Andy Fleming

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The Holy Spirit

When we were living in Stockholm, Andy spent about 6 months of his quiet times studying every verse in the Bible that mentioned or implied the Holy Spirit. Since that time, he’s taught about the Holy Spirit in many churches in many countries. I use this in-depth Bible study about the Holy Spirit with any of my friends and acquaintances, including members of our church, who have questions about the Holy Spirit. I think it should be an essential “follow-up” study series for new Christians. How do you get the Holy Spirit? What does it/he/she do? How can we expect to see the Holy Spirit work in and among us today? Going through these scriptures with a friend generally takes me about five hours — usually divided up into several meetings. In my opinion, this is time well spent and an essential investment in any person of faith who has sincere questions. — Tammy

The Holy Spirit

PART ONE: OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING................................................................................................................ 3

1. THE SPIRIT OF GOD............................................................................................................................................................ 3

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 3

1. The Power of God......................................................................................................... 3

A. Genesis 1:1,2.................................................................................................................................................................... 3

B. Psalm 104:30.................................................................................................................................................................... 3

C. Job 33:4, 34:14,15........................................................................................................................................................... 3

2. The Presence of God...................................................................................................... 3

A. Psalm 139:7...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

B. Haggai 2:4,5..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3. The Person of God......................................................................................................... 4

A. Genesis 1:26,27; 2:7....................................................................................................................................................... 4

B. Genesis 6:3........................................................................................................................................................................ 4

C. Micah 2:7.......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

D. Isaiah 63:10...................................................................................................................................................................... 4

E. Isaiah 30:1,2; 63:11-14; Psalm 106:32,33................................................................................................................ 4

F. Nehemiah 9:20,30........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Observations.................................................................................................................... 4

1. The Old Testament does not present God and His Spirit as two separate persons.............................................. 4

2. SPIRITUAL GIFTS................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 5

1. Leadership................................................................................................................... 5

2. Prophecy..................................................................................................................... 5

3. Wisdom and Knowledge.................................................................................................. 6

4. Supernatural Power and Abilities (Miracles)...................................................................... 6

A. Physical Strength.............................................................................................................................................................. 6

B. Signs and Wonders.......................................................................................................................................................... 6

C. Physical Deliverance, Safe Passage or Military Victory.......................................................................................... 6

D. Calamity, Plague and Death........................................................................................................................................... 7

E. Healings.............................................................................................................................................................................. 7

F. Meeting Physical Needs.................................................................................................................................................. 7

G. Resurrection from the Dead........................................................................................................................................... 8

H. Everyday Convenience................................................................................................................................................... 8

I. Knowing the Thoughts of Another Person................................................................................................................... 8

J. Bodily Transportation....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Observations.................................................................................................................... 9

1. Generally speaking, spiritual gifts were given to a few for the benefit of many.................................................. 9

2. Spiritual gifts did not guarantee spirituality................................................................................................................ 9

3. Spiritual gifts were not necessarily permanent........................................................................................................... 9

4. Spiritual gifts often edified the one who possessed them......................................................................................... 9

5. Prophecy was the most common spiritual gift recorded in the Old Testament.................................................... 9

3. SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES........................................................................................................................ 10

1. Moses – the First Prophet to Perform Signs, Wonders and Miracles...................................... 10

A. Exodus 3:1 - 4:17.......................................................................................................................................................... 10

B. Deuteronomy 34:9........................................................................................................................................................ 10

C. Numbers 11:17-29........................................................................................................................................................ 10

D. Numbers 12:4-8............................................................................................................................................................ 10

2. Other Hebrew Prophets................................................................................................ 10

A. Joshua............................................................................................................................................................................... 10

B. Elijah................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

C. Elisha................................................................................................................................................................................ 11

D. Isaiah, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Daniel...................................................................................................... 11

E. Examples of Powerful Prophets Who Did Not Perform Miraculous Signs........................................................ 12

3. False Prophets and Miraculous Signs.............................................................................. 12

A. False Prophets May Have Genuine Power................................................................................................................ 12

B. God Allows False Prophets as a Test to His People’s Faithfulness..................................................................... 12

C. God Demands That False Prophets Should Be Severely Dealt With................................................................... 12

4. The Coming Messiah.................................................................................................... 12

A. Deuteronomy 18:14-19............................................................................................................................................... 12

B. Isaiah 11:1-3................................................................................................................................................................... 13

C. Isaiah 42:1-7................................................................................................................................................................... 13

D. Isaiah 48:17.................................................................................................................................................................... 13

E. Isaiah 59:20,21............................................................................................................................................................... 13

F. Isaiah 61:1....................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Observations.................................................................................................................. 13

1. The ministry of Moses established some new patterns in the prophetic ministry.............................................. 13

2. Most of the other prophets did not perform miraculous signs of any kind.......................................................... 13

3. On the other hand, some false prophets would be able to perform miraculous signs........................................ 13

4. Only the Messiah would have a miraculous ministry comparable to that of Moses.......................................... 13

4. PROPHECIES ABOUT THE FUTURE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...................................................... 14

Introduction................................................................................................................... 14

1. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit................................................................................... 14

A. Joel 2:28-32.................................................................................................................................................................... 14

B. Zechariah 12:10-13:9.................................................................................................................................................. 14

C. Ezekiel 39:27-29............................................................................................................................................................ 14

D. Isaiah 32:14-17.............................................................................................................................................................. 14

2. God Puts His Spirit in His People (i.e., the Indwelling Holy Spirit))...................................... 14

A. Ezekiel 11:16-21............................................................................................................................................................ 14

B. Ezekiel 36:22-32, 37:11-14......................................................................................................................................... 15

3. The Leading of the Holy Spirit........................................................................................ 15

A. Isaiah 34:16-35:10........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Observations.................................................................................................................. 15

1. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit will have incredible consequences................................................................. 15

2. God will put his Spirit in the hearts of his people.................................................................................................... 15

3. As in the past God’s Spirit will continue to lead his people................................................................................... 15

PART TWO: NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING........................................................................................................... 16

1. THE DAY OF PENTECOST............................................................................................................................................. 16

Introduction................................................................................................................... 16

1. The Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit.................................................................................. 16

A. Jesus Received the Holy Spirit from God and Then Poured It Out...................................................................... 16

