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New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology #1
God's Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments
Were ordinary members of the old covenant remnant continually indwelt by the Holy Spirit? The inaugural volume of the NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY STUDIES IN BIBLE AND THEOLOGY seeks an answer to this question. This new series is geared for pastors, advanced Bible students, and other deeply committed laypersons.
God's Indwelling Presence pursues answers to the following Are regeneration and indwelling the same thing? What do the words indwelling and regeneration mean? What does the Old Testament say about where the Spirit dwelt in relationship to God's people? How does the anointing of Jesus with the Spirit affect our understanding of these questions? If old covenant believers were not indwelt by the Spirit, how did they become and remain faithful to God?
Users will find this an excellent extension of the long-respected NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY.
God's Indwelling Presence pursues answers to the following Are regeneration and indwelling the same thing? What do the words indwelling and regeneration mean? What does the Old Testament say about where the Spirit dwelt in relationship to God's people? How does the anointing of Jesus with the Spirit affect our understanding of these questions? If old covenant believers were not indwelt by the Spirit, how did they become and remain faithful to God?
Users will find this an excellent extension of the long-respected NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
99 people are currently reading
589 people want to read
About the author
James M. Hamilton Jr.
53 books130 followersJames M. Hamilton Jr. (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. He is the author of God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment and the Revelation volume in the Preaching the Word commentary series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 3, 2025
Hamilton makes the case for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament regenerating all who are saved by faith while maintaining this regeneration is separate from the "indwelling" of the Holy Spirit which came following the incarnation of Jesus. I think I am on board, nothing stood out to me as glaringly wrong with this position. An intriguing topic that I have not previously considered, so this was a good read. How I approach the OT has been impacted, so mission success I'd say.
May 28, 2025
I went into this wanting to believe in a complete continuity of how the Spirit operates in the Old and New testaments. This is also what Hamilton wanted by his own admission but further study shows a more biblical option.
Old Testament believers were regenerated by God through the Spirit (circumcision of the heart) but not indwelt by the Spirit. What sustained these believers to obey God and follow Him was the covenantal presence of God in the tabernacle/temple. That is, until Jesus became the new temple and dwelt among the people. When Jesus offers himself as the sacrifice, and rises from the dead he is glorified and then gives the Spirit to indwell believers as they become a part of this new temple.
Thankful for this work!
Old Testament believers were regenerated by God through the Spirit (circumcision of the heart) but not indwelt by the Spirit. What sustained these believers to obey God and follow Him was the covenantal presence of God in the tabernacle/temple. That is, until Jesus became the new temple and dwelt among the people. When Jesus offers himself as the sacrifice, and rises from the dead he is glorified and then gives the Spirit to indwell believers as they become a part of this new temple.
Thankful for this work!
September 15, 2022
Read this for a book review and it was great! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the Spirit's role in the lives of old and new covenant believers. His view is that members of the old covenant we not indwelt by the Spirit since John 7:39 states that this cannot happen until the glorification of Jesus. However, the Spirit ministered to the old covenant believers through regeneration (as the biblical authors say, "circumcision of the heart"). Hamilton's argument is clear and concise. I enjoyed how he provided the audience with the means to understand and develop conclusions themselves as well as clearly communicating His position and the biblical evidence for it. It is clear in his books and his class that his desire is that the people of God would commit their lives to studying God through His Word! Big fan of Dr. Hamilton if you can't tell.
December 14, 2014
It seems that far too often, the Holy Spirit is viewed as something of a New Testament phenomenon, a part of the godhead that sort of sat on the sidelines for the first 39 books of the Bible while God and at times a pre-incarnate Jesus took care of things. Of course nothing could be further from the truth given the Holy Spirit has been active from eternity past and will be active until eternity future. James Hamilton, in his helpful book God’s Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old & New Testaments, outlines the work of the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture, paying particular attention to the question of whether the Holy Spirit dwelled within the elect far before the events of Pentecost.
Hamilton begins his discussion with an overview of the various theological opinions that have been presented on this topic. He notes six overarching positions, namely that of a complete continuity in the Holy Spirit’s activity; the idea that there was more continuity than there was discontinuity; a half and half approach of some continuity and some discontinuity; a belief in more discontinuity than continuity; the complete discontinuity approach; and finally a vague discontinuity. Each of these positions has received varying levels of support with five out of the six receiving some large level of adherence by some well respected theologians. Hamilton avers that some “have said too much” while others “have said too little.” To those stated positions, he seeks in this book “to demonstrate that the Old Testament has within itself a God-ordained, God-inspired means for the regeneration and sanctification of its saints – a means that allows for the operation of the Spirit on old covenant believers while also allowing for the full force of John 7:39, 14:16-17, and 16:7 to stand.”
This operating thesis is first supported by the Hamilton’s belief that “the Old Testament does not indicate that each individual member of the old covenant remnant was indwelt by the Holy Spirit.” What we find instead is the concept of God dwelling in a corporate sense, whether that was through the wilderness tabernacle, a pillar of cloud/fire, or in the temple. Hamilton does spend time examining those who were filled with the Spirit and empowered to do mighty works by God for specific times and for specific reasons. He compares the Old Testament dwelling with the New Testament indwelling noting “The Old Testament presents God as dwelling in particular locations, not in individual believers. This contrasts with the New Testament teaching that God no longer dwells at particular places and instead dwells in human beings.” We find in Jeremiah 31:31-34 the promise of that future indwelling, a time when the Holy Spirit would indwell the believer and in turn write God’s law on their very hearts.
Hamilton next transitions to an in-depth discussion of the Holy Spirit as outlined in the New Testament, rooting much of his analysis within the Gospel of John, specifically John 1-12. He begins his discussion with an overview of Johannine teaching on the Holy Spirit in order to provide the reader with a basis for understanding the future comments made on the indwelling nature of the Holy Spirit. Hamilton does a great job of explaining the important term parakletos, in particular the variety of meanings that term has within the New Testament and how each use of that term should be understood and applied.
Perhaps the most interesting portion of Hamilton’s book for me was the final chapter aptly titled “Results and Relevance for Today.” In any good book, especially one that deals with important topics such as the person and work of the Holy Spirit through Scripture, addressing the “so what” of the matter is always an important final aspect to conclude a book with. Hamilton does not disappoint in that regard. He aptly notes “The conclusions reached in this biblical theology of the Spirit’s role in salvation have important implications for our understanding of what it means to be the people of God at this point in salvation history.” This understanding reveals itself in issues such as church discipline, an issue one might not immediately relate to this particular subject matter. Since God indwells His people through the Holy Spirit, we should thus strive to be holy through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God had specific requirements in the Old Testament for what holiness looked like in daily practice and within the temple. Such requirements also find themselves revealed in the New Testament as well. After all, as Hamilton so rightly notes, “Our prayer should be that God will enable us to live as those in whom He is pleased to dwell.” This means at the end of the day, understanding the reality of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer must result in a pursuit of holiness by that believer.
Those desiring a clearer understanding of how the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament compared to how he operates today should give Hamilton’s book a read. Replete with solid biblical scholarship, this book will provide the reader with much to think about concerning this subject matter while helping them realize the all important issue of holiness, an issue too often neglected in our day. We have the Holy Spirit of God living within us so that should demand a life focused on bringing God glory in all we do through the power of the Holy Spirit who is writing God’s Word on our hearts. Hamilton’s book brings all these valuable and important theological and practical issues of life to light.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Hamilton begins his discussion with an overview of the various theological opinions that have been presented on this topic. He notes six overarching positions, namely that of a complete continuity in the Holy Spirit’s activity; the idea that there was more continuity than there was discontinuity; a half and half approach of some continuity and some discontinuity; a belief in more discontinuity than continuity; the complete discontinuity approach; and finally a vague discontinuity. Each of these positions has received varying levels of support with five out of the six receiving some large level of adherence by some well respected theologians. Hamilton avers that some “have said too much” while others “have said too little.” To those stated positions, he seeks in this book “to demonstrate that the Old Testament has within itself a God-ordained, God-inspired means for the regeneration and sanctification of its saints – a means that allows for the operation of the Spirit on old covenant believers while also allowing for the full force of John 7:39, 14:16-17, and 16:7 to stand.”
