The Gift of The Holy Spirit

The Gift of the Holy Spirit or Gift of the Holy Ghost after baptism is a personal spirit made holy by the blood of Christ at the time and place of baptism where our sins are remitted. A clear conscience makes one a co-perceiver because we have the Holy Spirit which is the Mind of Christ (1 Cor 2).

WHO WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?

No disciple would have any problem with this:

John 14:16-18 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; {that is} the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, {but} you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

The Same John wrote:

1John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
        And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,
        but also for the sins of the whole world.
1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments,
         is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word,
        in him verily is the love of God perfected:
        hereby know we that we are in him.
1John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Peter understood that Jesus had promised that He would come to THEM:

Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
        and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,
        he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens:
        but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Acts 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
        that God hath made
        that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
        both Lord and Christ.

Jesus of Nazareth was of the seed of Abraham and David: that means that Jesus didn't exist until He was born of a flesh woman by the power of God.

Jesus Died and was resurrected: his body did not decay and his soul was regenerated.

Jesus was changed in the same sense that our bodies are changed into a spiritual body.

His spirit came from God and Jesus was fromised that He would live in a post-resurrection spiritual body. The Promise was the promise of resurrection.

Jesus of Nazareth in His glorified state or Holy Spirit shed forth what was seen and heard at Pentecost.

The One God the father made Jesus of Nazareth TO BE both Lord and Christ and it is the name of Jesus that we do all that we do.

The "another" or different is some respects Holy Spirit Comforter in John 14 is named "Jesus Christ the Righteous in 1 John 2.1

Paul could understood that clearly:

Epesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,
        and [He] gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it
         but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,
        that he might fill all things.)
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
        and some, pastors and teachers;
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints,
        for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
        and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,
        unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL:
Essays on the Work of the Holy Spirit, in the Salvation of Men.No. III. Spiritual Gifts.

   "DAVID the king and prophet foretold that when Messiah the Lord would ascend to his throne, he would bestow gifts upon men. This passage of Psalms, lviii. 18. Paul (Eph. iv. 8.) applies to our Lord. When he ascended he says, "he gave," and by spiritual gifts qualified "some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers."

Peter also, on the day of Pentecost, ascribed all the stupendous gifts vouchsafed on that day to the Lord Jesus. "Therefore," says he, (Acts ii. 33.) "being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He hath poured out that which you now see and hear." These "distributions of the Holy Spirit,"

as Macknight renders Heb. ii. 4. issued in the perfect
        qualification of apostles with "the word of wisdom;"
        prophets with the "word of knowledge;"
        evangelists with "tongues and miracles;"
        pastors with an immediate possession of all the requisites to feeding the flock,
      and teachers with the means necessary to instructing the novices in all the christian doctrine.

Campbell affirms that the Gift of The Holy Spirit in this sense does not extend beyond the record of the prophets and apostles guided by the Spirit OF Christ.
----------------------

We learned in prepositional phrases that the "spirit OF John doe" is not another person. The Spirit OF Christ is the Mind of Christ. In the proverbal sense it is the BREATH of the Father (the One God) Who transmits His Word to His Son Who is His Word personified. We have collected some of the passages which identify only ONE Supreme God Being. Father Son Spirit Passages: there is ONE GOD and Jesus of Nazareth whom God made to be both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens:
       but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord,
        Sit thou on my right hand,
Acts 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
        that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
        both Lord and Christ.

The Eternal Spirit which appeared as Christ in the wilderness as angel, Rock, Water etc. is the same Spirit or Mind of God which dwelled in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was "a body prepared for Me" and made visible all that we are allowed to know of the invisible God. As a body He was the seed of Abraham which predestined Godly Seed was protected throughout the time of the Jewish Monarchy.

It is denying that Jesus of Nazareth ordained to be the Messiah or Christ came FULLY IN THE FLESH. which John branded as Anti-Christ: It would minimize thw work of Jesus of Nazareth if He had all of the majesty, glory and power of the One Divne Being when He became a Son by obeying the Father. His Spirit returned to God Who gave it, Jesus received the promise of the post Resurrection Spirit state and HE shed forth what was seen and heard on the day of Pentecost.

The Gift of The Holy Spirit Two
John Mark Hicks: claiming Alexander Campbell was a trinitarian
Augustine: Faith and Creed
Athenagoras - The Trinity
Theophilus who first used the Word Trias

John Mark Hicks: claiming Alexander Campbell was a trinitarian
Father Son Spirit Passages: there is ONE GOD and Jesus of Nazareth whom God made to be both Lord and Christ

You should understand that the Bible draws an identity between the SPIRIT of man and the MIND of man.

Clement Stromata 5

"To inquire, then, respecting God, if it tend not to strife, but to discovery, is salutary. For it is written in David, "The poor eat, and shall be filled; and they shall praise the Lord that seek Him. Your heart shall live for ever." For they who seek Him after the true search, praising the Lord,

shall be filled with the gift that comes from God, that is, knowledge.
And their soul shall live; for the soul is figuratively termed the heart,
which ministers life:
........... for by the Son is the Father known.

"Howbeit we speak wisdom among those that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought. But we speak the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery; which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

The philosophers did not exert themselves in contemning the appearance of the Lord. It therefore follows that it is the opinion of the wise among the Jews which the apostle inveighs against it. Wherefore he adds,

"But we preach, as it is written, what eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, and hath not entered into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for them that love Him.

For God hath revealed it to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God."

For he recognises the spiritual man and the Gnostic as the disciple of

the Holy Spirit dispensed by God,
which is the mind of Christ."

The seven spirits which would rest on Messiah as the Branch of the Menorah would all be forms of Divine knowledge.

