The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

by George Smeaton

Excerpt from The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Church, or the form in which the Church dogmatically holds the doctrine. This is contained in the six Lectures which required to be formally prepared. As this was still felt to be incomplete without a Historical survey of the discussions connected with the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, I have subjoined, IN A third division, a condensed history of the doctrine from the Apostolic age to the present time.

Genres: Theology, Christian

398 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

George Smeaton (1814–1889) was born in Berwickshire in the south of Scotland, and later studied at the University of Edinburgh. He became the minister of Falkland in 1839. At the Disruption in 1843, Smeaton demitted his charge in the Established Church and later that year became the minister of the Auchterarder congregation of the Free Church of Scotland.
In 1853, he took up the Chair of Divinity at the Free Church College in Aberdeen, and in 1857, was transferred to the New College in Edinburgh, where he held the position of Professor of New Testament Exegesis until his death.
Smeaton was held in high regard by his contemporaries—his colleague James
Macgregor thought that Smeaton had the best-constituted theological intellect in Christendom, and Dr Alexander Stewart of Edinburgh said that he was ‘perhaps the most learned theologian in the Free Church and a man of deep and unaffected godliness.’
Smeaton is best known for Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement and The Apostle’s
Doctrine of the Atonement published in 1868 and 1870 respectively, and his Cunningham Lectures which were published as The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in 1882, a work which B. B. Warfield considered to be one of the best books on the subject ever published.
Smeaton married Janet Goold in 1840 and had five children, four of whom died before him. The comfort he received from God in the midst of these bereavements enabled him in turn to be a great comforter to those in tribulation. As his obituary noted, ‘In the chamber of sickness and the house of mourning he was ever a welcome visitor, and to the last he did not grudge hours spent every week in this gentle and useful ministry.’

Source: banneroftruth.org

Reviews

[Alex]

This book is divided into three sections. The first is a rapid run through scripture citing critical verses relating to the Holy Spirit. The second is a series of lectures expounding the work of the Spirit. The third is an overview of key theological controversies over various aspects of the Spirit, moving chronologically through church history.

The first section is solid but moves at such a quick pace that I was wanting for more depth. I got it in the second section. That is the heart of this book and it's five stars all the way. The third was a slog. It would serve as a handy reference for specific inquiries, but as a general read, I had a hard time holding my attention.

Smeaton has two other works which (I believe) are his more popular. They're both on the atonement. I'm keen to read them because I think he was constrained by his subject in the first and third sections here. I had the sense that he felt obligated to hit critical waypoints in those surveys of scripture and church history, like a bridled horse dutifully minding the bit and boundaries. But I saw his flashes of brilliance in the second division. It was a rush. A subject like the atonement might give him the freedom to run on the higher plane of which he's capable.

[Matthew Prydden]

George Smeaton, as in his manner, works through his subject of the Holy Spirit with a fine tooth comb. Split into 3 sections, the 1st deals with the Bible's testimony of the Holy Spirit as it is progressively revealed. 2ndly, Smeaton deals in detail with some of the major themes of Holy Spirit related doctrine. 3rdly, Smeaton maps out a history of how the Holy Spirit theology developed throughout the history of the church. This book would be worth it for any 1 of those sections. As with other works of Smeaton, I find myself learning some new things, but mostly gaining a deeper understanding of what I already know - something which is cherished greatly.

[Roy Bartle]

Of the three Smeaton works I read in succession, I found this to be the most enjoyable. The supplementary information published, providing an history of the development of the doctrine in the church, was particularly enriching.

[Vaclav]

A very good but difficult read on the Holy Spirit by one of the best evangelical theologians in the 1800s. I read it with a pastor friend of mine over a few months. Good to read it with someone and discuss it. Biblical, theological, and historical treatment of the topic.

[Adam Kareus]

In this work from the late 1800's Smeaton lays out the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. This book is divided into 3 sections, the first being a quick run through of passages and verses which speak of the Holy Spirit, the second which has 6 chapters speaking in more detail about the work of the Holy Spirit and then the final section of historical survey. The 2 section I found to be the most insightful and engaging. This is a good classic work for those interested in diving deeper into the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

[Denzil]

What an excellent book the best one I have read this year 2020. Enjoyed how our brother traces the teaching of the Holy Spirit through the biblical and church history accounts. Highly recommended.

[Melissa]

paul washer

[Andrew Davis]

Excellent survey on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Definitely expanded my thinking on who the Holy Spirit is, His relationship to the Father and Son, His relationship to all who are in Christ, and His work in history. The weakness of the book is that Smeaton says incredibly helpful things without necessarily telling you how he got there.