tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74935340700327317232024-02-20T00:21:03.095+05:30English Sampark - Biblical Messages and AnswersMessages pertaining to the Christian Faith; and Answers to some typically intriguing questions - Presented by the Grace and Guidance of the Lord Jesus.Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-28397350623509850292021-06-10T14:36:00.005+05:302021-06-10T14:44:19.988+05:30Baptism and Salvation - the Difference?<p> </p><p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Question: </b></span></p><p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;">What is the difference between baptism and salvation?
Is salvation the sealing of the Holy Spirit and baptism the anointing of the
Holy Spirit?<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Answer:</b></span></p><p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The word baptism, is from a Greek language word, in
which the New Testament section of God’s Word the Bible was originally written,
“<i>baptizo</i>” which literally means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to
submerge, to overwhelm or make fully wet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The word salvation is from the Greek word </span><i style="font-size: 10pt;">soteria</i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">,
and it means deliverance, preservation, safety, i.e. to be saved from some harm
or something harmful.</span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">In context of the Christian faith, salvation means to
be saved from the consequences of sin, because of the Lord Jesus Christ having
taken them upon Himself and borne them for us - the entire mankind. Since now
the sins have been paid for, their consequence borne, therefore no one needs to
do anything of their own to be delivered from suffering the consequences of
their sins. Now, all that anyone needs to do is believe on what the Lord Jesus
has done, admit being a sinner to the Lord and pray for His forgiveness for
them, submit their life to Him, and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. On
doing this, through the grace of God, because of the faith placed in the Lord
Jesus Christ, person is delivered, or preserved, or made safe from the eternal
death or irreversible harm he was destined to; i.e. he is 'saved', or has
attained salvation from harm. This is not by virtue of any works of any kind
done by the person (Ephesians 2:5, 8), but by a single prayer made voluntarily
from a sincere heart in simple faith, without the mediation or intervention of
any other person. This saved person now irrevocably becomes a child of God forever</span><span lang="HI"> (</span><span lang="EN-US">John </span><span lang="HI">1:12-13)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Those who are saved, i.e., have attained salvation, only
they have been asked by the Lord Jesus, in Matthew 28:19, to witness about their
being saved through taking baptism. Salvation is not by baptism; rather, those
who have been saved have been asked to get baptized. Notice the sequence of the
Lord’s instructions in this verse: first a person has to become the Lord's
disciple or follower, and then the disciple should be baptized.</span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Hence it is quite apparent that baptism and salvation
are two different things. Baptism does not qualify anyone for salvation, but
those who have received salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus, are expected to
witness about it through taking baptism.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;">The moment a person is saved, he becomes the temple of
the Holy Spirit, who comes to reside in him (Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 3: 16;
6:19) in His fullness – Holy Spirit is a Divine Person – He is cannot be given
out in parts, and is not given out in parts (John 3:34). Nobody needs to do
anything extra or special to receive the Holy Spirit, other than to believe in
the Lord Jesus, accept Him as his personal Savior, and submit their lives to
Him (see: <a href="http://englishsampark.blogspot.com/2020/04/receiving-holy-spirit-1-introduction.html">http://englishsampark.blogspot.com/2020/04/receiving-holy-spirit-1-introduction.html</a>
). Coming to faith in the Lord Jesus also brings the Holy Spirit into their
lives, and this is expressed through different words, like being sealed (Ephesians
1:14) or being baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:15-17). To be 'sealed'
means being given a mark of ownership - the presence of the Holy Spirit within
a Christian Believer is a mark of the Believer being the possession of the Lord
</span><span lang="HI">(1 </span><span lang="EN-US">Corinthians </span><span lang="HI">6:19</span><span lang="EN-US">, </span><span lang="HI">20)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. Similarly, being 'baptized' by the Holy
Spirit means being 'fully wet' or being 'overwhelmed' or being 'dipped' - under
the cover of the Holy Spirit. These are all various ways of stating the same
thing, i.e., being possessed by the Holy Spirit.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-43942837984099211412021-05-13T13:53:00.007+05:302021-05-13T14:00:26.497+05:30Understanding Being Saved in Childbearing, 1 Timothy 2:15<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Question: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What does it mean that women will be saved in
childbearing, as written in 1 Timothy 2:15?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Answer:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span> </span>The thing stated in
this verse has perplexed many, and many commentaries and explanatory notes have
given various answers to clarify this statement. I am giving here what the Lord
has given to me through praying about this and through some teachings given by
some men of God. I hope the answer would be acceptable to you. To understand
it, some other related things need to be seen and understood first; only then,
by putting those things together and in a correct perspective can we properly
understand that which is stated in this verse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span> </span>Firstly, being
“saved” in childbearing is not that spiritual salvation which has been stated
in Romans 10:9-13 and other places in God’s Word. It is common sense and
knowledge that not every woman who has given birth to a child is a “saved”
woman; nor is it necessary that every saved woman will always have given birth
to a child. The confusion and difficulty related to this verse is because of
the word “saved” used here. In the original Greek language, the word that has
been translated as “saved” here is ‘sodezo’ which commonly means to be
‘delivered’ or ‘saved’. But this is not the only meaning or sense that has been
attributed to this word in God’s Word. For example:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 0.8in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“made well” i.e., to be healed in
Matthew 9:21; Luke 8:50; and Acts 4:9<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 0.8in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“save yourself” i.e., to be delivered
out of a predicament or serious situation, in Matthew 27:40<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 0.8in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“healed” i.e., restored to health, in
Mark 5:23<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 0.8in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“deliver me” i.e., bring me out and
restore me, in 2 Timothy 4:18<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 6.75pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 22.5pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In other words, the “saved” written in 1 Timothy 2:15 is not meant
to be for spiritual salvation, but is meant to convey being delivered, or
brought out of, or made safe from something else, from a particular situation.
Therefore now, we need to identify what that particular situation is, that is
being alluded to here. This can be done by looking at two related things –
firstly, starting with the role of women envisaged and determined by God since
the time of their being created in Genesis; and secondly by looking at this
verse in its immediate context. </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">First, let us understand the role of women envisaged and determined
by God as made evident in the events related to their creation. The first
mention of the need for a woman to be with Adam is given in Genesis 2:18; there
God says, “<i>… I will make him a <b>helper</b> comparable to him</i>.” The
purpose of God is very clear – the woman was to be one created by God, as comparable
to Adam, so as to function as Adam’s <b>helper</b>. Here, in this discussion,
it is important to note that even prior to the creation of a woman, when God
envisaged about her, since then she was meant to be Adam’s “helper”; and not
one who would lord over him or exercise superiority over him. The person appointed
as “helper”, is neither supposed to be the “decision maker” nor the one
exercising control; rather that person is supposed to work under and be
obedient to the one he has been appointed as a helper. For a “helper” to become
an independent officer and function as per his own will instead of according to
the instructions and will of the person he is meant to help, is to go contrary
to his assigned role, and to become disobedient.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Now, this does not in any way mean that the woman was created to be
inferior to man and function as his “slave” – Adam was ‘incomplete’ without the
woman, the woman was made to make him ‘complete’ and help him (1 Corinthians
11:11). For both, Adam and Eve, God had assigned roles and responsibilities to
fulfill; they had to work together, cooperating with each other and fulfill
those responsibilities. There was no thought or question of superior or
inferior, or of one dominating the other. This differentiation and competition,
and one trying to dominate the other came about due to the sin they committed
(Genesis 3:16); this differentiation and tendency was not a part of God’s
original plan for them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">To understand this, consider an illustration: Every large business
company production house has an owner, and under the owner, look after and
manage various activities, are various departments and their respective “Directors”
– someone to look after the finances, someone to manage the human resources and
employees, someone else to look after the procuring of raw materials, someone
else to sell the finished products and promote the company, etc. All of these
department heads are “Directors”, they are all working for the same owner, and
it is only through their collective and collaborative working that the business
house will do well, will prosper. None of the “Directors” is ‘bigger’ or
‘smaller’ than the other; they all complement each other. But the moment any
one of these "Directors" starts to interfere in the functioning of
another department, starts to assert himself as bigger or more important than
another, problems start, which will not only cause him harm but will also harm
the functioning of the whole business house. Similarly, in His original plan,
prior to the entrance of sin into the world, Adam and Eve had their works and
responsibilities, and mutually they helped and complemented each other. They
were not meant to indulge in being playing 'superior' or 'inferior' but were
meant to work and fulfill their responsibilities with each other's cooperation
and help - the primary role was of the first created Adam, and Eve was meant to
be his "helper"; she was to join with Adam to build a family and home
with him; she was to be the 'home-maker' and to nurture the family. Through
their working together, they were to subdue the whole earth and have dominion
over all other created beings on earth (Genesis 1:27-28). To work in the Garden
of Eden and to safe-guard it, to decide which fruit is to be eaten and which is
not to be eaten, was the responsibility given to Adam (Genesis 2:15-17), even
before the creation of Eve; subsequent to the creation of Eve, Adam's this
responsibility was not shared with Eve. This was Adam's responsibility, and not
Eve's since the very beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the committing of the
first sin in the Garden of Eden, whose consequences we are still suffering,
there was a very major role of Eve taking upon herself a role entrusted to
Adam, instead of continuing to fulfill the role and responsibilities assigned
to her by God. Instead of remaining as Adam's "helper" she took on
the role of being not only the "decision-maker" but also of ensuring
implementation of her decision. Getting beguiled by Satan's clever talk (2
Corinthians 11:3), she not only took it upon herself to decide and implement
which fruit should be eaten, but also made Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit
(Genesis 3:6, 12). Adam's error was that instead of refusing Eve and
disallowing her eating the fruit, he too did what she said, and therefore made
himself a party to her disobeying God; he too became guilty of the sin of
disobedience. Instead of fulfilling God given role and responsibility, putting
her hand into the other person's role and responsibility, sin entered and its
curse has affected the whole creation (Romans 8:19-23), and to mitigate the effects
of this sin God had to leave the glory of heaven, come down to earth to be
humiliated and ridiculed, and to suffer the abominable death on the cross. It
was because of this sin that Eve and womankind had to come under the subjugation
of Adam and mankind (Genesis 3:16) - but this subjugation does not mean she had
to become lesser or inferior to man and live a contemptible life as a slave of
man. God's saying "<i>Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall
rule over you</i>" was not stating or bringing in something new; it was
only firmly emphasizing and ensuring that woman was to live and function as
man's "helper" and not as the "decision-maker" and
"controller", as was God's original plan for women.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because God has asked the
woman to be man's "helper", therefore God's Word repeatedly asks
women to remain quiet, not to preach to men or in the Church, and to learn from
their husbands and remain under his authority (1 Corinthians 11:3-10; 1
Corinthians 14:34-35; Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:11-12;
Titus 2:15; 1 Peter 3:1-6). This is not to show them as inferior or lesser – because
in God's eyes they are not in the least inferior to men, rather, both are equal
(Acts 2:18; 5:14; 8:12; Galatians 3:28). But it is to ensure a proper fulfilling
of the roles of men and women as envisaged by God; and for them to remain in
obedience to God. Since the consequences of disobeying God are catastrophic,
therefore if they do not bring themselves under the obedience of God, they will
suffer destructive consequences. The work and role, specially the one related
to making and building a family, to demonstrating motherly love and care,
patience, forbearance etc. the way women can do, is virtually impossible for
men to do likewise. Generally speaking, only the woman can teach the family and
children to reverence and obey God; but this is a challenging task for men. A
man can make himself an example of godly living, but only a woman can teach the
children to emulate that example set up by the man. Also, it is not that the
women have been absolutely forbidden to preach or minister God's Word to
others; they have a very important role to play in the teaching and preaching
of God's Word - but to other women and to children (Proverbs 31:26-30; 1
Timothy 5:5-10; Titus 2:3-5); only that in God's wisdom and planning, they have
been forbidden from doing this in the Church or to men. Take note, Moses had
been brought up in the royal palace, and taught by the very Egyptians who
oppressed the Israelites. But in that environment of opposing the Israelites,
it was Moses' mother who had been responsible for his upbringing. Consequently,
as an adult, Moses did not walk and work like the Egyptians, but considered the
Israelites as "his people" and Jehovah as his God, and for this he
was even willing to sacrifice his Egyptian royal status and life of luxury
(Acts 7:22-36; Hebrews 11:24-26). This is a very important role and function of
ladies in a family, for which the men have no alternative solution. Looking at
men and women from the superiority-inferiority, major-minor, better-worse
perspective only brings problems; but looking at them from God's perspective
and understanding the issue as God wants it understood brings peace and
blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now let us look into the immediate
context of 1 Timothy 2:15. To analyze and understand anything from the Bible,
it is imperative to look at it in its immediate context - along with the verses
before and after it; moreover, it should also necessarily be seen along with
the other related things given in the Bible. This chapter begins with
instructions related to Christian service (vs. 1-8), followed by instructions
related to behavior of women in Christian society (vs. 9-12), and the reason
for this is also given (vs. 13-14). Because Paul, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, necessarily had to give these instructions to Timothy, therefore
it is an obvious conclusion that in the Church where Timothy was an elder or
leader and had the responsibility of shepherding it, things were not being done
according to God's instructions. Evidently, the ladies in that Church were
doing things that were not in accordance with God's Word and Christian
