Constructing a Theology of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament
In essay 1, our focus was on the Spirit as witnessed to in Scripture. There, we sought to demonstrate the broad dimensions of the Spirit with relation to creation, prophecy and the life of Israel, Christ and Israel's Messiah, and the church and the ongoing witness of the Spirit to Christ. In this essay, we shall seek to in some senses narrow our focus, as we look to the Holy Spirit as the agent and witness of forgiveness, especially as it relates to Word and Sacrament. Yet, we must at the same time keep our discussion anchored in the broader Biblical witness to the Spirit. This means keeping always in mind the Triune nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We shall not seek to construct a theology that assets places where only the Holy Spirit is at work, but instead, we shall uplift the ministry of the Holy Spirit as divine agent and witness, not in isolation from Father and Son, but always in communion with them. We shall begin with this Trinitarian foundation. This will lead us to a discussion of the Spirit and Word, in which we shall work from a recognition of the Spirit's close relationship to Christ as the Word, then explicating what this means for the written and proclaimed Word. We then turn our attention to the Spirit and sacrament, and look at how the Spirit deepens our understanding of baptism and the Lord's Supper. In our theology of the Holy Spirit, we shall seek to assert that it is the Holy Spirit is at work in Word and Sacrament, enlivening the message and imparting forgiveness, and at the same time assert that the Spirit is not limited by them.
The Trinity
Our starting point for a discussion of the Holy Spirit will be the Trinity. In speaking of the Holy Spirit, we must understand that the Spirit is not working in isolation from the other two persons of the Trinity. This may seem to go without stating, but at the same time, its importance, especially to Word and Sacrament, warrants specific attention to this topic. In asserting that God is Triune, we are saying that God is One God in Three Persons. This means that God is the one and only God. We start with God's unity (a Western orientation, as opposed to an Eastern orientation of starting from the three persons, who are united), and at once affirm God's Triunity, in three persons. God is not a community of individuals, but "a tripersonal interaction within the life of God." A traditional expression of this truth is perichoresis, which affirms the mutual interpenetration of the persons of the Godhead. Thus, as we affirm the Spirit's action below, we are affirming God's action there. This also sheds light on the Spirit's ability and mission to incorporate believers into the very life of God the Father and Son.
Another historical issue which bears at least brief mention is the filioque clause of the Nicean-Constantinopolitan Creed, which affirms that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Without wandering too far from the focus of this essay, it is important to assert in this Trinitarian groundwork that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and from the Son. It is the Holy Spirit which is sent by God the Father and the Son, which incorporates the church as a body of believers into the divine life, so that, as Jesus declared, "just as you are in me and I am in you," so "May they also be in us�" (John 17:21). As we proceed, this Trinitarian "mission" of the Spirit is borne out in the Spirit's role in Word and Sacrament, and thus it is helpful to at least provide some of the groundwork for this understanding as it develops.
Holy Spirit and Word
We will now turn to the role of the Holy Spirit in Word. In undertaking this discussion, we must first establish what we mean by "Word" before we can discuss the Spirit. One sense in which we use "Word," often especially as it is paired with "sacrament," is in the sense of the proclaimed Word of preaching. This sense, though, cannot be divorced from the "Word" of Scripture. And at the same time, neither of these uses can finally be divorced from John 1 and Jesus Christ as the Word, preexistent with/as God, and incarnate in the man Jesus. We shall now work backward along this progression, as we assert the role of Spirit in Word, even as we focus on the Spirit's mission of forgiveness in the proclaimed Word.
In associating the Spirit with the Word Jesus Christ, our Trinitarian starting point immediately becomes central. For in asserting that the Spirit is involved in Word we are making a Trinitarian assertion. The Scripture bears witness to a close relationship between Christ and the Spirit so that we should not think of Jesus as being without the Spirit, and neither should we think of the Spirit apart from Christ. In Luke 4, Jesus claims that the Spirit is upon him, and elsewhere throughout the Gospels, Jesus is seen to be conceived "by the Spirit" and act "in the power of the Spirit" (e.g. Luke 4:14, Matt. 1:20). As Hendrikus Berkhof states, "Jesus can be the sender of the Spirit only because he is first the receiver and the bearer of the Spirit." The Spirit and Christ demonstrate the perichoresis of the Trinity, and exhibit dependence and interdependence, even as we understand the Spirit to proceed from and testify to Christ. As we assert that Jesus Christ was in, indwelled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we also at once assert that the Spirit is sent by and testifies to Christ. In John 16:13, Jesus says of the Spirit, "He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears�." 1 John furthers the connection of the Spirit with Christ by asserting that acknowledging Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is the defining mark of the Spirit of God (1 John 4:2-3).
