Poll: From Where Should Laws be Derived?

Kit and Kaboodle CD Library Sale at Vision Forum

A great sale on the Kit and Kaboodle CD Library.
Covering topics such as :

• Marriage preparation

• Godly manhood and womanhood

• Biblical child-training

• Preventing bitterness

• Family discipleship

• Giving hope to your sons and daughters

• Successful homeschooling

• Fulfilling marriages

• Much, much more!

Sale ends Septemebr 25th 2010.

Doctrine of the Trinity-Part 6

When it comes to the Holy Spirit often one issue is in seeing the Holy Spirit as a person.   The issue I think is that our definition of “person” is such that to be a person one needs a corporeal body, a body that one can touch and feel.  However this is not necessarily true since it is certain aspects, or attributes, that make someone a person.  For example a corpse is a body that you could touch and feel, if you wanted to, but one does not usually see a corpse as a person.  

The primary attributes that make up a person are: mind, emotion and will.  With regards to emotions some hold that God is “impassible”, has no emotions.  Personally I find it hard to simply take the vast number of passages that speak of God and emotions and set them aside as anthropomorphisms.  I think the desire to call God “impassible” in part comes from seeing where our emotions come from and lead to as humans. Our emotions are driven by our nature but it is not pure so our emotions are an issue.  But, I find no issue in saying God has perfect emotions since His emotions are driven by His perfect nature. 

So what makes the Holy Spirit a person?

Again, the primary attributes that make up a person are: mind, emotion and will so we will look at some verses that speak to these in relation to the Holy Spirit along with others that show the personhood of the Spirit.

1)    1 Cor 2:10 shows intellect  (mind)

“these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

2)    Romans 8:27 speaks of the mind of the spirit

“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

3)    Eph 4:30 speaks to the emotions of the Holy Spirit

 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

4)    1 Cor 12:11 speaks to the will of the Spirit

“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

5)    As mentioned in the above the Holy Spirit has a relationship with others

6)    John 15:26 speaks to the Spirit bearing witness of Christ and the word used is also used to describe the disciples’ testifying about Christ in John 15:27. 

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

7)    This concept of bearing witness is also seen in Rom 8:16

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

8)    In John 14:26; 15:26 (see above) & 16:13-14 the masculine pronoun He (ekeinos) is used as it would be for a person.  Usually in Greek the word spirit (pneuma) is neuter and not masculine.

“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”  ~  John 14:26

“ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”  ~  John 16:13-14

9)    In Acts 5 we have the story of Ananias and Sapphira that shows how they lied to the Holy Spirit and you usually do not lie to an impersonal force.

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?” ~  Acts 5:3

“But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."” ~ Acts 5:9

10)    Rom 8:26 – Shows the Holy Spirit interceding on a personal basis

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

11)   As already seen; personal activities and actions are attributed to the Holy Spirit as in 1 Cor 2:10-11; Acts 16:6-7; and even as speaking as in Acts 8:29; 13:1-2

“these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”  ~  1 Cor 2:10-11

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.   And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.  ~  Acts 16:6-7

“And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." ~ Acts 8:29

 “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." “ ~ Acts 13:2

We can see in the verses above that not only is the Holy Spirit evident in scripture the Holy Spirit is also spoken of as a person.  Obviously a person that acts and is decidedly different than you or I but still possess the attributes of personhood.

In the next part we will look at whether scripture refers to all three persons as God.

Doctrine of the Trinity Series:

Sermon Series on The Doctrine of the Trinity:  Part 1   and   Part 2

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

(all verses used are from the ESV unless stated otherwise)

New VisionForum.com Site

Around the Web and Blogosphere (9/15/10)

Gary Demar writes a good article on the economy at the American Vision site: How to Kill an Economy. In speaking to both government spending and individual spending he ends with this: “Resisting government spending is good and necessary. But more important is resisting our own temptation to spend uncontrollably. Only by effectively exercising self-control we will be able to resist Larry Summers, Obama, and the rest of the socialist crowd in high places.”


Devvy Kidd wrote an article posted at the American Covenanter entitled Beck: Restore America's Honor at the memorial of a white supremacist?. If you have been brought up on a constant dose of Abraham Lincoln as a saint, as I was, and as Glenn Beck puts forth be prepared to be shocked but the challenge is not to ignore what is put forth here but to investigate and seek the truth yourself.



The American View has some good comments by Pastor Joe Morecraft III: Godless Conservatism Has Failed; Time For Christians To Act Like Christians, Proclaim Christ’s Lordship Over Politics, Too:

“Godless, “conservative humanism” is “just as devastating to this country as liberal humanism.” He added that “the time is over” for this kind of secular conservatism saying: “It has stopped nothing!”