teachings. The women, having left their God given role and responsibilities,
were involving themselves in the roles and responsibilities of men - were
committing the same sin that Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, they
were guilty of the sin of disobeying God, and would have had to suffer the
deleterious consequences of their disobedience. It was to "save" or
deliver them from the harmful consequences of their self-inflicted disobedience
and to restore them to their correct positions, that they were told to "be
saved in childbearing"; the implication was that by living out their
proper role as the "helper" of their husbands and of
"home-makers" and other family responsibilities, e.g. proper
upbringing and teaching of children and taking care of the family, they will be
able to "save" themselves from the consequences of committing this
sin - they will thus be "saved" from both, the tendency and its
consequences. This "being saved" is not the spiritual salvation that
Romans 10:9-13 is talking about. That is why, the second part of this verse
says, "<i>if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with
self-control.</i>" Because whosoever truly '<i>loves</i>' God, will also '<i>believe</i>'
in and be obedient to God's Word, and will not defile herself by disobedience,
rather will remain firm in the '<i>holiness</i>' of obedience, exercising '<i>self-control</i>'
no matter what the provocation by their natural tendencies or the ways and
teachings of the world may be. The implication of the phrase '<i>childbearing</i>'
is to properly fulfill their familial responsibilities and role; and the
meaning of this verse is that the women by reverting back to their role of
home-makers and looking after their families, instead of getting into the roles
and responsibilities given to men, will be able to "save" or deliver
themselves from the consequences of disobedience.</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Mangal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: Mangal; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-44070050988267785812021-05-09T15:57:00.001+05:302021-05-09T15:58:54.389+05:30Jesus Our Advocate 1 John 2:1-2<p> This Audio Message has been Excerpted from Sangati Ka Ghar, Roorkee <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VrBHbGfFqU" target="_blank">9th May 2021 Worship meeting</a> You Tube Video Link:</p><p>Bro. Aditya Macarius: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tSUWQP5EgfFZc4eI2aj8vkKZowbtmIa9/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Jesus Our Advocate 1 John 2:1-2</a></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-24524044442558270902021-05-09T15:48:00.000+05:302021-05-09T15:48:30.072+05:30Belonging to Christ 2 Corinthians 5:15 <p> This Audio Message has been Excerpted from Sangati Ka Ghar, Roorkee <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VrBHbGfFqU" target="_blank">9th May 2021 Worship meeting</a> You Tube Video Link:</p><p>Bro. Raj Kumar: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11vKmMHRBzKmnJDwQkM8txwI1xh0bnsYU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Belonging to Christ 2 Corinthians 5:15</a></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-90952185809544979402021-04-29T13:29:00.001+05:302021-04-29T13:29:54.413+05:30David’s Census<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><b>Question: Who is responsible
for the census ordered by David – God (2 Samuel 24:1), or Satan ( 1 Chronicles
21:1)?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><b>Answer:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">2 Samuel 24:1 <i>Again
the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against
them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">1 Chronicles 21:1 <i>Now
Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">These verses
appear to be contradictory, because on reading them the first thought that
comes to mind is that in 2 Samuel 24:1, apparently it was God who got this
thing done; whereas in 1 Chronicles 21:1 is seems that it was Satan who got
this done – creating a confusion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Before analyzing
the situation to come to is understanding, it is necessary that we keep in mind
the fact that God can use Satan too to accomplish His purposes, but He also
sets and establishes the limits for Satan before he does anything against God’s
people, as we see from the life of Job and the Lord Jesus’ conversation with
His disciples before His being caught (Job 1:12; 2:6; Luke 22:31-32). Moreover,
God had already warned His people, the Israelites, that if they break their
covenant with Him, then He will hide His face from them (Deuteronomy 31:16-17),
and if they provoke Him by their foolishness and vain works, He too would
provoke them by foolish things (Deuteronomy 32:21). Another fact to be kept in
mind is that from both accounts of the census, it is apparent that primarily
the people of Israel were at fault, and David got involved secondarily, he was
provoked into doing something <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>foolish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Now let us come to
2 Samuel 24:1 – from its context, i.e., the previous chapter, chapter 23, we
are able to understand that this incidence occurred at the latter time of
David’s reign, during the years when he had become a great, powerful and
dominant king of that region, not just within his own kingdom and people, but
also amongst the surrounding kingdoms as well. Chapter 23 also tells us about
his valiant military leaders and Generals, and their valiant deeds as well.
With this background, we see that this chapter (2 Samuel 24) begins with the
words “<i>Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.</i>” So, we
can surmise that something had come into the lives of the Israelites and David,
that angered God, and it became necessary for Him to teach Israel and David a
lesson. From these aforementioned facts, the situation that comes to mind is
that although throughout Israel there was an atmosphere of security,
contentment, and prosperity, but now they thought of this security,
contentment, and prosperity as not a result of God’s benevolence and grace upon
them, but because of their great King and his mighty, valiant army and military
leaders. Quite likely this feeling, of security because of the large count of
his people, his huge army, and the valor of his army and its leaders had
brought, or was bringing pride in David as well. That is why, firstly his
General Joab tries to reason with him against doing this census, but is
unsuccessful and has to go for it (2 Samuel 24:2-4; 1 Chronicles 21:2-4); and,
secondly, after the census David holds himself guilty and repents of doing this
(2 Samuel 24:10; 1 Chronicles 21:8).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Because of the Israelite’s
shifting their confidence regarding their security, contentment, and prosperity
to their great and powerful King and his valiant army, and David, who knew God
so well and closely, too paying attention to the thoughts being given by Satan,
his not paying heed to the warnings against doing so, not first asking God
about doing it, and his succumbing to the provocation of Satan, displeased God
(1 Chronicles 21:7). As long as David was running for his life from Saul, he consulted
God about all his decisions. But now that he had become honorable, the King
over all Israel, he became complacent and started to take decisions on his own
– his deciding to carry the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-8),
the ordering of this census, his act of adultery with Bathsheba and murdering
her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 23:7-10), etc. are all examples of this complacency
that had crept into him. David and Israel were guilty of taking God for granted
and lightly, and denying God His glory and honor. God is very particular and
jealous of His glory and honor and does not take its being disregarded lightly
(Isaiah 42:8; 48:11; Psalms 50:21-22). Therefore, God had to teach the lesson,
to both, Israel and David (Malachi 2:2). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Satan is always on the lookout; the
moment some inappropriate or wrong desire crops up in the hearts of God’s
people, he immediately steps in to stir it up into a flame that will severely
harm the Believer (James 1:12-15). Israel and David broke the sanctity of God’s
wall and stepped out of it, and immediately the serpent bit them (Ecclesiastes
10:8). To teach this lesson to David’s people and to David, God allowed Satan
to provoke him (1 Chronicles 21:1). After the census, David realized his grave
error and was very penitent for it too, but he and his people had to go through
the chastening. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Through the consequences of that census God had to firmly teach
Israel and David that their security, contentment, prosperity, and help was
neither in the number of the people, nor in the strength and valor of their
army and the greatness of their King. But it is God and God alone who is their
security, the cause of their contentment and prosperity. For God’s people to
trust in anyone or anything else is not only dangerous, but is also very
harmful – and this is a lesson for us today as well.</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-81676832680191326472021-04-24T20:00:00.002+05:302021-04-24T20:00:00.245+05:30Six days of Matthew 17:1, or, Eight days of Luke 9:28 – which one is correct?<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><b>Question:</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">Why is there an
inconsistency in the number of days between Matthew 17:1 and Luke 9:28 – which
is correct?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><b>Answer:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span> </span>The question does
seem to be a challenging one, and at a glance, there does seem to be an
inconsistency, a contradiction between the two descriptions of the event, in
the Word of God. The answer found through the application of the basic
principles of Bible interpretation; since it is nearly always the ignoring of
these principles that gives rise to such presumed and inappropriate inconsistencies,
whereas actually there is no contradiction in the Word of God. The basic
principles of Bible interpretation are – every word, phrase, verse, and section
should always be studied in its context, never out of its context; and every
word of the Bible should be paid attention to, because no word in the Word of
God is in vain. Also, always keep in mind that in the original writing in the
original languages, there was no division into chapters and verses as we have
now in our present-day Bibles. The divisions into chapters and verses that we
have in our present-day Bibles, is an artificial one, introduced centuries
after the books of the Bible had been compiled together, and has been done to
help making it easier to study and refer to a particular part. Therefore, we
always ought to study and interpret according to the ongoing subject matter and
thought process of the part under consideration, and not according to the
artificially divided subject matter and thought process. Let us now look at
these two verses based upon these principles:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">It says in Matthew
17:1 “<i>Now <b>after six days</b> Jesus took Peter, James, and John his
brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves</i>”;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">And in Luke 9:28 “<i>Now
it came to pass,<b> about eight days <u>after these sayings</u></b>, that He
took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span> </span>Luke 9:28 very
clearly provides its context – <b><i>about eight days <u>after these sayings</u>;
</i></b>therefore, now it is up to the reader to look into and understand this
context, and then taking that into consideration interpret the rest of the
verse appropriately. Please also note that here “<b><i>sayings</i></b>”
(plural) has been stated, and not “saying” (singular) – implying that it was
eight days after all that had happened prior to the statement of Luke 9:28,
that this event took place. If we look at the verses preceding Luke 9:28 then
we see that immediately before, in 9:18-27, is an important discussion that the
Lord Jesus had with His disciples, which is consistent with Matthew 16:20-28;
this discussion is ‘one of’, and is the final one of the series of sayings or events
given before this. Prior to this discussion, in 9:11-17 is the miracle of the
feeding of the five thousand by the Lord, using five loaves and two fishes; and
prior to that we have the Lod sending His disciples for preaching (9:1-6),
Herod getting perplexed and worried regarding the Lord (9:7-8), and the
disciples returning from their preaching assignment and reporting their
experiences to the Lord (9:10). All of these ‘sayings’ or events, collectively
form the context of Luke 9:28. Therefore, according to the context, Luke 9:28
is to be understood as follows – it was <b><i>eight days after</i></b> the Lord
sent the disciples to preach and their returning back to report, followed by their
going to a quiet place, then a crowd following them there, and the Lord’s
miraculous feeding the crowd, that the Lord took three of His disciples and
went up to the mountain.</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span> </span>Whereas the
context of Matthew 17:1, is the last part of the immediately preceding chapter,
i.e. Matthew 16:21-28, which is similar to the discussion the Lord had with His
disciples in Luke 9:18-27, and forms the final ‘saying’ of ‘<b><i>these sayings</i></b>’
of Luke 9:28. It was ‘<b><i>after six days</i></b>’ of this discussion between
the Lord and His disciples, during which Peter was severely reprimanded by the
Lord for trying to be His counselor and manager (Matthew 16:22-23), that the
Lord went up to the mountain with three of His disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span> </span>Keeping the
context of both these descriptions (Matthew 16:21-28; Luke 9:18-27) in mind,
the obvious conclusion is that it was eight days after ‘<i>these sayings</i>’ of
Luke 9:1-17, and six days after the discussion of the Lord with His disciples
that the Lord went up to the mountain with His disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"><span> </span>God’s Word is
always incontrovertible, consistent, true and trustworthy</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;">;</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",sans-serif;"> even if there appears to be
any error in it, it is always due to the short-comings of us human beings in seeing
and analyzing it properly through our limited wisdom; the apparent error is
never in the Word of God. Hence, it is a request to all the readers that if
they feel there is something inconsistent or contradictory in God’s Word, then
they should prayerfully and repeatedly read and study that portion in its
context; and should also look at it and analyze it along with the ongoing
subject matter and thought process, instead of interpreting it only on basis of
the artificial divisions into chapters and verses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-73041910726490003342021-04-19T13:31:00.015+05:302021-04-21T22:24:02.357+05:30Understanding Matthew 16:28<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="HI"><b>Question:</b> </span><span lang="EN-US">How do we understand the Lord Jesus'
statement in Matthew 16:28 "<i>Assuredly, I say to you, there are some
standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in
His kingdom</i>"?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>Answer:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">To understand the statement of the Lord Jesus related to the Lord's
Kingdom, or the Kingdom of Heaven, we need to keep in mind some other
statements as well. It is a general </span><span lang="HI">tendency</span><span lang="EN-US"> that as soon as we come across the phrase "Kingdom of
Heaven" or "Kingdom of God", we start thinking of and
understanding it as referring to the future Kingdom of God that will be
established at the end of the world and after its final judgement. There is
nothing wrong with this, it is okay to think along these lines, but here this
is not the only understanding of what the Lord has said. Because if this seen
as the only possible explanation, then this joins it to the second coming of
the Lord, which is an event of an uncertain date, and people have been waiting
for it for nearly 2000 years. Therefore, the understanding the Lord’s statement
of Matthew 16:28 in that context seems impractical, and difficult to accept,
leading to the confusion related to the acceptance of this statement of the
Lord. But if we look at Matthew 21:31, where the Lord Jesus while responding to
His opponents and critics says, “… <i>Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I
say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.</i>”
We see here that the Lord Jesus is referring to the entry of tax-collectors and
harlots into the Kingdom of Heaven/God in the present continuous tense, and not
the future tense (‘they will enter’), nor of any uncertainty (‘will be able to
enter’). The evident implication is that at the very time when the Lord Jesus was
saying this, the entry into the Kingdom of Heaven/God was happening, it was
underway. Therefore, to understand that the only interpretation of the
statement ‘entry into the Kingdom of Heaven/God’ was to see it as a future
event would not be a factual interpretation, or the only applicable meaning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">To understand this statement of the Lord given in Matthew 16:28,
consider some things the Lord Jesus had said regarding the Kingdom of God or
