Kevin Cole's Major Research Paper - NEW0733 Winter Intersession 2014

Major Research Paper

A Case for the Spirit According to St. Luke

Date: Mar 7, 2014

NEWT 0733 Luke’s Charismatic Theology

Intersession, 2014 Tyndale Seminary Dr. Roger Stronstad

Submitted by: Kevin M. A. Cole Mailbox: 89

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The Holy Spirit is third Person in the Godhead, who is most mysterious in his

workings throughout the economy of salvation. God’s mission in the world greatly depends

on the charismatic work of the Spirit in the Church. There has been much debate in

defining this religious experience of the Spirit, particularly in the biblical phrases, “baptized

in the Spirit” and “filled with the Spirit.” Is being baptized in the Spirit, God’s work of

“regeneration” or “prophetic empowerment” within the believer? And does the “filling of

the Spirit” comprise of gradual spiritual developments within the believer since the time of

their conversion, or is there a second work of grace of divine endowment for ministry? This

prose aims to answer these questions and more as it will give a case for Luke’s charismatic

understanding of the phrases, “baptism in the Spirit” and “filled with the Spirit.” This

discussion will cover: 1) varying perspectives on Spirit baptism, 2) the distinctions between

Pauline and Lukan pneumatology, and 3) the nature of the charismatic experience, itself. In

the final analysis, contemporary implications will be gleaned for the Church to better

discern: how to handle the Spirit baptism debate, if there is any significance in waiting on

the Spirit, and how to find a place for glossolalia.

Perspectives on Spirit Baptism

There has been varying perspectives shared in efforts to better understand what the

baptism of the Spirit really means. It has generally fallen between two camps within the

Christian faith traditions: the evangelical position of conversion-‐initiation or the

Pentecostal/Charismatic position of prophetic empowerment. One of the most influential

scholars for the evangelical position on this subject was James D. G. Dunn in his book,

Baptism in the Holy Spirit. His aim was to give a critique to the Pentecostal view of Spirit

baptism, claiming how the “baptism in the Spirit” from the start was understood to be an

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“initiating” experience.1 The foundation of his argument is from John the Baptist’s prophesy

of a future baptism that has both gospel and judgment.2 He notes that this coming “baptism

in Spirit-‐and-‐fire was not to be something gentle and gracious,” but rather it was to be

something for all: the unrepentant will experience total destruction and the repentant will

have all their sins purged to enjoy the messianic blessings of the kingdom.3 This two-‐fold

understanding of a future baptism for Dunn was used to explain how Jesus had

providentially experienced the anointing to entered the covenant of a new age for his

disciples to follow after him.4 Eventually, “[This] messianic work of the Spirit that was

birthed at the Jordan [became] cumulated in the cross where Jesus accepted and endured

the messianic baptism in Spirit-‐and-‐fire on behalf of his people.”5 This led Dunn to

interpret the day of Pentecost narrative as the end of the old and the beginning of a new

stage in salvation history, where Jesus’ ascension makes him “Lord of the Spirit,” allowing

him to “initiate others into this new age” as the “Baptizer of the Spirit” (Act 1:5; 2:33; cf. 1

Cor. 12:13).6 Thus Dunn concludes that Pentecost can never be repeated in this sense of the

outpouring of the Spirit, but can be repeated in the experience of becoming a Christian.7 It’s

in this, where Dunn differs from Pentecostal understanding of empowerment and embraces

the idea of Luke’s narrative of Pentecost to be primarily about “initiating” and secondarily

about “empowering.”8

1 James D. G. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Re-examination of the New Testament Teaching on the Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism today (Naperville, IL: Alec R. Allenson Inc., 1970), 4-‐5. 2 Ibid., 11. 3 Ibid.,13. 4 Ibid., 32, 41, 43. 5 Ibid., 42. 6 Ibid., 44. 7 Ibid., 51. 8 Ibid., 54.

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Despite Dunn’s influential position on this subject, there has been some recent

research in understanding Luke’s “baptism of the Spirit” to have a prophetic empowerment

dynamic. In his work, Luke’s Charismatic Theology, Stronstad lays a strong case for this

prophetic empowerment understanding of Spirit baptism. He brings attention to how Luke

highlights John the Baptist’s near future messianic-‐harvest-‐baptism metaphor of blessings

and judgment (Luke 3:16, 17).9 And at the coming of Jesus’ ministry, judgment is not yet to

be administered as depicted from his admonition (Luke 12:49-‐50).10 Rather, Jesus

promises the Spirit only as a blessing to the disciples in anticipation to his ascension (Act

1:5; cf. Luke 24:49; Acts 11:16).11 Stronstad contends that this anticipated “baptizing in the

Spirit” for his disciples was a typology of Jesus’ Spirit Baptism at the Jordan. It was here that

he was anointed by God to function as the eschatological prophet.12 It was in this

“commissioning” event, that Jesus not only became a prophet-‐like-‐Moses, but is also the One

whom God would transfer his anointing to his disciples as Moses did to the seventy elders

(Numbers 11:10-‐30).13 This transfer motif of the Old Testament was demonstrated after

the ascended Christ poured out the gift of the Spirit upon the 120 disciples for their

prophetic empowerment as seen through the eyes of Joel, fulfilling the desire of Moses (Acts

1:15; 2:16; Joel 2:28-‐32; Numbers 11:29).14 By describing Pentecost as a typology also for

the Old Testament, it leads to the rejection of Dunn’s interpretation on the gift of the

9 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 57. 10 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 57; Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012); 678. 11 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 58. 12 Ibid., 45. 13 Ibid., 66, 68. 14 Ibid., 23-‐24, 52-‐53, 66, 69.

