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3. The Holy Spirit’s Ministries, Part I - Inspiration, Illumination, Conviction, Intercession

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We’ve considered the Spirit’s personhood and deity, and now, we will consider his various ministries.

Inspiration of Scripture

Though Scripture has human authors, they were all inspired by the Holy Spirit—guided by him in the exact words they used and kept from error. Consider what Peter said in Acts 1:16 about the Spirit speaking through David’s writing of a Psalm: “Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judas—who became the guide for those who arrested Jesus.” In addition, in 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter said this about Scripture:

Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The writers of Scripture were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 27:15, “carried along” (translated “driven along” in NET) was used of how those sailing in a ship could not control it because of strong winds, so they let go and allowed the wind to guide the ship.

Likewise, in John 16:12-13, Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit’s work in leading the apostles in their writing and teaching of the New Testament:

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.

The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture—guiding the authors in what was written and keeping them from error.

Illumination of Scripture

The Holy Spirit illumines Scripture, in that he enables us to understand it. In 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, Paul said this:

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This text describes both inspiration and illumination. As the apostles wrote, the Spirit gave them words which didn’t come from human wisdom but from the Spirit (v. 13)—words like election, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Then, it describes how the Spirit enables “spiritual people”—believers— to understand God’s Word (v. 13), which is why unbelievers (people without God’s Spirit) cannot understand them and therefore reject them (v. 14).

Tony Evans’ comments on the Holy Spirit’s illumination are challenging:

In His role as the Illuminator, the Spirit enlightens us so that we are able to grasp, experience, and apply God's Word to our lives. Anybody who can do that, we need to be close to. The Spirit can connect us to the mind of God.1

Anointing

Another aspect of the Holy Spirit’s Illumination ministry is the believers “anointing.” Anointing is a word used primarily in the Old Testament meaning “empowerment” for something. The king was anointed with oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to lead; likewise, the priest and prophet were anointed to minister. The Holy Spirit also anoints every believer, probably in various ways, but specifically to understand Scripture and protect us from false teaching.

When talking about false teachers and their followers who had left the church of Ephesus, in 1 John 2:19-21, John said this:

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

These people had left the church to follow cultic doctrine. However, John explained that part of the reason the remaining church members didn’t leave was because they had an “anointing from the Holy One” and knew the “truth” (v. 20). Instead of believing heretical errors about Christ, like those who left the church, the other members stayed because they were truly saved and had an anointing to understand Scripture. Now, this doesn’t mean true believers won’t have different understandings of Scripture, especially on minor doctrines. It just means that the Holy Spirit is always guiding believers to the truth and keeping them from damning errors, which would equate to denying the faith. In John 10, Jesus said his sheep hear his voice and they would not follow the voice of another (v. 3-8, 14-16). This is true because of the Holy Spirit’s ministry of leading believers into truth (John 16:12-13). True believers have an anointing—an empowerment to understand Scripture and discern error. This especially protects them from errors concerning the gospel and other foundational truths, which can affect one’s salvation.

Application

How should we respond to the Illuminating work of the Holy Spirit? Because of the Spirit’s illuminating ministry, we should constantly pray to understand God’s Word. We should pray before, while, and after we read or listen to Scripture, including the teaching of it. As David prayed in Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law!”, we should constantly pray the same way, which demonstrates our dependence on the Spirit for illumination.

Conviction

As the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture for us, he convicts us of sin—showing us where we are wrong and drawing us to repentance. In John 16:8, Christ said this about the Holy Spirit’s ministry to unbelievers, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Though this describes his work with unbelievers, it is true of believers as well. As believers study God’s Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates it, revealing ways that we have sinned against God or others. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says:

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

“Reproof” or “rebuke” refers to how the Word shows us what is wrong, so we can repent. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin through the Word, so we can become holy, as he is holy.

Intercession

Not only does the Holy Spirit illuminate God’s Word and convict us by it, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. Romans 8:26-27 says:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

Though expressed in groans, the Spirit prays according to God’s will that we may, no doubt, grow in holiness, serve God and others, bear fruit for God’s kingdom, and be protected from the evil one, amongst many other wonderful things. William MacDonald’s insights on this are encouraging:

We are often perplexed in our prayer life. We do not know how to pray as we should. We pray selfishly, ignorantly, narrowly. But once again the Spirit comes alongside to assist us in our weakness, interceding for us with groanings which cannot find expression. In this verse it is the Spirit who groans and not we who groan, though that is also true.

There is mystery here. We are peering into the unseen, spiritual realm where a great Person and great forces are at work on our behalf. And although we cannot understand it all, we can take infinite encouragement from the fact that a groan may sometimes be the most spiritual prayer.2

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What is the doctrine of inspiration, and why is it important?
  3. What is the doctrine of illumination? How should we apply this ministry of the Spirit practically?
  4. What is conviction? How does the Holy Spirit convict?
  5. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Evans, Tony. Theology You Can Count On: Experiencing What the Bible Says About... God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Angels, Salvation... Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

2 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1712). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit)

4. The Holy Spirit’s Ministries, Part II - Indwelling

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Indwelling

For believers, the Holy Spirit indwells us at conversion. It is from this ministry that many of his other ministries flow. Jesus mentioned the Spirit’s indwelling to his disciples before his death and resurrection. In John 14:17, Christ said, “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.” From Christ’s words, it is clear the Spirit was already with the disciples but would be with them in a different way after his death, resurrection, and ascension. Likewise, in John 16:7, Christ said, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Old Testament & New Testament

Considering that the disciples and other Old Testament saints had the Holy Spirit and experienced his ministries before Christ’s ascension into heaven (cf. Acts 1-2), what is the difference between the Holy Spirit’s ministry to believers in the OT and the NT? Because of Christ’s words that the Holy Spirit was “with” the disciples and in the future would be “in” them (John 14:17), some have said the difference is simply that in the OT the Holy Spirit was “with” or “on” believers, but in the NT, he dwells “in” them. However, further study of the OT tells us that claim is not correct. The Holy Spirit also indwelled people in the OT. Consider a few examples: Genesis 41:38 says Joseph had God’s Spirit in him. “So Pharaoh asked his officials, ‘Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?’” Numbers 27:18 (ESV) says the same about Joshua. “So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.” Likewise, Daniel 4:8 (NKJV) says the same about Daniel. “But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God).”

Then, what is the difference between the Holy Spirit’s dwelling ministry in the New Testament versus the Old Testament? Two things:

1. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit’s dwelling is universal and not selective.

In the OT, God’s Spirit came upon select people such as the king, the priest, and the prophet, but in the NT, the Spirit indwells all believers. Consider John 7:37-39:

On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The Spirit would be given to all those who believe in Christ. Likewise, Peter said this in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In fact, to not have the Holy Spirit means that one is not born again. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.” Also, Jude 19 describes false teachers this way: “These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit.” If we do not have the Spirit of God, then we are not saved.

Are there any other differences between the Spirit’s indwelling in the OT and the NT?

2. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit’s dwelling is eternal and not temporary.

Consider these descriptions of the Holy Spirit in the OT: In 1 Samuel 16:14, it says this about King Saul, “Now the Spirit of the LORD had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.” Also, in Psalm 51:11, David prayed, “Do not reject me! Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!” Clearly, the Holy Spirit came upon believers in the OT and dwelled within them, but at times departed. With Saul, the Spirit left him because of his rebellion against God. The Spirit’s leaving him represented a lack of empowerment to lead Israel as God’s representative.

What about the Spirit’s ministry in the New Testament? Will the Spirit ever leave a believer? In John 14:16, Christ said this about the Spirit’s new ministry, “Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.” When describing the Spirit’s ministry to the disciples, Jesus described a change that was significantly different from the Spirit’s Old Covenant ministry: God’s Spirit would dwell with his disciples forever.

The difference between the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry in the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is that in the New Covenant, the Spirit indwells all believers and indwells them permanently.

Why is the Spirit’s ministry of “indwelling” so important? As mentioned, the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is essential to his other ministries. Because the Spirit indwells believers, he also convicts, enlightens, seals, empowers, and gifts, among other things.

Application

How should this Spirit’s indwelling ministry affect us?

1. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling reminds us of God’s great love for us.

One of the greatest symbols in our societies of love is living together. Families live together. Two singles meet, fall in love, get married, and move in together for the rest of their lives. Likewise, God loved us so much, he moved in with us permanently. In fact, since Scripture teaches that in heaven, we are no longer married nor given in human marriage (Matt 22:30), the Holy Spirit’s indwelling ministry is an even greater residency than we ever experience on earth. It’s eternal! Again, this reminds us of how much God loves us. This is especially important when tempted by the devil to doubt God’s love or his plan for our lives. Christ died for us, married us, and indwells us forever, through his Spirit.

2. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling reminds us to be good hosts.

Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” We should give careful attention to our words, thoughts, actions, relationships, entertainment, etc., in order to not grieve God’s Spirit who indwells us. In fact, we must go above simply not sinning but also seek to live God-honoring, righteous lives that please God. In this way, God’s Spirit can be at home within us, instead of being treated as a neglected (or abused) visitor.

3. The Holy Spirit’s indwelling reminds us of our eternal security.

If the Holy Spirit indwells us forever (John 14:16) and has sealed us until the day of our redemption (Eph 4:30), then this means that true believers will never lose their salvation. God will never leave us as orphans; we shall be part of his family and dwell with him forever.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What is the doctrine of the Spirit’s indwelling, and why is it so important?
  3. What is the difference between the Spirit’s ministry to believers in the Old Testament and the New?
  4. What are some applications we can take from the Spirit’s indwelling of believers?
  5. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit)

5. The Holy Spirit’s Ministries, Part III - Sealing, Deposit, Restraining

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Sealing

Another ministry of the Holy Spirit is his being the seal of our salvation. In Ephesians 1:13, it says, “And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.” Likewise, 2 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV) says God “set his seal of ownership on us.”

What does the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit refer to?

1. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents authenticity—he proves that a believer’s salvation is genuine.

John MacArthur said this:

The sealing of which Paul speaks here refers to an official mark of identification that was placed on a letter, contract, or other important document. The seal usually was made from hot wax, which was placed on the document and then impressed with a signet ring. The document was thereby officially identified with and under the authority of the person to whom the signet belonged.1

Today, official brands will often have a logo—a mark of authentication (cf. Coke vs. cola), which proves it is genuine and not a fake. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is God’s official seal on a believer—proving his or her authenticity. Romans 8:9 says, “…Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.” The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16). He authenticates us by changing us and making us more into Christ’s image (cf. 2 Pet 1:5-10). He gives us new desires—desires to pray, serve, love God and others, and to read his Word (cf. Matt 5:6). If professing believers don’t have these types of holy affections, then they are not truly saved—they are missing the seal of the Holy Spirit.

2. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents God’s ownership.

In those days, slaves and cattle would bear the seal of the owner. The Holy Spirit not only authenticates us but demonstrates God’s ownership of believers.

As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents the security of a believer.

Seals were also used as a form of security. Often kings or those in authority would seal something to say that it should not be touched or tampered with. John MacArthur’s comments are helpful here as well:

In ancient times the seal of a king, prince, or noble represented security and inviolability. When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, King Darius, along with his nobles, placed their seals on the stone placed over the entrance to the den, “so that nothing might be changed in regard to Daniel” (Dan. 6:17). Any person but the king who broke or disturbed that seal would likely have forfeited his life. In a similar way the tomb where Jesus was buried was sealed. Fearing that Jesus’ disciples might steal His body and falsely claim His resurrection, the Jewish leaders obtained Pilate’s permission to place a seal on the stone and to guard it with soldiers (Matt. 27:62–66).2

This is one of the reasons we know that a true believer’s salvation is secure. The Holy Spirit seals him. Consider what Paul said in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Even though we were redeemed from slavery to sin at salvation, our ultimate redemption awaits our resurrected bodies. The Holy Spirit seals us until that final work happens, and so does Jesus and the Father. Jesus said this in John 10:27-30:

My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work to secure and protect a believer’s salvation.