the Kingdom of heaven, during His time of Ministry on earth:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">“<i>Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'</i>"
(Mark1:14-15). The Lord began His ministry with the call to repentance, since “<i>Kingdom
of God is <b>at hand</b></i>” – pay attention to the words of the Lord, the
kingdom is not in the distant future, but is at hand – it’s time has come; He
did not say that the kingdom is going to come, rather, that the time is
fulfilled and it is at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The Lord Himself says in </span>Luke 11:20 "<i>But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, <b>surely the kingdom of God has come upon you</b></i>"; implying that the presence of the Lord and His working shows that the Kingdom of God is present. Sometime later, "<i>Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when
the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of
God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See
there!' For indeed, the <b>kingdom of God is within you</b>."</i>"
(Luke 17:20-21 – the ‘within you’ here can also be translated ‘amongst you’ or ‘in
your midst’ – as is done in HCSB, ESV2011, NASB, EBR, LEB, NET, TS2009
translations). At the beginning of His ministry the Lord says that the Kingdom
if God is at hand; during the ministry, He teaches the learned Pharisees, the
scholars of God's Word, that the Kingdom of God does not come like a thing or an
event, but was already present amongst them right at that very moment, implying
it was amongst them because of the presence of the Lord amongst them. If they believed
in the Lord, if they accepted the Lord, then they would enter the Kingdom of
God.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Look at Mark 12:28-34; the Scribes want to trap the Lord regarding
the commandments of God; at the end of this conversation the Lord says to that
one Scribe who had asked Him the question and then had unquestioningly accepted
the Lord's answers as correct, “<i>Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely,
He said to him, "<b>You are not far from the kingdom of God</b>." But
after that no one dared question Him</i>” (Mark 12:34). The Lord Jesus was
saying to that Scribe that by virtue of having accepted the correct
understanding of God's commandments, you are quite near to the Kingdom of God,
now take the next step and turn this theoretical knowledge into a practical
experience, apply your knowledge in your life practically, obey the
commandments of the Lord, and you will enter the Kingdom of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">From the above we can understand that the Kingdom of God or the
Kingdom of heaven, that the Lord Jesus talked and taught about, it was
accepting the Lord as Savior, coming into His obedience, becoming submissive to
Him, which is in accordance with John 1:12-13 – becoming a child of God by
coming into faith in Him, and thereby becoming entitled to be with Him in His
Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A short while before His being betrayed and caught for crucifixion,
the Lord Jesus in John 14:18-20 also said to His disciples: “<i>I will not
leave you orphans; I will come to you. "A little while longer and the
world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live
also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in
you.</i>” In other words, the Lord promises His disciples to always be with
them after His sacrifice and resurrection. Although unseen, yet since then He
always has been with His disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, and His
resurrection from the dead, the way to salvation, to entering heaven got opened
and became available for all of mankind, and anyone can now enter through faith
in Him and repentance from their sins; i.e. the Kingdom of heaven or the
Kingdom of God was now available to everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Keeping these things in mind, when you see what the Lord Jesus said
to Peter in Matthew16:19 and in the preceding verses in context of the
formation of the Church, i.e. the body of Christian Believers, then that which
the Lord Jesus said to Peter can be paraphrased and understood as follows: “I
will give to you the keys to get people into heaven, i.e. the way to salvation,
and whosoever accepts that key, i.e. the gospel of salvation, the door to enter
heaven will open for that person; but the one who rejects that key, i.e. rejects
the gospel of salvation, the door to enter heaven will be closed for that
person” – and we see in Acts 2 that at the first using the key of the gospel i.e.
preaching of the gospel done by Peter, three thousand people repented and
accepted the Lord, and became His disciples (Acts 2:41), i.e. by accepting the
key of the gospel, the door to enter heaven was opened for them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The same context also applies to Matthew 16:28. At the time when the
Lord Jesus had said this thing, many of those who were then present there would
also have been present at the time of Peter's first preaching, and would have
been living till the establishing of the first Church, and it is quite possible
that many of them would have been witnesses of this incidence of Acts 2. These
witnesses then would have seen the arrival of the Kingdom of the Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, into the lives of those coming into faith in the Lord
Jesus, and these witnesses would have seen the transformation it brought in the
lives of those who came to faith in the Lord Jesus – all this before the
witnesses themselves got to taste death. Moreover, as the Lord Jesus had
promised, He was with His disciples then and is with them even now. In this
manner all aspects of Matthew 16:28 are fulfilled in the establishment of the
Church through the first preaching of Peter in Acts 2; and there is no
necessity to see this in context of the second coming of the Lord – which is
the greatest obstacle in accepting this statement, as the only valid fulfilment
if this statement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 6.75pt 0.0001pt 9pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This again goes to show that to avoid falling into errors in
understanding God's Word, it must always be seen and studied in its context and
in light of other related verses or passages of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-29657177165466882742020-10-08T16:26:00.002+05:302020-10-08T23:19:01.431+05:30Understanding Matthew 11:12<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span> </span>Matthew 11:12 is one of
the enigmatic passages in The Bible, and various commentators have given
different interpretations and meanings to it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While coming to
an understanding of such passages, it should be kept in mind that language and
usage of words do change over time, and what a particular word meant at some
time in the past (in the original as well as the translated language), may not
necessarily be exactly the same as we understand it now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One of the
reasons for the difficulty in understanding this verse is the use of the word
‘violence’ and ‘violent’ and the negative connotations that we generally associate
with these words in our common usage. The NIV translation uses the words
‘forcefully’ and ‘forceful’ instead, which though does mellow down the negative
connotations but does not entirely do away with them. The original Greek word
used in the text of this verse can mean both of the above as well as mean
‘being energetic’.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By using the alternative meanings of the original
Greek words, we can also render this verse as follows: “<i>And from the days of
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is being pressed into through
forceful and energetic efforts of the committed ones</i>” (Matt 11:12
Paraphrased); which brings it more in line with the related verse – “<i>The law
and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been
preached, and everyone is pressing into it</i>” (Luke 16:16). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With this background, a possible interpretation
and understanding of the verse can be: “From the time John the Baptist started
giving the call to repent and undergo the baptism of repentance, till now,
those who responded to his call have done so with a resolute mind and firm
determination, striving to withstand all opposition and to persevere in the
call steadfastly.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But do also keep in mind that when Lord Jesus
spoke these words, the era of salvation by grace had not been initiated. At
that time the people still believed in righteousness by works of the Law, which
is why they believed in being forceful or industrious, and energetic in their
efforts to be acceptable to God. Moreover, Lord Jesus categorically used the
words “<i>From the days of John the Baptist until now</i>”, setting a definite
time frame for the applicability of the condition; and neither subsequently in
the gospels, nor later in any of the epistles has this (being ‘violent’ or
‘forceful’ or ‘energetic’) been mentioned ever again as an exhortation or
precondition for gaining entry into the Kingdom of God. So it would be wrong to
surmise from this verse that strong self-efforts are required or are a
prerequisite for gaining entry into God’s Kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But energetic and determined efforts to grow in
the Christian faith and maintain the sanctity of their Christian calling after
being saved by grace through repentance of sins and coming to a personal faith
in Lord Jesus has always been the call for all Born Again children of God, as
we see from Paul’s example of persevering and forcefully disciplining himself
for the sake of his ministry, and teaching the same perseverance and
willingness to endure to young Timothy from passages such as 1 Corinthians
9:24-27, 2 Timothy 2:3-5 & 4:7. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 1.5pt 2.25pt 0.0001pt 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In other words, for us living in this age of
grace, salvation is by God’s grace not any self efforts, but maturing in faith
and being active and effective for our Lord does require our being energetic
and forceful in disciplining ourselves as well as facing opposition in the
practice of our faith.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-34025579151107635092020-09-28T23:29:00.005+05:302020-09-28T23:33:44.216+05:30Responsibilities of a Christian Believer<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Please Open this Link and Listen:</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jk3I_Kqqf7RXXodP31Ugf4Um1hXyLL0Q/view?usp=sharing">Responsibilities of a Christian Believer</a></span></p><p><br /></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-8441826263563307832020-08-13T15:15:00.000+05:302020-08-13T15:16:17.269+05:30Sabbath, Sunday, Christian Day of Worship<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .1in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><br /></p>
<h2 style="margin-left: .1in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><b>Question:
What is the Sabbath; is it the same as S</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>unday? Should Christians
worship on Sunday or on Sabbath day?</b><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .1in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span style="text-indent: 24.3pt;"> </span></p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Answer</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">:<o:p></o:p></span></h4><div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> The simple, straightforward,
one line answer is that Sabbath and Sunday are not the same, and Biblically,
Christians ought to worship on Sunday. </span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="AR-SA" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The word ‘sabbath’
means rest. Usually this alludes to the seventh day of the Jewish calendar, which
is the Saturday of our current calendar, because on this day the Lord God
completed His Creation work and rested</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Genesis</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 2:2-3) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and He established this seventh day as a day of rest for His
people in His Ten Commandments</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Exodus</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 20:8-11)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. But in the Old Testament, a sabbath day or a day of rest
is not necessarily the seventh day of the Jewish week </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">it can be any ‘day of rest’
or of ‘cessation of work’ </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">see Leviticus chapter </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">23</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, where the feasts of the
Lord and the methods of celebrating them are given, and see chapter </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">25</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, where the whole
particular year is called the sabbath year. Similarly, in Exodus</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 31:13 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and Leviticus </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">19:3 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 26:2 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">also the word is
used in plural </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">sabbaths’ indicating
more days than one were designated as ‘sabbath’ and this makes it clear that in
the Old Testament the word ‘Sabbath’ was not used for just the seventh day of
the Jewish week, but was for any day appointed by God for rest or not doing the
routine work. The context of the word decided the meaning of the word; but
generally speaking it meant the seventh day of the Jewish week, our Saturday, that,
according to God’s Law and the Ten Commandments was to be a day of not doing
any work, but to be spent in worshiping the Lord God </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">this was the demand of the
Law, from them who were the people of God under the Law, whether they were the
natural descendants of Abraham, or those residing with the Jews</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Exodus</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 20:10), </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">or those who had
accepted to follow Judaism </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">like those people of the mixed-multitude who came out of
Egypt with the Jews</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">
(</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Exodus</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 12:38), </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">or those who
became Jews later on</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">
(</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Esther</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 8:17; 9:27; </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Isaiah</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 14:1; 45:14; </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Zechariah</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 8:20-23) – </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">they were all
under the Law of God</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">,
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and
it was necessary for them to follow it</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">they were to maintain the sanctity of the </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">S</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">abbath, or
Saturday and observe it appropriately as commanded in the Law.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> Our Sunday is the
first day the Jewish week; and is the seventh day of our current calendar. This
day is of special significance for the Christians, because the Lord Jesus rose
from the dead on this day</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Mark</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 16:9, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">see verses</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 1-9)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. Therefore the followers of the Lord Jesus, started to
gather for worshiping the Lord and participating in the Lord’s Table or Holy
Communion on ‘the first day of the week’ i.e. on Sunday</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Acts</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 20:7; 1 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Corinthians</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 16:2) – </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and this God’s
Holy Spirit got recorded for us </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(2 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Timothy</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 3:16-17), </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">for our instruction and observance. Nowhere in the New
Testament have the Christian Believers been reprimanded for doing this, and
neither have they been instructed at any place to rectify this and revert back
to the ‘Sabbath’ or Saturday. In other words, worshiping God on Sunday, is
from God, is accepted by God, and is appropriate to observe for the Christians.