B. Review of Old Testament Prophecy........................................................................................................................... 16

C. Prophetic Words of John the Baptist.......................................................................................................................... 16

D. Prophetic Words of Jesus............................................................................................................................................. 17

E. Observations.................................................................................................................................................................... 17

2. Receiving the Indwelling Holy Spirit................................................................................ 17

A. The Gift of the Holy Spirit Would Be Received in Baptism................................................................................. 17

B. Review of Old Testament Prophecy (see Lesson 4, Section 2)............................................................................. 17

C. Prophetic Words of Jesus.............................................................................................................................................. 17

D. Indwelling Spirit through Baptism is Affirmed in Many Other Passages........................................................... 18

3. Tongues – A New Spiritual Gift...................................................................................... 18

A. Wonders in Heaven Above and Signs on Earth Below.......................................................................................... 18

B. Review of Old Testament Teaching on Spiritual Gifts (see Lesson 2)................................................................ 18

C. Further Teaching About Speaking In Tongues......................................................................................................... 19

D. Other Instances of Speaking In Tongues................................................................................................................... 19

4. God’s Affirmation of the Apostolic Message...................................................................... 20

A. Power from On High..................................................................................................................................................... 20

B. Those Things That Mark an Apostle.......................................................................................................................... 20

C. God Accredited The Apostles’ Message................................................................................................................... 21

PART ONE: OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING

1. THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Introduction

·      God’s true nature is impossible for us to fully understand since there is nothing to which we can compare God (Isaiah 40:13,18). The idea of something existing outside the limits of the physical universe is beyond our senses and comprehension. 

·      Since God existed before anything was created, the dimensions or limitations of the creation do not affect Him. Although God is invisible, God has allowed us to see the effects of his movement in the creation – best understood as the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word, ‘ruwach’, (translated ‘spirit’), is the only Hebrew word translated ‘wind’ (and can also be translated ‘breath’). In the same way that wind is invisible with visible effects, the Spirit of God moves through the creation. It is possible that the idea of breath goes even farther to emphasize God's power, presence and person being ‘blown’ (like a wind or breath) into the creation.

1. The Power of God

A. Genesis 1:1,2

·      The earth was formlessness, empty and the heavens were in darkness. The spirit of God hovered (literally ‘vibrated’) over the face of the waters (RSV ‘deep’) ready to impart form, order and light to the creation.

B. Psalm 104:30

·      Creatures are made and the earth is renewed when God sends his Spirit.

C. Job 33:4, 34:14,15

·      The Spirit of God has made us – his breath gives us life. If his Spirit and breath were removed, all mankind would perish, and man return to the dust.

2. The Presence of God

A. Psalm 139:7

·      David equates the Spirit of God to the presence of God -- both being everywhere.

B. Haggai 2:4,5

·      God being with the Israelites is the same as his Spirit being with them.

3. The Person of God

A. Genesis 1:26,27[1]; 2:7

·      God created man in his image. He formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into man's nostrils the breath (spirit) of life.

B. Genesis 6:3

·      God declared that his Spirit would not contend with man forever.

C. Micah 2:7

·      The Spirit of God was angry at the Israelites.

D. Isaiah 63:10

·      The rebellion of the Israelites grieved the Holy Spirit.

E. Isaiah 30:1,2; 63:11-14; Psalm 106:32,33

·      God tried to lead the Israelites by his Spirit but they rebelled.

F. Nehemiah 9:20,30

·      The Spirit instructed the people of Israel (through the prophets).

Observations

1. The Old Testament does not present God and His Spirit as two separate persons.

·      Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” The Old Testament understanding of God and his Spirit was as one person – no hint of a “BINITY” doctrine. 

·      The Spirit of God in the Old Testament describes God’s perceivable power, presence and person operating within in the framework of the creation. Although God’s Spirit is invisible, there is a measurable effect from his working and evidence of his existence.

·      John 4:24, 'God is Spirit and his worshippers must worship him in Spirit and in truth.' God’s true nature and form are beyond our ability to understand or even imagine, but the reality of our own ‘spiritual’ nature gives us at least a place to begin in trying to understand God. That ‘God is Spirit’ is about as much as we will ever be able to grasp about God’s nature considering the limitations of our present minds and bodies.

2. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Introduction

·      The only time the actual phrase 'gifts of the Holy Spirit' is found in the NIV Bible is Hebrews 2:4, the actual Greek word translated 'gifts' here means 'portions' or 'distributions' of the Holy Spirit. This is significant since this phrase very accurately describes the Old Testament experience and it was neither new nor unique to New Testament times.

·      In the Old Testament God gave 'portions' of his Spirit to certain individuals so that they might become miraculously empowered in some manner. In almost every case, this empowering was for the express purpose of leading God’s people. This process is described in a number of different ways in the Hebrew text: the Spirit coming oversomeone; the Spirit being in someone; the Spirit falling over someone; the Spirit clothing someone or; the Spirit filling someone. 

·      When we consider that it was God's Spirit that miraculously ordered the universe and set in place all the laws of nature and physics, it is not surprising that that same Spirit has the power to contradict those very laws. Of course, since most people so easily take the universe for granted, the breaking of these laws of nature seems much more miraculous than the fact that they do exist and consistently function.

1. Leadership

·      The Holy Spirit came over certain individuals and inspired them to lead the Israelites into battle:

·       Judges 3:10 – Othniel;

·       Judges 6:34 – Gideon;

·       Judges 11:29 – Jepthah;

·       Judges 13:25 – Samson;

·       1 Samuel 11:6 – Saul;

·       1 Samuel 16:13, Psalm 143:10 – David.

2. Prophecy

·      In Zechariah 7:12 we read that the word of the Lord Almighty was sent by his Spirit through the prophets. Certain prophets are mentioned as having the Holy Spirit coming over them: 

·       1 Samuel 10:6,10 – the Spirit came over Saul; 

·       1 Chronicles 12:18 – the Spirit came over Amasai; 

·       2 Chronicles 15:1 – the Spirit came over Azariah; 

·       2 Chronicles 20:14 – the Spirit came over Jahaziel; 

·       2 Chronicles 24:20 – the Spirit came over Zechariah; 

·       Ezekiel 11:5 – the Spirit came over Ezekiel. 

