THE

HOLY SPIRIT

ROBERT LETHAM

© 2023 by Robert Letham

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some of the material presented in chapters 1–4 was originally published in Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship, rev. and expanded ed. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2019), 131–352. Content has been edited and revised for this new format.

Material on pages 212–13 and 296–97 has been adapted from Systematic Theology by Robert Letham, Copyright © 2019, pp. 860–65. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Letham, Robert, author.

Title: The Holy Spirit / Robert Letham.

Description: Phillipsburg, New Jersey : P&R Publishing, [2023] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “Writing with care and reverence, Robert Letham develops a holistic and canonical view of the Holy Spirit in the context of the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, and redemption”-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022029712 | ISBN 9781629953809 (paperback) | ISBN 9781629953816 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Holy Spirit. | Trinity.

Classification: LCC BT121.3 .L476 2023 | DDC 231/.3--dc23/eng/20220715

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022029712

For Joan

Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid

Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit every pious mind;
Come, pour thy joy on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free,
And make thy temples worthy thee.

O source of uncreated light,
The Father’s promised Paraclete,
Thrice holy fount, thrice holy fire,
Our hearts with heavenly love inspire;
Come, and thy sacred unction bring
To sanctify us while we sing.

Plenteous of grace, descend from high
Rich in thy sevenfold energy;
Make us eternal truths receive,
And practice all that we believe;
Give us thyself, that we may see
The Father and the Son by thee.

Immortal honour, endless fame,
Attend the almighty Father’s name;
The Saviour Son be glorified,
Who for lost man’s redemption died;
And equal adoration be,
Eternal Paraclete, to thee.

—John Dryden, 1693