Tag: holy spirit

  • The Holy Spirit IS that I AM

    The Holy Spirit IS that I AM

    The Holy Spirit IS.
    I am the Spirit of God.
    I am the LORD.


    The HOLY SPIRIT of Trinity

    Glory be to God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit

    Who IS God?

    It’s a question we all ask and a familiar question asked by many souls before us.

    Moses said to God,

    “If I go to the Israelites and tell them,

    The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’

    and they ask me, What is his name?’ – what should I say to them?”


    JESUS asked His Apostles a rhetorically similar question:

    And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

    τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ

    And Peter answered and said, “The [Messiah] Christ of God.”


    The Apostle Matthew’s Gospel witnesses this same relational answer of his fellow Apostle Peter:

    God our Father and Lord

    Trinity = God the Father + God the Son Jesus Christ + God the Holy Spirit

    We get it humanly – the relationship of a son (or daughter) to a father (or to our mother).

    Human AND ever-existing SON

    Mortal men and women can relate to a Son of THE FATHER.

    We understand, in part, that JESUS was flesh and blood, body and brain a perfect human son of man (Mary, actually: ‘man‘ as in human like all of us).

    John, the Apostle who speaks so well relationally in the witness of his Gospel tells us:

    But these [signs, proofs or miracles] are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

    The Twelve, having loved their friend and Master whom they followed willingly, understood a relational link between JESUS and each of His disciples personally.

    When the Lord in so many ways showed His Disciples His ever-existing relationship to Almighty God our Father — HIS Father from before the beginning — they could not have been more awe struck that GOD stood in their human presence.

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

    My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

    I and my Father are one.

    We get that - in a human sense of relationship.

    Jesus and Spirit

    Yet think from the witness of any of the Twelve of the impact of JESUS, the living Christ they follow, telling His disciples: “I and the Father are One.”

    Just like all faithful Jews, these disciples had recited the Sh'ma since their childhood:

    Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad

    שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃

    Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:


    Even so, the Disciples had heard their Master instruct Nicodemus, a leader of the Sanhedrin:

    Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

    That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

    John’s Gospel continues with Jesus’ further explanation of the Spirit:

    • Although mankind is flesh and blood, created from dust and water,
    • and Man is created in God’s image;
    • Man, LIKE GOD, is also spirit.

    What is Spirit?

    John begins his Gospel with Jesus (the Word) and the Spirit.

    John’s clear reference is the beginning written in the word of Moses:

    בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃

    וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהֹום וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם׃

    JESUS, THE WORD, WAS WITH GOD AND WAS GOD — ‘hovering over ‘a waste and emptiness,’ in the darkness over a face of the deep



    Spirit [spirit] – rûaḥ – רוּח

    • The KJV translates Strong’s H7307 in the following manner: Spirit or spirit (232x), wind (92x), breath (27x), (various additional)
    • Two additional uses in Genesis show both the Spirit of God and His quickening spirit in His creatures, including mankind:
      • And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; – Gen. 6:3a NKJV
      • And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life.. All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. – Gen. 7:15,22 NKJV

    COMMENTARY


    Man cannot grasp the whirlwind or the unseen breath of God, yet JESUS, who IS One with the Father tells us:

    God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”


    πνεῦμα – pneuma in the New Testament

    Spirit in the New Testament – basically has the same meaning AND is just as mysterious, illusive as the breath of angels. – RH

    spirit in a living soul
    • the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated
      • the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides
      • the soul
    How do you think of your own spirit? 

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Gospel of Matthew 5:3 LSB from the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ

    Consider a mysterious ethereal truth: observable, yet beyond measure of man's contemporary thought. 
    
    spirits apart from your own mortal soul
    • a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting
      • a life giving spirit
      • a human soul that has left the body
      • a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel
        • used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men
        • the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ

    spirit and soul alike, yet distinct

    Before proceeding to the more powerful and most mysterious Holy Spirit of God, 

    consider beyond flesh and blood, mind and spirit --
    that which is the same in Old and New Testaments, yet having subtle ungraspable distinction: spirit and soul.

