This work on the Holy Spirit was published in 1996 by IVP (paperback). It is is part of the Contours of Christian Theology (with a total of 9 volumes of different topics, series editor Gerald L. Bray). Ferguson’s writing style is clear, precise, exegetical, and pastoral. He is firm on his convictions but most of the time, he does not speak with a strong polemic tone. He is patient to understand and present the view of those he disagrees with. For those who are familiar with his public lecturers/sermons/interviews, one must be impressed with the characters of such a mature Christian.
Like John Murray, Ferguson was born in Scotland, spent decades in America, and moved back to Scotland after retirement. Like John Murray, Ferguson was attentive in exegesis and laid out the connection between biblical texts and biblical doctrines in his writings. Both of them demonstrated that what is means to uphold the principle of Sola Scriptura. We thank God for raising up such saints amongst us.
Ch. 1 of this book is titled The Holy Spirit & His Story. It is about the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Old Testament, such as the Spirit of God in creation, in control and governance, in regeneration, in inspiration, and the Person of Spirit. The author is discreet in drawing conclusions from OT passages, and does not mechanically read the NT back into the OT. Ch. 2 is about the Spirit’s work during the first coming of Christ in three stages: 1) conception, birth and growth; 2) baptism, temptations and ministry; 3) death, resurrection and ascension.
Ch. 3 is on the giving of Spirit. Two major testimonies are cited: Luke (from John the Baptist to Pentecost) and John (Jn. 16:7-11, 20:21-23). The section on Jn. 16 talks about conviction, conversion, inspiration, and communion, which is followed by a 5-page discussion on the procession of the Spirit, a classic issue in Pneumatology. Here he points out behind the diverging views of the East and West are the presuppositional differences (p.75). He holds to the traditional western view, as expounded by Augustine “with later refinements” (p. 76). He also cautions us to go further than the limit of biblical revelation: “If we ask further what the procession of the Spirit means, and how it is distinguished from the Son’s relationship to the Father, we may well be incapable of a wholly satisfactory (and certainly of a comprehensive) answer.” (p.77) He seems to be reluctant to dive into the theological maze surrounding such questions (at least not here).
The Pentecostal and charismatic movements are discussed in Ch. 4 and Ch. 10. Ch. 4 is on the events of Pentecost and Spirit-baptism in the book of Acts (at Caesarea, Samaria, Ephesus). The central question is that whether these were one-time events in redemptive history or reoccurring events throughout church history. The author writes, “Pentecost is not ‘repeated’ any more than the death or resurrection of Christ is a repeatable event.”, “This becomes all the clearer when we view Pentecost as an aspect of the work of Christ, not a Spirit event separated from it and in addition to it.”, “…we should no more anticipate a ‘personal Pentecost’ than that we will experience a personal Jordan, wilderness, Gethsemane or Golgotha. While such language has been often popularly employed, it is theologically misleading.” (p. 86-87, p.89 briefly touches upon speaking in tongues) This is helpful in our understanding of the Pentecostal/charismatic movements. They are so eager to “own”, to “participate in” the historical events, that they ignore the real significance of these events. This subjective bent of modern ideology has done much havoc in the church.
Ch. 5 is about the order of salvation. Along the same principle mentioned above (Christ is the center), the author points out the weakness of the reformed scholastic framework of ordo salutis. “When expressed in terms of the model of a chain of causes and effects, the traditional ordo salutis runs the danger of displacing Christ from the central place in soteriology…. The relation of each to Christ himself is thus obscured or even minimized.”, “The danger here is that the medieval sacramental chain of causes and effects has simply been replaced by a post-Reformation chain of subjective causes and effects. In both, the ministry of the Spirit of Christ is dislocated from its central role.” (p. 99, emphasis original) The latter observation is particularly insightful. The ordo salutis is also discussed in his later book The Whole Christ (Crossway, 2016, chapter 5).
