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The holy spirit is the power of God Spirit is the means by which God created the heavens and the earth, and it is also the means by which the Creation is sustained at the pres- ent time– see Genesis 1v1,2, Job 26v13;33v4;34v14,15,Psalm 104v30. The spirit of God is everywhere, Psalm 139v1-12. When God wishes to use His spirit for a special purpose, it is termed His “holy (dedicated) spirit”, as distinct from His “free spirit”, Psalm 51v11,12. He used this power to bring about the birth of Jesus, Luke 1v35-“the holy spirit..the power of the Highest”. Cp the same descrip- tion of “holy spirit” as “power” -Acts 1v5-8 and 10v38- cp Luke 24v49. So "holy spirit" is the medium through which God reveals Himself. Therefore, although it may sometimes be spoken of as speaking or do- ing something, it is but the means employed. This becomes plain when we look at a passage like 1st Corinthians 2. In v13 we read- "the holy spirit teacheth". However, this must be understood in harmony with v10- "GOD hath revealed them unto us BY HIS SPIRIT". Also cp v14 ".. the natural man receiveth not the things of the SPIRIT OF GOD". A similar mode of expression is used in Job 38v35, and the meaning is obvious. No-one would portray "lightnings" as sentient beings! Link to 'Bible'-page 3. Today we might well use similar expressions- "the magazine stated" etc. Do not be misled by inherited pagan teachings. These are simple scriptural facts, which can easily be understood by anyone. But when unscriptural ideas about "a third person in a trin- ity” are forced upon the narrative, it is no wonder that confusion is rife upon a sublime subject. Let us be clear on this matter. There are no capital letters ‘h’ and ‘s’ in “holy spirit” in the original. They were only inserted by biased translators believing in “the trinity”, a pagan doctrine which was only set in its present form after some centuries of argument. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” Romans 1v22, thus repeating the “mystery” of Babylon, which had its own “trinity”, though by different names! So here is one identification of the modern-day “church” with ancient Babylon (which means 'con- fusion'). "The trinity" is a “mystery”, say "ministers" today. The an- cient “mystery” religion of Babylon is well-known to historians. The Bible warns us against “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT”- Rev. 17v5. See under 'Index' links to 'God', 'mortal', 'devil', 'satan', 'bap- tism'. The process of apostacy is traced out in 'departure'. There are other uses of the word ‘spirit’. The original carries the idea of 'breathe', or 'blow'. So it is used of breath, Genesis 6v17, Job 12v10 and Psalm 104v29. It therefore also can mean 'life', as in Ecclesiastes 8v8;12v7, Luke 23v46, Acts7v59, or 'aspect of mind' as in Exodus 6v9, Psalm 51v10, Haggai 1v14, Mark 14v38, John 4v24, 1st Peter 3v4. The purpose of the spirit gifts was to establish the early believers and spread the Gospel.Cp Acts 2,Hebrews 2v1-4. The most spectacular ex- ample was on the day of Pentecost, when the "power..(of) the holy spir- it" as predicted by Jesus in Acts 1v8, came upon the disciples, and the Gospel was preached in the native "tongue, wherein (they) were born", of those who heard. Various powers were given to endorse this early preaching. However, they were only temporary. Paul wrote three chapters concerning their proper use, 1st Corinthians 12-14. In ch. 13 he prophesied that these "part(s)" of the spirit would "fail..cease.. vanish away", and this came to pass by the early 2nd century AD. (In OT times spirit power was given, & then it ceased). "Perfect" v10 sig- nifies "complete" (Grk.'teleios'), prophesying of the matured assem- blies- cp Eph. 4v7-16 (v12 'teleios'). Also cp 1st Cor.13v11, Eph.4v14. In every age, it is God's word, not spirit gifts, that gives salvation. Only the Apostles had the power to pass on the gifts (cp Acts 8v12-19, Romans 1v11,1st Tim.4v14,2nd Tim.1v6). When they died, and those who had received the gifts from them also died, there was no-one left with these powers. Their purpose, for upbuilding and preaching, was fulfilled. We now live in the time spoken of when, as in the past, there is "a famine..of hearing the words of the LORD", Amos 8v11. New re- velation & spirit powers have ceased,cpJoel 2v21-32.This is the period between "the former" and "the latter rain(s)" of the spirit. Peter re- ferred to "the former rain" in Acts 2v16-21, but significantly did not quote the last part of Joel 2v32-"for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call"; for this blessed time is yet future. Only at this time will "the latter rain" be given to the redeemed. 'Spirit' thus points us to the all-powerful Creator, and we are invited to “take the water of life freely” in believing the Gospel message & obeying it as set out in the Scriptures by baptism into Jesus Christ. "..holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit". "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE". 2nd Peter 1v21, John 6v63. |