Indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ - Word and Spirit

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63. The indwelling holy spirit is the indwelling of the Spirit Word of Christ.

HsPiney.html

See how the Spirit Word and Mind often mean the same thing.

See another Mind Spirit Parallel

THE proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; Proverbs 1:1 this one
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; Proverbs 1:2
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; Proverbs 1:3
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. Proverbs 1:4

There is ONLY ONE God. Our Lord (Jehovah) is the ONLY Elohim (god). Therefore, when God works withing the visible or audible world He "sends" His WORDS projected by His Breath of Spirit. Because NO MAN can stand between God and Man, God send His ARM or RIGHT ARM.

Paul envisions Christ as on HIS throme. He LAYS ASIDE His majesty and glory like garments and lays them down. He then takes on attributes of "a body prepared for me" to make visible His invisible, incomprehensible nature:

And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his ARM brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. Is.59:16

THESE words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: Jn.17:1

For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:17

According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. Isaiah 59:18

Here is the nature of the "spirit" which would REST on Jesus at His baptism:

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. Isaiah 59:20

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Isaiah 59:21

The Bible personifies THOUGHT, Truth and Spirit:

For the WORD of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in TRUTH. Psa 33:4

By the WORD of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the BREATH of his MOUTH. Psa 33:6

Mouth: Peh (h6310) peh; from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing)

Breath is SPIRIT: Ruwach (h7307) roo'-akh, roo'-akh; from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath... by resemblance SPIRIT, but only of a rational being (includ. its EXPRESSION and FUNCTIONS)

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isa 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; Isa 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: Isa 11:3 ]

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation;
........... the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. Proverbs 1:6

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
........... but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,

and forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,
and chains about thy neck. Proverbs 1:9

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Proverbs 1:10

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Proverbs 1:11

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: Proverbs 1:12

We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Proverbs 1:13
........... Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: Proverbs 1:14

My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: Proverbs 1:15
........... For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Proverbs 1:16

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Proverbs 1:17

And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. Proverbs 1:18

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. Proverbs 1:19

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Proverbs 1:20

She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, Proverbs 1:21

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 1:22

Turn you at my reproof: behold,

I will pour out my spirit unto you,
I will make known my words unto you. Proverbs 1:23

Because I have called, and ye refused;
............ I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; Pr 1:24

But ye have set at nought all my counsel,
............ and would none of my reproof: Pr 1:25

I also will laugh at your calamity;
............ I will mock when your fear cometh; Pr 1:26

And Jesus said without a doubt:

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

"Holy" means "pure." Therefore, as Holy Spirit God is "wholly" Spirit and does not have flesh and bones. As a result, whatever God "speaks" is PURE or HOLY Spirit in nature. Jesus validated "Sonship" by speaking only what he heard from the "Father." The FATHER and SPIRIT were with or within Jesus when He spoke. The Father as "thought" and the Son as "word" and the Spirit as "breath" is a parable because FULL DEITY dwelled in Jesus Christ.

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. Jn.16:32

Only as holy (wholly) Spirit could "Jesus of Nazareth" speak to the designated apostles. This is because as "Father, Son and Spirit" they would hear the THOUGHT in their own minds and therefore believe it. They, in turn, would speak as SONS of God:

		I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. John 8:26	-	-
-	-	They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. John 8:27		-
-		Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man,		-
-	-	then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. John 8:28		-
		And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do alway those things that please him. Jn.8:29	-	-

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. Jn. 12:49

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. Jn 12:50

The gift OF a holy spirit is the "clear conscience' or CO-perception which Peter said that we REQUEST at baptism (1 Peter 3:21).

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 1 Jn 5:19

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 Jn. 5:20

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

Our initial response to the gospel where BAPTISM is the first obedience to the Spirit's direct command is absolutely necessary because even to trivialize baptism is to trivialize the COUNSEL of a Holy Spirit God:

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; Proverbs 1:24

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: Proverbs 1:25

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; Proverbs 1:26

Sachaq (h7832) saw-khak'; a prim. root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by impl. to play: - deride, have in derision, laugh, make merry, mock (-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in (make) sport.

This was the Rising Up to Play which was musical idolatry at Mount Sinai. Triumph over was what Judas would try to do to Jesus (Psalm 41)

"The triumphal hymn of Moses had unquestionably a religious character about it; but the employment of music in religious services, though idolatrous, is more distinctly marked in the festivities which attended the erection of the golden calf." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Music, p. 589).

Leag (h3932) law-ag'; a prim. root; to deride; by impl. (as if imitating a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly: - have in derision, laugh (to scorn), mock (on), stammering.

Those who accept Christ as their Messiah did not debate baptism:

And all the people that heard him (gladly received his Word), and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Proverbs 1:27

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: Proverbs 1:28

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. John 1:10

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:11

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: Proverbs 1:29

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Proverbs 1:30

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Proverbs 1:31

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Proverbs 1:32

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Rev 18:14

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; Rev 18:22

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33

The one extreme of seeing the Bible itself as "the only Holy Spirit you will ever get" led to the other extreme of wanting a Calvinistic direct operation of the indwelling holy Spirit upon the mind to give proof when faith no longer works. This led to the extreme formulated by H. Leo Boles as a form of tritheism quite identical to the triad godheads of the ancient Sumerians or Akkadians. His views are reviewed here. One copy-cat writer insisted that the modern doctrine of the Trinity (not supported by the early "fathers.") is correct because all of the pagan religions had a triad of gods!

The more modern views which fell in step with the 19th century liberal view of God, which Paul Tillich identified as heresy, are almost always a rehash of H. Leo Boles published by the Gospel Advocate. These views are also couched in the "sermon outline" approach which determines the outcome of the book or sermon and then fills in the blanks with quite-unrelated partial or fragments of verses.

Please note that I don't write novels. Therefore, the following notes have no "beginning, ending and middle." This is commentary and resource material to be used any way you wish.

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Walter Scott will be called as our first witness to agree with the almost-universal early view:

Walter Scott, Christian Baptist, Feb 1827, defines Spirit According to the Greek language

"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--

or 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'" by a mind innocent of the love of gain, or commerce, or sensuality.

"How 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.

This is the nature of the Spirit of the Lord which would rest upon Jesus Christ:

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isa 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; Isa 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: Isa 11:3 ]

These are fruits of Christ

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; Ph 1:9

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Ph 1:10

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.Ph.1:11

"Now, reader, let us return to God and holiness, for without it no one shall see his face--and believe me that a disputatious mind is not holy mind--an intemperate, unmeek, or unfaithful spirit is not a holy spirit--neither is one that does not practise goodness, and gentleness, end long suffering, and peace--neither the mind that does not love, or does not rejoice in Jesus. Ye cavillers, ye conceited: few, who boast of your scriptural knowledge; but whose spirits, nevertheless, cannot move even the elements of the heavenly oracles, let me whisper to you a secret, that the kingdom of heaven is not so much in an abundant knowledge, as in an abundant spirit of righteousness, peace and holy joy.