·       Micah 3:8, 1 Kings 22:24 – Micah was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

·      Sometimes the Spirit of God even came over wicked men and they prophesied:

·       Numbers 24:1-9 – Balaam who normally used sorcery to make his oracles; 

·       1 Samuel 19:18-24 – this happened several times to Saul and his men while they were in pursuit of David to kill him.

3. Wisdom and Knowledge

·      The Holy Spirit filled certain individuals with specific wisdom for specific tasks.

·       Exodus 31:1-5 (35:30-33) – Bezalel was filled with the Spirit and received skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to expedite the building of the tabernacle. 

·       Exodus 28:3 – God gave certain other skilled craftsmen wisdom (Heb. ‘spirit of wisdom’) to make the priestly garments [this could be referencing innate abilities].

4. Supernatural Power and Abilities (Miracles)

·      Although God performed many miracles without human involvement that are recorded in Scripture, these passages are instances where God worked through (or with) human beings and caused mundane human actions like hand gestures and spoken words to initiate supernatural events. 

A. Physical Strength

·       Judges 13:1-16:31 – The Holy Spirit came upon Samson and he killed a lion bare-handed, killed 30 men, broke the ropes when he was bound unawares and killed 1,000 men with the jaw-bone of an ass – apparently an ability that Samson could use at his own discretion. God’s purpose behind this ability was to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines.

·       Note: Miraculous physical strength is the only one of these supernatural abilities that was specifically explained through the Spirit coming over someone. All the other examples that follow here do not specifically mention the Holy Spirit.

B. Signs and Wonders

·      God performed signs and wonders through the hands of his prophets (or in response to their prayers) as a proof that the prophets had been sent by him and spoke with his authority.

·       Exodus 7:10-12 – by the Lord’s direction Aaron’s rod changed into a serpent in front of Pharaoh and ate up the magicians serpent-staffs.

·       Exodus 7:20-12:30 – by the Lord’s direction Moses and Aaron to initiate the ten plagues of Egypt (which were also a sign from God to Pharaoh);

·       1 Kings 18 – Elijah prayed and called down fire from the Lord from heaven to the glory of the God of Israel;

·       2 Kings 20:9-11 – Isaiah called upon the Lord for the request sign of Hezekiah to be accomplished, and the sun went back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz;

C. Physical Deliverance, Safe Passage or Military Victory

·       God delivered his people from difficulty – sometimes taking the initiative and other times in response to their prayers.   

·       Exodus 14:21-31 – by the Lord’s direction Moses touched the water with his staff and divided the Red Sea so that the people passed through in safety;

·       Joshua 3:14-17 – by the Lord’s direction Joshua told the priest to go stand in the river, and when they touched it the waters divided so the people passed through in safety;

·       Joshua 10:12-14 – Joshua asked the Lord for the sun and moon to stay in place so that the army could finish the battle – and it was so; 

·       Daniel 3:10-27 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were vindicated before Nebuchadnezzar and survived the fiery furnace; 

·       Daniel 6:16-23 – Daniel was vindicated before Darius and delivered from the lions den; 

·       Jonah 2:1-10 – Jonah prayed from the belly of the fish and God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land;

D. Calamity, Plague and Death

·      Sometimes God worked powerfully through his prophets and leaders, bring calamity on the enemies of Israel (and the God of Israel).

·       Exodus 7:20-12:30 – by the Lord’s direction Moses and Aaron to initiate the ten plagues of Egypt (which were also a sign from God to Pharaoh);

·       Joshua 6:6-20 – by the Lord’s direction Joshua marched the troops around Jericho’s walls and they fell down; 

·       1 Kings 17-18 – Elijah prayed that there would be no rain and there was drought for 3 and a half years, then he prayed for rain and it rained.

·       2 Kings 1:10-12 – Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven and consumed the soldiers of King Ahaziah; 

·       2 Kings 2:23-24 – Elisha called down a curse in the name of the Lord, and two bears mauled 42 youths who had been ridiculing him;

·       2 Kings 6:18 – Elisha prayed that the soldiers would be struck blind; 

E. Healings

·      A number of prophets were recorded has having been instrumental in healing someone, but it seems to have been very situation specific and in response to prayer.

·       Numbers 21:4-9 – the Israelites complained to God so he sent them a plague of venomous snakes, and then by the Lord’s direction Moses to construct a bronze snake, put it on a pole in the camp and anyone who was bitten would be healed by simply looking at the bronze snake; 

·       2 Kings 5:1-19 – Elisha prescribed a miraculous cure for Naaman’s leprosy by asking him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan; 

·       2 Kings 6:20 – after having prayed for the Aramean army to be blinded, Elisha prayed that their eyes might be opened;

·       2 Kings 20:1-11 – When Hezekiah was deathly ill, he prayed to God for more time, and God heard his prayer and healed him (Isaiah instructed that a dressing of figs be applied to the deadly boil and Hezekiah recovered);

·       Note: None of these instances use the terminology of ‘laying hands on’ someone and there is no indication of someone having a ‘standing’ ability to heal.

F. Meeting Physical Needs

·      Miracles were performed to sometimes aid thousands, and at other times to simply help a poor widow.

·       Exodus 15:23-25 – by the Lord’s direction Moses threw a piece of  wood into the bitter waters and they became sweet;

·       Exodus 17:5-7 – by the Lord’s direction Moses struck the rock with his staff and water flowed;

·       Numbers 20:7-11 – by the Lord’s direction Moses was to call out water from the rock, but instead he struck it twice with his staff and spoke pridefully; 

·       1 Kings 17:14-16 – by the Lord’s direction Elijah told the widow of Zarephath that here oil and flour would not run out until the famine was over;

·       1 Kings 17-18 – Elijah prayed that there would be no rain and there was drought for 3 and a half years, then he prayed for rain and it did.

·       2 Kings 2:21-22 – Elisha threw a new bowl with salt in it into bad water and it became good; 

·       2 Kings 3:16-20 – with the Lord’s direction Elisha helped the armies of Israel and Judah get water in the desert;

·       2 Kings 4:1-7 – Elisha directed a bankrupt widow to assemble empty jars and pour oil into them, and the oil was multiplied to fill all the jars, and she sold them;

·       2 Kings 4:38-41 – Elisha put some flour in poisonous stew and it became wholesome;

·       2 Kings 4:42-44 – with the Lord’s direction Elisha directed twenty loaves to be distributed among one hundred men, and there was leftovers;

G. Resurrection from the Dead  

·       1 Kings 17:24 – Elijah raised the Shunammite's son to life by praying to God, and then stretching out and lying on top of him three times;

·       2 Kings 4:18-37 – Elisha raised the Shunammite's son to life by praying to God, and then stretching out and lying on top of him twice (mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands);

·       2 Kings 13:20-21 – A corpse was thrown into Elisha's grave, touched his bones, and came back to life.

