What is the holy spirit in Orthodoxy. Against Catholics - The Holy Spirit comes only from the Father
INTRODUCTION.
We will talk a lot about the Holy Spirit and His help in being a successful Christian. How well do we know the Holy Spirit? Is this something incomprehensible to our minds? On a scale of one to ten, where is our knowledge of the Holy Spirit? Let's take a closer look at who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives.
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Only the Bible can best reveal and show us who the Holy Spirit is. The Old Testament doesn't talk much about the Holy Spirit. But in the New Testament He is mentioned many times. Now, at the very beginning, let's get rid of some misconceptions regarding the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not Jesus Christ. Jesus told His disciples that after His death and resurrection He would return to heaven. But all His followers will not be left alone. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come and help them. Jesus never said that He Himself was the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not God the Father. Jesus never described His Heavenly Father as the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in the entire New Testament is it said that the Holy Spirit is the same as God the Father. However, the Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is very closely associated with God the Father and Jesus Christ.
1. The Holy Spirit is a person. The Gospel of John gives us detailed information about what Jesus told His disciples regarding the Holy Spirit. IN In. 13:16 Jesus shows the Holy Spirit as a real person. And in In. 16:7-11 Jesus explains what the Holy Spirit will do in this world after Jesus returns to heaven.
The Holy Spirit is not some vague force floating in the air around the globe. He is a real Person and we must know this. Message to Ephesus 4:29-32 indicates that the Holy Spirit has emotions - we can grieve the Holy Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit is God. One of the characteristics of God from the very beginning of the creation of the world is His omnipresence. He is present everywhere at the same time. Rome. 8:9 clearly shows that God's Holy Spirit will not live in you unless you are a Christian. There is only one way to explain how the Holy Spirit can live in millions of Christians at the same time, and that is that He can be everywhere at the same time.
If you read the New Testament from the beginning, you see that the Holy Spirit is described as God, not as an angel, or as any other creature of God. Second Epistle of Peter 1:20-21 says that the entire Bible was written by men under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Neither Jesus Christ nor those who wrote the books of the Bible place the Holy Spirit in a position lower than God the Father. As we see throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and Jesus Christ each have their own distinct area of God's ministry. By the way Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit, we can see the level of similarity between Them. The Holy Spirit truly is God. He is not a “vice president” or a “third person”. He shares all power with God the Father and God the Son. Many Christians call this union the Trinity. These three persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—are one God.
WHAT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT DOING IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN?
Even long before a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes a deep interest in his life. God loves sinners long before they respond to His love.
1. He convicts us of sin. When we were still very young children, even then the Holy Spirit began to notify us of sin. Gospel of John 16:6-11 says that the Holy Spirit is at work throughout the world, convicting people of their sins and showing them the best way to live. The Holy Spirit speaks to all people through their conscience. When a person tries in every possible way to ignore his conscience, he will come to the point that he will no longer be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit when He convicts him.
Very often sinners do not realize the serious consequences of their sins. Satan tries to make them think that everything is normal in their lives. But when the Holy Spirit comes, He says to every sinner, “You are completely empty inside. And you yourself will not be able to satisfy your spiritual needs. Only God can fill this emptiness inside you.” You may remember that feeling of emptiness inside you that you experienced before you became a Christian.
2. He brings us to Christ. The Holy Spirit leads people to God. It is not sinners who seek God, but God who seeks sinners. God loves us and every person in this world even before we turn to Him from our sins. The Holy Spirit leads us to the truth and tells us the whole truth about life.
3. He comes and lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16). When a person decides to give his life to God and follow Him, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside that person. Epistle to the Romans 8:9 clearly shows that it brings immediate change. He won't wait a day, a week or a month. He wants to take an active part in our lives, and not just convict us of our sins. He wants to help us grow spiritually and become mature Christians. During repentance, a person experiences within himself a feeling of new life. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us life.
WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT DO IN OUR LIFE AFTER WE BECOME CHRISTIANS?
When we decided to become a Christian, that was just the beginning of the work of the Holy Spirit. He wants to do so much more in our lives.
1. The Holy Spirit helps us become a successful Christian (John 14:26). While we were still unbelievers, our spirit was dead. But now that we have become Christians, the Holy Spirit has come to live within us. Now He wants to be our Guide and help you become a mature Christian. He wants us to be able to apply all of his teachings to every area of our lives.
2. The Holy Spirit will help us understand God's truth(In. 16:13). Now that we have become a Christian, we understand how important God's truth is. The Bible promises us that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. If we want to be a successful Christian, we need to know the Bible, which tells us how to live the life God wants us to live. We must set aside a certain amount of time for ongoing Bible study and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us.
3. He will help us resist temptations. Of course, Satan will tempt us with sin. He will try to do everything in his power to destroy our new relationship with God. But we should not be afraid of these temptations. The Bible promises us that God will be our help when these temptations come. We will not be subject to them ( Rome. 8:12,13).
But please, let's be realistic. Nobody is perfect. Even great men of God sometimes fell into temptation. But God doesn’t pat us on the back and say, “It’s okay. I don't expect perfection from you." Sin remains sin. We must confess our sins and never return to them.
Every Christian encounters temptations along his path. But one of the main responsibilities of the Holy Spirit is to warn us of the danger ahead and show us God's way out of this situation. If we ignore His warning voice and move forward into danger and sin, then the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin. Through our successes and failures He will help us grow, of course, if we allow Him to teach us.
4. He produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives(Gal. 5:22-23). Some passages in the New Testament describe the process of becoming a successful Christian as getting rid of our old self and being transformed into a new self. God wants us to become a whole new person. It means throwing away all our old sinful habits and attitudes and replacing them with other qualities so that we can be more and more like Jesus and have the same habits and the same mindset that Jesus Christ had when He lived on earth. If we want to see these increasing qualities in our lives, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Change will not come automatically just because we go to church. IN Gal.5:24, 25 this is shown very clearly. Every day you need to look for an opportunity to manifest these “fruits” in life.
5. We can experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not all churches today agree that this gift exists or how it should be used. But if we want to receive this gift, then we need to answer the following questions:
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
What is it? The baptism of the Holy Spirit is God's spiritual gift to His children. Acts 2 tells how God gave this gift to His children for the first time after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And on this day Peter explained to all the people that Joel’s prophecy had come true 2:28-32 , who said that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh.
In Acts 2 and several other places in the New Testament there is clear evidence of the first baptism of the Holy Spirit when people began to speak in languages they had never learned. What happened if everyone began to pray and praise God in words in a language that he had never learned? It was the Holy Spirit speaking. Each person has given the Holy Spirit control over his speech.
The gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not given to us to have any special emotional experience. Many Christians seek to receive this gift, believing that it will bring great joy into their lives. This is nice, but it is not the main reason God gives this gift to His children. God gives this gift so that His children can build their spiritual lives. And it is this spiritual growth that will directly impact our daily lives and relationships with other people.
We cannot fully understand this in our minds until we experience it in our spirit and throughout our entire lives.
What is the benefit of being baptized in the holy spirit?
Acts 1:8 speaks of the great benefit that will accrue to those who receive this gift. They will receive strength to testify about Jesus Christ and His saving power to all people. When we receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we should not be surprised if we do not see immediate changes in our lives. But through this gift we will have the power to grow spiritually and become more like Christ. Just because we received a tennis racket as a gift did not make us a first-class tennis player. But at the same time, we cannot become a good tennis player if we do not have a tennis racket. The situation is the same here - this gift from God gives us many opportunities for spiritual growth and service.