Walter Scott agrees with almost all early church fathers who always repudiated the notion of cutting God into three people. And David grasped the fact:

Turn Thy face from my sins. Blot out mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew A right spirit in my inward parts.
........... Cast me not away from Thy face,

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation,
and establish me with Thy princely spirit." [Ps. 51 7-12.]

Jesus connected Spirit and Truth through His Word:

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

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Psa 51:6

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psa 51: 7

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Psa 51: 8

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 right spirit within me. Psa 51: 10

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

The Book of Jubilees, Chapter One reads:

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

23 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.

24 And their souls will cleave to Me and to all My commandments, and they will fulfil My

25 commandments, and I will be their Father and they shall be My children.

And they all shall be called children of the living God, and every angel and every spirit shall know, yea, they shall know that these are My children, and that I am their Father in uprightness and righteousness, and that

26 I love them. And do thou write down for thyself all these words which I declare unto thee on this mountain, the first and the last, which shall come to pass in all the divisions of the days in the law and in the testimony and in the weeks and the jubilees unto eternity, until I descend and dwell

27 with them throughout eternity.'

Obedience to the Will of God is both the test of SONSHIP and of A holy spirit.

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Alexander Campbell

Contrary to the false charges, Alexander Campbell did not say that "the Holy Spirit as a personal being separated from the one God works only through the Word." He knew, along with most protestants, that the holy Spirit is, as both Hebrew and Greek demands, the holy Mind or mental disposition of God Who is the One Spirit (1 Cor 2.)

"And with respect to the Holy Spirit, they believe that he is the 'Spirit of God,' the 'Comforter,' the 'Spirit of Christ,' who spoke by the prophets and apostles, filling them with divine wisdom and power; and that he is 'the gift of God,' by whose presence they are rendered 'temples of the living God,' and 'sanctified,' 'renewed,' and saved." (Alexander Campbell, Mill Harb, 1854)

"The Spirit is present in his Word, and we hear him in our hearts when his Word is in us and moves us.

Only in and through (by the means of) his Word does the Spirit dwell in us, speak to us, impel and control us." (Ibid p 510)

Campbell knew that it would be impossible for the personal God Spirit to live within the carnal human body (an incarnation) and still give the body freedom to sin.

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The following views are a companion article to the new birth Jesus described to Nicocemus. First we will briefly review this event and then look at how the "gift of the Holy Spirit" or indwelling of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled by acquiring the mind of Christ which Paul insisted is the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2).

Clement of Alexandria noted that:

For the image of God is His Word, the genuine Son of Mind,
the Divine Word, the archetypal light of light; and the image of the Word is the true man,

the mind which is in man, who is therefore said to have been made "in the image and likeness of God," assimilated to the Divine Word in the affections of the soul, and therefore rational;

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen 1:26

In His triumphal entry, Jesus said that He was on the way to abrogate the Old Law. This was because Israel refused to learn and follow God's Covenant, the Law was added because of transgression, and it was time to free the Jews from the bondage of sacrificial clergy. Only those who "accepted the will of God for their lives" would be regenerated in a Spiritual sense by letting the "I can do it myself" spirit die and becoming regenerated in mind by the Mind of Christ. When Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be forn again:

Nicodemus saith unto him,
........... How can a man be born when he is old?
........... can he enter the second time into his mothers womb,
........... and be born? John 3:4

One who is born is generated and then brought forth: one who is born again is regenerated and brought forth again. This uniquely happens when we die in connection with Christ's death and are resurrected to a new life dedicated to the mind or spirit. In Romans 6, Paul called this a "form of doctrine." That is, it is a visible imitation of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Nicodemus understood that he had been born physically and that Jesus seemed to be saying that he needed to be born in a physical sense a second time.

No, Jesus said, a man (already born) must be (future tense) born in a different way. One, like Nicdemus, who had been born of amniotic fluid must be born again of water and of spirit. Look at the sequence:

First, in anticipation of the power that should come when Christ had paid the price, died, ascended and returned as "another comforter" on the day of Pentecost, the Jews must be baptized to express repentance for their sins:

And all the people that heard him (gladly received his Word), and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30

The baptized Jews had to repent and be baptized. This would remit their sins but they would not be in the kingdom because the kingdom had not yet come with power: the least in the kingdom would be more privileged than even John the Baptist.

Second, To get into a new kingdom it is not just enough to want to be a citizen. One must die to their old country, do what the new citizenship demands such as swearing allegiance and then be inducted or added to the new country. Before Pentecost, Nicodemus wanted to know how he could be born again of water and the spirit.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man (existing even in the physical realm)
............ be born of water and
............ of the Spirit,
............ he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5

Jesus didn't ask Nicodemus to be baptized to enter that new kingdom because it had not come with power.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph 5:25

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ep.5:26

Third, Jesus told the people that the kingdom would come while they still lived:

AND he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. Mark 9:1

Fourth, The power came on the day of Pentecost when Peter used the "keys of the kingdom" to tell people how to be transformed and inducted into that kingdom by Christ the Spirit. First, however, he delivered to them the word of life:

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ (Now as pure or Holy Spirit John 14:16-18)
............for the remission of sins, and
............ ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
............ (the gift which Christ the Spirit gives.)

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day
there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41

Of course, those who rejected his word were not baptized.

The following Table shows some parallels:

Fifth, people "far away" in the literal sense in Ephesus had received the baptism of John but there still was no sign of Apostolic power. People were still following John and hand not heard that the kingdom had come:

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism (in water) of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. Acts 19:4

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5

They still needed this new faith verified and:

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:6

This was a supernatural sign of the validity of the gospel and of Paul as the primary prophet. A prophet repeats exactly what he has heard from God. A secondary prophet or one who prophesies repeats exactly what the Apostle has revealed to him. By repeating this message in a language which they had not learned they becaue the sign but not of their own power.

No man eve spoke in tongues outside of the arm's reach of an apostle.

No woman ever spoke in true tongues in an apostle's presence or outside of their presence.

This eleminates tongues as a sign of the power of the tongue speaker.

These men didn't speak gibberish: they spoke in languages of the province and "to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office: - prophesy." We know that Paul's work was not to the "city" but to the whole province.

The act was reveal inspired information.
The method was in various languages.

Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue for three months persuading the people concerning the kingdom of God.

But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them (the synagogue), and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. Acts 19:9

And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19:10

So, the theme of speaking in tongues is complete: God speaks to men in strange languages which, if they understood Isaiah, meant that their own kingdom was tumbling down and a new kingdom was coming to power.

The kingdom and its message was taken away from the Jews and given to another. This was the sign of speaking in tongues. From Scripture we don't know of any other tongue speaking event. Therefore, it was a sign to the unbelievers that their kingdom had ended and a sign to the Godfearers that the new kingdom had come with power. Speaking in tongues had nothing to do with salvation.

