The Book
Daniel L. Segraves, The Holy Spirit: A Commentary (Weldon Spring, MO: WAP Academic, A Division of Word Aflame Press, 2020), 314 pages. Available as hard copy and e-book.
Why I Wrote the Book
Some time ago, Robin Johnston—editor in chief and publisher for the United Pentecostal Church International—told me Pentecostal Publishing House had no book on the Holy Spirit. This was an unusual situation for the largest Apostolic, Oneness Pentecostal organization in today’s world, so I offered to accept the project.
The Main Points in The Holy Spirit
It was my intention from the beginning to be as thorough as possible in filling this gap in our literature. I located each reference to the Spirit in the entire Bible, beginning with Genesis 1:2 and continuing through Revelation 22:17. I discovered there are more than 330 references to the Holy Spirit in Scripture.
My research resulted in forty-four chapters, five appendixes, and thirty pages of notes. Every biblical book mentioning the Spirit is referenced and discussed. The only exception to this is where parallel references to the Spirit appear in the gospels in such a way there seem to be no additional insight to be gained by investigating each text.
Since there are 1,189 chapters in the Bible, this means the Spirit is mentioned on average about once every 3.6 chapters. In the Old Testament, the Spirit is referred to about once every 11.6 chapters. In the New Testament, with 260 chapters, the Spirit is referred to almost once per chapter.
Sample chapter titles include “The Deity of the Holy Spirit,” “A Summary of the Identity and Work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament,” “The Holy Spirit in the New Testament,” “The Work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Birth and Baptism,” and “The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Incarnation.”
A Review from David K. Bernard
David K. Bernard commented, “The Holy Spirit: A Commentary by Daniel Segraves is the most thorough treatment of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from a Oneness perspective. The book analyzes every mention of the Spirit of God throughout the Bible, drawing conclusions about both the Old and New Testaments. Several appendixes explain how this biblical doctrine relates to the Apostolic doctrine of Jesus Christ (Christology). The discussion is scholarly, yet clear and easy to understand. While theologians will likely differ on a point or two, the book is a valuable contribution to Oneness theology. It will benefit every student of Scripture.”
Resources and Links by Dr. Daniel Segraves
The Holy Spirit: A Commentary: For Apostolic believers, the gift of the Holy Spirit defines who we are. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is evident in shaping our lives. A typical Bible commentary offers verse-by-verse analysis, usually of a single book of the Bible. This book resembles Bible commentaries in its thorough and comprehensive scope and its canonical survey of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. But unlike commentaries, this book gives us knowledge to undergird our Pentecostal experience. And that knowledge gives us pause to celebrate the work of the Spirit in our
Thank you Elder, I can’t wait to find out what it says about first Corinthians chapter 5 where we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit experience!