This gift is given to help us draw closer to God.. This is one of the main manifestations of this gift. The gift of speaking in tongues - languages that we have never learned - will be the very best way that will lead us to intimate communication with God. But we must use this gift correctly. We are not much better than other Christians just because we have this gift. If this gift does not have a positive impact on our relationship with God, then we are careless with this gift, using it in the wrong way. If pride, indignation and thoughts: “I know it all,” have appeared and are growing in us, then we are using this gift in a completely different way than God wants.
CONCLUSION.
We cannot earn this gift from God. God only gives His precious gifts to His children. Only He makes decisions. And there is only one way to receive this gift - to let God know that we want to receive it. God does not force His gifts upon His children. On the other hand, we also cannot force God to give us this gift. God cannot be pressured into giving us what we want. If we want to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we need to pray for it.
Holy Spirit– Third (in the traditional, conventionally accepted way of listing Divine Persons) (Hypostasis), true, consubstantial and equal in glory and.
Like all Persons (Hypostases) of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit possesses characteristics inherent only in God. Like all Persons (Hypostases) of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is equal in His Divine dignity to the Father and the Son. Like all the Persons (Hypostases) of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with Him and has one (nature) with the Father and the Son. Like all Persons (Hypostases) of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit is given a single and inseparable worship, that is, when worshiping the Holy Spirit, Christians worship with Him the Father and the Son, constantly bearing in mind Their common Divinity, the one Divine essence.
The Holy Spirit is distinguished from the Two Other Persons of the Holy Trinity by its personal (hypostatic) property, which lies in the fact that He eternally emanates from the Father. The procession of the Holy Spirit has neither beginning nor end; it is completely timeless, since God Himself exists outside of time.
Holy Spirit - spokesman The Son of God, begotten in eternity from God the Father. Holy Scripture clearly shows that the Spirit is God and that the Spirit is inseparably connected with the Son: “Christ is born - the Spirit precedes; Christ is baptized - the Spirit bears witness; Christ is tempted - the Spirit leads Him (into the wilderness); Christ performs miracles - the Spirit accompanies Him; Christ ascends - the Spirit succeeds.”
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit tells us that God is different from all created beings. The Holy Spirit resides outside of space and time and does not belong to sensually comprehended forms of existence. His All-Perfect Being is “indescribable, limitless, without image or form” (St.). He is a Being “incorporeal, and without form, and invisible, and indescribable” (St.). “The form of a limited being is necessarily outlined, so to speak, by its very limits, by its extremities; the creature thus depicted has its own appearance. The Infinite is not subject to any form, as having no ending in any direction; for the same reason it cannot have any form. No one has ever seen God (). An infinite being cannot be a body, because it is subtler than any most excellent subtlety, it is completely Spirit. Such a Spirit is a Being incomparable to any created being” (St.
By virtue of His Divine omnipresence, the Holy Spirit can also dwell in a person who has believed in Christ, imparting to him a hitherto unknown knowledge of God, introducing him to the fullness of the all-blessed Divine life. Divine actions in man are often called the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit incomprehensibly inhabits, dwells and abides in man. At the same time, the grace-filled Divine actions are common to all Persons of the Holy Trinity and the presence of the Holy Spirit in man also means the coexistence with Him of the Father and the Son - the Divine Mind and the Divine Word, that is, the entire Holy Trinity - “Mind, Word and Spirit - of one co-nature and divinity ", as St. says about Her. .
In the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is also called simply the Spirit (), the Spirit of truth (), the Spirit of God () and (), the Spirit of the Father () and (), the Spirit of the Lord (), the Spirit of God and Christ (), the Spirit of the Son of God, ( ), the Spirit of Christ () and (), the Spirit of holiness (), the Spirit of adoption (), the Spirit of revelation (), the Spirit of promise (), the Spirit of grace (), good (), the Sovereign (), the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, and advice, and strength, and knowledge, and piety” () and other names.
Is it possible to understand the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ in the form of a dove or on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire as a spatial movement of the third Person of the Holy Trinity from Heaven to earth?