4. As a seal, the Holy Spirit represents authority.

To have a king’s signet ring or seal meant to hold his power and authority (cf. Esther 8:8-12). For example, when Joseph was promoted to second in command over Egypt, he was given Pharaoh’s signet ring (Gen 41:41-42), which enabled him to make decisions with Pharaoh’s full power and authority. In the same way, God’s seal on believers represents their authority to teach the Word of God, defend it, use their spiritual gifts to build God’s kingdom, and conquer Satan, among other things. Christ said this when he ascended to heaven:

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Because we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, we have the authority of the King to do his ministry.

Deposit

The Holy Spirit is also called the believer’s deposit, earnest, or down payment. In Ephesians 1:14 (NIV), Paul says the Holy Spirit is our “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Second Corinthians 1:22 (NIV) says God “put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

What does the Holy Spirit being a believer’s “deposit” refer to?

1. As a deposit, the Holy Spirit guarantees our future inheritance.

The word deposit can be translated earnest or even engagement ring.3 An engagement ring is a promise for future marriage. An earnest is “the down payment to guarantee the final purchase of some commodity or piece of property.”4 When people bought a piece of property in those times, they put down earnest money. This money guaranteed that the rest of the money was coming. If one failed to pay, they would lose their earnest. It is often similar in purchasing property today. A person will put down 10%, 20%, or more, as a guarantee that the remaining balance will be paid.

The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as our earnest. He is our guarantee that we will fully receive every spiritual blessing in Christ, including eternal life.

2. As a deposit, the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of our inheritance in heaven.

An earnest is part of a future payment. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of our future heavenly inheritance. In Romans 14:17, Paul said, “For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Heaven will be full of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These are all things that the Holy Spirit wants to give us now. He wants to fill us with righteousness and get rid of sin in our lives. He wants to give us peace and joy—no matter the trials we encounter. Our experience now in the Holy Spirit is a taste of our heavenly future.

Restraining

Another ministry of the Holy Spirit is that of restraining sin and evil on the earth. Tony Evans said this about the Spirit’s restraining ministry:

The Holy Spirit's restraint of sin is like the atmosphere around us. It's helping to sustain this world as we know and experience it. The only reason sin isn't as bad as it could be worldwide is because of the Spirit's restraint.5

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7, Paul seems to be referring to this ministry as he talks about the end times. He says:

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time. For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out of the way

In the end-times, the Antichrist will launch the greatest onslaught of evil and destruction the world has ever seen, but currently, Satan’s work through him is being held back by a person (v. 7). It is evident that no human can hold back Satan’s work and that only God can do it. For this reason, many believe that Paul is referring to the person of the Holy Spirit. Currently, the Holy Spirit is restraining Satan’s full, destructive plan for the earth, but one day the Spirit will be taken out of the way to allow Satan’s evil plan to happen.

When and how will the Holy Spirit be taken out of the way? Some believe this refers to a time right before Christ returns during the end times. In John 16:7, Christ said this about the Holy Spirit’s coming to indwell the disciples in a new way: “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you.” Since the Spirit couldn’t come unless Christ left, it makes sense that right before Christ returns to the earth, the Spirit will again leave. He will be present in the same way he was in the Old Testament. No doubt, he will still be restraining sin in some manner, but not in the same manner that he is currently doing it through Christ’s disciples, the church. It is for this reason that some believe this refers to the rapture of the church happening sometime before Christ returns. When Christ ascended to heaven, the Spirit began to indwell the church in a special way—empowering them to be salt and light to the world (Matt 5:13-14), aiding in restraining sin and promoting righteousness. Before Christ returns, the Holy Spirit will return to the Father with believers (yet still be present and ministering, but in an Old Covenant way). After a period of Satan’s wrath on the earth through the Antichrist, Christ will return with his saints to judge the earth.

Is there any other evidence of God’s restraining ministry through the Holy Spirit? It appears that the Spirit was performing some type of restraining ministry right before God judged the earth by the world-wide flood. Because of the world’s great sins, in Genesis 6:3 (NIV), God said: “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The word for “contend” in the Hebrew also means to “shield” or “protect.”6 Essentially, God had for years been protecting humanity from sin and its consequences through the Spirit. But, because of their continual rebellion, God handed them over to their sin and rebellion—allowing them to reap the consequences of their defiance by unleashing the flood.

In Romans 1:28-32, Paul describes something similar in the ancient Roman world. He says:

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

Essentially, because of the world’s continual rebellion, God hands them over to depraved thinking (v. 28), leading to worse sin and its consequences. This introduces another way the Holy Spirit restrains sin: he restrains it through humanity’s God-given conscience (Rom 2:14). The conscience is meant to be a moral guide in humanity which affirms us when we do right and condemns us when we do wrong. When God hands us over to our evil desires, our mind and conscience cease to work properly, and we start to approve even great evils. People start to declare that right is wrong and wrong is right, as their hearts become hardened. As in Genesis 6:3, God’s Spirit will not contend with people forever; eventually he allows them to have what their evil hearts want, including reaping the consequences of those evil desires. Likewise, God’s Spirit will do the same during the end-times.

What are some other ways the Holy Spirit restrains sin? (1) Other than the conscience, (2) the Holy Spirit restrains sin through the teaching, studying, and practicing of God’s Word, as he convicts believers and unbelievers of sin (2 Tim 3:16-17). (3) He restrains sin through government authorities, as they discipline wrongdoers and reward the righteous (Rom 13:1-7). (4) The Spirit restrains sin through families, as they discipline and raise children according to godly guidelines (Eph 6:4). (5) The Spirit restrains sin through direct intervention, as the Spirit simply sets boundaries on Satan’s work, as in the story of Job (Job 1:12, 2:6). (6) Finally, as mentioned previously, the Spirit restrains sin through the godly witness of the church (Matt 5:13-16). In the end times, all of these areas will be less effective, as the Spirit’s ministry is removed to some extent (2 Thess 2:3-7).

Application

How should we respond to the reality of the Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry?

1. The Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry reminds us to not resist the Spirit when he convicts us of sin, because there are drastic consequences for resisting his warnings.

To resist the Spirit’s ministry leads to God handing us over to our evil desires and reaping the consequences of those desires. Again Romans 1:28-29 says:

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips…

Certainly, this is being experienced in many societies around us, as people continually reject God’s Word and embrace evil.

2. The Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry reminds us that God wants to use us, as believers, to restrain sin amongst our friends, family, church, and society.

When we compromise or remain silent when evil is practiced, we hinder the Holy Spirit’s work through us, which negatively affects those whom we are meant to bless. We are called to be salt and light to the earth (Matt 5:13-15)—restraining sin, promoting righteousness, and glorifying God through our lives.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. In what ways is the Holy Spirit the believers’ seal?
  3. In what ways is the Holy Spirit the believers’ deposit?
  4. What is the Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry, and how should this ministry challenge us?
  5. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 34). Chicago: Moody Press.

2 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 34–35). Chicago: Moody Press.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (p. 36). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

5 Evans, Tony. Theology You Can Count On: Experiencing What the Bible Says About... God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Angels, Salvation... Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

6 See NET Footnotes on Genesis 6:3

Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit)

6. The Holy Spirit’s Ministries, Part IV - Baptism In The Spirit

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Baptism in the Spirit

Another ministry of the Holy Spirit is the baptism “in” or “with” the Spirit. The baptism in the Spirit is a very important and controversial doctrine in the church. Historically, Spirit baptism refers to Christ, through the agency of God’s Spirit, placing believers into the body of Christ. In it, we become part of the body of believers, and Christ becomes our head. Tony Evans described the baptism this way:

Jesus is the One doing the baptizing. He is the baptizer, not the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the means by which this baptism takes place, the means by which believers enter into this new realm or environment called the body of Christ or the family of God.1

However, in some denominations such as Pentecostalism, it refers to a second experience of the Holy Spirit after salvation where believers experience power for the Christian life, and it is often accompanied by tongues. Charles Ryrie describes this view, which has changed at times throughout history:

Whereas old Pentecostalism uniformly taught that the baptism of the Spirit was an endowment for power, tongues being the evidence of the experience, newer Pentecostalism sees two baptisms. One is that of [1 Corinthians 12] verse 13, which all believers experience and which is accomplished by the Spirit and places people in the body of Christ. The other is the baptism seen in the book of Acts and is accomplished by Christ to place people in the Spirit for experiences of power. The first happens at conversion and results in a position; the second occurs later and can be repeated and is for power. The first does not require speaking in tongues; the second ideally does.2

John the Baptist initially predicted the baptism into the Spirit. In Mark 1:8, he said, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Also, Christ predicted it before he ascended into heaven in Acts 1:4-5:

While he was with them, he declared, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

This happened in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit fell on the waiting disciples. They experienced fire above their heads, as symbols of the Spirit’s empowerment, and speaking in tongues, which allowed them to proclaim God’s goodness in different languages. Those visiting Jerusalem during Pentecost stood in awe of them (Acts 2:6-11). Peter confirmed that their experience at Pentecost was in fact the baptism of the Spirit, as predicted by Christ. In Acts 11:15-16, he said:

Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

In addition, other believers throughout the book of Acts, who were not in Jerusalem at Pentecost, had similar experiences at later dates when the Spirit fell upon them and enabled them to speak in tongues, symbolizing their baptism in the Spirit (Acts 8:14-17, 19:1-6).

The concept of baptism means to identify or associate with something or someone.3 As believers, we are baptized with the Spirit into Christ’s body at salvation. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV), Paul said this, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” “All” believers are baptized and not “some.” It is not a secondary work that some experience; it is a primary work that all believers experience when they are saved.

Results of the Baptism

What are the results of being baptized in the Spirit?

2. The baptism in the Spirit provides believers with a new identity and position in Christ.

Because of this baptism, Paul constantly refers to the new identity of believers as “in Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul said, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” Because we are in Christ, we are new creations. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Because we are in Christ, we will not be condemned by God for our sins. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” Because we are in Christ, we now are the righteousness of God. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” Because we are “in Christ,” we have every blessing in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6 says, “and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Our being raised and seated in Christ in the heavenlies seems to not only refer to our new position but our new authority in Christ, as we are above all rule, authority, and power in this age and the age to come (cf. Eph 1:20-22). Likewise, in Romans 6:3-4, Paul says our baptism into Christ associates us with his death, burial, and resurrection, therefore setting us free from the power of sin to live a new life in Christ. He says,

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.

Our identity in Christ radically changes everything about us including how God sees us and how we should see ourselves and other believers. This new identity happens as we are baptized in the Spirit into the body of Christ.

2. The baptism in the Spirit provides believers with a new union with the church.

In Ephesians 2:14-15, Paul describes how God unified Jews and Gentiles in Christ:

For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this ‘to create in himself one new man out of two,’ thus making peace

In Spirit baptism, Christ took two hostile people groups—believing Jews and Gentiles, which encompasses all nationalities—and made them one in Christ. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” The reality is that being from different cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds makes the church prone to discord. However, because God has made us one in Christ, through God’s Spirit, we must labor to live out this unity. In Ephesians 4:3-5, Paul said, “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The “one baptism” probably refers to Spirit baptism, of which water baptism, ultimately, symbolizes.

