In John 7:37-39 is revealed a secret which was then for the first time made known, though Joel 2:28, 29 had foretold of a work of the Spirit of God which he calls a "pouring out of the Spirit." But that outpouring is to "upon all flesh," and belongs to a yet future time. Christ's words were for "those who believe on Him," an entirely different company and time.

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." "But," adds John, "this spake He of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified."

Scripture had foretold this outpouring in veiled types, as when Moses was bidden to smite the rock, when the water poured forth; and in such passages as Isa. 35:6, 7:"Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water."

But there is a new note in the words of Christ, rivers of living water were to come forth from believers on Him. This was a new way of God's acting. He had spoken through prophets, and such words as we find in Isaiah 53 showed, at least, what God had in His purpose for His people. But aside from this, the giving out of the gospel could only be in its fulness after Christ had finished His work and gone back to heaven, His work accepted. And this needed the coming of the Holy Spirit to speak out the gospel through the believer on Christ.

To this period of Christ's teaching belongs Luke 11:11-13, especially verse 13:"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." This is the only place in the New Testament where any one is taught to ask for the Holy Spirit, and it was entirely in accordance with Scripture teaching that at that time men should pray for ,the Holy Spirit. Christ was to pray for the coming of the Spirit, as He told His people in John 14:16:"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not neither knoweth Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you." Then in verse 26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

In John 16:7-15 Christ gave more instruction as to the coming of the Spirit:"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come," etc. "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all the truth:for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:and He shall show you things to come."

Thus Christ announced the coming of the Spirit. After Christ's resurrection He gave His disciples a command:"Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you:but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Then in Acts 1:1-8 is additional instruction, in which Christ said, "John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence." "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me…unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 2 narrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples; then His reception by the saved Samaritans; the saved Gentile, Cornelius; then by some of John's disciples (Acts 8:14-20; 10:44-47; 19:1-7). AH these are so many steps in the coming of the Spirit after the ascension of Christ. By God's dealings with Cornelius the Jewish believers were taught a lesson they had to learn. So the giving of the Spirit to the Samaritans through the laying on of the apostles' hands taught that proud people, as well as the Jews, a needed lesson. There is no other example given in Scripture of any person receiving this, "baptism of the Spirit" after being saved, nor is any person told to seek this experience. But we do read that, "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. . . and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). Thus if any one is a member of the body of Christ, he has been baptized by the Spirit. Sealing with the Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30) is another of God's acts for every believer, never repeated.

There is one part of the believer's dealings with the Spirit with a command attached to the revelation of it:"Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). This is to be sought, prayed for; but not the baptism or the sealing, for they are the portion of every real believer. Then there are two commands we all should carefully heed:"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" (Eph. 4:30); and "Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:19). Many temptations come to every believer to do these things, which are to be carefully guarded against. He will teach every member of the body of Christ concerning this. Read Heb. 12:1-3; Eph. 4:31,32.

Thus simple is the Bible doctrine of the Holy Spirit. J. W. Newton