Superior New Covenant

Apostasy, Covenant

In his death, Jesus inaugurated the vastly superior new covenant, rendering the old one obsolete. 

The “word” that God now speaks “in the Son” surpasses all the past revelations made in “the prophets.” Jesus went beyond them, “having achieved the purification of sins.” Consequently, he “sat down” at the right hand of God and inherited “all things.”

Circumcision of Heart

Abraham, Covenant, Spirit-Baptism

The promise of the Spirit is integral to redemption and the Covenant of God with His people.

In Galatians, Paul links the “promise of the Spirit” to the “blessing of Abraham,” the covenant promise that God will bless the Gentiles in the Patriarch, the same gift that the Galatians received “through a hearing of faith.” Thus, the baptism of the Spirit is one of the covenant promises made to Abraham.

Era of the Spirit

Covenant, Nations, New Creation

The gift of the Spirit is part of the New Covenant and the first fruits of the New Creation, the gathering of the nations, and the resurrection. 

The history of Israel includes national sins that caused her expulsion from the land. But God foresaw her failures and determined to institute a new covenant, one energized and characterized by His Spirit, and that includes the Gentiles. It will culminate in the New Creation, the true inheritance of His people.

Pentecost and the Last Days

Last Days, Pentecost

The outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost signaled the arrival of the last days, the era of fulfillment. 

In Acts, the application of Joel’s prophecy to the Day of Pentecost links the outpouring of the Spirit to the commencement of the “last days.” The activity of the Spirit beginning on that day is essential for understanding the rapid spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, and from Pentecost until the arrival of Jesus in glory.

Promise of the Father

Abraham, Covenant, Spirit-Baptism

With the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, the blessings for all nations promised to Abraham have commenced. 

The “promise of the Father” is the gift of the Spirit which Paul links to the Abrahamic covenant. It finds its fulfillment in the new covenant inaugurated by Jesus. The bestowal of the Spirit on the church marks the commencement of the age of fulfillment, and Gentile believers are now full heirs of Abraham.

Anointed Son and King

John, Messiah, Spirit-Baptism

Jesus is the anointed Son of God. From the start, his life is characterized by the empowering presence of the Spirit. 

When Joseph heard Mary’s child was “conceived of the Holy Spirit,” it indicated that something more than miraculous or the fulfillment of prophecy was unfolding. From the beginning, the activity of the Spirit dominated the life of Jesus.  He was “Jesus, the one called Christ,” the long-awaited Messiah.