The meaning of the term If'JlE''tU( A has been discussed so often that only a sketch of a few significant points is
96Barrett,
££.
cit., p. 122. (Italics are in the original.)97Cf. Fison,
££.
cit., p. 105.presented here. 98 The Lucan usage has its background both in Greek and in Hebrew thought.
Greek
In Greek thought, the word 1I',;e;u.o( meant IIwind, II
"air," "breath,1I "life. 1I99 In post-classical period, the meaning IIbreathii dropped out. lOO At various periods, some
aspect of the word became predominant at the expense of others. But t hr:'oughout the classical period down to the fir st century of the Chris tian era, the mem ing "spirit" did not appear in Greek usage. lOl
Hebrew
"
In the Septuagint, the word 1T)le~)"-O( usually trans- lated the Hebrew word
n'"
,ruach. l02 This word, in addition to the Greek meanings of IT)l60),,-OC also meant98Adequate discussions of "spirit" in Greek and in Hebrew thought are in Ernest De Witt Burton, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians ---
(Edinburgh: 1'. & 'I'. Clark-;-I"950), pp.486-492; Johs. Pedersen, Israel: Its Life and Culture (London: Oxford University
Press, 1946)-;--I-"IL99-l8l; E. C. Rust, Nature and Man in Biblical Thought(London: Lutterworth Press, 1953J,pP:-95-ll6;
Norman H. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament (London: The Epworth Press, 1953), pp. l43-l58;-n7 B. Swete,
"Holy Spirit," A Dictionary of the Bible, ed. Janes Hastings (New York: Charles ~cribnerls Sons, 19l2}, II, 402-411.
99Burton , £E.. cit., p. 486.
100Ibid., p. 487. lOlIbid., pp. 486-488.
IJ
J 1020ther words th,at translated1I")I~C.l'«
were :tlJE,tU OS ,111" 0
5'
",po, ,,,\IX,.
Swete,2.E.. cit., p. 402."spirit,1I coming early to be used in connection with God. l03 In point of fact, in pre-exilic days, ruach, as spirit, was divine energy that invaded a man's personality temporarily, causing abnormal behavior. l04 But during and after the exile, ~ach became a normal con sti tuent of the personality of man. l05 Ruach then tOQk on psychic functions becoming almost the same as nephesh,106 only narrower in scope, with ethical dispositions.l0 7 In later usage, ruach, nephesh and lebl08 came to be a]most synonymous terms. l09
In the Old Testament usage, lithe word ruach stands for power, strength, life, and all is of God, and from God. lIllO Of the charismatic gifts wi th which individuals
103Irving .fi'. Wood, The Spirit of God in Biblical Literature (New York: A. C:--Arrnstrong& Son,1904), p. 27.
Cf. Snaith,
£R.
cit., pp. lEO ff.104Hust ,
££.
cit., pp. 109 f.; Fison, 2R. cit., pp. 61 f.; Snaith, 9.E,. cit., pp. 154 f.l05R us , t ~ •
.£...!..,
i p. III ; .tt -":1. ~son, 9.E,.£...!.,
i p. 72 • 106Hebrewvil}.l,
"soul, living being, life, self, per son, desir e, appeti"te, ernoti on, and passion." Brown, Driver, and Briggs,££.
cit., p. 659.l07 Rust , ~ cit., pp. 112 f.
108Hebrew .... .... 3 ' L "inner man mind will, heart." "
Brown, Driver, and Briggs, 9.E,. cit., p. 524.
109Rust ,· ~ cit., p. 113.
