PNEUMATOLOGY

MOSES OGUTA OMINO

BT/006/20135
ESSAY 2

PRESENTED TO REV. DEDAN GITARI MARETE

PNEUMATOLOGY
COURSE CODE : BIL 2033
DATE: 28TH JULY, 2017

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN BIBLE AND THEOLOGY
 BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF A PERSON WHO WAS USED MIGHTILY BY THE HOLY

SPIRIT

SAUL OF TARSUS

The bible upholds the Holy Spirit as the third member of the Holy Trinity together with the

Father and the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity, though not explicitly mentioned as such in the

Bible, clearly reveals that the Godhead has three members who have been involved in the affairs

of the universe differently, but as God. The ministry of God the Father is clearly captured in the

scriptures in much of the Old Testament encounters of God and mankind. He has been active in

ministry from the creation and intervened in human history too. The ministry of God the Son is

also succinctly captured in the New Testament books where the Son is incarnate and dwells with

man to ultimately die and attain salvation for all who would believe in Him. The personality of

God the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead is however not very explicitly elaborated in the

Bible, however, He is active in the activities of the Godhead even from the Old Testament times.

The prophet Joel talked of the times when the Holy Spirit would infill every believer to

dwell with them and direct them in righteous living. It is apparent that in the Old Testament times,

the Holy Spirit did not dwell permanently with man but would occasionally come and activate

them for some godly purpose. When God the Son approached the close of His redemption ministry,

He promised the disciples that He would send them the comforter who is the Holy Spirit who

would dwell with them and assist them in their righteous living and in ministry. He would dwell

in man till and never desert them like orphans till the end of the times. After the death, resurrection

and ascension of Jesus Christ, as the disciples tarried in Jerusalem on the day of the feast of

Pentecost, the comforter came mightily upon the disciples and endowed them with much bravery,

spiritual gifts and power which transformed their witnessing to Jesus Christ.
 When the Holy Spirit came as had been prophesied by Joel, a dramatic church growth was

sparked off and this would transform all the ends of the world as the Holy Spirit drove the gospel

forward into nations of the world through the disciples. Holy men who were spirit filled became

vessels of God’s mighty purposes as they led others to the faith in Jesus Christ through their

preaching and miraculous deeds that the Holy Spirit performed through them for a confirmation

of the power of the kingdom of God. Paul of Tarsus was one such man whom God picked out to

be a vessel to convey His mighty purposes to many people as God would direct him.

BACKGROUND OF PAUL

The New Testament offers some insight into the life of Paul especially through his letters

and the Acts of the apostles. Paul was a diaspora Jew from the tribe of Benjamin of Israel, and a

citizen of the city of Tarsus. Tarsus was situated on the Cilician plain about ten miles inland on

the River Cydnus. It is apparent from Paul’s descriptions in Acts 29:31 that Tarsus was an

influential city because he described it as a no mean city. Being a Roman citizen in such a

renowned city suggests that Paul must have come from a background of considerable prestige.

PAUL’S OCCUPATION

In line with the Hebrew traditions of a family member joining in the family occupation,

Saul maintains that he was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3) and he claims severally to have used his

tentmaking skills to support himself (Acts 20:33-35). Luke describes Paul as a tentmaker in the

Acts, which could either suggest that Paul was a weaver of tent cloth from goats’ hair as was the

tradition of the tent material, or a leatherworker (Wilson, 1995).

PAUL’S EDUCATION

Saul apparently studied extensively in Jerusalem under the tutorship of the rabbi Gamaliel

who taught him the Torah (Acts 22:3). Gamaliel was a prominent teacher of the law who is
mentioned twice in the scriptures. For his vast studies in the Law, Saul was more zealous for

Judaism than most of his contemporaries. During one of his trials for his faith in Jesus Christ, the

governor Felix commented in alarm that Paul’s vast learning had apparently made him crazy. Even

later in his advanced life as a Christian, he maintained his habit of extensive studies and writing.

He would exhort Timothy to be studious and present himself to God as an approved workman who

correctly knew and interpreted the word of God.

SAUL’S RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

Soon after the Christian church was born and began to expand its influence, it encountered

stiff opposition and persecution from the different religious sects that Israel’s Judaism had split

into. Saul was apparently a Pharisee, one of the sects of Judaism. His teacher Gamaliel was a

Pharisee, for Paul claimed that he was a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees (Acts 23). Paul further

confirms that when the believers in Jesus were sentenced to death by the religious council of Israel

for their faith in Jesus, he cast his vote against them probably as a member of the council (Acts

26:10). This council was composed by members of the different religious sects of Israel. The Saul

of Tarsus is first mentioned in the Acts 7:58 when the deacon Stephen was being stoned to the

death. It was at Saul’s feet where Stephen’s executors laid their garments as they stoned him to

death. The scriptures report that Saul was consenting to their deeds (Acts 8:1) and being more

zealous for Judaism than most others, he would emerge as the chief persecutor of the believers in

Jesus Christ.