This operating thesis is first supported by the Hamilton’s belief that “the Old Testament does not indicate that each individual member of the old covenant remnant was indwelt by the Holy Spirit.” What we find instead is the concept of God dwelling in a corporate sense, whether that was through the wilderness tabernacle, a pillar of cloud/fire, or in the temple. Hamilton does spend time examining those who were filled with the Spirit and empowered to do mighty works by God for specific times and for specific reasons. He compares the Old Testament dwelling with the New Testament indwelling noting “The Old Testament presents God as dwelling in particular locations, not in individual believers. This contrasts with the New Testament teaching that God no longer dwells at particular places and instead dwells in human beings.” We find in Jeremiah 31:31-34 the promise of that future indwelling, a time when the Holy Spirit would indwell the believer and in turn write God’s law on their very hearts.
Hamilton next transitions to an in-depth discussion of the Holy Spirit as outlined in the New Testament, rooting much of his analysis within the Gospel of John, specifically John 1-12. He begins his discussion with an overview of Johannine teaching on the Holy Spirit in order to provide the reader with a basis for understanding the future comments made on the indwelling nature of the Holy Spirit. Hamilton does a great job of explaining the important term parakletos, in particular the variety of meanings that term has within the New Testament and how each use of that term should be understood and applied.
Perhaps the most interesting portion of Hamilton’s book for me was the final chapter aptly titled “Results and Relevance for Today.” In any good book, especially one that deals with important topics such as the person and work of the Holy Spirit through Scripture, addressing the “so what” of the matter is always an important final aspect to conclude a book with. Hamilton does not disappoint in that regard. He aptly notes “The conclusions reached in this biblical theology of the Spirit’s role in salvation have important implications for our understanding of what it means to be the people of God at this point in salvation history.” This understanding reveals itself in issues such as church discipline, an issue one might not immediately relate to this particular subject matter. Since God indwells His people through the Holy Spirit, we should thus strive to be holy through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God had specific requirements in the Old Testament for what holiness looked like in daily practice and within the temple. Such requirements also find themselves revealed in the New Testament as well. After all, as Hamilton so rightly notes, “Our prayer should be that God will enable us to live as those in whom He is pleased to dwell.” This means at the end of the day, understanding the reality of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer must result in a pursuit of holiness by that believer.
Those desiring a clearer understanding of how the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament compared to how he operates today should give Hamilton’s book a read. Replete with solid biblical scholarship, this book will provide the reader with much to think about concerning this subject matter while helping them realize the all important issue of holiness, an issue too often neglected in our day. We have the Holy Spirit of God living within us so that should demand a life focused on bringing God glory in all we do through the power of the Holy Spirit who is writing God’s Word on our hearts. Hamilton’s book brings all these valuable and important theological and practical issues of life to light.
I received this book for free from B&H Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
March 7, 2023
A careful exegetical exploration of the Holy Spirit's work in both Testaments. Hamilton has a really helpful and thorough study of the Gospel of John on this topic.
March 2, 2022
Update: I've now read this twice. And I still think this is an outstanding work.
Challenging. Pastor Hamilton deals in more depth concerning the subject of the Holy Spirit's work than any author I've ever read from hands down. Most of our ideas about the work of the Holy Spirit under the old covenant are derived from the New Testament. And, we have a tendency to read backwards on this subject--perhaps more than any other subject. Pastor Hamilton does look at the New Testament in seeking to explain the work of the Holy Spirit prior to the ministry of Jesus. However, he doesn't ignore the Old Testament either.
This is a good read that has really challenged some pre-conceived notions I had. I certainly am glad I read it and would urge others to do so.
Challenging. Pastor Hamilton deals in more depth concerning the subject of the Holy Spirit's work than any author I've ever read from hands down. Most of our ideas about the work of the Holy Spirit under the old covenant are derived from the New Testament. And, we have a tendency to read backwards on this subject--perhaps more than any other subject. Pastor Hamilton does look at the New Testament in seeking to explain the work of the Holy Spirit prior to the ministry of Jesus. However, he doesn't ignore the Old Testament either.
This is a good read that has really challenged some pre-conceived notions I had. I certainly am glad I read it and would urge others to do so.
October 10, 2019
An excellent, if not sometimes wordy, study of the Holy Spirit's role in the Old and New Testaments. Hamilton makes an excellent distinction between regeneration and indwelling, arguing that while OT saints were regenerated, the indwelling of the Spirit only occurred after the Spirit-empowered Messiah was glorified. Very helpful when thinking about the Spirit "with" Israel in the OT temple and the Spirit "in" believers as the eschatological temple.
January 3, 2025
Pretty important book in my theological development. He very succinctly answered lingering questions about the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant. He simultaneously transformed my understanding of the various ministries of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant. Excellent.
June 2, 2022
This is a very helpful work that wrestles with the distinctiveness of the Spirit's role in the New Covenant.
Hamilton argues persuasively that Old Testament saints were regenerated, but not indwelt.
He argues less persuasively that John 20:19-23 and Acts 2 are two different occasions when the disciples received the Spirit and that the baptism of the Spirit is a unique event at the start of the church and not taking place today (rather than the standard position that there were unique circumstances surrounding baptism of the Spirit in Acts authenticating redemption history movement, but that every believer today is also baptized by the Spirit at conversation). Neither of these points are essential to his overall argument.
Whether you are biblically persuaded with all his conclusions or not, you will find his writing clear, repetitively helpful (why can't everyone assist the reader in this way?), and dealing with the issues that you will want to wrestle with on this topic.
Hamilton argues persuasively that Old Testament saints were regenerated, but not indwelt.
He argues less persuasively that John 20:19-23 and Acts 2 are two different occasions when the disciples received the Spirit and that the baptism of the Spirit is a unique event at the start of the church and not taking place today (rather than the standard position that there were unique circumstances surrounding baptism of the Spirit in Acts authenticating redemption history movement, but that every believer today is also baptized by the Spirit at conversation). Neither of these points are essential to his overall argument.
Whether you are biblically persuaded with all his conclusions or not, you will find his writing clear, repetitively helpful (why can't everyone assist the reader in this way?), and dealing with the issues that you will want to wrestle with on this topic.
December 17, 2019
The book gave me some new theological concepts to consider. To fully grasp the ideas one would need to work slowly through the text with a Bible. One reading is just enough to get the mental juices warmed up to the subject. The author argues from the gospel of John for a distinction between the work of regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He makes a pretty strong case. The appendix about the Spirit in the gospel of Luke was interesting but I wish the author would have also interacted with other New Testament books, like Corinthians. The many terms used to describe the work of the spirit are worthy of study and this author brings a lot of helpful thinking to the issues. He left me wanting more. Not that he didn't address the stated topic well, but he brings to light so many new ways of thinking that I would like to read his work on other New Testament texts.
March 18, 2023
Hamilton argues that in the Old Testament, believers were regenerated by the Spirit, but not indwelt by the Spirit. In the New Testament, after Jesus is glorified, regeneration and indwelling become congruent realities. The argument hangs on John 3, 7:39, and 14:17.
This was a great book. I am convinced though it raises some questions I still need to answer.
This was a great book. I am convinced though it raises some questions I still need to answer.
February 9, 2022
Super helpful. Great insights that have clarified and enlightened and also reinforced subjects/themes of personal study and other readings, even in this same series, like Meyer’s The End of the Law.
October 30, 2021
großartig! sehr hilfreich, obwohl viele Wiederholungen (zuerst immer eine Ankündigung, was gesagt werden wird, dann die eigentlichen Ausführungen, dann die Zusammenfassung dessen, was gesagt wurde, dann die Zusammenfassungen der Zusammenfassungen...). aber ok: gute Methodik, guter Umgang mit der Bibel.
Ein paar Highlights:
- Die Unterscheidung von Regeneration und Innewohnen des Heiligen Geistes. Ersteres im AT+NT; letzteres nur nach Jesu Tod und Auferstehung.
- Der Zusammenhang zwischen Gottes Gegenwart im Tempel des AT, durch Jesus in den Evangelien und durch seine Gemeinde (d.h. durch den Heiligen Geist in den Gläubigen) ab Pfingsten.
