Topical Bible: Christ is God: As Sending the Spirit, Equally With the Father

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The doctrine of the Trinity, foundational to Christian theology, affirms the co-equality and co-eternity of the Father, the Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Within this framework, the role of Christ in sending the Holy Spirit is a significant aspect of His divine nature and authority. The New Testament provides several passages that highlight Christ's involvement in the sending of the Spirit, demonstrating His equality with the Father in this divine action.

Biblical Evidence

1. John 14:16-17: In the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus promises His disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit. He states, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." Here, Jesus indicates His active role in requesting the Father to send the Spirit, showing His divine authority and intimate relationship with the Father.

2. John 15:26: Jesus further clarifies His role in sending the Spirit: "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me." This verse explicitly states that Jesus Himself will send the Spirit from the Father, underscoring His divine prerogative and unity with the Father in the mission of the Spirit.

3. John 16:7: Jesus emphasizes the necessity of His departure for the Spirit to come: "But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." This passage highlights the divine plan and the essential role of Christ in the sending of the Spirit, affirming His sovereign authority.

4. Acts 2:33: After His ascension, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares, "Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear." This event at Pentecost is a fulfillment of Christ's promise and a demonstration of His divine power to send the Spirit upon His followers.

Theological Implications

The sending of the Holy Spirit by Christ, equally with the Father, is a profound testament to His divinity. It affirms the unity and co-operation within the Godhead, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work harmoniously in the redemption and sanctification of believers. The Spirit's role as the Advocate, Comforter, and Spirit of truth is integral to the life of the Church, and Christ's authority in sending the Spirit underscores His divine nature and His ongoing presence and work in the world through the Spirit.

Christ's Divine Authority

The authority of Christ in sending the Spirit is not an isolated aspect of His ministry but is deeply connected to His overall mission and identity as God incarnate. His ability to send the Spirit reflects His sovereign will and divine purpose, as He continues to guide, empower, and sustain His Church through the presence of the Holy Spirit. This divine action is a clear indication of His equality with the Father, as both are involved in the sending and mission of the Spirit, revealing the triune nature of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Content of Revelation. God Three in one and the Incarnation.
... i.51 fin., that the sending of Christ in the flesh for the first time (loipon)
liberated human nature from sin, and enabled the requirement of God's law to ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 5 content of revelation.htm

Continual Union in Spirit with God the End of Man's Creation...
... 8, 9. The reparation of mankind by Christ. ... 7. But Almighty God, the Father of mercies,
pitying His ... resurrection, having obtained a power of sending the Holy ...
/.../chapter i continual union in.htm

On the Holy Trinity
... Diverse Things are Spoken Concerning the Same Christ, on Account ... the Scriptural Modes
of Speech Concerning the Son of God. ... Of the Sending of the Holy Spirit. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on the holy trinity/

The Toiling Christ
... hunger, as is testified by His sending the disciples ... The true corporeal manhood of
Jesus Christ, and the ... that manhood is the tabernacle of God"without these ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the toiling christ.htm

The Holiness of God
... What is the sending of the Spirit into the world for, but to anoint us with ... What
shall we do to resemble God in holiness ... (1.) Have recourse to Christ's blood by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/7 the holiness of god.htm

John Chapter xiv. 15-17.
... on that account fail in afterwards sending Him according ... an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous ... direct opposition to the love of God, which is ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lxxiv john chapter xiv.htm

The Spirit and Power of Elias.
... and remembers that they are dust, combated, not by expostulation, but by sending
him food ... Let it never be forgotten that Christ taught that God is not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xvii the spirit and power.htm

Grace and Glory
... It is a schoolmaster to bring you to Christ, to that ... do nothing SAVE alleviate; if
(which God forbid) permanent ... for instance, is on foot for sending twenty of ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxxv grace and glory.htm

The Ascension of Christ
... blessing to the church than the sending forth of ... Whitfield was, under God, the salvation
of our country ... are invaluable gifts of the ascension of Jesus Christ. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the ascension of christ.htm

God Has Everything to do with Prayer
... For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning ... Prayer is the heart sending
its full and happy pulsations up to God through the glad currents of joy ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iv god has everything to.htm