The Holy Spirit, like Other Divine Persons, is eternal, immeasurable, omnipresent. This means that He never depends on either the conditions of space or the conditions of time, He arrives everywhere, even in the abysses of hell, and embraces everything.
Consequently, there can be no talk of any temporary movement from one area of the world to another. Both before Baptism, and during, and after, (and again) both before Pentecost, and during, and after, the Holy Spirit was above Heaven, and on, and on earth.
Consequently, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Christ during Baptism and the descent of the Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost must be perceived in the sense of Divine actions.
In the first of these cases, God testified to the messianic dignity of Jesus and blessed His ministry as Savior and Redeemer. In the second case, Divine action was associated with sending down a blessing on Him, endowing Her with special grace-filled gifts, special saving means.
Why the Lord revealed His actions precisely in such external forms, He Himself knows.
In this regard, one can only note that the dove is a fairly peaceful bird. In addition, this symbol has been and is associated with hope and salvation since ancient times. Let us remember that after the miraculous deliverance from the flood, it was the dove released by Noah from the ark that brought an olive leaf in its beak (), confirming to the rescued that the earth was freed from the destructive waters.
As for tongues of fire, this symbolic form is close to those biblical allegories in which God was represented as fire. Thus, Moses, upon meeting the Creator, contemplated a bush engulfed in flames (); the prophet Ezekiel saw God in the likeness of a man, whose appearance resembled flaming metal (); the prophet Daniel saw a river of fire flowing in front of ().
Why did the Holy Spirit descend on the apostles only after the Ascension of Christ?
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was a necessary consequence of all the previous activities of God, aimed at freeing man from the power of sin, corruption, death and evil spirits.
The descent of the Holy Spirit was not a spatial movement, but a special Divine action flowing from God the Father through His Word and manifested in the Holy Spirit. This action was intended for the entire Church for all times, and not exclusively for the apostles (which is why on the icons depicting this event, along with the other apostles, Paul is written, who, at that time, was not part of the circle of followers of Christ, but was a persecutor of the Church) .
As a result of this action, the Church was given special saving means, gifts of grace with the help of which believers are freed from sin. Thanks to these gifts, man received the opportunity to be transformed from a sinner to a righteous one, from a wicked person to a worthy one, capable of living in obedience to God, in the Kingdom of the saints.
In turn, this opportunity was opened to man due to the fact that all the necessary conditions had previously been created for the implementation of personal salvation. Before people could receive these grace-filled means, it was necessary to teach them the teaching of God, about the Kingdom of Heaven, to outline before them their highest goal, to accomplish the Redemption, to defeat hell, to crush Satan, to trample on death, to sanctify and glorify human nature, to pave the way to the Heavenly abodes , to show people a perfect example of holiness and love.
This is what our Lord did. After this, the Holy Spirit descended on what He had created.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Yesterday the Church celebrated its birthday. This is the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them strength and wisdom to preach the Gospel throughout the world, according to the word of Christ: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
What has always been incomprehensible to me is the “separation of functions” among the persons of the Holy Trinity. If God is one, then what does it matter to me which Person performed this or that action? Is there some kind of “separation of powers”, or simply - who should pray in what situation? Holy Spirit Day is a great opportunity to sort things out.
In Holy Scripture
Christ said to the apostles: “The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have said to you” (John 14:26). So, the Spirit had to teach the apostles “everything” (apparently, first of all, necessary for preaching) and remind them of the words of Christ that they heard during his stay on earth. According to Archbishop Averky, the presence of the Spirit will, as it were, replace direct communication with Christ, to which they are accustomed.
The word "Parakletos", translated here as "Comforter" is a legal term, the closest to which would be the modern concept of a lawyer (in fact, the word "ad-vokat" is a literal translation of the Greek "para-kletos", literally - "called by someone "). The same word was used to describe a special person who, with his words, inspired the soldiers on the battlefield. Some researchers believe that at the time the Bible was translated into Slavic, the legal practices of these peoples were so underdeveloped that the concepts of a lawyer were simply absent in their languages, so they were replaced with some words understandable to these ordinary people. After all, consolation and support are indeed one of the functions of a lawyer. Likewise, the word “witness” (“martiros”) was usually translated as “martyr.”
