THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORLD.

It is impossible to contemplate the Holy Spirit in relation to the Christian Church without being led naturally and inevitably to the thought of His relation to the world at large. It is obvious that since Christ died for the whole world, and that God is ' not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,' there must be some definite relationship to humanity on the part of that Spirit Whose work it is to make the redemption of Christ real to mankind. What is this relation? How is it exercised? What does it effect?

The first thing to notice is that in the New Testament there is an entire absence of all cosmical relations of the Holy Spirit such as we find in the Old Testament. This contrast between the two parts of Scripture calls for careful attention. The New Testament revelation of the Holy Spirit is associated solely with redemption, and the wider doctrine of the direct relation of God to the world is expressed by the Logos, the Second Person of the Trinity (John i. 9; Col. i. i6, 17; Heb. i. 2, 3a). Although most modern writers on the subject of the Holy Spirit speak of the Spirit as related to the world of mankind, nothing is more striking than the simple fact that not a single passage can be discovered in the New Testament which refers to the direct action of the Spirit on the world. On the contrary, St. Paul says quite plainly that ' the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned ' (i Cor. ii. 14). Even those who favour the view of the Holy Spirit's action on the world fail to adduce definite New Testament evidence for their contention.1

But what, it may be asked, are we to understand by the promise of Christ that the Holy Spirit should convict, or convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John xvi. 8-1 1)? The context seems as clear as it is significant. A brief amplification will enable us to appreciate this point. Our Lord was speaking to His disciples, and addressing them, He said, ' It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come (that is, unto you). He will (that is, through you) convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.' Is not this the fair and proper interpretation of the passage, and does it not show plainly that the conviction of the world was to come in some way through the Church? And is not this exactly true both to the teaching of Holy Scripture and to the facts of experience? When we turn to the preaching of St. Peter on the Day of Pentecost, we notice that what he said produced this very conviction of sin (Acts ii. 37). But it is sometimes forgotten that he proclaimed these very three truths mentioned by our Lord. He declared to the house of Israel their sin in not believing on Jesus Christ. He proclaimed the righteousness of Christ by reason of God's reception of Him into heaven. And he announced in effect a very definite judgment as he proclaimed the great realities of his message. This is a typical example of what has always taken place as the direct result of proclaiming the Christian truth. The preacher or teacher, either individually, or representing the Church, has been used of God to convince of sin through the proclamation of Divine truth. The same thing is obvious when the history of the Christian religion is considered. No one has ever heard of a conversion to God apart from some human agency, direct or indirect, personal or written. No one has ever been led to Christ in the centre of Africa, or China, or elsewhere by the Holy Spirit apart from some testimony to Christ by life or word; the latter either spoken or written. Our Lord said distinctly of the Holy Spirit, ' Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him ' (John xiv. 17).

It seems clear, therefore, that we make a serious mistake in enlarging our conception of the Holy Spirit so as to make Him directly responsible for all the strivings of conscience in the heathen world. There is indeed a moral work going on throughout the human race, and this assuredly comes from God; but it is better to connect it with the general work of the Logos than with the specific work of the Holy Spirit. Let it be said once again, and surely there must be some meaning in it, that not a single trace can be found in the New Testament to connect the Holy Spirit with the general preparatory work and influence of God on the world. And, indeed, any such attribution would inevitably tend to rob the Church of its responsibility to witness to the world. It was to His disciples that our Lord spoke of the Spirit when He said, ' Ye know Him,' and it is in proportion to our reception and experience of Him that our witness to Christ will be real and effectual. The consciousness that if the world is not convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment through Christians, it will not be convicted at all is one of the most solemn incentives to holiness, earnestness, and world-wide evangelisation.

This brings us to consider the work of the Church in the world and the relation of the Spirit thereto.2 In our Lord's prayer for His disciples in St. John xvii. His fourfold purpose is seen to be: Preservation, Sanctification, Unification, Evangelisation. The preservation was to lead to sanctification, or consecration. This in turn was to produce unity among His followers, and the unity was to bring about world-wide evangelisation; ' That the world may believe ' (ver. 21); ' That the world may know ' (ver. 23). And when this work was about to be commenced, the Holy Spirit was specifically mentioned in connection with it. ' Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name... but tarry ye... until ye be endued with power from on high ' (Luke xxiv. 47-49). ' Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me ' (Acts i. 8). In harmony with these statements the book of Acts emphasises the three essential factors of Christian service: the Spirit as the Power; the Word as the Message; and the Man as the Instrument. The combination of these three constitutes the Divine plan for the world's evangelisation. Not the man without the message, not the message without the man, and neither man nor message without the power, but all three united in one forceful testimony to Christ with a view to human redemption. And as the Church proceeds along this line, it will be doing the Master's will in the Master's way for the Master's glory.

Our view of the theological formulation of this article of our faith has clearly taught us that the work of the Holy Spirit is much wider than the dogmatic statements of the Creeds. The Creeds are only landmarks, not goals, and not complete rules of faith. A Creed is a norma crediti rather than a norma credendi. Modern thought tends to criticise the ancient formularies, but hitherto nothing superior has been found to express the essential truths intended by them. And it is wholly inaccurate to describe the Creeds as Christian truth transformed by philosophy. On the contrary, as Illingworth has said, ' Christianity was not accommodated to philosophy, but philosophy to Christianity.' The Christian consciousness taught by the Holy Spirit will continue to work upon the Divine revelation, and will obtain yet fuller, deeper and richer aspects of the truth found germinally in Holy Scripture as the written record of God's will to man.

Literature.— Humphries, The Holy Spirit in Faith and Experience, chs. ix., xii.; Smeaton, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 172; E. H. Johnson, The Holy Spirit, p. 213; A. J. Gordon, The Ministry of the Spirit, ch. ix.; Potten, His Divine Power, ch. vi.; Davison, The Indwelling Spirit, ch. x.; Downer, The Mission and Ministration of the Holy Spirit, ch. xi.; Elder Gumming, Through the Eternal Spirit, ch. xxiv.; After the Spirit, ch. xi.; J. M. Gampbell, After Pentecost, What? chs. xv., xvi.

1 Humphries, The Holy Spirit in Faith and Experience, p. 199; Denio, The Supreme Leader, p. 120; Wood, The Spirit of God in Biblical Literature, p. 268; Walker, The Holy Spirit, p. 23; Downer, The Mission and Ministration of the Holy Spirit, p. 325; Bruce, St. Paul's Conception of Christianity, p. 257; E. H. Johnson, The Holy Spirit, p. 213; Curtis, The Christian Faith, p. 351; Moule, Veni Creator, p. 46; Hobart, Our Silent Partner, ch. i.

2 For literature on the Holy Spirit in relation to Missions, see Note Y. p. 285.