3. The baptism in the Spirit provides believers with spiritual gifts.

Since it’s through Spirit baptism that believers become part of the body, Paul associates it with the distribution of spiritual gifts. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:10-13 (ESV):

to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

It is as we become a member of the body that we are assigned a specific gift or role in the body. One person is the arm, another the foot, another the eye, and so on. In Spirit baptism, we are not only unified into the body but also empowered to serve the body with a gift.

Two Views

Why are there two views—the traditional view and the Pentecostal view? The Pentecostal view, which sees Spirit baptism as a second experience after salvation, is derived explicitly from the Acts narrative when the Spirit fell on believers and they spoke in tongues both at Pentecost and at later dates (cf. Acts 1:4, 2:4, 11:15-18, etc.). If our understanding of Spirit baptism is derived from the Acts narrative alone, Spirit baptism being a work following salvation seems to be the best conclusion.

However, there are many problems with the Pentecostal view:

1. From a hermeneutical standpoint, narratives are not meant to be prescriptive but descriptive. They are meant to tell us what happened, not tell us how things should be or what they mean. When doctrines are made out of narratives, it’s a dangerous way to study the Bible. Professing Christians who believe in polygamy—a husband having multiple wives—take their proof from historical narratives, like the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and David. However, the authors of those narratives meant for them to be descriptive of what happened, not of what should have happened or what should be modeled. This is especially dangerous in the book of Acts because it is a transitional book. It is transitioning from Israel to the church, from Jews being God’s primary conduit of redemption to it being Jew and Gentile, from Old Covenant regulations to New Covenant regulations, and so on.

2. Again, from a hermeneutical standpoint, doctrinal books like the Epistles are meant for forming doctrines. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul explains what happened at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on believers. God, through the Holy Spirit, was forming the body of Christ. Paul said to the Corinthians that “all” of them had been baptized in the Spirit (12:13), and he also shared that not all of them spoke in tongues, which many believe is an enduring sign of the baptism (12:30). The experience in Acts was not meant to be the continual experience of believers. When those who were not at Pentecost (such as Cornelius in Acts 10) experienced the baptism in the Spirit, it was very similar to the Numbers 11 narrative where Moses brought seventy elders to a mountain to receive a portion of his anointing so they could lead Israel. When the Spirit fell, they prophesied as a sign of experiencing the Spirit. Later on, the Spirit of God caught up to two who were not on the mountain, and they also prophesied. The same happened at Pentecost. The believers who were there experienced the baptism and those who were not, received it later, often after being prayed over. Again, the experience was not meant to be normative, as 1 Corinthians 12:13 explains. Believers are now baptized in the Spirit at salvation, when they become part of Christ’s body.

3. The Pentecostal view actually teaches the opposite of what happens in the baptism in the Spirit. The baptism unifies all believers into one body. That is why Paul teaches that we “all” have been baptized in one Spirit into one body (1 Cor 12:13). The Pentecostal view divides the body into baptized and non-baptized believers (or “filled” and “unfilled” believers, as some call them). In some churches, the baptized believers are considered the spiritually mature, with tongues being their proof of maturity.

4. As mentioned, some have tried to distinguish between the baptism John and Christ predicted (Mk 1:8, Acts 1:4-5) and the baptism Paul described in 1 Corinthians 12:13. They would say John and Christ predicted the baptism in the Spirit, which happened at Pentecost and throughout the book of Acts, and Paul described the baptism into Christ’s body, which happens at salvation. In the first, Christ is the baptizer and the Spirit the sphere. In the second, the Spirit is the baptizer and Christ is the sphere.4 However, the baptisms John, Christ, and Paul described have an almost identical construction in the Greek.5 The only difference is Paul said, “one Spirit” instead of “the Holy Spirit.” Otherwise, all the other words are exactly the same.6 There is no need to create two baptisms—in the Spirit and in Christ. Some English Bible versions have translated 1 Corinthians 12:13 to say, “baptized by one Spirit” (e.g. NIV), which is often cited to create a second baptism for believers; however, it is best to translate it “with” or “in one Spirit.” Christ is the baptizer and the Spirit is the medium of the baptism. Paul is simply explaining the baptism that John and Christ predicted (Mk 1:8, Acts 1:4-5) happened in Acts 2, as God formed his church through the baptism in the Spirit.

With that said, even if the original authors meant to distinguish between Christ baptizing and the Spirit baptizing, it doesn’t necessarily mean they refer to a different baptism. It’s common in the New Testament for the persons of the Godhead to be described as doing the same work, since they are one. We are God’s temple, but we are also the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19). Likewise, Christ also dwells in us (Eph 3:17, Rev 3:20). God holds us in his hand to keep our salvation, and Christ does the same (John 10:28-29). Also, the Holy Spirit seals us, again keeping our salvation (Eph 4:30). God created the earth, but Christ did as well; and the Spirit was involved (Gen 1:1-2, John 1:3, Ps 104:30). They are all involved in the same work. Therefore, even if the original authors meant to distinguish between baptizers and the medium of the baptism (Christ and the Holy Spirit), it does not necessarily mean it refers to a different work. Most likely, they are the same, especially since they essentially have the same grammatical construction and describe identical or very similar activities.

5. If the Pentecostal view is correct—that believers need to seek a second baptism—wouldn’t there be one command in Scripture to seek the baptism of the Spirit? But there isn’t. Believers are called to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). However, the verb for “filled” is present tense. It’s a continual experience we must pursue of being empowered and controlled by God. It is compared to being drunk with wine because it is similar in that it is a temporary experience that must be attained and maintained. It is dissimilar in that drunkenness leads to sin but being filled with the Spirit leads to righteousness.

6. Finally, the fact that John the Baptist introduced Spirit baptism as representing salvation confirms it is not a secondary experience that only some believers achieve. In Matthew 3:11-12, after challenging the Pharisees and Sadducees to produce fruit worthy of repentance, John said:

I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am—I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.

John said Christ would baptize people with the “Holy Spirit and fire” (v. 12). Some say that “Holy Spirit” and “fire” both refer to the baptism in the Spirit. In support, they point to the initial Spirit baptism at Pentecost and how “tongues of fire” appeared above the disciples’ heads (Acts 2:3). However, John doesn’t seem to be referring to that, since the previous mention of “fire” in verse 10 referred to eternal judgment. He says, “Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “Fire” also refers to eternal judgment in verse 13. In context, John is referring to two distinct baptisms. In verse 13, John explains both: the baptism with the Spirit represents salvation, as the wheat is gathered into the storehouse, and the baptism with fire represents eternal judgment, as the chaff is burned (cf. Matt 13:36-43). Essentially, as John called people to true repentance, he said, “The Messiah is coming! Are you ready? When he comes, you will either be baptized in the Spirit and thus saved, or you will be baptized in fire and thus judged!” This equates with how Paul handled the baptism in the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:13. After the baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost and the initial forming of the church, the baptism happens at salvation to all believers. It is when believers become part of the body of Christ, and Christ becomes their head.

Proper Terminology

For those who claim to have experienced a second work of the Spirit—resulting in transformation and power—it would be more biblical to use the term “filling of the Spirit” instead of “baptism in the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit refers to daily being empowered and controlled by the Spirit. It may, at times, result in special power and unique phenomena, especially in crisis situations. For instance, when the Spirit came upon Saul, he prophesied (1 Sam 10:10). When the Spirit came upon Samson, he struck down 1000 Philistines (Judg 15:14-16). In Acts 4:31, after corporate prayer, the disciples were “filled with the Spirit” and spoke “the word of God courageously.” In Acts 19:6, when the Spirit came upon John the Baptist’s disciples, after being prayed for by Paul, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. For those who have experienced a transforming, charismatic experience (or experiences) after salvation, it would be more biblical to use the term “filled with the Spirit” rather than “baptized in the Spirit.”

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What is the baptism in the Spirit and the results of it for believers?
  3. What is the difference between the two views of the baptism in the Spirit—the traditional and Pentecostal view?
  4. Which view (traditional or Pentecostal) do you think is most biblical and why?
  5. Have you ever experienced being “filled with the Spirit,” which resulted in greater power or some type of charismatic phenomena? If so, how did it happen, and what led to the experience?
  6. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Evans, Tony. Theology You Can Count On: Experiencing What the Bible Says About... God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Angels, Salvation... . Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

2 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 419–420). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

3 Aaron, Daryl. Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day: How can I know God? (Location 2271-2278). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

4 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 420). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

5 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 766). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

6 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 767). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit)

8. The Holy Spirit’s Ministries, Part VI - The Filling Of The Spirit

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The Filling of the Spirit

What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit?” In Ephesians 5:18-21, Paul says:

And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

This is a commonly misunderstood teaching; therefore, we will begin with what “being filled with the Spirit” does not mean.

Common Misunderstandings

1. To be filled with the Spirit is not describing a crazy, ecstatic experience, such as falling on the floor, shaking uncontrollably, or barking like a dog.

Scripture says one of the fruits of the Spirit is “self-control” (Gal 5:23) and the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets (1 Cor 14:32). This means when the Spirit of God moves in one’s life, it ignites and enables self-control—not lack of control. The Spirit-filled person is able to control his lust, language, emotions, and body.

In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul says, “So I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” The implication from Paul’s statement is that the Corinthians were accepting many counterfeits in the church. They probably were so excited about power and charismatic gifts that they accepted everything without question. Paul says, “No, the Spirit of God won’t say Jesus is cursed!” In the same way, many churches today are so excited about the things of the Spirit, they lack discernment.

One of the tricks of the Anti-Christ in the end times will be counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thess 2:9). The enemy deceives people with these types of wonders even today. People in churches are barking like dogs, roaring like lions, falling down, shaking, and other outlandish displays. John commanded believers to test the spirits to see if they are of God (1 John 4:1). We do this by analyzing the spirit’s fruit. One question we must ask is, “Does this ‘spirit’ produce self-control or lack of control?”

2. To be filled with the Spirit is not the same as the baptism in the Spirit.

When a person becomes born again, Christ baptizes him with the Spirit into the body of Christ. First Corinthians 12:13 (ESV) says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” It is a one-time experience, during which we become part of Christ’s body. Some believe the baptism is a second experience that believers must seek and that it is commonly associated with speaking in tongues. However, 1 Corinthians 12:13 says that we have all been baptized in the Spirit, and at the end of the chapter, it says that not everybody has the gift of tongues (v. 28-31). Another evidence that all believers have been baptized with the Spirit is the fact that Scripture never commands us to seek the baptism. If it were an important experience for all believers to pursue, wouldn’t there be at least one command for us to seek it? But there is no command. The baptism in the Spirit is a one-time experience that happens at salvation, and therefore, Scripture doesn’t command us to seek it.

Sadly, because the filling of the Spirit is commonly associated with baptism in the Spirit, in some circles, it has led believers to create two tiers of Christians—Spirit-filled and un-Spirit-filled. In some churches, Christians who don’t speak in tongues are looked upon as second-class citizens. This results in the opposite of what the baptism in the Spirit is meant to do. The baptism makes us one body—not two. This misunderstanding of being baptized with the Spirit divides what God actually unified through Spirit baptism.

What Is the Filling of the Spirit?

Well then, we must ask, what is the filling of the Spirit? Whereas with the baptism in the Spirit, we become part of the body of Christ, in the filling of the Spirit, we offer our body to God. Whereas baptism in the Spirit is a one-time experience, the filling of the Spirit is a continual experience of believers. For believers, there is one baptism and multiple fillings. This is seen in the Greek tense of the word “fill.” It is a present imperative. It can actually be translated “keep on being filled.” It is also passive, meaning, “we do not fill ourselves but permit the Spirit to fill us.”1

Warren Wiersbe’s comments on the word “filled” are helpful:

In the Bible, filled means “controlled by.” “They … were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28) means “they were controlled by wrath” and for that reason tried to kill Jesus. “The Jews were filled with envy” (Acts 13:45) means that the Jews were controlled by envy and opposed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in our mind, emotions, and will.2

The filling of the Spirit brings power into the Christian life to be holy, to witness, and to accomplish all God calls for us to do. It should be the continual endeavor and experience of every believer. Believers should constantly seek this experience in their lives. If they don’t, they will produce little fruit for God’s kingdom.

