By Jim Stockstill

Fire from Heaven

April 13, 2023

Person of the Holy Spirit

 

All those who also trust in God’s promise, will one day fully live in, and experience the presence of God

 

“My heart was moved to think about that time when publicly and culturally we were not ashamed to invoke not only God but invoke Jesus Christ.” — Alex McFarland

The Resurrection

Job 14:13-15 “13 Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, that You would set a definite time and then remember me. 14 “If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my struggle until my change and release will come. 15 “[Then] You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.”

---

Review

The Jewish Wedding

 

The Ketubah (Betrothal)

The Mohar (Price Paid)

A deed to the property was not in effect until it was dated and signed, and when this was accomplished, the clerk wrote “TETELESTAI” across the deed.  When someone had a debt and it was paid off, the creditor would write “TETELESTAI” on the certificate of debt signifying that it was “PAID IN FULL”.

The bride is set apart (sanctified) and sealed (Holy Spirit)

Bridegroom Departs for His Father’s House (Prepares a place for his bride)

Bridegroom Comes for His Bride (the procession to her home and back to his father’s house)

Must have a light or torch to join the procession.

Usually midnight:

Ruth 3:6-8 “6 Ruth went to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother-in-law had directed her. 7 Boaz had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain. Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was shivering. When he turned over, he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet.”

Bride Arrives at Her New Home (Huppah)

Glasses are smashed on by both the groom and bride.

The Wedding Feast (7 days and the “days of marriage” was thirty)

Must be wearing a wedding garment to attend (Robes of Righteousness)

Yeshua – Attributes after the Resurrection

After Death

Job (seven children in heaven)

King David (infants in heaven)

Rich Man and Lazarus (one in Hades and the other in Paradise)

---

Begin: start from the last broadcast

John 14:1-3 “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus’s Protection of the Disciples

John 17:11-12 “11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through your name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept [G 5083: preserve and stand firm] them in thy name: those that thou gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

More than a Friend

This remarkable man/God taught his disciples and thousands of others, fed thousands on two occasions, healed every imaginable disease, opened blind eyes, expelled demons [Exorcisms] wherever he went, and raised the dead; daughter of Jairus the synagogue leader (Mark 5:41-42); the son of the widow at Nain (Luke 7:14-15); and his friend Lazarus (John 11:43).

In his wisdom, Jesus confounded the lawyers (Pharisees), in righteous indignation cleared the Temple of money changers, and empowered 70 disciples with the power to heal the sick and cast out demons (Luke 10).  He did not treat the rich and powerful more prominently than the poor.  (Nicodemus – John 3:10).

For the seasoned men of the sea, on one occasion they had to awaken Jesus for fear they were going to capsize in the Sea of Galilee.  In Mark 4:37-44, “and rebuked [G 2008: chide, reprove, censure severely] the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace [G 4623: be silent], be still [G 5392: muzzle].”  And then on another occasion, he came walking on the water as the “wind was contrary unto them” and he casually climbed into the boat.  [Mark 6:48-51]

And, as we know, every fisherman needs a friend like Jesus – a “honey hole” or in his case, where to cast their nets.  Lastly, if you need to pay your taxes, he can tell you where to fish and find a silver stater or Jewish Shekel.  Matthew 17:27

Comfort His Disciples

John 14:16-20 “16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world sees me no more, but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”

• Comforter [G 3875 (5x)]: Summoned, called to one’s side to aid.  One who pleads another’s cause before a judge – defense counsel, an advocate.

Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of gospel truth, and to give them the divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.

• Dwelleth [G 3306]: constantly present to help one by the Holy Spirit.

He Must Depart

John 16:7-14 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you.”

The departure of the Body of Christ

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 “7 For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against all that is Godly] is already at work in the world but is restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming [Presence].”

• The Way [G 3319]: to be taken out of the way, to disappear, with the genitive of persons, from the society or company of, out from among.

Many scholars believe the One Who restrains the antichrist [lawless One] is the Holy Spirit.  He dwells in all believers, and they will be removed at Christ’s coming.  Another opinion, many think it refers to the Roman Empire being removed.

The Holy Spirit (presence of the Ekklesia) is holding back more than most can imagine – the number of phenomena coming from different dimensions or parallel dimensions in the unseen or spiritual realms.

The Holy Spirit is not removed as Jesus spoke of his (Spirit’s) mission on earth.

• John 16:8-11 “8 And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more 11 of judgment because the prince of this world is judged.”