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Spirit.15 Thus, Stronstad provides a sound case in describing Luke’s perspective on

“baptism of the Spirit” in prophetic empowerment terms over that of stereological

initiation-‐conversion.

Robert P. Menzies further highlights Stronstad’s “prophetic empowerment”

observations on Jesus’ Spirit baptism over that of Dunn’s “entrance into a new age,”

showing significance in Luke’s redactions of: 1) Mark 1:12 about Jesus being led into the

desert (Luke 4:1), and 2) Isaiah 61:1-‐2 and Mark 6:1-‐6 about Jesus’ baptism of the Spirit at

the Jordan (Luke 4:18-‐19). In the redaction of Mark 1:12, adhering more to the Q material,

Luke adds, “full of the Holy Spirit.”16 This signifies that Jesus has access to the Spirit of God

to provide what is required at each moment of need.17 Menzies goes on to suggest, “With

the insertion of this phrase, Luke has consciously edited this source in order to emphasize

the fact that Jesus’ experience at Jordan was the moment he was filled with the Spirit.”18

This shows continuity between Jesus’ experience of the Spirit and that of the early Church,

being empowered to carry out their divinely appointed task.19 Furthermore, Menzies notes

how this phrase (“filled with the Spirit”), used by Luke to describe the disciples in Acts,

shows that this experience of the Spirit was not unique to Jesus (Acts 11:24).20 In the

redaction of Mark 6:1-‐6, Luke moved the Nazareth pericope forward in the chronology of

the Gospel, so as to better link this account with Jesus’ reception of the Spirit.21 In this

15 Ibid., 40. 16 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 141. 17 Darrell L. Bock, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), 369. 18 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 141. 19 Ibid., 141, 142. 20 Ibid., 140. 21 Ibid., 155.

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passage, Luke alters the wording of Isaiah 61:1-‐2, omitting, “He has sent me to bind up the

brokenhearted” and “the day of vengeance of our God,” and adding, Isaiah 58:6c, “to set the

oppressed free” (NIV). Menzies notes how this was done due to Luke’s distinctive

pneumatology, wanting to emphasize the salvific dimension of Jesus work and the

liberating power of Jesus’ Spirit-‐inspired-‐preaching.22 This is Luke’s way of intentionally

bringing this quote into conformity to his distinctive prophetic pneumatology.“23 Thus,

Menzies argues that Jesus’ baptism of the Spirit is not for his “initiation” into a new

messianic age, but rather an inauguration of his prophetic messianic task.24

Other scholars support this “prophetic empowerment” interpretation of “baptism in

the Spirit”, but it’s not without some minor criticisms. For instance, Charles H. Talbert’s in

his monograph, Literary Patterns, Theological Themes and the Genre of Luke Acts, identifies

parallel literary patterns of the Spirit baptism events between Jesus at Jordan and his

disciples on the day of Pentecost.25 He shows here how: both Jesus and the disciples were

praying (Luke 3:21; Acts 1:14, 24), the Spirit descended upon them after their prayers

(Luke 3:22; Acts 2:1-‐13), both Jesus and the disciples had inspired speech/sermon, showing

the fulfillment of prophecy and rejection of Jesus (Luke 4:16-‐30; Acts 2:14-‐40), and the

fulfillment of preaching with miracles were illustrated.26 Also, G. W. H. Lampe sees an

intentional symmetry within Luke-‐Acts between the Spirit’s descent on Jesus at baptism

22 Ibid., 155. 23 Ibid., 156. 24 Ibid., 137-‐138. 25 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 58; Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 521. 26 Charles H. Talbert, Literary Patterns, Theological Themes and the Genre of Luke-Acts (Missoula, Montana: Scholars Press, 1974), 16.