Ein paar Zitate:
1. The Holy Spirit and the Old Covenant Remnant
At the appropriate point in this study I will seek to elucidate the distinctions between regeneration and indwelling seen in John’s Gospel (see chap. six). Based on the conclusions reached there, I will use the word regeneration to refer to God’s work of granting to humans the ability to hear, understand, believe, obey, and enter the kingdom. The New Testament’s metaphor of “new birth” matches the Old Testament’s metaphor of “heart circumcision.” That is, I take circumcision of the heart to be the same experience as regeneration (Rom 2:29; Col 2:11–13). Apart from the enablement God gives in regeneration, men remain slaves of sin (John 8:34) and of the Devil (8:44), or as Paul puts it, dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). I will use indwelling, on the other hand, to refer to God’s abiding, positive, covenant presence in believers through the Spirit. (p. 2–3)
In the old covenant God faithfully remained with His people, accompanying them in a pillar of fire and cloud, then dwelling among them in the tabernacle and the temple. Under the new covenant, the only temple is the believing community itself, and God dwells not only among the community corporately (Matt 18:20; 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16), but also in each member individually (John 14:17; Rom 8:9–11; 1 Cor 6:19). (p. 3)
Thus old covenant believers may be described as regenerate though not indwelt. They became believers when the Spirit of God enabled them to believe, and they were maintained in faith by God’s covenant presence with the nation as He dwelt in the temple. (p. 4)
The indwelling of the Spirit is connected to the reality that Jesus has replaced the temple (John 2:13–22), with the result that worship is no longer centered at specific locations (cp. John 4:21 with Deut 12:5). A temple is no longer necessary because those who believe are “in” Jesus (14:20). Through His death on the cross, Jesus put an end to sacrifice (Heb 10:10–18; cp. John 19:30). The triune God no longer dwells in the temple in Jerusalem, but in believers who live all over the world (see John 14:23).(p. 5)
2. A Survey of the Spectrum of Opinion
1. Continuity: Regenerated and Indwelt
2. More Continuity than Discontinuity: Differences acknowledged, but not seen to be fundamental differences
3. Some Continuity Some Discontinuity: Regenerated, but not Indwelt
4. More Discontinuity than Continuity: Operated upon by God, and by inference his Spirit, but not indwelt
5. Discontinuity: The Spirit had nothing to do with the faithfulness of Old Covenant believers
6. Vague Discontinuity: Indwelling denied, but the question of regeneration is not raised
(p. 23)
3. Not in but with in the Old Testament
This chapter has argued that the Old Testament does not present believers as indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Covenant mediators such as national leaders, craftsmen of the tabernacle and temple, and prophets had extraordinary experiences of the Spirit. The Spirit came on such people to differentiate them from the rest of the nation and empower them for their task. The Old Testament presents God dwelling among ancient Israel by His Spirit in the temple. Finally, the promises of a new covenant in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 do not indicate that old covenant believers were indwelt by the Spirit.
Since the Old Testament contains no clear statement that all old covenant believers were individually indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the argument that old covenant believers were indwelt by the Spirit must be made from the New Testament. (p. 54–55)
4. The Spirit in John
The Gospel of John has been clear to this point that no one is able to come to Jesus unless the Father draws him (6:44, 65), and that “everyone who does sin is a slave to sin” (8:34). If the disciples can love Jesus and keep His commandments, it is because they have been drawn to Jesus by the Father and freed from sin by the Son (8:36). Many assume that enabling an individual to believe is equivalent to an individual’s reception of the indwelling Spirit. But John 7:39 speaks of people who had been enabled to believe in Jesus but had not yet received the Spirit. (...) The disciples are able to love Jesus because they have been regenerated, though they are yet to receive the Spirit. If regeneration and indwelling are not separated, this text becomes very difficult to interpret because of its grammar. (p. 75)
John shows throughout his Gospel that the Paraclete indeed exercised this ministry among the disciples by noting that the disciples later understood things that were not understood when Jesus spoke them (2:22; 12:16; 14:26; 20:9). The Paraclete’s ministry of teaching “all things” to the disciples most likely amounts to His teaching them the truth about Jesus and the significance of what Jesus himself taught (see 2 John 9). The Spirit’s teaching went beyond what Jesus taught only in that it deepened their understanding of what He said. (p. 80–81)
As Holwerda writes, "The task of the Spirit to teach all things, to lead into all the truth, and to declare the things to come is essentially one: the Spirit reveals the meaning of the Heilsgeschichte, the meaning of the saving events, past, present, and future. The Spirit reveals to the disciples the meaning of the work of the historical Jesus, the exalted Jesus, and the Jesus who is to come. The proper commentary on this work of the Spirit is the New Testament itself." (p. 83)
Conclusion: John recounts the Spirit anointing Jesus, remaining on Him, and empowering Him to speak the word of God (1:32–33; 3:34). Those who are physically alive must be born of the Spirit to partake of the kingdom of God (3:5–8). Through the words of Jesus the Spirit makes alive (6:63). Those made alive belong to the sphere of the Spirit as opposed to the sphere of the flesh (3:6). It is in this sphere of the Spirit that believers worship the Father in truth (4:21–24).
The Spirit-Paraclete is promised by Jesus in the farewell discourse, delivered on the day of His resurrection, and continues the ministry of Jesus. He is sent to the disciples to ensure them of God’s continued favor, and He guarantees that they will enjoy God’s presence forever (14:16–17). He testifies to Jesus (15:26), teaching the disciples (14:26; 16:12–15) and convicting the world (16:8–11). (p. 99)
5. The Spirit was not yet Given
Conclusion: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a blessing of the inaugurated age to come which is experienced by believers in the present as a sealing, sanctifying promise of the presence of God to be enjoyed when Jesus comes. Whereas in the old covenant God dwelt in the temple, in the new covenant God dwells in His people, rather than merely among or with them. What I have argued concerning John 7:39 fits with the rest of the New Testament’s teaching on the Spirit. Therefore, John 7:39 does not permit us to regard those who were believers prior to the glorification of Jesus as indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (p. 126)
6. Regeneration and Indwelling in John
When the Spirit of God enables a person to hear the word of God and believe it, regardless of where that person is on the salvation-historical time line, he can be described as regenerate. The heart of the person is circumcised, and the ability to believe is created. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, however, only accompanies the Spirit’s life-giving work after the glorification of Jesus. After the glorification of Jesus, regeneration and indwelling can be seen as concurrent, though they remain distinct ministries of the Spirit. The evidence presented here indicates that prior to the glorification of Jesus, believers were regenerated by the Holy Spirit but not indwelt by Him. (p. 143)
Johannine scholars generally agree that John presents Jesus as the reality to which the temple points. (p. 144)
Skarsaune writes, “[Jesus] was Himself to be the final sacrifice, the sacrifice that (by implication) put an end to all other atoning sacrifices. That would result in a redefinition of what—or rather who—the temple would be from now on.” These two blessings, God’s presence54 and God’s provision for atonement, were formerly conveyed by the temple in Jerusalem. They are transferred to Jesus in the incarnation. (p. 144)
The locus of God’s presence has shifted from a particular house, in a particular city, in a particular land, to a particular person, Jesus. (p. 149)
If Jesus sent the disciples as the Father sent Him, as Jesus declared (20:21; cp. 17:18), then the blessings that Jesus mediated would be mediated by the disciples. So if the Father sent Jesus as the replacement of the temple, it would appear that, in part, Jesus sent His disciples as the replacement of the temple. When Jesus told His disciples that God would dwell with and in them (14:17, 23), and when He gave them the authority to forgive and retain sins (20:23), He was transferring the mediation of the temple’s blessings from Himself to His disciples. (p. 155)
Conclusion: In this chapter I have argued that regeneration is not to be equated with indwelling. Regeneration happens when God gives spiritual life to a person who was previously spiritually dead. Understood this way, regeneration is possible at any time in salvation history.
The Spirit indwells believers when God takes up residence in His new temple, which consists both of each individual member of Christ’s body and of the community of believers as a whole. Understanding indwelling this way leads to the conclusion that this aspect of the Spirit’s ministry is only possible in salvation history after Jesus has put an end to all sacrifices for atonement by dying on the cross. Once Jesus makes the old covenant temple with its cult obsolete, God dwells not only with but also in His new covenant people. Commenting on John 14:23, Köstenberger explains, “In Old Testament times, God dwelt among his people, first in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:8; 29:45; Lev. 26:11–12), then in the temple (Acts 7:46–47). In the New Testament era, believers are themselves the temple of the living God (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; cp. 1 Peter 2:5).” Indwelling does exist in the old covenant, but it is not each individual that is indwelt. In the old covenant God indwelt the temple. In the new covenant the people of God are the temple, and God dwells in them. McKelvey sums this up well, “God no longer dwells in a house with his people; he dwells in them; they are his temple.” (p. 160)
7. Results and Relevance for Today
The priesthood of all believers is a consequence of the Spirit’s presence in those who believe. It hints at the members of the body of Christ mediating the forgiveness of sins to one another (John 20:23). This too is connected to church discipline, for in John 20:23 Jesus confers authority not only to forgive but also to retain sin. Further, the priesthood of all believers speaks to the access that all believers have to God in prayer.
But nowhere is there any indication that the priesthood of all believers gives anyone the right to decide which parts of the Bible to submit to. Priests are subject to Christ and His Word. Christ is only known through His Word. Priests serve one another, and they forgive and retain sin—which implies that since all believers are priests, all believers need to be involved in formative and corrective discipleship (i.e., church discipline).