H. Everyday Convenience

·      There are a few examples of miraculous power being used in very mundane circumstance by God’s prophets. 

·       2 Kings 2:7-14 – both Elijah and Elisha parted the waters of the Jordan by striking them with Elijah’s cloak; 

·       2 Kings 6:5-7 – Elisha threw a stick into the water and a lost and submerged axhead floated to the top and was retrieved;

I. Knowing the Thoughts of Another Person

·       2 Kings 6:12 – Elisha knew the thoughts and plans of the Arameans, and was able to thwart them;

J. Bodily Transportation

·      Although there is no account of this happening as a fact, the visions of Ezekiel used this motif a number of times, and in cases where people could not find Elijah (or were afraid of losing him), they assumed that being physically carried away by the Spirit was a real possibility.

·       Ezekiel 2:1-2, 3:24 – The Spirit came in a prostrate Ezekiel lifting him to his feet;

·       Ezekiel 3:12-15 – The Spirit transported Ezekiel to Tel Abib where he spoke to the exiles (apparently a vision);

·       Ezekiel 8:1-11:25, 40:1-48:35 – Ezekiel was transported to Jerusalem and the temple area (specifically called visions in 11:24-25 and 40:2 respectively); 

·       Ezekiel 37:1-14 – Ezekiel was carried to a valley full of dry bones (obviously a vision); 

·       1 Kings. 18:12 – Obadiah was afraid for his life if he reported to Ahab where Elijah was since the Spirit of Lord might carry Elijah away;

·       2 Kings. 2:16 – When Elijah was taken up into heaven, the company of prophets decided to go look for him thinking that the Spirit of the Lord may have picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.

Observations

1. Generally speaking, spiritual gifts were given to a few for the benefit of many.

·      God empowered leadership and delivered messages to his people by way of spiritual gifts.

·      Spiritual gifts were never available to the masses, but only to a few key individuals whom God had chosen. 

2. Spiritual gifts did not guarantee spirituality.

·      Judges 16:20 – “… But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” The Spirit left Samson without Samson even being aware of it. Samson had used his strength selfishly and emotionally, even to the point of promoting an immoral relationship with a Philistine woman. Later, in a moment of need when Samson arrogantly tried to exercise God’s gift of strength, he was surprised to find that it had disappeared, resulting in his capture and torture by the Philistines.

3. Spiritual gifts were not necessarily permanent.

·      In most cases, the Spirit coming over someone or filling someone empowered them in their immediate situation, but it did not necessarily mean that they would possess that ability indefinitely (i.e., Samson in #1). 

·      1 Samuel 16:14 – Saul’s disobedience was so abominable that God took away his Spirit from Saul and sent him a tormenting evil spirit instead. 

·      The only real exception to seems to be the ‘dedicated’ prophets who were chosen by God to know his thoughts and speak for him, often serving him for their whole lives. Among all the prophets, only Elijah and Elisha are described as having miraculous powers that seemed to be available to them to perform miracles in even mundane situations (floating axheads, crossing the Jordan, etc.), but we should not draw conclusions on silence.

4. Spiritual gifts often edified the one who possessed them.

·      Psalms 51:11 – David, was very clearly personally edified by the spiritual gift of prophecy that he had received from God. After David’s sin with Bathsheba he prayed that God would not take the Holy Spirit away from him — most likely referring to his prophetic gift since he had personally witnessed the tragedy in the life of Saul. 

5. Prophecy was the most common spiritual gift recorded in the Old Testament.

·      Although the Old Testament only records a handful of individuals that performed miraculous signs, there are dozens of prophets that we know of by name – ‘By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets’ (Nehemiah 9:30). After prophecy, the next most significant gift would be leadership – and almost all the other gifts mentioned somehow work to supplement the work of these two.

3. SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES

1. Moses – the First Prophet to Perform Signs, Wonders and Miracles

·      The ministry of Moses possessed a number of unique qualities, not the least of which was the ability to perform signs and wonders as a confirmation of God’s message. Interestingly, throughout the lives of the patriarchs prior to him as recorded in the book of Genesis (i.e., from Adam to Joseph), we are not given a single example of this happening with anyone else. This observation may be due to the fact that we are only told of God’s direct dealings with certain individuals and God would often do this without a human third party. In fact, the only person of whom we have enough detailed information in Genesis that would have had a clear message to proclaim seems to be Noah with the news of the coming flood and judgment of God (Enoch is another possibility but we are just not given enough details to know for sure – cf. Jude 14). The New Testament identifies Noah as a ‘preacher of righteousness’ (2 Peter 2:5) and the building and loading of the ark must have been an incredible public spectacle, but there is no indication whatsoever that his message was ever confirmed by anything except its own eventual fulfillment. The ministry of Moses was the first to be confirmed miraculously, and as Stephen commented in his overview of Israel’s history, “He [Moses] led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.” (Acts 7:36)

A. Exodus 3:1 - 4:17

·      God enables Moses to perform miraculous signs and wonders involving the forces of nature so that the people would believe that he was sent from God. 

·      Exodus 4:29-31 – Moses performed the signs for the elders of the Israelites and they believed.

B. Deuteronomy 34:9

·      Moses laid his hands on Joshua and he received the Spirit of wisdom. This is unique in the Old Testament with the possible exception of Elisha receiving a double portion of Elijah's spirit. (2 Kings 2:9-14) 

C. Numbers 11:17-29

·      The Lord took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on seventy elders of Israel and they received the gift of prophecy.

D. Numbers 12:4-8

·      God normally reveals himself to prophets in visions or dreams.

·      Moses spoke to God 'face to face', clearly and not in riddles, seeing the form of God. 