Becoming Filled

How should believers seek the filling of the Spirit?

1. Believers are filled through yielding to the Spirit’s control.

Again, the word “fill” is passive, meaning that the Holy Spirit fills us. Therefore, in order for the Spirit to control us, we must yield to his will in our lives, by obeying Scripture and the Spirit’s promptings, and not grieving the Spirit through sin. We must offer our bodies as living sacrifices unto God, as Romans 12:1 says. This is where many Christians fail. They continually hold back their best from God—not wanting to fully submit to him for fear of what he might say or where he might lead. As long as believers hold back full obedience to God, they cannot be filled as they should be.

Are you yielding to the Spirit? Or are you holding back full obedience?

2. Believers are filled through dwelling in the Word of God.

Colossians 3:16-18 says,

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

It is hard not to notice the similarities between Colossians 3:16-18 and Ephesians 5:18-21. The results of being filled with the Spirit and letting the Word of Christ dwell richly in us are almost synonymous. The results are worship, thanksgiving, and submission to others.

Since the Spirit is the author of Scripture, to be filled by him means to dwell in the Word of God. The word “dwell” actually means “to feel at home.”3 Many Christians can’t be filled and empowered by the Spirit because the Word of God is not “at home” in their lives. It is more like a visitor than a resident. They visit the Word of God on occasion. They say, “Maybe, I’ll read the Bible today or maybe I won’t.” Therefore, they don’t have Spirit-enabled power in their lives, and they struggle with self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit.

If we are going to be filled with the Spirit, we must daily dwell in the Word of God (Psalm 1:2-3). There the Spirit instructs and equips us for all righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17).

3. Believers are filled through prayer.

In Acts 4:29-31, the church gathered to pray because of the persecution they suffered for preaching the gospel. The text shows their prayer and the result:

And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.

When they finished praying, the place was shaken, and they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word of God courageously. Instead of fearing the threats of men, they had spiritual power to continue God’s ministry.

How do we get filled and empowered by the Spirit of God? We get filled and empowered by having a thriving prayer life. Our ability to serve God, be holy, and have joy will often be proportionate to our time in prayer. Prayer is one of the ways the Spirit fills us.

As we consider Acts 4, we must also see the importance of corporate prayer. Even Jesus, when confronted with the cross, called a prayer meeting to prepare for what was coming (Mk 14:34-42). We should do the same when encountering trials and temptations in our lives. Corporate prayer is one of the ways that God fills and empowers us.

4. Believers are filled through worship.

In 2 Kings 3:15 (ESV), Elisha was approached by Jehoshaphat and Ahab, who were seeking God’s wisdom about going to war. Elisha responded, “‘But now bring me a musician.’ And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him.” Elisha was filled by God and empowered as he worshiped. It is the same for us; God empowers us through worship. In another story, God routed an invading army while Jehoshaphat and his army worshiped (2 Chr 20).

The Bible says God inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 23:3 ESV). Wherever there is true worship, God manifests and empowers his people.

5. Believers are filled through faithfully enduring trials.

We get a picture of this with Christ in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1 says he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. But Luke 4:13-14 says this about his leaving: “So when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside.” When Christ left the wilderness after faithfully enduring temptation, the Spirit of God empowered him.

It is no surprise that the believers whom God used greatly in Scripture, were often first sent into the wilderness—trials—to be filled and empowered. Trials empty us of our self-reliance, so we can fully rely on God’s strength. God said this to Paul about his thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God uses trials to weaken us so the power of his Spirit may be made perfect in us. With that said, for some, trials can cause them to turn away from God. Instead of running to God for his strength and comfort, they run to something else, such as alcohol, smoking, overeating, a relationship, or some other addiction. They forfeit God’s power and give something or someone else control of their lives.

Are we drawing near God in our trials, or near to something else? Our trials are strategic. It is there that God empowers and equips us for service.

Results of Being Filled

What are the results of being filled by the Spirit according to Ephesians 5:19-21? We might think the results would be such things as miracles, prayer that moves mountains, or healing, but they are not. In Ephesians 5:19-21, Paul shares the results of being filled with the Spirit:

speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A result of being filled is corporate worship.

Paul said speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. MacDonald’s comments are helpful:

While some see all three categories as parts of the Book of Psalms, we understand only psalms to mean the inspired writings of David, Asaph, and others. Hymns are noninspired songs which ascribe worship and praise directly to God. Spiritual songs are any other lyrical compositions dealing with spiritual themes, even though not addressed directly to God.4

It must be noted that Paul says, “speak to one another.” Corporate worship is focused on God, but in it, we also speak to and edify one another. We see this commonly in the Psalms. Psalm 95:1-3 says:

Come! Let’s sing for joy to the LORD! Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us! Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving! Let’s shout out to him in celebration! For the LORD is a great God, a great king who is superior to all gods.

This reminds us that when we sing to God, it blesses him, but it also blesses others. As we raise our voices in worship, we speak to others about the greatness of God, and we edify them. Additionally, when we do not sing, we rob others of their blessing. Certainly, some are more gifted at singing than others, but Spirit-filled singing has nothing to do with being in tune or singing well. Spirit-filled singing is a manifestation of the heart that honors God and loves others.

2. A result of being filled is individual worship.

Paul said, “making music in your hearts to the Lord.” When filled with the Spirit, we find ourselves continually praising God—humming songs in our heart throughout the day. This is true because the Spirit’s passion is to glorify Christ and God (cf. John 16:14).

3. A result of being filled is thankfulness.

When a person is critical and complaining, they are not filled with the Spirit, but with the flesh (cf. Gal 5:19-21, Phil 2:14). When the Spirit fills us, we give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for our lives (1 Thess 5:18).

4. A result of being filled is submission.

Instead of constantly seeking our rights and our glory, like Christ, we lay our rights down to serve and honor others. Philippians 2:3 says, “Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.” This includes submitting to our authorities but also to those under our authority. When Christ washed the feet of his disciples, he essentially submitted to them as a servant. That is why the disciples were so shocked and refused his ministry (John 13:1-17). Like Christ, we must humbly submit to others, even those who submit to us.

Additional Means of Being Filled

Finally, in considering these results, it is worth noting that some commentators believe they are not results of being filled with the Spirit but a means of being filled.5 Certainly, they are both. When we worship individually and corporately, we are filled with God’s Spirit, even as Elisha was empowered while the musician played the harp in worship (2 Kgs 3:15). When we are thankful, we are filled with the Spirit. But when we complain, we “…. quench the Spirit” (1 Thess 5:18-19 NIV). When we submit to one another, God fills us, but when we are selfish, prideful, and in discord, we forfeit his filling.

As believers, we must keep an awareness of the Spirit’s filling, for we need it to worship, to be thankful, to submit to God and others, and ultimately to accomplish everything God commands of us.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit, and why is it important for the Christian life?
  3. What does it mean to be baptized in the Spirit, and how is it sometimes confused with being filled with the Spirit?
  4. What are the results and means of being filled with the Spirit?
  5. How is God calling you to daily pursue being filled with the Spirit?
  6. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 48). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 48). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

3 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 139). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

4 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1946). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5 Evans, Tony (2009-01-01). Free at Last: Experiencing True Freedom Through Your Identity in Christ (Kindle Locations 1817-1819). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit)

8. Evidence for Christ’s Deity: Prophecy and Miracles

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What are further evidences that Jesus is God? Previously, we considered the illogical conclusions that many have about Christ—that he was simply a good man, moral teacher, or prophet from God. It is impossible to come to those conclusions when one considers what Jesus taught—he declared people’s sins forgiven, claimed to be the only way to heaven, claimed to one day judge all of humanity, and to be the Son of God. As C.S. Lewis said, Jesus is either a liar, lunatic, the devil himself, or God as Jesus proclaimed.

We also looked at Jesus’ resurrection as evidence for his deity. From a historical standpoint, there is no historical event better supported than the resurrection, including the fact that Julius Caesar even lived.1

What are some other evidences that help prove that Jesus is God? In this study, we will consider biblical prophecies and his miracles.

Prophecies about Jesus as Evidence of His Deity

As an illustration, let’s say that we are going to the airport to pick up a person that we have never met or seen before, as a favor for a friend, named Susan. Susan said this person will be flying from Manila, Philippines to Seoul, Korea on Korean Air, Flight 257. That flight will land at 3:00 pm at Incheon Airport. Susan proceeds to give more information: “This person will meet you at baggage claim two. He has tan skin, brown eyes, and black hair. He is pretty short and average looking. He will be wearing grey sweats to be comfortable on his trip. The front of his hoody will say, ‘Everything is more fun in the Philippines!’ He was originally born in Manila but is moving to Korea to attend college. His social security number is xxxxxxx. His phone number is xxxxxxxx. His email is xxxxxx.” We would think, “That’s pretty thorough! We should be able to easily find this person!” Then, Susan adds that this person will stand on the baggage claim and yell, “I am Susan’s friend! I am the one you are looking for! I’m from the Philippines. I’m here in Korea to go to college!” We would probably think, “Ok… this is a little much.” Then Susan proceeds to give more information…

I share that exaggeration to say, the Bible is very much like that when giving details about the coming messiah. There are over 300 prophecies about Christ given in the Old Testament. All were given at least 400 years before he was born—some thousands of years before his birth. Thirty-three of these prophecies were fulfilled on the day of his crucifixion.2

When Christ made himself known to the Jews in the Gospels, consider what he said:

You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me

John 5:39

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?

John 5:46-47

In fact, even after Christ resurrected, he pointed his disciples back to the Old Testament to encourage their faith in him. Luke 24:25-27 says,

So he said to them, “You foolish people—how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures.

While Jesus was on the earth, he kept telling people to look at the Scriptures because they testified about him. In fact, after Jesus ascended, these OT prophecies were commonly used by the apostles to prove to the unbelieving Jews that Jesus was the messiah. Acts 17:2-3 says this about Paul’s ministry in the synagogues:

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

What are these prophecies? Obviously, there are many, so we’ll only consider a few:

The First Messianic Prophecy

And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”

Genesis 3:15

In Genesis 3:15, the first gospel message is presented in Scripture. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, God pronounced the resulting curses and then promised that a male offspring would come from the woman to defeat the serpent, the devil. This serpent would strike the male offspring’s heel—referring to a flesh wound—but the male would crush the serpent’s head—referring to a fatal blow. On the cross, this cosmic battle happened. Christ’s death on the cross pictured the male seed being bit. The pain was short-lived as Christ rose from the dead three days later. However, in Christ’s death and resurrection, he dealt a death blow to Satan—he defeated him. Colossians 2:15 says, “Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Likewise, 1 John 3:8 says, “…For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.” The full outworking of this defeat won’t take place until the end times when Christ throws Satan into the lake of fire to be tormented forever (Rev 20:10). In addition, Christ will remove the curse from the creation and renew the heavens and the earth—making them a new heaven and earth (Rev 21). There will be no evil, sorrow, or death there. The first prophecy was given right after the first sin. A male seed would come to undo the evil and chaos Satan had brought by tempting Adam and Eve to sin.