Regeneration and indwelling thus have important implications for God’s new temple, the church. Only the regenerate should be members of the church, and indwelling necessitates church discipline. The regenerate members of the church, who are inhabited by God and constitute His temple, serve as priests. These priests make God known by proclaiming the truths of the Bible so that more might be regenerated, and they forgive and retain sin that Christ’s bride might be pure. Truth is to lead us to godliness (Tit 1:1). (p. 168)
Appendix 1: The Use of emphusaō in John 20:22
Appendix 2: “He is with you, and He is in you?” The text of John 14:17c
Appendix 3: Rushing wind and organ music: toward Luke’s theology of the spirit in Acts
Just as God gave His stamp of approval to the church at Pentecost, these “inbringings” necessitated convincing proof. The Samaritans and the Jews had to be convinced that old animosities were to be abolished (see John 4:9). Those of the circumcision (11:2) had to be convinced that the Gentiles were accepted without being circumcised. And the disciples of the Baptist were persuaded that the time for baptism in the Spirit promised by John had indeed come (19:4–6). (202)
The verbs Luke uses for the bestowal of the Spirit in Acts reflect three distinct manifestations of the Spirit: the Spirit as the eschatological gift, the Christian life as characterized by the Spirit, and particular fillings with the Spirit for inspired proclamation. (202)
Ein paar Highlights:
- Die Unterscheidung von Regeneration und Innewohnen des Heiligen Geistes. Ersteres im AT+NT; letzteres nur nach Jesu Tod und Auferstehung.
- Der Zusammenhang zwischen Gottes Gegenwart im Tempel des AT, durch Jesus in den Evangelien und durch seine Gemeinde (d.h. durch den Heiligen Geist in den Gläubigen) ab Pfingsten.
Ein paar Zitate:
1. The Holy Spirit and the Old Covenant Remnant
At the appropriate point in this study I will seek to elucidate the distinctions between regeneration and indwelling seen in John’s Gospel (see chap. six). Based on the conclusions reached there, I will use the word regeneration to refer to God’s work of granting to humans the ability to hear, understand, believe, obey, and enter the kingdom. The New Testament’s metaphor of “new birth” matches the Old Testament’s metaphor of “heart circumcision.” That is, I take circumcision of the heart to be the same experience as regeneration (Rom 2:29; Col 2:11–13). Apart from the enablement God gives in regeneration, men remain slaves of sin (John 8:34) and of the Devil (8:44), or as Paul puts it, dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). I will use indwelling, on the other hand, to refer to God’s abiding, positive, covenant presence in believers through the Spirit. (p. 2–3)
In the old covenant God faithfully remained with His people, accompanying them in a pillar of fire and cloud, then dwelling among them in the tabernacle and the temple. Under the new covenant, the only temple is the believing community itself, and God dwells not only among the community corporately (Matt 18:20; 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16), but also in each member individually (John 14:17; Rom 8:9–11; 1 Cor 6:19). (p. 3)
Thus old covenant believers may be described as regenerate though not indwelt. They became believers when the Spirit of God enabled them to believe, and they were maintained in faith by God’s covenant presence with the nation as He dwelt in the temple. (p. 4)
The indwelling of the Spirit is connected to the reality that Jesus has replaced the temple (John 2:13–22), with the result that worship is no longer centered at specific locations (cp. John 4:21 with Deut 12:5). A temple is no longer necessary because those who believe are “in” Jesus (14:20). Through His death on the cross, Jesus put an end to sacrifice (Heb 10:10–18; cp. John 19:30). The triune God no longer dwells in the temple in Jerusalem, but in believers who live all over the world (see John 14:23).(p. 5)
2. A Survey of the Spectrum of Opinion
1. Continuity: Regenerated and Indwelt
2. More Continuity than Discontinuity: Differences acknowledged, but not seen to be fundamental differences
3. Some Continuity Some Discontinuity: Regenerated, but not Indwelt
4. More Discontinuity than Continuity: Operated upon by God, and by inference his Spirit, but not indwelt
5. Discontinuity: The Spirit had nothing to do with the faithfulness of Old Covenant believers
6. Vague Discontinuity: Indwelling denied, but the question of regeneration is not raised
(p. 23)
3. Not in but with in the Old Testament
This chapter has argued that the Old Testament does not present believers as indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Covenant mediators such as national leaders, craftsmen of the tabernacle and temple, and prophets had extraordinary experiences of the Spirit. The Spirit came on such people to differentiate them from the rest of the nation and empower them for their task. The Old Testament presents God dwelling among ancient Israel by His Spirit in the temple. Finally, the promises of a new covenant in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 do not indicate that old covenant believers were indwelt by the Spirit.
Since the Old Testament contains no clear statement that all old covenant believers were individually indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the argument that old covenant believers were indwelt by the Spirit must be made from the New Testament. (p. 54–55)
4. The Spirit in John
The Gospel of John has been clear to this point that no one is able to come to Jesus unless the Father draws him (6:44, 65), and that “everyone who does sin is a slave to sin” (8:34). If the disciples can love Jesus and keep His commandments, it is because they have been drawn to Jesus by the Father and freed from sin by the Son (8:36). Many assume that enabling an individual to believe is equivalent to an individual’s reception of the indwelling Spirit. But John 7:39 speaks of people who had been enabled to believe in Jesus but had not yet received the Spirit. (...) The disciples are able to love Jesus because they have been regenerated, though they are yet to receive the Spirit. If regeneration and indwelling are not separated, this text becomes very difficult to interpret because of its grammar. (p. 75)
John shows throughout his Gospel that the Paraclete indeed exercised this ministry among the disciples by noting that the disciples later understood things that were not understood when Jesus spoke them (2:22; 12:16; 14:26; 20:9). The Paraclete’s ministry of teaching “all things” to the disciples most likely amounts to His teaching them the truth about Jesus and the significance of what Jesus himself taught (see 2 John 9). The Spirit’s teaching went beyond what Jesus taught only in that it deepened their understanding of what He said. (p. 80–81)
As Holwerda writes, "The task of the Spirit to teach all things, to lead into all the truth, and to declare the things to come is essentially one: the Spirit reveals the meaning of the Heilsgeschichte, the meaning of the saving events, past, present, and future. The Spirit reveals to the disciples the meaning of the work of the historical Jesus, the exalted Jesus, and the Jesus who is to come. The proper commentary on this work of the Spirit is the New Testament itself." (p. 83)
Conclusion: John recounts the Spirit anointing Jesus, remaining on Him, and empowering Him to speak the word of God (1:32–33; 3:34). Those who are physically alive must be born of the Spirit to partake of the kingdom of God (3:5–8). Through the words of Jesus the Spirit makes alive (6:63). Those made alive belong to the sphere of the Spirit as opposed to the sphere of the flesh (3:6). It is in this sphere of the Spirit that believers worship the Father in truth (4:21–24).
The Spirit-Paraclete is promised by Jesus in the farewell discourse, delivered on the day of His resurrection, and continues the ministry of Jesus. He is sent to the disciples to ensure them of God’s continued favor, and He guarantees that they will enjoy God’s presence forever (14:16–17). He testifies to Jesus (15:26), teaching the disciples (14:26; 16:12–15) and convicting the world (16:8–11). (p. 99)
5. The Spirit was not yet Given
Conclusion: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a blessing of the inaugurated age to come which is experienced by believers in the present as a sealing, sanctifying promise of the presence of God to be enjoyed when Jesus comes. Whereas in the old covenant God dwelt in the temple, in the new covenant God dwells in His people, rather than merely among or with them. What I have argued concerning John 7:39 fits with the rest of the New Testament’s teaching on the Spirit. Therefore, John 7:39 does not permit us to regard those who were believers prior to the glorification of Jesus as indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (p. 126)
6. Regeneration and Indwelling in John
When the Spirit of God enables a person to hear the word of God and believe it, regardless of where that person is on the salvation-historical time line, he can be described as regenerate. The heart of the person is circumcised, and the ability to believe is created. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, however, only accompanies the Spirit’s life-giving work after the glorification of Jesus. After the glorification of Jesus, regeneration and indwelling can be seen as concurrent, though they remain distinct ministries of the Spirit. The evidence presented here indicates that prior to the glorification of Jesus, believers were regenerated by the Holy Spirit but not indwelt by Him. (p. 143)
Johannine scholars generally agree that John presents Jesus as the reality to which the temple points. (p. 144)
Skarsaune writes, “[Jesus] was Himself to be the final sacrifice, the sacrifice that (by implication) put an end to all other atoning sacrifices. That would result in a redefinition of what—or rather who—the temple would be from now on.” These two blessings, God’s presence54 and God’s provision for atonement, were formerly conveyed by the temple in Jerusalem. They are transferred to Jesus in the incarnation. (p. 144)
The locus of God’s presence has shifted from a particular house, in a particular city, in a particular land, to a particular person, Jesus. (p. 149)
If Jesus sent the disciples as the Father sent Him, as Jesus declared (20:21; cp. 17:18), then the blessings that Jesus mediated would be mediated by the disciples. So if the Father sent Jesus as the replacement of the temple, it would appear that, in part, Jesus sent His disciples as the replacement of the temple. When Jesus told His disciples that God would dwell with and in them (14:17, 23), and when He gave them the authority to forgive and retain sins (20:23), He was transferring the mediation of the temple’s blessings from Himself to His disciples. (p. 155)
Conclusion: In this chapter I have argued that regeneration is not to be equated with indwelling. Regeneration happens when God gives spiritual life to a person who was previously spiritually dead. Understood this way, regeneration is possible at any time in salvation history.
