CONTENTS

I.—THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE PRE-CHRISTIAN AGE

CHAPTER I

THE OLD TESTAMENT DOCTRINE OF THE SPIRIT

Origin of the notion of the Spirit.—Ruaḥ and nephesh in the

Old Testament.-The Spirit and the origin and sustenance

of life.-Association with the abnormal.-The Spirit and

the activity of the intellect.-Bestowed on the Messiah and

the prophets.The Spirit and moral excellence.—Signifi-

cance of "Holy."-The personality of the Spirit.—“ God

in the exercise of power

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CHAPTER II

THE OLD TESTAMENT EXPERIENCE OF THE SPIRIT

The experience larger than its comprehension.-Spheres of the

Spirit's activity

A. THE SPIRIT IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

Israel an inspired people.-Christ the goal of the history.—

Israel and her Semitic neighbours.-Her ultimate isolation.

-Israel the people of revelation.-Relation of the Spirit to

heathen nations and faiths.-God only partially universal-

ised in the Old Testament.-All history and all truth

inspired

B. THE SPIRIT IN REVELATION

Revelation a process in history. The limits of revelation.-Its
relation to science.-Revelation and its human recipient.
-Mechanical theories of inspiration.-The true mode
of its operation.-Inferences as to the methods of revela-
tion. The highest truths ethically conditioned.-The
Spirit limited by man.-Revelation by stages.-Abnormal
features in early prophecy.-The greater prophets and
(a) modes of revelation, (b) their attitude to the Spirit.-

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The false prophets.-The application of revelation.—The
prophetic interpretation of history.-The Spirit and pre-
diction.-Characteristics of prediction.—Why some predic-
tions were unfulfilled.-The future idealised.-Messianic
prophecy.-How it was fulfilled in Christ.-The movement
of the Spirit marked by freedom

C.-THE SPIRIT IN LITERATURE

Revelation created a literature.-How this was inspired.—
Variety of literary forms in the Old Testament.-Human
freedom.-Myth and legend in the Old Testament.-
Inspiration of the Books of Genesis, Job, &c.—The versa-
tility of the Spirit.—The necessity of truth in inspired
records. Inspiration and the Higher Criticism.—The
difficulty of the pseudonymous Books

D. THE SPIRIT IN RELIGIOUS LIFE

Revelation contemplates practical ends.-Faith and morality

in the Old Testament.-The spiritualising of religion.—

Types of moral excellence.-The devotional spirit in the

Psalms

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CHAPTER III

THE SPIRIT IN NON-CANONICAL WRITINGS

Developments in the two centuries before Christ.-Paucity of
references to the Spirit.-The dumbness of prophecy.—
The Book of Wisdom.-The sage and the prophet.-The
Spirit and Wisdom.-The influence of Greek philosophy.—
The Spirit identified with Wisdom

II. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

CHAPTER IV

THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

"

The wealth of references to the Spirit.-Titles used and their

distribution.-Significance of Holy."- Spirit" and

"The Spirit."-

.”—Personality of the Spirit.—Redistribution

of His functions.-His restricted sphere in the New Testa-

ment presentation

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CHAPTER V

THE SPIRIT IN JESUS

The Spirit in the Nativity stories.-His relation to the Birth of

Jesus.-Poetry? or fact?—The influence of Gentile myths.

-The truth set forth by Matthew and Luke.-Meaning of

the Baptism of Jesus.-And of the Temptation.-The

Spirit the chrism of Jesus.-How this is reconcilable with

the Incarnation.-The Holy Spirit the explanation of

Christ's teaching.-And of His miracles.-Demonic posses-

sion.-Two kingdoms at strife.-The "sin against the Holy

Ghost."-The Spirit and the inner life of Jesus.-How His

moral development was mediated.—The natural behind

the supernatural

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CHAPTER VI

THE INNER MEANING OF PENTECOST

of

The gift of the Spirit promised by Jesus.-Associated with
the Messiah. The outcome of Christ's glorification.—
Did Pentecost inaugurate a new era ?-The previous
activity of the Spirit.-Pentecost not "the coming
the Spirit, but His more impressive manifestation.-The
"wind" and "fiery tongues."-Parallel experiences.—
The test of their reality.-Pentecost marks the conscious
reception of the Spirit.-Did Jesus promise an absolutely
new experience ?-Pentecost a climax.-The suddenness
of the visitation.-The Spirit and His new instrument.-
The advent of the Spirit in His fulness