Prophecy of the Virgin Birth

In Isaiah 7:14 (NIV), further revelation is given about the messiah. He would be born of a virgin. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Though this prophecy has some type of dual fulfillment with Isaiah’s wife having a child as a sign to Israel (Is 8:11-4, 18), it is ultimately fulfilled in the Gospels with Christ’s birth. Luke 1:34-35 tells the story, as Mary responds to a prophecy about this from an angel:

Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

Matthew directly applies this event to Isaiah 7:14:

This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

Matthew 1:22-23

Evidence for the Virgin Birth

Are there any evidences for the virgin birth? Obviously, we see evidences in how Christ’s followers (Matthew and Luke) perceived his birth, as they wrote about it in the Gospels. But, we also see something in the Gospels about how those who rejected Christ perceived his birth. In Mark 6:3, consider how the Jews from Christ’s hometown responded to him: “‘Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And so they took offense at him.”

What should stand out is how they called him “the son of Mary.” This was probably an insult in that culture. Jews were called by the name of their father or grandfather, even when they were dead (cf. Lk 4:22, John 6:42).3 For example, they would be called the “son of Abraham” or the “son of David.” They were only called by the son of a woman when that child’s paternity was doubted—when they didn’t know who the father was. Though this does not confirm the virgin birth; it does confirm that it was well-known that Joseph was not the baby’s father and that nobody knew who Jesus’ father was. Christ’s birth was perceived to have happened by fornication—sex outside of marriage.

We may see further evidence for this in how the Pharisees responded to Jesus. In John 8:41, when Christ was speaking to the Pharisees, he told them they did the deeds of their father the devil and they responded back, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God." When they said, “We were not born of fornication,” this was probably a jab at the paternity of Christ (cf. John 8:19).4 They were essentially saying, “We are not unholy, but you probably are because nobody knows who your father is.”

When considering the virgin birth, we have the witness of Christ’s followers, through the Holy Spirit, but we also have the witness of how those who rejected him perceived his birth. Apparently, nobody knew who Christ’s father was.

Why did God choose for the messiah to be born of a virgin?

1. The virgin birth was necessary for the uniting of the Divine and human natures. Christ had to be human to die for humanity, and he had to be God to pay for the sins of the entire world. Christ’s humanity came through his mother, and his deity came through the work of the Holy Spirit in her womb. Hebrews 2:14 says,

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),

2. The virgin birth is also a reminder that salvation must come through God. Salvation could never come through human effort. It had to be a Divine miracle, as God intervened to save people condemned to hell. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.”

Prophecy of Being Abraham’s Seed

What are some other prophecies about Christ? Not only was the messiah to be born of a virgin, he was going to be born in Abraham’s lineage. In Genesis 22:18 (NIV), God said this to Abraham, “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (cf. Gal 3:16). Later, it was confirmed that the seed would not only come through Abraham, but his son, Isaac; Isaac’s son, Jacob; then Jacob’s son, Judah.

Prophecy of His Kingship

In a prophecy about the messiah coming through Judah, more details about this child are gained. Genesis 49:10 says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him.” All the nations will submit to this prophesied male seed.

This prophecy is further clarified in God’s words to David. David was Israel’s second king, and he came from the tribe of Judah. God said this to David in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 (ESV):

When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.

Like many other prophecies, this one has a partial fulfillment and a secondary fulfillment. It is partially fulfilled in Solomon who builds God a temple. But Solomon could never fully fulfill this prophecy, as it promises a seed with an everlasting rule. Further prophecies clarify a future, eternal Davidic reign. Jeremiah 23:5 says:

I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.

Jeremiah prophesied many years after David and Solomon had died. There would be a future, eternal Davidic king.

God answered this prophecy in Jesus. Mary and Joseph were distant cousins who were both in David’s lineage. In Matthew 1, Joseph’s genealogy is presented. Since Jesus was adopted by Joseph, he was in the legal line of David, which was always established through the father.5 In Luke 3:23-37, Mary’s genealogy is presented, which established Jesus as in the bloodline of David. Since Jews did not normally include women in their genealogies, Luke actually places Joseph in the genealogy instead of Mary. Luke 3:23 says, “So Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years old. He was the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.” Two evidences that the Luke 3 genealogy is not really Joseph’s line (1) is the fact that it differs from Matthew’s. (2) Also, in the phrase “Joseph, the son of Heli” (Lk 3:23), the “of” before Heli is the only one in the genealogy that is not genitive (possessive).6 Heli was not Joseph’s genetic father—he was Mary’s. Therefore, most scholars believe Luke gives Mary’s genealogy.

Why did both parents come through the line of David? God was making it clear. This child is the prophesied messiah! He is the promised seed of David. In fact, throughout the Gospels, people recognized Jesus as the prophesied Son of David and called him by that prophetic title (Lk 18:38, Mk 10:47). In Matthew 21:9, as Israel recognized him as the messiah when he entered Jerusalem, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna means, “Please, save us!”7 They were waiting for Christ, the messiah, to save them.

Future Messiah?

Is it possible that the Gospels messed up and that there could be a future messiah, like many orthodox Jews believe? As we consider genealogies, it is good to remember that these were kept at the Jewish temple, and in AD 70, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple, the genealogical records were destroyed.8 Therefore, to have an actual genealogical record of Davidic lineage (and not just word of mouth), the messiah had to have come before AD 70.

This leaves only one complete lineage left that can be used to prove that a future person is the messiah and that is Jesus’. He came through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. He was the son of David, born of a virgin, as Scripture prophesied. This is true of Jesus and only Jesus. Jesus is the messiah!

Prophecy of the Time Frame of Christ

In Daniel 9:25, we see a startling prophecy giving the actual timeframe that the messiah would be on the earth. The background is Daniel praying about the future of Israel (Dan 9:1-3) when the angel, Gabriel, appears and shares with him about Israel’s future, including the coming of the messiah. Consider verse 25:

From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.

When the angel referred to “weeks,” it could also be translated “sevens,” as in the NIV. This could mean seven days or years.9 Years makes the most sense, because the context deals with Israel’s long-term future including the coming of the messiah and also because Daniel had already been thinking in terms of years (Israel’s seventy years of exile, Daniel 9:2). The angel Gabriel said to Daniel, it would be seven sevens (49) plus sixty-two sevens (434) until the messiah comes. Altogether that equals 483 years (49 +434= 483). From the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the messiah came would be 483 years. Gabriel adds that Jerusalem would be rebuilt in “distressful times.” The book of Nehemiah tells us that while Nehemiah led Israel in rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, there was much persecution. In one scene, the Israelites did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other (Neh 4:17).

Though Israel was sent back to their land by Cyrus, the issuing of the decree to rebuild Israel was given by King Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in 444 B.C (Neh 2).10 When one takes into account that the Jewish calendar was 360 days and not 365 as ours is today, 483 years later would be 33 AD—right around the time of Christ’s death.11

Those who have actually counted the days say that the prophecy was fulfilled on Palm Sunday12—the day when Jesus rode into the streets of Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” as they recognized Jesus as the messiah. Consider what Jesus said about the city on that very day:

Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. They will demolish you—you and your children within your walls—and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Luke 19:41-44

Daniel 9:25 prophesies the exact day Christ would be on the earth, so Israel would be ready to accept their messiah. However, they failed to give attention to the prophecy and instead crucified the Son of God—bringing judgment upon themselves.

What are some of the other prophecies which give evidence that Jesus is the messiah, the son of God?

Prophecy of Christ’s Birthplace

Micah predicted over 700 years before Christ’s birth that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.13 There were two Bethlehem’s in Israel, and Micah even predicts the one in Judah. Micah 5:2 says, “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah—from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past.” Matthew 2:1-2, 5-6 gives the fulfillment:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” … “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no way least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Thirty-three Prophecies on the Day of Christ’s Death

As mentioned, thirty-three prophecies were fulfilled on the day of Christ’s death. Let’s consider a few:

  • He would be betrayed by a friend (Ps 41:9).
  • The price of the betrayal would be thirty pieces of silver (Zech 11:12).
  • The money would be used to buy a potter’s field (Zech 11:13).
  • He would be forsaken and deserted by his disciples (Zech 13:7).
  • He would be accused by false witnesses (Psalm 35:11).
  • He would be silent before his witnesses (Isaiah 53:7).
  • He would be wounded and bruised (Isaiah 53:5).
  • He would be hated without cause (Psalm 69:4).
  • He would be struck and spit on (Isaiah 50:6).
  • He would be mocked, ridiculed, and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).
  • He would collapse in weakness (Psalm 109:24-25).
  • He would be taunted with specific words (Psalm 22:6-8).
  • People would shake their heads at him (Psalm 109:25).
  • He would be executed among sinners (Isaiah 53:12).
  • His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16).
  • He would pray for his persecutors (Isaiah 53:12).
  • His friends and family would stand afar off (Psalm 38:11).
  • His garments would be divided and won by casting lots (Psalm 22:18).
  • He would be given gall and vinegar (Psalm 69:21).
  • His bones would be left unbroken (Psalm 34:20).
  • He would die for our sins (Isaiah 53: 4–6).
  • His side would be pierced (Zech 12:10).
  • He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9).

Prophecy of Christ’s Resurrection

In Psalm 16:10 (NIV), David prophesied Christ’s resurrection when he said, “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” In considering David’s writing, Peter said it was fulfilled in Jesus: “David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:31-32). Isaiah seemingly prophesied it as well:

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand

Isaiah 53:10 (NIV)

Now as we consider all these prophecies, certainly we must declare, “This is pretty convincing! If Jesus fulfilled all those prophecies, he must be the Son of God—he must be the seed that everybody was waiting for!”

What is the probability that a person would fulfill only eight of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ? Professor Peter W. Stoner states that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 x 10 17th. That is 100,000,000,000,000,000.

It has been illustrated like this: If you took 1 x 1017 silver dollars and placed them over Texas (the second largest US state), you would not only cover all of Texas but would have a coin pile two feet deep. If you blindfolded yourself, took one of the coins and threw it back into the pile, and walked from the beginning of Texas, stopping only once to find that coin, that is the chance that one person would fulfill only eight of these prophecies.14

The prophetic evidence concerning Christ is simply amazing! Again, the Old Testament gives over 300 prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming and thirty-three which were fulfilled on the day of Christ’s death. Each of these prophecies was written at least 400 years before Christ’s birth—some of them thousands of years before his birth. God went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that the prophesied messiah was unmistakable to those who were genuinely looking. In addition, we must consider that all these fulfilled prophecies about Christ’s first coming should give us great confidence in the prophetic accuracy of the second coming.

Jesus’ Own Prophecies as Evidence of His Deity

What about Jesus’ own prophecies? We’ve covered OT prophecies about him to help prove his deity, but what about prophecies he gave? Were they accurate? We’ll consider a few:

The Resurrection

In John 2:19, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” As mentioned, there is no other ancient event or person more supported by historical evidence. We have more evidence for Christ’s resurrection than that Julius Caesar even lived.

Destruction of the Temple

In Matthew 24:2, Jesus said this about the temple, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” In AD 70, the Romans destroyed the temple, almost forty years after Christ’s death.

Persecution of Believers

Jesus predicted that his disciples would receive great persecution after his death and especially towards the end times. In Matthew 24:9, Christ said, “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.” That certainly happened to the apostles and the early church. The early church expanded from Jerusalem throughout the ancient world primarily because of persecution. Today, as Christ prophesied, persecution has grown. In fact, in the twentieth century, there were more martyrs for Christ than in the rest of the centuries combined. Some have estimated that around 90,000 Christians are martyred yearly—which would mean 246 per day.15

Antichrists

Finally, Christ also predicted that there would be many false Christs and false prophets in the last days. Consider the following verses:

Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.

