Copyright © The Master's Table
Holy Spirit
So Just what is the Holy Spirit
and what does it mean to receive and even quench the Spirit? Can the end result
of quenching the Holy Spirit be a part of the unpardonable sin and how would
someone do that? These are very important questions that could result in your
eternal destruction if not answered truthfully and you never should leave it
up to someone else to answer without studying it for yourself. If you neglect
to prove it for sure and just go along with what someone teaches then remember,
it will be YOU that has to give an answer to Christ for your decisions; not
the man you followed! It does not matter what man has to say about this subject
because it will not be man that judges; But GOD will judge!!
In order to properly answer this question we must first come to understand just what is the Spirit of God. To start let's take a look at one scripture that refers to the Holy Spirit as "He" to understand more clearly. Let's look at John 14:26. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, "He" will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." In all cases where the Holy Spirit is referred to as "He" in the New Testament is "ekeinos" in the Greek and it means "that one" (or [neuter] thing). The translator replaced the neuter word thing with "He" because all neuter words such as "the, this, that, one, he, she, and it," were referred to as "he" or "she" in the English language during the time of these translations. In nearly all foreign languages there are only two genders, "male, and female", and modern English is one of the few languages that has a "neutral gender", such as the word "it."
Some will try to refute this and we can pick at Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic words for a long time but the point is not just the fact that the term "He" was incorrect and should have been translated as "that one" (or "it") but more to the truth that the Holy Spirit is not a person but the power of God. In the Hebrew/Aramaic the word “Ruach haKadosh” would mean “The Spirit of the Holy One” where “Ruach haKodesh” means The Holy Spirit. (Notice spelling) Just like har ha-ko’desh means “holy mountain” and admat ha- ko’desh means “The holy land” and ir ha ko’desh means “The holy city” and so on.
Another question that must be addressed is the doctrine of the trinity and is the Holy Spirit a third person of the Godhead? Let's consider what it would mean if the Holy Spirit was a third person of the Godhead. If this was so then we have a very serious problem because notice what's recorded in Matt 1:18 it states…"For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
It was in fact the Holy Spirit of God that impregnated Mary as we see recorded
here in scripture. Also in Luke 1:35 we read "And the angel answered and
said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born
will be called the Son of God." The word used here in this scripture was “Ruach haKodesh” which means The Holy Spirit so the question is if the Holy Spirit was a third person
of the Godhead, and if the Messiah was conceived of the Holy Spirit, (which He was)
then Jesus "would not be the Son of God the Father," but the Son of
the Holy Spirit. This misunderstanding comes about because of the false teaching
that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are a threefold personality
of one Divine being. We have found in our research that the teaching of the
trinity came from ancient pagan religions and was adopted into Christianity
by the Roman Catholic Church. There's no wording in the entire bible that has
the word "trinity" or states that the Holy Spirit is a person or a
member of the Godhead.
You might want to read about the history of the trinity by clicking on the link at the end of this study.
Before you reject this out of hand let's continue on. Through our research we know Jesus and the Holy Father are two separate persons because Jesus stated that no one has seen the Father at any time. Let's read it for ourselves in John 5:36-37. "But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish-- the very works that I do-- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me and the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." The fact that Jesus is also of the Godhead and people saw Him proves that they are two separate persons, and notice in this scripture "The Father testified" of Him. It's a fact that only another separate person can testify of the other.
Also we find in 1 Cor 15:24 that Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to God the
Father, it states..."Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to
God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power."
And at the end of the book of revelation that Jesus will turn all things over
to the Holy Father who will for the first time come down and dwell among men.
Let's read it in Rev 21:2-3. It states…"Then I, John, saw the holy
city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall
be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God."
The word "God" in these verses in the Greek is "Theou",
and "Theous" which means the Supreme Divinity. Also notice
in verse 22, "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are its temple. This scripture denotes two of the Godhead stating that
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. Notice that there's no mention here of the
Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead. Just as there was no mention of the
Holy Spirit in the above scripture, let's honestly ask why the apostle Paul
never mentioned the Holy Spirit when he was addressing the Churches of God.
Let's just look at Eph ch. 1: vs. 1-3…Paul would address the Church with..."Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus,
and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
(No mention of the Holy Spirit and we find this in all the epistles.)