    We hear it also in the heart of Isaiah, a Prophet of God:

    With my soul [nep̄eš] I have desired You in the night,
    Yes, by my spirit [rûaḥ] within me I will seek You early;
    For when Your judgments are in the earth,
    The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

    • soul – psychē – NT Greek
    • soul – nep̄eš – נֶפֶשׁ – OT Hebrew

    the HOLY Spirit

    Although related to spirit, we cannot examine the soul today as part of our brief topic of the Trinity and Holy Spirit.

    Spirit – rûaḥ or pneuma

    Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son

    1. as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy
    2. as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning
    3. imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power
    4. as endowing men with various gifts
    5. as energy of life
    6. as manifest in the Shekinah glory
    7. never referred to as a depersonalised force

    Gospel of Matthew 1:18 NKJV

    Simply the human beginning of the son of man (Mary, a virgin, that is; bearing a second adam in the line of God’s created ones).

    Certainly mysterious, controversial to this day to the psyches and spirits of mortal men and women who resist the Spirit of God.


    πνεῦμα – pneuma – spirit OR ghost


    As mysterious as Ghost or the Spirit may be to mankind, its root word [Strong’s G4154 – pneō] directs our thoughts

    • to breathe hard, i.e. breeze:—blow (of the wind)

    Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

    Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’

    The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

    The HOLINESS of God

    GOD IS HOLY text of Deuteronomy 6:13

    NO mention of Trinity is absent the key concept of HOLY in reference to the HOLY GHOST or the HOLY SPIRIT.

    We have examined the doctrines of Holiness previously:

    DOCTRINE: GOD IS HOLY

    I encourage you in the spirit to pray with ears to hear the Holy Spirit of the Lord God, who IS ONE with the Father and the Son our savior Jesus Christ.


    Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

    God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.

    Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

    God LORD Father JESUS Son Holy Spirit

  • ANNOUNCEMENT of the Testimony of GOD

    ANNOUNCEMENT of the Testimony of GOD

    And I, when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.

    1 Corinthians 2:1 DBY

    Further rebuke of CHRISTIAN MINISTERS

    Google Earth map near Corinth. "We preach Christ Crucified

    The Apostle Paul begins NOT with a reminder of his considerable credentials but with an apologia for God’s evidence in Christ crucified and risen.

    1 Corinthians 2:

    I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom [sophia]..

    Superiority, (elevation, pre-eminence, excellence in) Wisdom would have been what many Hellenists in Corinth might have expected in Paul.

    Note that the Apostle’s approach of rebuke of his Corinthian ‘brothers’ in the faith relies ONLY on the Authority of Almighty God. NOT speech (logos), NOT of wisdom [sophia], but an ANNOUNCEMENT and PROCLAIMATION.

    proclaiming to you the witness of God.

    καταγγέλλω – katangellō

    to announce, declare, promulgate, make known, to proclaim publicly, publish

    Strong’s G2605 – katangellō – BlueLetterBible.org

    AND shortly Paul will ask these Corinthian believers:

    For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?

    1 Corinthians 2:11a LSB

    Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.


    testimony – μαρτύριον – martyrion

    The APOSTLE of the RISEN CHRIST JESUS is providing ‘something evidential, i.e. (genitive case) evidence given or (specially), the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle):—to be testified, testimony, witness.

    Paul has already written his thanks to God for the Corinthians, ‘even as the witness G3142 about Christ was confirmed in you1 Cor 1:6


    DO YOU FEAR GOD?

    Here is my testimony as Christ's apostle to you, my Corinthian brothers and sisters in the Lord:

    Jesus Christ, and Him crucified

    And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..


    Listen to some of the descriptions Paul uses here for their condition:

    • WEAKNESS of the body: its native weakness and frailty, feebleness of health or sickness
    • of the soul: want of strength and capacity requisite
      • to understand a thing
      • to do things great and glorious
      • to restrain corrupt desires
      • to bear trials and troubles
    • φόβος – phobosFEAR, dread, terror
    • MUCH TREMBLING
      • quaking with fear
      • with fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements,
        • but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty
    Does this description of the Apostle Paul (who rebukes these Corinthians) resemble the pastoral approach of the ministers of YOUR church in any way?

    for ministers mature in Christ

    Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.

    1 Corinthians 2:6 NLT – Paul’s ‘word to the wise,’ mature ministers of God’s word

    Jesus taught followers to be mature

    “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

    “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

    “Therefore you are to be perfect G5046, as your heavenly Father is perfect G5046.