The Spirit indwells believers when God takes up residence in His new temple, which consists both of each individual member of Christ’s body and of the community of believers as a whole. Understanding indwelling this way leads to the conclusion that this aspect of the Spirit’s ministry is only possible in salvation history after Jesus has put an end to all sacrifices for atonement by dying on the cross. Once Jesus makes the old covenant temple with its cult obsolete, God dwells not only with but also in His new covenant people. Commenting on John 14:23, Köstenberger explains, “In Old Testament times, God dwelt among his people, first in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:8; 29:45; Lev. 26:11–12), then in the temple (Acts 7:46–47). In the New Testament era, believers are themselves the temple of the living God (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; cp. 1 Peter 2:5).” Indwelling does exist in the old covenant, but it is not each individual that is indwelt. In the old covenant God indwelt the temple. In the new covenant the people of God are the temple, and God dwells in them. McKelvey sums this up well, “God no longer dwells in a house with his people; he dwells in them; they are his temple.” (p. 160)
7. Results and Relevance for Today
The priesthood of all believers is a consequence of the Spirit’s presence in those who believe. It hints at the members of the body of Christ mediating the forgiveness of sins to one another (John 20:23). This too is connected to church discipline, for in John 20:23 Jesus confers authority not only to forgive but also to retain sin. Further, the priesthood of all believers speaks to the access that all believers have to God in prayer.
But nowhere is there any indication that the priesthood of all believers gives anyone the right to decide which parts of the Bible to submit to. Priests are subject to Christ and His Word. Christ is only known through His Word. Priests serve one another, and they forgive and retain sin—which implies that since all believers are priests, all believers need to be involved in formative and corrective discipleship (i.e., church discipline).
Regeneration and indwelling thus have important implications for God’s new temple, the church. Only the regenerate should be members of the church, and indwelling necessitates church discipline. The regenerate members of the church, who are inhabited by God and constitute His temple, serve as priests. These priests make God known by proclaiming the truths of the Bible so that more might be regenerated, and they forgive and retain sin that Christ’s bride might be pure. Truth is to lead us to godliness (Tit 1:1). (p. 168)
Appendix 1: The Use of emphusaō in John 20:22
Appendix 2: “He is with you, and He is in you?” The text of John 14:17c
Appendix 3: Rushing wind and organ music: toward Luke’s theology of the spirit in Acts
Just as God gave His stamp of approval to the church at Pentecost, these “inbringings” necessitated convincing proof. The Samaritans and the Jews had to be convinced that old animosities were to be abolished (see John 4:9). Those of the circumcision (11:2) had to be convinced that the Gentiles were accepted without being circumcised. And the disciples of the Baptist were persuaded that the time for baptism in the Spirit promised by John had indeed come (19:4–6). (202)
The verbs Luke uses for the bestowal of the Spirit in Acts reflect three distinct manifestations of the Spirit: the Spirit as the eschatological gift, the Christian life as characterized by the Spirit, and particular fillings with the Spirit for inspired proclamation. (202)
June 19, 2023
I had to review this book for Jim Hamiltons OT 2. It was an absolute joy. I figured id drop my review here...
In the opening pages of Hamilton’s book, he suggests to the reader that “the Christian worldview entails the understanding the God has spoken… that the bible in entirely true… and exhibits a coherent system of thought because God is coherent. We can expect to find in the bible a unified, noncontradictory theology.” With this assumption established, Hamilton sets out to answer a question that causes trouble for many thoughtful Christians who wish to have a consistent systematic and exegetically supported theology. Namely, were Old Testament believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit? For many Christians, particularly those with a Calvinistic soteriology, the answer seems like it almost has to be yes. How else could men be brought to saving faith and sustained in faithfulness? Surely if men have from all time been saved by faith alone, and we understand faith to be a Holy Spirit empowered response to God’s sovereign grace, then they must have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
While this systematic conclusion seems obvious, it runs into certain textual issues, specifically in John's Gospel. Multiple times in John (i.e., Jn 7:39, 14:17, 20:22) the spirit is said to have not been given until after Jesus was glorified. How do we understand these verses while maintaining a consistent soteriology?
From the beginning, Hamilton tells the reader that he seeks to elevate this tension by suggesting that a distinction needs to be made between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He proposes that while Old Testament believers were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they were born again of the spirit which and empowered until a life of faithfulness by the power of the Spirit, although the Spirit did not take up residence in Old Testament saints.
Before providing exegetical evidence to support his claim, Hamilton first surveys the scope of opinion regarding the issue of the Holy Spirits ministry in the Old Testament. By analyzing classic dispensationalists who hold to near total discontinuity between the ministry of the Holy Spirit in old and new testaments, to covenant theologians who see hardly any discontinuity, Hamilton highlights the need for an approach that is both systematically consistent and exegetically sound.
As he begins to give evidence for his thesis, that Old Testament believers were regenerate, but not indwelt, Hamilton starts by taking a look at some key Old Testament passages that speak to the issue. He concludes that those who see the Old Testament speaking of the Spirit of God “Rushing upon” or “Resting on” certain individuals (i.e., David, Samson, Saul) and use that to suggest that the Holy Spirit did in fact indwell Old Testament believers are off base. Hamilton highlights that in every case of this language being used, the situation is not presented as being normative Christian experience and almost always distinguishes an individual for leadership among the people of Israel. Hamilton insists that there is no textual grounds to equate this activity of the Holy Spirit that we see in the OT to the indwelling ministry of the Spirit that we see in the NT.
However, Hamilton insists that while OT believers, were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that they were regenerate. He asserts that while the theme of regeneration is not explicit in the Old Testament per se, it is equivalent to the idea of the circumcision of the heart. Hamilton suggests that where the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is seen as an eschatological reality in the OT (Jer 31, Ezk 36) that circumcision of the heart (or regeneration) is not presented in that same eschatological light but instead, is understood as present reality for Old Testament believers.
Hamilton then shifts his attention to the Gospel of John, where the discontinuity between the Holy Spirits' operation in the Old and New Testament is most palpable. Hamilton takes a close look at passages that explicitly state that the spirit was not given until after Jesus had been glorified (Jn 7:37, 14:17) and concludes that those who hold that the spirit indwelt Old Testament believers have not provided satisfying interpretations for these passages. He insists that seeing a distinction between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is vital to understanding the pneumatology of John’s Gospel because while John clearly shows the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be exclusive to a time after Jesus’ death burial and resurrection, that he does not do the same with regeneration. In fact, when considering passages like Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, regeneration is in John, like the Old Testament seen as present reality, not an eschatological one.
Hamilton concludes his book with a brief discussion of how these pneumatological realities have real life implications on our ecclesiology.
Critical Evaluation
From the opening pages of the book, it is clear that Hamilton has a nuanced grasp on the issue at hand. As he survives the theological landscape pertaining to the the Holy Spirits minsitry, he is keenly aware of the strengths and weaknesses of every theological position that he engages with. He does not ignore the theological, exegetical difficulties associated with any given position but instead leans into them as he prepares to defend his thesis. In my view, this is a major strength of the book. Hamilton was a very acute finger on the pulse of the conversation surrounding the ministry of the Holy Spirit and does a fantastic job in his analysis.
Another strength of the book is Hamilton’s analysis of the Old Testament as it pertains to the idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In a careful and convincing way, he demonstrates that when the Old Testament speaks of the Holy Spirit rushing upon or resting on a certain individual, this is different in kind to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we see in the New Testament. His argument that these instances of the Holy Spirits' momentary empowerment are not normative and always used to distinguish a leader from the rest of God’s covenant people is clear, convincing, and supports his thesis that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot be argued for from the Old Testament.
