The Holy Spirit’s medium through which He operates is the Word of God! Were some brother so bold as to propose that the Spirit operates anytime apart from this medium, he could not tell precisely what the Holy Spirit does or how He does it. The moment one announces the what and the how outside the medium of God’s Word, he embraces Pentecostalism and the charismatic, and he denies the Word of God. Rather, “The fact that every effect and influence that the Holy Spirit exerts upon and within us is affirmed of the Word of God proves that the Spirit operates only through the Word…” (Wallace 18).
Brother Foy E. Wallace, Jr. lists thirty-one joint effects of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God upon man. Nothing with which the Holy Spirit is charged to do today is accomplished outside the Word of God.
(1) The spiritual begetting is with the Word (James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 4:15). (2) The spiritual birth springs from the incorruptible and eternal Word (1 Peter 1:23). (3) The quickening of the heart is with the operation of the Word (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:12-13). (4) The spiritual cleansing is a process of the Word (John 15:2; Ephesians 5:26). (5) The soul is purified in obedience to the Word (1 Peter 1:22). (6) The soul is saved by the implanted Word (James 1:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2). (7) The justification by faith comes through obedience to the Word (Romans 2:13). (8) Men are filled with spiritual knowledge through application of the word of the Gospel (Colossians 1:5, 9). (9) Members of the church were given inspired instruction to let the Word dwell in them (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:18-19). (Note the two preceding passages are nearly identical, only the former verse names the Word and latter verses mention the Spirit; the Holy Spirit dwells in Christians the way the Word dwells in the same.) (10) The means of direction and guidance is that of being led by the Word (Psalm 119:105; Luke 1:77-79). (11) The witness within the heart of true believers is the Word of Truth (1 John 5:6; John 17:17). (12) The growth of the spiritual babe is by the milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2; 1:23). (13) The effectual working within is accomplished by the indwelling Word (1 Thessalonians 2:13). (14) The truth within produces fruit without (Colossians 1:5-6). (15) The indwelling truth is the rule by which the followers of Christ walk in the doing of his entire will (2 John 4; 3 John 4). (16) The source of strength is the knowledge of the Word of His grace (Acts 20:32; Colossians 1:10-11). (17) The inspired Word has in it the power to comfort the bereaved (1 Thessalonians 4:18; Romans 15:4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). (18) The spirit of grace in the apostolic epistles is set forth as the Gospel of Christ (Acts 20:24, 34; Titus 2:11-12; Hebrews 10:29). (19) The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4-6; Romans 5:5). (The two preceding passages attribute effect on the human heart to the Gospel and the Spirit.) (20) The Word is said to live within the one who believes it (John 6:35, 51). (21) The Words spoken by Christ engender spirituality in us (John 6:63) “The Holy Spirit cannot make any one more spiritual than the spiritual words of Christ can make him.” (22) The Word within the heart flows outward into the life (John 4:14; 6:31-35; 7:38-39). (23) The entrance of the Word enlightens the heart (Psalm 119:130; 19:8). (24) The source of understanding is the inspiration of the Word (Psalm 119:104; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). (25) The work of sanctification is completed by the Word (John 17:17). (26) Not lending ear to the Word is resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51; Nehemiah 9:30). (27) The unbelief of the Word is grieving the Spirit (Hebrews 3:7-12). (28) The disobedience to the Word is quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). (29) The repudiation of the Word is blaspheming the Spirit (Mark 3:28-29; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:5). (30) The body that is interred in the tomb will be raised at the last day by the Word of Christ (John 5:28-29). (31) The criterion of the judgment will be the Word of Christ (John 12:48). (18-34)
After consideration of what the Word of God does for man when it is applied to the soul, what is left for any other agency, including the Holy Spirit, outside and apart from the Word of God? Absolutely nothing! “They may continue to chant that the Holy Spirit does it, too – but the incontrovertible conclusion is that the Spirit accomplishes all of it through the Word” (Wallace 34). Further, “[i]ndependent of the Word we could never know ‘whether there be any Holy Spirit’” (Wallace 7). The Holy Spirit and the Word of God must work their works together or in opposition to each other. Whatever the Holy Spirit were to do apart from the Word of God would at the same time indict the Gospel for inefficiency. However, the Bible is all sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 8:32; Acts 20:32).
Works Cited
Wallace, Foy E., Jr. The Mission And Medium Of The Holy Spirit. Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr. Publications, 1967.