After the Resurrection

John 20:19-23 “19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so, send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

• Breathed [G 1720 (1x)]: where Jesus, after the manner of the Hebrew prophets, expresses by the symbolic act of breathing upon the apostles the communication of the Holy Spirit to them.

Jesus spent the remaining hours of his life teaching and comforting his disciples regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14, 15, and 16).  As noted above, having breathed on the 10 remaining disciples and speaking of receiving the Holy Spirit, they did not mention this amazing and powerful experience to Thomas a week later.  Their response to Thomas was “We have seen the Lord” in which Thomas made his statement of seeing is believing  (John 20:25).

Ezekiel 37:9-10 “9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”

1 Samuel 10:9-10 “9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.” 

1 Samuel 11:6 “And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.”

1 Samuel 16:13-15 “13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him amid his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So, Samuel rose and went to Ramah. 14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubled thee.”

Psalm 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

1 Samuel 19:18-21 “18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah. 20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.”

John’s Baptism was the last of the old testament saints

Matthew 11:12-14 “12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.”

Salvation – Born Again

Romans 10:8-13 “8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile) for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Baptized with Fire

Acts 1:1-5 “1 In the first book (Luke is referring to his gospel), Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; 5 for John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 

The Holy Ghost

Isaiah 11:2-3 “2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, 3 and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”

Acts 1:4-8 “4 And, being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized [G 907: Baptizo – immerse, to submerge] with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they, therefore, were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Meeting in One Accord 

Acts 2:1-3 “1 And when the day of Pentecost (33 AD) fully came, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Pentecost [fiftieth]

These pilgrimage festivals Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot include the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach/Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (Sukkoth).  In the Old Testament Pentecost, it is called the “Feast of Harvest,” “Feast of Weeks,” and the “Day of the Firstfruits.”  In Palestine, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness.  It began with the harvesting of barley [Aviv – ripened] during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Pentecost, the wheat being the last cereal to ripen.

Pentecost is significant in both the Old and New Testaments.  “Pentecost” is the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9).  The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover.  The Feast of Weeks celebrated the end of the grain harvest.  Most interesting, however, is its use in Joel and Acts.  Looking back to Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32) and forward to the promise of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s last words on earth before His ascension (Acts 1:8), Pentecost signals the beginning of the church [Ecclesia/Ekklesia] age.

The Boldness of Peter

Another aspect of the Day of Pentecost is the miraculous speaking in foreign tongues which enabled people from various language groups to understand the message of the apostles.  The bold and incisive preaching of Peter to Jews from around the Roman Empire affirms new power as Jesus foretold.  The effect of the sermon was powerful, as listeners were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and instructed by Peter to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38).  The narrative concludes with three thousand souls being added to the fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers, apostolic signs and wonders, and a community in which everyone’s needs were met.

• The Path with No Assistance

Buddhism, Confucianism, Hindus, Islam, Taoism (Dao), and other religions may “show” or speak of a divine path of enlightenment but are unable to offer comfort, strength, or power in their pursuit.  Nirvana is a concept in Indian religions that represents the ultimate state of soteriological [study of religious doctrines of salvation] which releases liberation from suffering and the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Christianity, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is the paraclete (assistant) who comes alongside to assist in the process of becoming more like Christ – from Justification to Sanctification. 

Power after Water Baptism

Acts 19:1-6 “1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos (Evangelist) was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

The Person of the Holy Spirit

 

Spiritual Gifts are among the richest blessings for Believers, and yet also remain among the most divisive topics within the Christian community.  1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14 reveal more about the work of the Holy Spirit than any other passages in the Word of God.

In Hebrew, the singular word for God is El, the dual tense is Elah, and to indicate three or more the word Elohim is used.  Elohim is the word translated as “God” in Genesis 1:1.  The Holy Spirit is a person, repeatedly referred to as “He.”  He is clearly a member of the Trinity and every major event in the Bible is specifically ascribed to each member of the Elohim.  Matthew, the former tax collector quotes Jesus (Chapter 28:19), “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

For the natural man, the Holy Spirit is thought by some to be an “essence,” “power,” or an impersonal influence of God rather than a separate person.  Because “Ruach,” the Hebrew [H 7303] word for Spirit, also means breath, and “Pneuma,” the Greek [G 4151] for Spirit means wind or air, an erroneous conclusion is reached.  We know He is a person yet, the early Church scholar Arias [First Council of Nicaea convened by Emperor Constantine the Great in 325], caused division with his declaration that God the Father was the only true God, that Jesus was a created being, and the Holy Spirit was only an essence.  This doctrine is known as the Arian heresy.

