Did Peter have the Holy Spirit Before Pentecost?

DKB writes:

Pastor Nic, I have a question for you from your teaching yesterday...When Jesus asked Peter who he thought Jesus was and Peter answered and Jesus said he was blessed "because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but My father who is in heaven"....does this mean the Holy Spirit was in Peter? I am confused if your answer is yes because I thought the Holy Spirit did not come down until they were in the upper room. My notes say it was because of "divine illumination" is this the same as the Holy Spirit?


DKB, as always, another thought provoking question. Thank you for thinking through the sermon long after it has been preached.

The sermon in reference here is from Matthew 16:13-17 “The Heavenly Confession” given 4-6-2014 which can be found on our sermon audio page, www.sermonaudio.com/Centralbible

The question you ask concerns the ministry of the Holy Spirit: Was Peter indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God? What ministry if any did the third person of the Trinity have prior to Pentecost (the upper room?) Is “divine illumination” the same as the Holy Spirit? You ask three questions, I give three answers, each concerning the third person of the Godhead.

Question 1: Was Peter indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God?

When you asked, “Does this mean the Holy Spirit was in Peter?” I interpret your question as, Does Peter at this point have the Holy Spirit like we have the Holy Spirit, living and dwelling inside of us, ministering to and through us? This question is better answered by first dealing with your implied question, question 2.

Question 2: What ministry if any did the third person of the Trinity have prior to Pentecost (the upper room?)

The Holy Spirit of God has been active for eternity as the eternal third person of the Trinity. In creation we see the Spirit hovering over the face of the earth (Gen 1:2). Perhaps we even see the Spirit as part of the divine architect of mankind, “let US make man in OUR image...” (Gen 1:26). Your question, however,  concerns the Spirit’s interaction with the people of God.

The Spirit’s work in God’s people is singularly interesting. He come and he goes. One notable example: Saul was anointed King in 1 Samuel 10, and prophesied when the Spirit cam upon him (vv. 9-11). Then six chapters later, at Saul’s disobedience, the Spirit left him (1 Sam. 16:14).

This is a pattern we see often. The Holy Spirit comes upon a specific individual for a specific purpose and at its conclusion leaves the person. This is the case with the prophets, judges, and kings. This is the norm in the dispensations, or if you are uncomfortable with that term, with the ages preceding the church age--the age/dispensation of the mystery, the age/dispensation of grace.

When we reach the New Testament and in particular the gospels we find that Jesus prophesied that the Spirit would come in a special way upon his ascension to the Father (cf. John 7:37-39, John 14:16-17; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; etc). The testimony of the Spirit’s coming is found in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost in the upper room, as you noted. In this dispensation, the Spirit dwells with us (Romans 8:11), is given as an inheritance and seals us in Christ (Eph 1:13-14). But Peter does not yet live in this dispensation. He is under the ministry of the age of Law, and the working of the Holy Spirit prior to Pentecost.

So I return to question 1: Question 1: Was Peter indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God?

The disciples did receive the Holy Spirit in a “partial?” way prior to Pentecost, seen in John 20:22

John 20:22 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

But that occurs after his resurrection, not here in our context (Matthew 16:13-17).

Is the Spirit dwelling in Peter at this point? No, the Spirit doesn’t indwell or seal believers until after Pentecost. Is the Spirit at work here in Matthew 16? Yes, he is always at work, God is always at work in and through all things. Is the Spirit moving upon Peter in order to reveal to His truth? Yes, I believe so, even though it is not explicit in context, because the Holy Spirit of God plays a major role as Teacher (Jn 16:13; 1 Jn 2:20).

Question 3: Is “divine illumination” the same as the Holy Spirit?

Divine illumination is the process in which God opens the mind to be able to understand spiritual matters. The Father revealed the truth of who Jesus is to Peter. Either He did so directly, or he did so through the work of the Holy Spirit, but either way you could say the Father revealed these things to him. In our age, the Holy Spirit of God is the revealer of truth--which leads me to believe that the Spirit opened Peter’s mind as well. When he does so, to Peter or in this age, we are given “illumination.” The light of the truth is being made known. In your notes and in the sermon I called it “divine illumination” to emphasize once again, the source of Peter’s knowledge. And so, the Spirit isn’t the same thing as divine illumination, but the Spirit gives divine illumination so that the formerly dead and natural man can then accept and understand the things of the Spirit of God, spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 2:12-15).