AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE "MISSING LINK" IN OUR CONTEMPORARY UNDERSTANDING OF DIVINE AUTHORITY?, THE

Second, the Spirit's authority is neglected when we speak of Christ's authority in relation to believers without referring to the Spirit who is sent "in my name" (John 14:26), that is, with Christ's authority to fulfill Christ's will in the world (and thus to bring glory to Christ).97

Third, the Spirit's authority is neglected when the Bible's "authority" is not derived from the Spirit but is essentially selfauthenticated or established on shallow descriptions. Any "biblical authority" disconnected from the Spirit (as the Bible's inspirer and illuminator) becomes a dry rationality.

Finally, the Spirit's authority is neglected when the Spirit is given a limited authority with respect to the church -that is, when "lordship" refers to Christ and not the Spirit98 or when "eschatological" refers to our future destiny but has little or no bearing on present church vision. In such cases, the church suffers from a subtle yet pervasive deism (i.e., the Father and the Son who possess sovereignty over the church and display authority toward the church are not thought of as actually communicating this authority within the church).99

How, then, does this doctrine contribute to theological discussion? First, it makes an enormous contribution to systematic theology. The parameters of the Spirit's authority as divine Person, Executor, Teacher, and Governor provide a foundational test for assessing evangelical "orthodoxy" with respect to pneumatology. Indeed, the doctrine of the authority of the Holy Spirit provides theologians and ministers with a theological tool that can be used for discerning among the myriad of perspectives encountered in local church settings, particularly those settings where a profound hunger for spiritual experience exists but where confusion reigns regarding the biblical boundaries for these experiences. In fact, the Spirit is most fully released within the local church to move "where it wishes" (John 3:8) when such theological boundaries are secured. The usefulness of such a doctrinal "tool" is that any understanding or doctrine of the Holy Spirit can be "weighed" against these four authoritative "titles." Indeed the doctrine of the Spirit's authority not only applies in such discussions but often contributes to the shaping of the entire discussion.

This doctrine also contributes significantly to practical theology. The beauty of this doctrine is that the Spirit who provides authoritative boundaries for spiritual experience is the same Spirit who provides the experience itself. The Spirit of life, as described in Romans 8, creates a dramatic paradigm shift in our understanding of such practical issues as hermeneutics, church structure and guidance, and spirituality.100 Believers can rely on the Spirit, for example, to guide them through the challenging yet incredibly rewarding work of biblical interpretation. The result is a bold confidence that the Spirit's truth can be obtained and applied within each "act" of the drama of living. The Spirit's authoritative presence in Christ-centered, biblically-based preaching stands as another viable example. The model presented in this discussion allows us to discern when the Spirit's authority has been "unleashed" within the church (that is, whether this is actually the Spirit of God or a "spirit" of emotionalism, humanly established authority, etc.).