    Gospel of Matthew 5:38 LSB

    Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete G5046, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

    Matthew 19:21 LSB

    PAUL writes to the Corinthians who are MATURE ministers of the Lord to “be PERFECT,” become COMPLETE in your TESTIMONY of GOD.


    the Mystery of God’s Wisdom

    No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, (we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery ) which He destined for our glory before time began.

    8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 Rather, as it is written:

    “No eye has seen,

    no ear has heard,

    no heart has imagined,

    what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

    Isaiah 64:4

    But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.
    The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

    1 Corinthians 2:10 Berean Study Bible

    How are mature ministers of God different?

    The relationship of God and Man can become a Spirit to spirit love in Christ our Lord.

    14 The natural [psychikos] person does not accept the things of the Spirit [pneuma ] of God, for they are folly [foolishness] to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. – ESV

    We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

    And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

    1 Corinthians 2:12-13 BSB

    Natural human? OR Spiritual minister?

    • a natural man [anthrōpos] does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God
    • 15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

    The Apostle again returns to the Prophet Isaiah:

    16“For who has known the mind of the Lord [LORD or kyrios – ],

    he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord

    so as to instruct Him?”

    The APOSTLE here rebukes ministers of the church to be complete or mature in the Lord Jesus Christ:

    But we have the mind of Christ.

    1 Corinthians 2:16b BSB
    Paul will later mention Peter's testimony (1 Cor 15).

    Christ Crucified AND Risen!

    Then He opened their minds G3563 to understand the Scriptures…

    Gospel of Luke 24:45 LSB

    Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God..

    11 He tends His flock like a shepherd;

    He gathers the lambs in His arms

    and carries them close to His heart.

    He gently leads the nursing ewes.

    Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

    or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?

    Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

    or weighed the mountains on a scale

    and the hills with a balance?

    Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD *,

    or informed Him as His counselor?

    Isaiah 40:13 BSB
    *Or mind of the LORD in the Septuagint (LXX)

    NEXT: Meat for Ministers

    and Milk for New Babes

    and we — we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ..

    1 Corinthians 2:16b-3:1 – Young’s Literal Translation


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  • What God Hath Wrought

    What God Hath Wrought

    Jerusalem, Jerusalem !

    And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. – Acts of the Apostles 21:17 ASV

    That’s it, really – the end of a THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF PAUL (and many other apostles and disciples of the risen Jesus Christ).

    • THE END of a FIRST MISSION beginning back in A.D. 47 had been about fourteen years after his conversion before Christ.
      • 1400 miles through CYPRESS and skirting GALATIA.
      • Paul and Barnabas return to the church at Antioch, Syria to ‘report all that God had done.
    • In ACTS 15, Peter, James, Paul and other leading men of the church meet to resolve issues of JEWS and GENTILES eating and worshiping together, after which apostles were SENT out to the churches.
    • These apostles of a SECOND MISSION then departed from Jerusalem to SYRIA and GALATIA in A.D. 49,
      • then crossing into Europe (THRACE, MACEDONIA, GREECE & ACHAIA);
      • Paul returns to ASIA MINOR, establishing an important church in Ephesus.
      • Paul returns to Antioch, via Jerusalem, having travelled a distance of 2800 miles
    A.D. 52 – Apostles’ Missions so far..

    • A.D. 57
      • Paul is about to give an account of his recent 5-year, 2700 mile THIRD MISSION to the church in Jerusalem.
    previously, a prophesy in Caesarea

    Acts of the Apostles 21:

    NOTE: Due to the seriousness of ongoing issues of the Church formally considering Paul's report from mostly Gentile Hellenist Roman cities, please consider the gravity of a more formal Scripture of the American Standard Version (revision of 19th c. English update of the A.D. 1611 King James Bible.) - RH

    More People, More Problems

    18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

    And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.

    Acts of the Apostles 21:19 ASV

    Let us PAUSE here to consider what witness Paul has 'rehearsed' to this council of Jerusalem Elders. 

    It's been some seven or eight years since James and and the leaders of the CHURCH SENT this Apostle to the Gentiles with specific anointing and instruction.

    The things which God hath wrought !

    FIRST: defining a verb made archaic to Common Era ears
    Wrought [121x in the ASV]
    • Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of Jehovah was finished. – 2 Chronicles 5:1a
    • And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and faithful before Jehovah his God. – 2 Chronicles 31:20
    • And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. – Nehemiah 6:16

    But he that *doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.