True Spirit Power Through the Word of God

Now, back up again to understand that the good news is also bad news to some.

Mark begins the gospel of Jesus Christ by explaining the baptism administered by John the Baptist and Jesus through His disciples. While God's "kingdom" exists wherever God is, in its earthly or empowered sense John is now in the kingdom as the church as He exists in the hearts of individual believers.

Again, looking backward and recording history, Luke wrote:

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Luke 7:28

And all the people that heard him (gladly received his Word), and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30

Therefore, baptism explained by Luke in Acts means the same thing as his explanation of baptism in the book of Luke. The difference, is that John's baptism looked forward to and accepted the name or authority of Christ; the baptism after Christ's resurrection, ascension and returned as pure or Holy Spirit accepted His authority as proven and the indwelling holy Spirit power now available.

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

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

If rejecting baptism is the cause of being damned then understand that it is not rejecting the dip in water which judges: it is "rejecting the counsel of God for their lives."

Does Jesus never judge nor condemn? Yes, indeed, He does. Those who refuse to get in the "path" God has predestinated for the saved to walk in, are not elected by God and He condemns as Paul asks:

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifieth. Romans 8:33

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:34

And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12

And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. Matthew 8:13

Here, faith accomplishes nothing until Jesus accepts it.

Because the gift of the Spirit followed baptism, it cannot mean that baptism is of Spirit rather than of water.

And we know that baptism was in literal water because before Pentecost John baptized where there was "much water" or many springs, and after Pentecost Philip baptized the Eunuch when he said, "See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized." They both went down into (eis) the water, Philip baptized him and they both came up out of the water.

The Invisible, Inward Kingdom of God

Christ promised that He as (Father-Son-Spirit) would dwell within as people kept His commandments. This "spirit of" is also called the Spirit of Truth. In prophecy this was never the indwelling of a member of the "God family" in a literal sense; it was the indwelling of the spirit as "mental disposition" defined by words such as wisdom and knowledge.

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Luke 17:20
Neither shall they say, Lo here or, lo there! for,
behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

No pseudo-apostle can ever say that the kingdom of God has not come into the lives of those to whom the kingdom has been given because he does not have power to see the invisible.

This is why Jesus said that worship doesn't take place in a physical "place" (even in church assembly) but in the spirit or mind or innermost being:

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. John 4:21

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father

in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

John was in his own Spirit as he worshiped on the Lord's day:

I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Re.1:10

To ask for a literal Holy Spirit indwelling is almost always accompanied by a rejection of Christ's clear statement that His Spirit or mental disposition is resident in His Words. If God cannot transfer Spirit or Mind through the written word then how can one believe that He does it by some secret antenna in the brain? Indeed, one way to justify God is to believe that the words of Jesus were the words of full Deity.

What is Spirit

It is tempting to pull out certain words of Scripture and make the idea into a "god." Since the nineteenth century, the "Holy Spirit" concept has been made into one third of the Godhead -- the god of this the "dispensation of the Holy Spirit." This may be the result of God sending strong delusions to those who do not love the truth of God. By trying to construct a visible image of God as a "family" we may indeed be guilty of idolatry.

Until the neo-Pentecostal move from the backwoods to uptown in the sixties, the "Spirit" was commonly held to be that part or mental disposition of God Who is pure or Holy Spirit. Furthermore, as God's extension into the human mind, the Spirit was understood to be the Mind of Christ bound up in His words. That is what Jesus said!

Now, let's pretend that you are guilt of capital murder. The testimony and attitude of the witnesses indwells the jury. They go into the jury room and distill the evidence and a "spirit of the jury" develops. They put that "spirit" down on a piece of paper. They return to the court room and the one word is read. Is it "guilty" or "not guilty?"

If the single word on paper is "not guilty," you walk out of the court room empowered by the spirit of the jury.

If the word is "guilty," then after due process they strap you in a chair and shock you until you are dead or put a bullet into your heart.

They kill you and most of society looks on with approval.
Did that single word have any power? Yes, of course.
Now, is God less powerful than a jury of frail humanity? You be the judge.

Take a look at the common meaning of spirit among the Greek classical scholars who used the word spirit to define the mental disposition of the jury:

"And another thing you have to remember: today your fellow citizens as a body have put the city and the constitution into your hands as a solemn trust. Some of them are present, listening to this case; others are absent, busy with their personal affairs. Respect them therefore, and remember the oaths which you have sworn, and the laws; and if I convict Ctesiphon of having made a motion that is illegal, false, and injurious to the state, annul the illegal motion, fellow citizens; confirm the democratic government for our state; punish those whose policies are opposed to the laws and to your interests.

If in this spirit you listen to the words which are about to be spoken, I am sure that your verdict will be just, faithful to your oath, and salutary alike to yourselves and to the commonwealth. (Aeschines Against Ctesiphon, 3.8)

Antiphon described body and flesh exactly as did Paul

"Rest assured that I should never have come to Athens, had such a crime been on my conscience. I am here, as it is, because I have faith in justice, the most precious ally of the man who has no deed of sin upon his conscience and who has committed no transgression against the gods.

"Often at such an hour as this,
............ when the body has given up the struggle,
............ its salvation is the spirit,
............ which is ready to fight on in the conscience that it is innocent.

"On the other hand, he whose conscience is guilty has
............ no worse enemy than that conscience;
............ for his spirit fails him which his body is still unwearie
............ because it feels that what is approaching him
............ is the punishment of his iniquities.
............ But it is with no such guilty conscience that I come before you.
............ (Antiphon On the murder or Herodes 5.93)

Paul used the same imagery to contrast his body and his spirit:

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.	THERE is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;	who walk not after the flesh,
but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:25	but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

An indwelling holy spirit is contrasted to spirit of or mental disposition of the flesh.

Now, see what the Greek mind thought of a holy spirit by hearing what they said about an unholy spirit:

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

They also thought of the dead as being present in spirit or, as the KJV, mistranslates a "ghost." They did not think of the spirit as a separate person but of that indestructable part of the same person.

Now, let's look at what Christ the Spirit meant by Spirit.

The primary root for spirit is:

Ruwach (h7306) roo'-akh; a prim. root; prop. to blow, i. e. breathe; only (literally) to smell or (by implication, perceive (Figurative: to anticipate, enjoy): - accept, smell, make of quick understanding.

A craftsman with the Spirit of God had the wisdom and knowledge to build the Tabernacle. And this sets the stage to understand a spiritual person as one who has the knowledge of God in his own spirit or mind. This was also the meaning of the Spirit and upon in Jesus:

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 (7307) 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 (7306) 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 would be the seven-fold "spirit" of God; it does not speak of a little member of the God family sitting on top of Jesus or living in our worthless body. While God is pure, holy or uncontaminated with anything not spirit, His Spirit which is poured out upon humanity is His giving the Mind or mental disposition of Himself. Yes, even moving mountains is possible to one who knows how to speak the right words to it.