2. Other Hebrew Prophets

·      Deuteronomy 34:10-12

·       The ministry of Moses did not become the norm for every prophet in Israel – no one had the same relationship with God and no one performed the same kind of awesome deeds. In fact, we only know of three others that even showed a little of this same power (Joshua, Elijah and Elisha).

A. Joshua

·       Joshua 3:14-17 – by the Lord’s direction Joshua told the priest to go stand in the river, and when they touched it the waters divided so the people passed through in safety;

·       Joshua 6:6-20 – by the Lord’s direction Joshua marched the troops around Jericho’s walls and they fell down; 

·       Joshua 10:12-14 – Joshua asked the Lord for the sun and moon to stay in place so that the army could finish the battle – and it was so; 

B. Elijah

·       1 Kings 18 – Elijah prayed and called down fire from the Lord from heaven to the glory of the God of Israel;

·       1 Kings 17-18 – Elijah prayed that there would be no rain and there was drought for 3 and a half years, then he prayed for rain and it rained.

·       1 Kings 17:14-16 – by the Lord’s direction Elijah told the widow of Zarephath that here oil and flour would not run out until the famine was over;

·       1 Kings 17-18 – Elijah prayed that there would be no rain and there was drought for 3 and a half years, then he prayed for rain and it did.

·       1 Kings 17:24 – Elijah raised the Shunammite's son to life by praying to God, and then stretching out and lying on top of him three times;

·       2 Kings 1:10-12 – Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven and consumed the soldiers of King Ahaziah; 

·       2 Kings 2:7-14 – both Elijah and Elisha parted the waters of the Jordan by striking them with Elijah’s cloak; 

C. Elisha

·       2 Kings 2:7-14 – both Elijah and Elisha parted the waters of the Jordan by striking them with Elijah’s cloak; 

·       2 Kings 2:21-22 – Elisha threw a new bowl with salt in it into bad water and it became good; 

·       2 Kings 2:23-24 – Elisha called down a curse in the name of the Lord, and two bears mauled 42 youths who had been ridiculing him;

·       2 Kings 3:16-20 – with the Lord’s direction Elisha helped the armies of Israel and Judah get water in the desert;

·       2 Kings 4:1-7 – Elisha directed a bankrupt widow to assemble empty jars and pour oil into them, and the oil was multiplied to fill all the jars, and she sold them;

·       2 Kings 4:18-37 – Elisha raised the Shunammite's son to life by praying to God, and then stretching out and lying on top of him twice (mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands);

·       2 Kings 4:38-41 – Elisha put some flour in poisonous stew and it became wholesome;

·       2 Kings 4:42-44 – with the Lord’s direction Elisha directed twenty loaves to be distributed among one hundred men, and there was leftovers;

·       2 Kings 5:1-19 – Elisha prescribed a miraculous cure for Naaman’s leprosy by asking him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan; 

·       2 Kings 6:5-7 – Elisha threw a stick into the water and a lost and submerged axhead floated to the top and was retrieved;

·       2 Kings 6:12 – Elisha knew the thoughts and plans of the Arameans, and was able to thwart them;

·       2 Kings 6:18 – Elisha prayed that the soldiers would be struck blind; 

·       2 Kings 6:20 – after having prayed for the Aramean army to be blinded, Elisha prayed that their eyes might be opened;

D. Isaiah, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, Daniel

·       2 Kings 20:9-11 – Isaiah called upon the Lord for the request sign of Hezekiah to be accomplished, and the sun went back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz;

·       Daniel 3:10-27 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were vindicated before Nebuchadnezzar and survived the fiery furnace; 

·       Daniel 6:16-23 – Daniel was vindicated before Darius and delivered from the lions den; 

E. Examples of Powerful Prophets Who Did Not Perform Miraculous Signs

·      2 Samuel 12:1-14 – Nathan convicted David of his sin. 

·      Jonah 3:10 – Jonah preached to the whole city of Nineveh and it repented.

·      Many others like Samuel, Jeremiah, Amos, Micah, etc.

3. False Prophets and Miraculous Signs

·      Even though God did choose to use miraculous signs and wonders in certain situations, the Old Testament also made it clear that miraculous signs and wonders were not enough to guarantee that the truth was being spoken.

A. False Prophets May Have Genuine Power

·      Exodus 7:11-8:19

·       The Egyptian sorcerers in the time of Moses were also able to perform the first three miracles that Moses performed.

·       By the fourth plague the sorcerers of Egypt were ‘believers’ and told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”

·      Numbers 22:1-24:25

·       Although it would appear that Balaam the Midianite normally practiced sorcery and divination, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered an oracle blessing Israel. Balaam was later killed by the Israelites.

B. God Allows False Prophets as a Test to His People’s Faithfulness

·      Deuteronomy 13:1-5

·       Miraculous signs do not guarantee the truth so God’s people must always being willing to test a message against the already established revelation.

·       1 Kings 13:1-31 

·       A prophet (man of God) that had delivered a strong message to King Jeroboam became arrogant before God and decided to believe the lying invitation of an old prophet rather than do what God had told him. As a result he was killed for his sin. 

·       1 Kings 22:1-28 

·       God sent King Ahab to his death in battle by allowing a deceitful spirit to be in the mouths of his prophets, even though the known prophet of the Lord, Micaiah had warned him that he would die if he went into battle.

C. God Demands That False Prophets Should Be Severely Dealt With

·      Deuteronomy 18:20-22

·       For a prophet to falsely speak in God’s name in just as bad as speaking in the name of false God, he must be put to death.

·       If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message that the LORD has not spoken – the prophet is presumptuous and should not be feared. 

4. The Coming Messiah

A. Deuteronomy 18:14-19

·      The Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses who must be listened to. God even interpreted their question as a request for the incarnation of his Son.

·      The Lord will put words in his mouth, and he will say everything the Lord commands him. 

·      Those that do not listen will be judged by God.

B. Isaiah 11:1-3

·      With wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge. 

C. Isaiah 42:1-7

·      To bring justice to the nations, be a covenant to the people and a light to the Gentiles (prophecy).

D. Isaiah 48:17

·      To teach the people what is best for them and to lead them in the way they should go.

E. Isaiah 59:20,21

·       To teach those in Jacob who repent of their sins and the word of the Lord will not depart from them (prophecy).

F. Isaiah 61:1

·      To preach good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (prophecy).

