At the time of the conception and birth of Christ, the term “Holy Spirit” was used (Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:20). This title of the Spirit is related to holiness, sanctification, and separation unto God. Through the Holy Spirit something in man is sanctified, made holy.
In Greek, Acts 16:7 speaks of the Spirit of Jesus. The Lord’s life on earth was a life of suffering. Thus, the title “the Spirit of Jesus” refers in particular to the Spirit in relation to the Lord’s suffering.
In Romans 8:9-11 Paul speaks of the Spirit of Christ. According to the context of these verses, the Spirit of Christ is related mainly to Christ’s resurrection.
We have seen that in 1:19 Paul speaks of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Since the Spirit of Jesus has particular reference to the Lord’s suffering, and the Spirit of Christ, to His resurrection, the Spirit of Jesus Christ is related both to suffering and resurrection. In his imprisonment Paul was enjoying the Spirit both as the Spirit of Jesus in suffering and as the Spirit of Christ in resurrection. As he was suffering, Paul was enjoying Christ’s resurrection. Since he was experiencing both suffering and resurrection, to him the Spirit was the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
John 7:39 says, “But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” This verse speaks of “the Spirit,” telling us that before the Lord Jesus was crucified and resurrected, “the Spirit” was not yet. The Spirit of God was there from the beginning (Gen. 1:1-2), but “the Spirit” as the Spirit of Jesus Christ was “not yet” at the time of John 7:39, because the Lord had not yet been glorified. After His resurrection, the Spirit of God became the Spirit of the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Jesus Christ. Even though, before the Lord’s death and resurrection, the Spirit of God was the Spirit of Jehovah and the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit” was not yet. This term—“the Spirit”—is used often by Paul in his Epistles and by John in the book of Revelation. Instead of saying the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit, Paul often said “the Spirit”—the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit of the Triune God.
The term “compound Spirit” cannot be found in the Bible. However, the reality of this aspect of the Spirit is found in the Scriptures. The same is true of the Trinity. Although this term cannot be found in the Bible, it cannot be reasonably denied that the Bible reveals that God is triune. Matthew 28:19 speaks of baptizing people into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, a clear indication that God is triune. Another indication is 2 Corinthians 13:14, which speaks of the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Gk.). Based upon the fact that, according to the Bible, God is triune, the term Trinity is used. In the same principle, based upon the facts in Scripture, we may properly speak of the Spirit as the compound Spirit. According to Exodus 30:23-24, a hin of olive oil was compounded with four spices to produce the holy anointing oil, the holy ointment. In typology, oil signifies the Spirit of God, and the compound ointment, the oil blended with four spices, signifies the Holy Spirit. Through a compounding process, the oil became an ointment and was used to anoint the tabernacle and everything related to it. Even the priests were anointed with this holy ointment. Before Exodus 30, this compound ointment was “not yet,” but after Exodus 30, such an ointment was definitely in existence. In like manner, before Christ was crucified, resurrected, and glorified, the Spirit as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit was “not yet.” But through the process of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, the Spirit of God, typified by the oil, became the compound Spirit, typified by the ointment.
The four spices used to make the ointment in Exodus 30 typify the effectiveness of Christ’s death, the sweetness of His death, the power of His resurrection, and the fragrance of His resurrection. Before Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, the Spirit of God did not have these four elements. But after Christ’s resurrection, these elements were compounded into the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God became “the Spirit,” the compound Spirit.