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CHAPTER VII

THE SPIRIT IN THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Acts" the "Gospel of the Spirit."-Development of the

Church. The stages sketched.-Spiritual guidance traced

throughout.-How this guidance was expressed.-Spiritual

pioneers.-External conception of the Spirit.—The Spirit

associated with the abnormal.-Hence viewed as received

at Baptism.-Defects and developments of this theory.-

The connexion with Baptism explained.—A truer doctrine

of the Spirit

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CHAPTER VIII

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Various types of gifts.”—“" Healings.”—“ Prohesyings " in

the Early Church.- Speaking with tongues."-Value of

Paul's testimony.-" Speaking with other tongues " at

Pentecost.-Was it speech in foreign languages?-Sug-

gested parallels.-Difficulties of this view.—" 'Tongues

at Corinth. Their explanation by psychology.—Emotion

in the Early Church.-" Tongues " not always due to the

Spirit.-Abnormal spiritual phenomena in later days.-

Trance and vision.-" Gifts," in religious leaders.-And

during revivals.-In early Methodism.-And in Primitive

Methodism.-Hugh Bourne's attitude.-Story of Oxtoby.

-The Spirit's relation to trance and tongues."-The

value of these "gifts."-Paul's discrimination.—The

Spirit made supremely ethical.-Effect of this doctrine on

the Church.-Emotion in religious experience, its rights

and perils.—The absence of abnormal phenomena not a

sign of degeneracy.-" Love never faileth."

CHAPTER IX

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

Spiritual phenomena in heathenism.-The difficulties created

thereby.-Doctrinal tests in the Early Church.-The

limitations of this criterion.—Meaning of "The Spirit of

Christ."-The Spirit given by Christ.-Is He the sole

channel of the Spirit?-Defective theories.-The Spirit and

the Godhead.-New Testament ideas and terms shaped by

experience, and reminiscent of Christ.-The Spirit as

experienced concerned with the Christian revelation.-The

terms Christ " and the " Spirit" in Paul.-The Johan-

nine teaching. The store set by history.-Limitations

of the New Testament presentation.-The Spirit outside

religion and in paganism.-The New Testament view of

paganism.-The universal Spirit of a universal God.

CHAPTER X

THE SPIRIT AND THE CHRISTIAN Life

Christian life is "life in the Spirit."-The note of amazement.
-Ideals and achievements.-The newness of Christian

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experience. The Spirit and the New Birth.-Psychology

and religious experience.-Paul's antithesis of flesh

and "Spirit."-" Natural " and " spiritual.”- Spirit" in

the Pauline Epistles.-Paul's' interpretation of Christian

experience ideal.-The Spirit and sanctification.-"Power"

and "life" in the New Testament.-" Paul's religious ex-

perience.—The Witness of the Spirit.—The Spirit and

prayer. Christian experience modelled on Christ.-Marked

by liberty.-The Christian hope.-Immortality guaranteed

by the Spirit.--The emancipation of the body

CHAPTER XI

THE SPIRIT AND NEW TESTAMENT THOUGHT AND

LITERATURE

The Spirit active in religious thought.-The new revelation

through Christ.-Its embodiment in a literature.-Char-

acteristics of the New Testament.-How inspiration

operated in determining its varieties of form.-Inspiration

as applied to the subject-matter.-Revelation supple-

mented by interpretation.-Dogmatic development justi-

fied. How far Apostolic teaching is authoritative.-

Revelation versus theology.-Is inspiration outside the

New Testament ?—The relativity of dogma.-The Spirit

and present thought.-New Testament Eschatology.-

The theological pioneer

CHAPTER XII

PROBLEMS AND DUTIES

The authenticity of the Baptismal formula.—Its meaning and

use. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament.—

Post-Apostolic developments.-The Councils of Nicea and

Chalcedon.-The Holy Spirit and the Divine immanence.-

The Spirit and the subliminal consciousness.-Our main

obligation to the Holy Spirit.

INDEX

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