And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;
but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit,
it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
Gospel of Matthew 12:32 ASV
The Apostles’ Creed — foundational to our Apostolic Christian faith
We believe in ..
- God the Father almighty,
- Creator of heaven and earth,
- Jesus Christ
- God’s only Son, our Lord,
- who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
- born of the Virgin Mary
- Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate,
- was crucified
- and was buried
- was crucified
- On the third day He rose from the dead
- He ascended to heaven
- He sits in the favored place of God the Father
- He will judge the living and the dead.
Here, the weightiness of what we have just confessed must certainly convict the faithful soul. Then follows a reiteration and underlining of the same fundamental faith:
(I or WE believe in:)
- The Holy Ghost
- more…
source: apostles-creed.org
The Apostles’ Creed
The Apostles’ Creed and other affirmations of faith were adopted corporately by the Church to refute permeating heresies plaguing believers since the time of the Apostles.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
As Scripture states:
GOD IS ONE IN ESSENCE,
and as the Gospel reveals,
THREE IN PERSON.
More on Trinity from R.C. Sproul
Some translations of τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου - lit. the Ghost the Holy - read: Holy Spirit, while others read: Holy Ghost — hagios- most holy thing, a saint; pneuma.
I believe in
the Holy Ghost
the third Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Holy Ghost, is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is a central figure in Christian theology and is integral to the believer’s life and the Church’s mission.
Separate Roles of the Holy Spirit
You may have thought that we had already addressed the Holy Spirit in the Apostle’s Creed.
In fact, the Creed first brings up the Spirit in relation to His role in the conception of Jesus, the Only Son of the One God, by Mary through her virgin birth of the Christ or Messiah of Israel.
Now the Creed reiterates our belief in the Person of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Old Testament as well as the Gospels.
Once again, let’s look to the Good News of what the Only Son who has seen the Father tells His Disciples about the Holy Spirit. (And note the context of Jesus’ answers about the Spirit.)
(Possible) Good News of the Holy Spirit
Returniing to our opening Scripture from the Gospel of Mark from the King James Version.
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
“Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:”
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Gospel of Mark 3:22,28-30 KJV
When the Lord Jesus was baptized by John then began His teaching as the Son of Man:
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened,
and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
And there came a voice from heaven, saying,
Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Gospel of Mark 1:9-12 KJV
Gospel of John
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
John 3:34 ESV
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.
And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.
Gospel of John 14:24-25 ESV – the words of JESUS Christ
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 that I have said to you.
Gospel of John `3:26 ESV
Receive the Spirit!
God the Father knew you and chose you long ago,
and his Spirit has made you holy.
As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
The Apostle Peter, Greeting from his first epistle
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD?
The Question is that of God speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, who the Apostle Paul later quotes [64:4] to the saints of the Corinthian church.
or informed Him as His counselor?
Whom did He consult to enlighten Him,
and who taught Him the paths of justice?
Who imparted knowledge to Him
and showed Him the way of understanding?
the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him?
So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
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. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God…
Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 10-14a BSB
NEXT – the controversial CHURCH
Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
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