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and the Spirit baptism of the disciples at Pentecost.27 In his view, the same Spirit that

operated in Jesus’ ministry was imparted to his followers, who became empowered to work

miracles and to preach.28 Even Max Turner joined Stronstad in rejecting Dunn’s notion of

“Jesus as ‘the first Christian in an epoch before others could be come Christians.’”29

However, he makes hairline delineations from the “prophetic empowerment” view,

explaining Jesus’ eschatological-‐prophetic-‐anointing as not to be pragmatic for the

Church.30 Rather, the ascended Christ continues his redemptive ministry in a new way,

dispensing the “Spirit of Jesus” (not the “Spirit of the Lord” that came upon him) to direct

the ministry of the Church.31 There seems to be no point in Turner’s effort to distinguish

the “Spirit of the Lord” from the “Spirit of Jesus.” It is the same Holy Spirit, who is

empowering both the work of Jesus and the Church. If there is any distinction, it should not

be in the Spirit’s empowerment, but in the unique salvific work that Christ did in the Easter

event. To veer off this understanding of the Spirit baptism for Jesus is to minimize the

functional human Servant role that he played in his earthly messianic prophetic ministry

through the Spirit.32

A number of scholars, including Pentecostals, have opted for a middle ground

position on this Spirit baptism debate, due to Dunn’s convincing arguments. Harold D.

Hunter agrees with Dunn’s view on the Pentecost event in Acts being unrepeatable, in that,

27 Mark Allen Powel, What Are They Saying About Luke? (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989), 108. 28 Ibid., 108. 29 Ibid., 109. 30 Mark Allen Powel, What Are They Saying About Luke? (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989), 109; Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 57. 31 Mark Allen Powel, What Are They Saying About Luke? (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989), 110. 32 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 136-‐138; Darrell L. Bock, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), 405-‐406.

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its participants prior to it were not Christians in the full sense of the word. “Although they

had made a commitment to Jesus as Christ, they had not experienced the charismatic Spirit

in the corporate, permanent way that was characterized in the New Testament.”33 Along

with Dunn, he also supports a division of salvation history view—before creation, creation

to parousia, and time after parousia—that allows Christianity to distinguish itself between

the first and second period through this unique historical Pentecost event.34 Thus, Hunter’s

view on the Spirit baptism for the Pentecost event is “that no other group will be a part of

the unique historical events related to Christ birth and resurrection… [In a sense] the

experience of 120 is not relevant for generations which follow.” This led Hunter to

conclude a “mediating position” of accepting the historical facts of Pentecost to be non-‐

transferable to future generations of the church, while embracing the theological fact, in

that, charismatic work of the Spirit cannot be isolated to a single event in history. The

concern with this position is that Hunter has not yet been influenced by the important

developments that have made headways in recent New Testament and Pentecostal

Scholarship.

33 Harold D. Hunter, Spirit Baptimsm: A Pentecostal Alternative (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1983), 81. 34 Hunter supports Oscar Cullman view on the breakdown of Heilsgeschichte in Harold D. Hunter, Spirit Baptimsm: A Pentecostal Alternative (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1983), 81; Dunn supports Hans Conzelmann’s extensive Lukan studies on this discontinuity as it spans three epochs: the period of Israel, the period of Jesus, and the period between the coming of Jesus and his Parousia in James D. G. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Re-examination of the New Testament Teaching on the Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism today (Naperville, IL: Alec R. Allenson Inc., 1970), 40.

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Pauline and Lukan Pneumatology Distinctives

These New Testament developments within scholarship gave Pentecostals the

footing to refine their interpretation of Luke’s Spirit baptism to a “prophetic empowerment”

priority over that of a “regeneration” experience. This was largely due to a greater

understanding of Pauline and Lukan pneumatology and a theological appreciation for Luke-‐

Acts historiography. “The historical-‐critical approached espoused by modernity became

the dominant mode of investigating the New Testament.”35 Luke and Acts became books

that were read separately, where Luke was read in search for the historical Jesus, and Acts

was read for the birth of Christianity.36 Pentecostals used the book of Acts to build their

distinctive theology around the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:1-‐13; 8:14-‐19; 9:17-‐18; 19:1-‐7).37

But this had not stood up well with those who hesitated to form a theology from historical

narratives. John R. W. Stott, in “The Baptism and Fullness of the Holy Spirit,” noted how

purposes of God should be determined from didactic parts of Scripture, rather than from its

historical parts, such as Acts.38 This approach resulted in an evangelical push to impose a

Pauline theology upon Acts with influences from James Dunn, John Scott and Michael

Green.39 Stronstad discredits this approach because it only ends up driving a wedge

between instruction and narrative Scripture. He notes how this is alien to the general New

Testament understanding of historiography. He illustrates this by showing how Paul

35 Luke Timothy Johnson, Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011), 2. 36 Ibid., 2. 37 Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke: Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke-Acts, second edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2012), 6. 38 H Ray Dunning, Larry Hart, Stanley M. Horton, Walter Kaiser Jr., Ralph Del Colle, Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: 5 Views, ed. Chad Owen Brand (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2004), 15. 39 Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke: Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke-Acts, second edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2012), 7, 11.

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developed his theology through the historical narrative of the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:16-‐

17; Rom 15:4).40 I. Howard Marshall echoes this in how Luke is modeling after Hellenistic

historiographer writing style, where stories are shaped to bring about a moral meaning to

the reading audience.41 Stronstad concludes, “Since Luke has a theological interest, his

narratives, though they are historical, are always more than simple descriptions or records

of brute facts.”42 Luke T. Johnson echoes this about Luke, showing how theology within the

church can never just be deductive, where everything is derived from first principles.

