The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit [Paperback]

Merrill F. F. Unger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1974

Traces the doctrine of the Holy Spirit through the New Testament pointing out that true maturity is achieved only in day-to-day obedience, bible study, and prayer. Merrill Unger corrects many contemporary errors and misconceptions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MERRILL F. UNGER (A.B., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Th.M., Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) pastored several churches before joining the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary in 1948. There he served as professor of Old Testament studies until his retirement in 1967. He was the author of many books including such monumental reference works as Unger's Bible Dictionary, Unger's Bible Handbook, and the two-volume Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (June 1, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802404677
• ISBN-13: 978-0802404671
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear explanation from a dispensationalist viewpoint, April 14, 2005

By 

moviemusicbuff (Walnut, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Paperback)

Dr. Unger does a great job of explaining what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is. First he presents the Pentecostal viewpoint of the Spirit-baptism, points out why it is deficient, and goes on to define and explain what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is. He deals with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels, at Pentecost and Samaria, at Caesarea and Ephesus, in 1 Corinthians / Romans / Galatians, in Ephesians / Colossians / 1 Peter, and talks about how the Spirit-Baptism relates to spiritual gifts and to power.

Dr. Unger adheres to the dispensationalist viewpoint and states that the baptism of the Holy Spirit applies only during the dispensation of the church age from Pentecost to the Second Coming. He believes that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs upon a believer's conversion and the Spirit-baptism is a separate event from the filling of the Spirit.

I found this book to be a very helpful overview of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as presented in the Gospels, Acts, and the New Testament. Even if you don't agree in the dispensationalist viewpoint, I believe you will find this work to be quite informative. If you hold to a Pentecostal / Charismatic viewpoint on the Spirit-baptism, I would recommend Howard Ervin's book "Spirit-Baptism: A Biblical Investigation."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST, September 23, 2010

By 

annabanana - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Paperback)

Any confusion on Baptism? What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Read/study this book. This book can be hard to find.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dispensational, Cessasionist View of Spirit-Baptism & Gifts, October 16, 2005

By 

Roy Ingle "The Seeking Disciple" (Lexington, SC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Paperback)

The late Dr. Merrill Unger's book, BAPTISM AND GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, was a well-read book on the subject of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts for many years. Alone with James Dunn's BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, the book served a generation of students within the dispensational, cessasionist camps. Dr. Unger was a professor at the dispensational Dallas Theological Seminary, a school long known to oppose the charismatic movement.

The book is a study of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of the believer. Dr. Unger looked at all major passages about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and takes a brief look at the charismatic gifts of tongues and prophecy. As expected, Dr. Unger takes issue with the Pentecostal/Charismatic views and opposes them strongly.

The positives of the book are that the book is written in fairly easy to understand language. Dr. Unger avoids delving into the Greek tenses or verbs. Further, the book advocates one baptism in the Spirit at the new birth (1 Cor. 12:13) and one baptism alone. Unger believes that the Christian need not seek anything more than our security and sufficiency in Jesus.

The negatives of this book are that the book is somewhat dated. Many of Unger's arguments have been answered by Pentecostal/Charismatic apologist (see Anthony Palma's BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT and Howard Irvin's SPIRIT-BAPTISM: A BIBLICAL STUDY). The book also embraces a strong view of dispensationalism (as expected from a DTS professor) but in so doing Dr. Unger embraces an unbiblical view of eternal security much like Dr. Charles Ryrie or Dr. Charles Stanley (see Dan Conner's THE BELIEVERS CONDITIONAL SECURITY).

Overall this is a good book to read in better understanding Dr. Merrill Unger's teaching about the work of the Holy Spirit. While somewhat dated the book is still found in many non-charismatic camps and much of the arguments can still be found today in like minded churches.