Later, this ‘first day of the week’ was also called </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">the Lord’s Day’ (Revelation
1:10) – again recorded in the Bible through the Holy Spirit. There is no
instruction, reason, or compulsion to revert this back to the Jewish Sabbath
day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> Today many people
are deceiving Christians into reverting to the Sabbath day in place of Sunday, and
they quote from the Old Testament to support their arguments. But what they do
not show from the Bible is that Christ Jesus has fulfilled the Law for us</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">has nailed it to
the Cross and has taken it out of our way, and we too have died on the Cross
with Christ for the Law</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Romans</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 7:4; 10:4; </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Colossians</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 2:13-15) – </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">pay attention to these verses, the Law has been fulfilled
in Christ, in other words, all its requirements have been completed</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">; </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">and now it has
come to its conclusion</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">,
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">i.e.
by having been fulfilled it is now closed; now the Law cannot be broken </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">because it has
been fully fulfilled, it is a closed chapter, and in its place God has made
applicable the righteousness of His grace through coming to faith in the Lord
Jesus. By nailing the Law to the Cross Christ has taken it out of our way – we
simply don’t have to walk that path to righteousness anymore; in Christ we have
died to the Law – therefore neither does the Law have any hold on us nor are we
in any state to follow it; now we live by faith in Christ </span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">– </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">now we have no reason to
observe the Law and its instructions; we are made righteous by our faith in
Christ, and not by observing the things of the Law</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Romans</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 3:22-31; 10:8-11)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> In any case,
right at the time of the first Church and the Apostles – the disciples of
Christ, it had been thoroughly discussed and unanimously accepted and decreed for
all times that no one had been able to keep the Law (Acts 15:10) and there is
no need for observing the Law (Acts 15:24). Moreover, Paul, writing his letters
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit has very clearly stated that no one is
justified before God by observing the Law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:11), and
anyone wanting to live by the Law is condemned to striving to fulfill all of it
(Galatians 3:10), but Christ has redeemed us from coming into this condemnation
(Galatians 3:13); and James wrote that anyone who breaks even one point of the Law
is guilty of breaking the whole Law (James 2:10) – so why at all should we
bring ourselves under such an impossible and absolutely unnecessary burden? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> Now whosoever
wants to bring himself under observing the things of the Law, he is called
‘cursed’, he is not justified and made righteous by the Law, and the Law has
nothing to do with Faith</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Galatians</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 3:10-13)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">.And these agents of Satan, under the garb of being
religious and righteous</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (2 </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Corinthians</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> 11:3, 13-15)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">, in the name of the Lord Jesus are trying to push us back
into observing the Law, are trying to make us cursed, so that we end up loosing
our blessings in Christ, rendering them infructuous.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .1in; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 24.3pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Beware
of them, do not fall for their smooth talk, for the lie of the necessity of
observance of Sabbath is being very energetically being preached in many ways
and by all means, people are being deceived and led astray. Stay safe from such
people, stay away from them.</span><span lang="HI" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-69473867934337397502020-05-10T20:30:00.000+05:302020-05-10T20:30:05.770+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit – Part 5 – Conclusion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion</span></u></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have studied about the veracity of various teachings often associated with the Holy Spirit, and the Receiving of the Holy Spirit. As seen in the exposition above, these commonly associated teachings with the Receiving of the Holy Spirit have no Biblical basis and are wrong. From the Word of God, the Bible we learn certain things that are necessary to always keep in mind, so as to have a clear and Biblical concept about the Holy Spirit of God. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Holy Spirit is God, is a person of the Holy Trinity. He has an extremely important role in the life – spiritual and physical, of every Christian Believer, a role that cannot be discounted, ignored or brushed aside as irrelevant. In the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, He is our God given Helper who dwells in us and abides with us always <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="16. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17. the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.">(John 14:16, 17)</abbr>, and teaches us all things, reminds us of all things <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="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 things that I said to you.">(John 14:26)</abbr>. So critically important, so beneficial is the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian Believer that the Lord Jesus Himself sent Him and stepped aside, for Him to take charge of His disciples <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.">(John 16:7)</abbr>, so that He could guide them in all truth and tell of the things to come <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.">(John 16:13)</abbr>. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Without the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit, no one can learn the Word of God in its truth and effective applicability <abbr 10.="" 11.="" 12.="" 13.="" 14.="" 15.="" 1px="" a="" all="" also="" are="" because="" been="" black="" border-bottom:="" but="" by="" can="" comparing="" deep="" discerned.="" does="" dotted="" ear="" entered="" even="" except="" eye="" foolishness="" for="" freely="" from="" given="" god.="" god="" has="" have="" he="" heard="" heart="" him.="" him="" himself="" his="" holy="" in="" into="" is="" judged="" judges="" know="" knows="" love="" man="" might="" natural="" no="" nor="" not="" now="" of="" one.="" one="" prepared="" receive="" received="" revealed="" rightly="" s="" searches="" seen="" so="" speak="" spirit.="" spirit="" spiritual.="" spiritual="" spiritually="" teaches="" that="" the="" them="" these="" they="" things="" those="" through="" title="9. But as it is written: " to="" us="" we="" what="" which="" who="" wisdom="" with="" words="" world="" yes="" yet="">(1 Corinthians 2:9-15)</abbr>. So anybody seriously desirous of studying and learning God’s Word, ought to make sure that the Holy Spirit is present with him to help and guide him, else he will never learn the truth, and will keep fumbling around in works of human thought and wisdom, and never actually coming to the truth <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.">(2 Timothy 3:7)</abbr>. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have seen in detail how treacherous and dangerous the implications of all the unBiblical teachings given in the garb of glorifying the Holy Spirit are. In studying God’s Word, and to draw correct conclusions, it is imperative that we study every part of every verse, and every passage, in its proper context and along with the related teachings in God’s Word to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpreting God’s Word, since all parts of God’s Word only supplement each other, never contradict each other. So anything that does not smoothly fit into the context or with the other related teachings, is something extraneous to God’s Word, and should not be accepted. Whereas the wrong teachings and false doctrines are built around taking verse or its part, or a passage out of its context and interpreting it without paying attention to other related teachings in the Bible, to make it appear as saying a particular thing. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Satan very well knows the importance of the Holy Spirit working in and for a Christian Believer, and how detrimental for his interests this working of the Holy Spirit through a Christian Believer is. Since Satan cannot wish away the Holy Spirit from Believer’s life, he attempts to beguile and lead people away from being obedient and submissive to this God given source of power and ability. Satan well knows that like he did with Eve, he can exploit our gullibility for seemingly beneficial, attractive and extra-ordinary things <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.">(Genesis 3:6)</abbr>, and thereby lead us astray from God’s Word, through his manipulations and misinterpretations of God’s Word. Therefore for understanding the role and necessity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian Believer, and to stay safe from being misguided into wrong teachings and doctrine about Him, it is very important that we well understand and firmly plant our feet on some basic truths. Any teaching or doctrine that does not readily and conveniently fit into these basic Biblical facts, anything that has to be manipulated to try and make it fit these facts is a wrong teaching, is contrived, and ought to be rejected. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> These basic facts are: </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>1. The Holy Spirit is God:</b> He is not under the control of man; cannot be made to function under the control or whims and fancies of man; and, cannot be pushed or moved around as per desires and expectations of man. In our relationship with God, it is always God that lays the rules and it is always we humans who follow the rules and obey God. Anything that tends to reverse or even disregard this rule cannot be from God. So any teaching wherein there is even the hint of a suggestion that the Holy Spirit can be coerced, manipulated, or made to do something that is not in accordance with God’s Word through the efforts of man, is a wrong teaching, unacceptable, and not to be entertained at all. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> 2. The Holy Spirit is a person, a part of the Holy Trinity:</b> The Holy Spirit is not an object that can be broken in pieces, made more or made less, or expanded or contracted, or given out or received in parts and instalments. Just as none of these things can be done with you and me, since we are persons, similarly they cannot be done with Him. Wherever His presence is, it is in His entirety not in parts or segments. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> 3. The Holy Spirit does not take any glory for Himself, but directs all the glory to Christ:</b> The role of the Holy Spirit is to testify for the Lord Jesus <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.">(John 15:26)</abbr>, to take the things of Lord and declare them to us <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.">(John 16:15)</abbr>, to teach us and to bring to our remembrance the things the Lord Jesus has said <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="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 things that I said to you.">(John 14:26)</abbr>. So those who go around speaking of having received visions and prophecies extraneous to the Bible, through the Holy Spirit beware – they are on very treacherous grounds. People should realize and accept that, like the Lord Jesus <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="8:26. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. 12:49. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.">(John 8:26; 12:49)</abbr>, the Holy Spirit never ever speaks on His own authority, but only that which He hears <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.">(John 16:13)</abbr>. And what He speaks is always to glorify the Lord Jesus, and never Himself <abbr 1px="" black="" border-bottom:="" dotted="" title="He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ">(John 16:14)</abbr>. So any concept, belief, or practice that tends to glorify the Holy Spirit instead of the Lord Jesus, cannot be from the Holy Spirit, cannot be from God; since God will never contradict Himself and His Word. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> 4.</b> As we have seen throughout this write-up, <b>the truly Born Again Christian Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit</b>, and not leak-able or leaking tanks through whom the Holy Spirit can leak out over a period of time, or under certain circumstances. The Holy Spirit is given to every truly Born Again Christian Believer at the very moment of their coming into faith in the Lord Jesus, and He abides in him, dwells in him, and will continue to do so till their last breath on earth. So any talk of receiving Him through some means, after having come into faith, or of incrementing the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, through any alleged “baptism” or “filling” is a misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misapplication of Biblical truth – it just cannot happen! All a truly Born Again Christian Believer needs to do to manifest His presence in them in a better and more prominent manner is to remain submissive and obedient to Him; the more He is allowed to guide and control them, the more useful they will be for the Lord, and the more will He manifest His power through them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Concluded</b>
</div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-80791951150845574892020-05-09T20:30:00.000+05:302020-05-09T20:30:01.339+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit – Part 4 – The filling of the Holy Spirit – Part 3 – Implications<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What is the filling
of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI" style="font-family: Mangal, serif;">?</span> – Part 3 </span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Implications</span><o:p></o:p></h2>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Accepting this unBiblical and false doctrine, once again, as for the
previous false doctrine of ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit,’ serves to divide the
body of Christ, His Church into two – the ‘have's’ and the ‘have not's’ i.e.
those who do have the ‘filling’, and those who do not have the ‘filling.’ And this
therefore brings in the divisiveness of superiority, greater ability and
working, and of greater receiving of the blessings and rewards of service from
God for the ‘have's’; while the ‘have not's’ are sent into an infructuous wild
goose chase of somehow receiving that ‘filling’ so that they too can join the
elite club of the ‘haves’ and enjoy its privileges. In either case, the net
result is the decline in actual Christian maturity <span lang="HI">an</span>d
effectiveness for the Lord <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="1. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3. for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?">(1 Corinthians 3:1-3)</abbr></span> – in the ‘haves’ because of
the sense of pride, superiority, and one-upmanship that it causes<span lang="HI">;</span>
and in the ‘have not's’ through the waste of time and efforts in striving for something
unnecessary and vain instead of growing in faith, Word of God, and being
effective in the service of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Besides, in this seemingly innocuous wrong teaching,<span lang="HI"> </span>once
again Satan has wrapped up a major conspiracy against God, and dished it out to
us as something ‘pious and reverential.’ And therefore it is very important and
essential that we be aware of this ploy, understand it, come out of it, and
remain safe from its effects <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.">(2 Corinthians 2:11)</abbr></span>. After having received the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>to
say that by some other means or process there can be a different ‘filling’ of
the Holy Spirit to increment His effective presence and power, conveys the
meaning that<span lang="HI">, </span>in some manner the Holy Spirit can be
increased or decreased<span lang="HI">, </span>He can be given out or received in
installments, i.e. be broken into parts<span lang="HI">, </span>etc.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
All of these things are not only contrary to God’s Word<span lang="HI">, </span>but
also are an attempt to negate the well-established doctrine of the Holy Spirit
being God and a person of the Holy Trinity.<span lang="HI"> </span>This wrong
teaching makes the Holy Spirit instead of a person of the Godhead, an object
that can be broken up into parts, and can then be given out or taken up, and
that too by the will and efforts of persons. The worst thing is<span lang="HI">, </span>this
doctrine tends to make the Holy Spirit a toy in the hands of human beings<span lang="HI">, </span>so that a person through his works, behavior and conduct<span lang="HI">,</span> can control<span lang="HI"> </span>the availability of the Holy
Spirit;<span lang="HI"> </span>can determine as to when, to whom, and in what ‘quantity’
should He be given;<span lang="HI"> </span>and then, accordingly, how He will
function and which works can He do or not do in the recipient<span lang="HI">! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="HI"><br /></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
In other words, the Holy Spirit no longer remains God but is rendered a
puppet in the hands of man.<span lang="HI"> </span>And since all three of the
Holy Trinity Godhead<span lang="HI"> – </span>God the Father<span lang="HI">, </span>the
Son<span lang="HI"> </span>and the Holy Spirit are one and the same<span lang="HI">,
</span>therefore either the other two have also become similar puppets as well;
or it brings a division in the Holy Trinity, separating and segregating the
Holy Spirit as different from the other two, being lesser than them, which
means falsifying the doctrine of the Holy Trinity of God, and that in turn
means falsifying the Word of God that teaches the doctrine of Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Accepting this wrong teaching means<span lang="HI"> </span>that God has
come under the control of man<span lang="HI">; </span>and now man can control and
use Him in whichever way he wants<span lang="HI">! </span>May God protect us from
harboring even the thought of such utter blasphemy<span lang="HI">, </span>and
may He protect us from ever falling into this deplorable deceit. All these
wrong teachings are very clever and devious ways, very subtle attacks from
Satan to make God and His Word a lie and to render their power ineffective in
our lives; and it is absolutely essential that we be very careful to understand
these satanic ploys and stay away from them, avoid falling for Satan’s deceit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b>Conclusions<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-47781847091675836202020-05-08T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-08T20:40:00.204+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit – Part 4 – The filling of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – Understanding (2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What is the filling
of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI" style="font-family: Mangal, serif;">?</span> – Part 2<br /> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Understanding (2)</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
If a person does not follow the directions of the Holy Spirit <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="16. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.">(Galatians 5:16, 25)</abbr></span>,<span lang="HI"> </span>does not make use of His power by being obedient to Him, then
the Holy Spirit remains ineffective and inactive in his life <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Ephesians 4:30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ; 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Do not quench the Spirit.">(Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).</abbr></span> Understand this through this example<span lang="HI"> – </span>you
have an electric connection and wiring done in your house and the electric
current remains flowing through those wires; but till the time you connect a
working and appropriate electrical equipment to it and allow that electric
current to do its work, till then the presence of that electric current in your
house remains inactive and ineffective. The evident manifestation and proof of
the presence of the electric current, its power, and its utility, will depend
not only upon the type and capacity of the electrical equipment you connect to
it to utilize the electrical power, but also on your allowing the electric
current to flow through it.<span lang="HI"> </span>Whether the equipment is small
and of a low capacity, or large and of a big capacity, the electric current
flowing both of them will always be the same. The ability to utilize the power
of the electric current, and manifest that power, is solely dependent upon the
capacity of that electrical equipment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Similarly, the more obedient and submissive you are to God, the more
you adhere to and follow God’s Word,<span lang="HI"> </span>the higher the priority
and honor in your life God and the Word of God has, the more will the power of
the Holy Spirit work in your life and be evident to others. If your own
spiritual life is weak,<span lang="HI"> </span>then the power of the Holy Spirit
too will be that much less evident in your life. If all you can do is muster a
few minutes of perfunctory reading of a Bible passage, and mumble a few routine
words of prayer – and many people do not even do that, then how can you hope to
have a powerful and vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit evident in your life? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Children have to regularly go to school, have to sit in classes and
attentively learn that which is being taught, have to do their ‘home-work’
well, have to clear their exams, only then can they increase in knowledge and
understanding, and be able to do something in life. This is not achieved by
their just running through the various corridors of the school for a few
minutes every day, and spending the rest of the day foe various other things.
