Holy Spirit in 1 and 2 Thessalonians

The key to understanding Peter’s words is found in allowing the Bible to define its own “ages.” There are various interpretive systems among Bible students today that describe the stages of the biblical story. The dispensational pre-millennialist has at least seven dispensations or ages in which God has and will work. Another common division of the Bible ages has three main ages: the Patriarchal Age, Mosaic Age, and Christian Age. The problem for both of these approaches is that the Bible never uses any such structure or labels to describe its own ages.

The objection might be raised that Acts 2:38 states that the Holy Spirit is given in baptism. Since proponents of a non-prophetic indwelling believe almost universally that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of a Christian, that statement would appear justified. However, their insistence that Acts 5:32 unilaterally excludes the prophetic powers of the Holy Spirit places them in a bind in trying to apply the Bible’s language consistently.

The work of the Holy Spirit with man is always prophetic in its nature when that work is done directly with man. Whenever He comes upon man, rushes upon him, falls upon him, fills him, dwells in him, anoints him, or at least a dozen other images expressed in the Bible, the Spirit provides man some kind of prophetic ability.