When the Spirit rested upon Jesus it was not in the image of a man. Rather, it was the image of the dove or rather rock pigeon. This was carrier type pigeons and was used by Noah to bring him a message about dry land. The raven is not a model of a man but of a feeder.

The word "spirit" is often used to describe the invisible nature of God and of the mental qualities of a rational, thinking Being -- Divine or human. The wind (spirit) is the physical force used to describe this power:

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 including its expression and functions: - air, anger, blast, breath, * cool, courage, mind, * quarter, * side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, * vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

This word is most often the wind as an agent of God's power. However, often the spirit of God means the understanding of God's Word:

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; Exodus 35:31

Again, Christ laid aside His Glory as fully God and took on the form of a human. He was the Incarnation of God who is invisible and pure or Holy Spirit. However, the Spirit in Christ would not be another person but we repeat:

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isa 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; Isa 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: Isa 11:3 ]

When people use ritual to shut down the mind, God accomodate them:

For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. Isaiah 29:10

And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: Isaiah 29:11

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, (Music in Job 21, Amos 5, 6,8; Isaish 5 and Ezekiel 33).

but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Isaiah 29:13

While the Spirit is God's power personified, the Holy Spirit is not envisioned as a "person" but of God Himself exercising His power. For instance, Ezekiel is said to have been one of the first flyers. People have even imagined the Holy Spirit as a magic carpet. However, Ezekiel tells us that this was a vision -- a trip in the mind or spirit:

And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. Ezekiel 8:3

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. Ezekiel 8:4

The people in the like the nations temple in Jerusalem, of course, were performing a Babylonian form of worship: the women lamented for Tammuz (always on the flute) and the men bowed to the sun (Shamash) in the east. The women literally believed, in the words of a modern team, that they provided a platform upon which the god, Tammuz, landed.

And, when Jesus was led out to be tempted by the Spirit we are not to suppose that a person, perhaps "brother" or "son," walked along and led him. Real temptation only happens in the mind or spirit.

Another associated word is:

Ruwach (h7308) roo'-akh; corresp. to 7306: - mind, spirit, wind.

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father

light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father,

made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Daniel 5:11

In the New Testament, the word is still the mental disposition and not a member of the "god family":

Pneuma (g4151) pnyoo'-mah; from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by anal. or fig. 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.

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers Romans 1:9

God is pure, undiluted or holy Spirit or Mind. However, our spirit is made into a holy spirit by conforming to the Will of Christ:

HAVING therefore these promises, dearly beloved,
............let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
............perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1

This would result in "a holy body" and "a holy spirit."

Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 2 Corinthians 7:13

Here an indwelling holy spirit would be a holy mental disposition which was not controlled by sensual appetites.

We clearly understand that this was the feelings or mental disposition of Titus and not his spirit as a third person of his total being of body, soul and spirit.

The Holy Spirit - Mind of Christ Connection

Paul makes it clear that, to the human mind, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit is the Mind of Christ.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (mental and moral character): yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 1 Corinthians 2:6

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 1 Corinthians 2:7

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8

Paul then defines God's Spirit by comparing it to the mind or spirit of a man. Unless Paul has been led astray by the Spirit, his comparison proves that

our spirit is to us what God's Spirit is to His total nature.

Our spirit is not a triplet brother; God's Spirit is not a third people of the Godhead:

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. 1 Corinthians 2:11

God's Spirit is that quality of God which makes Him know and be aware; our spirit is that quality which makes us know things of the human realm. Because our spirit is a quality of our being and not another person, God's Spirit is operative as the Mind of Christ.

The Holy Spirit as a "person" does not move into the literal body to make understanding the Word of Christ possible. The Spirit is that power which God put into all humans (saved or not) to make us able to listen to His Spirit which He gives through teaching. By hearing those words "we might know" what He has given to us:

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

Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but (words) which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13

Because of the danger of demon worship in 1 Corinthians 10:20, the uncovered "prophesying" in 11:5, the women speaking in tongues in chapter 14, Paul's insistance that "the truth did not originate with them," his charge that the Corinthians were carnal, and because of our understanding of pagan "prophesying," we can understand that they were involved in pagan rituals where wine, women and song was sold as a way to get a revelation from the gods through purely legalistic body religion.

However, Paul insists that some people live only as natural brutes which cannot understand that given only to the spirit in mankind:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
............ for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
............ because they are spiritually (figuratively) discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

When John received spiritual truth "he was in the spirit on the Lord's day." John could not have understood his vision unless he had been "worshipping in spirit" which means to "worship in the mind." Because John was not one of those to whom God spoke face-to-face like Moses, he understood God's will in his mind in the form of visions or mind-pictures.

Paul puts the final conclusion to his insistance that "Holy Spirit" was not a person who invaded their body while they were drunk or engaged in sex or charismatic "worship." Contrary to being able to "instruct" God or "speak to the gods" in a charismatic fit, only Paul had the Spirit which he defined as the Mind of Christ:

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

By speaking or singing in 1 Corinthians 14 the people were reversing the direction of information flow: they were trying to speak to God rather than listen. As long as the "body" gets in the way of the "spirit" in all humans, it is not possible for the spirit to come alive and dominate. This is why Paul defines Baptism as the time and place where the believer submits their body to death to get rid of the natural "man" and come alive in the spirit to be able to cease drinking "milk" and begin to eat "meat" or learn the deep things of God:

The natural person is buried with Christ so that

They are resurrected as a spiritual person.

As a result of that process, the gift of the Holy Spirit is the Mind of Christ which comes through further teaching now that the eyes are opened.

The gift as the power to speak in tongues was given only to certain people to serve as signs that the apostles were speaking for God Himself and a sign against the Jews.

As far as we know, none of the baptized believers on the day of Pentecost or in Jerusalem ever spoke in tongues. But, they had a new mind and they were filled with joy in a gloomy, dangerous world.

No man ever spoke in tongues out of arm's reach of an apostle.

No woman is ever recorded to have ever spoken in tongues at all. If Corinth is an exception Paul said: "Stop it."

Therefore, the "Spirit" or Mind of Christ makes us open to His Word. If we have His Spirit or Mind we will be consumed with His Word and not look for little ghostly signs that God is doing something to our body. An indwelling holy spirit does not cause us to do unholy things.

Men like Nicodemus were blind unless they could turn to Jesus as full Deity. Not only is the Mind of Christ the Holy Spirit (mental disposition of God's Mind), but that Spirit is used to fill the human spirit when it is read. He had to be "born" of water and the Spirit. That is, the water overwhelmed his body so that the Spirit or Mind of Christ could fille body: "Body washed with pure water and spirit sprinkled from an evil conscience."

Paul described this to the Jews: the Lord is pure or Holy Spirit and therefore what He spoke or revealed is pure or Holy Spirit because pure Spirit works only on spirit once God as the creative Word brought all things into existence.

