Land

Outline the theme of "land" from Genesis to 2 Kings.

The theme of God's people dwelling in a land provided by him begins in Genesis, where God places man in the Garden of Eden (Gn. 2:15)¹. It is clear from the account of creation that the Garden of Eden is “very good” (Gn. 1:31), a land provided by God (Gn. 2:16) where they live in close relationship with him under his rule (Gn. 3:8). Goldsworthy describes this ideal situation as “God's people in God's place under God's rule”². Thus, Genesis begins with the creation of a perfect land where man is able to enjoy a relationship with God in perfect obedience to him.

However in Genesis 3, sin enters the world when man willingly disobeys God (Gn. 3:6) and as a result, is banished from the perfect Garden (Gn. 3:23). God also curses the ground (Gn. 3:17) and man is made to work the ground for his food, where previously God had provided all that man needed (Gn. 2:16; 3:17; 3:23). Genesis continues with an account of Cain's sin (Gn. 4:8), resulting in a punishment from God that involves Cain becoming a restless wanderer on the earth and no longer being able to successfully grow crops (Gn. 4:12).

So far, it appears that there is a distinct correlation between obedience and land. Specifically, obedience means being in the land but disobedience means being removed from it. Also, it appears that when man is living in an obedient relationship with God, food is effortlessly provided by God in the land (Gn. 2:9) but sin leads to hardship in attaining food.

Genesis continues this pattern of land and obedience in a dramatic way. Man becomes more wicked and sinful (Gn. 6:5) leading to God destroying both mankind and the earth in a great flood (Gn. 7:21) until there is no longer any land to speak of. But by God's grace, Noah and his family are saved in an ark provided by God (7:23) and Noah's descendants spread out over the earth after the flood (Gn. 10:32).

At this point, due to man's continuing sinfulness it appears that there is no going back to “God's people in God's place under God's rule”. However, God chooses Abraham with whom he makes a covenant in which he promises to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's offspring (Gn. 12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21; 22:17). God also adds to the promise “and I will be their God” (Gn. 17:8) signifying that this promised land will be a place where God's people will again live in obedience to him.

In Abraham's lifetime it is clear that despite these promises, God does not give land directly to him and Abraham remains a foreigner in the land of Canaan. This is evident when Abimelech, the king of Gerar, allows Abraham to live wherever he likes, but still pronounces the land as his own (Gn. 20:15). In addition, when Abraham's wife Sarah dies, he needs to buy a burial plot for her in the land of the Hittites (Gn. 23:16), where eventually both he and Sarah are buried (Gn. 23:19; Gn. 25:10). Due to Abraham's obedience to God, the promise of land is passed down from Abraham through to his son Isaac (Gn. 26:3,5) and then again to Isaac's son, Jacob (Gn. 28:13). But the land is not yet available to either Isaac or Jacob and at the end of Jacob's life, his family move to Egypt away from the land of Canaan (Gn. 47:27).

While in Egypt, Jacob's descendants the Israelites grow in number and are oppressed into slave labour for the Egyptians (Ex. 1:9-11). It appears that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are far from receiving the promise of a land of their own. However, God remembers the promise he made to their forefathers and uses Moses (Ex. 3:10) to assure the Israelites that he will rescue them out of Egypt and lead them to the land of Canaan, where it flows with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8; 3:17; 6:8). God promises that this will be done so they may know that he is Yahweh, and so that they will be his people and he will be their God (Ex. 6:7; 29:45-46). This points to a time when God's people will again live in a land under his sovereign rule, where he will richly provide for them all they need (Num. 15:41).

In a mighty exodus, God rescues the Israelites from out of Egypt (Ex. 12:51) and leads them towards the promised land. He reaffirms his covenant with them, by promising to bring them into the land of Canaan, where he will wipe out those that are currently living there (Ex. 23:20, 23). It is evident that receiving the land is dependent on God's good and generous provision. However, he makes clear to the Israelites that in order to remain in this land they must also be obedient to him in light of their rescue from Egypt (Lev. 18:4; 18:28) and love him wholeheartedly (Deut. 11:9). If the Israelites are obedient to God, he will grant them peace in the land and provide them with all they require (Lev. 26:3-10). But if they are disobedient, they will be uprooted from the land and scattered among the nations (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 6:15; 28:63-64). Specifically, the Israelites are repeatedly commanded to not worship other gods and are warned to completely drive out those living in the land, lest they turn away from God and worship foreign gods (Ex. 34:12-14; Num. 33:50; Deut, 6:14; 7:2-4; 8:19).