Rather, theology must include inductive and nonsystematic approaches as already

demonstrated in Lukan historiography.43 It is based upon this theological character of

Luke-‐Acts that Stronstad further depicts this historical narrative to have an independent

theology distinct from the didactic Pauline epistles, especially on his perspective of the Holy

Spirit.44

As it has been determined that historical narratives have an equal voice to didactic

parts of Scripture in forming theology, one then has the right to resolve any theological

tensions that may seem to exist between Pauline and Lukan pnuematologies, especially

surrounding the subsequent doctrine of Spirit Baptism to that of conversion. Does “being

baptized in the Spirit” have a two or one dimension understanding of the Holy Spirit?

Walter C. Kaiser, who argues for a one stage dimension, notes the following: “[for] Luke and

Paul [to] speak of two dimensions of the Holy Spirit, so that one is power for prophetic

40 Ibid., 7-‐8. 41 Ibid., 8. 42 Ibid., 9. 43 Luke Timothy Johnson, Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011), 68-‐69. 44 Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke: Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke-Acts, second edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2012), 13.

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inspiration (Luke) and the other is stereological (Paul), is to erect barriers where they do

not exist.”45 However, having a two-‐dimension view of Spirit baptism doesn’t necessitate

this understanding of a functional barrier that exists for the Holy Spirit. Rather than seeing

the Spirit’s work of “empowerment” and “conversion” as a one-‐stage-‐event or a two-‐stage-‐

event to being Spirit baptized, the Spirit’s “empowerment” and “conversion” can both be

seen as complimentary roles that the Holy Spirit has to offer the believer. This shouldn’t be

hard to grasp, especially as C. F. D. Moule outlines various roles of the Holy Spirit in relation

to Christ to having up to nine activities for the believer.46 Hunter, another scholar, notes

how Green too argues for this one stage unity of Spirit baptism experience. But, Hunter

contends how it’s inappropriate to use non-‐Pentecostal view of Paul on Lukan texts,

especially when Pauline literature doesn’t deny the doctrine of subsequence in the first

place.47 Along with this, Craig S. Keener comments, “In Paul’s theology (and apparently in

Luke’s theology, Act 2:38), empowerment for ministry belongs to the entire sphere of the

Spirit activity initiated in the believer’s life through conversion.”48 He explains, however,

with Luke departing from this “conversion” priority in his narrative, it suggests how in his

time the Christian experience was diversely understood.49 Luke rarely focuses explicitly on

the Spirit’s role in “conversion;” he focused most often on the prophetic-‐empowerment

direction of the Spirit’s activity.50 However, Luke doesn’t depart too far. Stronstad

45 H Ray Dunning, Larry Hart, Stanley M. Horton, and Walter Kaiser Jr. Ralph Del Colle, Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: 5 Views, ed. Chad Owen Brand (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2004), 35. 46 C. F. D. Moule, The Holy Spirit: Contemporary Christian Insights (London, New York: Continuum, 2000), 27-‐37. 47 Harold D. Hunter, Spirit Baptimsm: A Pentecostal Alternative (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1983), 85. 48 Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 522. 49 Ibid., 521. 50 Ibid., 523.

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identifies how Lukan narratives bring several kinds of relationships between the Spirit and

salvation.51 Another scholar, who argues against subsequent doctrine of Spirit baptism, is

Gordon Fee. He claims that Luke has no “historical intent” to show this empowerment

dimension of Spirit Baptism to be a normative value for future Christians.52 Menzies claims

that Fee is theologically indistinguishable from James Dunn and many other non-‐

Pentecostal scholars, ignoring the important developments in New Testament and

Pentecostal scholarship.53 Menzies argues how Luke does show “historical intent” to teach

how the “baptism of the Spirit” is distinct from conversion for every believer, as proven in

Stronstad’s work and his own research.54 All this points to the evidence that one can keep

Paul’s and Luke’s pneumatologies compatible, while still staying true to Luke’s Charismatic

theology. “The gift… technically begins at conversion in principle, but in terms of Luke’s

emphasis on its prophetic empowerment dimension for missions, may be experienced in

this prophetic form subsequent to conversion (on multiple occasions).”55 “For Luke,

empowerment to tell others about Christ is central, not peripheral, to the Spirit’s activity

with believers.56

51 Roger Stronstad, The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology (Cleveland, TN: CTP Press, 2010), 119. 52 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 234. 53 Ibid., 233, 235. 54 Ibid., 233, 237. 55 Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 523. 56 Ibid., 681.