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

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

Theophilus of Antioch to Autolycus

God is pure or Holy Spirt, but even pure Spirit can distribute the Spirit of Himself.

The body of Christ was symbolically the veil ripped to disclose the Most Holy place which is symbolic of our spirit or our mind where God dwells. The removed veil would give the Jews and others the gift to be able to understand the Words of God. The Lord, and not a minor member of the God family, is the Holy Spirit or Mind of God. By looking through His eyes we can comprehend the Word as Spirit and Life.

Peter insisted that this change comes by being awakened to the Word of God and devoting oneself to it. Giving heed really means to "worship" whatever God has said:

But sanctify the Lord God (Who is that Spirit) in your hearts:

and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

This does not mean: worship the Lord God and then get ready: it means that if the Lord as Spirit dwells in the heart this has prepared you to respond. If you have to get ready, you don't have the Lord as Word already there. Once the Word with Spirit power lives in the heart, then "worship in spirit" will be inward to permit Jesus to dwell in the heart.

Thereafter, any external effort to force you to worship or to worship for you is a presumptious sin because they can no more do it than they can know your mind which is your exclusive property.

Worship is not "paying a debt" or fulfilling a sacrament to earn merit from God through ceremonial legalism; it is to commune with God (Christ) in a spirit to Spirit communication:

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

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

Changed is Metamorphoo (g3339) and it is like a "grub" coming out of the cocoon to become a butterfly. Paul showed how this is done on an ongoing basis by Christ's Spirit which is inherent in His Word:

And be not conformed to this world: but ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,
that
ye may prove (discern) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

If you can transform a grub into a butterfly then you are at liberty to lead me in worship or worship for me. If you are not able then you had better get out of God's space.

Perfect is the Greek teleios and Paul used it also in First Corinthians:

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 1 Corinthians 13:10

Our holy spirit is our spirit made holy by God purging out the old thoughts and filling our minds with holy thoughts and actions. Our spirit is dead or dying and is unholy if we are so devoted to wine that we lust for a wineskin religion which exhilarates the outward senses.

This same Paul, as he often does, restated the issue to keep us from grabbing verses out of context. He wrote Titus:

Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
............ but according to his mercy he saved us, by the
............ washing of regeneration,
............ and
............ renewing of the Holy Ghost; Titus 3:5

Don't lose the connection above:
............ by the renewing of your mind,
............ that
............ ye may prove (discern)

This was the universal bath of regeneration connection.

We cannot know how God deals with the untaught. However, for those with opportunity, it is not possible to be saved without hearing and believing the gospel story. Salvation means more than just having our "ticket to heaven punched." Rather, it means the power to grasp the Word of God and participate as a "new person" living in a hostile world.

Once we are saved, it is Christ's purpose to renew or mind or spirit. Paul continued this relationship to Timothy:

Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4

Back in Romans (Note: the Holy Spirit as a person is not mentioned in Romans 8), Paul showed that a cleansed believer does not walk in the paths of the world but in the paths of the spirit. Then he says that this means that we mind or give attention to spiritual things revealed by Christ the Spirit which He said was through His already-revealed Word.

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
............ who walk not after the flesh (path),
............ but (walk) after the Spirit (path). Romans 8:4

For they that are after the flesh (carnal nature)
............ do mind the things of the flesh;

but they that are after the Spirit (mind)
............ (do mind) the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5

Those who seek to walk or worship after the flesh -- whatever appeals to the human appetite through the human senses -- are dead, carnal and cannot dare to presume to produce spirit worship by the appearance or motion of their body or by the talent of their human works or through their "revelation" in a praise song.

Those who seek to worship God do so in silence; any noise you produce during that time is using carnal means to prohibit spiritual worship.

The Spirit, here, is not a person; it is a mental disposition which is the primary definition of spirit:

For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Our spirit is spiritually minded if we let our minds absorb spirit revelation. To be "in" the spirit is to walk after or mind things of the Spirit or Mind of God. Paul noted that the "body" must be considered dead and one must allow the mind or spirit to dominate:

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

How can a dead man rise up and participate in his own funera;? How can a dead man or woman perform spirit worship with their body parts? They cannot. To even have the urge seems proof that the body still wants to get into the act of spirit worship. However, this is like stepping out of a space ship a thousand miles above the earth: you cannot survive in space because you are earthly. What happens? Well, you probably will blow up like a baloon (be exhalted) and crack into a million parts.

Paul told the Philippians that the Spirit of Christ or the Mind of Christ which is the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2) means to have the same Mind which dwelled in God:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5

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

Jesus then defined this spirit or mental disposition as resident in the words which He delivered to the apostles:

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

No, you can never claim that the physical bible is the Holy Spirit or God -- and no one ever did. However, you can say that Christ claimed the power to put His Mind, mental disposition or Spirit in the words. If I could have infinite power I could put my entire mind down on paper and you could have a recollection of everything I ever did or thought.

Ministering the Spirit as The Word

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Zechariah 7:11

They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry. Zechariah 7:12

Therefore it is come to pass, that
............ as he cried, and they would not hear;
............ so they cried, and I would not hear,
............ saith the Lord of hosts: Zechariah 7:13

This was repeated as the Jews killed Jesus and Stephen. Stephen was not gentle when he lashed out at the clergy who took away the key to knowledge and would murder you if they threatened their jobs:

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Acts 7:51

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Lu.7:30

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Acts 7:52

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Acts 7:53

To resist or quench the spirit is to refuse to listen to God's words which are Spirit.

The prophets with the power of the Spirit or Mind of Christ were ministering the Spirit through the Word:

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter 1:11

We noted that God Who is pure or Holy Spirit can also have a Spirit of or mental disposition of Himself:

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

Therefore, the Spirit God and the Spirit of God are not two people.

Spirit Without Measure and the Word

Later, when God was clothed in the body of Jesus Christ, He spoke His words fully because He was not giving His words as Spirit in a limited sense:

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God:
for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. John 3:34

What is the power Jesus had and what did He do with it?

At the risk of being boring, we repeat:

AND there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isa 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; Isa 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: Isa 11:3 ]

Therefore, when Jesus had the "Spirit without measure" He had all of the wisdom and knowledge of God available to Him. The result of this was:

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God.
Those who don't speak the words of God do not have the Spirit in any sense.

To speak the words fully was to give the Spirit fully. Jesus confirmed this by saying, and we again quote:

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

Jesus didn't speak as the "body" but of the Spirit God within:

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:10

So, we don't have Jesus having the full "Spirit person" living within while we just have "parts" of the literal Spirit person living within: God "giveth the Spirit without measure" when God Who "sent Jesus caused Him to speak the Words of God" and not the words of a human prson.