Click for first parallel. Click for Second Parallel

Jesus said that without being born AGAIN of Water and Spirit or Water and the Word you CANNOT, SHALL NOT enter into His kingdom or rule which is the Ekklesia or Christian synagogue or school of the Bible. The seven "spirits" of Isaiah 11:1-4 which would rest on the BRANCH are all related to forms of spiritual knowledge. Jesus said "My Words are Spirit and Life." Therefore, you might join a venue for Rock and Roll peddled as "worship" but Jesus Christ WILL NOT be your free-of-charge Teacher until He washes your spirit or mind. Only then do you have access to the seven spirits represented by the Menorah or Candlestick which gave LIGHT to the Holy Place along with the table of bread and the incense altar. Each Christian "priest" must look into the Most Holy Place with their own prayers. Then, you can enter into the Most Holy Place to meet God. Jesus said that the ONLY new PLACE is the human spirit as it gives heed to the Spirit of Truth through the Word. Don't believe the lie that "musical teams" lead you into the presence of God: that makes them claim to be God standing in the Holy Place. Not in the vilest pagan temple could singers and musicians enter into the holy precincts on the penalty of death. Don't follow people making "Christianity" viler than paganism. If you are part of the 5 out of 13,000 congregations then you have become a laughing stock just like the musical idolatrs at Mount Sinai which forfeited and continues to forfeit the Covenant of Grace.

The Bible writers often point to some well-understood pagan concept to first repudiate it and then define the Christian replacement.

People who refute this have a "spirit" which intends to hurt you real bad

Aeschylus, Agamemnon

Chorus

But an old Hubris tends to bring forth [765] in evil men, sooner or later, at the fated hour of birth, a young Hubris and that irresistible, unconquerable, unholy spirit, Recklessness, [770] and for the household black Curses, which resemble their parents.

Chorus

But Righteousness shines in smoke-begrimed dwellings [775] and esteems the virtuous man. From gilded mansions, where men's hands are foul, she departs with averted eyes and makes her way to pure homes; she does not worship the power [780] of wealth stamped counterfeit by the praise of men, and she guides all things to their proper end.

The gift of a Holy Spirit is promised only to those who have been baptized in water. Based on a clear reading of the clear Word of God, baptism is the Christ-ordained time and place where God gives us a clear conscience. Our baptism is our request to Him for sanctification of the spirit which is the meaning of A Holy Spirit.

The other alternative is that the third person of the Godhead -- a separated person named The Holy Spirit -- literally lives in the believer. There is no historical or Biblical evidence that believers are second Incarnates.

The underlying urge for the literal presence of God in the human body is older than dirt:

"Advocates of the mystery cults believed their "sacraments" had the power to give the individual the benefits of immortality in a mechanical or magical way, without his or her undergoing any moral or spiritual transformation. (Ronald Nash, Was the NT influenced by pagan religions). The Pagan Baptism had much in common with some modern views of believer's baptism.

Peter said that the Spirit in the prophets was "the Spirit of Christ." Therefore, to be nenewed in the spirit of our mind Peter said:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
........until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Peter 1:19

That is why Paul's oft-stated, direct commandment was that we SPEAK the Word of Christ or Spirit one to another and meditate on it or make melody in the heart. This is not a legalistic act of doing worship by making music; it is the way that Christ stransforms His Mind which is the Holy Spirit into our mind or spirit.
Alexander Campbell and others understand that A holy spirit is OUR unholy spirit which has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and not His "spirit."

Alexander Campbell: the Earnest of the Spirit

This is...understood by every attentive reader. The original phrase is hagiasmos pneumatos, and is found only in II. Thess. ii. 13; I. Pet. i. 2. In both places it appears to refer to the sanctification of the spirit of believers. It is literally rendered "sanctification [or holiness] of spirit." There is no article in the original and no epithet that suggests the Holy Spirit in either passage.

God has chosen men to salvation through (or by) holiness of spirit;
not through the holiness of HIS Spirit,
but through the holiness of their spirit.

When Jesus prayed (John xvii.) for the sanctification or holiness of his disciples,
it was through the truth:
"Sanctify them through the truth; thy word is truth." (and Spirit Jn 6:63)

The belief of the truth is, therefore, by Paul associated with this holiness or sanctification of spirit.

The Spirit of God is frequently denominated in these days, "the Sanctifier."
Let it be granted that it is the Spirit that sanctifies or sets apart men to God,
still it must be argued from the Record that he sanctifies them
only through the truth or gospel believed.
A sanctified unbeliever is inconceivable;
and, as "without holiness [or sanctification of spirit] no man can see the Lord;
so, without faith, there can be no holiness, and no action acceptable to God.

All persons sanctified to God to any high office or function, were anointed, and thus consecrated to his special service. So all Christians, being priests,
are anointed or sanctified by the Holy Spirit
[135] through the obedience of the truth,
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus,
cleansing THEIR consciences from dead works to serve the living God.

Walter Scott, an evangelist wrote:

IN my last paper it was observed that a knowledge of general christianity, the primitive churches, the apostles, and even of Christ himself, as written of in the New Testament, was of too popular, too remote a nature to consummate personal happiness; and that while those high matters concerned mankind universally,

our individual comfort terminated ultimately upon a knowledge of ourselves, viz. whether we were or were not personally possessed of those graces of faith in Christ, hope of eternal life, love of God and man; and the gift of A holy spirit, which, as was observed, go to define the unsound phrase "experimental religion."

Of the four particular evidences of personal adoption, viz. faith, hope, love and A holy spirit, I shall select the last for the subject of this essay--the gift of A holy spirit.

Well, then, by way of premises, let it be observed that the visible universe, the law of Moses, and the gospel are to be regarded as so many oracles by Jesus Christ concerning the divine character, which it is his high office to reveal.