Similarly, in the spiritual classrooms as well it is necessary to sit for the
requisite time and attentively spend time in learning from the Holy Spirit, and
pass through the experiences of the examinations of life. Only then can the
life and power of the Lord be seen in the life of the person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Every truly Born Again Christian Believer is a temple of the Holy
Spirit and the Holy Spirit is continually present in, dwells in every truly
Born Again Christian Believer <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.">(2 Timothy 1:14)</abbr></span>. When this Christian Believer,
depending upon his level of spirituality and spiritual maturity, through the
power and his obedience to the Holy Spirit,<span lang="HI"> </span>is able to do
something for the glory of God,<span lang="HI"> </span>that was not possible for
him to do on his own, nor was possible through any human strength, or
knowledge, or ability then that is working through being filled with the Holy
Spirit, as we have seen above in the examples of Peter, John and Paul. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Since usually not all Christian Believers are of the same level in
their<span lang="HI"> </span>faith, submission, and obedience to God and His Word<span lang="HI"> </span>as are some special people of God in their Christian obedience
and maturity, therefore it appears that to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do
something<span lang="HI">, </span>i.e. to something wonderful or extra-ordinary
through the power of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>is only possible for
certain special people, not every Christian Believer. But this is a
misunderstanding, and the misunderstanding is misused to state and propagate
the false doctrine of the necessity of ‘filling with the Holy Spirit’. Increase
in your obedience to God, His Word, your spiritual life, and you too will be
able to do things through the power of the Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
It is a very simple, straightforward, and common-sense example from
everyday life, that you would never expect a person who is ill and weak with
some sickness to be physically able to do the same or as much work as a healthy
and strong person can do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
As long as the sickness of the things of the world and of compromising
with the world for the sake of earthly gains continues to weaken the Christian
Believers and keep them spiritually unhealthy; so long as we continue to weaken
our souls by the habit of obeying and working for the people of the world, and
to do so, continuing to put God and obedience to His Word to a lower position
in our lives, making it a matter of convenience instead of an overbearing
necessity, we too will never be able to do that which a spiritually healthy and
strong person can do<span lang="HI">.</span> And we will continue to be carried
away, to be tossed to-and-fro by the preachers and teachers of such false doctrines
<span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Ephesians 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting">(Ephesians 4:14).</abbr></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
God has given us the required ability through His Holy Spirit and
guidance through His Word the Bible; it is up to us to make use of it and be a
worthy witness of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b>What is the
filling of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span> Part 3<span lang="HI"> </span>– Implications<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-44254869323010800212020-05-07T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-07T20:40:00.733+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit – Part 4 – The filling of the Holy Spirit (2) - Understanding (1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What is the filling
of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI" style="font-family: Mangal, serif;">?</span> – Part 2 </span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Understanding (1)</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Even by common sense this is nothing mysterious, nor something that
requires some extra-special understanding. As we see in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.">Acts 2:4</abbr></span>,
along with the other disciples,<span lang="HI"> </span>Peter also received the
Holy Spirit, and then in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel">Acts 4:8</abbr></span> it says that<span lang="HI"> </span>he was filled with the Holy Spirit and confronted the officials
opposing the Christian Believers effectively and successfully and preached the
Lord to them. For Peter and John<span lang="HI">, </span>as per their abilities,
education, and status this was something very extra-ordinary and beyond their
own capabilities<span lang="HI">, </span>since they were uneducated and untrained
men <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.">(Acts 4:13),</abbr></span> and they were
confronting scholars of the Scriptures and high ranking officials<span lang="HI">;
</span>but still, without any hesitation or committing any mistakes the two of
them so boldly stood up to those scholars and high officials, that they could
not say anything against what the two of them said <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.">(Acts 4:14)</abbr></span> and
they realized that this was possible because those two had been with the Lord
Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Again it is said in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.">Acts 13:52</abbr></span> that the disciples
were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI"> – </span>this kept on
happening repeatedly, i.e. they continued working with His power<span lang="HI">;
</span>and not that the Holy Spirit would leave them and go out every few days<span lang="HI"> – </span>this could not be since the Lord had promised that the Holy Spirit would 'abide with them forever' <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever">(John 14:16);</abbr></span> and we have already seen
above that the Holy Spirit cannot be ‘topped up’ to restore Him back to a
certain level<span lang="HI">, </span>and then they had to receive Him all over
again.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
It is written for Paul that in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."">Acts 9:17</abbr></span> he was
filled with, or, received the Holy Spirit, and then again in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him">Acts 13:9</abbr></span> when he had to confront the demonic power, it is written that he
did so being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Word gives no indication that
these people had received the Holy Spirit all over again<span lang="HI">, </span>or
of some different kind to suit the need of the hour<span lang="HI">, </span>or in
some extra quantity;<span lang="HI"> </span>nor that He had left them but then
was given again to them in some excess than before<span lang="HI">; </span>and
then they ‘were filled’ and could do that work. It was the same Holy Spirit, in
quantity and quality that they had received before<span lang="HI">; </span>what
was different was that as per the need of the hour, in submission and obedience
to the Lord, they made an effective use of the power of the Holy Spirit
available to them, and accomplished the job at hand.<span lang="HI"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Actually speaking, there is nothing unusual in the phrase “being filled
with the Holy Spirit” for doing something special, neither is it something
unique that is possible for only a select few people. But many preachers keep
on presenting it as something unique and extra-ordinary, just to maintain a
sense of supremacy, and to project themselves as unique and extra-ordinary,
they keep on teaching this wrong doctrine<span lang="HI">, </span>one that is not
in any manner consistent with the facts of the Bible.<span lang="HI"> </span>The
expression, <span lang="HI">“</span>being filled with the Holy Spirit and doing<span lang="HI">”</span>,<span lang="HI"> </span>is similar to the day-to-day common use
of similar expressions in routine language.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Take note of some expressions used or experienced practically every day
by all of us: whenever you either say, or read, or hear that a person,<span lang="HI"> "</span>being filled with love…<span lang="HI">"</span>,<span lang="HI"> </span>or that<span lang="HI"> "</span>he was filled with joy and…<span lang="HI">"</span>,<span lang="HI"> </span>or that<span lang="HI"> "</span>being
filled with indignation, he…<span lang="HI">" </span>etc., then how do you
understand it?<span lang="HI"> </span>Do you understand it to mean that this is
indicating that the person, received some kind of an unusual or different kind
of love, or joy, or anger, etc. one that is not usually present in all people<span lang="HI">,</span> and then did the thing he did?<span lang="HI"> </span>Or without
any strain on your mind you readily understand that, the person used that which
was already present within him, with a certain unusual intensity and did
something extra-ordinary; or in a unique circumstance made a special
application and use of that feeling to do what he did? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Just the same applies to using this phrase of being filled with the
Holy Spirit to accomplish something unusual or extra-ordinary. It just conveys
using the power of the Holy Spirit already present within every true Christian
Believer, to accomplish something unusual or extra-ordinary, something over and
above the general capabilities and capacity of the person, as we have seen the
examples of Peter, John, and Paul above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b>What is the
filling of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span> Part 3<span lang="HI"> </span>–
Understanding (2)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-59154674154254830342020-05-06T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-06T20:40:11.597+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit – Part 4 – The filling of the Holy Spirit (1) - Ephesians 5:18<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What is the filling
of the Holy Spirit</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: Mangal, serif; font-size: large;">?</span><span style="font-size: large;"> – Part 1 </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Ephesians<span lang="HI" style="font-family: Mangal, serif;"> 5:18</span></div>
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to work in the power and in
control of the Holy Spirit. For this, on the basis of Ephesians<span lang="HI">
5:18 “</span><i>And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be
filled with the Spirit </i><span lang="HI">” </span>it is claimed that the Bible
teaches to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But if we step out of the influence
of the often, and emphatically reiterated wrong teachings about the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">,</span> and look at this sentence according to common sense,<span lang="HI"> </span>and that too in its correct context<span lang="HI">, </span>then
there is nothing confusing here. This sentence has a simple and straightforward
meaning<span lang="HI">; </span>here the effect of wine to control a person has
been expressed through a figure of speech.<span lang="HI"> </span>What Paul has
written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit can be understood by
paraphrasing as follows<span lang="HI">, “</span>Just as person ‘full’ of and
inebriated with wine can be recognized by his dissipation, i.e. debauchery,
that he is under the influence and control of the wine within him<span lang="HI">,
</span>similarly a Christian Believer has to express and demonstrate by his
spiritual behavior that he is ‘full of’ and under control of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">” </span>and then from verse 19 to 21 he speaks of the behavior expected of a person ‘full’ of the
Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Take note of another thing in this sentence<span lang="HI">, </span>Paul
has written<span lang="HI">, ‘...</span><i>be filled</i>”<span lang="HI"> </span>i.e.
let it be a continual process, always be or always remain under the influence
and control of the Holy Spirit; do not make it an intermittent process. This
does not and cannot mean that you will have to keep on taking measures of the
Holy Spirit till you are finally <span lang="HI">‘</span>full<span lang="HI">’</span>
of Him; or that since one leaks out the Holy Spirit, so whenever that happens,
take a topping up dose of the Holy Spirit to restore its levels within you.
This simply cannot happen at all<span lang="HI">, </span>since as we have seen
above<span lang="HI">, </span>Holy Spirit is God, a person of the Holy Trinity<span lang="HI">, </span>He cannot be broken into bits and pieces<span lang="HI">, </span>He
is not given out in parts or installments<span lang="HI">, </span>He cannot be
increased or decreased<span lang="HI">, </span>and He is just the same in
quantity and quality in every true Christian Believer. Since this is the truth
therefore the only thing possible is that as soon as a person truly comes into
the Christian Faith and receives the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>then at
that very moment he has become ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>because
over and above, or besides the Holy Spirit that has been given to him, he will
never receive any extra or ever again<span lang="HI">; </span>the Holy Spirit
within him will always remain just the same in quantity and quality<span lang="HI">; </span>now all that the person needs to do is to keep expressing the
Holy Spirit within him, through his practical life keep demonstrating the
influence of the Holy Spirit in him. So, what can vary is a person’s expressing
or demonstrating his own obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit ‘filled
up’ within him at the time of his salvation; but his behavior and conduct (as
we will see shortly) is not an indicator of the ‘amount’ of Holy Spirit present
within him<span lang="HI"> – </span>because that can never ever vary, in quantity
or quality.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b>What is the
filling of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">? </span>Part 2<span lang="HI"> </span>–
Understanding (1)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-74849248399418600752020-05-05T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-05T20:40:03.456+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Part 3 – Count; Implications<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Part
3 <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How Many Baptisms? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Implications</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a baptism to be taken or given
separately; and neither have the Christian Believers been instructed to have
it. The Holy Spirit, through Paul very clearly writes that there is “<i>one
Lord, one faith, <b>one baptism</b></i>” (Ephesians<span lang="HI"> </span>4:5).
