Terry Baughman has taken the time to review my latest book in the midst of building a new church facility. He is the lead pastor of LifeChurch in Gilbert, Arizona (azlife.church) and blogs at trbaughman.com. An accomplished author, he has written or edited eight books in addition to numerous published lessons and articles. Terry earned the degree Master of Arts in Exegetical Theology from Western Seminary, and he serves as secretary of the Board of Directors for Urshan College and Urshan Graduate School of Theology.
I appreciate his review of The Holy Spirit: A Commentary, which follows:
The Holy Spirit: A Commentary is both a thorough and refreshing study of the subject by a Oneness Pentecostal scholar for Oneness Pentecostal believers, or for those seeking an understanding of the Holy Spirit from the foundation of Biblical Theology. Dr. Daniel Segraves has invested his life studying and teaching the Scripture with a meticulous loyalty to the written text and he exhibits an interminable insistence on contextual interpretation. As a college and seminary instructor, his theology classes and biblical hermeneutics courses were legendary in his continual reminders that interpretation should always be approached with a focus on, “context, context, context!” Segraves teaches, preaches, and writes with a sincere dedication to the authority of the written text and a desire to mine the treasures of authentic intent of the biblical authors.
In The Holy Spirit: A Commentary Segraves delves into every mention of the Spirit throughout the Scripture. He shows the importance of the original composition of the Hebrew text pointing to the active work of the Holy Spirit. He illustrates the unique focus that the various references to the Holy Spirit are all synonymous. The Spirit, the Spirit of God, My Spirit, His Spirit, Your Spirit, and the Holy Spirit are all references to the “One Spirit” of Ephesians 4:4. He further examines every other variation of terms in reference to the Spirit, i.e. the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of His Son, etc. that are found in the biblical text.
While adherents to some theological traditions often minimize or ignore the work of the Holy Spirit, it is evident in this study that the synonymous nature of God and the Holy Spirit cannot be divided or disputed. To undervalue the role of the Spirit is actually to detract from the fullness of God’s power. When we speak of the works of God we are acknowledging the reality and viability of the Spirit. As Segraves stated, “We cannot fragment God by separating Him from His Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is present, God is present” (Page 5).
For years to come The Holy Spirit: A Commentary will be the definitive work on the subject. It will be an essential commentary for students of the Word and a guidebook for sincere believers desiring to know more about the working of the Spirit. It will also be a valued resource for scholars who want to expand their understanding of the Oneness Pentecostal perspective of the Holy Spirit and for their contention that the gift of the Spirit with the initial sign of speaking with tongues is for every believer.
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