One potential chink in the armor or Hamilton’s argument has to do with the distinction he makes between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and regeneration, particularly, when dealing with passages like Jer 31 and Ezk 36. When considering Jer 31, Hamilton ties the idea of the law being “written on our hearts” to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, not to regeneration. Therefore, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is explicitly linked to the new, future covenant, not the new birth. This logic tracks and Hamilton provides satisfying support for this distinction, but this argument runs into trouble in Ezk 36. Hamilton basically argues that what is in view in Ezk 36:26 is clearly regeneration (I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you) and that 36:27 not to the indwelling of individual believers, but a return of God’s spirit the dwell with his people in the temple. Therefore Ezk 36 does not refer to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the same way that Jer 31 does. While his point seems exegetically possible, it is difficult to separate this passage from the proceeding passage in Ezk 37 where Ezekiel tells of the valley of dry bones. Here, both regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are clearly in view (Ezk 37:5, 37:7). On top of this, Hamilton recognizes that both of these movements of the Holy Spirit, whetherƒ in regeneration or indwelling (personal or corporate) are located in the future (Ezk 36:31, 36:33-34). Therefore, while Hamilton makes a convincing argument for the distinction being made between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he fails to explain why both of these realities are eschatological and therefore he does not support his thesis that Old Testament believers were regenerate but not indwelt by the spirit. He admits this is a “tenuous exegetical point”
That being said, this by no means sinks his entire argument. He goes on to provide ample evidence from the gospel of John to separate between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He also makes certain very helpful distinctions between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we see in John 20:22 compared to the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we see in Acts 2. His argument is airtight and preferable to the dispensational argument that the Holy Spirit was not given until Pentecost. Hamilton’s position allows John 20:22 to mean what it says and also helps to explain some of the charismatic expressions of the Holy Spirit that we see in the book of Acts. Hamilton suggests that these experiences are not normative and should be thought of more in line with the Holy Spirits activity in the Old Testament where he would rush upon certain individuals for their authentication.
Conclusion
Overall, Hamilton’s analysis of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the Old and New Testaments is both systematically and exegetically consistent and convincing. This book shed light on a subject that has been difficult for me to grasp for years. I feel after reading this book I have a much better understanding of how the Holy Spirit operated in both the New and Old Testaments. Before Hamilton’s books, I felt a tension between my systematic soteriology and what I knew to be biblically sound pneumatology, and this book helped elevate that tension.
In the opening pages of Hamilton’s book, he suggests to the reader that “the Christian worldview entails the understanding the God has spoken… that the bible in entirely true… and exhibits a coherent system of thought because God is coherent. We can expect to find in the bible a unified, noncontradictory theology.” With this assumption established, Hamilton sets out to answer a question that causes trouble for many thoughtful Christians who wish to have a consistent systematic and exegetically supported theology. Namely, were Old Testament believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit? For many Christians, particularly those with a Calvinistic soteriology, the answer seems like it almost has to be yes. How else could men be brought to saving faith and sustained in faithfulness? Surely if men have from all time been saved by faith alone, and we understand faith to be a Holy Spirit empowered response to God’s sovereign grace, then they must have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
While this systematic conclusion seems obvious, it runs into certain textual issues, specifically in John's Gospel. Multiple times in John (i.e., Jn 7:39, 14:17, 20:22) the spirit is said to have not been given until after Jesus was glorified. How do we understand these verses while maintaining a consistent soteriology?
From the beginning, Hamilton tells the reader that he seeks to elevate this tension by suggesting that a distinction needs to be made between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He proposes that while Old Testament believers were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they were born again of the spirit which and empowered until a life of faithfulness by the power of the Spirit, although the Spirit did not take up residence in Old Testament saints.
Before providing exegetical evidence to support his claim, Hamilton first surveys the scope of opinion regarding the issue of the Holy Spirits ministry in the Old Testament. By analyzing classic dispensationalists who hold to near total discontinuity between the ministry of the Holy Spirit in old and new testaments, to covenant theologians who see hardly any discontinuity, Hamilton highlights the need for an approach that is both systematically consistent and exegetically sound.
As he begins to give evidence for his thesis, that Old Testament believers were regenerate, but not indwelt, Hamilton starts by taking a look at some key Old Testament passages that speak to the issue. He concludes that those who see the Old Testament speaking of the Spirit of God “Rushing upon” or “Resting on” certain individuals (i.e., David, Samson, Saul) and use that to suggest that the Holy Spirit did in fact indwell Old Testament believers are off base. Hamilton highlights that in every case of this language being used, the situation is not presented as being normative Christian experience and almost always distinguishes an individual for leadership among the people of Israel. Hamilton insists that there is no textual grounds to equate this activity of the Holy Spirit that we see in the OT to the indwelling ministry of the Spirit that we see in the NT.
However, Hamilton insists that while OT believers, were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that they were regenerate. He asserts that while the theme of regeneration is not explicit in the Old Testament per se, it is equivalent to the idea of the circumcision of the heart. Hamilton suggests that where the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is seen as an eschatological reality in the OT (Jer 31, Ezk 36) that circumcision of the heart (or regeneration) is not presented in that same eschatological light but instead, is understood as present reality for Old Testament believers.
Hamilton then shifts his attention to the Gospel of John, where the discontinuity between the Holy Spirits' operation in the Old and New Testament is most palpable. Hamilton takes a close look at passages that explicitly state that the spirit was not given until after Jesus had been glorified (Jn 7:37, 14:17) and concludes that those who hold that the spirit indwelt Old Testament believers have not provided satisfying interpretations for these passages. He insists that seeing a distinction between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is vital to understanding the pneumatology of John’s Gospel because while John clearly shows the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be exclusive to a time after Jesus’ death burial and resurrection, that he does not do the same with regeneration. In fact, when considering passages like Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, regeneration is in John, like the Old Testament seen as present reality, not an eschatological one.
Hamilton concludes his book with a brief discussion of how these pneumatological realities have real life implications on our ecclesiology.
Critical Evaluation
From the opening pages of the book, it is clear that Hamilton has a nuanced grasp on the issue at hand. As he survives the theological landscape pertaining to the the Holy Spirits minsitry, he is keenly aware of the strengths and weaknesses of every theological position that he engages with. He does not ignore the theological, exegetical difficulties associated with any given position but instead leans into them as he prepares to defend his thesis. In my view, this is a major strength of the book. Hamilton was a very acute finger on the pulse of the conversation surrounding the ministry of the Holy Spirit and does a fantastic job in his analysis.
Another strength of the book is Hamilton’s analysis of the Old Testament as it pertains to the idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In a careful and convincing way, he demonstrates that when the Old Testament speaks of the Holy Spirit rushing upon or resting on a certain individual, this is different in kind to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we see in the New Testament. His argument that these instances of the Holy Spirits' momentary empowerment are not normative and always used to distinguish a leader from the rest of God’s covenant people is clear, convincing, and supports his thesis that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot be argued for from the Old Testament.
One potential chink in the armor or Hamilton’s argument has to do with the distinction he makes between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and regeneration, particularly, when dealing with passages like Jer 31 and Ezk 36. When considering Jer 31, Hamilton ties the idea of the law being “written on our hearts” to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, not to regeneration. Therefore, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is explicitly linked to the new, future covenant, not the new birth. This logic tracks and Hamilton provides satisfying support for this distinction, but this argument runs into trouble in Ezk 36. Hamilton basically argues that what is in view in Ezk 36:26 is clearly regeneration (I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you) and that 36:27 not to the indwelling of individual believers, but a return of God’s spirit the dwell with his people in the temple. Therefore Ezk 36 does not refer to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the same way that Jer 31 does. While his point seems exegetically possible, it is difficult to separate this passage from the proceeding passage in Ezk 37 where Ezekiel tells of the valley of dry bones. Here, both regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are clearly in view (Ezk 37:5, 37:7). On top of this, Hamilton recognizes that both of these movements of the Holy Spirit, whetherƒ in regeneration or indwelling (personal or corporate) are located in the future (Ezk 36:31, 36:33-34). Therefore, while Hamilton makes a convincing argument for the distinction being made between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he fails to explain why both of these realities are eschatological and therefore he does not support his thesis that Old Testament believers were regenerate but not indwelt by the spirit. He admits this is a “tenuous exegetical point”
That being said, this by no means sinks his entire argument. He goes on to provide ample evidence from the gospel of John to separate between regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He also makes certain very helpful distinctions between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we see in John 20:22 compared to the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we see in Acts 2. His argument is airtight and preferable to the dispensational argument that the Holy Spirit was not given until Pentecost. Hamilton’s position allows John 20:22 to mean what it says and also helps to explain some of the charismatic expressions of the Holy Spirit that we see in the book of Acts. Hamilton suggests that these experiences are not normative and should be thought of more in line with the Holy Spirits activity in the Old Testament where he would rush upon certain individuals for their authentication.