Emphasizing the importance of “Christianizing Christians,” he said Christians must start acting like Christians first. This, he said would anger liberals and conservatives.

Civil government is created by God. “Government’s power does not come from the people, he said. “It comes from God! And God is the source of political power, too!””



Check out the latest trailer for IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christian in America



Lastly, contemplate donating to the NCFIC as they work on an important documentary film called Segregation “investigating the problems with modern youth ministry and the solution of biblical youth ministry found in the Word of God.”

And the Winner is………

The winner of the Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism DVD is….. Jenna Bramlett

Now for more good news. Since there were fewer than expected entries and I got these DVDs to giveaway, becasue I think it is that good, I have decided to give everyone that entered a DVD.  So you can contact me by clicking on the “Contact Me” button at the top of the page or (as the contact button has been a little finicky) by using this link, Contact Me , to leave me your address to send the DVD to.

Enjoy.

Grace and Peace,

Tony Konvalin

Doctrine of the Trinity-Part 5

A reminder of where we are going:
I) That there are 3 persons
II) They are all called God
III) There is One God (Monotheism)
IV) Thus they must all be God (Trinity)

I) Proof of Three Persons Existing

The Father
The fact there is a person called the Father in scripture is little disputed. But never the less seeing that there is a person called the Father in scripture is important. Also I might add this is where we as believers often may create our own problems as we often conflate the person of The Father and The Godhead he is part of. By this I mean we often speak of the Father and God such as to in effect create 4 persons. This is why it is important to attempt to when speaking of the Person of the Father refer to Him as God the Father, Father or some such was so as to differentiate the person from the essence that all three persons are part of

Here are just a few versus to look at:

1) Matt 3:16-17 - The baptism of Jesus shows us the Father and even the Father-Son relationship
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."”

2) Matt 28:19-20 - Mentions all three but here we want to see the Father
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

3) John 17:1-3 - Shows the distinctness of the Father and Son as well as the Father being referred to as God
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

4) In John 17:24 - Jesus speaks to the father thus showing the person of the Father and also the distinctness of the two
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

5) 2 Peter 1:17 - Shows a person called the Father and the Father as God
“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,"”

6) 1 John 2:1 - Speaks of Christ being the advocate before the Father
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”


The Son (Jesus)
It is also little disputed that Jesus existed as most groups denying the Trinity will agree to this as they will agree to the Father existing. By the way there are still a few that will deny Christ existed. Many that deny Christ existence speak to his name not being in extra-biblical literature. First that is not true as in the writings of Josephus, Tacitus and Suetonius we see the existence of Jesus. Second this denial of Jesus being mentioned in historical writings shows that the person speaking does not view the bible as evidence, which it is.

Here are verses speaking of Christ:

1) Mat 1:1 - Speaks of His genealogy
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

2) Luke 3:23 - Speaks of the beginning of His ministry
“Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,”

3) Acts 1:1 – Luke speaks of his first book (Luke) dealing with all Christ had done and taught
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,”

4) Gal 3:1 – Paul speaks of the Galatians being eye witnesses to Christ
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified”

5) Rev 22:20 – Speaks to Christ and His return
“He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

6) A search of the Name Jesus in the NT in the ESV returns 927 verses


The Holy Spirit
When it comes to the Holy Spirit it is not whether all agree to His existence but more to the nature of the Holy Spirit. It is often hard to conceive of the Holy Spirit as a person thus, even unknowingly we often refer to the Holy Spirit as “It” rather than “He.” Most will agree that the Bible speaks of the existence of the Holy Spirit, again His nature is what is the sticking point for many.
We see the Holy Spirit in:

1) Psalm 51:11
“Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”

2) Isa 63:10-11 – Speaks of grieving the Holy Spirit and relates it to God
“But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit,”

3) Matt 1:18-20 – Relates the Holy Spirit to the birth of Christ thus separating them as 2 distinct persons
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

4) Matt 28:19 – As we saw before the HS is mentioned in the Great Commission
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

5) John 14:26 - Speaks of the Holy Spirit in a relationship position
“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.”

6) Romans 8:27 - the Holy Spirit is pictured praying for us
“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

So we see the Holy Spirit does exist but again what is most often the issue is not the Holy Spirits existence but what is the nature of the Holy Spirit and we will look at this in Part 6

Doctrine of the Trinity Series:

Sermon Series on The Doctrine of the Trinity:  Part 1   and   Part 2

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

(all verses used are from the ESV unless stated otherwise)