As we previously studied in the Tabernacle of Moses, the Holy Place had three pieces of furniture: The Table of Shewbread (the Will) The Golden Menorah (The Mind), and the Golden Alter of Incense (The Emotions, feelings, and Prayer).  The soul, or distinct attributes in the Holy Place, of a person has these three attributes as well as others.

He – personal pronouns

John 14:16-17 “16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.”

John 16:7-8 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin, and righteousness, and judgment:”

John 16:13-15 “13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.”

Old Testament

Genesis 1:1-2 “1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved [H 7363: brood or hover] upon the face of the waters.”

Psalm 139:7-8 “7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

Isaiah 40:13 “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him?”

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

The Person of the Holy Spirit: Will

Genesis 6:3 “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive [contend] with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

Acts 5:1,3-4,7-9 “1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in your heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much.” 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out.”

Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

Acts 16:6-7 “6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they came to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 “4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kind of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “17 Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The Person of the Holy Spirit: Mind

1 Corinthians 2:9-14 “9 But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teach, but which the Holy Ghost teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Spirit Referenced [19x] –

Romans 8:1-27 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him (God) that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but because of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

• Adoption

Patria Podestas (Latin: Power of the Father), in Roman family law.  Therefore, the power that the male head of a family exercised over his children, and his more remote descendants in the male line, (whatever their age), as well as over those brought into the family by adoption, was complete and unquestioned.  This power originally meant not only that he had control over the persons of his children, amounting even to the right to inflict capital punishment, but that he alone had any rights in private law.  Thus, the acquisition of a child became the property of the father.  The father might allow a child (as he might a slave) certain property to treat as his own, but in the eyes of the law it continued to belong to the father.

In ancient Rome, adoption had a powerful meaning.  When a child was born biologically, the parents had the option of disowning the child for a variety of reasons.  The relationship, therefore, was not necessarily desired by the parents in many cases.

In Rome, adopting a child meant:

1. That child was freely chosen by the parents, and desired by the parents.
2. That child would be a permanent part of the family.
3. Once adopted, parents could not disown a child. [Child of God]

An adopted child received a new identity.  Any prior commitments, responsibilities, and debts were erased.  New rights and responsibilities were taken on.  Also, in ancient Rome, the concept of inheritance was part of life, not something that began at death.  Being adopted made someone an heir to their father, joint sharers in all his possessions and fully united to him.  Think about what that means for us as Christians.  Rather than diminish the beautiful reality of being children of God through creation, Paul’s theology of the spirit of adoption essentially doubles up on the power and significance of God’s fatherhood.  It is a constant reminder that we are fully desired, fully loved; that we have taken on a new identity through Jesus; that we were created for Heaven, but even now, are heirs to God, “co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

The Person of the Holy Spirit: Emotions

Matthew 12:31-32 “31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

Ephesians 4:29-30 “29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve [G 3076: offend, make sorrowful] not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Hebrews 10:29 “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite [G 1796 (1x): insult] unto the Spirit of grace.”

Romans 15:30 “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”

Attributes and aspects of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 11:2-3 “2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, 3 and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”

Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Ephesians 4:4-6 “4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.”

1 Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

2 Timothy 1:14 “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”

1 Peter 1:12 “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.”

The Acts of the Person of the Holy Spirit

• He teaches – John 14:26
• He testifies – John 15:26
• He guides – Romans 8:14
• He speaks – 1 Corinthians 2:13
• He enlightens – John 16:13
• He strives – Genesis 6:3
• He commands – Acts 8:28
• He intercedes – Romans 8:26
• He sends workers – Acts 13:4
• He calls – Revelation 22:17
• He comforts – John 16:7
• He works – 1 Corinthians 12:11

Gifts of the Spirit

Indeed, He even gives us special “gifts.”  I do not believe that any of the “lists” of gifts are intended to be complete, only representative.  No one should boast of having received a greater gift.  No servant is greater than his master.