These oracles set the divinity in the several attitudes of creating, commanding, redeeming; consequently in the universe we behold his physical grandeur--in the law we hear his moral authority--in the gospel we perceive him sympathizing. "Jesus wept."

The universe, then, is God manifest in works--the law is God manifest in words--the gospel is God manifest in flesh;

Again--Some will say, What does the expression Holy Spirit mean? Well, in scripture

it stands first for God the Holy Spirit,

and secondly for the holy mind or spirit of a believer--

for illustration, take Peter's words to Ananias, "Why has Satan tempted you to lie to the Holy Spirit; you have not lied to men, but to God," (the Holy Spirit.)

And the Saviour says, How much more will your heavenly Father give a holy spirit (as it should be translated) to those that ask him. Again--Praying in a holy spirit.

Again--Paul says he approved himself God's servant "by knowledge, by long sufferings, by kindness, by a holy spirit'"

i. e. by a mind innocent of the love of gain, or commerce, or sensuality.

Now then the expression stands for both God the Holy Spirit, and for a believer's spirit made holy by him.

I shall now answer, from scripture, the following questions.--

When do we know that we are born of the Spirit? I answer, when we know that our spirits are holy.

But it will be asked again, when do we know this? I reply, when we behold our minds producing the fruits of a holy spirit.

Just up the coast from Corinth Aeschylus "Agamemnon" 765 defines a holy spirit by defining an unholy spirit:

A thousand ships from Argive land

Put forth to bear the martial band,

That with a spirit stern and strong

Went out to right the kingdom's wrong-

Pealed, as they went, the battle-song,

Wild as the vultures' cry;

When o'er the eyrie, soaring high,

In wild bereaved agony,

Around, around, in airy rings,

They wheel with oarage of their wings,

But not the eyas-brood behold,

That called them to the nest of old;

But let Apollo from the sky,

Or Pan, or Zeus, but hear the cry,

Yet none the less in me

The inner spirit sings a boding song,

Self-prompted, sings the Furies' strain-

And seeks, and seeks in vain,

To hope and to be strong!

In First Corinthians chapters 2 and 3 Paul explains why he preached just Christ and Him crucified. Until people grasped that Christianity is beyond the reach of the country-club mentality, and is joining a "sect" which can get you killed as you join the bandof Christ-ians, there is no point in further teaching. If you are willing to undergo baptism, which in the ancient world could get you killed or disinherited, then Christ sprinkles your heart and gives it "co-perception" or a clear conscience.

Thereafter, the Words of Christ hitherto hidden from blind eyes and deaf ears springs into life and one can see what no advanced degree can give. See our comments here.

New Testament spiritual blessings are prefigured in Old Testament events. The gift of the holy spirit of God in building the Tabernacle is defined in Exodus:

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship Exodus 31:3

Bezaleel had a human spirit or mind created with the power of a "new man" who could work in gold, silver and brass and other skills "that they may make all that I have commanded thee." The SPIRITS of God are seven in number and all relate to forms of DISCERNING the invisible God typified in the Menorah.

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

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; Isaiah 11: 2

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: Isaiah 11: 3

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Isaiah 11: 4

In the Apocrypha

Because of him his messenger finds the way, and by his word all things hold together. Ecclesiasticus 43:26.

Though we speak much we cannot reach the end,
........ and the sum of our words is: "He is the all." Ecclesiasticus 43: 27.

Where shall we find strength to praise him?
........ For he is greater than all his works. Ecclesiasticus 43: 28.

Terrible is the Lord and very great, and marvelous is his power. Ecclesiasticus 43:29.

When you praise the Lord, exalt him as much as you can;

for he will surpass even that. When you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough. Ecclesiasticus 43: 30.

Who has seen him and can describe him? Or who can extol him as he is? Ecclesiasticus 43: 31.

Many things greater than these lie hidden, for we have seen but few of his works. Ecclesiasticus 43: 32.

For the Lord has made all things, and to the godly he has granted wisdom. Ecclesiasticus 43: 33. See Thomas Aquinas

The gift of God's Spirit in a spiritual sense is the regenerating of the old human spirit to make it fit for God's use. Just as Bezaleel was "born again" as a skilled craftsman, the Christian believer has a new spirit or mind able to approach God in the "temple" of the heart.

Before God can permit us to "come boldly before the throne of Grace" we have to be purged of sins and sanctified or "refreshed" with a spirit in tune with God Who is pure or Holy Spirit.

A good place to begin is to back up to the Passover event in Egypt.

The Passover and Red See as Types of Baptism and Gift of the Holy Spirit

A holy or sanctified vessel to be used for holy purposes needs no intrinsic value. By analogy, one does not have to be already "saved" or holy in order for God to purge and cleanse us for His service. However, as humans we need to acknowledge that we are unholy and not fit to come boldly before the throne of Grace. Or, as a naked person with our righteousness like filthy rags, we need to be clothed with "priestly garments" in order to approach God. He provides the garment.

To make a thing holy does not make it "holy" in the modern sense of "personally righteous" or "goody, goody." It means that it is suitable for the use or dwelling of God.

Qodesh (h6944) ko'-desh; from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstr. sanctity: - consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (* most) holy (* day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.

Holy in Greek is: Hagiazo (g37) hag-ee-ad'-zo; from 40; to make holy, i.e. (cer.) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate: - hallow, be holy,

Holy is not the first name of a separated God named "Holy Spirit."

Christ is our "Passover" but we do not eat His literal flesh; we feed on His words which "are Spirit and Life" (John 6:63). Paul wrote:

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2 Tim 2:20

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Tim 2:21

Purge is: Ekkathairo (g1571) ek-kath-ah'ee-ro; from 1537 and 2508; to cleanse thoroughly: - purge (out).

"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.

