Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament

by Christopher J.H. Wright

We tend to think of the Holy Spirit as the straggler of the Trinity, a latecomer in God's interaction with the world. But our first introduction to the Holy Spirit is not the drama of Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts. We first meet the Holy Spirit in the second verse of the Bible, hovering there, speaking the world into existence. Christopher Wright begins here and traces the Holy Spirit through the pages of the Old Testament. We see the Third Person of the Trinity in the decrees of prophets and psalmists, in the actions of judges and craftspeople, in the anointing of kings and the promise of a new creation. Knowable and discernable in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is thus eminently knowable to us. The witness of the whole of Scripture, from its first pages to its last, directs us to a Holy Spirit empowering the people of God, and sustaining and renewing the face of the earth.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Scripture, Biblical

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2006

About the author

Christopher J.H. Wright, (born 1947) is a Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. He is currently the director of Langham Partnership International. He was the principal of All Nations Christian College. He is an honorary member of the All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, UK.

Reviews

[Samuel Bunyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, short read to help spark some thoughts about the person and work of the Holy Spirit. This book helped me to realize how active the Holy Spirit has always been since the beginning of Creation.

I greatly appreciate the idea that in order to understand the Spirit, we must go back to the beginning. Many Christians begin to study the Holy Spirit in light of Acts 2, but if we are to understand Peter’s Pentecost sermon we must have the background knowledge his original audience had- the Old Testament!

I also greatly appreciate the knowledge that the work of the Spirit is not all in the past. He did not just give us the inspired word and leave us to figure everything out on our own. He is active in our lives! I am convinced that the invention of the word “providence” is really the guiding, empowering, and sustaining work of the Holy Spirit.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Mackie of the Bible Project recommended this book. The author does a complete job of shining the spotlight on G-D's Spirit (Holy Spirit) in the Old Testament. This is a book that I will keep and reread.

[Abigail Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt a little uneven; there were places where it seemed to stray from the topic (illumining the person and work of God's Spirit in the Old Testament), although that's fair enough since you really have to understand God's covenant relationship with Israel and His redemptive mission before you can get to grips with how His Spirit is involved in both those things. More critically, I felt like there could have been more depth of analysis. It's a pretty short book and it left me feeling that there was more that could be built on the foundations Wright lays here. I didn't agree with every single one of the points made -- I don't think the point of the Spirit equipping Oholiab and Bezalel for the work of adorning the tabernacle has anything to do with God's gracious gift of creativity to humanity at large!! -- but there is still a lot to make your heart glow in appreciation for the work of the Spirit and His outpouring on this side of the empty tomb.

[Trevor Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book about the Holy Spirit found in the Old Testament. Wright moves through the whole Bible, most of which is in the Old Testament to show the Spirit of God. Particularly good sections were the final section on Joel, the section on Moses, and the section on the Prophets. I only wish Wright had more space to devote to these thoughts. A larger volume would have, I think, allowed him to engage with the biblical themes with more nuance, a strength of his.

[Cassian Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book on the Holy Spirit that I have read to date. The author covers the main roles of the Spirit - the creating Spirit, the empowering Spirit, the prophetic Spirit, the anointing Spirit, and the coming Spirit - and breaks down the many places in the Old Testament that we see the Spirit at work and learn about who He is.

[Ian Stoutbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright does a good job showing 5 key ways that the Spirit works throughout the OT. Creating/ sustaining, leading, prophecy, anointing, empowering the renewal of the world. Highly recommended but don’t feel bad about skipping through some things, Wright has a way of being redundant in an attempt to place Scripture in the context of the larger story of the Bible, for better or worse.

[Claire Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for a "meatier" more intricate discussion on the Holy Spirit as seen in the OT, but I would say this just offered an overview. If you're looking for that, it's perfect and gospel-centered.