Now, if after being saved there is the water baptism, and then, allegedly, to
be effective for the Lord there is another Baptism of the Holy Spirit, then it
is no longer one baptism but two, and the statement in Ephesians has become
false! This means that the Holy Spirit, through whom all of the Scriptures have
been given <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness">(2 Timothy 3:16)</abbr></span>, has had a lie written in God’s Word, He has
contradicted Himself, He has Himself brought in an error – these are all
impossibilities, even entertaining such a thought is utter foolishness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Now, since water baptism is an established fact – that is the baptism
John the Baptist gave <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.">(Mark 1:4-5, 8)</abbr></span>, the Lord Jesus took <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.">(Mark 1:9)</abbr></span>, and the
Lord prescribed in His Great commission to the disciples <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit">(Matthew 28:19)</abbr></span>, and it is the one administered to all the initial Christian Believers in Acts chapter two at the birth of the Church <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.">(Acts 2:41)</abbr></span>, and is being given to all
Christian Believers since then; therefore the count of one gets completed here
with this water baptism. Hence teaching the doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit is then deliberately introducing an error in the Word of God, turning it
into a lie, and misusing God’s Word simply to support ones wrong doctrine and
teaching. When it has been made very clear in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="15. And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17. If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" 18. When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."">Acts 11:15-18</abbr></span>, in the name of the
Lord and through His teaching it has been clearly explained that receiving the
Holy Spirit and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are one and the same thing, then
where is the necessity of changing this and bringing in concocted teachings and
instructions about it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Pay heed that how cleverly and subtly Satan has disguised this wrong
doctrine and teaching as a seemingly pious and reverential act, and has
beguiled people into falsifying God’s Word and becoming disobedient to God.
Therefore Paul through the Holy Spirit, warns about those who preach such wrong
teachings, “<i>Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive
words</i>” (Colossians 2:4); “<i>But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ</i>” (2 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> </span>11:3). As
we have seen and established in the discussions above, the ‘Baptism of the Holy
Spirit’ mentioned in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'">Acts 11:16</abbr></span> and <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.">1 Corinthians 12:13</abbr></span> is the use of
figurative language, employing a figure of speech, to express the accomplished
act of bringing together all the actual Christian Believers into one body by
the Lord i.e. the Church, through the Holy Spirit, to give all of them one and
the same status and honor in the body of Christ; it is not an instruction that
has been given for being followed in future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
There is only one baptism – the immersion water baptism<span lang="HI">, </span>which
every Christian Believer ought to take after coming into the Christian Faith in
obedience to the commandment of the Lord – baptism does not give salvation (do
not be misled by misinterpretations of Acts 2:38; see<span lang="HI">: </span><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-Acts-2-38.html" target="_blank">Does Acts 2:38 teach that baptism is necessary for salvation?</a>)<span lang="HI">,</span> baptism is for those who have received salvation<span lang="HI">
</span>to testify of their submission and obedience to the Lord <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit">(Matthew 28:19)</abbr></span>
– baptism was to be given to those who had become the disciples of the Lord,
and not that by being baptized they became the disciples).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Implications</span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
The body of
Christ, His Church has come into existence; and those who are Born Again i.e.
those who come into faith in the Lord Jesus through true repentance of sins,
sincerely seeking the Lord’s forgiveness for them and actually fully submitting
their lives to Him, automatically become members of the Body of Christ, and the
temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit resides in them. If it were to
be hypothesized that as per this verse, only those who additionally have
received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit become the active and effective members
of the Body of Christ, then it introduces a very dangerous and very un-Biblical
doctrine, of there being atleast two bodies of Christ – one composed of those
who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the other of those who
have not; the former being the ones useful for the Lord, while the latter
cannot be useful for the Lord. Naturally then, all the rewards and benefits for
eternity will go to the former group, and the latter will have to remain empty
handed for eternity. So, see for yourself how destructive, abhorrent,
un-Scriptural, and un-God like are the implications of this seemingly pious but
utterly deplorable contention. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
In addition, this is again, another way of shying away from the
responsibility of telling the people the truth and explaining to them that if
they are not feeling the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives, then
either they are not actually saved and Born Again, and need to take a decision
about it and rectify it immediately; or they are not fully submitted and
obedient to the Holy Spirit and so He cannot express Himself through them, and
this too needs to be properly rectified immediately.<span lang="HI"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b>What is the
filling of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span> (Part 1)<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-27808095601967466862020-05-04T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-04T20:40:01.868+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What
is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span></b><b> – <span lang="HI">Part </span>2<span lang="HI"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI"> </span>1 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> 1</span>2<span lang="HI">:1</span>3 (Part 4)</b></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Take another look at the verse<span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit">1 Corinthians 12:13</abbr></span> – the phrase used is ‘<i>we were all
baptized</i>’ – past tense; something done and accomplished; something
completed. The ‘we’ implies Paul and Sosthenes <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother">(1 Corinthians 1:1) </abbr></span> and all of
Paul’s other companions, and all of the Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, free, or slave<span lang="HI">.</span> Everyone together were immersed or submerged into the one body
of Christ. Now, throughout the New Testament, is there any record that Paul or
any of his ministry colleagues and companions received a separate Baptism of
the Holy Spirit at any time; or that they were empowered by this Baptism of the
Holy Spirit, and then they set out on their world changing ministries <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too">(Acts
17:6)</abbr></span>? Paul’s baptism, after his being saved and converted on the road to
Damascus is duly recorded <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized">(Acts 9:18)</abbr></span> ; and it is also recorded that “<b><i>Immediately</i></b><i>
he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God</i>” (Acts 9:20).
He did so with such zeal and intensity that people were amazed <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Then all who heard were amazed, and said, "Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?"">(Acts 9:21)</abbr></span>, and
from thereon Paul continued to increase in strength and confounded the Jews
more and more <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.">(Acts 9:22)</abbr></span>. Neither did Paul have to ‘Tarry’ for the Holy
Spirit; nor did he ask or wait for any ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’, and yet
his ministry was so intense that no one could stand before him; and therefore
eventually the Jews started to plot executing him <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him.">(Acts 9:23)</abbr></span>. Does not Paul’s
initiation into the ministry make it clear that there is no requirement for
this Baptism of the Holy Spirit before one can be useful for the Lord?</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Coming back to our lead verse, 1 Corinthians 12:13, while it says “<i>For
by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body</i>…”, yet nowhere does it say
that any of those mentioned in this verse asked for this to be done, or they
waited and prayed for it to be done for them. It was something that the Holy
Spirit did on its own – covered them all in Himself and joined them all
together into one Body of Believers. Moreover, nowhere does it say that on some
grounds, some were considered worthy of this being done for them, but others
were left out since they could not qualify for it. Nowhere does it say or even
hint that any new members of the Corinthian Church, or any other Church at any
place, at any point of time, will also have to undergo this Baptism of the Holy
Spirit, if they want to serve the Lord, or want to be useful for the Lord.
Using this verse to preach all such thoughts and teachings is contrived and
ridiculous. By no means can any such teaching be derived or justified through
this verse.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This verse also provides an excellent example of the very selective use
of Biblical words and phrases and manipulating them to propagate, and promote a
false doctrine (another such example is in 1 Corinthians 14, but we will look
at it at some other time, as and when the Lord wills). The proponents of the
doctrine of Baptism of the Holy Spirt quite vehemently cite this verse as a
proof since it says, “<i>For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body</i>….”
But then they very conveniently forget to say anything about the ending phrase
of this very verse “…<i>and have all been made to drink into one Spirit</i>.” </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ever heard of anyone saying, teaching, or stressing that one needs to
drink the Holy Spirit too? Are not ‘baptized’ and ‘made to drink’ part of one
and the same sentence? Therefore if the initial part is so necessary, that a
doctrine has been built upon and is aggressively taught, then why completely
ignore the subsequent part? If the subsequent part is a figure of speech, then
why not give the same consideration to the initial part, and put an end to this
concoction of untenable doctrines and teachings by misinterpreting and misusing
Scripture? The simple and straightforward meaning of the verse through use of
these two figures of speech is that every member of the body of Christ is
totally surrounded – inside and outside by the Holy Spirit of God – He has us
all totally covered and protected.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The plain and simple fact is that there is no doctrine of the
requirement of a Baptism of the Holy Spirit for being effective for the Lord
spoken of here. To push such wrong teachings is to distort the Word of God and to
speak lies to mislead the gullible into a useless and fruitless endeavor.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="HI"> Next: </span></b><span lang="HI">Baptism
of the Holy Spirit – Part </span>3<span lang="HI"> – </span>How many Baptisms;
Implications</span></div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-34370466536394434502020-05-03T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-03T20:40:00.286+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What
is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span></b><b> – <span lang="HI">Part </span>2<span lang="HI"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI"> </span>1 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> 1</span>2<span lang="HI">:1</span>3 (Part 3)</b></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Now, let us look further at 1 Corinthians 12:13 in its context and
along with the other relevant teachings that we have seen above. 1 Corinthians
chapter 12, like Romans chapter 12, is the chapter on the gifts of the Holy
Spirt, but with one difference – the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not
mentioned in Romans 12. Paul begins by reminding them that they (the
Corinthians) have been delivered from serving the dumb idols, and whatever may
be their state of spiritual maturity, it is through the Holy Spirit residing
within them that they are actually able to call Jesus as Lord (vs.1-3), and
that gifts of the Holy Spirit have also been given to them. Then from vs. 4 to
11, Paul writes to them about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit they have
received.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Keeping their above mentioned background and sorry state of
spirituality, take note of something that the Holy Spirit stresses upon through
Paul – irrespective of their individual state of spiritual maturity, in God’s
eyes, for God’s purposes, they are all one Church, they are all of the same
standing before the Lord; there is no one superior, no one inferior, no one
more useful and no one less useful; they are all on the same level before God.
How does Paul show this to them? </span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He says:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In vs. 4-6 the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same
God works all <b>in all</b>; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In vs. 7 manifestation of the Spirit is given <b>to
all</b>, for the profit of <b>all</b> (this is a very important point to be
kept in mind when considering the gifts of the Holy Spirit – no gift, none
whatsoever, is for any personal use or only for an individual’s use; they are
all for the benefit of the whole Church – the common misinterpretation of 1
Corinthians 14:2-4 notwithstanding); </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">In vs. 11, after listing the various gifts of the Holy
Spirit from vs. 8-10, another very important statement is given – the gifts are
distributed <b>to each one</b>, and as per the discretion of the Holy Spirit.
So we see that no one is exempt, every one of those Corinthians has been given
a gift (an affirmation of Ephesians 2:10), and it is the Holy Spirit that has
determined who gets what, with no mention or even hint of any discrimination of
any sort on any grounds. And this is so that everyone can be useful in the
service of the Lord. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Then from vs. 12 onwards to vs. 27, this is again
affirmed by the word picture of <b>one body</b> with many parts, but all
working together as one, and dysfunction of one affecting everyone else is
given.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In this whole section that provides the context of 1 Corinthians 12:13,
is there any hint, let alone saying it in as many words, that for being
considered for service for the Lord any discrimination was made on any grounds
– even on grounds of whether or not an individual has received the so called
Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is it said anywhere that because of their not
having received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, someone was considered unworthy
of being given a gift of the Holy Spirit? Does it at any place imply or say
that although every Believer is part of the body of Christ, His Church, but
these powerful gifts as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy,
discerning of spirits, speaking in and interpreting tongues etc. were given to
only those who had also additionally received the Baptism of the Holy Spirt?
And the counterpart of this section in Romans 12 does not even mention the
Baptism of the Holy Spirt! </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So on what grounds, with what Biblical support, is it taught and
claimed that for a Christian Believer to be effective for the Lord one has to
be baptized with the Holy Spirit? If despite the poor spiritual state of the
Corinthian Believers, they could still be considered worthy of being given such
magnificent spiritual gifts, and every one of them could be considered as
potentially being useful for the service of the Lord by the Holy Spirit, then
how can anyone claim of it requiring a special Baptism of the Holy Spirit to be
effective for the Lord? </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Does it not tantamount to creating divisiveness in the body of Christ
and indulging in one-upmanship, by projecting some to be better or superior to
others? Is this attempt at divisiveness and discrimination in the Church then
clearly not a work of Satan rather than of God? Can there be any virtue in
teaching and insisting upon this deliberate misinterpretation of God’s Word
regarding the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="HI"> Next: </span></b><span lang="HI">Baptism
of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13</span> (Part - 4)</span></div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-45850051364427636892020-05-02T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-02T20:40:06.360+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What
is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> – </span><span lang="HI">Part </span>2<span lang="HI"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> 1</span>2<span lang="HI">:1</span>3 (Part 2)</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Before taking a further look at the verse, let us look at some related
information; we will dwell a bit on the word ‘baptism’, and the background of
the Corinthian Church. </div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
First, the word ‘baptism;’ the original Greek word that
is translated ‘baptism’ is ‘baptizo’; which means to immerse or to submerge.
