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"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered, and He that searcheth the heart knoweth the
mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to
the will of God" (26, 27).
(b) The sphere of this life--In spirit.
"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"
(9).
(c) The nature of this life--Resurrection.
"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by His
spirit that dwelleth in you" (11).
(d) The expression of this life--Sonship.
"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (14).
"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the spirit of adoption (or sonship), whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (15).
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God" (16).
"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption (or sonship),
to wit, the redemption of our body" (23).
Before leaving this analysis it may be helpful to indicate which passages in the above
list refer specifically to the Holy Spirit Himself, and which to His gifts. It is not our
practice in these pages to extensively quote from the writings of others, and though we
are continually indebted to all sorts and conditions of men, the resulting studies published
in The Berean Expositor are essentially first hand and our own. Those of our readers,
however, who know Dr. Bullinger's contribution to the teaching of Scripture concerning
the usage of pneuma, will realize that he has summed up the matter so ably that it would
be difficult to go over the ground independently. We therefore depart from our usual
practice and give the following seven ways in which pneuma is employed in the N.T.,
in the form of an extract from "Things to Come", Volume X, page 61.
The use of pneuma in the New Testament.
Let us next note the various ways in which the Greek word pneuma is employed;
i.e., the way in which it is used (apart from its meaning, or the sense which is given
to it: i.e., its usage):--
(1:)
It is used alone, in two ways:
(1)
Without the article: simple pneuma.
(2)
With the article: to pneuma, the pneuma.
(2:)
It is employed with hagion, holy, in four ways:
(1)
pneuma hagion (holy Spirit): Matt. 1: 18, and in 49 other places.
(2)
hagion pneuma (Spirit holy): I Cor. 6: 19, etc.
(3)
the hagion pneuma: Matt. 28: 19, etc.
(4)
the pneuma the hagion: Matt. 12: 32, etc.