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Nature of the Charismatic Experience

When describing the nature of the charismatic experience of the Spirit, as in the case

with the discussion on the “baptism in the Spirit,” it’s important to keep distinct the Pauline

and Lukan pnuematologies in gaining understanding of Luke’s phrase, “filled with the

Spirit.” One must recognize how this phrase for Luke in his narratives have a different, yet

complementary meaning to Paul’s one use of this phrase in Eph 5:18. In his book, The

Baptism and Fullness of the Holy Spirit, Scott, like many others, have made the mistake to

limit this meaning to Paul’s use of the term.57 However, Keith Warrington identifies how the

meaning of this phrase is different for Paul than that of Luke and must be understood in

their perspective contexts.58 Where most of Luke’s references to the “fillings of the Spirit”

likely results in the disciples speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4) or speaking boldly (Acts 19:6),

Paul’s references serve a different purpose, referring to spirituality in a corporate setting of

worship and service (Eph. 5:18).59

What does this nature entail in regards to the religious experience of being filled

with the Spirit? Luke uses “filled with the Spirit” repeatedly within Luke-‐Acts to further

describes the nature of the charismatic gift of the Spirit. It is one of the biblical phrases that

Luke uses from Old Testament and Septuagint terminology to describe the Spirit’s

activity.60 Stronstad illustrates the usage of the term in Luke-‐Acts nine times (See appendix

57 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 12. 58 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 126. 59 Ibid., 126. 60 Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 805; Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 20-‐21.

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I).61 The usage yields for him four observations: 1) gift of the Spirit to the disciples on the

day of Pentecost is not an isolated and unique event (Luke 1:67; Acts. 4:8); 2) being filled

with the Spirit is both an individual and a collective experience; 3) being filled with the

Spirit is not a once-‐for-‐all experience (Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 9:17; 13:9); and 4) being filled

with the Spirit always describes joyful inspired speech.62 “Stronstad argues that the phrase

‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ specifically describes prophetic inspiration and vocation, and

should be used as a technical term to introduce the office of a prophet… or prophetic

speech.”63 He also recognizes how Luke portrays other additional effects of the Spirit upon a

believer, outside of the Spirit’s empowerment for service, such as: rejoicing, praise,

purifying the church, warnings, joy, and strength in affliction.64 However, Menzies identifies

this power derived from the Spirit in Luke-‐Acts as more strictly related to prophetic

witness and proclamation than miracles or praise.65 He emphasizes that the driving force

behind their witness to Christ are the disciples receiving the Spirit for others.66 It may be

seen how Menzies’ observations are too restrictive a position for Luke as Stronstad’s

research illustrates in understanding the Charismatic work of the Spirit.

Is being “filled with the Spirit” according to Luke a distinct charismatic experience or

work from being “baptized in the Spirit?” Some scholars believe that there is no distinction 61 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 59. 62 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 60-‐61. 63 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 58. 64 Roger Stronstad, The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology (Cleveland, TN: CTP Press, 2010), 120. 65 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 58; Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 177. 66 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 175.

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between Luke’s Spirit baptism of the disciples on the day of Pentecost and their latter Spirit

fillings encounters. Rather, it’s all a combination of repetitive charismatic endowments in

one’s Christian pilgrimage. Clinton and Lin share this view, where Spirit baptism is a series

of crisis experiences throughout the normal Christian life.67 This Charismatic (more than

Pentecostal) traditional understanding of the Spirit’s empowerment is what Hunter

believes as well. Vying towards Dunn’s one-‐stage unity of God’s saving gift within a

believer, he sees the charismatic work of the Spirit as “pneumatic experiences” that are

both repetitive and continuous to one’s spiritual pilgrimage.68 Stronstad contends for the

view that “baptism in the Spirit” is a distinct charismatic event, where one is commissioned

for service.69 He acknowledges how Luke-‐Acts indicates no concrete experiential difference

in the religious experience of the charismatic gift between the “filling of the Spirit” and the

“baptism in the Spirit.”70 However, there is a difference in Luke’s terminology used

between the initial filling encounter identified by Luke as the “baptism in the Spirit,” and

the subsequent filling encounters that come after.71 A “two-‐fold” distinction must be made,

where the terms “anointed” and “baptized,” describe the consecrating work of the Holy

Spirit, and the terms “filled,” clothed,” and “empowered” describe the actual equipping by

67 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 103. 68 Harold D. Hunter, Spirit Baptimsm: A Pentecostal Alternative (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1983), 284-‐285. 69 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 95. 70 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 95. 71 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 56-‐57, 95; Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 806.

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the Spirit.72 Thus, “baptism in the Spirit” is a specific one-‐time-‐commissioning event

distinct from the fillings of the Spirit that can occur thereafter for a believer’s public

ministry.