Observations

1. The ministry of Moses established some new patterns in the prophetic ministry.

·      Miraculous signs and wonders were done as a confirmation of his message.

·      Moses trained his successor and laid hands on him to confer the spiritual gift of wisdom. 

·      God spoke with Moses face to face (without visions and dreams like other prophets).

2. Most of the other prophets did not perform miraculous signs of any kind.

3. On the other hand, some false prophets would be able to perform miraculous signs.

4. Only the Messiah would have a miraculous ministry comparable to that of Moses.

·      The Messiah would have all the gifts described in the Old Testament: leadership, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, and miraculous power. 

4. PROPHECIES ABOUT THE FUTURE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Introduction

·      Although the Holy Spirit played a major role throughout the narrative of the Old Testament, there remained two aspects of his working yet to be experienced: 

·       the Holy Spirit being poured out, and;

·       the the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

1. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

A. Joel 2:28-32

·      On all people. 

·      Sons and daughters ... prophesy, old men ... dream dreams, young men ... see visions.

·      Wonders in heaven and on earth.

·      Servants ... both men and women.

·      Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

·      On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance...among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

B. Zechariah 12:10-13:9

·      A spirit of grace and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

·      They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, ... for a firstborn son.

·      On that day a fountain will be opened ... to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

·      I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’.

C. Ezekiel 39:27-29

·      I will show myself holy through them (returned exiles) in the sight of many nations. 

·      I will no longer hide my face from them ... the house of Israel.

D. Isaiah 32:14-17

·      The desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 

·      Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. 

·      The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 

2. God Puts His Spirit in His People (i.e., the Indwelling Holy Spirit))

A. Ezekiel 11:16-21

·      God will give an undivided heart and a new spirit to the house of Israel.

·      God will remove their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh.

·      God's people will follow his decrees and laws.

·      The house of Israel will be God's people, and he will be their God.

B. Ezekiel 36:22-32, 37:11-14

·      The Jews will be gathered back to Jerusalem, not for their sake, but for the sake of his name and that the nations might know his holiness.

·      God will cleanse them from their impurities.

·      God will richly bless his people.

·      The people will be convicted of their impurity.

·      God will bring them up from the grave, put his Spirit in them and they will live. 

3. The Leading of the Holy Spirit

A. Isaiah 34:16-35:10

·      The Spirit will gather the redeemed together to enter into God's eternal joy.

Observations

1. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit will have incredible consequences.

·      There will be prophecy and visions.

·      There will be miraculous signs in heaven and on earth.

·      Salvation will be made available to all who call on the name of the Lord – a fountain will be opened.

·      Deliverance will come to Mount Zion and in Jerusalem – a spirit of grace and supplication.

·      Jerusalem will look at God as one pierced and mourn as for an only firstborn son.

·      The relationship between God and his people will be renewed – God will not hide his face from them.

·      There will be justice and righteousness, which will produce peace and confidence.

2. God will put his Spirit in the hearts of his people.

·      God’s people will have soft hearts and be convicted of their impurities.

·      God’s people will be obedient.

·      The relationship between God and his people will be renewed.

·      God will cleanse them of their impurities.

·      God will bring them up from the grave.

3. As in the past God’s Spirit will continue to lead his people.

PART TWO: NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING

1. THE DAY OF PENTECOST

Introduction

·      There are probably two main reason for the confusion surrounding the work of the Holy Spirit beginning at the day of Pentecost following the resurrections of Jesus Christ:

·       Incomplete understanding as to how the Holy Spirit worked among God’s people throughout history before Pentecost;

·       Acts 2:1-41 – The fact that four distinct prophesies regarding the Spirit and spiritual gifts were fulfilled on that particular Pentecost day, and it requires some careful study to understand how they are related to each other.

·       The pouring out of the Holy Spirit; 

·       The receiving of the indwelling Holy Spirit through water baptism; 

·       The introduction of a new gift [Gr., charisma] – ‘speaking in tongues’; 

·       The apostles received power to confirm their testimony with ‘miraculous signs’ and wonders.

1. The Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit

A. Jesus Received the Holy Spirit from God and Then Poured It Out.

·      Acts 2:31-33

·       Jesus was raised from the dead;

·       Jesus was exalted to God’s right hand;

·       Jesus received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit;

·       and then Jesus poured it out. 

B. Review of Old Testament Prophecy

·      There will be prophecy and visions.

·      There will be miraculous signs in heaven and on earth.

·      Salvation will be made available to all who call on the name of the Lord – a fountain will be opened.

·      Deliverance will come to Mount Zion and in Jerusalem – a spirit of grace and supplication.

·      Jerusalem will look at God as one pierced and mourn as for an only firstborn son.

·      The relationship between God and his people will be renewed – God will not hide his face from them.

·      There will be justice and righteousness, which will produce peace and confidence.

C. Prophetic Words of John the Baptist

·      Luke 3:15-18 (Matthew 3:11-12, Mark 1:7-8, John 1:32-34)

·       John baptized with water;

·       One is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (and after Jesus’ baptism with water, John testified that Jesus was the one)

D. Prophetic Words of Jesus

·      Acts 1:4-8 (Luke 24:49)

·       The apostles that they would be ‘baptized with the Holy Spirit’;

·       The apostles would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them and they will be his witnesses to the ends of the earth’. 

E. Observations

·      Why is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit significant if the Holy Spirit is everywhere anyway?

·       Philippians 2:5-11 – In the process of being incarnated as ‘the only begotten Son’, Jesus gave up equality with God and then receiving the promised Holy Spirit from the Father he was restored to his former glory.

·       Now when Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit there was a new quality never before available to mankind – the spirit of sonship (Romans 8:15-16). 

·      This action was also equivalent to Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit, although the paradigm was a little inverted. Normally we imagine ‘baptizing’ something as an object being immersed into a container already full of an element (i.e., water), but in this case the object was in the container first, and the element was poured in afterwards until the object was completely covered. Therefore as Jesus poured out the Spirit on all people, so the spirit of sonship was made available to all people – the fountain was opened in which mankind could be cleansed from their sin and impurity.  

·      ‘Holy Spirit baptism’ is not ‘biblical’ phrase – ‘water baptism’ is. The relationship of ‘to baptize’ with ‘baptism’ is similar to the relationship between the words ‘to paint’ and ‘painting’ – not everything that is ‘painted’ can be considered a ‘painting’, and not everything ‘baptized’ can be considered ‘baptism’.