The second understanding of Word to which we shall relate the Holy Spirit is in the Scripture. Regardless of the precise bibliology that is espoused, the Bible is fundamentally God's Word, just as it is human words. Without delving too deeply into the deep theological issues surrounding the nature and inspiration of the Bible, we shall seek to acknowledge the Bible as a location of the Spirit's work, both in the past and in the living present. First, the Bible is a locus of the Spirit's activity in the inspiration of its authors. It is God's Word because it communicates through its human words the Word of God in Christ. I am at this point not necessarily espousing a Barthian view of the Scripture as witness to the Word. Instead, I assert that the Bible itself is God's Word and God's words, as it testifies to Jesus Christ the crucified and risen Lord. Thus, the Spirit can be seen to be active in the past through the inspiration of Scripture. Yet, the Spirit's activity in and with Scripture is certainly not confined there. The Spirit is also active today, enlivening our reading and hearing of these texts, witnessing to us in them, and confirming the truth of Christ in our hearts. This presents us with a complementarity of Word and Spirit, in which the two go together, as the Spirit speaks and testifies to the Word and enlivens our reception of it.
The third way in which we understand Word is the proclaimed word of preaching. This type of Word follows in nice progression out of the first two, because our preaching is based in Scripture, and, along with Scripture, it points to Christ. Wingren puts it succinctly when he asserts, "Preaching means that Christ comes now." He elsewhere writes, "The living Word, which is God at work, has its home in the present. Preaching is not just talk about a Christ of the past, but is a mouth through which the Chirst of the present offers us life today." Wingren helps us center our understanding of proclaimed Word on Christ, and this leads us to the Spirits activity in this proclamation of Christ. As we noted with regard to Spirit and Word in Christ, the Spirit comes not to glorify himself, but instead to point to Christ. In the proclaimed Word, the Spirit's activity brings to today (brings "to you") the Spirit's activity in Christ and Scripture. Acting both through the spoken words, and in the hearts of hearers, the Spirit carries out the mission to "convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment" and "guide you into all truth" (John 16:8, 13).
First Corinthians 2 uplifts for us the role of the Spirit in preaching. Paul speaks here of proclaiming the wisdom of God, which is in contrast to the wisdom of the world, and which is Christ crucified. This proclamation for Paul is fundamentally a Spirit-filled endeavor, for in this passage the Spirit is the revealer (v. 10) sent from God (v. 12), who teaches the words to speak and who "interprets spiritual things to those who are spiritual" (v. 13). Thus, as the proclamation of forgiveness of sins through the cross of Christ goes out, this foolishness to the world is proclaimed not by humans, though we may speak the words, but is proclaimed as wisdom by the Spirit, who speaks and illumines the Word to those who are "spiritual." It is the Spirit that brings Christ, and in so doing, it is the Spirit that incorporates those who hear and believe by the Spirit into the very life of Christ and so too of God the Father.
As we have looked at the relationship between Spirit and Word, we have seen that the Spirit is intimately bound up in the life of Christ, and is active in the Word written and proclaimed of Christ crucified and risen, and the forgiveness that it brings. Having looked at how the Spirit's activity pervades Word, we shall now turn to the relation of Spirit to Sacrament.
Holy Spirit and Sacrament
The character and role of sacrament in salvation and in the life of the church has been a major location of contention throughout the history of theology, especially since the Reformation. Today in modern denominations, from Roman Catholic to Lutheran to Baptist there exist a variety of understandings of sacrament. Here, we shall seek to propose an understanding of the Spirit's activity in baptism and communion, these being the two broadly accepted sacraments. We shall look at the two in turn, as we seek to understand the Spirit's activity in sacrament.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit�" (Matthew 28:19). "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24). The church holds up baptism and the Lord's Supper as mandates directly from Jesus Christ. These are things we have been commanded to do. This means that the sacraments are a fundamental part of the Christian life. As Luther asserted, "�without the sacraments no one can be a Christian." This provides for us a starting point as we discuss sacrament, for they are to play a vital role in our understanding of being a Christian, and what it means to be a church. Miroslav Volf connects the sacraments to church, as he states, "�the sacraments-baptism and the Lord's Supper-belong to the esse of the church. �Without baptism and the Lord's Supper, there is no church." These two sacraments are part of what it means to be church, as they mark entrance into and sustaining membership in the body of Christ. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to strive for a deep understanding of their significance, and to come to an understanding that is commensurate with the significance of the sacrament for the life of the Christian and the church. In what is to follow, we shall assert that this understanding is precisely to be had in the recognition of the Spirit's activity in the sacraments of the Lord's Supper and baptism.