So, the “functions” of the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, are related to supporting , teaching, reminder of the presence of Christ and His protection and help which He provides to man.
In worship
What do the liturgical texts of today say on this topic? “The Holy Spirit... Life and Life-Giving, Light and Giver of Light, Good Himself and the Source of Goodness,” “The Holy Spirit is light and life, and a living, intelligent source. Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of understanding, good, just, thinking, ruling, cleansing sins; God - and idolizer; Fire - emanating from Fire; speaking, acting, distributing talents.”
Here the theme of power appears, the light with which the Holy Spirit fills a person’s life, the various gifts (gifts, talents) that He sends to people; “goodness” (that is, kindness and sensitivity to other people). Ultimately The Holy Spirit is “idolizing”, that is, making people gods, according to the expression of St. Athanasius the Great.
Another important aspect is that The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, He ensures its unity and integrity. The Spirit helps to overcome disunity: “when He distributed the tongues of fire, / He called everyone to unity, / and we glorify the All-Holy Spirit in harmony” (kontakion of the Feast of the Trinity) and makes those who obey him into one Church.
From the holy fathers
“The Holy Spirit is an immaterial fire: the light of faith, the warmth of love, tongues of fire uttering the law of God in the heart... He awakens from the enchantment of the world, leads to trust in God, encourages repentance... If we do not interfere with His action, He guides in a narrow way selflessness..." (Filaret Moskovsky)
“Now God gives man a new Spirit (Ezek. 36:26), breathes into him a new breath of life... The apostles were the first vessels of the Holy Spirit... Just as life in plants becomes numb from the winter cold, so the spirit of man freezes when he is given over to sin... In the seed there is a sprout of life and there is life in plants that freeze for the winter; but if the Lord does not send the spirit of spring, then they will not be created and the face of the earth will not be renewed (Ps. 103:30)” (Theophan the Recluse)
So, the action of the Holy Spirit in man is similar to some representation, the voice of God in man. Indeed, we see that the word “parakletos” was used deliberately, and the legal analogy is not accidental.
In addition, the Holy Spirit helps a person change (“spirit of spring”) and gives him strength to grow.
Resume
So the Holy Spirit:
· ensures the unity of believers among themselves;
· fills a person with strength and light; provides “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22);
· is the source of the “gifts of the Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:1-10) - human and superhuman talents and abilities.
What should I do?
What must I do to keep the Holy Spirit in me? On the one hand, as St. Philaret, for this you need to be “born again” (John 3:3). The presence of the Spirit in a person is a sign of his election by God, as it was in the times of the Old Testament, when the Holy Spirit Himself chose prophets and spoke through them.
On the other hand, Christ promised that “your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him,” and in this regard, the inner aspirations of a person come to the fore: what he truly strives for, what he desires, what he is doing in the first place. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, and he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8),” St. quotes in this regard. Theophan the Recluse, words of the Apostle Paul.
How do you understand the work of the Holy Spirit in you? What are you doing to be with Him? Tell us on our blog!
You can’t help but wonder: what am I really striving for?
Looking inside myself, I realize that First of all, I want happiness: peace, joy, peace, love, creativity, freedom. I often start looking for all this “on the side,” but deep down I understand that I can only get all this from God.
The Holy Spirit, the Comforter (In Russian, masculine, in Greek (Pne vma) - neuter, in Semitic languages (Ru akh) - feminine) - in Christianity the third hypostasis of the one God - the Holy Trinity.
Actions of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, together with the Father and the Son, is the Creator of the invisible and visible worlds - “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.” (Gen.1:1-2).
