The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in John

Thesis

John 's Gospel gives a greater insight into the person and acts of the Holy Spirit than the other gospels

Introduction

The person of the Spirit is mentioned 12 times in Matthew 's Gospel Ghost , 6 times in Mark , Luke refers to him15 times but John does so 17 times . With these relatively small differences why is John 's gospel considered to be in someway more Spirit orientated than the writings of the evangelists ? The answer lies in part in the `Signs , events which the Synoptics refer to as `might

works . Each of these `Signs ' is accompanied by an explanatory word . There are of the long addresses to the crowds found in the other gospels such as the Sermon on the Mount , nor is there a single parable . There are however discourses on the subjects of life , light , truth , judgment , Christ 's person and his relationship to his father . John follows his own chronology and of the Incarnate Christ . He records material not found elsewhere such as the Spirit 's work in regeneration as in the encounter and dialogue with Nicodemusin which the need for a spiritual rebirth is carefully explained and his meeting with the Samaritan woman in which Jesus stresses the need for true worship :-

God is Spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth

In 7 v 37 as pointed out by Donald Gurthrie he refers early on to the promised outpouring of the spirit after the glorification of the Messiah...