For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: 1Co.5:7

The old leaven was that of the Law and of Herod. It was the leaven of paganism. Paul says that this must be purged out and we must become a new lump.

The priest purged the vessels for the temple but the power was in the Mind or Spirit of God.

Paul said that this happens at baptism and John wrote:

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Revelation 19:11

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. Revelation 19:12

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13

This vesture or himation was the clothing of God Himself in human form. He emptied Himself (Phil 2:7) and was bloodied. Vesture means "to put on." After His ressurection, He put on His majesty and glory again but it carried the merit of the blood of Christ.

When we are baptized, we put off our own old body and "put on Christ" as a garment made bloody by His blood:

WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Romans 6:1

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:2

Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don't have to? For sin's power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered. Rom 6:2-3LIV

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:3

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Romans 6:5

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:6

For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:7

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:11

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor 5:17

Thomas Campbell: "for" does not mean that we purchase salvation.

Ques. 3d. Would "be baptized because of the. remission of sins," be a fair translation?

That would be as the word "because" is understood.

If it respect the enjoyment of this blissful privilege,
it would mean the same with for, or in order to; but,

if for the possession or procurement of the benefit,
it would then imply something of a mercenary import; such as purchase or interest.

Ques. 4th. Whether is the believer's baptism expressive of his death to sin, or of a death by sin already endured by his representative?

It appears from the connexion of the 2d. and 3d. verses of Rom. vi. with each other, and with the subsequent context, that it is expressive of the latter; and therefore, ought to have been so translated.

Thus:--"How shall we that have died by sin (not to sin) live any longer therein? Know ye not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of tile Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should not henceforth serve sin; for he that is dead is freed from sin. Rom. vi. 2-7. And now, believing all this, what do we, in our baptism, but consent to his burial?

That is, to the burial of him who was crucified with Christ; namely, our old man. MILLENNIAL HARBINGER. NEW SERIES. VOL. VII. B E T H A N Y, V A. JUNE, 1843. NO. VI. FIGURATIVE ALLUSIONS TO BAPTISM.

In order to meet God as Spirit in our own heart or spirit, we have to be washed and purged of the old mind or "leaven" and be "renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph. 4:23).

This passage defines what happens in the "singing" passage in Ephesians 5:

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: Eph 4:21

that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Eph 4:22

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Romans 6:5

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:6

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Col 2:11
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Col 2:12

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Eph 4:23

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph 4:24

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Rom 6:8

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Col 3:9

And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Col 3:10

Again, look at the nature of the SPIRIT promised to rest on Messiah:

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

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; Isaiah 11: 2

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: Isaiah 11: 3

This is A holy spirit, mind or heart.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Eph 4:25

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom 6:11

In this way we can come boldly before the Throne of Grace:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Heb. 8:10

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having

our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed (louo: bathe the whole person; plunge) with pure water. Heb.10:22

A true heart is a new man:

Apeleutheros (g558) ap-el-yoo'-ther-os; from 575 and 1658; one freed away, i.e. a freedman: - freeman.

Perhaps there is so much effort of the body to try to manipulate itself into the presence of God through rituals because we do not have the clear conscience which allows us to walk boldly into the "most holy place" which is the mind of the believer renewed by God's Spirit.

Paul saw the conflict between his human body and his human mind or spirit. The problem was that those who are still just old flesh concentrate upon the flesh in worship. However, those with a new spirit or mind obey Jesus and "worship in spirit."

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;

but they that are after the Spirit, [mind] the things of the Spirit. Rom 8:5

Here the contrast is not between our flesh and the Holy Spirit as a person but between our flesh and our own spirit.

God isn't interested in our rituals: not if we could offer Him the cows on a thousand hills because He already owns them all. However, He accepts worship in spirit because that is where He looks:

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Rom 8:27

Peter used different words to show how the sanctified heart happens when our body is washed with water:

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us

(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the request for a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:21

In baptism we have our own "vessel" washed in pure water and God sanctifies our spirit to make it suitable for His use. That is, God "sprinkles" Christ's "blood" or the merit of His blood on our spirit which is that which serves Him.

Paul also connected the Gift of the Spirit to Baptism and Crossing the Red Sea.

The blood of Christ was shed in type when the lamb was slain.

After the literal "Passover", Paul says of the passage through the Red Sea:

They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 1 Cor 10:2

And they were saved: separated from Egypt as a type of sin. But, then:

> They all ate the same spiritual food 1 Cor 10:3
> and drank the same spiritual drink;
........for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them,
........and that rock was Christ. 1 Cor 10:4

Becoming Co-Perceivers with the Mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit

Any Bible believer knows the spiritual high of having a "clear conscience" promised only by turning to Christ in baptism. This does not mean "preacher-absolved guilt from sin." Rather, it means to be able to understand the Word when we read it and grasp the 'mystery' which Christ was hidden from the foundation of the world in parables. A clear conscience is like a field cleared of obstacles to sight or movement.

I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit Rom 9:1

Here, the holy spirit is Paul's spirit made holy or set aside by Christ the Spirit.

As Christ told the other apostles that He would guide them, He also told Paul that the "blinders" of his own spirit would be removed. Conscience means:

Suneidesis ((g4893) soon-i'-day-sis; from a prol. form of 4894; co-perception, i.e. moral consciousness; - conscience.

Suneido (g4894) soon-i'-do; from 4862 and 1492; to see completely; used (like its prim.) only in two past tenses, respectively mean. to understand or become aware, and to be conscious or (clandestinely) informed of: - consider, know, be privy, be ware of.

Mandaeands Sabians Iraq Christians

"Sabian" is a word derived from the Aramaic-Mandic verb "Saba" which means "baptised" or "dyed", "immersed in water". "dMandaeans" is derived from "menda" which means in the mandiac language "knowledge".

