The Holy Spirit: The Gift or the Giver?

We’ve been studying God’s promise of the Holy Spirit being given to all of humanity and what that means to us.

I want to address the notion that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 only refers to the gift that the Holy Spirit gives (The Holy Scriptures and Salvation) and not the Holy Spirit himself.

Also, the idea that the Holy Spirit (given as a gift) only indwells within us through the written word that was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Again no indwelling of the Holy Spirit himself.

Consider with me a few points.

First, if the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is defined as the Holy Spirit inspired written word indwelling in mankind.

Then the pre-Christ Jews already had the Holy Spirit indwelling within them because they had God’s Holy Spirit inspired word in written form that they could read and be taught by. The written word indwelling.

But, if they already had the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, why were promises given about the future coming of the Holy Spirit?

Secondly, if the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is merely the Spirit’s written revealed word influencing us then that could imply levels of the Holy Spirit indwelling as we study and imbibe more and more of the written word.

Different levels of written word understanding resulting in different levels of Holy Spirit indwelling.

Where was that promised or inferred? No where.

If the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is merely the influence of His inspired Word, which faithful Israelites already possessed, then what was new about God's promise to gift His Holy Spirit to Christians?