Ch. 6 discusses the regeneration of the Spirit. I would highlight two points here: one is on the dynamic between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, and the other is on the relationship between faith and repentance. The author’s explanations on both points are valuable. “The threads of regeneration and faith are inextricably intertwined. In both dimensions of activity the Spirit is active. These strands are capable of separate analysis (indeed, they ought not to be regarded as identical), but they cannot be existentially separated from each other. They belong together in such as way that we cannot mark a join where the monergistic action of God ends and the activity of the believer begins.” (p. 116) Careful and wise statement, which does not weaken the sovereignty of God, neither simplify the complex dynamic of Spirit’s work in man. For faith and repentance, the author writes, “Faith is the individual trusting in Christ; repentance is the same individual quitting sin.. Neither can exist apart from the other.” (p. 134) He then cites Bavinck on the diversity and unity of the Christian experience of conversion (p. 134-35).
Ch. 7 is on the sanctifying work of the Spirit. This, again, is explained in union with Christ. He also discusses the man in Romans 7:14-25 (see a previous article on this), and his view is that this passage describes the current conflict of Apostle Paul as a Christian. He also mentions that the view treating this “I” as a rhetorical figure was populated by W. G. Kummel in his book (Romans 7 and the Conversion of Paul) published in 1929. And this view was akin to “that held by the Greek Fathers, and later by Arminius”. I think there was enough difference between Kummel and Arminius (unregenerate but enlightened, and the unregenerate).
Ch. 8 is on the communion with the Spirit. The Spirit dwells in the Christian as a down payment, firstfruits, seal, confirming the Sonship, teacher, and intercessor in prayer. Ch. 9 discusses the work of Spirit in Baptism and Lord’s Supper. He points out the mistakes of the Catholics and evangelicals (memorialist) in understanding the Supper. But he may have misrepresented the memorialist view here. Probably some do, but most memorialists do not treat the Supper as nothing more than a memorial. As he speaks on page 204, “simple and specific focus on the broken flesh and outpoured blood of Christ” should be present besides the visual representation.
Ch. 10 is about spiritual gifts, with special attention on the cessationism – continuationism debate. He engages the view of prominent and moderate continuationists, such as Grudem and Carson. The analysis of Grudem’s argument is well laid out. Besides showing the fallacies in their arguments, the author stresses the importance of rightly interpreting a phenomenon and using terms consistent with the Scripture. There is a qualitative difference between the modern tongue-speaking/prophecy and the gifts recorded in the NT. And the center of debate is as simple as this: to claim a continuation of such gifts, one must demonstrate the evidence of exactly the same gifts as in the NT. To call a qualitatively different gift with the same biblical name is dishonesty. Under the subjective bent of the dominating secular ideology, many Christians have taken for granted that his own feelings must be the work of Spirit, equal in quality with the apostolic gifts. As the author explains in this chapter, the continuationists confuse the apostolic age (laying foundations) with the following generations, the apostles with other Christians, the confirming extraordinary gifts with ordinary gifts, the fallible interpretation of phenomenon with the infallible inspiration of Spirit, and the illumination of Spirit in Christians with the revelation of Spirit in completing the Bible. The Pentecostal and charismatic followers seem to be so obsessed with the Spirit, but they are one of the groups most confused about the Spirit and His work.
Ch. 11 is on the Spirit in end times, the resurrection of the body and consummation of history. The author spends 6 pages on the universalists who anchor their view on the “cosmic Spirit”. This relates to the common grace discussion within the biblical orthodoxy. We should not deny the existence nor depreciate the value of common grace, but we should not identify it with the special grace/operation of the Spirit. The author writes, “it is appropriate to believe, with Calvin and many others, that all truth is God’s truth, even when it is found in the mouth of the ungodly, and that all good gifts come to us from above (Jas. 1:17). Yet it is quite another thing to assume that this is an evidence of the Spirit’s saving or transforming presence.” (p.246) “Rich, varied and remarkable capacities and abilities are therefore present in the human race, because the Spirit continues his work as the executive of God in relation to the created order. He is the minister of the kindness of God to the just and the unjust alike (Mt. 5:45).” The grace of God has common and special dimension, so does the work of the Spirit, since there can be no inconsistency between God and Spirit.
This book is highly recommended to all Christians, including those who would like to dive deep into this topic. The author also provides a “further reading” section at the end.
