3. 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth
was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the
deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
- Genesis 1:1-2 NASB
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4. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness.”
- Genesis 1:26 NASB
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5. For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
- 2 Peter 1:21 NASB
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6. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and
scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought
before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to
the Gentiles. 19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how
or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are
to say. 20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father
who speaks in you.
- Matthew 10:6-8 NASB
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7. 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying,
“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He
said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the
Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even
to the remotest part of the earth.”
- Acts 1:6-8 NASB
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8. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL
INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 NASB
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9. 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I
wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can
understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other
generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now
been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
- Ephesians 3:3-5 NASB
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10. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-
edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of
both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.
- Hebrews 4:12 NASB
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11. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
- Ephesians 6:17 NASB
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12. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek.
- Romans 1:16 NASB
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13. 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the
desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he
started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopiana eunuch, an important
official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means
“queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to
worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the
Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot
and stay near it.”
- Acts 8:26-29 NASB
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14. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being
baptized, men and women alike. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and
after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed
signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. 14
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received
the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down
and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He
had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Acts 8:12-16 NASB
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15. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were
receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was
bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them
money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone
on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter
said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you
could obtain the gift of God with money!
- Acts 8:17-20 NASB
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16. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit
of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows
except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things
freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words
taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining
spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
- 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 NASB
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17. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh,
you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of
the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God,
these are sons of God.
- Romans 8:12-14 NASB
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18. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were
taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 NASB
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19. Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man
not to touch a woman.
- 1 Corinthians 7:1 NASB
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20. 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain,
since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you
ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you
the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to
need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of
milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their
senses trained to discern good and evil.
- Hebrews 5:11-14 NASB
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21. As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are
some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own
destruction.
- 2 Peter 3:16 NASB
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22. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who
does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 NASB
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23. 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent
man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This
man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in
spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning
Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and he
began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and
Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of
God more accurately.
- Acts 18:24-26 NASB
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24. 1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of
what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared
God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people
and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he
clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said
to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much
alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers
and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5“Now dispatch
some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also
called Peter;
- Acts 10:1-5 NASB
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25. 11 “And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in
which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
12“The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six
brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13“And
he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house,
and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter,
brought here; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be
saved, you and all your household.’
- Acts 11:11-14 NASB
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26. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh,
you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of
the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God,
these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery
leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as
sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself
testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children,
heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer
with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
- Romans 8:12-17 NASB
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27. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in
the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
- 1 John 4:17 NASB
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Editor's Notes
We have had a series of progressive lessons starting with, “Is our Worship Pleasing to God”, followed by “Knowing God.” Last Sunday morning, our lesson was on,“Knowing Christ.” This morning I would like to complete this series with a lesson on knowing the Holy Spirit.
There is much confusion today about the Holy Spirit. Many like to make the Holy Spirit something mystical, the Spirit of God that enters into us and gives us special abilities and power and knowledge. [The storey of my confusion as a young man in high school: Rather than emotion driven by knowledge from God's word they were replacing God's Word with their emotional feelings]. What do we know about the Holy Spirit?
He was in the beginning, part of the Elohiem.
He is part of the Elohiem.
The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets of God and provided for us the word of God!
Christ promised that the apostles would be inspired by the Holy Spirit
This is how God communicates with us!
This is how the Holy Spirit works and speaks to us today, through the word of God!
The POWER OF SALVATION is the Word of God!!!!
The Holy Spirit didn't speak to the Ethiopian eunuch, the Holy Spirit sent Philip TO SPEAK to the eunuch!!!
Paul is not saying that the Holy Spirit communicates with every individual or with every Christian (even in the 1st Century). But that the Holy Spirit reveals the mind of God to the apostless to pass on or communicate to others.
Paul is saying that we need to be “Led by the Spirit of God” rather than, “living according to the flesh.” But how are we, “Being led by the Spirit of God?”
Does the Holy Spirit communicates directly with us apart from the Scriptures? Try arguing with someone who believes that the Spirit told them something? [Example of the Mormons] even in the 1st century when there were the gifts of the Spirit yet some Christians believe the Holy Spirit is dwelling in them receiving direct communication
the standard that they were to follow was the preaching and letters from the holy apostles
Why write to Paul with their questions, why not just let the Holy Spirit communicate the answer to their question?
How do we, “Discern good and evil?”The writer is not talking about some special revelation to the individual but rather, “The oracles of God” “The word of righteousness.”When some want to live their lives contrary to, “The oracles of God”, they justify such by claiming being led by the Spirit apart from the Word of God.
Some claim the Spirit speaks to them and helps them understand the scriptures.
We know and understand God's word by diligently studying God's word.
Why didn't the Holy Spirit directly reveal, “The way of God more accuately” to Apollos? Because that is not the way the Holy Spirit works. Priscilla and Aquila needed to, “Explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
Why didn't the Holy Spirit directly reveal the truth to Cornelius? Because that is not how the Holy Spirit works.
The Spirit of God testifies with our spirit. not saying the Holy Spirit communicates directly but that His word testifies to us. Some people will say, "I know that I am saved because I feel it." Where do we find this in scripture, that we have confidence based on our feelings???