So, to be baptized means to be immersed or submerged into something. Now,
stating and stressing upon the unity of the body of Christ, the Church, in <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.">vs.12</abbr></span>, the Holy Spirit, through Paul is reminding these Gentile converts in our
leading verse, <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.">vs. 13</abbr></span> that they, the Corinthians, and the Jews, and others whether slaves or free persons, everyone has been ‘baptized into one body’ all alike,
i.e. all have been immersed or submerged into one body<span lang="HI">; </span>i.e.
have been brought under one and the same covering, so now there remains no
cause for any discrimination between any member of the one body of Christ. This
is simply and clearly an affirmation of <span><abbr {border-bottom: 1px dotted black;} title="1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.">vs.12</abbr></span> and nothing more, further confirmed by the further exposition of this very theme in the subsequent verses
down to vs.27. So where and how can one read a teaching and doctrinal stand
into this verse that a special Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the requirement
asked for by this verse from Christian Believers desirous of serving the Lord?
No stretch of imagination can fit this ridiculous and un-Biblical
misinterpretation into this verse, yet people so gullibly accept and swallow
this lie as a truthful teaching of the Scripture!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Secondly, it is also important
to take a look at the background to this epistle. There is something peculiar
to this letter written by Paul under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians
– the Church in Corinth, i.e. the Assembly of the Christian Believers in
Corinth. That Church of Corinth was full of problems and sins of various kinds,
and the letter was written to address and rectify those problems. The list of
misdemeanors starts from the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, and goes on to the
end of the epistle. Starting from divisions, groupism in the name of Church
leaders and elders, misunderstanding and misinterpreting Scriptures, immature childish
behavior, immorality, adultery, partaking of things offered to idols, vain
glorying and ego problems, mishandling and misusing the Holy Communion, and going
on to various other sinful and unacceptable things which were all present in
the Church at Corinth, in the life of the ‘Christian Believers.’ And yet the
Holy Spirit has Paul begin with the sentence, “<i>To the Church of God which is
at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,
with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours</i>” (1 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> </span>1:2) – these people
with such abhorrent sins amongst them, are called ‘the Church of God’,
‘sanctified’, ‘saints’, and are accepted along with all other Christian Believers
who call on the name of the Lord anywhere else in the world. It is very
important to keep this background in mind when analyzing and interpreting 1
Corinthians 12:13 in light of the un-Biblical meaning that has been imposed
upon it; the meaning being considered here in this discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b><span lang="HI">Baptism
of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13</span> (Part - 3)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-60851361281367064912020-05-01T20:40:00.000+05:302020-05-01T20:40:03.968+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13 (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What
is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span></b><b><span lang="HI" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;">– </span><span lang="HI">Part </span>2</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1 Corinthians<span lang="HI"> 1</span>2<span lang="HI">:1</span>3 (Part</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI"> </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">– </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">1)</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Another verse that is used to justify the stand on the ‘Baptism of the
Holy Spirit’ is 1 Corinthians 12:13; and again, as always, it is also done by
taking the phrase and misinterpreting it out of its context, and without paying
attention to other related teachings. The main reason given for having the
‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is so that the Christian Believers will be
specially empowered to be of service for the Lord. <span lang="HI">A</span>lthough
it sounds like a pious and reverential stand, it actually is un-Biblical and a
distortion of Biblical truth, fraught with the potential of dividing the body
of Christ, the Church. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
As is quite clear from <span title="But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.">Acts 1:8</span>, all the power that a Christian
Believer requires to serve the Lord and to witness for Him to the uttermost
corner of the world is provided to them in their receiving the Holy Spirit the
moment they come to faith in the Lord Jesus. Nothing more or other than this is
required, and nothing can be any more powerful than the presence of God the
Holy Spirit within a <span lang="HI">Christian Believer</span>, ready and
available to guide and help the <span lang="HI">Christian Believer</span> for all
things<span lang="HI">,</span> at all times. But just for argument’s sake, for
the moment let us accept the contention that something over and above the
presence of the <span lang="HI">God the </span>Holy Spirit within a person is
required to be of service for the Lord. If this is correct, then where is the
Biblical proof of it? Where is any example in the Word of God of a Believer,
anyone, was first specially Baptized by the Holy Spirit and then doing
something extra-ordinary, something spectacular for the Lord, which the others
could not do although they had the Holy Spirit within them? In the Bible is there
any one person; any one example in support of this teaching – no, none! The
clear and evident answer is that there is no such example in the whole of the
New Testament to support this contention. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
When the Lord Jesus had asked His disciples to wait for receiving the
Holy Spirit before going out for their ministry, at that time too He never said
to them that the marvelous and powerful signs and miracles given in <span title="17. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18. they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.">Mark 16:17,
18</span> would only be possible for them after they had received the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit. These special and extra-ordinary works were promised to them along
with their gospel preaching ministry as spontaneous accompaniments to their ministry.
Throughout the New Testament record, all the people, all the mighty men of God
laboring for the Lord’s service and bringing in their harvest into His kingdom,
are the same ones who first received the Holy Spirit at the time of Believing
in the Lord Jesus, and then stepped out into the world, at the command of the
Lord, without receiving anything else or any other special experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b><span lang="HI">Baptism
of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13</span> (Part - 2)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-73113420806224912982020-04-30T20:40:00.000+05:302020-04-30T20:40:14.512+05:30Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Part 1 Acts 11:15-18<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What
is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">? </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="HI">Part 1 Acts 11:15-18</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="HI"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Another wrong teaching related to the receiving of the
Holy Spirit is that to be effective for the Lord it is necessary to receive the
‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’<span lang="HI">, </span>which is said to be
different from having received the Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span>Once again<span lang="HI">, </span>this concept is based on taking the phrase of the Bible out of
its context<span lang="HI">, </span>and interpreting it without paying any attention
to other related teachings<span lang="HI">, </span>simply in an attempt to prove
right a pre-determined idea<span lang="HI">, </span>and has no Biblical basis or
support.<span lang="HI"> </span>Take a look at the incidence of the ministry of
Peter resulting in the family members of Cornelius coming into Jesus Faith and
receiving the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>and then Peter giving an
explanation about this to the members of the Believer’s Assembly and the Elders<span lang="HI">,</span> in <span title ="And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Jesus, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life">Acts 11:15-18</span> : “<i>And as I began to
speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered
the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you
shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same
gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Jesus, who was I that I
could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they
glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to
life</i>” From what Peter is saying here it is
unambiguously clear that the giving of the Holy Spirit to the gentiles immediately
on their coming into Jesus Faith<span lang="HI">, </span>that in itself is the
fulfillment and affirmation of what the Lord Jesus had said about the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="HI"><br /></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
It is also apparent from Peter’s
answer that this was only a fulfillment of the Lord’s words, and not an
establishment of a practice or doctrine to be followed by others later on – he
neither says nor implies that the other Jesus Believers too will require this
‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ – it is a way of expressing self-accomplished and
completed thing, rather than the setting up of a practice to be followed by
others. Another important thing to be noted here is that neither here or
anywhere else in the New Testament has it ever been stated or even hinted that the
members of the family of Cornelius who came into the Jesus Faith and received
the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, started to, or, sometime later ever did
anything special or extra-ordinary for the Lord under the effect of this
‘Baptism’; let alone anything special or extra-ordinary. There is no record of
them ever being involved even in activities of the Jesus Assembly or in the ‘routine’
ministry like everyone else.<span lang="HI"> </span>In other words<span lang="HI">,
</span>neither is the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ a so-called separate event
nor is it anything special from the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>and neither does
this ‘baptism’ give any special power, or ability, or any prompting to anybody
to do anything special or extra-ordinary.<span lang="HI"> </span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
Contrary to what
is often said and taught for it to be, actually speaking, there is nothing
perplexing in it as per the Bible<span lang="HI">; </span>receiving the Holy
Spirit the very moment one comes into the Jesus Faith and the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit are one and the same thing<span lang="HI">, </span>both of these are
different phrases to state one and the same thing.<span lang="HI"> </span>Therefore
to build up and teach some wrong doctrinal concepts about this, that are not in
the least in accordance with God’s Word, and then teach them to people, is
absolutely wrong, and unacceptable; it is speaking and teaching lies in the
name of God and His Word.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be
Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span lang="HI"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next: </span></b><span lang="HI">Baptism
of the Holy Spirit – Part 2 – 1 Corinthians 12:13</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-35737012420408354462020-04-29T20:40:00.000+05:302020-04-29T20:40:03.847+05:30Receiving The Holy Spirit (5) – Special Efforts – Tarrying (2); Inference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">4.
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">Is Tarrying
required to receive the Holy Spirit</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">?</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Part (2)</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
On
the day of Pentecost when the disciples received the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">,
</span>and then Peter preached with the power of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">,
</span>then the devout Jews present there asked Peter what should they do to be
saved<span lang="HI"> (</span>Acts<span lang="HI"> 2:37); </span>then<span lang="HI">
“</span><i>Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit </i><span lang="HI">” (</span>Acts<span lang="HI"> 2:38)</span>.<span lang="HI"> </span>Take note<span lang="HI">, </span>Peter
said to them that on believing they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">; </span>he did not ask them to wait for the Holy Spirit after having
believed. Peter’s preaching was immediately after his receiving the Holy Spirit
and with the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, by the effect of his preaching,
through repentance and believing, the first assembly of Christian Believers was
going to come into existence. The incidences and things related to his
preaching and its consequences were going to form the fundamental doctrinal
practices of the assemblies of Christian Believers world-wide in the days to
come<span lang="HI">, </span>as the teachings of Acts<span lang="HI"> 2 </span>are
for us today. Therefore if tarrying to receive the Holy Spirit was necessary<span lang="HI">, </span>then its explaining through the living and evident example of
Peter and the other disciples assembled there<span lang="HI">, </span>and by
having that explanation too recorded along with the other teachings given by
Peter<span lang="HI">,</span> would<span lang="HI"> </span>have been the best
possible opportunity to have this established as a doctrine or rule for the
assemblies of Christian Believers.<span lang="HI"> </span>But this was not done<span lang="HI">; </span>not then<span lang="HI">, </span>and not later on in any epistle
or in any teaching in the New Testament. But what was always said was that by
true repentance and actually coming into faith in the Lord the Holy Spirit too
would be given spontaneously. If the above three examples are considered once
again in this context<span lang="HI">, </span>then too it becomes apparent that
as soon as they came to the Christian Faith the Holy Spirit was given to them
immediately, without any mention of any tarrying for it. This is an open and
evident truth of the Bible that never, in the whole of the New Testament, has
it ever been said to any one that they need to wait for receiving the Holy
Spirit after their repenting and coming to faith in the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Today
some people<span lang="HI">, </span>by wrongfully taking these verses related to
waiting as their basis<span lang="HI">, </span>have contrived their doctrine of
waiting or tarrying to deliver themselves from their predicament.<span lang="HI">
</span>Because, as we have seen in the discussion on Luke<span lang="HI"> 11:13</span>,<span lang="HI"> </span>there are some people in the Christian assemblies<span lang="HI">,
</span>who appear to be the believers and followers of Lord Jesus<span lang="HI">,
</span>but have not truly submitted themselves to Him and are not factually in
the Christian Faith<span lang="HI">, </span>therefore they never receive the Holy
Spirit. To such people, either because of having no other explanation or
answer, or because of not having the courage to speak up the truth, the Pastors
and Elders of the Church often say<span lang="HI"> </span>that<span lang="HI"> </span>on
the basis of Luke<span lang="HI"> 24:49, </span>and Acts<span lang="HI"> 1:4, 8</span>
they need to tarry for receiving the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI"> </span>and
according to Luke<span lang="HI"> 11:13 </span>they need to pray to the Lord for
it. Whereas what they actually need to do is to truly repent, to really
completely submit themselves to the Lord, and to actually become obedient to
Him and His Word, instead of getting entangled in these unbiblical teachings
contrary to God’s Word, and wasting their time in them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI">5. </span>Doing something special to receive the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI"> – </span>Inference</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
In our
discussion on receiving the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>in relation to
the three examples discussed above and their related incidences, the point to
be paid attention to<span lang="HI">, </span>is that these incidences too do not
prove that to receive the Holy Spirit any special or extra efforts, or
mediation by anyone is required <span lang="HI">– </span>as is often quite
emphatically but absolutely falsely stressed upon and taught by some. There is
no example in the Bible which can be used as the basis to substantiate the
claim that to receive the Holy Spirit one has to pray and to plead before the
Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>or to make any other efforts<span lang="HI">, </span>or
require the help of anyone special in the ministry of the Lord, or to spend
some time waiting to eventually receive the Holy Spirit. Just as it is with
salvation<span lang="HI">, </span>similarly with the receiving of the Holy Spirit
– neither of them is in any way under the direction or control of any person,
nor of any man made rules, rituals, or practices, or of any works of any kind.