·      The pouring out of the Holy Spirit did not bring immediate salvation to anyone; it simply made salvation available.

2. Receiving the Indwelling Holy Spirit

A. The Gift of the Holy Spirit Would Be Received in Baptism

·      Acts 2:38-39

·       Although John the Baptist had preached a baptism (i.e., immersion in water) of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, there was no promise of the Holy Spirit and spiritual rebirth. 

·       But all this changed on the Day of Pentecost after the Spirit had been poured out. Therefore, anyone who believed in this promise of salvation, need only to repent and be baptized in faith to receive it.

B. Review of Old Testament Prophecy (see Lesson 4, Section 2)

·      God will put his Spirit into the hearts of his people

·      God’s people will have soft hearts and be convicted of their impurities.

·      God’s people will be obedient.

·      The relationship between God and his people will be renewed.

·      God will cleanse them of their impurities.

·      God will bring them up from the grave and put his Spirit in them.

C. Prophetic Words of Jesus

·      John 3:1-8

·       Being born again is equivalent with being born of water and the Spirit.

·       It is an ‘invisible’ miracle.

·       The early church understood this passage to be about water baptism and salvation.

D. Indwelling Spirit through Baptism is Affirmed in Many Other Passages

·      Acts 19:1-7

·       Twelve of disciples of John needed to be baptized with water a second time because they had not received the Holy Spirit in their first baptism. 

·      Acts 22:16

·       Joel had also prophesied that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved’ (Acts 2:21, Joel 2:32).

·       Ananias confirmed that this took place in baptism as he instructed Saul during his conversion, ‘And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

·      Romans 6:3-7 

·       Baptism is a burial that unites us in Christ’s death and resurrection.

·       We begin a new life free from sin.

·      Colossians 2:9-12

·       Just as in Christ, the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, so we have been given fullness in Christ.

·       In him our sinful nature was cut away and disposed of.

·       We have been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through faith.

·      Therefore the greatest significance of the Day of Pentecost was that salvation was made available to all peoples through a two-step process:

·       Jesus poured out of the Holy Spirit making salvation and the new quality of sonship (the quality of his relationship with the Father) available;

·       And that by calling on his name through baptism that same Spirit would be put in an individual’s heart along with the forgiveness of sin.

·      The Holy Spirit is never mentioned as being actively involved in the redemptive system of Old Testament worship and sacrifice, but the prophets foretold of the time when God would work a redemptive miracle in the hearts of men by putting his Spirit in them, washing their sins away and raising them to a new life.

3. Tongues – A New Spiritual Gift

A. Wonders in Heaven Above and Signs on Earth Below

·      Acts 2:4-11

·       Peter had quoted Joel’s prophecy saying there would be ‘wonders in heaven above and signs on earth below’ (Acts 2:19) on that day when God poured out his Spirit, and the sound of the mighty wind definitely qualified as a ‘wonder in heaven’, and the ‘speaking in tongues’ definitely qualified as a ‘sign on earth’.

·       The pouring out of the Holy Spirit was something new and God also introduced a new spiritual gift on the Day of Pentecost – the ability to speak in human languages foreign to the speaker without ever having studied them.

B. Review of Old Testament Teaching on Spiritual Gifts (see Lesson 2)

·      God gave gifts through his Spirit to either confirm ‘prophetic’ ministry or to empower leadership in his people beginning with the prophet, Moses. 

·      Such gifts were not common but were almost always given to key individuals to either confirm their ‘prophetic’ ministry or to empower their leadership.

·      The Hebrew text describes this experience with various verbs such as: 

·       the Spirit coming over someone; 

·       the Spirit being in someone; 

·       the Spirit falling over someone; 

·       the Spirit clothing someone; 

·       or even the Spirit filling someone.

·      The results of these distributions of the Spirit were: 

·       leadership;

·       prophecy;

·       wisdom and knowledge;

·       the ability to perform miracles (including healings and even physical resurrection).

·      Spiritual gifts were never equated with the forgiveness of sins or the salvation of men’s souls.

·      For the Jews who believed in Jesus, the idea of God giving spiritual gifts for the leadership of his people at the advent of the Messiah and the new covenant must have seemed quite natural and even expected.

·      The gospels already affirmed the working of the Holy Spirit in much the same way as in the Old Testament:

·       Jesus fulfilled all the expectations for the Messiah through his miraculous ministry;

·       Jesus also gave his apostles the ‘authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness’ (Matthew 10:1);

·       and we have six examples of the Spirit filling people and speaking through them in Luke 1-2: 

·       John the Baptist;

·       Zechariah his father;

·       Elizabeth his mother;

·       Mary the mother of Jesus;

·       Anna the prophetess, and; 

·       Simeon. 

C. Further Teaching About Speaking In Tongues

·      1 Corinthians 14:18-25

·       Interestingly, speaking in tongues was controversial even in the New Testament times;

·       Tongues were a sign for unbelievers, whereas prophecy was for believers. Paul explained this principle by quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 28:11,12 which was a judgment against Israel probably pointing to the moment when the inhabitants of Jerusalem would hear foreigners speaking their own languages in the city that Jerusalem had fallen to her enemies. Of course, the Day of Pentecost was a day of judgment against Israel because God’s vineyard (the right to be his people) was being taking from the Jews and being made available to others (i.e., Matthew 21:33-46). The outpouring of the Holy Spirit marked a new era in God’s dealings with men.

D. Other Instances of Speaking In Tongues

·      Just like the receiving of the indwelling Holy Spirit was invisible, so the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was also invisible – therefore visible signs accompanied it so that unbelievers in Jerusalem might believe that it had really happened. Interestingly, the only other two recorded instances of ‘speaking in tongues’ in the book of Acts were situations where there clearly were ‘unbelievers’ regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

·       The first instance was in Acts 10:44-46 where Peter and the six brothers with him did not yet believe that God had poured out the spirit on the Gentiles (i.e., made salvation directly available to them) so as Peter was preaching to the household of Cornelius, the Spirit came on [note the Old Testament terminology involving a spiritual gift] the whole household and they began speaking in tongues. Straight away Peter and the brothers understood that ‘the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles’ because of this sign and Peter’s immediate response was logical, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?” As with the Jews, the indwelling Holy Spirit could only be received through repentance and baptism. 