The Israelites that are brought out of Egypt are quick to grumble against God (Num. 14:2-3) and as a result are prevented to enter the land (Num. 14:22-23). Instead, their children enter into Canaan under Joshua's leadership (Josh. 1:6) and immediately begin to eat the produce of the land (Josh. 5:11), signifying God's provision for them. God also begins to give the Israelites victory over many cities in order for them to possess the land (Josh. 6:20; 8:22; 10:10,40; 11:8, 16-17). God's promise of land spoken to Abraham appears to be fulfilled at this point (Josh. 21:43-45).

Unfortunately, the Israelites fail to heed God's commands to completely drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (Judg. 1:27-35). The warnings that the Israelites may possibly turn away from God as a result prove to be true when they begin to worship other gods (Judg. 2:12, 19; 3:6). This begins a continuing cycle of God handing the Israelites over to their enemies because of their disobedience and God raising up a judge to save them when they cry out to him (Judg. 2:11-19). Again, the pattern of land and obedience is seen when the Israelites disobey God and he punishes them by no longer driving out any of the nations before them (Judg. 2:21) and thus dispossessing them of their land. The Israelites must again work hard for their food, clearly seen when the Midianites ruin their crops and take away their livestock (Judg. 6:4).

Under the prophet Samuel's guidance, the Israelites rid themselves of foreign gods to serve God only which leads to the defeat of the Philistines and thus the returning of Israel's land (1 Sam. 7:3, 13-14). God remains faithful to his covenant with Abraham in spite of the past rebellion of the Israelites. The Israelites demand a king (1 Sam. 8:5) and Saul is the first king appointed in a long line of kings in Israel's history (1 Sam. 10:1). Samuel again reminds Israel of the need for both the nation and the king to be obedient to God otherwise God's hand will be against them (1 Sam. 12:15, 24-25). Saul leads the Israelites back into the hands of the Philistines through his disobedience (1 Sam. 28:18-19) and it is not until Israel is under the rule of an obedient David that the Israelites can again enjoy a victory over the Philistines and various cities in Canaan (2 Sam. 8:14).

Israel also enjoys rest under the rule of Solomon, David's son, when all could eat, drink and be happy (1 Kings 4:20). During that time, the Israelites “lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25) demonstrating that God was again able to provide graciously and lovingly for a people who lived in obedience to him (1 Kings 5:4).

Sadly, after the reign of Solomon despite a number of warnings, most of the kings of Israel fail to follow God and instead worship other gods, leading the people of Israel to do the same (1 Kings 12:28; 15:3; 16:19, 25; 22:52; 2 Kings 17:15). By this time, the kingdom of Israel had split into Samaria and Judah (1 Kings 11:31-32) and as a result of their continuing disobedience and evil, God removes them from the land. The nation of Israel is exiled out of the land with Samaria being invaded and taken to Assyria (2 Kings 17:5-6) and Judah exiled to Babylon shortly after (2 Kings 25:21).

As God promised to their forefathers (Lev.26:33; Deut. 6:15; 28:63-64) and spoke through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 14:14-16) , by the end of the book of 2 Kings the Israelites are scattered and uprooted from the good land. However, there is hope for Israel in the loving words of God, that when the Israelites return to God he will have compassion on them and will gather them from all the nations he has scattered them. He will circumcise their hearts so they might love him with all their hearts and souls (Deut. 30:2-6).

1This reference from Genesis 2:15 comes from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. All subsequent bible quotes and references in this report will also be from the NIV.

2Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Cumbria: Paternoster, 1981) 60.

1

Being Created

Q: What is the significance of understanding humans as created beings?

Millions of men and women live on this earth today without an understanding of their meaning or purpose in life, largely due to their ignorance in recognising that they have been masterfully created by a loving God. This essay will seek to explore the significance of understanding humans as created beings by considering three key implications that result from this understanding.