King David also prayed in the Old Testament for the sending of the Holy Spirit to him: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation and strengthen me with the sovereign Spirit.” Ps.50:12-14.
Christians believe that the Holy Spirit has descended on individuals throughout history to endow them with supernatural powers: prophets, priests, righteous kings of the Jews, apostles, Christian martyrs and...
Topic No. 7. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WHAT DOES HE DO.
INTRODUCTION.
We will talk a lot about the Holy Spirit and His help in being a successful Christian. How well do we know the Holy Spirit? Is this something incomprehensible to our minds? On a scale of one to ten, where is our knowledge of the Holy Spirit? Let's take a closer look at who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives.
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Only the Bible can best reveal and show us who the Holy Spirit is. The Old Testament doesn't talk much about the Holy Spirit. But in the New Testament He is mentioned many times. Now, at the very beginning, let's get rid of some misconceptions regarding the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not Jesus Christ. Jesus told His disciples that after His death and resurrection He would return to heaven. But all His followers will not be left alone. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come and...
Spirit is knowledge.
Knowledge is power, there is no arguing about that.
Without knowledge, we will not be able to raise our hand.
God has breathed into our souls all the knowledge about, everything.
And the Spirit is the knowledge with which we live.
Through the soul we will find knowledge about the Spirit.
But in his Spirit there is knowledge of everything.
He gave us a choice, good or evil.
And we will have to make the choice ourselves.
Our soul is a soul for His Spirit.
And we need to cleanse the Spirit, we need it.
After all, we are all parts of his universe!
We are His servants, and we have all that knowledge!
If you believe that the Spirit is not knowledge. Then try to do anything without knowledge. Any word has meaning, and that means knowledge. Holy Spirit. It's clean, bright. The spirit can also be polluted. Reading the Spirit backwards. We get a bad one, which means polluted. Spirit is KNOWLEDGE, and knowledge is about truth and peace. This knowledge about the truth is the Holy Spirit, and about the world is polluted. We grow from sperm, in which, if there were no knowledge, then we would not exist. Without knowledge we cannot...
Descent of the Spirit
Despite the fact that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ caused suffering to His followers and instilled horror in their souls, the resurrection illuminated their lives with new light. When Christ broke the shackles of death, the dawn of God's Kingdom arose in their hearts.
Just a few weeks ago, the disciples were divided by unworthy differences, but now they admitted their guilt to each other, opened their hearts wider to the Savior and the ascended King. Only now did they realize the absurdity of their ambitious motives and rallied closer, spending day after day together in prayer.
And then on one of the unforgettable days, when they were praising God, suddenly there was “a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind... And divided tongues appeared to them, as if of fire, and rested, one on each of them” (Acts 2 :2–3). Like blazing fire, the Holy Spirit fell upon the followers of Christ.
The Spirit-filled disciples could not contain that extraordinary feeling of joy and...
Holy Spirit in Judaism
There are already references to the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, although it is not discussed there very often. Much more often in the Holy Scriptures one can find simply a mention of the “spirit” or the “spirit of God.” In the Jewish religion, even in those distant times when the Old Testament was compiled, it was generally accepted that there was only one God. Any ideas about the duality or trinity of the Creator were considered heresy among the Jews.
Speaking about the “spirit of God,” the Jews meant divine power, which, although it has a personal connotation, remains a property belonging to God as one of his indispensable attributes. This is the difference between Judaism and Christianity, where the Holy Spirit is part of the triune God.
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is thus perceived as a force actually operating in the world, a divine breath. Everything God does is imbued with his spirit. But Orthodox Jews never perceived God's Spirit as a person; this is characteristic of the Christian religion.
R. A. Torrey
The Holy Spirit, His Essence and Actions
How to know the Holy Spirit in all the fullness of His wonderful ministry
“...We believe that if every preacher and worker of the Kingdom of God reads this book and studies it, he will thus allow the Holy Spirit to work on him according to His will. This will mean a spiritual revolution in our communities and will be the means by which the Lord God will give us a great spiritual awakening.”