[Simon Wiebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meines Erachtens beschreibt Wright die offensichtlichen Dinge, die beim gewöhnlichen Bibelstudium auch eigenständig erschlossen werden können. Dementsprechend fand ich das Buch nicht so hilfreich. Für einen Akademiker schwach.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid quick read. Would have loved more though

[Jacqueline Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything he writes. This is excellent- although i think there is more he could flesh out on the topic.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good exploration of the topic of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. It is definitely the most thorough book-length treatment of the Spirit in the Old Testament I have come across. In the preface the author Christopher Wright mentioned that when he was first approached to speak on a five part series on the Spirit in the Old Testament he wondered at first if there was even enough materials for one talk, let alone five. But Wright was in for a pleasant surprised when he started his studies to discover “far more than my first impressions” (9). This book is the result of his 2004 lectures.


The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter one is on the Holy Spirit as Creator. Chapter two is titled “Empowering Spirit” and goes over the Spirit empowering people to serve God while chapter three is on the “Prophetic Spirit.” “The Anointing Spirit” is the title for chapter four and finally the fifth chapter is on “The Coming Spirit” in which the author looks at the promise in the Old Testament of the Spirit’s work of re-creation, renewal and restoration.

Each chapter present more verses from the Old Testament than typically presented in your systematic theology concerning the Holy Spirit. In addition Wright does a good job handling passages. There are exegetical insights sprinkled throughout the book. This work is a cross between a doctrinal theological book and a volume on biblical theology. In fact I used this work massively as I was constructing my own lectures for teaching biblical pneumatology but I wanted my theological method to be shaped more by biblical theology and the flow of the Scriptures rather than “proof texting” doctrines.

Every chapter was enjoyable. If I had to pick a favorite chapter it would have to be the final chapter on the coming Spirit. Looking at three Prophetic passages Wright gives good background and observation from the text some of which I haven’t found in any Holy Spirit textbook. Wright is very well organized in how the chapters are laid out.

I recommend this book. It certainly made me appreciate the Holy Spirit and how His works began in the Old Testament.

[Jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good succinct summary for those who wish to understand the workings of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Nothing too ground-breaking, since I was looking for a book to explain the real differences between the Holy Spirit in the NT and OT, and Chris Wright does confess that his scholarship in the NT is much weaker compared to his wisdom of the OT... which is a shame, as we don't know WHAT we're comparing the Holy Spirit to, and the difference in ministry. This may shed a lot more light on the Israel/Gentile divide in the Old Testament, but he did not talk about that, and neither did he mention the Holy Spirit's role in the salvation of the Old Testament Jews, which I think is fundamental, as many Muslims would believe that the Old Testament Jews were saved by their direct obedience and works because there was no 'buffer' (aka Jesus).

That is surely a mistake, and that Jesus' first coming was a DOWNGRADE because we, as Gentiles, now have to use this buffer to be righteous in God's eyes. If the role of the Holy Spirit was explained concerning that of the Old Testament Jews, then this book would achieve its purpose more surely.

[Patrick Oden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a regrettable title and a regrettable categorization. It's published by IVP Academic as an Old Testament Studies book. This and the dry title suggest a staid examination of Old Testament passages that mention the Holy Spirit, sort of a topical commentary.

It's not really that at all. Instead it's much more like a devotional in which an expert in the Old Testament discusses various passages and applies them to our lives. Wright is a very engaging writer whose passion for God is clear on every page. This book isn't dry at all but rather an encouragement, a testimony, a call to embrace the fuller role of the Holy Spirit which the Apostles assumed but which we tend to ignore.

We learn here the Spirit is about the mission of God in all its various aspects, pushing us deeper and outward in our relationship with God and this world.

[G Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this little Trilogy by Wright... Chris Wright is immanently accessible and thoroughly edifying... Good Stuff... all three volumes are helpful and do have good things to say by way of Old Testament studies, Trinitarian studies as well as for devotional or doxological purposes... Kuddos to Mr. Wright!

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd have known of this book earlier. Clear and compelling overview of a much neglected topic of discussion. Wright's treatment is made more helpful by the clustering of subjects which then are utilized in the final chapter to pull the topic material together.

A very helpful treatment of Scripture, readable and accessible to all.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as his "Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament," and every once in a while he says some truly unbiblical and silly things, but overall on the plus side of good.

[Christopher Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful

[Maer]

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