If the Believer is okay in the sight of the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>then the
moment he comes to the Christian Faith and is saved<span lang="HI">,</span> he is
also given the Holy Spirit by<span lang="HI"> </span>the Lord for his spiritual
security and guidance in the Christian life<span lang="HI">, </span>for directing
him in his day-to-day life and for spiritually nurturing him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span lang="HI">- </span>To Be Continued<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>Next<span lang="HI">:</span></b><span lang="HI"> </span>What is the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit<span lang="HI">? (1)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-20419956907157348202020-04-28T20:40:00.000+05:302020-04-28T20:40:02.925+05:30Receiving The Holy Spirit (5) – Special Efforts – Tarrying (1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">4.
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">Is Tarrying
required to receive the Holy Spirit</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;">?</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Part (1)</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
On the basis of Luke<span lang="HI"> 24:49 </span>and
Acts<span lang="HI"> 1:4, 8 </span>it is said that the Lord Jesus Himself has
said to the disciples to wait to receive the Holy Spirit. Therefore to teach
that waiting for the Lord’s opportune time for receiving the Holy Spirit is
consistent with God’s Word<span lang="HI">, </span>and should be done. But in
drawing this conclusion those two mistakes are being repeated once again<span lang="HI"> – </span>taking out of context<span lang="HI">, </span>and not keeping
in mind the related other teachings. No doubt that the Lord had asked His
initial disciples to tarry or wait to receive the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>but
the main purpose of that tarrying was for those disciples to prepare themselves
for the Great Commission entrusted to them by the Lord, for which they required
the power of the Holy Spirit; it was not simply for the sake of receiving the
Holy Spirit without having any God ordained purpose for their Christian lives.
It is very clearly seen here that the Lord first gave those disciples His
ministry that He wanted them to do, He then commissioned them for that
ministry, and after that came the empowering for that stated ministry – every
related thing and every step decided and directed by the Lord, according to His
will. What people want to do and teach today would is nowhere, not in the
least, like what the Lord had said and done at that time. </div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
Today, all that
people like to say and preach is that once they have the power then they will
see how they can use it. God never does anything without any purpose or merely
for the sake of somebody’s ‘enjoying the experience.’ Today people are asked
and taught to pray and tarry for receiving the Holy Spirit, just for the thrill
of it; for the exhilarating experiences that would come along with that! Those
who want to have the Holy Spirit in such manner, have no understanding or idea
of what God has called them for; and neither do they have any idea of the cost
that they may have to pay to serve the Lord; they are just told and taught to
ask for the Holy Spirit and have the wonderful experience, the exhilaration of
receiving Him and His gifts. This is absolutely unlike the tarrying that the Lord
had asked His<span lang="HI"> </span>initial disciples for. The Lord had never
stated this as a doctrine or teaching applicable for the disciples in the days
to come. If it is said that this was a doctrine or rule given by the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>then this too will have to be accepted that in the very first
preaching of the gospel, for the very first Christian disciples, in Acts 2:38
Peter immediately broke this rule<span lang="HI">, </span>ignored this doctrine<span lang="HI">, </span>and he was un-hesitantly disobedient to it<span lang="HI"> – </span>if
this is true then how come the Lord’s blessings and support was there for an
act of disobeying the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>how is it that the Lord
allowed disobedient people to work in His Church<span lang="HI">? </span>On the
other hand, if the Lord’s blessing and acceptance were there<span lang="HI"> – </span>as
is quite apparent<span lang="HI">, </span>then this too is apparent that it was
not disobedience<span lang="HI">; </span>meaning there was no such rule or
doctrine laid down by the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>and to tarry was an
instruction meant only for those initial disciples of the Lord<span lang="HI"> – </span>and
that is what the truth is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span lang="HI">- </span>To Be Continued<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<b>Next<span lang="HI">:</span>: </b>Is Tarrying
required to receive the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span> Part (2); Inference<span lang="HI"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-1387507039225063452020-04-27T20:40:00.000+05:302020-04-27T20:40:00.703+05:30Receiving The Holy Spirit (4) – Special Efforts – Laying Hands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 27pt;">
<b><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">3.
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Is the Holy
Spirit received by the Laying of Hands by the Apostles or the Church Elders</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">?</span></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
In the afore-mentioned incidences one of the things
mentioned is the laying of hands by the Apostles<span lang="HI">, </span>after
which the Holy Spirit was received<span lang="HI">; </span>therefore it is also
said, once again wrongly, that the Holy Spirit is received through the laying
of hands by the Apostles or the Elders of the Church.<span lang="HI"> </span>This
related fact of the Bible<span lang="HI">, ‘</span>laying of hands<span lang="HI">,’
</span>has many meanings.<span lang="HI"> </span>In context of our discussion the
important thing is that except for the above three examples, it has never been
associated with the receiving or giving of the Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span>Therefore
to ascribe this as being the one and only meaning to it and teach this as the
sole meaning is incorrect in light of God’s Word.<span lang="HI"> </span>‘Laying
of hands’ is a big topic in itself<span lang="HI">, </span>that has different
applications in the Old and the New Testaments. In the New Testament it has
been used for blessing<span lang="HI"> (</span>Matthew<span lang="HI"> 19:13, 15), </span>providing
healing<span lang="HI"> (</span>Matthew<span lang="HI"> 9:18; </span>Luke<span lang="HI"> 13:13; </span>Acts<span lang="HI"> 9:12, 17), </span>being commissioned
for a special God ordained responsibility<span lang="HI"> (</span>Acts<span lang="HI"> 6:6; 13:3; 1 </span>Timothy<span lang="HI"> 4:</span>1<span lang="HI">4; 2
</span>Timothy<span lang="HI"> 1:6), </span>and it also shows conveying
solidarity by making the person a co-worker in the ministry and<span lang="HI"> </span>of
accepting the person <span lang="HI">(1 </span>Timothy<span lang="HI"> 4:14; 5:22)</span>.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
In context of the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the
above three incidences<span lang="HI">, </span>the implication of ‘laying hands’
is to convey to those people that they were accepted as one in the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>i.e.<span lang="HI">, </span>by the laying of hands those Jewish
Believers and Apostles conveyed to those people<span lang="HI">, </span>that they
too are one in the Lord along with the Apostles and Elders in the assemblies of
the Christian Believers;<span lang="HI"> </span>by virtue of being in the Lord
they are now just like everyone else<span lang="HI"> (</span>Acts<span lang="HI">
15:7-9)</span>. Take note<span lang="HI">, </span>Peter did not even have to lay
hands on anyone in the house of Cornelius;<span lang="HI"> </span>as soon as they
believed the gospel given to them by Peter<span lang="HI">, </span>the Holy
Spirit spontaneously came upon them<span lang="HI"> (</span>Acts<span lang="HI">
10:44; 11:15)</span>. An interesting fact is that later on the brother of the
Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>James<span lang="HI">, </span>speaks of asking the
Church Elders to apply oil and pray for the healing of physical illnesses<span lang="HI"> (</span>James<span lang="HI"> 5:14-15), </span>and writes that the
prayer of faith would bring healing as well as forgiveness of sins.<span lang="HI"> </span>But neither James<span lang="HI">, </span>nor anyone else at any
other place in the New Testament<span lang="HI">, </span>has ever said that the
Christian Believers should ask the Church Elders to lay hands and pray and they
will receive the Holy Spirit. This teaching too is nowhere in the Bible<span lang="HI">, </span>and those who give this teaching misinterpret and misuse the
teachings of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: right; text-indent: 27pt;">
<span lang="HI">- </span>To Be Continued<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<b>Next<span lang="HI">::</span></b><span lang="HI"> </span>Is Tarrying required to receive the Holy
Spirit<span lang="HI">?</span> Part (1)<span lang="HI" style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7493534070032731723.post-84227894998348862742020-04-26T20:40:00.000+05:302020-04-26T20:40:03.010+05:30Receiving the Holy Spirit Part 3 – Special Efforts – Through the help of Apostles and Elders (3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h3 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="HI">2. </span>Is the Holy Spirit received through the
help of Apostles or Elders of the Church<span lang="HI">?</span><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<h3 align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="HI">(</span>Part<span lang="HI"> 3 – </span>Understanding the three examples<span lang="HI">)</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="HI"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
Now, in the light of the above let us understand the
three examples<span lang="HI">:</span> The<span lang="HI"> </span><b>First thing,</b><span lang="HI"> </span>that has already been stated, is that<span lang="HI"> – </span>in
none of these examples did anyone ever express any desire, or pray, or ask or
do anything special to receive the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">; </span>when they
received the Holy Spirit, they received it in God’s time and through God’s way.
Only one had wanted to have the ability to be able to give the Holy Spirit to
others<span lang="HI">, </span>Simon the sorcerer<span lang="HI">, </span>and he
was not really saved;<span lang="HI"> </span> he was severely condemned for asking this<span lang="HI">, </span>and was asked to repent<span lang="HI">! </span>The<b> Second
thing</b><span lang="HI">, </span>these three categories, different from the Jews<span lang="HI"> – </span>Samaritans<span lang="HI">, </span>Gentiles<span lang="HI">, </span>and
followers of John the Baptist<span lang="HI">, </span>their coming into the
Christian Faith and receiving the Holy Spirit is only mentioned in the Book of
Acts<span lang="HI"> – </span>which is the historical record of the initial deeds
and practices of the first Church. Once, when people had come and become one by
faith in the Church of the Lord<span lang="HI">, </span>joined into His body<span lang="HI">, </span>then never again in any of the Epistles<span lang="HI"> </span>(which
are a record of the instructions given by the Holy Spirit to discard, correct
and set right, or take up and apply many teachings, beliefs, practices and
rituals etc. in the Churches)<span lang="HI">, </span>has it ever been stated or
taught that after having come into the Christian Faith any Believer has to ever
do anything else to receive the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>and neither
has any significance of the different social backgrounds of any of the
believers ever been stated. The <b>Third thing</b><span lang="HI">, </span>never
ever have these three categories of non-Jewish people used as an example in
God’s Word<span lang="HI">, </span>to give the teaching<span lang="HI">, </span>that
like them<span lang="HI">, </span>to receive the Holy Spirit the mediation or
help of an Apostle or Elder, or any special person is required. In the Epistles
the responsibilities of the Church Elders and leaders are stated<span lang="HI">,
</span>but it is never stated that they should help the people to receive the
Holy Spirit. The <b>Fourth thing</b><span lang="HI"> </span>on the basis of these
incidents, let alone any doctrine or teachings, not even the slightest of hints
has ever been given<span lang="HI">, </span>that these incidents are examples
that to receive the Holy Spirit one has to wait for some time, or to do
something special, and that the Holy Spirit is not given spontaneously on its
own on coming into the Christian Faith.<span lang="HI"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
In other words, the incidences given in the Book of
Acts<span lang="HI">, </span>were only examples to illustrate the merger of all
the non-Jewish background Believers along with the Jewish background into one
Church. Once the Church was formed as one through the assimilation of all the
various categories of people, there remained no reason to look at them as
different from one-another in any way.<span lang="HI"> </span>In the third of
these incidences<span lang="HI">, </span>the question asked by Paul to the
followers of John the Baptist is very important<span lang="HI">, </span>in
context of the initial reasoning<span lang="HI"> – </span>that the Holy Spirit<span lang="HI">, </span>is received immediately on coming into the Christian Faith<span lang="HI">, </span>and is another of its affirmation.<span lang="HI"> </span>Paul
asked<span lang="HI">, “...</span><i>Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a
Holy Spirit </i><span lang="HI">” (</span>Acts<span lang="HI"> 19:2)</span>.<span lang="HI"> </span>In other words, it was the natural expectation of Paul that
when they <span lang="HI">had </span>c<span lang="HI">o</span>me into the Christian
Faith<span lang="HI">, </span>they would have received the Holy Spirit at that
time itself.<span lang="HI"> </span>But it becomes apparent from the rest of the
conversation<span lang="HI"> (</span>verses<span lang="HI"> 3-7) </span>that they
had not actually come into the Christian Faith<span lang="HI">, </span>therefore
there was no question of their receiving the Holy Spirit.<span lang="HI"> </span>And
at the very moment they actually came into the Christian Faith, they received
the Holy Spirit as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
So, to use these examples to say and teach that the
Holy Spirit is received separately is to misunderstand and misinterpret the
facts related to this matter. Doing this is to draw and teach wrong conclusions
that have no support from the Word of God. When these incidences are seen in
their proper context and along with other related teachings from the Word of God,
the truth becomes apparent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin: 0in 9pt 0.0001pt 4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 27pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span lang="HI">- To Be Continued</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt; text-indent: 37.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="HindiTranslation" style="margin-right: 9.0pt; text-indent: 37.8pt;">
<b><span lang="HI">Next: </span></b>Is the Holy Spirit received
by the Laying of Hands by the Apostles or the Church Elders<span lang="HI">?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Samuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13579039112243631756noreply@blogger.com0