If the Holy Spirit were considered a person of the Godhead by the apostles
they would have addressed it by name with the Father and Son Jesus just as those
who believe the Holy Spirit is a person today "always" refer to all
three as the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Why would the apostles not do the
same if they believed the Holy Spirit was a member of the Godhead? This is only
one example, but if you want to check further into this, take a look at the
beginning of all the epistles. Let's look at some more scriptures that reflect
what the Holy Spirit is! Notice what was recorded in Luke 24:49. "Behold,
I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem
until you are endued with power from on high." What does the term "power
from on high" mean, and when did the Apostles and brethren that were there
receive power from on high?
At Pentecost when they received the Holy Spirit as we read in Acts. 1:8. it
states…"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Remember what we covered before
in Luke 1:35 where the angel stated…"The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;"
Another question is if the Holy Spirit were a separate person in the Godhead
then why would it proceed from the Father and the Son Jesus whom are two separate
persons? There are many scriptural references that reflect the Holy Spirit emits
from the Father and Christ both and is called the Spirit of God or the power
from God. Let's turn to Rev 5: and vs. 6, and read the scripture that refers
to something that clearly shows that the spirit of God is the power of God.
It states…"And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and
of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as
though it had been slain, (Which we know is Jesus) having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth."
Did you catch that? "Which are the seven Spirits of God sent out
into all the earth." So if the spirit of God is a member of the Godhead
than this scripture would mean there's seven spirits, plus the Father, plus
the Son of the Godhead making the total number nine! Is that what we are to
accept? No! This means that the seven Spirits of God are the powers of God having
different functions. So this clearly shows that the trinity doctrine is flawed
from the outset!
Paul shows in 1Thes 5:19 that the Spirit of God can be quenched, and now that
we have learned that the Holy Spirit is the power of God we can go on to understand
about quenching the Holy Spirit. To quench is to put out or extinguish like,
"to put out the light" or "fire." You can quench fire, light
or power but how do you quench a person or put out a God? If we can quench the
Holy Spirit that shows again it's the power of God, not a God. If we quit praying,
studying and fasting we can become lukewarm; in other words cooled off. If the
ministers are not preaching the way they should, then the members will cool
off. The ministers can be teaching truth and still become very lukewarm if what
they teach is low level substance. If you are involved in an organization that
is teaching low level Christianity then you can become lukewarm and are in danger
of going to sleep spiritually and quenching the Holy Spirit of God. The reason
Churches have revivals is because the ministers know the members are cooling
off and if the Church has to have a revival then the minister should take a
closer look at what he's teaching every week and ask himself some honest questions
about what and how God requires him to teach.
Fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Another thing we need to fully understand is that the fruits of the Holy Spirit
are not points we learn, and then act out because we want to be good or think
they will get us into the Kingdom. They are not a list of rules we must keep
so we can enter into the Kingdom of God! The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the
RESULTS of an inward change. The results of yielding to the Holy Spirit, that's
working with us before baptism, or that's working in us after baptism. They
are the works we produce as a result of repentance and accepting the blood of
the new covenant receiving the Holy Spirit.
Test the Spirits:
1Thes 5:21 also tells us to test all things; hold fast what is good. Here's
another thing we must do in order to not let anyone take our crown. To test
is to prove whether or not the things we're told and believe are true. We must
not only test the teaching of our ministers, but we must test the spirits as
well. John recorded a profound warning for us in this end time in what is called
I John. 4:1-6. it states…"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have
gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit
that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and
is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome
them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They
are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears
them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not
hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
The term "in the flesh" means that Jesus was fully human and could
sin thus coming under the curse of death just like all humans. The teaching
that Jesus was fully God and could not sin is of the antichrist and we should
flee from those who teach this. Many people don't understand that Christ could
have been lost, never living again if He had sinned. He was subject to fail
yet He overcame Satan and His own weak flesh with the POWER of the Holy Spirit!
Remember the scripture in Rom 6:8-9 that recorded that Death no longer has dominion
over Jesus? It states…Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall
also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies
no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him." Dominion means power or
control so this statement shows that the Apostle Paul knew that before Jesus
was raised from the dead that death had dominion or power over Him.
Yes knowledge of the truth comes from the Holy Father by way of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is given either working with us before baptism or working in us after baptism to help us learn and give us strength (power) to overcome. The Spirit of God opens our minds to the truth and no college of this world can give this, or even help us understand it. The Holy Spirit is our lifeline to the Messiah, (In other words it's the umbilical cord) it's what convicts us of sin and helps us in our Christian walk. If we quit obeying the Spirit of God when it convicts us, then it will begin to fade away with every denial. If we deny the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we can become deceived!
Related links.
The Trinity: Christian
or Pagan?
The Covenant (The
Book of Hebrews)
Law vs. Grace:
In Jesus’ service
Timothy