Definition (house style)
Pneumatology is the theological discipline that investigates the Holy Spirit: his person, his works, and his relationship to the Father and the Son. On apokatastasis.wiki, pneumatology is inseparably connected to questions about sanctification, the gifts of the Spirit, and Spirit-baptism. The five authors in this corpus are all pneumatologically oriented, but they stand in sharp contrast to one another regarding the relationship between gifts and maturity, the nature of the baptism of the Spirit, and whether the supernatural gifts belong to the church of all ages.
Author variants
Nee/Lee
The pneumatology of Nee and Lee is the functional core of their system: the Holy Spirit is the terminal form of the oikonomia — the carrier of all seven elements of Christ — the means by which the Trinity is poured into the human spirit: “Have you ever realized that the Holy Spirit is the best ‘dose’ in the world? Just one dose is sufficient to meet all our needs. Everything that the Father and the Son are and have is in this wonderful Spirit” [EG, ch. 2]. Characteristic is the two-moment model: the Spirit of resurrection day (John 20:22) as the breath of life, and the Spirit of Pentecost (Acts 2) as the enduement with authority for service [EG, ch. 2]. BXL3 adds: the Spirit as inner life-sense (an inward life-feeling as daily Spirit-guidance), the Spirit as the essential character of the Word (Word = Spirit, via 2Tim. 3:16 + John 4:24 + John 6:63), and the mingling of divine and human spirit as the most characteristic and controversial teaching (1Cor. 6:17). Notably, Nee and Lee relativize the gifts of the Spirit: the Corinthians had all the gifts but were carnal [EG, ch. 4] — a pneumatology that prioritizes spiritual maturity over spiritual gifts.
Jones
Jones teaches a continuationist pneumatology: the supernatural gifts of the Spirit are not limited to the apostolic period but are available to the church of all ages. Characteristic is his exegesis of 1Cor. 12:3: no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except through the Holy Spirit — a thesis he connects to universal restoration, since every knee will ultimately bow through the Spirit and every tongue confess.
Warnock
Warnock develops a specific pneumatology centered on Spirit-baptism as the cause of sanctification: those baptized in the Spirit undergo a sanctifying work that goes beyond forgiveness. Unique in his corpus is the thesis that the Spirit absorbed the Blood of Christ at the crucifixion (Heb. 9:14) — making the Blood and the Spirit inseparable in their working. Warnock expects a latter rain outpouring of the Spirit in the last days.
Bullinger
Bullinger is cessationist: the supernatural gifts — tongues, prophecy, healing — belonged to the apostolic period as sign-miracles confirming the gospel and ceased with the closing of the canon. The Spirit now works primarily through the Word and sanctification.
Noordzij
Noordzij emphasizes pneumatic hermeneutics: the Spirit is the only authority for understanding Scripture (Eph. 6:17-18 as the basis for praying the Word). The Spirit works not through spectacular manifestations but through the inner man, who is exercised and strengthened through prayer and obedience.