Thus, "Mandaean Sabians" means those who are baptised and who know the religion of God.

If we compare ourselves with ourselves we will get into trouble. Therefore, a lack of a guilt feeling has no value. However, when our witness bears witness with God's Word then we co-perceive. Look at 1 Peter who expands on the meaning of the gift of A holy spirit:

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:20

Acts 2:38	Acts 3:19	1 Peter 3:21
Then Peter said unto them, Repent	Repent ye therefore	-
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ	and be converted,	Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you,
for the remission of sins	that your sins may be blotted out	not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ac.2:38	when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Ac.3:19	as an appeal to God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1Pe 3:21

Paul says about the same thing about a clear conscience:

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Romans 2:14

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts,

> their conscience also bearing witness,
> and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) Romans 2:15

Logismos (g3053) log-is-mos'; from 3049; computation, i.e. (fig.) reasoning (conscience, conceit): - imagination, thought.

This word also carries the idea of consciousness or awarness:

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity,

not with fleshly wisdom,
but by the grace of God,

we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to youward. 2 Cor 1:12

Vine notes that "some regard consciousness as the meaning here."

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 1 Cor 8:7

For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idols temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 1 Cor 8:10

But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 1 Cor 8:12

Vine: "In 1 Pet. 2:19 signifies... perhaps here, a consciousness so controlled by the apprehension of God's presence, that the person realized that griefs are to be born in accordance with His will."

The Corinthians were still identified as carnal and not spiritual. Chapter 10 warns them about turning back to the musical worship of demons which doomed Israel so that they could not "see through the veil." In chapter 13 he identified the booming and clanging of worship to the worship of demons through soothsayers. He said:

AND I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:1

Pneumatikos (g4152) pnyoo-mat-ik-os'; from 4151; non-carnal, i.e. (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (daemoniacally) a spirit (concr.), or divinely supernatural, regenerate, religious: - spiritual. Comp. 5591.

Because of their ongoing problems the first letter was to show the Corinthians that others were not able to "see through the glass" because the performers in speeches, prayers and songs were standing between them and the possible spiritual person. Therefore, until Corinth got their act together he could tell them:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

In the second letter to Corinth, Paul connected "turning" to getting a clear "mirror" into the Mind of Christ:

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail (covering so you cannot see) is upon their heart. 2 Corinthians 3:15

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:16 (So you can see the kingdom)

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17

The Book of Jubilees, Chapter One

And they will forget all My law and all My commandments and all My judgments,

and will go Jubilees 1:14
astray as to new moons, and sabbaths, and festivals, and jubilees, and ordinances.

And after this they will turn to Me from amongst the Gentiles with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength, and I will gather them from amongst all the Gentiles, and they will seek me, so Jubilees 1:15

that I shall be found of them, when they seek me with all their heart and with all their soul. And I will disclose to them abounding peace with righteousness, and I will remove them the plant of uprightness, with all My heart and with all My soul, and they shall be for a blessing and not for Jubilees 1: 16

a curse, and they shall be the head and not the tail.

And I will build My sanctuary in their midst,
and I will dwell with them, and I will be their God
and they shall be My people in truth and
righteousness. Jubilees 1: 17

And I will not forsake them nor fail them; for I am the Lord their God.'

And Moses fell on his face and prayed and said, 'O Lord my God, do not forsake Thy people and Thy inheritance, so that they should wander in the error of their hearts, and do not deliver them into the hands of their enemies, the Gentiles, lest they should rule over them and cause them to sin against Jubilees 1: 18, 19

Thee. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be lifted up upon Thy people, and create in them an upright spirit, and let not the spirit of Beliar rule over them to accuse them before Thee, and to ensnare them Jubilees 1: 20

from all the paths of righteousness, so that they may perish from before Thy face. But they are Thy people and Thy inheritance, which thou hast delivered with thy great power from the hands of the Egyptians: create in them a clean heart and a holy spirit, and let them not be ensnared in Jubilees 1: 21

their sins from henceforth until eternity.'

And the Lord said unto Moses: 'I know their contrariness and their thoughts and their stiffneckedness, and they will not be obedient till they confess Jubilees 1: 22

their own sin and the sin of their fathers. And after this they will turn to Me in all uprightness and with all (their) heart and with all (their) soul, and

I will circumcise the foreskin of their heart and the foreskin of the heart of their seed,

and I will create in them A holy spirit,

and I will cleanse them so that they shall not turn away from Me from that day unto eternity. Jubilees 1: 23

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psa 51:9

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew A (up)right spirit within me. Psa 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psa 51:10

Bara (g1254) baw-raw'; a prim. root; (absol.) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

Chadash (h2318) khaw-dash'; a prim. root; to be new; caus. to rebuild: - renew, repair.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Psa 51:11

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psa 51:12

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Psa 51:13

Can anything be clearer than that the Lord is the Spirit. Mystically true, however, after many degrees from college it is still not always possible to read 3:17 and understand it unless one has truly humbled themselves in the sight of the Lord and been baptized without lying to God.

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. 2 Corinthians 3:18

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Jn 6:63

See reference to First Corinthians chapter Two.

"Since being filled with the Spirit and letting the Word of Christ dwell within both produce the same results,

> a spirit-filled Christian is one in whom the Word of Christ dwells.

> A Spirit-filled Christian is a Christ-conscious Christian.

> A Spirit-filled Christian is consumed with learning everything he or she can about Jesus and obeying everything that Jesus said.

> That is what it means to 'let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.' To be filled with the Spirit is to be totally and richly involved in all there is to know about Jesus Christ." (MacArthur, John, Charismatic Chaos, p. 259, Zondervan).

