Ben cited these words of mine from my first entry:
3) Winslet said that the gift of the Spirit does not occur in the new birth!
Ben responded to this with these words:
"You are correct. This is what sound theologians teach. There is a difference in being born of The Spirit and receiving the Spirit as our Comforter, as taught in the Upper Room Discourse. Please note the words of John Gill on Acts 2:38:
"...And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: not the grace of the Spirit, as a regenerator and sanctifier; for that they had already; and is necessary, as previous to baptism...but rather the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, particularly the gift of speaking with tongues, which Christ had received from the Father, and had now shed on his apostles;" [emphasis mine]
Questions In Retort
1) Who determines what is a "sound" theologian?
2) Was Gill a "sound theologian"?
3) Did Gill deny that the Spirit was given and received in regeneration?
4) Did Gill apply the work of the Parakletos to the work of regeneration?
5) What sound theologian denied that the Spirit was given and received in rebirth?
6) What Jesus said about the coming of the Spirit is not applicable to the new birth?
7) Is the work of a "comforter" (parakletos) only to comfort or console?
8) Are you denying that the Spirit is given and received in regeneration?
9) Are you denying that there is any "comforting" of the Spirit in the new birth?
10) Are you saying that one can be born of the Spirit but not be comforted by the Spirit?
Gill, though he believed the words "gift of the Holy Ghost" denoted a post regeneration and post conversion experience in this particular text, yet does not preclude his belief that "receiving of the Spirit" was what effected regeneration, conversion, sanctification, etc. Gill believed that regeneration consisted in the Lord giving, and the sinner receiving, the Holy Spirit. This we will see shortly. Not only that, but all "sound theologians" that I know about would agree with Gill.
I disagree with the view of Gill on the meaning of "gift of the Holy Spirit" in Acts 2: 38. I believe it means the same thing as it means in several other key places where the same or similar wording is used, as we will see. My view is probably the more common view. This view sees "the gift of the Holy Spirit" as denoting that the Spirit is the gift being given. In other words, they would receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. The words are the translation of a Genitive, of which the new testament is replete. There are many kinds of Genitive and it is the context that must guide us in discerning which kind it is. What kind of Genitive is it in Acts 2: 38?
The genitive case, in English or in Greek, is commonly referred to as the possessive case. Genitives generally serve as adjectives. (See my posting God's Faith II for a more detailed discussion of Genitives). Many times a Genitive will be translated into English from Greek by the use of the preposition "of," as in our text and the words "the gift of the Spirit." But, what are we to understand by the use of "of" in such cases?
Often it denotes ownership, as in "the life of Steve," i.e., that life which belongs to Steve. Sometimes "of" denotes source, and in this sense it is used interchangeably with "from." Thus, if I say "the words of Steve" I mean "the words coming from Steve."
However, if I say "the land of Egypt," do I mean "land that belongs to Egypt"? Do I mean "the land that is from Egypt"? Or, do they mean "the land that is Egypt"? No doubt the latter.
Likewise, when we say "the gift of the Spirit" we mean "the gift that is the Spirit." We see a similar Genitive in the words "the temple of his body," which obviously means "the temple which is his body" (John 2:21).
Here are the reasons why I cannot believe that the words "the gift of the Holy Spirit" denote a gift that comes from the Spirit, but affirming rather that "the gift of the Spirit" means "the gift that is the Spirit."
1) The text says that penitents who put their faith in Christ will receive "the gift" (singular) and yet when Gill interprets it he has "the gifts" (plural).
2) The words "gift of the Holy Spirit" are a genitive, and there are many kinds. It is the job of the interpreter to determine the kind in a particular case. Gill sees it as "gifts coming from the Spirit" (an "ablative genitive" of source). I see it, as do others, as "the gift that is the Spirit" (what is given is the Spirit). A.T. Robertson says - "The gift consists ( Acts 8:17 ) in the Holy Spirit (genitive of identification)." It is also called the "Genitive of Apposition" or "Epexigetical Genitive."
