The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Tracing His Work in the Early Church, Discerning His Life-Giving Presence Today

by Arthur Tappan Pierson

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1895. ... THE PRESENCE AND PRESIDENCY OF THE SPIRIT The word "presence" implies personality, as we more correctly use it. And the fifth chapter of the Acts of the Holy Ghost contains an unmistakable unveiling of the fact that he is a Person, present and presiding in the church. When Ananias and Sapphira conspired in a sin of sacrilege, keeping back in part what, being already given unto God, was to be ranked among "devoted" things, they committed ° Joshua vn. a1 a sin similar to that of Achan, and a6' visited with like penalties. The noticeable feature, however, is not this correspondence, so much as the indirect but unquestionable witness to the individuality, personality, presence, and presidency of the Spirit. Peter said to Ananias, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to Lie To The Holy Ghost?" And afterward to Sapphira, "How is it that ye have agreed together to TEMPT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD?" Let us mark, also, how he added to his rebuke to Ananias, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but UNTO GOD." Thus, in one transaction, so briefly recorded, we are vividly impressed with three facts, all the more impressive because assumed to be facts, and needing no argument or even direct 1. The Spirit is a person, with personal attributes. 2. The Spirit is God, not only having divinity, but deity. 3. The Spirit is the presiding presence in the church. If the Holy Spirit were, as some would have us believe, only "a thin and shadowy effluence proceeding from God," as the breath exhales from one's body, such language as is here used would be absurdly inappropriate. It is plain that a man cannot "lie" to an influence or effluence, or "tempt" and defraud anything less than a person. Moreover, it is distinctly affirmed that, in thus lying " unto the Holy Ghost," Ananias had lied, "not unto men, ...

130 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1980

About the author

Arthur Tappan Pierson (March 6, 1837 – June 3, 1911) was an American Presbyterian pastor, early fundamentalist leader, and writer who preached over 13,000 sermons, wrote over fifty books, and gave Bible lectures as part of a transatlantic preaching ministry that made him famous in Scotland and England. He was a consulting editor for the original "Scofield Reference Bible" (1909) for his friend, C. I. Scofield and was also a friend of D. L. Moody, George Müller (whose biography 'George Muller of Bristol' he wrote), Adoniram Judson Gordon, and C. H. Spurgeon, whom he succeeded in the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, from 1891 to 1893. Throughout his career, Pierson filled several pulpit positions around the world as an urban pastor who cared passionately for the poor.

Reviews

[James Tetley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers around half of the book of ACTS - an eye opening examination of the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Some good insights - and reminders that ultimately all growth comes through a combination of availability to God and a desire to be used by the Spirit of God. His title is a helpful and rightful corrective that it is not the ACTS of the apostles but the ACTS of the Holy Spirit.

The book ends with the challenge

"While we pray for the whole body of Christ, our responsibility is individual. Let us cultivate divine fellowship in the Spirit, yield ourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and dare to take a bold but loving stand for Holy Ghost administration in the church, that he may be welcomed to his rightful seat of sovereignty; and beneath his golden scepter every blessing shall distil like the dew, and the Lord shall anew command his blessing, even life forevermore!"

Three stars for being insightful but not inspirational.

[Jeff Noble]

Acts of the Holy Spirit by Arthur T. Pierson (?)

[Angi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reminder of the work of the Holy Spirit.