As a persecutor, Saul consented to many atrocities that were committed against the

Christians. He confessed in Acts 22:3-5 that he had been a fierce persecutor who followed and

tormented the Christians to their death and would go from house to house to drag out the Christians

and throw them into prison. This initial persecution forced some Christians to flee Jerusalem and
go to the further cities and they spread the good news with them. Saul sought for letters of authority

from the high Priests in Jerusalem to arrest the Jewish Christians as far as Damascus and drag them

back to Jerusalem for prosecution since they were considered blasphemers to the God of Judaism

(Acts 9:1-12). He commented later that he had been convinced by his zeal in Judaism that he

should do all that he could to frustrate the purpose of Jesus by consenting to Jesus’s disciples’

death, dragging them into prison from afar off and coercing them to blaspheme against God (Acts

26:9-12).

PAUL’S CONVERSION TO THE WAY

On one of these occasions as he was going from Jerusalem to Damascus with the authority

of the chief priests to arrest the Christians and drag them back to Jerusalem, he had a vison that

transformed his life completely. In the company of his companions, Saul was blinded by a sudden

flash of light from the heavens as he encountered Jesus who spoke to him in the light and required

of him to convert and become his follower. Saul realized that he had actually been fighting the

very God that he thought he was serving in his zeal in Judaism. God had a further purpose for Saul,

to radically transform his life so as to bear witness to Jesus’ salvation to the gentiles, kings and the

children of Israel and suffer much also for his sake.

He was directed to one Christian called Ananias of Damascus who prayed for him to

receive his sight and baptize him to Christianity. Saul changed his name to Paul as a sign of his

new life and remained in Damascus with the Christians who probably gave him his first

instructions in the new faith. Being passionate about what he now believed, Paul began to share

about his new faith in the synagogues in Damascus where the Jews congregated for worship.
 SAUL, THE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST

When Ananias baptized Saul, he received the Holy Spirit who opened his mind into

understanding the scriptures about Jesus Christ and he taught with amazing clarity about the Jesus

whom he had intended to frustrate. He tarried in Damascus a little until the opposition was mounted

against him by the synagogue authorities for preaching the name of Jesus. For this reason, Paul

had to flee Damascus with the help of the Christian disciples in Damascus.

When he got converted to the faith, Jesus revealed to him how much he would suffer for

the sake of the gospel and also how much he would achieve for the purposes of Christ. Paul would

be a worthy vessel for noble purposes and as such, he would be anointed with the Holy Spirit for

the great work he was being prepared for.

Paul receded to Tarsus where he most probably went back to his tent making until Barnabas

sought him out so that they could work together. Barnabas, Paul’s companion was also a righteous

man who was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24) and was very useful for the Christian

community in Jerusalem. He was dispatched to Antioch when word reached Jerusalem that many

had converted to the faith. After exhorting them to remain in the faith, he went out to look for Saul

and brought him to Antioch where they remained, teaching the disciples.

Sent out by the Holy Spirit

Later at Antioch, while the disciples were praying in the company of the teachers, the Holy

Spirit recommended that Saul and Barnabas be set apart for the work he had called them for (Acts

13:1-4). They were therefore commissioned by the laying on of hands and sent off on their

missions to the distant lands.

 Encounters in the Holy Spirit

Paul and Elymas the sorcerer

When they reached Cyprus, they preached the gospel in the city of Paphos and met a Jewish

sorcerer called Elymas who urged the governor to ignore them. Saul, whose name now had

changed to Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, looked keenly at the sorcerer and rebuked him

thereafter he became blind. This miracle of the Holy Spirit really convinced the governor who

immediately became a believer for he was astonished at the teaching of Paul (Acts 13:9-12).

Paul’s Spirit guided teaching

Paul and Barnabas were emboldened by the Holy Spirit and sailed further to Antioch in

Pisidia whereas John Mark fainted heart and departed from their company to return home. Here at

Antioch on one Sabbath, Paul and Barnabas were given the chance to exhort the synagogue of

Jews from the scriptures and Paul being in the Holy Spirit, expounded on the scriptural conception

of the messiah from the time of the Patriarchs and convinced them that Jesus Christ was the

messiah they had waited for and it was the same that they preached to the men. Many Jews and

devout men followed them to hear more from them and to stay with them. This was simply amazing

as the Holy Spirit convinced people through his preaching and got huge followers who were eager

to hear their message. When their time was up, they were confronted by great jealousy from some

Jews who strove to drive them out. So, they left for Iconium, but the converts remained. They were

filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:14-52).