As we put forth a theology of sacrament, we shall look first to baptism, and think of baptism as it relates to salvation. Luther rightly recognizes, in the Large Catechism, that baptism is a divine act. Betraying my own Free Church background is the assertion that this divine act of baptism can be and often does coincide with the outward sign of the sprinkling, pouring or immersing in water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but this need not be the case. There is a distinction between baptism of the Spirit and that of water, and it is here that the sovereignty of the Spirit is asserted. The Spirit is not dependent upon the outward activity of water baptism to bring about the regeneration and new birth to which this outward baptism points, but instead the Spirit can and does bring about the baptism of regeneration apart from this outward action. Likewise, just as the Spirit's activity is not limited to the observance of the outward sign of baptism, neither is the Spirit so bound to it that its enactment causes or constrains the Spirit's activity in that place at that moment. This is to object to the view that baptism (or the sacraments in general) imparts grace ex opere operato. Instead, baptism and new birth always coincide with faith, and is subject to the sovereignty of God alone, who enlightens the heart and makes the unspiritual spiritual. Thus, with regard to baptism, the Holy Spirit is the operative force, bringing about new birth and forgiveness, incorporating the believer into the church. The outward activity of baptism is not void of meaning, for it is an outward sing of this activity, and performed in faith, provides the occasion for the Spirit's activity. Yet, even as we assert the activity of the Spirit in the sign, bringing about forgiveness, we do not seek to limit or bind the Spirit's activity to it.
We now turn our attention to the Spirit's activity in communion. Like baptism, communion is an observance commanded by Jesus Christ, and is associated with the death of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. Our understanding of communion follows closely upon that of baptism proposed above, yet it also has its own issues, and thus warrants its own treatment. Like baptism, communion is an outward sign of the Spirit's inward activity, for communion is fundamentally the activity of the Spirit, bringing to us the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in his body and blood, cleansing us from sin through forgiveness in the new covenant, and bringing new life and incorporation into the life of God. The Spirit convicts sinners of their sin, works in us faith which brings about confession, and brings to us forgiveness in Jesus Christ. This is what happens in communion, as the Spirit brings together the "body" of Christ, the church, around the body and blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins and the rebirth of new life. The convening of the church around bread and wine and the partaking of these elements is an outward sign which, like baptism, provides occasion for the Spirit to proclaim Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness of sins in His death and resurrection. Yet, we must not with our understanding of the Supper limit the Spirit's activity of forgiveness there, nor ascribe the Spirit's activity to the outward sign.
Our understanding of communion has focused on the Spirit's ministry of forgiveness, in gathering the body of Christ around the Lord's table. Yet, a discussion of communion would not be complete without acknowledging the "real presence" of Christ. Through the power of the Spirit, communion does include the presence of Christ, but this does not necessarily mean that we must assert a metaphysical presence in the bread and wine. Instead, Christ's presence is realized in the community through the whole celebration of communion, as the church comes together to partake. As Welker writes, "It is �the celebration of the interconnection between reconciliation of human beings with God and reconciliation of human beings with each other, carried out as directed by Jesus, which makes bread and wine elements of the presence of the risen Christ, and elements of holy communion." Thus, we can affirm the "real presence" of Christ in communion through the activity of the Spirit in the convocation of reconciled believers around the table of the Lord's Supper.
A final aspect of the Spirit's activity that we seek to affirm in communion is that of glorifying the Father and Son. As we mentioned above, although we recognize that the Lord's Supper is more than merely a commemorative event, it is still done "in remembrance" of Jesus Christ. The meal truly is Eucharist, thanksgiving and praise to God for what He has done. Jesus says of the Spirit, "He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you" (John 16:14). In communion, the spirit makes know the forgiveness and reconciliation of Christ's death and resurrection, and brings glory to Jesus Christ and God the Father through the praises of God's people.
Through this brief treatment of the sacraments of baptism and communion, we have sought to locate their significance in the activity of the Spirit. We have seen the Spirit's activity as a ministry of forgiveness, as well as that of the communication of Christ's presence, and the glorification of Jesus Christ and God the Father through the eucharistic celebration of the Lord's Supper. We do not simply ascribe the power of the sacraments to the outward sign, even as we affirm the significance and propriety of that sign. Neither do we neglect the outward sign, or strip it of meaning, as we recognize the activity of the Spirit there. As Donald Bloesch has written, "[Sacraments] are indeed symbols of our commitment of faith, but they are also means by which God confronts us with the power of his personal presence." Let us recognize God's work, and let us proclaim through these signs the God whose Spirit works for the forgiveness of sins in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that is remembered and reenacted in these events.
Conclusion: The Wind Blows Where it Will
In the preceding analysis, we have sought to construct a theology of Word and sacrament that understands these as the matrix of the Spirit's activity, without limiting the Holy Spirit to our own actions. This understanding is based on the Trinitarian foundation on which we built our theology, and on the close association of the Spirit with Christ, both as it empowered Jesus on earth, and as it is sent by him and testifies and gives glory to him. The Spirit proclaims Christ through written and spoken word, and through baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the Spirit is the fundamental actor in these events. The outward activity, be it of Word or sacrament, is not marginalized by this understanding. Instead it is enmeshed with the Spirit's activity. Our reading, preaching, baptizing and communing are precisely where the Spirit acts, even if not only there. Neither can we dictate to the Spirit how and where the Spirit's activity must occur. Rather, in recognizing that the Spirit "blows where it chooses" (John 3:8), we should be sensitive to the Spirit's leading, for the wind of forgiveness blows to us and through us, in Word and sacrament. May we be open to bending in its breeze.
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