Understanding humans as created beings leads to the obvious conclusion that there is a Creator. This is the first key implication that results from this understanding. Being made by a Creator is a foundational Christian principle. The Bible is clear in proclaiming that there is a God who is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1; Is. 40:28, 42:5, 44:24; Acts 17:24)¹ and of all mankind (Gen. 1:26-27, 2:7; Mal. 2:10; Matt. 19:4). What does it mean for God to be the Creator? It means that God can be accredited with a number of character traits fitting for a Creator. For example, the notion of a Creator God means that God is the source of all existing things.

God being the source of all things immediately implies that he is the sovereign Lord over all of creation, including over all mankind. Indeed, the Bible emphasises God’s sovereignty in the way his people continuously address him as “sovereign Lord” (Gen. 15:2; Deut. 3:24; Jer. 32:17 etc.) and also in the way they recognise his rule and ownership over the whole earth (1 Chron. 29:11; Ps. 89:11). God is ruler and king² with everything under heaven belonging to him (Job 41:11), and is therefore worthy to be praised and to receive all glory, honour and power (Rev. 4:11).

There are additional characteristics that can be attributed to a God who created mankind. The Bible speaks of the creation of man in Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:5-25. Reymond suggests that the creation of man was the climax of God’s creation activity. Further, he maintains that everything God had created prior to this event was in preparation for mankind.³ This implies that God is a purposeful God and that he created mankind for a purpose. There is a reason behind man’s existence and all things that exist find their meaning and interpretation only in relation to God.⁴ Hendry asserts that being created is not accidental and man is given meaning because he exists.⁵ Erickson agrees that there is a reason for man’s existence because he was created through a “conscious, purposeful act by God”.⁶ The purpose of mankind will be discussed further, later.

From the creation account of man in Genesis 1:26-28, God gives mankind a number of commands as his created beings. He asks them to be fruitful and to fill the earth. He also commands them to subdue the earth and to rule over all living creatures. Fretheim believes this shows that God is a “power-sharing God”⁷ who allows man to participate in using power.⁸ As Creator, God has authority over man however man has authority under God over the rest of creation. God therefore, delegates authority to mankind.⁹

Mankind is thus accountable to God as their Creator. However, man is given a freedom which allows him to accept God as Creator or to deny him.¹⁰ The Bible tells us that as a result of sin entering the world, man ignores God as Creator and does not seek him (Rom. 3:10-12). In the redemption of man through the death of Jesus, God can therefore be known as a gracious and merciful God who allows mankind to once again approach him in rightful worship. Hoekema maintains it is only through God’s sovereign intervention on the behalf of man that man can know redemption from sin.¹¹

Knowledge of a Creator God is integral to the way in which all of creation is to view God and relate to him. The second major implication from understanding humans as created beings is to consider what this means for man and his responsibilities in relating to God as a created being. Being created means humans do not independently exist.¹² If the source of existence is from God and not from man, Hendry suggests that the created being cannot be egocentric because everyone and everything that exists cannot exist apart from God. ¹³ Man cannot breathe another breath without it being given by God (Is. 42:5; Acts 17:25; Gen. 2:7). We therefore owe our very existence to a Creator.

Humanity’s immediate response to God should consequently be one of praise and gratitude for the provision of life and God’s continuous preserving of it. God’s role as one who sustains life means that man is dependent on God for provision of all things. Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what to eat or drink because it is the Father who is the provider of all things and knows what we need (Matt. 6:25-34).

As aforementioned, God is sovereign over the earth and is worthy of all praise, honour and glory (Rev. 4:11). Humanity has a responsibility to submit to the lordship of God and to be the creatures who give God this praise. Man must not seek glory for himself but give the glory to God who is deserving of it.¹⁴ Humans must realise that as creatures, we are not God. We are finite, revealing that there are limitations to what we are able to do.¹⁵ This knowledge should change the way in which we approach God. We should strive to come before him in humility fitting for a creature before his Creator. We do have value and worth as created beings but this value is given to us by a Creator.¹⁶ Men and women have been ignorant in their understanding of being created beings but God now commands all to repent of this ignorance and to seek after him (Acts 17:27-30).