Many signs and wonders in the Holy Spirit and Iconium

At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again preached boldly under very server opposition from

the Jews. They stayed there for a long time and boldly preached about the grace of the Lord, and

the Lord proved their word true by giving them power to perform miraculous signs and wonders
in the Holy Spirit (Acts 14:3). Once again, it was the face of stiff opposition that drove them away

from Iconium to head to Lystra and Derbe.

Paul and the crippled man

Here at Lystra as they preached, a certain man who had been crippled from birth and had

never walked, sat at their feet and listened intently to their preaching. Paul looked at him intently

and, seeing in the Holy Spirit, that he had the faith, asked him to stand up and walk in the name of

Jesus. Immediately the man stood up and walked and many mistook them for the gods Zeus and

Hermes (Acts 14:8-10). Paul rebuked this heresy and would not allow themselves to be deified by

the people.

Paul brought back to life

When the Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived, they won the crowds to their side and

they incited them to stone Paul whom they left for dead and dragged his body out of the city. The

disciples gathered around him probably praying for him, he got up and went back with them to

town and departed the next day Derbe. It is amazing how he could survive the stoning without

major injuries and get well to walk the following day if he was not protected and kept safe by the

Holy Spirit who had called him for the purpose (Acts 14:19-20).

Appointing church elders in the Holy Spirit

Again, at Derbe, Paul and Barnabas had a very fruitful ministry and made many disciples

for Jesus Christ (Acts 14:21). They then embarked on the return journey through the regions that

they had visited and strengthened the believers to endure sufferings for the sake of the kingdom of

God. They also appointed elders for the congregations with much prayer and fasting turning them

over to the care of the Lord in the Holy Spirit in whom they had put all their trust (Acts 14:23).
 Reporting back to the Spirit guided church

The believers in Antioch had commended them to the Holy Spirit when they went out, so

when they returned, they called the congregation together and recounted everything that the Lord

had done through them by opening the door of faith to the gentiles (Acts 14:26-28). It is apparent

that this missionary journey was initiated by the Holy Spirit who used the two men mightily to

spread the gospel of Jesus in the new lands and win many disciples through the boldness he gave

them and through the signs and wonders he performed through them.

Paul embarked on the second missionary journey with Silas, having disagreed with

Barnabas about Mark. They were commended to the Holy Spirit and they went through the cities

of Derbe and Lystra where they had initially preached and strengthened the disciples and made

new converts. The Holy Spirit would not let them into Asia, so they passed through Galatia and

Phrygia instead (Acts 16:1-8). In Mysia the Spirit changed their plans again and sent them to Troas.

It is apparent that even in this mission, its success and direction were solely guided by the Holy

Spirit as He used the disciples in the regions that He intended them to go to for His divine purposes.

Spirit led to Macedonia

While Paul was in the night, he saw in a vision a Macedonian calling him over, and he

immediately knew that the Holy Spirit was indicating to him that it was time to cross over to

Europe with the message of Jesus. After having been barred by the Holy Spirit from preaching in

Asia, he was being guided to go over into Macedonia under the guidance of the Lord (Acts 16:9-

12).

At Macedonia, they made it to the chief city of Philippi where they preached the word of

God to the influential women there. One trader of purple called Lydia was converted with her

household. The following day, in the city, Paul encountered slave girl who had the spirit of
divination and brought profit to her master by soothsaying. She hounded Paul and Silas who turned

to her in the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus, rebuked the spirit in her, which left her

immediately and she became normal (Acts 16:17-18).

Miracle in the jail

When the slave owner saw his means of profit gone, he caused trouble for the two

Christians who got arrested and flogged then thrown into the jail room. They were bound in stocks

and kept under the charge of the jailer. In the night, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns

to the glory of God when, immediately, a great earthquake shook the whole jail to its foundations

and their chains fell off and they became free. It is amazing when the jailer saw this miracle and

would have killed himself for the loss of the prisoners. He took them to his house and they received

the message of Jesus and they believed and got baptized (Acts 16:19-34).

This is not an exhaustive account of the way Paul was used mightily by the Holy Spirit to

accomplish His great purposes. In the process, Paul suffered much for the sake of the kingdom of

God as had been told him by Jesus Christ in the vision and at his call. This, among others, he

referred to as the sign of an apostle. Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write so much spiritual

literature which later became part of the canon of the Bible – a total of fourteen out of the twenty-

seven New Testament books. He is the single writer who has a lot of his writings included in the

Bible for Christian instruction and for this he owes much to the Holy Spirit who used him mightily.

Through this man Paul, it is evident that the Holy Spirit propelled the gospel message of

the Kingdom of God in the early church by enabling the disciples to do emboldened, preaching

accompanied with acts of great perseverance and great courage and transform them, like he

transformed Saul from a persecutor to a preacher of the kingdom of God.

 References

Wilson, M. R. (1995). The Apostle Paul and His Times: Did You Know? Christian History(47),

p. 46. Retrieved from

https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/50cf82181a7fd8.49814146.pdf