Contemporary Significance

In light of these theoretical Lukan scholarly developments around the charismatic

work of the Holy Spirit, the contemporary church must face forward in ways that makes

room for the Spirit’s prophetic empowerment to happen amongst believers. One of the

ways this can happen is in how these scholarly debates on Spirit baptism are handled. For

some, this has caused many to take sides on the issue, creating separate camps to exist

within Christian faith traditions. For instance, the Reformed position maintains that the

“baptism in the Spirit” is received at the time of one’s conversion, and the Holiness and

Pentecostal Christians are just as concerned that the Scripture speaks of a special

empowerment that comes subsequent to the moment of conversion.73 It’s really a

discussion between these two camps, who are trying to answer the questions that surround

the timing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the nature of the Spirit’s empowerment.74

More scholars and churches in both camps need to make a shift discussing and

embracing both Luke’s and Paul’s pnuematologies as equally significant. Stronstod makes

the point for non-‐Pentecostal churches needing not to view themselves only as “didactic

communities,” but also as prophetic ones.75 He goes on to say that the preaching and

72 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 95. 73 H Ray Dunning, Larry Hart, Stanley M. Horton, and Walter Kaiser Jr. Ralph Del Colle, Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: 5 Views, ed. Chad Owen Brand (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2004), 16. 74 Ibid., 16. 75 Roger Stronstad, The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology (Cleveland, TN: CTP Press, 2010), 120-‐122.

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teaching of the Scripture is not to displace Spirit-‐filled, and Spirit-‐empowered ministry or

what will happen is the “Spirit of prophecy [will] be quenched” and the “gifts of the Spirit

[will] be sanitized and institutionalized.”76 Warringtom, who is also carefully sympathetic

towards resolving this tension, suggests what could be valuable to the debate is dispensing

with the term “subsequent” and replacing it with “separate” to concentrate the discussion of

Spirit baptism on its identity, which is more important than timing.77 He notes that this may

be the distinctive nature of Luke’s charismatic theology that is of value, rather than its

subsequence.78 At the same time, there is an understanding of what significance the

concept of “subsequent” brings in a practical sense, developing the idea of progression in

the life of a believer.

However, is this idea of personal spiritual progression apart of Luke’s Charismatic

theology? This makes one wonder if Luke’s Spirit Baptism is more about: developing some

experience of the Holy Spirit within the believer, developing Christ’s mission outside of the

believer, or developing mutually related personal and missionary experiences of the Holy

Spirit? The subject of experiencing the Spirit as the main priority for Christian living has

been one of the major vulnerabilities within the Pentecostal tradition. Stronstad argues,

“Too often the Pentecostal/Charismatic movements focus on experiences, emotion, and the

blessing more than they do on the Spirit-‐filled, Spirit-‐led and Spirit-‐empowered service.”79

He goes on to say that this shift from vocational to personal experience, from being worldly-‐

76 Ibid., 120-‐122. 77 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 105. 78 Ibid., 105. 79 Roger Stronstad, The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology (Cleveland, TN: CTP Press, 2010), 120-‐122.

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centered to self-‐centered renders the service of these movements to become impotent.80 In

the end, Stronstad gives sound admonition to those who are in either camp on how to

better handling this debate facing forward. He claims the antidote to the “malaise in which

the Spirit of prophecy is either quenched or misused is for the contemporary church to

recapture, doctrinally and vocationally, the first century reality which Luke reports.”81

Thus, in light of these discussions and practices, the main goal is becoming clearer for all to

take care in not comprising either pnuematologies of Paul or Luke to accommodate the

other.

Another way the contemporary church can make room for the prophetic

empowerment of the Holy Spirit is to discover how to waiting on the Spirit as they did in

the early church. There has been some confusion within the Pentecostal traditions in

coming up with a systematic way in how one receives the Spirit. Various guidelines for how

to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit have evolved over time, where some are more

stringent than others.82 Warrington claims this confusion around Spirit baptism may be

due to too much scholarly attention focused on biblical articulation of the doctrine, rather

than on an explanation of the experience itself.83 On the other hand, Stronstad observes that

Acts does not depict a systematic method for “conferring” the “baptism in the Spirit” to

others, even in regards to prayer, water baptism and the laying on of hands.84 He notes

Luke’s primary concern is in the fact of the gift of the Holy Spirit and not to provide any

80 Ibid., 120-‐122. 81 Ibid., 120-‐122. 82 Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 98. 83 Ibid., 96. 84 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 83.

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means for which it can be conferred.85 Stronstad argues how the means for which the Holy

Spirit can be conferred is irrelevant to Luke’s charismatic theology.86 At the same time, he is

also cognizant that prayer can play a significant role in the reception of the Spirit, not

through means of conferring the Spirit, but providing the spiritual environment for which

the Spirit is often bestowed.87 In other words, Stronstad notes how God doesn’t arbitrarily

impose his Spirit upon his disciples apart from their response to his initiative.88 This is

depicted in Luke’s carefully use of the verb “filled with the Spirit” (Acts 2:4), being in its

passive voice and the use of the verb “receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38), being in its active

voice.89 Luke makes it clear in these passages that: 1) no one can take from God what he has

not first given, and 2) receiving the Holy Spirit is a necessary compliment to being filled

with the Spirit.90 Thus, the contemporary church must have this priority of waiting on the

Spirit, providing the spiritual environment for the reception of the Spirit, who commissions

believers for divine service.

