Ordination Questions for Pneumatology (Holy Spirit)

These questions have been compiled from 10 ordinations within Baptist Church in West Michigan. I trust these will help you prepare for ordination and appreciate the Truth of God and His Word!

Ordination #1

1.         Give Biblical proof that the Spirit is a person, not just a force.

2.         Give Biblical proof of the deity of the Spirit.

3.         What is His “ranking” in the Trinity? Verses?

4.         What part did He have in creation?

5.         What seemed to be His ministry in O.T. times?

6.         Give some detail about the relationship of God the Spirit to God the Son during the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

7.         At least four ministries of the Spirit occur at the instant of salvation. What are they? (regeneration, baptism, indwelling, sealing)

8.         What is the difference between the baptism and the filling?

9.         How does a person receive the filling of the Spirit?

10.       What passages speak of the filling?

11.        What are Biblical results of the filling? (Ephesians 5)

12.        Give Biblical proof that the baptism of the Spirit took place on the day of Pentecost.

13.   Should we pray for the filling? Did people do so in N.T. times?

14.   What was, and now is, the relationship between God the Spirit and the written word?

15.   What is your position regarding the present day charismatic movement, and what bible references do you use to justify your position?

16.   What does it mean to grieve the Spirit?

17.   What does it mean to quench the Spirit?

18.   What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

19.   What ministry does the Spirit have toward the lost?

20.   What does He do for the saved?

21.   What is the difference between the call of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit? Can you think of any Biblical examples? (Acts 16:6-10)

22.   What is your position regarding spiritual gifts?

Ordination #2

1. In general, how would you define the work of the Spirit today?

2. What is the Holy Spirit’s role in the world today?

3. What does it mean to “Walk in the Spirit”?

4. What does it mean to walk in the spirit to fulfil the fruit of the spirit? (John 15, Rom 8)

5. Does the Holy Spirit have a part in us, knowing the will of God? (Guidance?)

6. Contrast between on the filling of the Spirit and the baptism of the Spirit.

7. John 17 – The Spirit will guide you to the truth – Who is he writing to? Applicable?

a. Was this a promise to the disciples only to us as well?

8. How would you help a young person help discover his/her spiritual gifts?

9. How would you respond to someone who does believe in the sign gifts?

10. Compare some of the sign gifts and how they were expressed in the apostolic times?

11. How would you respond to something that are happening in this world today and how is the Holy Spirit working today?

12. What is the Holy Spirit’s work after the church age? Do you think He will continue to lead people to Salvation?

13. How does verbal inspiration and the work of the Holy Spirit work together?

Ordination #3

1.     Holy Spirit: If someone says that “God Spoke to them,” how would you respond?

2.     What is stronger: discernment from God or driving force from God?

3.     Explain conviction of Holy Spirit and God speaking to us?

4.     Describe the consciences within a Non-Believer and Believer in light of the Holy Spirit’s Work.

Ordiantion #4

1. Is an Old Testament saint indwelled?

2. Is the spirit omniscience?

3. Regeneration is here, but not in Salvation? Please define and explain

4. What is the order of salvation?

5. Difference between Baptist and filling fo the spirit?

6. What does the baptism of the Spirit do?

7. Holy Spirit and the believer – is this list conditional or permanent?

8. Does the Holy Spirit perform any work to unbelievers?

9. What is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? today?

10. Someone believes in the sign gift, do you let them join our church?

Ordination #5

- “Define “Actor” in light of Colossians when the spirit was part of creation (John 1:1-3)

- Explain illuminate?

- Does Illumination exclude the responsibility to study?

- Why is “empower for ministry” important?

- Can he empower us like he empowered Christ? Should I also get the same power, great things(miracles) like Jesus did?

- If I can’t do miracles like Jesus then we are “Filled enough” or “Led by the Spirit enough”

- Does Christ have a uniqueness that we don’t have within the empowerment of the Spirit

- Distinguish between the miraculous gifts vs ministering gifts?

- Does God still do miraculous things?

- Difference between indwelling and filling of the Spirit. (Are you filled today?)

- Explain passages that talk about Spirit Baptism.

- Expound upon the Spirit’s work on someone’s life at salvation

- Do we have a say in this matter, the will of man in this call of God in our life.

- Explain the Spirits work now verses during the end times?

Ordination #6

1. Respond to Pat Robinson that God told him that Trump would win the election. Respond to when God tells an individual to do something?

