Alliance Graduate School

Theology III: Holy Spirit, Church, End Times

1st Semester, 2011

Submitted to: Prof. Sunil H. Stephens

Submitted by: Ray Francis A. Gamban

Book review #3

Green, Michael. I Believe in the Holy Spirit, Hodder & Stoughton,

1985.

“I Believe in the Holy Spirit” is the book that was first in the

“I Believe” series published on 1970’s written by Michael Green

about the doctrine on the third Person on the Trinity, who is the

Holy Spirit. Green writes and discussed in his book, as he

studies the doctrine of the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament

and New Testament, the Holy Spirit’s attributes and works; in

Mission, in the Individual, and in the Church. He tackles also

the teachings and issues on the Spirit’s Baptism, Fullness, and

Gifts.

There is a revision of the book by Green himself, and that was

first published on 1985. The revision of the book provided a way

for the author to make alterations and additions to the text but

the revision is not caused by the changed of theology and

understanding of the author from what he has previously written

about the Holy Spirit’s work in the individual and in the Church
but just as he grow in maturity in his Christian walk, as the

decade past so is his theology has become more develop and more

mature.

There have been many controversial issues in the Christian faith

and so the “I Believe” series by which the book (I Believe in the

Holy Spirit) is part, even first, were written and dedicated. The

series with scholars as its authors having a balanced standing

ground both the Bible as the primary authority in doctrine and

the contemporary view. That the theology will be both sound and

relevant to the modern man having addressed and answered the

questions on modern beliefs and practices. On the same manner,

Green feels it to be his responsibility to present a work that

will meet the aim of the series and that will partly mean to

discuss the heated and controversial issues on the Holy Spirit’s

baptism, gifts and fullness. And so it could be said that the

revised form has the same aim in closing in the gap between those

who find themselves divided by the renewal movement. The Holy

Spirit is not the Spirit of division but of unity even in

diversity.

This book has also been timely for not only because the topic on

the Holy Spirit is very controversial but Green also sees that

the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself has been left out and set

aside and has been “covered by the issue”. Men have been so focus
on the issue itself and missed out the relationship with the Holy

Spirit. And that is why throughout the years, Christian can

automatically have a confession of faith on the existence and the

attributes and the works of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit

has been reduced to a mere doctrine in the Christian religion but

not an affirmation of faith on the experience in the Holy Spirit.

Although the aim of the book is to bring unity among Christians

both charismatic and non-charismatic in mutual love and trust,

the author has done it in faithful examination of the Scriptures

teachings regarding the topic.

Green has written a systematic theology on the Person of the Holy

Spirit by first opening the mind of the readers the grave errors

that Christians commit in understanding and in practice (limiting

and degrading and demanding the Holy Spirit) and he corrected

those errors and builds an understanding through the Scriptures.

The author then established on first importance the Person of the

Holy Spirit including His works through the pictures that not

only the Old Testament (in the prophets and writings) paints but

also of the New Testament (in Jesus and Church times). Now,

regarding the heated issues (Baptism, Fullness, Gifts) Green has

sufficiently and efficiently given a sound and balanced teaching

founded in the Scriptures and not discarding genuine experiences

from genuine Believers.

The book’s last two chapters bring a conclusion of expectations

and actions to finally reached the author’s aim. He brings in

questions “What are we to make of the charismatic Movement?” and

“What is the future of Charismatic Movement?”

I believe the greatest strength that the book has is its primary

aim for it is I believe the aim of the Holy Spirit also to remove

divisions among the Body of Christ and to be able to have unity

in mutual trust and sincere love. And the manner that the author

approached the issue is also one that is to be considered

strength, by holding on with conviction that the Holy Scriptures

as its sole authority in doctrine and looking into the genuine

experience as its fruit in practice.

This book has brought a great amount of understanding to me what

it means about the name of the Holy Spirit when is says the

Spirit is Holy and the Spirit is Life. And this not only benefit

me personally as it deals on the individual Believer but also the

Community of Faith as it deals on the Church as the Body of

Christ. And so urge me to seek mutual trust and love with grace

and truth to the brothers.