites Romans 8:5 and Galatians 5:16, 22-23 to show that the Spirit-filled believer will live by the Spirit, bear fruit by the Spirit, and be like-minded with the Spirit.  These character manifestations, as indicated by Woodcock, become conspicuous when the Holy Spirit controls a believer’s life.[8]  His position concurs with mainstream evangelical Christianity.  For example, Tim LaHaye, a well-known Christian author, speaker, and pastor, notes that the Spirit-filled Christian, being influenced by the Holy Spirit, will display the Holy Spirit’s qualities.[9]

     As the Christ-like characteristics, worship and ministry are also part of being Spirit-filled.  Worship by a Spirit-filled believer, as per Woodcock, is a constant state of being, characterized by a sincere attitude of joy and thankfulness to God for all things.[10]  He points to Ephesians 5:19, 20 where it states that Spirit-filled Christians are continually giving thanks to the Father for everything.  Ministry, the last of Woodcock’s important manifestation of being Spirit-filled, becomes effective when it is guided by the Holy Spirit.[11]  According to Woodcock, only a Spirit-filled believer can effectively perform Christian service, especially regarding evangelism.  Most of the Holy Spirit’s interaction with New Testament believers concerned filling them for the purpose of ministry.[12]  For instance, believers spoke in tongues, healed people, saw visions, prophesied etc… through the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Each of these instances were for the purpose of evangelism.  Thus, evangelism is major a manifestation of being Spirit-filled.[13]  Many well-respected Protestant conservative theologians concur with Woodcock.  For example, Charles Ryrie, in Basic Theology, highlights the importance of evangelism via Spirit-filled believers. He notes that the day of Pentecost alone resulted in the conversion of 3000 believers, because the Apostles were filled with the Spirit.[14]

Conclusion

     According to Woodcock, to be Spirit-filled engenders an idea of being wholly permeated by the Holy Spirit, thus the believer becomes Christ-like in his disposition.  The Christians, character, worship, and ministry all reflect the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  The character exudes Christ-likeness, the worship exhibits a continual attitude of overflowing thanksgiving to God, and ministry becomes effective, especially regarding evangelism.  Woodcock has attempted to outline what it means to be Spirit-filled. He has supported his work with an abundance of Scripture and his views are also shared with other imminent authorities in the field like Charles Ryrie and Paul Enns. He has brought to the forefront the vital importance of being a Spirit-filled believer.  A Spirit-filled believer will not only be the cause for effective ministry, but will approach nearer to the Christ-likeness for which he was designed.

---

[1] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 386.

[2] Eldon Woodcock, “The Filling of the Holy Spirit,” Bibliotheca Sacra 157, no. 625 (Jan. 2000), 79-83.

[3] Ibid., 80,81.

[4] Ibid., 69.

[5] Ibid., 74.

[6] Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. and expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008), 289; Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 386.

[7] Eldon Woodcock, “The Filling of the Holy Spirit,” Bibliotheca Sacra 157, no. 625 (Jan. 2000), 80.

[8] Ibid., 79-81.

[9] Tim LaHaye, Spirit-Controlled Temperament, New updated and expanded ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1994), 58.

[10] Eldon Woodcock, “The Filling of the Holy Spirit,” Bibliotheca Sacra 157, no. 625 (Jan. 2000), 81.

[11] Ibid., 81. 

[12] Ibid., 82-84.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 378.

Bibliography

LaHaye, Tim. Spirit-Controlled Temperament. New updated and expanded ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1994.

Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Rev. and expanded. ed. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008.

 Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986.

The Trinity in the Book of Hebrews: A Critique of Nathan Holsteen's Publication Bibliotheca Sacra

JOURNAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE

of

Holsteen, Nathan. “The Trinity In The Book Of Hebrews.” Bibliotheca Sacra 168:671 (Jul 2011): 335-346. http://www.galaxie.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/article/bsac168-671-06.

THEO 510 LUO (Spring 2013)

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Nathan C. Merrill (ID# 01189706)

March 17, 2013

CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………………….....................1

Brief Summary……………………………………………………………………………………1

Critical Interaction………………………………………………………………………………..1

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………..3

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………...4

Introduction

     The doctrine of the Trinity – God existing as three persons in a single essence – is paramount to the Christian faith. Many have asserted it to be an innovation of the third and fourth centuries rather than a genuine biblical doctrine. Despite this objection, the vast majority of Christendom still asserts that the Triune God is well attested to throughout the whole of Scripture. This brief critique will examine one such assertion by Nathan D. Holsteen in his paper, “The Trinity in the Book of Hebrews,” from the Bibliotheca Sacra (July 2011). Holsteen argues that Hebrews clearly affirms Trinitarianism. Though not overtly stated as such, the Trinity is indirectly represented through the affirmation of God’s oneness concomitant with the portrayal of the three separate Persons of the Godhead. Holsteen declares that Hebrews depicts the Trinity by 1) inferring God’s oneness via His involvement in the past and present; 2) upholding the deity of each Person of the Godhead; and 3) revealing each divine Member’s respective role.