Finally, this brings us to the topic for the church to understand the place for

glossolalia in relation to Luke’s charismatic theology. Is the gift of tongues a valid sign of

the “baptism of the Spirit,” as Classical Pentecostalism claims it as the “initial evidence?”

“Although tongues as the “initial physical evidence” of the Spirit baptism became the

dominant view in Pentecostalism, many influential proponents of tongues… apparently

denied or came to deny that tongues speaking was a necessary evidence of the seminal

85 Ibid., 83. 86 Ibid., 83. 87 Ibid., 83. 88 Ibid., 84. 89 Ibid., 84. 90 Ibid., 84.

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experience of the Spirit described in Acts.”91 However, Menzies provides conclusions in

claiming this “initial evidence” of tongues as an “appropriate inference drawn from the

text,” especially since Luke has inspired-‐speech closely related to people receiving the Spirit

in Acts.92 He further illustrates the validity of this in how the doctrine of the Trinity came

about in the same way.93 Stronstad, like Menzies, agrees with the consistent pattern of

tongues-‐speech associated with gift of the Spirit within Acts, but he differs in that the

significance of the gift for the disciples was not to be in their experience of tongues; rather,

the significance was to be in their future role as witnesses.94 Furthermore, he implies how

the Acts narrative provides no clear directives about tongues being a normative Christian

experience. Rather, what it does show, however, is an “invariant pattern” for the gift of the

Spirit to always effect mission or vocation.95 Keener trends towards this view, claiming how

the experience of Spirit baptism in Acts is more about “junctures” in relation to the church’s

cross-‐cultural communication of the gospel than about tongues-‐speech.96 He also elaborates

on the compatible pnuematologies Paul’s and Luke’s understandings of tongues-‐speech

both share, even with their different settings and theological emphasis.97 See appendix II

and III.98 Keener concludes that Luke does not use tongues as the “initial evidence” of the

91 Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 825-‐826. 92 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 251; Keith Warrington, Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter (New York, NY: T&T Clark, 2008), 120. 93 Robert P. Menzies, Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991), 252. 94 Roger Stronstad, The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke, second edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 77, 68. 95 Ibid., 95 96 Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 824. 97 Ibid., 815. 98 Ibid., 814-‐815.

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“baptism in the Spirit,” because he did not see tongues as an arbitrary evidence.99 Rather, it

was highlighted in Luke’s narrative to attest the nature of the experience of the Spirit’s

gift.100 The contemporary church needs not to limit the gift of the Spirit to an “initial

evidence” understanding of tongues. Neither is the church to make it an exclusive and

mandatory sign of every individual’s reception of the Spirit. Rather, a more authentic sign of

Luke’s Spirit baptism is the inspired speech of believers, demonstrating vocational and

missionary prophetic witness.

While, there has been much debate on the biblical meaning of “baptism of the Spirit,”

there is a strong case developed that welcomes a Lukan charismatic interpretation. It is

understood to be a second work of grace, where believers are divinely commissioned and

equipped to advance the mission of Christ in the world. This charismatic work of the Spirit

described within Luke-‐Acts is not primarily to mean a work of regeneration, but rather to

mean a work of prophetic empowerment by the Spirit. These distinctions of Spirit baptism

in Pauline and Lukan data are not incompatible. Rather, they have complimentary

pneumatologies, where Luke’s emphasis on the Holy Spirit is for the proclamation of the

gospel and Paul’s is for the renewal of the Church. And it’s Luke’s prerogative to emphasize

the nature of this “filling with the Spirit” to that which empowers believers to have inspired

speech and prophetic vocation. In facing forward, the Church is left with the challenge to

better discern how to: 1) recapture, doctrinally and vocationally, this first century reality of

the Spirit, 2) be open for the reception of the Spirit’s charismatic work, and 3) identify the

authentic signs within believers that demonstrate their prophetic vocational and

missionary empowerment. 99 Ibid., 830. 100 Ibid., 830.

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Appendix I

The Phrase “filled with the Spirit” in Luke-‐Acts

Text Persons Phenomenon

Luke 1:15 John the Baptist Prophetic ministry

Luke 1:41 Elizabeth Prophecy

Luke 1:67 Zacharias Prophecy

Acts 2:4 Disciples Glossolalia/prophecy

Acts 4:8 Peter Witness

Acts 4:31 Disciples Witness

Acts 9:17 Paul (None recorded)

Acts 13:9 Paul Judgment pronounced

Acts 13:52 Disciples Joy

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Appendix II

Lukan and Pauline Biblical Similarities on glossolalia

Lukan “tongues” (esp. Acts 2:24) Pauline “tongues” (1 Cor. 12-14)

Tongues (glossia) i.e. languages (2:4) Tongues (glossia) i.e. languages (13:1; 14:10-‐11)

Tongues are inspired by the Spirit (2:4, 17-‐18) Tongues are a gift from the Spirit (12:7-‐11)

The speakers apparently do not know the languages (2:4)

The speakers do not know the languages (14:13-‐15)