Baptist Herald
Preface
I. The Person of the Holy Spirit
II. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins
III. Actions of the Holy Spirit during spiritual rebirth
IV. How to achieve lasting satisfaction?
V. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Its Essence and Effect
VI. Baptism with the Holy Spirit of God
VII. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and How to Receive It
VIII. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: How You Can Receive It Now
IX. How is spiritual power lost?
The chapters of this book...
In Christianity, the perception of one God is accepted, but at the same time he is represented in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit contains one of the hypostases of the creator, which is part of the indivisible Holy Trinity. To those new to the Christian faith, trying to understand its foundations, this nature of God often seems complicated, it can be difficult to imagine and understand.
Holy Spirit - Judaism
The Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament, but not too often. Scripture more often emphasizes simply the “spirit” or the “spirit of God.” According to the Jewish religion, since the time of the compilation of the Old Testament, it has been believed that there is only one God. Everything related to the idea of the duality and trinity of the Creator was classified among the Jews as heresy.
In the words about the “spirit of God,” the Jews mean divine power, which has a personal overtones, but at the same time remains a property of God, one of his inalienable attributes. This is exactly the difference between...
Three in One
God exists in three forms: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. This triune person is often called the Trinity. It is difficult for a person to imagine that three persons can exist in one, but God is different from us in nature. The Bible offers many passages that can explain the meaning of this phenomenon. It is like the three sides of an equilateral triangle, each side representing one of the personalities of God.
Comforter
Jesus knew that He would be nailed to the cross. He felt it was His duty to prepare His disciples for His death so that they would not feel abandoned.
After resurrecting from the dead, Jesus again prepared His disciples and followers for His ascension into Heaven. Jesus promised to send a Comforter to guide their lives.
The Holy Spirit is the inexplicable power of the presence of God in the human soul. The Holy Spirit inspires a person to develop qualities that he would never...
The Holy Spirit is inseparable from God and forms one consonance and splendor with Him, just as rays of light emanating from the Sun are inseparable from their source and form one whole with it. The Holy Spirit is the hand of God. His effective omnipotent power, which transforms and deifies everything. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God. The Almighty eternally gives birth from Himself, in His breath, the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God, which means that the Holy Spirit is by its nature eternal, like God. Since the Spirit of God is one with God, He has the consciousness of God, the Divine Will and His qualities: love, wisdom, calm joy, life-affirming power, mercy, compassion, omnipresence, omniscience and much more. Through the Holy Spirit, God selflessly, with love gives these qualities to the entire universe. The Spirit of God is the primary energy of God, and it is white-transparent, light and cool.
The Spirit of God is the driving force that sets everything in motion, for everything moves following the breath of God. This process...
Imagine a cat attending an astrophysics conference. She rubs against the legs of chairs and the legs of enthusiastically talking scientists, hears their conversations, sees slides changing on the screen, but, of course, does not understand anything. Moreover, the issues that scientists discuss are far beyond her cat's interests. Now imagine that scientists wanted to bring a cat into their circle - somehow they find a way to increase its intelligence and give it an interest in learning. Gradually, she begins to have difficulty grasping some elements of meaning in what scientists say, but most importantly, she begins to guess how much she does not understand and what a huge world lies beyond her cat’s world. She is probably experiencing a certain internal conflict - on the one hand, she is attracted to the mysterious stars and wise speeches of academics, on the other hand, she fears (with some justification) that she will have to give up some of her cat habits...
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Question: “Who is the Holy Spirit? I've seen this name phrase in several places on your site."
Our Answer: The Holy Spirit is a real person. He is sent by God to be among the true followers of Jesus Christ after His resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven (Acts 2). Jesus told His apostles...