·       The second instance was in Acts 19:1-7 where Paul met twelve disciples who had never even heard of the Holy Spirit since they had only received the baptism of John. On hearing about Jesus, ‘they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.’ Again, tongues were a sign for unbelievers – this time twelve disciples who had probably believed in the baptism of John for at least 25 years and only now had heard of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

·      Unlike any of the other spiritual gifts, the gift of ‘speaking in tongues’ was given by God as a unique sign that the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Unfortunately, this association has been misunderstood and confused by some who have mistaken the sign for the actual event itself. It would appear that from the moment of its introduction on the Day of Pentecost onward, ‘speaking in tongues’ became one of the possibilities of ‘spiritual gifts’ (i.e., Mark 16:17-20, 1 Corinthians 11:8-10) and was even considered equal to prophecy if there was someone with the gift of interpretation present to translate it. (1 Corinthians 14:4-6,27,28)

4. God’s Affirmation of the Apostolic Message

A. Power from On High

·      Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

·       As Jesus foretold what was going to happen to the apostles, he used familiar figures of speech from the Old Testament to describe how the Holy Spirit would work miraculously through them – they would be clothed with power from on high and the Holy Spirit would come over them. Since the apostles had already received authority to drive out demons and heal the sick, it is clear that something even greater awaited them on the day of Pentecost. 

B. Those Things That Mark an Apostle

·      Acts 2:43, 2 Corinthians 12:12

·       In the first five chapters of the book of Acts, only the apostles are specifically recorded as possessing the ability to perform signs and wonders. Even though we have record of a group prayer in Acts 4:30 where all the disciples present asked God to ‘stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus’, we still read later that ‘The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.’ (Acts 5:12) 

·      As already stated earlier in reference to the Old Testament period, such gifts were never randomly given to the masses but were almost always given to key individuals to either confirm their ‘prophetic’ ministry or to empower their leadership.

C. God Accredited The Apostles’ Message

·      Mark 16:17-20

·       Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost Jesus had been accredited by God by miracles, signs and wonders (Acts 2:22), and in the very same way God confirmed the preaching of the apostles.

[1] Is this ‘we’ referring to Christ? In the original Hebrew this sentence is made up of 'plural' pronouns (us, our) used with a 'singular' verb (to make).  "It is well known that the Hebrews often expressed a word in the plural, so as it give it a special or technical meaning, as in the case of the words, Blood, Water, Wisdom, Salvation, Life, Righteousness;  ... The use of the plural in the language of majesty and authority tends to the same conclusion.  In these cases it is implied that the word in the singular number is not large enough to set forth all that is intended; and so in the case of the Divine Name the plural form expresses the truth that the finite word conveys an inadequate idea of the Being Whom it represents."  Synonyms of the Old Testament, Robert B. Girdlestone, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, original - 1897, reprinted - 1986, p. 22.

Andy wrote this Bible study at some point during our time in Sweden. Since then I’ve added it to the “first principles” studies with any new person I’ve had the chance to open the Bible with. It was a revelation to me to discover that every promise in the Scriptures is connected to a condition — a fantastic blessing, since the greatest and most enduring of God’s promises are spiritual in nature, many people (like myself!) can feel insecure and can wonder, do I really have this promise or not? Can we really know? God in his wisdom and mercy gives us conditions, so that we can know that when we have fulfilled them, we can also know we can be confident in his promises. — Tammy


One Faith (Ephesians 4:4) What does faith mean to you?

Definition: Hebrews 11: 1-3; Hebrews 11:6  (we believe the world was created by God because that’s what we read in God’s word in Genesis 1. So, our belief in a Creator God is a response to God’s word. This is what the ancients were commended for. Faith is a right response to God’s word. ) 

Do I really understand the Bible’s definition?
An apparent contradiction? Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:14-16

A picture is worth 1000 words:

Historical examples: Hebrews Chapter 11 (By faith,  AbelOFFERED. By faith, Abraham WENT. By faith, Noah BUILT. )

Old Covenant Faith

Note the pattern of promise(s)/condition(s) to fulfill. God works the same way and faith is the same in both covenants. 

God’s Covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12: 1-4  (what were the blessings God offered Abraham? What were the conditions? Did Abraham receive the blessings? — Yes. — Why? — He fulfilled the conditions. “By faith, Abraham WENT.”)

 God’s Covenant with his people: Deut. 7:12-15 (What were the blessings God offered Israel? What were the conditions?)

Did Israel receive God’s promises? Isaiah Chapter 1

Why not? (This is the point that so many people do not understand: Why would a “good God” not bless his people? Why would he give them the law when he already knew they would fail to keep it,  and then punish them by turning away from them? Wouldn’t you expect a good parent to change the conditions of the covenant, so his children would succeed, and not fail so badly? — Why this doesn’t work with God is that 1) his word is TRUE; and 2) if he changed it, changed the conditions, blessed Israel even when they broke the covenant, then we would have nothing to trust in. If God’s word could be changed, we have no firm foundation to stand on. There would be no truth to trust. Jesus said in John 10:35 …”the scripture cannot be changed.” Psalm 138:2 in one English translation reads, “You have exalted above all things your Name and your Word; Jesus is the Living Word, John 1:1, and Matthew 28:18-20 says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”)

New Covenant Faith


Hebrews 8:6-13. 
A Covenant Founded on Better Promises:
What are some of the “better promises?”
…

For example: Matthew 11:28-30. (promise: rest for our souls. Who doesn’t desire inner peace? …What is the condition connected to this promise? Here there are several: 1)come to Jesus. (what does that look like today?); 2) take Jesus’ yoke upon me (what does that mean?); and 3) learn from Jesus.

Is it possible to 1) come to Jesus, but not fulfill 2) and 3)? (yes.) Is it possible to fulfill 1) and 2) but not 3)? (yes)

If I only partially fulfill the condition(s), can I be sure I will receive the promise? … (no)

Acts 2:36-47. Name the promise(s)/condition(s)… what if I only partially fulfill the condition(s)? Can I be sure I will receive the promise?

1 Peter 1:3-9 The most precious thing I possess. 

Which of God’s promises inspires me?

What conditions do I need to fulfill to obtain it?