    Gospel of John 3:21 ASV [context John 3:19-21]
    * ποιέω - is the SAME word Luke uses as 'rehearsed' om ACTS 21:19  - ..he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles..

    What hath God wrought, might Isr'l say
    Author: Thomas Gibbons AD 1720-1785
    Published in 4 hymnals
    Hymn: What God Hath Wrought 

What hath God wrought, might Isr'l say
Author: Thomas Gibbons
Published in 4 hymnals

    WROUGHT ! archaic to Common Era worship perhaps, but having a GRAVITY of TRUTH required of Paul to make his case for the Gentiles to cultural Jews.


    And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him,

    Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed;

    and they are all zealous for the law: and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

    ACTS 29:20b-21 ASV

    James tells Paul why he must address many new believers providing truth and evidence overturning false accusations against the Way made by zealous Judeans.

    What is it therefore?

    they will certainly hear that thou art come. 


    Remember back in Caesarea?

    hands bound by rope (or rope belt of a tunic

    Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. – Acts of the Apostles 21:11b ASV – prophesy through Agabus for the Apostle Paul

    This leader of the Jerusalem church once an unbelieving Galilean Jew (biological half-brother of Jesus) suggests a plan for Paul to convince them.

    Do therefore this that we say to thee:

    • We have four men that have a vow on them;
    • 24 these take, and purify thyself with them,
    • and be at charges for them,
    • that they may shave their heads:

    These purification rites relate to Levitical Law & ALSO required completion of a VOW to the LORD.

    and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee;

    but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.


    Clear PUBLIC evidence of TRUTH !


    AND in true leadership form JAMES reminds of their decision already made earlier regarding GENTILE customs:

    But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.

    Paul receives their advise humbly (even knowing somewhat of the outcome), as the Apostle has been counseled by the Holy Spirit.

    26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.


    ACTS of the Apostles – To Be Continued…

    What God Hath Wrought 2


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  • Sailing Home on the Aegean

    Sailing Home on the Aegean

    And when they had come to him, he said to them,
    “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials..

    Acts of the Apostles 20:18-19a LSB – The Apostle Paul bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders

    As you know Paul and apostles of his third missionary journey have set sail for Jerusalem.

    “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock.. – Acts 20:28a – the Apostle Paul’s parting advice to the elders of the church.
    Anatolian Peninsula - Turkiye
    Anatolian peninsula

    Reflecting back on a Third Missionary Journey

    Paul had begun this third mission in about A.D. 52 setting out on land from Antioch to visit churches all along the Anatolian peninsula until reaching the Aegean at Ephesus, a distance of more than 500 miles.

    A.D. 57

    In addition to starting and nurturing an important church in Asia Minor, namely Ephesus, the Apostle had then crossed the Aegean into Europe and done the same for churches in Thessalonica, and Berea; the important Achaian city of Corinth, returning to Thessalonica once more then traveling to the Roman stronghold at Philippi.

    Aegean Sea

    The Aegean Missions by Sea

    Although these missionaries have bypassed Ephesus on their return to Jerusalem, note Paul’s APOSTOLOIC LETTERS encouraging CHURCHES during these same years:

    Paul sends two Epistles to the Thessalonians from Athens
    Epistles to the Thessalonians
    • 2 THESSALONIANS (possibly)
      • (if it had not already been delivered during Paul’s Second Missionary Journey along with 1 Thessalonians and an epistle to the Galatians.)
    • TWO LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS
    • PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE ROMANS,
      • including the major theological epistle preserved in the Bible
      • and no doubt other letters to individuals in Rome as in other cities.

    Acts of the Apostles 21:

    Paul's 3rd missionary journey - sailing home - a map from Aegean ports toward Tyre

    Now when we had parted from them and had set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos..

    and the next day to Rhodes..

     and from there to Patara;

    .. and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

    Phoenicia along the coast of modern-day Lebanon with the important ports of Tyre and Sidon

    And when we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo.

    Land Ho! Almost Home

    Acts 21:1-3 Paul's route returning from his third missionary journey, landing at Tyre

    We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days.

    Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

    Acts of the Apostles 21:4 – New International Version

    a word of warning

    Note three things Luke is about to tell us about their arrival:
    •  μαθητής (mathētēs) – they sought out OTHER followers of Christ and stayed with them (seven days here in Tyre)
      • disciples in every port AND on various parts of Paul’s missionary journeys various disciples become apostles also sent out to other churches.
      • SEE the list: These disciples are both men and women.
    • They spoke to Paul in the Spirit.
      • λέγω – legō
        • conversation between believers, exhortation in this case they must have thought received through the Spirit
        • (We’ll come back to this..)
      • πνεῦμα – pneuma
        • Let Christ-followers reading Spirit‘ 70 times in Acts understand that this is the Holy Spirit who joined in these conversations.
    • disciples Prophesied to Paul through the Spirit what would happen if the Apostle ‘set foot’ in Jerusalem (as he had planned).
      • Soon other disciples will provide addition detail of these prophesies though the Spirit.

    When it was time to leave, [Luke tells us] we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.

    6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

    Does the intimacy of their parting not remind us of the Ephesian elders as these apostles crossed the Aegean and Mediterranean?

    διά – λόγος – [dia – log]

    'dialogue' of 'Christians' -literally, dia logos, dia legō 
    • discourse
    • to say, to speak
    • through
      • by the means of:

    the HOLY SPIRIT or HOLY GHOST!


    And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

    “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

    “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

    Acts of the Apostles 2:43, 10:43, 15:11,
    references to Strong’s G1223 – dia – meaning “through

    DO NOT DISMISS or overlook frequent intimate conversation between 1st century followers of Christ AND their continual dialogue through the Holy Spirit.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    The Apostle Paul has RECENTLY [A.D. 57] written in a letter to Roman Christ-followers:

    .. the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

    Romans 5:5b excerpt [the context could not be more important]

    NEXT: The apostles continue their return from Paul’s Third Missionary Journey and the Holy Spirit reveals more details through prophesy of what will take place in Jerusalem.

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    Let's have some dia-log here, dear brother/sister in Christ.

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  • and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy

    and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy

    FEAR descends upon us without warning when we least expect it. This is what has just happened in places distant from our secure homes and times more near these last days.

    TODAY we return to Ephesus in the first century of our Lord and then quickly jump forward to fearful times ahead and even now in this 21st century of the Common Era.
    
    IF you missed the account of Paul's previous preaching of Jesus Christ you might want to look back first.

    What do we fear?

    Disgrace, as these men ran away from a situation over which they claimed to have power?

    DEATH perhaps, IF the enemy should prevail?


    The Apostle Paul [Saul of Tarsus] was a RELIGIOUS man once feared by Christians as he pursued the unrighteousness of men and women turned from Almighty God.

    But a more powerful JESUS and the Holy Spirit had intervened most unexpectedly. NOW Paul in Christ demonstrates God’s POWER!

    6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them..

    .. some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude..

    11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul..and the evil spirits went out of them.

    16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them..

    Acts of the Apostles 19:16a NKJV

    PAUL HAD POWER! Unseen power. The Jewish priests observed reactions of people who had witnessed this mysterious unseen power and sought such control of the crowds as well.

    18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

    We may safely suppose that their confessions included the ordinary sins of every man and woman and their deeds being the evil against God and others so common in our everyday lives.

    19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

    Fear of the unseen enemy

    The LORD GOD is your enemy when YOU SIN against HIM!

    Satan and unseen spirits in which many of you do not believe are ENEMIES of the LORD GOD and His only SON JESUS CHRIST sent to SAVE you from the Judgment of your SIN.

    This CHOSEN NATION of GOD had sinned and fallen many times.

    AND they continued to deny Christ’s grace and power over sin demonstrated in JESUS.

    Priests and preachers had sinned against the SON of GOD sent to HIS OWN for forgiveness of SINS.

    The King of the Jews was sacrificed on a Roman Cross in Jerusalem.


    Paul who by now has confessed Christ witnesses to the gentiles of first century Roman Asia Minor. The Apostle once again demonstrates the power of Jesus Christ OVER sin.

    AND as always, there arose a great commotion about the Way. [v.23b]


    מָשִׁיחַ מָשִׁיחַ talk of jesus dot com
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    PHOTO above from the 3-part Gospel Series: 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches

    a Common Era parable – phobomai

    We interrupt these ACTS of the first century for 
    BREAKING NEWS from Israel in this 21st century of the Common Era
    and a parable of current events.