Due to creation being a deliberate act of God¹⁷ one can assume that man was created for a purpose and that we have a reason for existence. Being created for a purpose has implications to how we should live, specifically, that we should live according to that purpose. The Scriptural account of the creation of man can perhaps give the reader an idea of the intent of God in this act. Genesis 1:26-27 speaks of God making man in his image and likeness. There is much debate as to what being made in the image of God might mean.

Blocher describes mankind as a “created representation of his Creator”.¹⁸ T.C. Hammond and others believe that it is characteristics such as the ability to have abstract thought and a limited type of dominion over creation that make up the image of God.¹⁹ Wilkinson however, asserts that while it is important to acknowledge such insights of what the image of God might comprise, they cannot be the core defining characteristics of the image of God.²⁰ Further, he states that the significance of what it means to be made in the image of God is caught up in the idea that God has made us sufficiently like him in order for us to have a relationship with him.²¹ We are made for relationship, to love God and to be loved by him.

Purpose of life is only found in relationship with our Creator God.²² Grudem asserts that God’s purpose in creating man is so that man can glorify him,²³ which appears to be aligned with what God says in Isaiah 43:7 as he speaks of his children whom he created for his glory. Macquarrie claims that God’s purpose in creation was for him to be in a personal relationship with man.²⁴ Erickson essentially draws these two thoughts together by suggesting that man is created as capable of having a personal relationship with God and as such can respond to him in love, worship and obedience.²⁵Hoekema develops this idea of relationship by pointing the reader to Christ, who the Scriptures tell us is the complete image of God (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15).²⁶ Christ’s life was revolved around his love for God and for man (Jn 15:9; 1 Jn 3:16; Eph. 5:1-2) and therefore central to the image of God is love.²⁷

There is some question as to whether as humans we have still retained this image of God even after sin has entered the world as a result of man’s disobedience (Rom. 5:12). The image of God may have been distorted as a result of sin but the Bible tells us that the idea of man being made in the image of God still stands (Gen. 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas 3:9). It is through the redeeming work of God through Christ that man can become like Christ and be restored into the full image of God.²⁸

The third and final key implication addressed by this essay concerns the way in which humans are to relate to creation and treat each other as created beings. Because God created every living creature, man is not solitary in his existence²⁹ and therefore must consider how to live with other creatures. Erickson purports that there exists a “universal brotherhood”³⁰ which should impact the way in which we are concerned and empathetic for other humans.³¹ For example, we should be greatly troubled by the inequality that we see around us in environments such as that of slavery or political oppression. Since all humans are created equally in the image of God before the same Creator, all individuals have the right to the same dignity.³² Just as importantly, as all gifts are given to man by God (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:4), worshipping or the idolising of other humans is also wrong especially as God is the sole Creator who deserves all glory.³³ Thus, it is important to emphasise that the love humans have for God is primary followed by the love humans have for their neighbour.³⁴

Being created also has an impact on the way we evangelise to others, keeping in mind that they too are created. Evangelism should thus include the story of creation, establishing God as the Creator and sovereign Lord who has a right to demand a response from his creation.³⁵

There also exists a kinship between humanity and other creatures because of our status as created beings.³⁶ We are thus required to treat creation in a humane way and should be concerned for their welfare as God is.³⁷ This has an impact on how humans should react when faced with issues such as animal cruelty and environmental problems. As humans who have been given the role of stewards over the earth (Gen. 1:26, 2:15), we must consider the way in which we are treating God’s creation.

The understanding of humans as created beings has great implications in the life of man. As a created being, man will recognise that there must exist a sovereign Creator God who he is accountable to. In addition, he will realise that he was created for a purpose, essentially, that he is to live in relationship to God where he can love and glorify him. Finally, being created means treating humans and other creatures as part of creation. Ultimately, if true meaning of life is only found in God, then one must understand man as a created being answerable to a Creator God.

1 All Bible references and quotes in this essay are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Bible.

2C.H. Pinnock, ‘God’s Sovereignty in Today’s World’, Theology Today, 53 (1996) 15-21.

3 R. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (2^nd ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998) 416.