Peter knew that understanding the Words of Christ is that which can cleanse the conscience to chase out the old "demons" so that God can live in the mind or spirit:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,

until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Peter 1:19

David understood how this happens:

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,

and his word was in my tongue. 2 Sam 23:2

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 2 Sam 23:3

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 2 Sam 23:4

To help understand the meaning of "the gift of the Holy Spirit" look again at the table with the Greek definition of the words:

Acts 2:38	Acts 3:19
Repent: Metanoeo (g3340) met-an-o-eh'-o; from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (mor. feel compunction): - repent.	Repent: Metanoeo (g3340) met-an-o-eh'-o; from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (mor. feel compunction): - repent.
Baptism: Baptizo (g907) bap-tid'-zo; from a der. of 911; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, espec. (techn.) of the ordinance of Chr. baptism: - baptist, baptize, wash.	Converted: Epistrepho (g1994) ep-ee-stref'-o; from 1909 and 4762; to revert (lit., fig. or mor.): - come (go) again, convert, (re-) turn (about, again)
Remission: Aphesis (g859) af'-es-is; from 863; freedom; (fig.) pardon: - deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission.	Blotted out: Ecaleipho (g1813) ex-al-i'-fo; from 1537 and 218; to smear out, i.e. obliterate (erase tears, fig. pardon sin): - blot out, wipe away.
Gift is: Dorea (g1431) do-reh-ah'; from 1435; a gratuity: - gift.	Refreshing : Andronikos (g408) an-dron'-ee-kos; from 435 and 3534; man of victory

Next, technically, what is it to be Holy?

The word "holy" is not a first name but in the Greek:

Hagios (g40) hag'-ee-os; from hagos , (an awful thing) [comp. 53, 2282]; sacred (phys. pure, mor. blameless or religious, cer. consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint

Hagnos (g53) hag-nos'; from the same as 40; prop. clean, i.e. (fig.) innocent, modest, perfect: - chaste, clean, pure.
Thalpo (g2282) thal'-po; prob. (to warm); to brood, i.e. (fig.) to foster: - cherish

The word "sanctified" is:

hagiazo (g37) hag-ee-ad'-zo; from 40; to make holy, i.e. (cer.) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate: - hallow, be holy, sanctify.

Therefore the gift of being holy is to have our sins remitted or blotted out so that, like a new child or a man of victory, God can write His laws upon our hearts to cause us to obey Him and turn away from the old Egyptian worship of human "gods" and of the human body.

What is a Spirit:

In the modern sense of spirit or ghost we are tempted to think of a spirit as the ghost of a dead man. Yet, Lord Jesus Christ is not deat. In Him dwells Deity in its fullness. And He promised to return as "another" Comforter invisible yet still faithful to the Word of God just as he, in flesh, heard it. Having a "new Spirit" Jesus repudiated the Jews who had returned to the worship of "Egypt or Sodom or Jerusalem."

God has always been pure or Holy Spirit. Yet, God is said to possess "Spirit" as in "the Spirit of God." This means that God thinks like the rational humans He created in His image.

Hebrew: Ruwach (h7307) roo'-akh, roo'-akh; from 7306;

wind; by resemblance breath, i. e. a sensible (or even violent exhalation; fig. life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extens. a region of the sky;
.......by resemblance spirit,
.......but only of a rational being (includ. its expression and functions)

The Hebrew does not speak of a "person" but rather the "spirit of" that Being or person. To be consistent, the Greek word has the same meaning:

Greek: Pneuma (g4151) pnyoo'-mah; from 4154;

a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by anal.

or figurative: a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by impl.) vital principle,
mental disposition, etc.,

or (superhuman) an angel, doemon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit: -
ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Comp. 5590.

To have a holy (adjective) spirit therefore does not mean that we, like Jesus, are God-Incarnated. Nor are we "a current of air."

Therefore, there is just one other "or" and that is that "the gift of the Holy Spirit" is the gift of a spirit made holy by God when we turn to Him and ask for it. As God made the Red Sea to stand between physical slavery and spiritual victory as a new man, Jesus has made baptism the time and place where we ask for a holy Spirit. In response He personally "sprinkles it clean" with His own blood as the True Passover Lamb.

Old Testament Evidence for A holy spirit:

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Ezekiel 18:30

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 18:31

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezekiel 18:32

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

The evidence, witness or testimony of a sub-normal spirit was their refusal to listen to the laws of God through the words sent His spirit in the prophets:

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Eze.36:26

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Zec.7:12

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God (which is in Him?). 1 Corinthians 2:11

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. 1 Corinthians 2:12

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

A Witness:

Holy Spirit mean? Well, in scripture

it stands first for God the Holy Spirit,
and secondly for the holy mind or spirit of a believer--

for illustration, take Peter's words to Ananias, "Why has Satan tempted you to lie to the Holy Spirit; you have not lied to men, but to God," (the Holy Spirit.)

And the Saviour says, How much more will your heavenly Father give A holy spirit (as it should be translated) to those that ask him. Again--Praying in A holy spirit.

Again--Paul says he approved himself God's servant "by knowledge, by long sufferings, by kindness, by a holy spirit'"

i. e. by a mind innocent of the love of gain, or commerce, or sensuality.

}Now then the expression stands for both God the Holy Spirit, and for a believer's spirit made holy by him.

I shall now answer, from scripture, the following questions.--

When do we know that we are born of the Spirit? I answer, when we know that our spirits are holy.

But it will be asked again, when do we know this? I reply, when we behold our minds producing the fruits of a holy spirit.

But what are the fruits of a holy spirit? Paul says they are joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance, against such there is no (written) law.

To understand this look again at the meaning of "refreshing."