Matthew 24:4-5

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Remember, I have told you ahead of time.

Matthew 24:23-25

In Korea alone, there have been around 120 self-proclaimed messiahs, with about seventy having large followings.16 In addition to the many false messiahs which Christ predicted, there are many false prophets in Christianity as well. Essentially, there are new Christian cults almost every day—teaching doctrines that conflict with the fundamentals of the Christian faith. All these things Christ predicted, which gives credence to his claim of deity.

Jesus’ Miracles as Evidence of His Deity

The final evidence we will consider which points to Jesus being God is his miracles. In fact, Jesus often challenged people to consider his miracles as evidence for his identity. Consider Christ’s response to John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-5:

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

Why did Jesus point John to his miracles? In the Old Testament, these works were prophesied of the messiah. Isaiah 35:4-6 says:

Tell those who panic, “Be strong! Do not fear! Look, your God comes to avenge! With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” Then blind eyes will open, deaf ears will hear. Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute tongue will shout for joy; for water will flow in the desert, streams in the wilderness.

Of course, Christ did not only open the eyes of the blind, heal the lame and mute, he also calmed the storms, turned water into wine, multiplied fish and bread to feed multitudes, and raised the dead, among other things. Again, Christ constantly pointed to these as evidence. Consider the following verses:

Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

John 10:25

But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

John 10:38

Historical Evidence for Miracles

Well then, one must ask, “Is there any historical evidence for these miracles?” Yes, there is. For example, in the Jewish Babylonian Talmud, which is a collection of Jewish Rabbinical writings, it says:

On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy.17

Since the Jews rejected Jesus as the messiah, they called his works “sorcery.” In addition, Josephus, an ancient Jewish Historian who was not a follower of Christ, called Jesus, “a worker of amazing deeds.”18

Christ declared that miracles proved his Divine nature, and these miracles are well attested by historical evidence—evidence written by his followers (such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and by those who rejected his claim to be the prophesied messiah.

Conclusion

How do we know Jesus is God?

  1. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is his teachings. It is impossible to accept him as a good man, moral teacher, or prophet, which are the most common views of Jesus, while knowing the things he claimed, including being the Son of God. With the things he said and taught, if he is not God, then he would either be a liar, lunatic, or demon.
  2. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is the resurrection. As mentioned, there is no ancient historical event more variously supported than the resurrection. If we reject the historical evidence for the resurrection, we must reject much of what we know about ancient history.
  3. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is fulfilled prophecy. Christ fulfilled over 300 OT prophecies, including thirty-three on the day of his crucifixion. If fulfilling prophecies were not enough, we have the accuracy of his own prophecies, including his own death and resurrection, the destruction of the temple, the appearance of false messiah’s claiming to be him, among other things, which testify to his deity.
  4. Evidence for Jesus’ deity is the miracles he performed. Christ continually pointed people to his working of miracles to confirm his identity. He healed the lame and the blind, resurrected people from the dead, and calmed the storms and the sea, among other things. There is strong historical evidence of these from both his followers (the authors of the Gospels) and those who rejected him (Jewish teachers and historians).

Do all these evidences prove that Jesus is God? If not, it certainly gives strong evidence for the belief. Jesus Christ is God, and one day all will call him, Lord, and bow to him (Phil 2:9-11). However, for some, their declaration of faith in Christ being Lord will be too late to save them (cf. John 3:16). Will you believe in Christ and follow him?

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. How does fulfilled Bible prophecies (those about Christ and those he gave) provide evidence for Christ’s deity and also the validity of Scripture?
  3. Why is the virgin birth important?
  4. Roughly, how many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming?
  5. How many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ on the day of his crucifixion?
  6. What are some prophecies that Christ gave which have already been fulfilled?
  7. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Bright, Bill. A Journey Home. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2003.

2 Hitchcock, Mark. The Amazing Claims of Bible Prophecy, (p. 86). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

3 Accessed 7/27/20 from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-6/

4 Accessed 7/27/20 from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/john-8/

5 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 3). Chicago: Moody Press.

6 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1379). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

7 Accessed 7/27/2020 from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-meaning-of-hosanna-in-the-bible.html

8 Accessed 7/27/2020 from https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1556-importance-of-messianic-genealogy-the

9 Rydelnik, M. A. (2014). Daniel. In The moody bible commentary (p. 1305). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

10 Hitchcock, Mark. The Amazing Claims of Bible Prophecy, (p. 46). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

11 Rydelnik, M. A. (2014). Daniel. In The moody bible commentary (p. 1306). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

12 Rydelnik, M. A. (2014). Daniel. In The moody bible commentary (p. 1306). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

13 “Micah” accessed 8/6/19 from https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-micah/

14 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 231). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

15 Accessed 7/27/20 from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christian-persecution-how-many-are-being-killed-where-they-are-being-killed

16 Accessed 4/9/20 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/world/asia/south-korea-coronavirus-shincheonji.html

17 Accessed 7/21/20 from http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/talmud.html

18 McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. 346). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Christology

3. Awarding Faithfulness: Translator Appreciation Program

Here at Bible.org we are so thankful for the many volunteer translators that God has sent our way over the years. We recognize that translation can be quite hard work, and that you, our translators, do it unpaid as a ministry service to us and the world. We have been very blessed by your sacrificial service to the Lord. We would like in turn to be a blessing to you with what we are able to share back. Most of the resources that we provide here on Bible.org are free and available to all. However we do have a few other resources made for sale that we are sometimes able share. A number of these we would like to make available as a token thank you for your volunteer ministry with us. It is hoped and prayed that these will be a further blessing to you in your ministry in your local setting. In the end we recognize that it is God who will give out the real awards in eternity for believers’ faithfulness and pure motivation. However we do hope these will be a nice encouragement, a useful side benefit, and in some way a help in your service to our Lord.

*An ePub Book is a convenient electronic version of a book that can be read on a computer through a free program such as Calibre, or on a dedicated E-reader device. (iPad, Nook, Android tablets, etc./Kindle compatible files available upon request.)

+ Certificate = An official certificate of appreciation from Bible.org e-mailed to you in thanks and recognition of your current translation milestone achievement.

Note: Extremely short articles and illustrations may not count towards the translation total. Determination of awards—as well as the awarding of them will remain solely at the discretion of Bible.org.

Note: The award for reaching 50 translations has now changed to the Premium Bonded Leather Full Notes edition of the NET Bible.

If you have any questions send us an email.

Related Topics: Administrative and Organization

3. Frequently Asked Questions for Translating Articles

Frequently Asked Questions for Translators

Q1-   How do I become a volunteer translator?
Q2-   How can I contact Bible.org?
Q3-   What do you want me to translate?
Q4-   How do I format the documents so they are ready for the internet?
Q5-   What if I don’t have Microsoft Word?
Q6-   Where should I place my name on the document that I have translated?
Q7-   Where should I send the finished translated material?
Q8-   How long should it take me to translate an article?
Q9-   Can I use google translate to translate documents?
Q10- Can I have a list of other translators that volunteer for Bible.org?
Q11- How long will it take once I translate an article for it to appear live on Bible.org?
Q12- How do I translate the footnotes?


Q1. How Do I become a volunteer translator?

Go to our volunteer page and contact us, we do like to receive a copy of your salvation testimony, and have acknowledgment that you agree with our doctrinal statement. After these steps you are ready to begin translating!
 

Q2. How can I contact Bible.org?

Always send us an email before you start working on translating an article. Anytime you have questions email us.
 

Q3. What do you want me to translate?

*  Go to http://bible.org/language and download the formatting guidelines. 

*  We want God’s Plan of Salvation translated into every language. Check to see if this article needs to be translated in your language. To check on the article’s translation status go to http://bible.org/list_of_translations_table and a list of translations page will appear. Under show/hide click hide all this will clear the template. Next place a check mark in your language. Then click on the column with your language name and the table will sort all of the articles translated in your language.  If a number appears in blue that means the article has been translated, if a number appears in red that means the article is in the process of being translated. If you do not see a number that means that this article that has not been translated yet. You can also check at the bottom of any specific article to see if any links to translation articles are available.

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*  Find the study you want to translate and then send an email telling us of your intention. This will help us make sure nobody else is already working on that study in your language.

*  Download the Word document (the link to the doc file is located at the top of the study)

*  Try to follow our paragraph styles as you translate. This means that you assign a Heading 1 or Heading 2 or Body Text or Quote paragraph styles to those paragraphs that we assigned those styles to. You will not be able to just start a new document in Word and have all those styles we use available to you, so you might try deleting all the text in our document and saving the empty document with a new name. Then you can start your translation in that new empty document and assigning styles because all the styles we use will still be in that empty document.

*  Email us the new translation and we will convert it to HTML.

*  Click on http://bible.org/article/translation-formatting-guidelines then click on the download word document to download the guidelines.

Q5. What if I don’t have Microsoft Word?

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Q6. Where should I place my name on the document that I have translated?

You may do so at the end of the document. For example
"Translated by Joe Smith"
 

Q7. Where should I send the finished translated material?

 Please notify us via email that you have completed a translation and we will reply to you with an email address you can use to send the file.
 

Q8. How long should it take me to translate an article?

It is hard to calculate how long it will take someone to finish translating an article. Usually it should take no longer than three weeks (However this may vary a lot depending on your schedule and the amount of time you are able to spend on the project). If you use google translate it will probably help speed up the translation time. See the answer to the question "Can I use google translate."
 

Q9. Can I use google translate to translate documents?

Google translator is a tool that can be used for translating documents quickly but with any program, grammatical errors will still occur, so please take the time to edit the document for grammatical and formatting errors before sending the translated copy for publishing. This is not a substitute for actual translation work. Go to http://translate.google.com/translate_t# copy the article into the editor box and then pick English as the first language and then choose your language as the next language, click translate. Once the document has been cleaned up and properly formatted send the document back to Bible.org. 
 

Q10. Can I have a list of other translators that volunteer for Bible.org?

We keep this list of names private. 
 

Q11. How long will it take once I translate an article for it to appear live on Bible.org?

It depends on the current queue of articles to post. It can take 1-3 weeks for a new article to appear on the website.
 

Q12. How do I translate the footnotes?

Footnotes are an important part of many articles, and need careful attention.

*  If a footnote is simply an explanatory note related to the text then translate it fully.

*  However, if it is the bibliography information for a book or article it may be left untranslated to accurately show the resource and page number that was originally referenced. If a translated version of the work is known then that translated name may be put in parenthesis after the original language version. This will aid readers in locating a copy in their own language. A quick search on the internet often will uncover if such a translation is available. Doing such a quick search would be preferred, but there is no need for exhaustive efforts to locate translated versions.

*  Lastly, if a footnote is a mixture of bibliography information and explanatory note be sure to translate the note portion.

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Bible.org Article Translation Effort

Welcome to our Article Translation Effort Page!

This is an all volunteer--unpaid-- effort to bring Bible.org resources into as many languages as we possibly can. Here volunteers will be able to find resources and information on this translation ministry.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer translator please visit our volunteer page (for more details) and contact us today!

Related Topics: Administrative and Organization

網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版(繁體), TCh Ed, Issue 39 2021 年 春季

A ministry of…

作者: Roger Pascoe, 博士,主席,
郵箱: [email protected]

(如果您有任何問題需要進一步詢問或溝通,歡迎中文寫信到此郵箱)

I. 加強講解式講道

“傳講希伯來敘事”(第二部分)

在這期的網路牧師雜誌中,我將繼續講解38期的主題——如何傳講舊約(希伯來)敘事。我會試圖通過回答以下這些問題的方式來勾勒出一種傳講敘事的方法:我們如何傳講一個故事?是否只是簡單地複述故事,然後在最後加上應用?或者將故事分成若干部分,每個部分有相應的原則?還是我們對待它本質上就像對待新約書信一樣,從中得出一般的原則和應用?

