Gordon Fee's "Empowering Presence" is a wonderful study on the Holy Spirit in the epistles of Paul. In the first three quarters of this voluminous book Fee looks at all of the passages mentioning the Spirit with thoroughness and much insight. This serves the student and teacher interested in the topic very well, but makes it quite tedious for the average reader. Yet, Fee's exegetical skill and spiritual judgment are thorough and well based on Scripture. The last quarter of the book is much more accessible to the average reader than the first part. It systematizes the previous findings presenting them under useful headlines and categories. Especially related issues like the Spirit and proclamation, baptism, community formation, worship and spiritual gifts are well presented and frequently made quite practical as well. With this the book becomes a valuable resource on the topic of the Holy Spirit within Pauline theology of which there are not too many to compare.

This book has substance which you will not find just anywhere. Gordon Fee has accomplished what, as far as I know, that no one else has done with such thoroughness. What he has to say is important to anyone interested in the mission and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Many times we "forget" that there is a third person of the Trinity that is still actively working and moving in our world today. The world that the Apostolic church functioned in is not that much different from the world that live in today. Maybe there is something that we need to relearn from Paul and the early Christians. This book will enrich not only those who have a Pentecostal/Charismatic background, but also those who don't. Fee not only does a verse by verse exegesis, but then has several chapters in which he highlights various topics. Very insightful and challenging.

I love to study any of the writings of Paul and any comentary like this one, it's really great.