Acts 2:38	Acts 3:19
Then Peter said unto them, Repent	Repent ye therefore
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ	and be converted,
for the remission of sins	that your sins may be blotted out
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Ac.2:38	when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Ac.3:19

In the above table we can see that "the gift of the Holy Spirit" is parallel to "times of refreshing from the Lord." The gift of the Spirit is a new birth. That is, we are born again from above by receiving a "new spirit" just as it exists when "we become like little children."

Refreshing in the Greek is:

Andronikos (g408) an-dron'-ee-kos; from 435 and 3534; man of victory; Andronicos, an Isr.: - Andronicus.

Nikos (g3534) nee'-kos; from 3529; a conquest (concr.), i.e. (by impl.) triumph: - victory.

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mt.18:3

This is taken from the fact that an apprentice was baptized unto his new master such as a carpenter. He died to his old life and became a new person with a new name. Proselyte baptism, too, sheds light on the absolute demand of Jesus:

From history we know that when one confessed a master they named the name. The name (singular) of Father, Son and Spirit is "Jesus" or Joshua or Jehovah-Saves.

At Pentecost, Peter baptized in the "name" singular Jesus.

Of the Proselyte who became disciples of a Master Teacher:

"At the latter ceremony two disciples of the wise stood by to tell him more of the light and heavy commandments. When he came up after the immersion, those assembled addressed him saying: 'Unto whom has thou given thyself? blessed art thou, thou hast given thyself to God; the world was created for the sake of Israel, and only Israelites are called the children of God... After his baptism he was considered (reckoned to be dead and now alive) to be a new man, 'a little child newly born'; a new name was given him." (Int Std Bible Ency, Proselyte).

"The effect of this baptism was held to be complete regeneration; he was born anew. He was called a little child just born, the child of one day. All his sins were remitted because God cannot punish sins committed before he was born." (Barclay, William, Romans, p. 84)

PROSELYTE

When a person converts to Judaism he must enter the covenant in the same manner as Israel did when they first accepted the Torah on Mount Sinai. In Numbers 15:15, it is written:

"One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD"

Every male that converts to Judaism must, therefore, undergo the special ceremony of ritual circumcision. If he is already circumcised blood of the covenant called the Dam B'rit must be drawn. Both men and women must then undergo immersion.

Being converted is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is identical to "times of refreshing." Refreshing means to become another person, a new birth, to become a little child. This happens only at the time and place of baptism when we have the body washed and God sanctifies our spirit by "sprinkling" it with His own blood. This does not happen in connection with simple belief in Jesus.

To be "converted" is in Greek"

Strepho (g4762) stref'-o; strengthened from the base of 5157; to twist, i.e. turn quite around or reverse (lit. or fig.): - convert, turn (again, back again, self, self about).

At baptism we are given a "new spirit" a spirit made holy by Christ. And we are converted to become a new man of victory. Does the water do this? Only in that Christ has put His power in our obedience in water. We become ceremonially clean by having our external body washed but we are "baptized into Christ by the Spirit."

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 1 Pet 1:2

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us

(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer (request for) of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:21

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Heb.10:22

The CHURCH as the body of Christ is the ELECT LADY. As children we are the elect when we are baptized into the body of Christ:

THE elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 Jno 1:1

For the truths sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 2 Jno 1:2

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 2 Jno 1:3

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 2 Jno 1:4

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 2 Jno 1:5

At baptism God "sprinkles" the heart or thoughts or feelings or mind. Our spirit. When the contaminated old "man of sin" or spirit has had the blood of Jesus "sprinkled" upon it by the operation of God then our spirit is holy or sanctified.

A holy spirit is a spirit purified of the guilt of the old "person" and baptism is the time and place where we request that from God.

The KJV says that baptism saves as "an answer" to a good conscience. However, the good conscience does not happen until the blood is sprinkled. The following versions show, as does the meaning of the word, that at baptism we ask for the clear conscience:

And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21NAS

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21RSV

(That, by the way, is what baptism pictures for us: In baptism we show that we have been saved from death and doom by the resurrection of Christ;

not because our bodies are washed clean by the water

but because in being baptized we are turning to God and asking him to cleanse our hearts from sin.) 1 Peter 3:21LIV

At baptism we ask for a Holy Spirit. The word "answer" in the KJV is:

Eperotema (g1906) ep-er-o'-tay-mah; from 1905; an inquiry: - answer.

Eperotao (g1905) ep-er-o-tah'-o; from 1909 and 2065; to ask for, i.e. inquire, seek: - ask (after, questions), demand, desire, question.

Erotao (g2065) er-o-tah'-o; appar. from 2046 [comp. 2045]; to interrogate; by impl. to request: - ask, beseech, desire, intreat, pray. Comp. 4441.

This is what Jesus Commanded the Apostle Paul:

And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. Acts 22:14

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. Acts 22:15

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22:16

Baptize is:

Baptizo (g907) bap-tid'-zo; from a der. of 911; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, espec. (techn.) of the ordinance of Chr. baptism: - baptist, baptize, wash.

Wash Away of sins:

Apolouo (g628) ap-ol-oo'-o; from 575 and 3068 (bathe the whole body); to wash fully, i.e. (fig.) have remitted (reflex): - wash (away).

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1Co.6:11

Calling on the name is:

Epikaleomai (g1941) ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee; mid. from 1909 and 2564; to entitle; by impl. to invoke for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.: - appeal unto, call (on, upon), surname.

The Commission of the Original Apostles was:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mk 16:15

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mk 16:16

The Commission of Jesus to Paul:

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Acts 26:16

Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, Acts 26:17

To open their eyes,

and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Acts 26:18

Aphesis (g859) af'-es-is; from 863; freedom; (fig.) pardon: - deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission.

When Paul preached people were baptized even though his first mission was to preach and turn people. Others could and did most of the baptism.

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: Acts 26:19

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. Acts 26:20

Repent: Metanoeo (g3340) met-an-o-eh'-o; from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (mor. feel compunction): - repent.