Conclusion
Overall, Hamilton’s analysis of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the Old and New Testaments is both systematically and exegetically consistent and convincing. This book shed light on a subject that has been difficult for me to grasp for years. I feel after reading this book I have a much better understanding of how the Holy Spirit operated in both the New and Old Testaments. Before Hamilton’s books, I felt a tension between my systematic soteriology and what I knew to be biblically sound pneumatology, and this book helped elevate that tension.
December 11, 2018
Hamilton has given us an extensive look at the work of the Holy Spirit moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The precise nature of distinctions between the work of the Spirit in the old and new covenants is often debated. Hamilton did a good job interacting with Scripture and various views on the subject. I thought he treated both fairly. He mentions how his own views revised from the beginning of his study to the end of it. I think that humility characterized the whole book.
The book is a dissertation in book form. The presentation is academic, but he managed to still make it accessible. I would have like a little more spade work here and there. However, this is an excellent book for thinking about the work of the Spirit. You may not agree with all his conclusions, but the book will still be helpful in making distinctions and providing a framework for an orderly study.
The book is a dissertation in book form. The presentation is academic, but he managed to still make it accessible. I would have like a little more spade work here and there. However, this is an excellent book for thinking about the work of the Spirit. You may not agree with all his conclusions, but the book will still be helpful in making distinctions and providing a framework for an orderly study.
August 13, 2017
Regeneration and Indwelling Examined
Excellent presentation of the Biblical evidence for the role of the Holy Spirit before and after the cross. I found it very interesting that the author changed his position on the topic while conducting the research for this presentation.
Excellent presentation of the Biblical evidence for the role of the Holy Spirit before and after the cross. I found it very interesting that the author changed his position on the topic while conducting the research for this presentation.
April 7, 2014
A well-written book that clearly describes an important distinction between the Old and New Covenants that I think most Christians probably don't understand.
February 20, 2018
James M. Hamilton Jr. is Professor of Biblical Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Hamilton has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Hamilton is the author of numerous books in the field of biblical theology, including God's Glory in Salvation through Judgement: A Biblical Theology, What Is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible's Story, and With the Clouds of Heaven: The Book of Daniel in Biblical Theology. Still, one of Hamilton's most widely received books remains God's Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments.
God's Indwelling Presence was the inaugural volume in the coveted New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology series. Hamilton set the pace of the series with a captivating study on the work of the Holy Spirit. Hamilton does much to bring canonical continuity to the discussion as he explores the details of the biblical text while remaining focused on the broader goal. Hamilton begins by orienting the reader towards the study, which beings in the Old Testament and moves (rather quickly) into the New. The major emphasis of Hamilton's examination on the work of the Holy Spirit focuses on the concepts of indwelling, regeneration, baptism, and empowerment, and he spends a fair amount of time on each. Beyond the main content of the book, Hamilton provides three useful appendixes on relevant passage and themes in the New Testament.
An interesting aspect of the book, though rightly placed in my opinion, is the amount of emphasis that Hamilton devotes to the nature of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of the old covenant believer. For Hamilton, while old covenant believers were regenerate, as the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate rather clearly (Jn. 7:36; 16:7), they did not experience the same indwelling that characterized new covenant believers. Additionally, Hamilton's interaction with the theme of the dwelling place of God (i.e. tabernacle, temple, new covenant believers) is excellent. Not only does he offer readers with a clear biblical-theological path, but he brings the weight of the application to life with the implications of a living temple. The only foreseeable shortcoming of the book is found in the theological assumptions that some readers may not be willing to themselves assume. Though this would have made the volume more comprehensive, I'm not convinced that such would have added much to the more narrow focus of the volume.
God's Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments by James M. Hamilton Jr. is a fascinating journey into a question that will eventually cross the mind of every Christian. Hamilton is a respected scholar and a learned biblical theological voice. Not only does he offer the reader insight into the biblical narrative and the work of the Holy Spirit therein, but he brings it home to the life of the believer. It comes highly recommended!
God's Indwelling Presence was the inaugural volume in the coveted New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology series. Hamilton set the pace of the series with a captivating study on the work of the Holy Spirit. Hamilton does much to bring canonical continuity to the discussion as he explores the details of the biblical text while remaining focused on the broader goal. Hamilton begins by orienting the reader towards the study, which beings in the Old Testament and moves (rather quickly) into the New. The major emphasis of Hamilton's examination on the work of the Holy Spirit focuses on the concepts of indwelling, regeneration, baptism, and empowerment, and he spends a fair amount of time on each. Beyond the main content of the book, Hamilton provides three useful appendixes on relevant passage and themes in the New Testament.
An interesting aspect of the book, though rightly placed in my opinion, is the amount of emphasis that Hamilton devotes to the nature of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of the old covenant believer. For Hamilton, while old covenant believers were regenerate, as the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate rather clearly (Jn. 7:36; 16:7), they did not experience the same indwelling that characterized new covenant believers. Additionally, Hamilton's interaction with the theme of the dwelling place of God (i.e. tabernacle, temple, new covenant believers) is excellent. Not only does he offer readers with a clear biblical-theological path, but he brings the weight of the application to life with the implications of a living temple. The only foreseeable shortcoming of the book is found in the theological assumptions that some readers may not be willing to themselves assume. Though this would have made the volume more comprehensive, I'm not convinced that such would have added much to the more narrow focus of the volume.
God's Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments by James M. Hamilton Jr. is a fascinating journey into a question that will eventually cross the mind of every Christian. Hamilton is a respected scholar and a learned biblical theological voice. Not only does he offer the reader insight into the biblical narrative and the work of the Holy Spirit therein, but he brings it home to the life of the believer. It comes highly recommended!
May 19, 2021
What a remarkable study. I’ve long puzzled over the question of the difference between the Spirit’s activity in the Old and New Covenants (or Testaments).
Certainly the Spirit must make believers alive or else we cannot see the kingdom of God. But can we be born again but without the Spirit living within us to sanctify us?
The New Covenant introduced in the prophets suggests the Holy Spirit will live in us in the future, and Jesus refers also to the Holy Spirit coming in a new way after his departure. So what has changed?
I’d been hoping to find a book to bring clarity to this question. Having now finished it, I can say that “God’s Indwelling Presence” by James Hamilton has not only answered my questions, it has introduced a richer understanding to my mind of what it means for God to dwell with and in his people - indeed, what it means for Christ to be the temple of God and also for believers to be God’s house and individually the temple of God in some sense.
Hamilton masterfully works through John’s gospel to show far more connections from beginning to end than had ever occurred to me - and I’ve preached through it!
What a blessing and encouragement this was. I very much recommend this to anyone interested in the subject. While the theological language is not simplistic, neither is it overall beyond reach for discipled believers who are well familiar with the Scriptures.
Certainly the Spirit must make believers alive or else we cannot see the kingdom of God. But can we be born again but without the Spirit living within us to sanctify us?
The New Covenant introduced in the prophets suggests the Holy Spirit will live in us in the future, and Jesus refers also to the Holy Spirit coming in a new way after his departure. So what has changed?
I’d been hoping to find a book to bring clarity to this question. Having now finished it, I can say that “God’s Indwelling Presence” by James Hamilton has not only answered my questions, it has introduced a richer understanding to my mind of what it means for God to dwell with and in his people - indeed, what it means for Christ to be the temple of God and also for believers to be God’s house and individually the temple of God in some sense.
Hamilton masterfully works through John’s gospel to show far more connections from beginning to end than had ever occurred to me - and I’ve preached through it!
What a blessing and encouragement this was. I very much recommend this to anyone interested in the subject. While the theological language is not simplistic, neither is it overall beyond reach for discipled believers who are well familiar with the Scriptures.
July 4, 2023
""If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39).
"You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).
Really solid. Jim Hamilton adapted this book from his PhD dissertation, and attacks the thorny question of the work of the spirit in the lives of believers prior to the ascension and pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost. He takes a moderate position (some continuity + some discontinuity), arguing very persuasively that OT believers were regenerated by the Spirit, but were not indwelt. Hamilton argues that prior to the New Covenant, God's dwelling place was primarily the tabernacle (+ later the temple), and as such he dwelt "in the midst of" and "with" his people, but not "in" them. In John's gospel, Jesus sees himself as inaugurating a new age in which the word of God and presence of God dwelt in him (John 1:14, 51; 2:18, 7:37-38), and then by extension, dwells in us as we are united to him and become (corporately and individually) the place where God dwells by his Spirit (eg. John 4:20-24, 1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Peter 2:4).