4 C. Colson, N. Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1999) 98.

5 G. S. Hendry, ‘On Being a Creature’, Theology Today, 38 (1981) 60-72.

6 M. Erickson, Christian Theology (2^nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998) 493.

7 T. Fretheim, God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005) 49.

8 Fretheim, God and World, 49

9 T.M. Kitwood, What is Human? (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1971) 97.

10 D. McKim, ‘Doctrine of Creation’ in W. Elwell (ed.) Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (2^nd ed. Grand Rapids: Paternoster, 2001) 305.

11 A. Hoekema, Created in God’s Image (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1986) 7.

12 Erickson, Christian, 510

13 Hendry, ‘On Being a Creature’, 62

14 W. Grudem, Systematic Theology (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994) 442.

15 Erickson, Christian, 515

16 Colson and Pearcey, How Now, 128

17 Colson and Pearcey, How Now, 55

18 H. Blocher, In the Beginning: The Opening Chapters of Genesis (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1984) 85.

19 T.C. Hammond. In Understanding Be Men: A Handbook of Christian Doctrine (6^th ed. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968) 72.

20 D. Wilkinson, The Message of Creation (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2002) 35.

21 Wilkinson, Message, 36

22 Wilkinson, Message, 39

23 Grudem, Systematic, 440

24 J. Macquarrie, ‘What is the Purpose of Life?’, Living Pulpit 4 (1995) 9.

25 Erickson, Christian, 494

26 Hoekema, Created, 22

27 Hoekema, Created, 22

28 Colson and Pearcey, How Now, 23

29 Hendry, ‘On Being a Creature’, 64

30 Erickson, Christian, 513

31 Erickson, Christian, 513

32 Colson and Pearcey, How Now, 131

33McKim, ‘Doctrine of Creation’, 305

34 Erickson, Christian, 513

35 Colson and Pearcey, How Now, 98

36 Erickson, Christian, 512

37 Erickson, Christian, 512

1

The Holy Spirit

Q: What does Ephesians tell us about the role of the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is mentioned a number of times in Paul’s letter to the believers in Ephesus. This essay will seek to outline and explain the various roles of the Holy Spirit as taught by Paul in his letter. The roles can be divided into four major roles which include the mediating of God’s blessings to believers, the subsequent unity of believers, aiding believers to live in light of these blessings and empowering believers in spiritual warfare.

Paul begins the letter to the Ephesians by teaching the believers about a significant role of the Holy Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit mediates the blessings of God to believers. This is seen in a number of ways throughout the first half of the letter but is most clearly explained in Ephesians 1:3,¹ where Paul tells his readers that God has blessed them with “every spiritual blessing in Christ”. Fee proposes that the Greek word for “spiritual” in this instance refers to an adjective for the Holy Spirit and the blessings are therefore those that pertain to the Holy Spirit and not merely “spirit”.² O’Brien agrees and further explains the nature of these blessings. He suggests that “in Christ” implies that the blessings or gifts given to believers are a result of God’s salvation work through Christ.³ The text in Ephesians 1:4-14 explains the nature of these gifts, which includes adoption as sons, redemption and forgiveness of sins amongst others. This is not the only section of the letter that speaks of the blessings of God which the Spirit appropriates to believers. The entire first half of the letter to the Ephesians (chapter one to three) speaks of these blessings that are founded on what God has done in Christ.⁴ Besides being the one who mediates these blessings to Christians, Paul teaches that other roles of the Holy Spirit include the way he acts within these blessings.

Firstly, the Spirit is a gift himself, given by God to the believer. This is found in Ephesians 1:13, which explains that once you have believed the gospel of salvation, you are marked with the promised Holy Spirit. In this verse, Paul teaches that one of the Holy Spirit’s roles is that of being a seal which marks a believer. The seal (the Holy Spirit) reveals God’s ownership of the believer and the indwelling of the Spirit which occurs at conversion. Furthermore, the seal of the Holy Spirit demonstrates the security of the salvation of believers.⁵ This is more clearly seen in the following verse, 1:14, where the Spirit is described as a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession. The role of the Spirit here is not only as a seal of ownership which marks the believers of God and sets them apart from others, but also as a deposit which acts like God’s assurance to his people, that he will most certainly achieve their ultimate final redemption.⁶ This is also evident in Ephesians 4:30 which states that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. The day of redemption refers to the final day of salvation and judgment and the Holy Spirit’s seal acts as God’s guarantee that He will redeem His people.⁷