Turn: Epistrepho (g1994) ep-ee-stref'-o; from 1909 and 4762; to revert (lit., fig. or mor.): - come (go) again, convert, (re-) turn (about, again).

The End Result of Baptism:

People were promised "the gift of the Holy Spirit." This turned out to be times of refreshing and becoming "a little child" with an innocent conscience, or heart. They now have a "holy spirit." That is the meaning of a holy spirit.

What About Speaking in Tongues as the Gift of the Holy Spirit?

The "sins that followed them that believed" followed only the presence of the apostles to whom it was promised -- after Pentecost when they truly believed. A sign was not proof that a believer was saved but it was a sign that the Apostles were authorized agents of Christ. Furthermore, in the Bible:

No man ever spoke in tongues outside of the reach and touch of an apostle.
No woman ever spoke in tongues at any time or place.

Unless, one counts the ecstatic speech at Corinth which was a continuation of the "uncovered prophesying" (1 Cor. 11:5) of the women "just out of paganism." And then Paul outlaws it unless there is a true prophet -- and there were none in Corinth.

Even more powerful and supernatural is to have the gift of a holy spirit without which we cannot come boldly before the throne of grace to meet God in the Most Holy Place -- alone and without human priests or mediators or the affliction of the body.

Praise God for that gift.

Further notes:

The concept of "faith only" and "believer's baptism" teaches that one must undergo the personal wrestling with the Law even though God has decided whether you will get a "new spirit" or not before you were born. If you are one of the select few God sends you the personal Holy Spirit to make you into a second incarnation so that Christ dies for you and you may actually become Christ.

This demands that you must receive the Holy Spirit before you are saved and before you are baptized just to join the church. This reverses the process of the Passover, the Red Sea 'baptism' and the command of Jesus and Peter.

Not before Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) was "faith only taught." That is, for 1500 years the world did not know about salvation by simple belief.

However, "Faith only" to Zwingli was directed to pagans who had not heard: "This liberal extension of Christ's kingdom and Christ's salvation beyond the limits of the visible Church,

although directly opposed to the traditional belief of the necessity of water baptism for salvation, was not altogether new.

"The word, 'He who believeth not will be condemned,'

"applies only to those who can hear the gospel, but not to children and heathen .... I openly confess that all infants are saved by Christ, since grace extends as far as sin.

Whoever is born is saved by Christ from the curse of original sin.

If he comes to the knowledge of the law and does the works of the law (Rom. 2:14, 26),

he gives evidence of his election." (Schaff)

"This was a monumental shift for anyone to make in opposition to the Church's traditional view of soteriology, and thereby earned Zwingli a position alongside Luther and Calvin as a Reformer in his own right.

This simply means that "faith only" by a direct gift of the Holy Spirit came 1500 years after the time of Christ; even so, it has been distorted much further by modern Calvinists:

"To Zwingli, baptism was more a pledge of what we ought to do rather than a testimony to what God has already done for us."

Righteousness by faith means that we accept that WE are not righteous and none of our good deeds count. Rather, righteousness is something given by God because it is a view He holds in His Mind or Spirit. When we GIVE UP we declare that God's will is righteous and therefore turn to Him. However, this view which is in the SPIRIT of an invisible God is apprehended and put into effect only when we obey His will in baptism. Peter says that this is where we REQUEST A clear conscience or consiousness that God has given it and we have received it.

Luther taught Sola Fide (Faith Only). However, he clarified this:

But as our would-be wise, new spirits assert that faith alone saves, and that works and external things avail nothing, we answer:

It is true, indeed, that nothing in us is of any avail but faith, as we shall hear still further.
But these blind guides are unwilling to see this, namely,

that faith must have something which it believes, that is, of which it takes hold, and upon which it stands and rests.

Thus faith clings to the water, and believes that it is Baptism, in which there is pure salvation and life;

not through the water (as we have sufficiently stated), but through the fact that it is embodied in the Word and institution of God, and the name of God inheres in it.

Now, if I believe this, what else is it than believing in God as in Him who has given and planted His Word into this ordinance, and proposes to us this external thing wherein we may apprehend such a treasure?

Now, they are so mad as to separate faith and that to which faith clings and is bound though it be something external. Yea, it shall and must be something external,

that it may be apprehended by the senses, and understood and thereby be brought into the heart, Martin Luther

Because this defines the incarnation, those believing in a direct indwelling person expect some supernatural power. However, this view, like a lot of organized Christianity, came from the Greek world:

While believers cannot save themselves, they must repent before they are baptized:

"Jesus died once and for all (Heb. 7:27; 9:25-28; 10:10-14). In contrast, the mystery gods were vegetation deities whose repeated deaths and resuscitations depict the annual cycle of nature.

"Unlike the initiation rites of the mystery cults, Christian baptism looks back to what a real, historical person -- Jesus Christ -- did in history.

Advocates of the mystery cults believed their "sacraments" had the power to give the individual the benefits of immortality in a mechanical or magical way,

without his or her undergoing any moral or spiritual transformation. ( Ronald Nash, Was the NT influenced by pagan religions)

See the nature of Pagan Baptism adopted very late into Christianity.

This is embodied in "Believer's Baptism" where:

"Even good works, piety, religiousness, and efforts, apart from justification by grace through faith, fell under God's curse.

On the other hand, the justified sinner could be described in the most lavish terms, as one who could be "as Christ" or even sometimes "become a Christ."

Yet, we are still human because that is what God wanted. And as such we can have a new Holy Spirit or "the Mind of Christ."

See The Gift of the Holy Spirit-Word Parallel Suneidesis

See Clement of Alexandria on the gift of the Spirit as enlightenment

Holy Spirit Index

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