They are understandable (when some who recognize the languages are present [2:8-‐11], but apparently not in other cases, when no one is present who knows the languages [10:46; 19:6]

The are understandable (to those with supernatural interpretation [12:10, 30; 14:13]

They are not intelligible to those who do not recognize the languages (2:13; cf. 10:46; 19:6)

They are not normally intelligible (without a supernatural interpretation [14:2, 9-‐11, 19, 23]

They apparently function as inspired praise (2:11; cf. 10:46)

They function as praise and prayer (14:2, 14-‐15)

They can be associated with (though distinguishable from) other speech gifts, such as prophecy (19:6), and are related to prophetic speech (2:17-‐18; cf. 2:43)

They can be associated with (though distinguishable from) other speech gifts, such as prophecy (12:8-‐10; 14:2-‐6; 22-‐33, 39-‐40)

Tongues speech belongs to a larger sphere of the Spirit’s activity (e.g., visions and dreams, 2:17-‐18; cf. 2:43)

Tongues speech belongs to a larger sphere of the Spirit’s activity (e.g., healings and miracles, 12:8-‐10, 28-‐30)

Tongues, at least on this occasion, function as a sign to unbelievers (2:11-‐13)

Tongues can function as a sign to unbelievers (14:22)

The emotion of tongues speech leads to some outsiders assuming the speaker’s drunkenness (2:13)

The emotion of tongues speech leads to some outsiders assuming madness (14:23)

The gift of tongues speech is God’s choice, not always mediated through human agency (2:4; 10:44-‐46), through such agency is possible (cf. 19:6)

Tongues speech, like other gifts, is God’s sovereign choice (12:10-‐11), though individuals can apparently seek for gifts (12:31; 14:1, 39)

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Appendix III

Lukan and Pauline Biblical Differences on glossolalia

Lukan “tongues” (esp. Acts 2:24) Pauline “tongues” (1 Cor. 12-14)

Hearers understand tongues (but only at Pentecost, not in 10:46; 19:6)

Hearers would not (normally) understand the tongues (14:2, 16-‐19, 23)

Tongues are not abused in the instances described in Acts, which are positive.

Tongues are abused in the instances presupposed in 1 Corinthians, although Paul affirms this experience as a divine gift (12:10; 14:26), especially valuable for private use (14:2, 4); he practices it privately (14;18), and he warns against forbidding its public use if it is accompanied by interpretation (14:39)

Multiple speakers apparently speak in tongues simultaneously, in group worship (2:4; 10:46; 19:6)

Those who speak in tongues should do so one at a time, allowing for interpretation of each (14:27-‐28)

Tongues are a sign of power to witness to the nations (1:8)

Tongues are one among many gifts (among the less useful in public), useful especially for private prayer

Tongues begin in (2:5-‐11) and attest (10:45-‐46) the Spirit’s multicultural work.

Paul addresses the use of tongues in a more homogeneous setting of Corinthian house churches (14:23)

Tongues seem to accompany the inauguration of the Spirit’s activity where they occur, i.e. toward the beginning of believers’ experience of the Spirit (2:4; 10:44-‐46; 19:6)

Tongues are one among many gifts (among the less useful in public), useful especially for private prayer

Luke does not use the analogy of the body and its members or speak of spiritual “gifts” (focusing instead on the gift of the Spirit)

Paul speaks of diverse gifts of grace (ideally especially as enablement’s for service to others) or of the Spirit in the context of a body with many members (Rom 12:4-‐8; 1 Cor. 12:4-‐30)

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Bibliography Bock, Darrell L. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI:

Baker Books, 1994. Dunn, James D. G. Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Re-examination of the New Testament Teaching

on the Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism today. Naperville, IL: Alec R. Allenson Inc., 1970.

Hunter, Harold D. Spirit Baptimsm: A Pentecostal Alternative. Lanham, MD: University Press

of America, 1983. Johnson, Luke Timothy. Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Williams B.

Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011. Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary - Vol 1 - Introduction and 1:1-2:47. Grand

Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012. Menzies, Robert P. Empowered For Witness: The Spirit in Luke-Acts. Sheffield, England:

Sheffield Academic Press, 1991. Moule, C. F. D. The Holy Spirit: Contemporary Christian Insights. London, New York:

Continuum, 2000. Powel, Mark Allen. What Are They Saying About Luke? Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989. Ralph Del Colle, H Ray Dunning, Larry Hart, Stanley M. Horton, and Walter Kaiser Jr.

Perspectives On Spirit Baptism: 5 Views. Edited by Chad Owen Brand. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2004.

Stronstad, Roger. The Charimatic Theology of St. Luke. second edition. Grand Rapids, MI:

Baker Academic, 2012. —. The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology. Cleveland, TN:

CTP Press, 2010. Talbert, Charles H. Literary Patterns, Theological Themes and the Genre of Luke-Acts.

Missoula, Montana: Scholars Press, 1974. Warrington, Keith. Pentecostal Theology: A Theological Encounter. New York, NY: T&T

Clark, 2008.

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