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,
and his word was in my tongue. 2 Sam 23:2

Jesus said "the body counts for nothing." He meant that the Father or Spirit or full Deity (Col. 2:9) dwelled in Him. Therefore, the Spirit gave the words directly from the Father and not from the flesh or human nature. Therefore, when Jesus spoke it was God speaking;

to resist those words and try to replace them in song and sermon is to denounce God by resisting His Word or quenching His Spirit.

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Fathers which sent me. John 14:24

To keep means "to guard from loss or injury." WE live within the human heart or spirit to the extent that people live by His Words which are Spirit and Life.

Using the name "WORD" to describe God working in the physical world shows that God's power is in His Words: He spoke and it came forth. If His Words had real power then writing them in a book does not diminish the words. However, only those who love those words are not sent strong delusions that they believe a lie and are damned.

Do you know people who cannot comprehend the simpliest Scriptural truth?

The Spirit which Jesus had upon Himself was not a "person." Rather, it was the Spirit without limit, the Knowledge God has of Himself now poured out into the hearts of obedient believers:

And the spirit (7307) 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

After His resurrection, Christ as Spirit appeared to Paul to make Him a minister of the Spirit by preaching the gospel. Paul, has said that the Mind of Christ is the Holy Spirit. Now, he says that the words which he speaks are Spirit and Life if we honor them as being more than ink on paper:

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament (contract); not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  2 Corinthians 3:6

To the Romans, Paul makes the Spirit to spirit connection by showing that his internal service was from his spirit because he body was always weak. His spirit passed on Spirit power through preaching the gospel:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Romans 1:9

Don't lose sight of the fact that Jesus said the same thing -- and we cannot repeat it too often:

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

It is arrogant to try to "pare down" the APPLE of Christ's words to arrive at a CORE of two or three facts. Jesus said that every word which He spoke to them were Spirit and Life. How can you ignore anything Jesus taught and still teach the good news? To pare off these words is to pare of God's presence.

Ministering the Spirit The Galatians

To the Galatians, Paul shows that receiving the Spirit is not by external works (singing, dancing, chanting, pleading for God to save you), but by hearing and believing the message of and about Christ:

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you,
............ that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes
............ Jesus Christ hath been
............ evidently set forth, crucified among you? Galatians 3:1

This only would I learn of you,

Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or
(Received ye the Spirit) by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:2

Bewitched:

Deut 28[56] The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, [57] and toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your gates.

Demosthenes Chersonese

[19] Therefore, knowing and weighing these facts, it is the duty of all of you, not surely to try to disparage and break up the force that Diopithes is doing his best to provide for the state, but to provide an additional force yourselves and to keep him well supplied with funds and in every way to give him your loyal co-operation.

No one ever received the Spirit as a supernatural power of incarnation simply by hearing with faith. Therefore, when they heard the inspired Word they were receiving the Spirit which is the Words and Mind of Christ.

Let's run through that again. First, remember that Jesus said of "spirit"--

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:

> the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

> Paul said that you receive the Spirit by hearing the Words of Jesus.

> In Ephesians 5 you fill up with the Spirit to preach to one another.

> In Colossians you fill up with the Word of Christ to teach and admonish one anothers.

> > The Word is the Spirit in this case because it carries Spirit and Life from the once-spoken Word of God Incarnate. The Bible is not the Spirit but the Words of Christ carry Spirit power and are therefore Spirit.

Second, when the Galatians heard with faith they were receiving the spirit or mind of Christ. If they accepted it fully they had an indwelling holy spirit but not a third member of the God family.

Conclusions: The Mind of Christ is the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 3) and we hear and understand the Spirit by hearing the Words of Christ Who is the Spirit and full Deity (Colossians 2:9)

The Spirit is received here just by hearing and believing. In Acts 2:38 we are led to believe that the gift of the Spirit comes after repentance and baptism which comes after belief. Therefore, Paul is clearly saying that the "Spirit" is in earthen vessels or the words of the Apostles. Spirit is delivered by teaching and discoursing the Words Christ gave to them as Spirit and Life. This process continues as long as we give heed to the words of Christ. Obeying all that Jesus commanded therefore is "hearing of faith." The "Spirit" is passed on by preaching that "Jesus is set forth as crucified."

From Romans 7 and 8 it is clear that their conflict was between the Mosaic Law and the Words of Christ which are Spirit and Life. On a personal level, the contest is between the personal flesh and the personal spirit. Therefore, Paul would use the same terms to the Galatians. Because there was not spirit and Spirit distinction in the text, I have removed the upper case which is inserted as human commentary. He asks:

Are ye so foolish?
............ having begun in the spirit, are ye
............ now made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:3
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. Galatians 3:4

> The Galatians began their spirit walk in the spirit.

> This spirit is contrasted with the human flesh.

> Therefore, this spirit is the spirit or mind or innermost being of the believer.

God lives in the heart, mind or spirit (the inner man) by faith. When our spirit conforms to God's Spirit (the Mind of Christ) then we do not try to become perfect with acts of the flesh. All ritualism is legalism because it seeks to make spiritual changes with assaults upon the flesh.

Again, the contest is not between the Galatians "flesh" and the Holy Spirit; it is between their carnal nature and their enlightened spirit or mind.

And again, Paul ministered the Spirit by preaching:

He (Paul) therefore that (ministered an indwelling holy spirit)

ministereth to you the Spirit, and (he that) worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law, or
by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:5

Or: Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Galatians 3:5NIV

Here, ministering the Spirit and working miracles are not the same thing. Ministering the Spirit is ministering the Word as the Mind of Christ.

In a parallel form the hearing of faith ministers the Spirit and God gives the Spirit by their believing what they heard:

Does God give you his Spirit and
............ work miracles among you because you
............ observe the law, or because
you believe what you heard

Paul ministered the Spirit by preaching the gospel: the people received the Spirit by hearing the Word. What has taken place? Simple conversation but no laying on of hands to receive a special gift of the Holy Spirit which is the gift of Christ.

So, Jesus said that Spirit or His Mind is bound up in the Words which He spoke; Paul ministered that Spirit by teaching the Word; and people received the Spirit by listening to the Word. You cannot transfer a third member of the God "family" by pushing Hin into the head; you transfer Spirit by transferring Word.

In another account, Paul ministered by ministering the gospel:

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:16

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Romans 15:18

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Romans 15:19

In this form of parallelism, the deed was in signs and wonders. However, the power of the Spirit of God was through the Word:

to make the Gentiles obedient,
............ by word
............ ............ and deed.through
............ ............ mighty signs and wonders,
............ Power of the Spirit of God

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32

Ministering the Spirit (Galatians 3:5) is ministering the gospel (Romans 15:16).

Jesus, who said that His Words were Spirit and Life also asked:

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

Paul did not hand-feed the Holy Spirit as a "person" to the Galatians. Rather, ministered means:

Epichoregeo (g2023) ep-ee-khor-ayg-eh'-o; from 1909 and 5524; to furnish besides, i.e. fully supply, (fig.) aid or contribute: - add, minister nourishment

The Spirit which incarnated the man Jesus, was the Word which in the beginning was God. As that Spirit in the visible manifestation of the work of the invisible, Spirit Deity, He appeared as the pillar of fire, the Rock, the Water, the Manna and in may other "outreaches" of God into the physical dimension in which we live.

