There are several difficulties in preparing and presenting a paper such as this. There is the obvious brevity required on a subject which has been dealt with in many, many volumes of books. The subject is very broad, the number of subdivisions so many, that the treatment of the entire subject is impossible with any degree of comprehensiveness. A second difficulty involves the amount of time available for preparing a paper such as this—the author simply does not have adequate time to prepare a paper in the way he would wish.
However, perhaps something can be presented which will lead to a good discussion on the assigned topic. The intent of this paper is to present positively certain thoughts concerning the work of the Holy Spirit within the church of Christ. We are aware, and have been made aware this morning, of the dangerous inroads which have been made in “mainline” denominations by neo-Pentecostalism and of the growth of Pentecostal groups. We must be aware of these developments not only, but must certainly condemn such movements when these so obviously walk contrary to the teaching of Scripture and mislead many.
Yet it is also true, as the committee who assigned the subject suggested, that we must be positive. It is not simply enough to say what the Spirit does not do, but we ought also to present clearly what is the work of the Spirit. It is this idea that we now consider.