“And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees nor knows Him; you know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)
The Holy Spirit is not a vague divine shadow, not a faceless force. He is a person equal in everything with God the Father and God the Son. He is the third person of the Godhead or Divine Trinity. Jesus told His Apostles...
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I...
Question:
Could you explain what is meant by the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. “The Lord is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17). His Divinity is clearly spoken of in the Holy Scriptures. The psalmist David testifies: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks in me, and His word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken” (2 Samuel 23:2-3); “Peter said: Ananias! Why did you allow Satan to put into your heart the idea of lying to the Holy Spirit? You lied not to men, but to God (Acts 5:3-4). The Holy Apostle Paul says: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).
The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son. The Savior, sending his disciples to preach, commanded them: “So, go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20). St. Apostle Paul, concluding his message, calls on all three Persons of the Divine Trinity: “The grace of the Lord...
I would like to talk about the Holy Spirit in the Church - about Himself and what He does both in the Church and on us, how He influences us, how He acts in us and through us.
There are two accounts in Scripture about the gift of the Holy Spirit. I immediately remember what is described in the second chapter of the book of Acts - Pentecost. Another story - in the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John - has puzzled many interpreters. They tried to unite him with the first, to merge them together, to equally connect both stories with the Ascension. I will approach these two stories more simply, more directly, as we find them in Scripture, and try to show what they have in common and how these two events differ.
In the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John we read about the first appearance of Christ after His Resurrection. His first words are calming words: peace be with you. The peace that Christ gave, this world could not give. The peace that Christ gave filled the whole house and remained with the Apostles forever. This is the world that came upon them...
There are many misconceptions about who the Holy Spirit is. Some consider Him to be some kind of mythical force, while others consider Him to be an impersonal energy given by God to the followers of Christ. What does the Bible say about this? In short, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also says that the Holy Spirit is a Person who controls the mind, emotions and will.
The claim that the Holy Spirit is God can be seen in many biblical texts, including Acts 5:3-4. In this passage, Peter rebukes Ananias for deceiving the Holy Spirit and tells him, “You have not lied to men, but to God.” From this it becomes clear that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. The Holy Spirit is God because He has the characteristics of God. For example, the fact that He is omnipresent is mentioned in the book of Psalms 139:7-8: “Where can I go from Your Spirit, and where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven - You are there; “If I go down to the underworld, you will be there.” Further, 1 Corinthians 2:10 speaks of the omniscience of the Holy Spirit:...
People often ask the question: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” And everyone imagines Him differently, each according to their own imagination. Someone sees Him as something invisible, amorphous, volatile, unattainable. Some call it force, energy, prana, etc.
In order to dispel all sorts of human speculation and fantasies and answer the question “who is the Holy Spirit?”, isn’t it better to turn to the primary source - the Word of God, which, in the best possible way, will help illuminate this question.
So, who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a Person in the same measure as the Father and the Son. It is not an abstract force, not prana, not impersonal energy. He is the one who is the indivisible essence in the trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has all the basic characteristics of personality
The main characteristics of personality are mind (mind), feelings and will. “Strength” cannot have these properties. Energy too.
1 Signs of mind (mind) in the Holy Spirit
With the help of the Word of God, we have become acquainted with nine attacks of Satan on a Christian. Further, the Holy Spirit showed us the whole armor of God that God offers to His followers. However, the Lord knows what army of Satan is aimed at Christians with the goal of destroying God's Kingdom on earth. Therefore, after Christ ascended from the earth after the resurrection, He asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to the earth and authorized His angels to take up arms around those who feared Him. And now, with God's help, we will consider two more topics: the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of angels.
Man consists of three substances: spirit, soul and body. Man is a living soul. The physical part of life is provided by the body, and the spiritual part is provided by the human spirit. The human spirit is the part that is capable of entering into communication with God. Due to the fall of people, there was a break with the Creator, and their spirit lost the ability to communicate with Him. The Bible calls this state death.
Eph.2:4-5 “God, rich in mercy, according to...