3) Gill seems to be led to think of "the gift" as being connected with the "baptism of the Spirit" and to the charismatic gifts that attend that experience. But, this it cannot mean. Many since the first century have believed, repented, and been baptized who did not obtain these charismatic gifts! That cannot therefore be the right interpretation. The gift of the Spirit is being given and received today by those who repent and who do not receive charismatic gifts. Everyone who has truly believed and repented will receive the Spirit himself as a gift from the Lord Jesus and the Father.
4) All through the NT the Spirit is said to be "given to them who believe" (John 7: 39, Acts 5: 32, etc.) Therefore, for Peter to affirm that those who repent will be given the Spirit is in keeping with such verses. "Repent and...you will receive the gift that is the Holy Spirit."
5) Peter does not link Baptism as a condition for either remission of sins or for receiving the Spirit. Many fail to realize that the words "and each one of you be baptized" is a parenthetical statement and does not, according to the Greek, stand as a condition of remission and for obtaining the Spirit. (See my posting Acts 2: 38 and Exegeting Acts 2: 38 and Baptism For Remission for a fuller development of this)
Winslet continued:
"Theologians distinguish between being born of the Spirit and later receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Garrett must know this. He's free to disagree, but to act as if this is some new doctrine is absurd."
Please let me see the theologians who excluded receiving the Spirit (as a gift from the Father and Son) from the experience of being born again! It is a new doctrine to affirm that the sinner does not receive and come into the possession of the Holy Spirit in being born again! In fact, I can't believe that we are even having such a disagreement! The new birth or regeneration is connected with a sinner receiving the Spirit of God. That is my thesis.
Scriptures Supporting The Thesis
From the OT
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." (Eze 36:26-27)
Surely these words prove that one comes into possession of God's "spirit" when his heart is renewed.
From the NT
(Apostle Paul)
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Cor. 3: 16)
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Rom. 8: 9 KJV)
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15 KJV)
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (I Cor. 2:12)
"made partakers of the Holy Ghost" (Heb. 6:4)
"This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3: 2)
(Apostle Jude)
"These be they who separate themselves, sensual (natural), having not the Spirit." (Jude 1:19)
(Apostle John)
"And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." (I John 3:24)
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." (I John 4:13)
Wrote Gill on Galatians 3: 2
"received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? This question supposes they had received the Spirit; that is, the Spirit of God, as a spirit of wisdom and knowledge in the revelation of Christ; as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification; as a spirit of faith and adoption; and as the earnest, seal, and pledge of their future glory."
Gill continued:
"though by the law is the knowledge of sin, yet this leaves nothing but a sense of wrath and damnation in the conscience; it is the killing letter, and a ministration of condemnation and death, and not of the Spirit, and of life; this belongs to the Gospel, "or the hearing of faith"; for by "faith", is meant the Gospel, and particularly the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ's righteousness; and by "the hearing" of it, the preaching of it, the report of it, ( Isaiah 53:1 ) which, in the Hebrew text, is (wntemv), "our hearing", that by which the Gospel is heard and understood. Now in this way the Spirit of God is received; while the Gospel is preaching he falls on them that hear it, conveys himself into their hearts, and begets them again by the word of truth: and in this way the Galatians came by the Spirit, and which is another aggravation of their folly, that they should enjoy so great an advantage by the Gospel, and yet be so easily removed from it."
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (vs. 14)
On II Cor. 11: 4 Gill wrote:
"or if ye receive another spirit which ye have not received; a better spirit than the Spirit of God, which they had received through the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles; either for graces, for they had received him as a spirit of regeneration and conversion, of sanctification and faith, of adoption and liberty, of peace and joy, and comfort; or for gifts, both ordinary and extraordinary, which could not possibly be; the spirit which the contrary ministers brought with it, and tended to not generate in them, must be the reverse of this, even a spirit of bondage again to fear...the Spirit is received as such from the Father and the Son into the hearts of believers, by the means of the Gospel..."
What Genitive Type?
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.” (2 Corinthians 1:21)
“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 5:5)
Here is the KJV
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (II Cor. 1:22 KJV)
"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." (II Cor. 5:5 KJV)
I believe as many that it is the Spirit himself who is the earnest.
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