"You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).
Really solid. Jim Hamilton adapted this book from his PhD dissertation, and attacks the thorny question of the work of the spirit in the lives of believers prior to the ascension and pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost. He takes a moderate position (some continuity + some discontinuity), arguing very persuasively that OT believers were regenerated by the Spirit, but were not indwelt. Hamilton argues that prior to the New Covenant, God's dwelling place was primarily the tabernacle (+ later the temple), and as such he dwelt "in the midst of" and "with" his people, but not "in" them. In John's gospel, Jesus sees himself as inaugurating a new age in which the word of God and presence of God dwelt in him (John 1:14, 51; 2:18, 7:37-38), and then by extension, dwells in us as we are united to him and become (corporately and individually) the place where God dwells by his Spirit (eg. John 4:20-24, 1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Peter 2:4).
August 9, 2019
So. This has some highs and lows.
I agree with his main argument that regeneration is not part and parcel with indwelling. The twists and turns of the case, however, were unnecessarily confusing and incomplete. Too many holes are left unfilled. Here is why:
This book is another unfortunate case study in the problem with making certain precious presuppositions the starting point for your arguments. It ends up severely muddying the waters. Three particular predispositions on Hamilton’s part caused this (in my opinion) to become unnecessarily complicated:
• Realized (Inaugurated) Eschatology
• (implicit) cessationism
• Arguments from Calvinist Soteriology (i.e. failure of fidelity to proper Biblical Theology, but rather slipping into Systematic Theology)
All that being said, I did glean some from it. And I still like Hamilton. Some of this other work is great.
I agree with his main argument that regeneration is not part and parcel with indwelling. The twists and turns of the case, however, were unnecessarily confusing and incomplete. Too many holes are left unfilled. Here is why:
This book is another unfortunate case study in the problem with making certain precious presuppositions the starting point for your arguments. It ends up severely muddying the waters. Three particular predispositions on Hamilton’s part caused this (in my opinion) to become unnecessarily complicated:
• Realized (Inaugurated) Eschatology
• (implicit) cessationism
• Arguments from Calvinist Soteriology (i.e. failure of fidelity to proper Biblical Theology, but rather slipping into Systematic Theology)
All that being said, I did glean some from it. And I still like Hamilton. Some of this other work is great.
April 26, 2025
Very helpful BT on the Spirit, and lots of good exegetical insights in John.
Hamilton argues for a distinction between regeneration and indwelling, that OT believers had the former and not the latter, mainly from John 7:39- the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus was not yet glorified, which we see fulfilled in 20:22 when J breathes on the disciples (Hamilton argues this is not symbolic, but rather the disciples did receive the indwelling Spirit there, whilst Pentecost was a temporary empowerment/filling of the HS specifically for proclamation). John 14:17 is also a key verse- He is with you and He will be in you, again showing that in the OC the HS was dwelt WITH his people in the Tab/Temple, whilst in the NC the HS now dwells IN believers.
V short chp at the end on relevance for the church (church discipline, newness of the NC) could've had a bit more.
Hamilton argues for a distinction between regeneration and indwelling, that OT believers had the former and not the latter, mainly from John 7:39- the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus was not yet glorified, which we see fulfilled in 20:22 when J breathes on the disciples (Hamilton argues this is not symbolic, but rather the disciples did receive the indwelling Spirit there, whilst Pentecost was a temporary empowerment/filling of the HS specifically for proclamation). John 14:17 is also a key verse- He is with you and He will be in you, again showing that in the OC the HS was dwelt WITH his people in the Tab/Temple, whilst in the NC the HS now dwells IN believers.
V short chp at the end on relevance for the church (church discipline, newness of the NC) could've had a bit more.
February 16, 2022
Hamilton neatly exegetes the passages dealing with the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments to argue that the believers under the Old Covenant were regenerated but not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He eliminates confusion regarding the difference between indwelling and regeneration by turning to several passages (leaning heavily on John). One thing I would have liked to see was a little more interaction with the counter-arguments to his case, but I don't know that they could hold up to his exegesis in this work. It is a very technical read (there is a LOT of Greek/Hebrew in here) but makes a compelling argument throughout to show the glory of the New Covenant that we as believers now have God dwelling inside us.
January 4, 2021
James Hamilton is a prolific writer. He wrote a coherent and comprehensive work about the roles of the Holy Spirit in the Old and the New Testament.
He made a clear distinction with regeneration/ new birth and the indwelling of the Spirit.
He argued that the "faithful believers" during the OT were "regenerated" but were not "indwelt" by the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Spirit in the believers only started until the glorification of Christ--after His death and resurrection. Hence, the presence of Christ and his ministry continues because of the reception of the Spirit in the church--regenerated members of the new covenant.
He made a clear distinction with regeneration/ new birth and the indwelling of the Spirit.
He argued that the "faithful believers" during the OT were "regenerated" but were not "indwelt" by the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Spirit in the believers only started until the glorification of Christ--after His death and resurrection. Hence, the presence of Christ and his ministry continues because of the reception of the Spirit in the church--regenerated members of the new covenant.
November 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
I was predisposed to agree with Hamilton's thesis, the position of indwelling being a NT phenomenon having been what I had been presented with before. Understanding the why of that more with specific texts and biblical theology was helpful. It did, however, get repetitive.
I am unconvinced on his interpretation of John 20:22 and with that, his opinion of what baptism by the Spirit means, and although he discusses it more in appendix 3, that is mostly glossed over and the standard reformed arguments against his position are not interacted with. This text isn't necessary to his thesis, but he does spend a lot of time on it without doing so in a way I found convincing.
I was predisposed to agree with Hamilton's thesis, the position of indwelling being a NT phenomenon having been what I had been presented with before. Understanding the why of that more with specific texts and biblical theology was helpful. It did, however, get repetitive.
I am unconvinced on his interpretation of John 20:22 and with that, his opinion of what baptism by the Spirit means, and although he discusses it more in appendix 3, that is mostly glossed over and the standard reformed arguments against his position are not interacted with. This text isn't necessary to his thesis, but he does spend a lot of time on it without doing so in a way I found convincing.
June 7, 2023
Biblical Theology of the Holy Spirit. Hamilton's thesis: "In the old covenant God faithfully remained with His people, accompanying them in a pillar of fire and cloud, then dwelling among them in the tabernacle and the temple. Under the new covenant, the only temple is the believing community itself, and God dwells not only among the community corporately . . . but also in each member individually" (3). Oddly he focuses on church discipline at the end (?): weird application considering the academic breadth of the other 98% of the book.
September 26, 2025
This is not an easy book to get through. It is pretty dense and uses a lot of theological vocabulary and outside resources, so if you are not familiar with a lot of the terms or ideas, then it will be difficult to understand. I had moments that I had to just read it and acknowledge that my knowledge on the subject was slim to none, and other moments where the Holy Spirit really revealed itself. If you are looking to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in the OT believers life and also its role in a new believers life, then this is the book for you.
December 22, 2023
The ONLY reason why this book doesn’t get 5 stars, is that I found it difficult to read in places. Had to actually read much of it twice to take it in. But that may just be me !
Having said that - I think every pastor and Bible teacher should read this book. The truths found in this book challenged some long held ideas I had and I’m immeasurably grateful for the authors ‘s work.
For anyone preacher intending to preach through John, I’d strongly suggest reading through this first.
Having said that - I think every pastor and Bible teacher should read this book. The truths found in this book challenged some long held ideas I had and I’m immeasurably grateful for the authors ‘s work.
For anyone preacher intending to preach through John, I’d strongly suggest reading through this first.
January 20, 2023
A great in-depth look into the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration in the Old Testament and indwelling in the New. I appreciate a more academic, deeper explanation, though I found some of this conclusions to be somewhat bad logic. I agreed with a lot and think he explains a sound, biblical position very well. I’m just not completely onboard with his conclusions. Nonetheless, very helpful!
December 6, 2024
A very good PhD. project by Hamilton. I wish he would have spent more time on Christological questions about indwelling and how that relates to the Spirit. And the conclusion at the end and how this does or does not relate to congregational polity -- I am more convinced that it may after this read -- could be extended.
Bht overall, I still really appreciate Hamilton's work here!
Bht overall, I still really appreciate Hamilton's work here!
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