In the Nicene Creed, the western church confesses that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The eastern churches do not. This is a point of longstanding theological and church political controversy.
The evangelical theologian is interested in the question: What does the Bible say?
I found this helpful outline from Hollazius, quoted in The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Heinrich Schmid, 174. Download this entire text for free here.)
Proof of the procession from Father and Son, Hollazius [writes] (337):
Holy Scripture teaches αύτολεξεί, and in express words, that the Holy Ghost proceeds from God the Father. John 15:26.
That the same [Holy Spirit] proceeds from the Son of God is correctly inferred:
- From the name, “the Spirit of the Son” (Galatians 4:6).
- From the όμοουσία of Father and Son (John 16:15).
- From His reception of omniscience from the Son (John 16:13,14).
- From the apocalyptic vision of the river proceeding from the throne of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).
- From the sending of the Holy Ghost from the Son (John 15:26).
- From the breathing of Christ upon His disciples (John 20: 22).
- From the order and distinction of the divine persons.
That’s a nice list.