    A man with seven sons and seven daughters whom he had set over an inheritance of great wealth and influence sent them out to build new settlements for his grandchildren. One day his oldest son gathered all of their brothers and sisters for a great music festival of songs celebrating the culture of their fathers.

    So as a trumpet sounded from the besieged holy hill beyond the locked gate they departed toward this rave for the ages led by local guides into the valley of the shadow near the salt sea.

    In the diaspora, the first day is known by its biblical name, Shemini Atzeret. We still dwell in the sukkah, but without a blessing.

    To be continued…


    In the diaspora, the first day is known by its biblical name, Shemini Atzeret. We still dwell in the sukkah, but without a blessing. Yizkor, the memorial for the departed, is also said on this day.
    
    The second day is known as Simchat Torah, during which we complete and immediately begin the annual Torah reading cycle. - source: Chabad.org
    Photo via brand X
@visegrad24
·
Oct 7
BREAKING:

The woman whose body was seen on video in the back of a pick-up truck driven by Palestinian terrorists to Gaza has been identified. 

30-year-old Shani Louk was a German citizen visiting Israel to attend the music festival for peace held near the Gaza border fence.

    7 October, 2023 of the Common Era

    At the RAVE of the enemy in the valley of the shadow many fall victim.

    It was NOT a festival to the LORD God and the enemy provokes the spirit of evil in any who seek pleasure in sin and death.

    May God have mercy on their lost souls.


    FEAR

    φόβος phobos – From a primary phebomai (to be put in fear)

    • Fear, dread, terror
    • that which strikes terror

    And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. And fear [G5401 – phobos] gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying,

    “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!”

    Gospel of Luke 7:15-16 Legacy Standard Bible

    “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars,
    and on the earth anguish among nations,
    in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
    men fainting from fear [G5401 – phobos]
    and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world;
    for the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS will be shaken…

    Gospel of Luke 21:25-26 LSB
    We return now from the 21st c. C.E. to a FEAR in those witnessing GOOD in the Name of JESUS in the first century of the Lord in Ephesus recalling:

    And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear G5401 fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

    Acts of the Apostles 19-17 LSB

    Reaction against the Power of God

    IT ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT WHEN GOD WORKS MIGHTY ACTS OF POWER THAT UNGODLY MEN WILL DO EVIL AGAINST THE WITNESSES OF GOD AND CHRIST JESUS.

    ACTS 19:23 NKJV

    And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said:

    “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”


    Some men FEAR disgrace, most men and women FEAR death, yet many cling to tradition forged into idols of culture condoning our sin and denying our mortality.

    These would lead the leaven of life into a pit of eternal punishment.

    “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

    Paul later writes to the ROMANS, quoting PSALM 36

    Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,

    “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

    29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.


    third missionary journey of Paul from Acts of the Apostles

    The Apostle Paul’s ACTS in Ephesus – To Be Continued, God-willing…


  • Powerful Preaching to powerless Christians

    Powerful Preaching to powerless Christians

    Preaching the Lord Jesus

    What was the difference in the preaching of Apollos and Paul?

    Let's take a look at Luke's account translated authoritatively in the King James Version:
    

    And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

    He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

    And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.


    SO WHAT WAS PAUL’S FIRST CONCERN ABOUT AN APPARENT LACK OF ZEAL FOR CHRIST?

    The HOLY Ghost, who we will return to once we examine today’s map of where Paul and Apollos have been AND when these men preached the Gospel.

    Apollos – Itinerary to Corinth

    Of course before he departed for home a year ago via Ephesus, PAUL had already preached in Corinth.

    PLUS out of his concern for the Corinthians Paul will soon write two epistles to their church about three years from now.

    Google Earth map near Corinth. "We preach Christ Crucified
    PREVIOUSLY Luke tells us in ACTS 18:24 – Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

    Luke’s account also provides details from about three years earlier in A.D. 49 that the Emperor Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. – Acts 18:2

    Consequently this was how Apollos came to meet Aquila and Priscilla, fellow Jews now disciples of Jesus Christ in Ephesus [~A.D. 52].

