Similarly the Holy Spirit “searches all things, yes, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor. God the Father searches the human heart (Rom. Furthermore, the term “search,” when used of God, is an idiomatic expression for divine omniscience. For example, he is the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. The Holy Spirit possesses the attributes of one who is deity. The apostle identified the Spirit as deity. Peter somehow knew of the deception and accused the ambitious rogue of lying “to the Holy Spirit.” Then with a parallel expression he charged: “ou have lied unto God” (vv. However, he falsely represented the sum as reflecting the entire proceeds. For example, Ananias sold a parcel of land and donated a portion of the revenue to the apostles (Acts 5:1-2). Try substituting “active force” or “magnetism” for “Holy Spirit” and see how much sense it makes! (See also: False Ideas About the Holy Spirit and An Attack upon the Trinity.)Ī Divine Being – That the Spirit partakes of the divine nature can be demonstrated clearly. In a letter orchestrated by Christ’s apostles, the personhood of the Spirit is indicated by the phrase, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us” (Acts 15:28 cf. These expressions cannot be forced into some figurative mode. Repeatedly the Holy Spirit is represented as doing things only a person could perform, e.g., teaching (14:26), bearing witness (15:26), convicting, guiding, speaking, etc. Probably the most comprehensive section of scripture regarding the Spirit is the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16. The final reference is to Christ as our “Advocate” (1 Jn. The word occurs five times in the New Testament four of these refer to the Holy Spirit (Jn. The term “Comforter” is derived from two Greek roots that signify “beside” and “to call,” hence it denotes one who has been called to the side of another for assistance. When Jesus prepared for his return to heaven, he promised his apostles “another Comforter” (Jn. Mary Baker Eddy, of “Christian Science” fame, contended that “Spirit” is a synonym for “Divine Science.” Parley Pratt, one of Mormonism’s original “apostles,” compared the Spirit to magnetism or electricity.Īn examination of the evidence reveals that the Holy Spirit is a personal entity, not a mere abstraction. The Watchtower cult alleges that the Spirit is merely the “active force” of God, not a person.
Some have robbed him of his very personality. The Nature of the SpiritĪ Personal Entity – There is considerable confusion in some segments of “Christendom” over the nature of the Holy Spirit. One would think that the average Christian would have a reasonable knowledge of this theme, but generally, that is not the case. The phrase “the Holy Spirit” is found more than ninety times in the New Testament (ASV). The number seven symbolized the perfect Spirit of God.
In the book of Revelation, we find the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. Sardis narrowly avoids joining Laodicea in receiving only words of criticism from Christ.A golden lampstand with seven lights was placed in the ancient tabernacle of Jehovah. Since reputation is a good thing, this statement technically is considered a praise from Jesus. Its reputation alleged it was alive, but really it was spiritually dead. As the all-wise Head of the Church, Jesus knew the church in Sardis had a reputation that didn't match reality. Jesus identifies himself to the church in Sardis as having the seven spirits of God, likely a reference to His wisdom, and also having the seven stars, a reference to the messengers or pastors of the seven churches. Later, the Romans built a new town below the hill and left the original Sardis deserted. In AD 17 an earthquake completely destroyed Sardis. The soldier successfully sneaked into Sardis and opened its gates to Antiochus and His army.
SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD VERSE CRACK
However, Antiochus the Great, a Syrian king, conquered Sardis by sending a soldier through a crack in the city's northern wall. This limited access made it easy for only a few men to defend the city. The city commanded a prominent military position atop a 1,500-foot high hill and was accessible only by a steep path on its southern side. Sardis was located about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira and 50 miles east of Smyrna. The fifth of seven letters from Jesus is addressed to the church in Sardis.
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