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The Lord Is the Spirit
The Authority of the Holy Spirit in Contemporary Theology and Church Practice
John A. Studebaker Jr.
THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT
The Authority of the Holy Spirit in Contemporary Theology and Church Practice
Evangelical Theological Society Monograph Series
Copyright © 2008 John A. Studebaker Jr. All rights reserved. Except for brief
quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be
reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher.
Write: Permissions, Wipf & Stock, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
ISBN 13: 978-1-55635-436-6
EISBN 13: 978-1-63087-685-2
Cataloging-in-Publication data:
Studebaker, John A., Jr.
The Lord is the Spirit : the authority of the Holy Spirit in contemporary theology and church practice / by John A. Studebaker Jr.
Eugene, Ore.: Pickwick Publications, 2008
The Evangelical Theological Society Monograph Series 7
xiv + 392 p. ; 23 cm.
ISBN 13: 978-1-55635-436-6
1. Holy Spirit. 2. Holy Spirit—Biblical teaching. 3. Holy Spirit—History of Doctrine—20th century. I. Title. II. Series.
BT121.2 S75 2008
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
The Evangelical Theological Society Monograph Series
Volume 4
Did Jesus Teach Salvation By Works?
The Role of Works in Salvation in the Synoptic Gospels
—Alan P. Stanley
Volume 5
Has God Said?
Scripture, the Word of God, and the Crisis of Theological Authority
—John Douglas Morrison
Volume 6
The Light of Discovery:
Studies in Honor of Edwin M. Yamauchi
—John D. Wineland, editor
Volume 7
The Lord Is the Spirit:
The Authority of the Holy Spirit in Contemporary Theology
—John A. Studebaker Jr.
Volume 8
The Sinner in Luke
—Dwayne Adams
To my parents, John and Joanne Studebaker,
who have always loved me
and have walked this journey with me
over the past ten years
Preface
The evidence for “the authority of the Holy Spirit” within the Church is certainly more abundant than the books written on the subject! This critical yet undefined doctrine, however, can no longer be ignored. Contemporary theology is often challenging the Church’s understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit with “non-authoritative” (i.e., panentheistic, universalistic, experiential, and domesticating) approaches.
The Spirit’s authority with respect to the Church, however, can be demonstrated through a proper understanding of the Spirit’s place within the “pattern of divine authority” derived from Scripture. Chapter one shall define this pattern as the revelation of God’s authority with respect to Christ, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit. The principle of authority introduced here holds that divine authority is located in the Triune God (Father, Son, and Spirit) and is revealed through an execution of this pattern.
Chapter two delves into the several debates in Church history concerning the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (“pneumatology”). These debates will allow us to discern provisional “definitions” of the Spirit’s authority in relation to the pattern of divine authority.
Chapters three and four probe the most critical passages of Scripture for developing a biblical and systematic understanding of the Spirit’s authority. These passages are exegeted and utilized according to a specified methodology. Then they are used to respond to postmodern and contemporary “pneumatologists” and to develop formal descriptions of the Spirit’s authority for Systematic Theology.
Chapters five, six, and seven present three specific areas of local church life and practice—Hermeneutics, Church structure and guidance, and Christian spirituality—where our model of the Holy Spirit’s authority (developed in chapters three and four) may be applied. This application will also allow a biblical response to be made to contemporary theologians who are attempting to associate the Spirit with such practices.
Chapter eight offers specific conclusions and further implications of this “new” doctrine—with respect to evangelical theology, contemporary theology, and other practical fields not yet studied.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Kevin Vanhoozer, Bruce Fields, James Borchert, Joanne Studebaker, Susan Vrobel, Ken Walbridge, Nancy Smith, and Don Sosnowski for their assistance on this project.
Abbreviations
AB Anchor Bible
BAGD A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
BDB The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon
BibSac Bibliotheca Sacra
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CH Church History
CurTM Currents in Theology and Mission
EDOT Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
EphTL Ephemerides Théologiques et Lovanienses
EvQ Evangelical Quarterly
EvT