• Wisdom(Sophia): Divine wisdom, contrasted with human wisdom is one of the “Seven Spirits” Isaiah 11:1-2 fulfilled in Christ.
• Knowledge(gnosis): This depends, not on intellect, but on love and an intimate personal relationship with the Holy Spirit (Contrast Peter’s performance before Pentecost with his sermons after).
• Faith: Not simply “saving faith,” but an unshakable trust that God will perform miracles as demonstrated by Peter and John in opposing the Sanhedrin, preaching the gospel, and healing the cripple.  Paul’s call to Rome, his behavior during the storm on the Mediterranean Sea, being shipped wrecked and beaten with stipes (39) five times.
• Healing: Not a permanent gift, but a sovereign manifestation of the Spirit.  Even Paul’s own “thorn in the flesh” went unhealed.  Furthermore, he indirectly admits that he could not heal either Epaphroditus, Timothy, or Trophimus.  Yet, we should not cease asking.
• Miracles: Miracles were the distinctive mark of an apostle.  They were used to confirm the message of the gospel.  More miracles took place during Jesus’ ministry than at any other time in Biblical history.
• Prophecy: “Forthtelling,” a key element at Corinth (as seen in Chapter 11), sometimes predictions (Agabus) or to interpret God’s Will to the church.  Prophetic utterances are always to be judged by Scripture.  God’s Word is always the standard.
• Discerning of Spirits: Satan, often as an Angel of Light, communicates false information and deceit, as with Eve.  The prophet Micah revealed to the kings of Israel and Judah that a lying spirit spoke through the mouths of all the prophets of Israel.  Jesus discerned the voice of Satan in Peter.  Paul recognized Bar-Jesus as the son of the devil and the fortune-telling of the slave girl.  John instructed us to test the spirits.  In the end times, Satan and his cohorts will work miracles.  There will be many false teachers.
• Tongues: It seems that the church in Corinth had become extremely preoccupied with the gift of tongues.  The exercise of this gift also generated so many problems that an entire chapter is devoted to them.

 

Addendum 1

 

John 16:7-14 “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he comes, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you.”

2 Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against all that is Godly] is already at work in the world but is restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way.”

• The Way [G 3319]: to be taken out of the way, to disappear, with the genitive of persons, from the society or company of, out from among.

Agreeably to the Asian redundancy of style in description (see ἀνίστημι, II:1c.), the participle ἐξελθών is often placed before another finite verb of departure: ἐξελθών (from the temple, see ἐπορεύετο ἀπό τοῦ ἱεροῦ, he departed from its vicinity); ἐκ τινων, ἐκ μέσου …

There is no personal pronoun in 2 Thessalonians 2:

7 τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον ἤδη ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας· μόνον ὁ κατέχων ἄρτι ἕως ἐκ μέσου γένηται

Let us look at the genders:

For the mystery [neuter] of lawlessness [feminine] is already at work; only He who now restrains.

the [one who]

ὁ (ho)

Article – Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong’s 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

restrains [it]

κατέχων (katechōn): Verb – Present Participle Active – Nominative Masculine Singular

Strong’s 2722: From kata and echo; to hold down, in various applications.

Let X be the implied subject.

How do the translators get ‘he’ from X?

We know that X is not referring to the mystery [neuter] or to the lawlessness [feminine].  We also know that X is the masculine subject/actor for the verb restrains or holds down.  It is reasonable to assume that X is not a thing or it.  So ‘he’ is a reasonable translation here.

now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

he is taken.

γένηται (genētai): Verb – Aorist Subjunctive Middle – 3rd Person Singular

Strong’s 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e., to become, used with great latitude.

This Greek word is only two Greek words away from the article.  Due to referent proximity, it is probably referring to what the masculine article implies.  That is why translators use ‘he’ here as well.

In any case, a more faithful and conservative rendering is the following:

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains will do so until it is taken out of the way.

This way, we can avoid gendered pronouns.

Why didn’t Paul use a pronoun?

Unlike Greek, English articles and verbs do not have gender declensions, so we have to articulate the gender in the form of its pronoun explicitly.  However, implied pronouns in the Greek article and verbs were standard practices by the NT writers.  They did not have to write out the pronoun.  Paul probably thought that he was talking about a ‘he’ when he wrote this verse.

https://biblehub.com/2_thessalonians/2-7.htm#lexicon

Many believe this One Who restrains the antichrist to be the Holy Spirit, Who lives in all believers and will be removed with them at Christ’s coming; yet a majority thinks it refers to the Roman Empire.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 “13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so, shall we ever be with the Lord.”

• Caught up [G 726 (13x)]: harpazō. To seize, carry off by force, or to snatch out or away.

Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”

• After [G 3326]: Afterward, in order of time – i.e., after six days had passed.

 

Blessings in Christ,

Joseph “Jim” Stockstill
“National War Council” – Founder and Chairman
Jim5555@nationalwarcouncil.org
P.O. Box 931
Argyle, TX 76226

nwc@nationalwarcouncil.org
Jim5555@nationalwarcouncil.org
Donations to National War Council

“He hath shown thee what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
Micah 6:8