Another way in which the Holy Spirit acts within the blessings of God is found in 1:17, the beginning of Paul’s written prayer for the Ephesians. The Spirit is referred to here as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. What knowledge and revelation will the Spirit be imparting to the believers? Paul prays that the Ephesians may know God better (Eph. 1:17). The Spirit will reveal to them the full extent of these God-given blessings they have in Christ. Fee states that the Spirit will give them a fuller understanding of God and all he has done in Christ.⁸ In addition, the verses that follow indicate that the Spirit will also aid in the believers’ understanding of their future hope of inheritance and of God’s great power for those who believe (Eph. 1:18-19). Paul shares with the Ephesians that he too was given this Spirit of revelation when by the Spirit, God revealed the mystery of Christ to him. Paul explains the mystery is that through the gospel Gentiles and Jews share together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:3-6). It is concerning this mystery that the next blessing comes about.

A further blessing of God to believers evident in this letter is that of reconciliation between Jew and Gentile and reconciliation between man and God. Through Christ’s death, the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile is destroyed and they now form one humanity (Eph. 2:14-15) who share together as heirs in the promises of God (Eph. 3:6). As a result of Christ’s work of salvation, believers are also brought near to God (Eph. 2:13), have access to the Father (Eph. 2:18) and are thus reconciled to God. Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit’s role within the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile involves the indwelling of the Spirit within each believer (Eph. 2:22). This indwelling of the Spirit is essentially God living in believers and O’Brien refers to this as a link between the believers and the heavenly realm.⁹ In light of the access believers have to God, Paul ends his letter by telling his readers to pray in the Spirit, meaning prayer that is guided by the Spirit.

Thus far, the initial key role of the Holy Spirit that Paul teaches about is that he is the member of the Trinity through whom God mediates his blessings to his people. Besides this fundamental role of the Holy Spirit and the various roles within it, Paul teaches that the second key role of the Holy Spirit is that of uniting believers. Unity is a significant theme that flows throughout the letter to the Ephesians. Unity of believers is established because of Christ’s death and the Holy Spirit is instrumental in creating it.¹⁰ In addition to the aforementioned verses that explain the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles, Ephesians 4 also speaks of the unity amongst believers. Through the indwelling of the Spirit in each believer, both Jew and Gentile create a united body of Christ. Fee states the one body is “the result of their common experience of one Spirit, whose presence in their lives is also the predicate of their one hope”.¹¹ This is explained in Ephesians 4:4-5 where Paul outlines the oneness of the body of Christ.

Paul exhorts the believers to live a life worthy of the calling they have received (Eph. 4:1) with the aim to maintain this unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). This exhortation begins a series of exhortations that will follow in chapters 4 to 6 of Ephesians. Paul is encouraging the believers to live a life in light of the blessings which have been previously outlined in chapters 1 to 3. Furthermore, Fee suggests that the subsequent exhortations should be understood in light of Ephesians 4:1-5 as what it means to maintain the unity of the body of Christ.¹² The Holy Spirit plays an essential role in aiding the believers to live a certain way in order to be obedient to God’s command for unity.

The third key role of the Holy Spirit is that of helping believers to live in light of the gospel. It is due to the indwelling of Christ by the Spirit that believers can change the way they live. Fee explains that God’s power that strengthens the believers through the Spirit (Eph. 3:16) is necessary for his people to shine his glory in the world.¹³ Ellis identifies this third key role as “the fruit of the Spirit” which he explains as the evidence of Christ’s character seen through the attitude and conduct of the believer.¹⁴ Paul teaches the believers to live this way in Ephesians 4:2 where he tells them to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” These character traits can be found among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. These commands and those that follow revolve around maintaining unity within the body of Christ by the way in which the believers relate to one another.