傳講舊約敘事,我認為…

1)在我們詮釋和講道時,我們必須尊重和敏感于文本的體裁,同時也要認識到傳講一個故事不僅僅是複述故事然後加上一些應用。聖經故事的主要目的為了傳達神學思想。聖經故事不僅僅是描述,也是處方

2)我們必須從舊約的敘事中得出普遍的原則,就像從新約書信中一樣。不同的是,我們在講解舊約敘事時必須遵循、反映和尊重經文的故事形式。我們通過以下幾點來實現:(a)改變我們的講道風格來反應故事的體裁;(b)遵循故事情節的順序和內容;(c)修改我們講道大綱的結構,使之與敘事體裁相一致。

我們從使徒行傳中能夠學到許多關於如何傳講舊約的敘事。比如,在使徒行傳第7章,司提反複述了舊約神的救贖故事(1)神對他百姓的拯救和救贖;(2)神百姓的罪惡和悖逆;接著(3)把故事應用到現在的聽眾身上——也就是,他們也是悖逆的,抗拒聖靈的工作,殺害那義者等。事實上,救贖故事在他們身上的應用是那麼有力和直接,以至於他們殺了司提反(也參見,徒13:16-41)。

神已經將這個故事告訴我們。我們的任務是解釋它普遍的,神學的,永恆的原則,並應用於我們的聽眾。正如我們分析使徒書信中的一段話,是為了它中心的,神學的真理及其相關的應用,我們也應該如此分析一個故事,為了得出它中心的,神學的真理及它相關的應用。不管你是傳講故事還是書信,找到核心真理的過程是一樣的。如果只需要複述這個故事,你就不必成為神學家來傳道了。你可以簡單地讓一個戲劇的敘述者或演員用當代的語言和術語重新講述這個故事。我認為,我們在重述這個故事的同時,也必須啟發我們的觀眾:

1) 這在當時和現在都意味著什麼(彌合歷史的鴻溝)

2)他的神學真理是什麼

3)他對我們基督徒生活的啟發和應用是什麼。

需要重新講述故事(使今天的聽眾聽起來活潑生動),需要揭示和應用其核心的命題真理。因此這個過程是教誨和建議性的,就像我們傳講使徒書信一樣。所不同的是,對於使徒書信,你分析和傳講段落,而對於故事,你傳講“場景”。場景反映了故事的發展,必須根據整個故事來解釋每一個場景,因為整個故事揭示了核心的、最重要的真理。

A.研究一個故事的程式

與其他經文的講道一樣,目的是確定故事揭示了關於神的什麼(他的本性、他的意願、他的道路等)。第一步是…

1.調查

a)確定故事的開始和結束。如果它是一個子故事,確定它與主要的故事的關係。從上下文中收集資料(比如周圍的敘述和描述),找到情節。故事中發生的事件的順序是什麼?在故事的發展過程中是否出現了逆轉? 如果有,在哪裡以及為什麼?

b) 通過將故事劃分為不同的場景來確定故事結構。檢查每場的佈置和圖像。為每個段落或場景做一個圖表,標出對每場的詮釋性的觀察、問題等。

c)注意故事是如何逐場展開的。通常先給出背景,然後是一場一場的行動。行動通常會暴露出一個兩難境地(矛盾,張力),這通常會引向高潮(這個困境會如何解決?)。接著就是解決這個困境的方法和結論。所有的故事都涉及到一定程度的張力,最終導致高潮。所以,隨著事件的展開,一定要確定高潮並回答以下問題:張力是如何解決的?結論是什麼?這是故事的動態。

d)考察人物。注意角色在故事發展過程中的反應和行動。找出他們的力量和軟弱,以及他們在劇中扮演的角色(比如故事的主角,反派,主要人物,旁觀者等)。

e)分析人物的語言和思想。核心真理是通過言語還是思想表達出來的?特別是,找出敘述者的陳述。通常情況下,如果沒有這些陳述,故事就不會有意義,因為動機、隱藏的行動等都是不為人知的。記住,敘述者是無所不知的——他知道人的思想,親密的私人對話,隱藏的事件,甚至是神的思想。通過這樣的方式,神作為故事的最終講述者進入故事—比如,“但大衛所行的事,耶和華甚不喜悅”(撒下11:27下)。

f)找出不同的文學結構和使用的手法。比如,它是用第三人稱還是第一人稱寫的?重點是情節還是人物發展?是否存在交叉、重複、對比、平行等?如果是這樣,這些文學手法是如何添加到故事中的呢?

2.確定中心的神學真理

在根據我上面描述的分析和總結故事之後,你應該能夠決定(a)整個故事的主題;(b)作者對這個主題的看法。故事的主題就是故事所表達的中心的、神學的真理。作者關於主題所說的內容構成了你講道的要點(或者,按場景劃分)。

下一個任務就是寫出中心的神學真理(有時被稱為“大思想”或詮釋性的思想)。有一種方法是從一個能夠抓住段落主題的詞開始,並確定作者關於這個主題要回答的問題。然後,再寫出這個問題的全面答案。

一旦你這樣做了,簡單地用一個描述性的句子來總結你的故事,簡潔地陳述你上面所想到的答案。這句話就成為講道的中心真理,也就是,一句話概括講道

B.構造敘事性講道的模型

這是我通常遵循的程式。我試圖將我的神學講道大綱與故事的複述穿插在一起,並在每個場景中或者末尾提出應用。這和我在傳講使徒書信中使用的模式是一樣的,只是我是在敘事中講解神學思想,而不是在書信中講解教義。

1.講道的引言

在引言中包括任何背景和其他需要的材料,以設置故事的上下文,並解釋古代術語或文化慣例。

正如我上面提到的,在引言中用一句話陳述你的講道非常重要,這樣你的聽眾就知道故事的主要神學真理,也就是你在講道中要證明的觀點。在陳述這個真理的時候,一方面要使命題具有悠久的神學意義,另一方面要試著以一種反映歷史準確性和故事文學目的的方式來陳述。

如果陳述地正確,你會形成一個永久的神學觀點,無論何時何地都適用于神的百姓,這就成為你講道的觀點,它決定你如何呈現餘下的部分。講道的觀點是對生活中某一特定需要、問題或困難的答案。

講道的任務是向你的聽眾描述(1)故事中的人是如何面對、處理、思索屬靈的需求、問題、疾病等;(2)他們的困難和我們是相同的;(3)他們的解決方式也是我們的解決方式。

2.講道的主體

一個場景一個場景地重述故事。你如何從故事中得出這個神學觀點也在此顯示出來。

a)列出一個以神學觀點為基礎的、能夠反映整個故事走向的講章大綱。

每一個故事都有一個清楚的結構。並非因為它是故事,就沒有清楚的結構。每一個故事都是一個場景一個場景逐步展開的。這就是它的結構。你前期任務之一就是找到它的結構,就像你對待聖經中的其他題材一樣。

接著,創作一個能反映場景變化的大綱(場景的變動、想法的變動)。故事的大綱就像音樂的交響曲一樣——幾個樂章一個作品。場景的改變是你進入講道大綱下一部分的關鍵。你所研究的故事的每一個場景都需要有一個神學觀點(也就是聲明一個普遍真理或者原則)。為了找到這些聲明,你需要問自己…

1)這個情節告訴我們關於神的什麼(他的方式,目的、審判等)

2)這個情節告訴我們關於自己的什麼(我們與神的關係、我們的屬靈狀況等)?

當你用一句完整的話來陳述對這些問題的答案,就構成了你對每個場景的神學原則的陳述。要保證對每個情節的普遍神學原則的陳述都與整個故事的神學真理相聯繫和發展——也就是,在引言部分你用“一句話對講章的陳述”。

不要做一個膚淺的大綱,只是描述每個場景而並不能反映故事的神學觀點的形成和發展。創建一個以神學為基礎的、由陳述原則構成的大綱,不僅遵循故事的動態,而且反映故事的資訊。每個場景的標題都以神學原則為中心, 這樣就形成了講章大綱的要點,既尊重故事整體的神學主張和目的,而且也與之相一致。

有時候將對情節的描述神學原則的陳述結合起來會有幫助。這種方式不但將故事分解,更易於聽眾理解,而且也將故事與原則整合一起。為了說明我的意思,下面是我列出創世紀21:9-21的大綱作為例子。

這段經文的普遍原則:“在神的幫助下,麻煩會被勝利取代”

創 21:9-10. 撒拉的怨恨(情節的描述):麻煩的根源往往在於我們不良的態度(普遍真理)

創 21: 11-14a. 亞伯拉罕的困境(情節的描述):麻煩的根源往往在於我們壞的決定(普遍真理)

創 21:14b-16. 夏甲的放逐(情節的描述):麻煩的根源往往在於我們糟糕的環境(普遍真理)

創 21:17-21. 神的介入(情節的描述):麻煩總會在神的良善中找到出路(普遍真理)

有的時候(就像在這個例子中)我可能會用對場景的描述作為我的段落標題,並說明普遍的真理(原則)作為我應用的標題。換句話說,我對每個場景有兩個標題,一個是描述場景中的行為,而另一個是描述從行為中所得出的原則。這樣,描述場景的標題,使聽眾清晰瞭解故事的走向,而應用的標題給予聽眾清晰的可以適用於今天的原則。那麼當你講道的時候,就會由一個情節自然的轉入下一個情節。

因此,比如在創21:11-14中,我的場景標題是“亞伯拉罕的困境”(如何處理夏甲和以實瑪利來回應撒拉的抱怨)。我所陳述的神學的普遍原則是:麻煩的根源往往在於我們壞的決定(或者,短期的決定有時候會導致長期的困境)——這是對我們的教訓。

你可以通過以下方式來避免講章大綱的人為的結構…

1)不要在講道中強加要點,使一個故事聽起來像科學教科書

2)確保你的原則是由故事中自然得出的

3) 把每個場景的原則都寫成神學聲明,就像你對其他文學體裁一樣

通過以下幾點,確保你的講章大綱忠實於故事…

1)跟隨故事的情節走

2)揭示故事的矛盾、複雜/張力,高潮、解決和結論

3)證明故事的神學要點

b)在每個場景的中間或者最後放上應用。這樣,故事的每個場景都直接與聽眾的生活聯繫起來。但是在傳講舊約故事的時候,你要小心,不要自動地將故事直接應用於你當代的聽眾。他們在當時做了一些事情並不意味著我們現在也應該這樣做。在傳講舊約故事的時候,往往容易掉進這樣的陷阱,要麼使故事成為道德說教,以至於你告訴你的聽眾,因為誰誰做了什麼,所以他們也要做;或者將故事象徵化,給實際發生的事情加上靈意化的、隱藏的意義。為了避免這些,你必須確保運用經文的神學觀點,而不是直接運用故事情節本身。

3.講道的最後評論

一定要把這個問題的解決辦法清楚地表述出來。總結一下接受或拒絕這一解決方法可能帶來的影響——解釋接受如何帶來屬靈的祝福,而拒絕帶來進一步的屬靈疾病、倒退和距離等。懇請聽眾選擇祝福(健康、生命)而不是審判(疾病、死亡)——也就是,呼籲聽眾的回應。

C.對於以這種方式講道的一些評論

1.如此講道使你的聽眾…

a)把故事當成戲劇來感受。

b)掌握神學觀點(粗略閱讀的時候不會看到)

c) 理解這對他們生活的影響

d)將故事的應用運用到他們現代的生活中

2.如此講道確保…

a)你忠實於故事的形式。

b)你引出了故事的永恆的神學思想

c)你向人們展示了古代故事與當代生活的聯繫

d) 你迫使人們思考並感受故事的緊張和複雜

e) 你迫使他們為自己的生活考慮解決辦法。

II.加強聖經化的領導

“事奉的動力,第三部分:基督的愛”(哥後5:14-17)

在哥林多後書,保羅討論了事奉以及聖經化領導這個主題。幾年以前,我開始在這個雜誌中探討如下內容…

1.事奉中的信心—神的帶領和供給(哥後2:14-3:6,春,2013)

2.:真正事奉的本質

第一部分,資訊的本質—不是關於我們,而是關於基督(哥後4:1-6,夏,2012)

第二部分,基督徒生命的本質—軟弱中的能力(哥後4:7-16,夏,2013)

3. 事奉的動力

第一部分,我們將來的轉變(哥後4:16-5:9,秋2013)

第二部分,我們在神面前交帳(哥後5:10-13,冬2014)

在這期當中,我將繼續探討保羅對“事奉的動力”的闡釋—第三部分,基督舍己的愛(哥後5:14-17).

