Open to the Spirit by Scot McKnight

The Trinity is a hard subject to handle. You know. Three in one. One in three. Father. Son. Holy Spirit. Each a person. But one in essence.

Each has his own role in the Godhead. The Father creates. He begets the Son.  Begets in the same sense we beget children. The Son reveals in Human flesh. The Spirit comforts us and reveals the Son.

McKnight claims that we don’t allow ourselves to be open to the Holy Spirit as we should. Since, he contends, not many Christians understand the work of the Holy Spirit, they don’t completely know how to handle being open to Him. Thus, he has written this short 204-page book. It has the footnotes following the text and this adds thirteen more pages. He divides it into five parts.

It is easy reading and compels you to keep reading and interacting with the areas spoken of (new creation, the people, the virtues, the victory). As you read, you find yourself involving yourself in a safe non-threatening way.

In some of his illustrations used to clarify what to him are important aspects, he gets away from what is written in the Bible as the basis for our belief. He does differentiate between Pentecostals and Charismatics, but then quotes a Monica A. Coleman, professor of Constructive Theology and American religion at Claremont School of Theology in Southern California. She fellowships at an African Methodist Episcopal Church. In her book named “Bi-polar Faith: A Black Woman’s journey with Depression and Faith “, on the subject of the gift of tongues, having prayed in tongues with her friend Cynthia and a minister from a Harvard doctrinal program to each other, standing in a corner talking to each other in tongues.

That is not found in the Bible. In fact, in 1 Corinthians we are told tongues does not edify the body but is a sign for the unsaved. He slips here.

His background is Anglican with a leaning toward Anabaptist. His profession is that of a Professor of New Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary at Lombard, Il. And that should be considered while reading this book.

Still, it is well done and, yes, I would say it is one I would consider looking at. It is important to be open to the Spirit

It is published by WaterBrook, Penguin Random House.. It retails for $15.99.