Paul continues by exhorting the Ephesians to put on the new self (Eph. 4:24), to live in a new way in accordance with who they are in Christ. He again reminds the believers they are “one body” (Eph. 4:25) and the importance of building one another up in the way they relate to each other (Eph. 4:29). Paul outlines how to achieve this in the commands he gives to them. He reminds the believers that they were once darkness but now they are to live as children of light (Eph. 5:8). The Holy Spirit enables them to do this. A number of positive (Eph. 4:32; 5:1-2, 8) and negative commands (Eph. 4:26-27, 29-31; 5:3-7, 11) are also given. Amidst the negative commands from 4:26-31, Paul tells the believers not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). O’Brien proposes that the Spirit is grieved when God’s people continue in sins that divide or destroy the body of Christ.¹⁵ Holladay agrees that the context of the passage suggests this and further states that the sins which grieve the Spirit are those committed against the fellowship of the church.¹⁶ It is clear why these sins would grieve the Spirit if one of the key roles of the Spirit is to create unity amongst believers.

In continuing with the Holy Spirit’s role of helping believers live in light of the gospel, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “be filled with the Spirit”(Eph. 5:18). Stott explains that the command to “be filled” is written in the present imperative which indicates that there is to be a continuous filling of the Spirit in the believer.¹⁷ O’Brien asserts that being filled with the Spirit means that the Spirit mediates the fullness of God and Christ to believers so that they can change more and more into Christ’s image.¹⁸ Furthermore, the passage appears to explain that being filled with the Holy Spirit is achieved by the four actions that directly follow the command that is, speaking to one another with psalms, singing to the Lord, giving thanks to God and submitting to one another (Eph. 5:19-21). From 5:22 to 6:9, the last exhortation which involves submitting to one another out of reverence to Christ (Eph. 5:21) is made more clear in the example of various earthly relationships. Thus it can be said that being filled with the Spirit leads to fellowship with one another and also to God’s glory through heartfelt worship.¹⁹

It has been plain throughout the letter that it is a result of Christ’s work on the cross that enables the believers to live in a way which builds up others and brings glory to God. However, it is the Spirit given by Christ to dwell in believers that aids them in living in this way. In an additional example, Paul does not specify directly that the Spirit imparts gifts to believers in Ephesians 4:8-13. However, it can be implied from the passage that the Spirit acts on behalf of Christ to give gifts to believers.

The final role of the Holy Spirit is to give power to believers in spiritual warfare through the word of God.²⁰ The last half of chapter 6 in the letter urges the believers to stand strong against the evil and dark forces of the world. The “sword of the Spirit” is one part of the armour of God that the believers are called to use in this spiritual battle and is explained as the word of God (Eph. 6:17). Fee maintains that the sword of the Spirit is about being empowered with the Spirit to boldly proclaim Christ so that all might hear and be delivered from Satan.²¹

In conclusion, Paul teaches in Ephesians that the Holy Spirit has a number of roles as a member of the Trinity. It is evident throughout the letter that the Spirit does not act by himself, but acts within the Trinity because of God’s salvation work through the death of Christ. He mediates God’s blessings in Christ to believers and creates unity amongst believers through his indwelling. He aids believers in living in light of God’s blessings and in order to maintain unity in the body of Christ. Lastly, he empowers believers to stand firm in the battle against evil powers in their proclamation of their Saviour, the Lord Jesus.

1 All Bible references and quotes in this essay are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Bible.

2 G. Fee, God’s Empowering Presence, The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994) 666.

3 P. O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1999) 96.

4 E. Best, Ephesians (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1993) 38.

5 E. Woodcock, ‘The Seal of the Holy Spirit’, Bibliotheca Sacra 144 (1998) 150.

6 Woodcock , ‘Seal of the Holy Spirit’, 154-155

7 O’Brien, Letter, 439

8 Fee, God’s Empowering, 674

9 O’Brien, Letter, 221

10 O’Brien, Letter, 279

11 Fee, God’s Empowering, 699-700

12 Fee, God’s Empowering, 698-699

13 Fee, God’s Empowering, 695

14 E. Ellis, Pauline Theology: Ministry and Society (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1989) 33.

15 O’Brien, Letter, 346

16 J. Holladay Jr., ‘Ephesians 4:30, Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit’ Review and Expositor 94 (1997) 85.

17 J. Stott, Baptism and Fullness, The Work of the Holy Spirit Today (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1975) 61.

18 O’Brien, Letter, 392

19 Stott, Baptism, 57-58

20 O’Brien, Letter, 482

21 Fee, God’s Empowering, 729

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