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when

it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter 1:11

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. 1 Peter 1:12

Preaching the gospel includes the whole story!

Therefore, ministering the Spirit of Christ ministered that which had been preached with the Holy Ghost. This ministered an indwelling holy Spirit. Not with the power of the Holy Ghost as a person but with the Holy Ghost. But what was the Spirit of Christ which they ministered through preaching the gospel with the Spirit? Remember that this spirit was not a little person but the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven was:

And the spirit (7307) 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

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

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,
because the Spirit is truth. 1 John 5:6
For there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

God is pure or Holy Spirit. That is, He does not have "body parts" which are not Spirit. As God relates to the World He reveals Himself as Spirit in Words. Therefore, His Word is Spirit and Life.

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 1 John 5:8

If the SPIRIT to us is not the same as THE WORD then the Words of Christ do not bear witness. Jesus the Word returns as Spirit Comforter and bears witness through His Word:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; John 14:16

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. John 14: 17

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14: 18

If God can Incarnate His Spirit or Mind in a human body cursed upon a tree then why is it that He DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY to Incarnate His Mind in His Words?

Filled With The Indwelling Holy Spirit

Now, those who heard the word did not minister the Spirit and they did not work miracles. The indwelling Holy Spirit was administered by teaching and hearing the Words of Christ. The "signs following" only Apostles or their inspired agents was to verify that they were delivering the Spirit or Mind of God Himself. Paul made the Word - Spirit identity in his "singing" passages:

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; (excess is inherent in wine)	-	And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15
but be filled with the Spirit; Ephesians 5:18	-	Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,	-	teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:19	-	singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

It is common for Paul to say the same thing using different words. This has the effect of transmitting the true meaning to those of us hundreds of years removed.

"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).

It is easy to believe that one is "Spirit filled" when the bodily symptoms are exciting or exhilarating. That was what the Corinthians thought. However, Paul called them "carnal." And Philo coined the word "enthusiasm" which was enthus o mania or "filled with the frenzy of the gods." Paul identified this in Corinth in connection with speaking in tongues. The classical writers explain the common understanding that the spirit inspired the tongue-speaking oracle of Delphi and elsewhere. However, the woman was intoxicated by music and breathing the poisonous fumes from a crack in the earth. She got pretty excited and spoke in tongues. Another "keeper of the shrine" translated and sold the interpretation.

Renewing of The Spirit

Without using the word baptism, Paul defined the same process which includes the gift of the Holy Spirit. This, as we have tried to point out, in a holy personal spirit enlightened and controlled by the Words of Christ which communicate His Spirit. To be taught by Paul through the Words of Christ is to be taught by Christ the Spirit:

But ye have not so learned Christ; Ephesians 4:20

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

That ye put off concerning the former conversation (behavior) the old man,

which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Ephesians 4:22
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Ephesians 4:23

This is the gift of a holy spirit or mind of the obedient believer.

Paul uses a similar pattern to the Romans:

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

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

Now, flash back and remember what Peter said about the gift of the Holy Spirit:

Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

> for the remission of sins, (Only in death are we free from sin)
> and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:3	Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
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,	for the remission of sins, (Only in death are we free from sin)
even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4	and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

The Gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of a personal spirit which has been cleansed so that it can as virtual high priest go into the throne room without a human priest. A clear conscience is what Peter (1 Pet 3:21) says that we ask for at baptism:

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.

Now, remember what Jesus said:

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

So receiving the Spirit means hearing the Words of Christ Who is Spirit. That Word gives both Spirit or the MInd of Christ and Life when believers of that Word are baptized and take on the Mind of Christ which is the Gift of His Spirit or His Mind:

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

Just as Christ died once, Paul insisted of baptized believers:

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

There is no connection between simple "belief" and being dead to sin and alive unto God.

The change and cleansing does not happen by Christ having to send another member of the "god" family to do what He could not do. Rather,

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:25

That he might sanctify (consider it holy) and cleanse it with
............ the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5:26

This agrees with Peter that we allow our bodies to be washed but then we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit or Holy Mind or mental disposition by requesting it from God.

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:4

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1 John 1:6

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and

the blood of Jesus Christ his Son (continues to) cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

THERE is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (darkness, ignorance), but after the Spirit (light, truth). Romans 8:1

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:10

Isn't this what Paul told the Romans?

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9

After showing that Jesus Christ is the Mediator (there is only one), John wrote:

But whoso keepeth his word,
............ in him verily is the love of God perfected:
............ hereby know we that we are in him. 1 John 2:5

Both John And Luke make the Word - Spirit connection. Before the death of the Testator one can dispose of their power any way they wish. The 12 apostles were selected, trained and cleansed to be Chris'ts witnesses of His life especially after the resurrection. Jesus poured out His Spirit or breathed on them by teaching through the "Holy" Spirit which was not a person but the Mind of full Deity vested in Lord, Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9).

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: John 20:22

The word breathed explains what Jesus as the Holy Spirit did to the apostles. The word comes from a puff of air but means to germinate or grow or to sprout.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John 15:3

Luke shows how Christ bestowed His Mind or Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 2) as he "breathed"

THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Acts 1:1

Until the day in which he was taken up,
............ after that he through the Holy Ghost
............ had given commandments
............ unto the apostles whom he had chosen: Acts 1:2

Therefore, whether we can accept it or not, Christ put His Spirit power into His word to accomplish His Spirit will. Therefore, the "spirit" instructs an is not a dancing master or a confuser of tongues:

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

For it is impossible for those who were

once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and
were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, Hebrews 6:4
And have tasted the good word of God,
and the powers of the world to come, Hebrews 6:5

And I took the little book out of the angels hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. Revelation 10:10

Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezekiel 3:3

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: Hebrews 6:7

The Prophesied Spirit on Christ

Remember that Jesus told the Jews that the Word had been revealed in parables from the foundation of the world.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: Matthew 13:34

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Mt.13:35

The Psalmist issues a Psalm which is also poetic and must be understood somewhat like a parable and proves the antiquity of this message:

GIVE ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Psalm 78:1

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old (from the east or antiquity): Psalm 78:2

Then the Psalm records the Exodus to prove that Israel did not grasp and obey the message.

Therefore, we should grasp that Psalm 55 begans with symbolic language equating His word to the water cycle:

HO, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55 1

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah 55:2

The symbols are bread, milk, wine and water which are all food products. Then, God tells us how to understand the language if our ears are open. The Word is the "living waters" which leads one to life:

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55: 3

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Isaiah 55: 4

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Isaiah 55:5

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Isaiah 55: 6

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55: 7

The reason to "stretch out your ears" is that the message is not about physical food but spiritual food: the Words of Christ which He defined as "spirit" along with Isaiah 11:1-4

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Next, Isaiah uses the word "as" to prove that if you have attentive ears God is speaking a parable:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: Isaiah 55:10

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

The Word of God is the Spirit of power or the power to give life. In the same way, water is the "spirit" or power to give life to the otherwise dead soil. To say that there is no power in the Word is to claim that there is no power in water.