    Alexandria, home of Apollos on the north coast of Africa, was a key Roman port as you might imagine from viewing the map in our previous post of Paul and Apollos crossing paths in the Aegean, where Corinth and Ephesus, in addition to Philippi where Rome had won a key battle, became strategic ports of Rome for their legions, navy and commerce by sea, as well as entry points to inland travel for everyone mostly on Roman roads.

    Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus

    Luke records that this powerful preacher Apollos had proclaimed JESUS boldly to the Jews, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. [Acts 18:26]

    THEN they encourage Apollos to go on to Corinth, Achaia where he will proclaim a more accurate Gospel. Yet many have already accepted Apollos’ preaching in Ephesus, even as Paul will encounter these on his way into to city.

    What preaching is POWERFUL or Eloquent?

    (AND WHY did Aquila and Priscilla take such an articulate preacher of Scripture aside?)

    Luke describes Apollos’ preaching as eloquent

    λόγιος, λόγιον (λόγος), in classical Greek
    1. learned, a man of letters, skilled in literature and the arts; especially versed in history and antiquities.
    2. skilled in speech, eloquent: so Acts 18:24

    AND mighty in the scriptures

    Paul will later write to the Corinthians whom he left earlier and where Apollos now preaches:

    For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

    that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

    that he was buried,

    that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..

    Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

    Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians 15:3-4,11

    Apollos preaches the (O.T.) Scriptures accurately explaining how JESUS fulfills the old covenant. Priscilla and Aquila, companions of Paul understanding the Apostle’s testimony well, point Apollos to a more accurate and complete Gospel.

    Again, Paul later reminds the Corinthians to stand firm in what he has preached.

    And as always, here in Ephesus, Paul tests the teachings of those the he encounters as the Apostle has always done in so many far removed places of a vast Roman Empire.

    Paul – Itinerary to Ephesus

    The Apostle Paul once again begins his third missionary journey across land, even as he had previously with Silas as they left their home church in Antioch Syria.

    map of Syria, ruled froj Tarsus
    Roman cities of Syria

    Luke does not detail specific stops of these apostles on the way to Ephesus, but has stated that their purpose was to build up the church where established new followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – GENTILE followers join in worship with JEWISH followers.

    Have YOU received the HOLY Spirit?

    As Paul nears Ephesus to the west from Laodicea and Colossae the Apostle inquires what believers truly believe.

    In fact, these might be good questions for YOU as you worship alongside followers of Christ more mature in their faith and refined in the true Gospel of Scripture.
    • If you did NOT receive the Holy Spirit when baptized, then WHAT if anything CHANGED?
    • And YOU REPENTED of what?
    • So are YOU permanently CHANGED from what old SINS to what RIGHTEOUSNESS in CHRIST?

    Luke’s account of Paul asking such questions goes like this:

    Acts 19 – Paul in Ephesis

    There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them,

    “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

    And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

    3 And he said,

    “Into what then were you baptized?”

    They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

    5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

    6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

    7 There were about twelve men in all.


    A POWERFUL Sign for powerless disciples

    Here in Ephesus the Lord again provides a sign through the HOLY SPIRIT by the hand of the APOSTLE PAUL!

    “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water,
    but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
    Acts 1:4b NASB

    This is not unlike in Luke’s introduction in ACTS of the Apostles which took place some twenty years before back in an upper room in Jerusalem where the TWELVE and other disciples had been commanded by the Lord Jesus to wait.

    Do not be sidetracked by the sign of the Holy Spirit given in these early days of the Gospel by the POWER of the laying on of hands OR the MYSTERY of speaking in tongues OR the prophesy given by God to speak what is to be in these last days. 

    These disciples of hoped-for righteousness remained powerless by their mere turning from the sin of the past to works hoping to please God. JOHN baptized JESUS and confirmed that HE IS the ONE to come!

    CHRIST CRUCIFIED,

    CHRIST BURIED WITH OUR SINS,

    CHRIST RISEN IN THE BODY AND SPIRIT,

    CHRIST RISEN AND SENDING out THE HOLY SPIRIT to those chosen before time,

    CHRIST raising SINNERS forgiven IN HIM to remain with HIM always…

    Rather than be raised to a JUDGMENT where the LORD could choose to say,

    I NEVER KNEW YOU. Go away to ETERNAL punishment.


    Luke will continue with another example of PREACHERS seeking POWER like that of Paul.

    ACTS of the Apostles — To Be Continued, God-willing

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