2. Can someone be a Christian and not have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

3. What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

4. Is that different than being filled by the Spirit and why?

5. Contrast the indwelling of the spirit and the filling of the Spirit?

6. Would you agree, “You baptized into the body of Christ and indwelled with the Spirit of God?

7. Spiritual Gifts: can you identify your spiritual gifts and how you use them in ministry?

8. If a lady in your church believes that she has the gift of pastoring, how would you respond?

9. How do you respond to individuals that believe they have the gift of pastoring?

10. Do you speak in tongues, Why?

11. How would you, in your discipleship ministry to help them understand their gifts and how to serve?

12. Someone attending your church says, “I want to join, what does your church believe about divine healing?”

13. Did God heal them of chemo or did the chemo?

14. Describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life.

15. Should we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us? Give an illustration of that in the NT?

16. What is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

17. What would be your advice to someone who thinks they have committed the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Ordination #7

1. Can someone be a Christian and not have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

2. Is the Baptist of the Spirit repeated or one time?

3. Why don’t you speak in tongues?

4. How many times? Indwelling? Baptism? Filling?

5. Eph. 5:18 – “filled with the spirit,” Please define?

6. Describe tongues in the book of Acts?

7. What is the roll of the interpreter and what happened in Acts?

8. Expand a little more of the Holy Spirit’s roll in missions?

9. Holy Spirit is sent to convict the world; how does this inform your view of the gospel?

10. 1 Peter 4 – As each has given a gift….. (Speaking and serving are both gifts.) Is there a sense that God is still speaking through people today? How has God spoken through you?

11. Please help us understand why tongues was used so sparingly (Acts 2, 10, 19)? Tongues was the one who received the Spirit not instructing others?

12. What works of the Spirit were in the Old Testament?

13. When do you believe regeneration takes place?

14. Can someone do anything spiritual before regeneration?

15. Are any of the gifts given to the church gender specific?

16. Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is still empowering Christ for his messianic ministry?

17. When God spoke through Balaam’s donkey, was it authoritative?

Ordination #8

1. What role does the Holy Spirit have in my daily life?

2. Do you pray to the Holy Spirit?

3. What are your spiritual gift(s)?

4. Define spiritual gifts.

5. How would you encourage young people to find spiritual gifts?

6. Differentiate between baptism, indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit.

7. Are we commanded to be indwelled?

8. Are we commanded to be filled?

9. When are we indwelled by the Holy Spirit?

10. Acts 8: Why do they need to receive it? Is Acts a standard of expectation or just a start?

11. Are you filled right now?

12. Are you manifesting the Spirit now?

13. Have you found that people think that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten God? How do you develop this relationship?

14. Touch on Fruit of Spirit.

15. If these are absent, then do they not have the Spirit?

16. Please describe how the Holy Spirit is the restrainer?

17. Gifts: Romans 12:6-8 - please explain them.

18. Do you think that knowledge of Spiritual Gifts would help in a marriage? 

Ordination #9

·       What is the distinction of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit? Clarify the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

·       Make the distinction between the indwelling and the filling on the Holy Spirit? Are sign gifts, necessary or ceased?

·       Could Old Testament saints loose their salvation and what was the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?

·       Would you use a different word for ‘indwelling’ in your paragraph in your doctrinal statement, esp. in the Old Testament? What is the importance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of believer today?

·       Would John 14:17 help give clarify to the indwelling ministry of the Spirit today, when Jesus gives that promise to the disciples?

·       Is there any way to see if the Holy Spirit is in your life or the life of one of your teens? Are there any Fruit that would be produced in your life?

·       How would you respond to a missionary saying they were praying for a person and they got better?

·       What is the difference natural ability and gifts of the Holy Spirit?

·       Tell me what is individual soul liberty?

·       How would you respond to ‘Baptists have ignored the Holy Spirit, are we ‘missing’ something?’

·       What would be the focus of the Holy Spirit?

·       What would be the identifier that the Holy Spirit’s presence is evident?

·       How do you understand the passage that the Spirit left Saul in 1 Samuel?

·       How do you respond to a person exhibiting Charismatic outbursts in Youth Group?

Ordination #10

Can you distinguish baptizing, indwelling and filling as it pertains to the Holy Spirit?

Is the Holy Spirit in you? How do you know? Does he produce anything in you? What are those fruits?

Is your assurance of the Spirit subjective or objective?

Given your strict cessationist position, how would you explain Muslims who have dreams that contribute to their salvation?

How do you relate to those who take another position on sign gifts?

What would happen if you experienced something contrary to what Scripture outlines?

When a person is saved are they assigned a gift or multiple gifts? How does a believer discern their spiritual gifting?

What text would you cite to demonstrate the deity of the Holy Spirit?