Introduction.
There are many interpretations and understandings as to who or what the Holy Spirit is. Some believe he is a force, they claim he is "God's active force, nothing more. Others believe the Holy Spirit is God but that he is mystical. They say all the biblical teachings about him are for today. During the next series of weeks I will explain:
1. Briefly the trinity
2. Discuss the Holy Spirit as God and as a personality
3. Discuss the baptism of the Holy Spirit
4. Gifts of the Spirit are they for today
5. The unpardonable sin how is it committed?
6. How does the Spirit live in us?
7. The fruits of the Spirit
I presume this will be an eight to twelve week course maybe a little longer if the materials haven't been covered.
I am using a base text book that Ed brought to my attention "The Holy Spirit by Elmer La Roy. I have also come across a variety of articles by other brethren that will add light to this subject and will help us in our journey to grow closer to God Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today we focus on God is tri-une. You will never see the word trinity in scripture but you will see God displayed as tri-une. This doesn't mean God is a being with multiple personalities but rather three persons who make up the one god. One brother uses the illustration of a rope having three strands which are interwoven. Individually the three strands will not support one's weight but when they are interwoven working together one can climb the rope. Another image we can use is our Government. We have the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. They are separate and act separate in their roles yet they are interdependent. Remember the above are not biblical they are illustrations to help you picture the concept of a tri-une Godhead.
The trinity could be a subject all it's own but because of time constraints we will only spend a week on it not breaking down the individual roles but focusing primarily on it's third being The Holy Spirit.
We see the trinity in creation. I am using the amplified version of the bible for clarity.
Genesis 1 26
26 God said, let us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.
God as the Holy Spirit is sent out!
David describes God and the creation's relationship this way
Ps 104:30;
24 O Lord, how many and varied are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the Earth is full of your riches and your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, in which are swarms of innumerable creeping things, Creatures both small and great.
26 There go the ships of the sea, and Leviathan (the sea monster), which you have formed to sport in it.
27 These all wait and are dependent upon you, that you may give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are troubled and dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth Your Spirit and give them breath, they are created, and you replenish the face of the ground.
God the Son Heb 1:2; actually all of Hebrews 1
1 In many separate revelations each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,
2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].
3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,
4 [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did [God] ever say, you are My Son, today I have begotten you [established you in an official Son ship relation, with kingly dignity]? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He will be to Me a Son? [II Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7.]
6 Moreover, when He brings the firstborn Son again into the habitable world, He says, let all the angels of God worship Him.
7 Referring to the angels He says, [God] who makes His Angels winds and His ministering servants flames of fire;
8 But as to the Son, He says to Him, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (to the ages of the ages), and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness (of justice and straightforwardness).
9 You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and you have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity). Therefore God, [even] Your God (Godhead), has anointed you with the oil of exultant joy and gladness above and beyond your companions.
10 And [further], you, Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain and continue permanently; they will all grow old and wear out like a garment.
12 Like a mantle [thrown about one's self] you will roll them up, and they will be changed and replaced by others. But you remain the same, and your years will never end nor come to failure.
13 Besides, to which of the angels has He ever said, Sit at My right hand [associated with me in my royal dignity] till I make your enemies a stool for your feet?
14 Are not the angels all ministering Spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. The word of God?
John 1 verse 1-4
1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God [b]Himself.( A)
2 He was present originally with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
John 1: 10-12, 14
10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].
11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.
12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—
14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.
II We see three Greek words in the New Testament that are used for Godhead according to Elmer La Roy's book they have three shades of meaning.
Deity
Acts 17-29 Paul is teaching the pagans of Athens about the "unknown God
29 Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that Deity (the Godhead) is like gold or silver or stone, [of the nature of] a representation by human art and imagination or anything constructed or invented.
2. The second Greek word Godhead Rom 1:20 Speaks of the divinity
20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
3. The third word Godhead is used inColosians 2:9, 10
9 For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].
10 And you [f] are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--and reach full Spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].
III. The God head revealed specifically by illustration:
This is a familiar verse Matthew 28: 19, if the father is the only part of the Godhead why would Jesus say this?
19 Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them [b] into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Romans 15-30 God in three persons:
30 I appeal to you [I entreat you], brethren, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love [given by] the Spirit, to unite with me in earnest wrestling in prayer to God in my behalf.
God in three persons at the baptism of Jesus. Mark 1: 9-11
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down to enter [into Him.]
11 And there came a voice out from within heaven, you are My Beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.
12.Immediately the [Holy] Spirit [from within] drove Him out into the Wilderness (desert),
Footnotes refer to Psalms 2:7;
7 I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten you.
Isaiah 42:1
1 Behold my servant, Whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations.
4. God in three persons Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. John 15: 26
26 But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding me.
IV. The Bible speaks of three persons each called
1. The Father God
1 Corinthians 8: 6
6 Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for whom we [have life], and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by whom are all things and through and by whom we [ourselves exist].
2. God the son John 1: 1
1. IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word ( [a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God [b]Himself.( A)
2. The Holy Spirit is God
Acts 5: 3-4 Remember Ananias and Saphira? But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land? As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.
So just scratching the surface we see:
The trinity in creation three separate beings with three roles to play
b. The Holy Spirit described by David in actions
The majesty of God the son in Hebrews
We see that Jesus the word was with the father from the beginning if this is so we have at least two beings but of course remember P.S. David mentions the Spirit as does Genesis which we will cover more next week.
We also discussed how the Godhead is mentioned using three Greek words that describe god's deity divinity and Godhead.
E. we finish by discussing illustrations of three beings appearing together as God discuss the bible defining each of them as God and ascribing separate roles to each.
Next week we will meet the person of the Holy Spirit and discover more about his character.