基督舍己的愛,充分體現在他代替我們,為我們贖罪上,這份愛激勵我們去事奉他。實際上,保羅在這裡的要點是基督為我們死了,因此我們要事奉他(而不是我們自己),尤其是傳講和好的資訊。

保羅在哥後5:10-13中已經為事奉確立了一個將來性的動力(向神交帳),現在他又確立了一個回顧性的動力—基督的愛(哥後5:14-17)。確實,他說,“基督的愛激勵我們”(5:14a)。在真正事奉的生命中,最重要的動力就是基督的愛。保羅不在乎有些人認為他癲狂(哥後5:13)。不論他做什麼和忍耐什麼,都是出於對基督的愛。同樣的愛“激勵我們”,樹立了我們事奉的座標。這就是基督的愛對我們以及在我們裡面的影響—它使我們做我們在事奉中為他所做的事。

那麼,激勵我們的基督的愛的本質是什麼?“原來基督的愛激勵我們,因為我們想,一人既替眾人死,眾人就都死了。並且他替眾人死,是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活,乃為替他們死而復活的主活”(5:14-15

這段經文的內容就是:因為我們理解在將來的審判中“主是可畏的”,所以我們“勸人”(5:11)去相信福音和好的真理(5:19-20)、並且對於這樣的資訊以及事工而言,動力就是基督那令人信服、激勵人的愛(5:14-15)。

原則是這樣的:一個人(他不應該死因為他是無罪的)為了其他的人(他們應該死因為他們是有罪的)的死,致使整體(他為之而死的所有人)也都死了,因為無罪的那個替他們死了,為他們的罪付上了代價。

這是應用:基督的愛的本質和延伸(在他替代性的死亡中所體現的)激勵我們去做我們在基督徒事工中所做的。這些經文中關於贖罪的性質和範圍的神學爭論很容易讓人分心,而忽略了保羅所談到的應用。這些經文中確實告訴了我們許多關於基督贖罪的性質和範圍—我在下面會討論,但是保羅主要是在應用基督舍己的愛,這個愛使他為我們死,也是我們事奉他的動力。

保羅接著陳述了兩個普遍的結論(哥後5:14-15)…

基督的死的第一個普遍的結論是,眾人都死了。“因為我們想:一人既替眾人死,眾人就都死了。”(5:14。既然基督為眾人死了,那麼原則上說眾人就都死了。我們很容易理解基督為眾人死了,因為別處的經文也支持這個觀點。但是, “眾人就都死了”(5:14)是什麼意思?很明顯,在某種程度上,基督的死亡涉及到每個人的死亡。就像R.V.G. Tasker說的,“基督的死是眾人的死,從這個意義上說,他死的是他們當得的死,他們罪的代價被他擔當了(哥前15:3;哥後5:20),他在他們的位置上死了” (Tasker, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, TNTC, Eerdmans, 1958, 86)。他為每個人死了—他們最終是接受他還是拒絕他是另外一回事。他為他們的罪付了代價。他死了他們該得的死亡。因為,原則上說“眾人就都死了。”這是保羅在這裡做的結論—一個人替一群人死了,因此這群人(因著那位死了的)也都死了。基督十字架上舍己的死裡面,每一個人狀況的簡單來說就是—他為他們死了,因此他們就都死了。眾人的罪價被償還了。

保羅這樣說,並不是提倡普遍救贖論(因為很顯然並不是所有人都有屬靈的生命),但是他在提倡,因著基督的死,救恩的可能臨到每個人。因為他為他們死了,原則上他們也都死了,如果他們願意,他們可以通過信心轉向他—也就是基督為他們而死使每個人都有得救的可能,但是只有那些相信的人才能得救。基督為了全人類而死——這是福音的中心真理(參照歌1:20;羅8:32)。

所以,基督的死的第一個普遍結論是“他們就都死了”。

基督的死的第二個普遍結論是,有的人活著,不是所有人。“一人既替眾人死,眾人就都死了。並且他替眾人死,是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活,乃為替他們死而復活的主活”(5:14-15)“那些活著的人”“基督為之而死的“人”是兩個不同的概念(5:14b)就像Rober L, Dabney說的:“如果我們認為基督為之死的所有人僅僅指那些因他而活的人——也就是被揀選的人,這似乎意味著在那些基督為他們而死的、被揀選的人裡面,只有一部分為基督而活”(Dabney, Lectures, 525)。很好的觀察!

基督的死的功效在“那些活著的人”(也就是信徒,被揀選的)裡面是使他們得到改變和更新。沒有人會經歷這樣的道德改變,只有基督徒因為他們在基督裡的新生命。基督的死只對他們有效果(而不是所有人),因為他們在基督裡的信心,因此他們在生活中有了新的動力,新的生活方式。基督的死的意義是使那些相信的人(那些因為基督的死而向肉體死亡的人)有一個更新的生命,為了一個新的道德目標和動力而活。因此,“那些活著的人”只包括信徒,那些因著基督為了他們而死並相信他的人,現在“不再為自己活,乃為替他們死而復活的主活”(這並不適用於非信徒)。因此他們在基督裡是新造的人(5:17)。

總而言之,保羅的意思是,基於基督替我們而死(5:14b),以及我們接受他的死作為對我們罪的補償,基督徒的有了一個與以前完全不同的生活動力—也就是,不再為自己活,而為替我們死而復活的主活(5:15)。因此,保羅對這個真理的應用簡單明瞭—因為基督為每個人死了,無人例外,又以無私的愛愛眾人,因此我們服事基督的動力就是因著無私的愛,向每個人傳揚基督的福音,無人例外。然而,並不是每個人都會接受基督救贖的邀請,但是那些接受的人(那些活著的人5:15a在基督裡被賜予一個新的生命,並且從此為主而活。因此,基督的愛是我們現在應該如何為他而活,以及進行事奉的有力基礎。就像基督為我們捨棄了生命,所以我們現在也將自己的生命奉獻給他。他對我們的愛應該體現在我們對他人的愛上,尤其是通過分享“和好的職分(5:18-21,福音,因為我們活在他裡面,我們是“基督的使者(5:20)”

.所以,雖然贖罪的本質和範圍是保羅在這裡論證的基礎,但我們不應該過於專注這樣的辯論,以至於忽略了保羅的整體和主要觀點。我們事奉不是為自私的動機,而僅僅是為基督,作他在世上的使者。

因為基督為我而死,我現在活在他裡面也為他而活,因此我的生活在行為、目的和活動上都發生了變化。這個教導與整個聖經中關於基督徒生活的教導是一致的——它是一個交換了的生命(加2:20),舊人已經死了,新人為基督而活(加5:24;弗4:17)。我們的生命是一個與以前完全不同的生命。我們不再以自我為中心生活(弗2:1-3;4:17-19),而是以基督為中心生活(弗2:4-10;4:20)。因此,我們這些與基督同死並與他同活的人,不但能夠,而且更是被呼召傳和好的消息(5:18-21),這在我們自己的生命中是明顯而有力的。我們被呼召,要藉著真實的事奉,活出新的生命,因為(1)相較于使者(我們)的軟弱,福音大有能力(4:7);(2)神監察我們的事工(5:10-13);以及(3)基督的愛(5:14-17)激勵我們.

從保羅的論點(5:14-15),他得出了兩個結果(5:16-17)

結果 #1: “所以(第一個結果),從今以後(從我們開始為基督活而不為自己活的時刻起),不憑著外貌認人了”(5:16a),保羅不再根據外貌,或者主觀的、膚淺的人的標準或者關係(比如財富、種族、地位等;參照加3:28)來判斷評價人。他對他人的評價和關係是建立在一個更新的人的屬靈價值基礎上的,比如一個人的兄弟姐妹不是血緣關係的家庭,而是屬靈的家庭(參照太12:46)。他與人的交往中以不同的方式看待別人,不再根據人的外在,不是憑著外貌而是看做“基督裡新造的人(5:17).

“雖然憑著外貌認過基督,如今卻不再這樣認他了(5:16)”。保羅在信主之前對於基督的認識是“憑著外貌”­­——基於一個錯誤的、扭曲的、肉體的想法,和單純的人的判斷。但是在他和基督關係完全改變之後,他不再只是憑著外在的人的觀點來看基督,而是籍著住在他裡面的聖靈,他知道基督到底是誰。“憑著外貌”(也就是屬肉體的思想,根據人的判斷)無法真正地認識基督。這就是為什麼沒有重生的人對基督有錯誤的結論。只有通過聖靈而重生的人,才會認識到他是神和救贖主。許多“憑著外貌”認識基督的人並不是通過聖靈來認識他,而只有聖靈才能夠啟示我們基督是誰。“像彼得和多馬一樣,保羅必須明白,重要的不是見過基督,也不是認識他,而是愛他,相信他(彼前1:8;約20:29)”(Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 201)。

結果 #2.所以(5:14-15的進一步結果)”不但不再憑著外貌認人(包括基督),而是“若有人在基督裡”,他把他們看做“新造的人”(5:17a)因為這才是他們真正的樣子。凡從上頭生的,都是在“基督裡”,並且有一個新的身份,新的關係,新的家庭,新的價值,新的目標。他或者她被看做“在基督裡”,不是“憑著外貌”——當我們看他們的時候,我們看到基督,而不是外在的、有罪的肉體。

.在“基督裡”意味著安穩(現在和將來)、身份、關係、神的性情、一個完全的“新造的人”(參照弗2:104:24. “舊事(屬肉體的舊人,舊人的邪情私欲)已過(死亡,消失在歷史中);都(突然的、驚喜和極大的喜樂)變成新的”(5:17)。我們是有永生生命的新造的人,完全因為我們“在基督裡”的身份。神在我們裡面所做的一切(當我們被榮耀的時候會完全成就)是萬物都將被更新的前兆和保證。

III.講道大綱

題目:給七個教會的信——忠實於基督(啟3:7-13)

主題:.如果你忠實於基督,他會將你的軟弱變成力量的支柱。

要點 1:基督用他權柄的大能鼓勵我們(3:8-11)

1a)他全權掌管我們與他接近的通道(3:8)

1b)他全權約束他的敵對者(3:9)

1c)他全權保守我們脫離他的審判(3:10-11)

要點 2:)基督用他全能的應許鼓勵我們(3:12-13)

2a)對那些軟弱的人,他應許神的力量(3:12a)

2b)對那些忠實的人,他應許神的名(3:12b)

結論: “聖靈向眾教會的話,凡有耳的,就應當聽” (3:13)

Related Topics: Pastors

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