110Snai th, .22. •. cit., p. 158. Cf. Harold B. Frazee,
"A Study of the Use of the Concept 'Ruach Ha' Ish' in the Old Testamen t" (unpublished Doctor's thesis, The Southern Baptist 'rheolo·gical Seminary, Louisville, 1945), p. 20.
might be endowed was prophecy. Prophetism was early
connected with ecstatic display.lll However, the prophets of the eighth century B.C. were reticent in the use of the term ruach. 112 All the same they were inspired; hence inspiration did not necessarily imply ecstatic display.113 This aspe ct was due to a reinterpretati on of the meaning of prophecy by the eighth
Henc e when Luke
.
century prophets. 114
uses the word lrJlf"p« ,
,.
i t is wi ththi,s dual backgro und th at the term is to be interpreted.
The term is Greek but the Lucan sense is essentially that of the Old Testa.-rnen t. The phrase "Spirit of God II bears the Old Testa.>nent sense with the idea of the power of God in ac·tive exercis e .115
IllJohs. Pedersen, Israel: Its Life and Culture (London: Oxford University Press, 1947y;-III-IV, 108.
112Barrett, £E. cit., p. 147; Fison, 2£. cit., pp. 66 f., 78.
113Barrett, 2£. cit., p. 150.
114Fison, 2£. cit., p. 80. Barrett accepts the suggesti on of Volz that the idea of
n·"
was foreign to t,he prophets; thatfl.""
meant Demon in rabbinical litera- ture. Barrett, £E. cit. ,1' p. 151. However, i t should beremembered that 'prophetism was of Canaanite origin, according to Pedersen, ££. cit., III-IV, Ill.
115Swete, "Holy Spir it, II ££. ci t., p. 405; Barr et t,
2£. cit., p. 153.
I II • CONNE CT ION OF THE HOLY SP IRIT WI TH PHAYER In the 'l'hird Gospe 1, there are at least seven
references to prayer peculiar to Luke. 116 At the baptism, it was as Jesus was praying that the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him.117 Having healed a
leper, He withdrew into the desert places, there engaging in prayer. 118 Before He chose the twelve disciples, He spent all night in prayer. 119 The occasion that led to Peter's confession was when Jesus was praying alone. 120 Similarly, the oc casion of the transfiguration was when Jesus went to a mountain to pr~.121 He taught the disciples to pray when requested by one of the disciples on one occasion after He had ceased praying. 122 Satan had been demanding to get hold of Peter but Jesus had prayed123 on his behalf that his
faith would not fail. 124
In addition, three of the parables peculiar to Luke
116S • C. Carpenter, Christianity According to S. Luke (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1919r;-- pp. 116 f.
117 Luke 3 :21. 118 Luke 5.16. .
119The "ember prayer," Carpenter, loc. cit.; Luke 6:12.
120Luke 9:18. 121Luke 9:28. 122Luke 11:1.
123The
wo~d
us ed here is fromS ~op.O(.,
, the word in the other instances is ... or.oJ(oJot«( . In the context, either ward would have been just as good as the other.124Luke 22:32.
are concerned with prayer: (1) the friend at midnight,125 (2} the unjust judge,126 and (3) the Pharisee and the tax collector. 127
The second of these parables opens with an editorial comment whiCh might be a suitable co~~entary on the attitude of Luke towards prayer. He says that Jesus told a parable to illustrate the fact that they should always pray and not give up.128
The import of this feature of the Lucan portrait of Christ lies in the connection of the Holy Spirit with
prayer. 129 Jesus, in His ministry, operates through the agency of the Spirit of God. It is absolutely necessary that all He does be in accord with the will of God. So He remains in ccnstant communion with His Father, the source of His power. The prayer life of Jesus is an evidence of His humanity. The Son of God "emptied himself,,130 in
becoming man: "the wiord became flesh.,,131 It was imperative that His holiness while He "tabernacled" among men be
preserved. This was assured by His continual communion with
125Luke 11:5-8.
127Luke 18:9-14.
126Luke 18:1-8.
128Luke 18:1.
129For the idea of this connection, this investigator is indebted to' Lampe, "'lhe Holy Spirit in the Vlrri tings of St. Luke, II 2.E..:. cit., p. 169.
130 philippians 2:7. 131John 1:14.
God th3 }<'ather. 132