The word and water and spirit are realated in symbolism.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Mt.7:24

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Mt.7:25

Paul to the Ephesians said that God gave spiritually-gifted leaders so that:

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (doctrine) and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Ep.4:14

Peter knew that understanding the Words of Christ is that which can cleanse the conscience as:

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

Peter said also:

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter 1:11

If we can generalize, those who seek a direct operation or baptism of the Holy Spirit are looking to be Incarnated like Jesus or having the "personal" Holy Spirit as a personal possession like the Apostles, are unhappy with the Word "as it has been delivered to them." However, that was the inherent danger of not grasping the parables of Jesus which could not be understood without "stretched-out ears."

This, unfortunately, minimizes the Word and prevents the true Spirit or Mental Disposition of Christ from developing from a disclipned life of "giving heed" to the Word. Yea, "giving heed" is a true "worship" word.

In all of the Old Testament passages, it was clearly understood that to have the spirit of a god or the God meant that one had the knowledge of God. Even moving mountains would be accomplishing by just telling the mountain to move from here to there.

And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aarons garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priests office. Exodus 28:3

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; Exodus 35:31

To have the Spirit of God is to have the wisdom of God. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit even among those given the power to speak in other languages as signs of the Apostle's presence. We should not demand more that was prophesied of the Son of God:

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 spirit is also "living waters" as the Word. God is pure or Holy Spirit. God does not have a Spirit as a third member of the Godhead. Therefore, God does not pour out the Holy Spirit as a person. What He pours out is His Word which contains spirit power:

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Deut 8:3

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Job 23:12

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. Jeremiah 15:16

O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Jeremiah 17:13

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now. Jeremiah 17:15

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. Ezek 2:8

The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Am.8:11

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1 Peter 2:2

Again take a look at the words for Spirit or Holy Spirit. God is pure or Holy Spirit but the "father" has a spirit like a father and the "son" has a spirit like a son. However, the Spirit of Christ is like our own spirit. That is, it is not another "person." We are not triplets and neither is God:

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 including its expression and functions: - air, anger, blast, breath, * cool, courage, mind, * quarter, * side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, * vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

Pneuma (g4151) pnyoo'-mah; from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by anal. or fig. 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.

When we simply obey Christ or "accept the counsel of God for our lives" Christ no longer speaks to us in parables and our eyes are open, unlike the Jews to whom Christ spoke parables to keep the truth from them:

And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 2 Cor 3:13

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 2 Cor 3: 14

But even unto this day, when Moses is read,
........... the vail is upon their heart. 2 Cor 3: 15

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord,
........... the vail shall be taken away. 2 Cor 3: 16

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

The Spirit of the Lord is exactly the Lord who is the Spirit. The gift of the holy Spirit is based upon our accepting Christ by faith in baptism.

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

Baptism is not like the Old Testament "washings" which could only cleanse the body or outward part of man or vessel. Baptism does more: it is the time and place where we turn to God as ask for the free gift of a co-understanding of His message.

A clear Consience means that we feel no guilt but it means much more. It 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.

Again: 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.

This is what Isaiah spoke of when he defined "living waters" to those who incline toward the truth:

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55: 3

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Isaiah 55: 4

GIVE ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Psalm 78:1

will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old (from the east or antiquity): Psalm 78:2

Paul gave us the same message. Rather than having the blood of bulls and goats literally sprinkled upon us, God does the sprinkling to purge away the evil conscience which had no spiritual impulse and leave us with the ability to be Christ-like in spirit:

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. Hebrews 10:22

As baptized believers we have the assurance of understanding because we are found to be lovers of the truth.

That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; Col 2:2

Sunesis (g4907) soon'-es-is; from 4920; a mental putting together, i.e. intelligence or (concr.) the intellect: - knowledge, understanding.

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mk.12:33

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 2Ti.2:7

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Ep.3:4

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:3

And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. Col 2:4
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col 2:6

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col 2:7

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:8

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:9

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col 2:10

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.

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 presnence, that the person realized that griefs are to be born in accordance with His will."

The very simple test is whether one is willing to change, believes in Christ and is willing to "accept the counsel of God for their lives" in baptism.

Without that "faith" one does not have the power to become a child of god.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor 12:3

Jesus said that one who had already been born of the flesh must also be born of water and the Spirit.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mothers womb, and be born? John 3:4

Now, both Jesus and Nicodemus knew very well that both had been born physically. And it would not make much sense to say that unless one is born physically they could not see the kingdom. Indeed, physical birth has nothing to do with seeing the kingdom and could never be co-equal or "coordinate with" birth of the spirit.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5

Because an already-existing person must in addition be "born of water and of the spirit" both seem to be future tense: subsequent to physical birth.

Because the spiritual renewal is the only true important issue, Jesus tells Nicodemus that a human born of the flesh (not water) is still just a flesh person. However, one who has been born of Spirit is now a spiritual person:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6

Peter will simply place water baptism as the Christ-ordained time and place where we have a clear or insightful spirit because it has accepted the commands of Christ.

It is a fact that one cannot be regenerated by water. However, Jesus used water to be the time and place where we recognize His payment for our sins. This is no different from choosing "the fruit of the vine" to be active in remembering His literal blood. Both are symbols but more. As the flesh was made ceremonially pure by water under the Law when there was no spiritual cleansing, water is still the element ordained by God for "washing of the body" even as God "cleanses our spirit." In this life man is both a fleshly being and a spirit being. Under the law the washing was to literally get rid of the filth and to have it sanctified or holy by following God's law. However, washing off the dirt is not important:

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

Jesus was literally burried and in baptism we are literally burried. As Christ was resurrected or made alive in the Spirit we are resurrected to walk in a new way. There simply is nothing else which answers to this "form of doctrine" but baptism in literal water as the time and place to identify with Christ and aske Him to give us a new, holy spirit.

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

The most basic, indispensible first principle is that God is One. Jesus agreed with this fact and insisted that it was still fundamental. Click Here if you want to hear God say over and over that He is the only Elohim and that no god existed by His side.

To see our notes on Nicodemus and the New Birth Click Here.

This has been a quick study to go along with the answer to an e-mail about the new birth. We will clean it up in time. Or maybe not. At any rate, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the indwelling spirit or mental disposition of Christ. If it is true it will lead us to think like Christ and live like Christ.

The Holy Spirit - Word Parallel Part Two.

See The Gift of the Holy Spirit Suneidesis

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

Kenneth Sublett

Holy Spirit Index

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