Brief Summary

     Throughout his article, Holsteen maintains that the Epistle to the Hebrews implicitly affirms the Trinity. In fact, the internal coherence of the book itself is contingent on this affirmation. Holsteen contends that Hebrews infers the Trinity by representing both the oneness and triunity of God. The unity of God is attested to by linking God’s actions in the OT with those in Hebrews. Triunity is evidenced by portraying the divinity of each member of the Godhead and their respective divine functions. Therefore, according to Holsteen, Hebrews confirms the unity of God as subsisting in the three Persons of the Godhead. Moreover, this trinitarian standpoint is requisite for the coherency of the book itself; denying the implicit affirmations of the Trinity renders the message of Hebrews meaningless.

Critical Interaction

     To begin his argument, Holsteen suggest that the unity of the Trinity is tacitly implied in Hebrews. He notes God’s oneness is suggested by linking His actions in Hebrews with OT passages where His oneness is assumed. For instance, chapter three references various OT narratives where the unity of God is presupposed. Though not explicitly mentioned in Hebrews, Holsteen is able to draw out the implicit inferences to the unity of God. Moreover, his assertion on God’s oneness, as portrayed in Hebrews, concur with the conclusions of other eminent scholars and help substantiate the traditional orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.[1]

     In addition to affirming the oneness of God, Holsteen contends that Hebrews also infers God’s triunity. This three-ness is connoted by confirming the divinity of each Person of the Godhead and His respective divine functions.

     The divinity of the first Person of the Trinity, according to Holsteen, is alluded to throughout Hebrews. For example, He is mentioned in the first sentence of the letter and called upon in the closing benediction (13:20). He is also distinguished by His functions: the One who begot the Son (1:5); the Father of believers (12:9); the “Judge of all” (v. 12:23); the One who spoke at Mt. Sinai (v. 12:19, 20); “the Author of salvation” (2:10); and Agent for progressive sanctification (10:10). Indeed, Holsteen has provided generous support from Hebrews for the deity of the Father. Further, his arguments for the Father’s deity agree nicely with evangelical theology.[2]

     Like the Father, the Son’s deity is implicated via His station and function everywhere in Hebrews. He is depicted as the very radiance and essence of God (1:3), superior to all (2:5-8), the “Mediator of the new covenant” (v. 12:24), and the Agent of creation (1:2,10). According to Kimlyn Bender, a biblical scholar from Truett Seminary, Christ as the Agent of creation is especially noteworthy, since it more overtly infers the Son’s deity.[3] In addition, other reputable theologians have made similar claims about how Christ’s specific roles suggests His divinity.[4]

     The Spirit’s deity, though referenced much less than that of the Son and Father, is also tacitly affirmed in Hebrews. His divinity is particularly denoted throughout Hebrews by ascribing God the Father’s words in the OT to the Holy Spirit (3:7; 9:7-8; 10:15-17). Since the Spirit’s words are designated as the Father’s, this strongly implies His deity. Charles Ryrie, and Andreas J. Kostenberger, both prominent biblical scholars, also note this implication in Hebrews in their defense of the Holy Spirit’s divinity.[5]  

     Lastly, Holsteen makes some important remarks on biblical hermeneutics. He notes that it is imperative to keep in mind the implicit affirmations of a given biblical text because these indirect affirmations constructs the internal coherency of the message itself. The Epistle to the Hebrews employs such implicitness, as outlined above, to elucidate the doctrine of the Trinity.

Conclusion

        Holsteen has plainly demonstrated that Hebrews upholds Trinitarianism. He has shown how Hebrews portrays the unity of God – subsisting in the three Persons of the Godhead – and demarcated the separate members of the Trinity via their divine functions. What’s more, he has posited that the doctrine of the Trinity is essential for the coherence Hebrew’s message. Given the said conclusion, one would be hard-pressed to deny that the Bible teaches Trinitarianism. Moreover, future studies in biblical theology should justly consider internal coherence in their hermeneutics as Holsteen has done in his paper.

---

[1]Jiøí Moskala, “Toward Trinitarian Thinking in the Hebrew Scriptures,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 21/1-2 (2010), 247; Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 51.

[2] Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. & expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody Publ., 2008), 289, 648.

[3]Kimlyn J Bender, "Christ, Creation and the Drama of Redemption: 'the Play's the Thing . . .'." Scottish Journal of Theology 62, no. 2 (2009): 158.

[4] Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Rev. & expanded. ed. (Chicago: Moody Publ., 2008), 227, 228; Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 247.

[5] Andreas J. Kostenberger, et al., The Cradle, the Cross and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2009), 692; Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986), 345.

Bibliography

Bender, Kimlyn J. "Christ, Creation and the Drama of Redemption: 'the Play's the Thing . . .'.," Scottish Journal of Theology 62, no. 2 (2009): 149-74, http://search.proquest.com/docview/222367586?accountid=12085 (accessed March 13, 2013).

Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Rev. and expanded. ed. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008.

Kostenberger, Andreas J., et al. The Cradle, the Cross and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2009.

Moskala, Jiøí. “Toward Trinitarian Thinking in the Hebrew Scriptures,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 21/1-2 (Jan 1, 2010): 245-275. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 16, 2013).

Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1986.