Sunday: The Holy Spirit and Revelation
How does God ensure that His will is faithfully transmitted to fallen human beings? He does this in two major related activities of the Holy Spirit: revelation and inspiration.
In the process of revelation, human beings are dependent upon the help of Someone outside of themselves to reveal things to us that we, as created (and fallen) beings, cannot know of ourselves. That is, the Holy Spirit teaches us truths that have to be told to us (see, for example, Dan. 2:19-23); otherwise we could never know them through natural means.
image © Linda Lovett from GoodSalt.com
Revelation is a process in which God makes Himself and His divine will known to humans. The basic idea associated with the word revelation is an unveiling, or uncovering, a disclosure of something that otherwise is hidden. We need such a revelation because, as finite and fallen beings separated from God because of sin, we are greatly limited in what we can learn on our own. We are dependent upon God to know His will. Hence we are dependent on God’s revelation because we are not God and have only a very limited natural knowledge of Him.
Read 2 Peter 1:19-21. What does this say about the origin of the biblical prophetic message? What does the divine origin of the biblical message tell us about the authority of the Bible?
According to the apostle Peter, the prophetic message of the Old Testament was not of human origin. The prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit in such a way that the content of their message came from God. These men did not create the message themselves. They were merely the vessels of the message, not the originators. Peter was very intentional in stressing the Spirit-inspired source of the prophecies: though written by men, “prophecy never came by the will of man” (2 Pet. 1:21, NKJV). And it is this divine origin that gives the Bible its ultimate authority over our lives.
| God used human beings to proclaim His Word to the world. How can we be used by the Holy Spirit to do something similar today, not in writing Scripture but in proclaiming what has already been written? |
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Where I live Sunday is already here as the 1st of January, or I could be the first to say Happy New Year everybody.
When I read the introduction of this quarter's study regarding the Holy Spirit, I can't help wondering what the difference would be if we still called the Spirit - Holy Ghost?
Are they the same such as the same study reaching us on different days, that is are we really speaking about the same thing, or do the different words conciliate different ideas?
Godbless the gift of today to us. Mrs A Stolz
Mrs. Stolz I believe the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost is the same; if you read KJV John 14:26 the Holy Spirit is referred as the Holy Ghost, compare other version such as NIV and you will find the same verse is referred as the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit can use any one. It is our willingness and obedience that indicate how we avail ourselves to His instructions. Constant focus on how imperfect we are (the implications of self as barrier)is a dangerous distractor to valuable service.
God used human being to proclaim His Word to the World back then and offered us this opportunity to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature Mark 16:15, this is one of our assignment before He returns. But there is no need to be perplex. God promises John 14:26 - But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your rememberance, whatsoever I have said unto you. My answer to the question is, yes our God will supply all our needs.The Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth when we prepare to be use by Him.
Yes GOD can use us but we have to away self so the holy spirit can work in us
I would only add the rest of the passage. \"Joh_16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.\"
The part that jumps out at me is that the Holy Spirit will show us things to come, in other words, He will show us prophecy.
Thank you all for your comments you have made to further explain today's lesson.God bless you.
Indeed we can also be used by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word to others .All that it takes is availing oneself for the Holy Spirit to use .
Since we are charged to be like God (Matthew 5:48), there is no way the Holy Spirit will leave us (Hebrews 13:5), for the Holy Spirit-The Comforter who is God manifested to guide us in all right thinking, speech and action is omnipresent and true to His word. He has a special revelation for us which is to give us paradise restored (a new heaven and a new earth Revelation 21:1). While on this earth He gives us glimpses of hope through the prophesies. The home coming revelation is for us. It is planned with us in mind and He is desperate to save us only if we are willing to be saved, because he gives us freedom of choice (we are not spiritual robots). This will be revealed when we (obedient people) shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) Only the spirit of God can do this. What a revelation that will be!
The promise of the Holy Spirit is for us and our children and to as many as thr Lord our God shall call,that's a promise. God always keeps His promises and is more willing to give than we are willing to ask, Let's ask and receive and know the fullness of his presence that the disciples experienced in 2017.
As we read in Amos 3:7, God reveals His secrets to His servants, the prophets. God is the Source of all Truth, working through faithful servants. If we are His servants, we will be the conduit of Truth for those within our sphere of influence, and our testimony will not contradict the Word of God given in times past.
It is always God Himself who speaks to all who will listen to Him(Heb 1:1,2).
Look how Daniel, his three friends, and others like Joseph and the little maid shared Truth by the actions and words of their daily lives, especially when confronted with temptation to sin against God. Each of them was a living example of God's will as revealed in His written word. Many learned to fear and trust in the Lord by their faithfulness.
The Holy Spirit is a person, just like Jesus is. He is not a puff of special air. He is just as kind and loving as Jesus was. He is also very easy to get along with. He is on your side. He is more on your side then you are. May we all reverence him as we do all the rest of the Godhead.
2 Peter 1:20 quoted in today's lesson says that scripture prophesy is not of private interpretation. Could Peter here be saying that when I study the scripture sections containing prophesy that I am not to reach any conclusion pertaining to the meaning of the prophesy because the conclusion becomes my interpretation therefore a private interpretation?
Irma you have a good point. The way i understand this scripture is that there is some prophecy which is easy and straight forward so that it can be applied directly such as in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. There is however some prophecy which comes in symbols and needs to be interpreted to be understood such as in Daniel and Revelations. The symbols used to interpret such prophecies should also come from the bible and not privately conceived. Such as in Dan 7:23,24. Or in Ezekiel 4:6 where a day can represent a year.
If your conclusion pertaining to the meaning of the prophecy conforms to the interpretation which the Holy Spirit will give to the prophecy then your conclusion is not a private interpretation. It will become a private interpretation only when your conclusion contradicts the interpretation of the Holy Spirit. That is why people give different and contradictory interpretations to the same prophecy in the Bible. This results in confusion and God is not the Author of confusion.
That sounds very good in theory, but I have seen situations where people holding opposing views both claim to being led by the Holy Spirit. Both sides have prayed about it, and extensively studied the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy on the issue, but have arrived at opposing views. Some of these issues have the potential to split the church. Could it possibly be that the issues are not as important as either side sees them?
I believe that Peter was specifically addressing the concern of some that the writings from God's servants might be the writer's own ideas, and not the Lord's. The 21st verse gives this focus doesn't it?
Yes, there will be divisions over the meaning of God's word by any who are not yoked together with Christ, for the same Spirit that inspired that Word must teach each individual it's meaning. We need to know our own heart well(2 Cor 13:5), and not be concerned of others who might find a different meaning. Whatever we conclude must harmonize with "the law and the Testimony" if we are to have a safe path to walk upon.
Many simply follow the opinions of a favorite speaker or author, and do not diligently study to show themselves "approved unto God", but will be found walking according to their own will, in contradiction to the Word. This (2 Thess 2:10-12) is the reason many will believe lies while rejecting truth. This principle has always been working and still works today. We need to make our calling and election sure.
Irma, I believe the problem here is an unfortunate translation. I understand this passage as God's assurance that the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures - that they did not originate from someone's private imaginings. A modern translation makes this clearer:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 !Am a Sabbath School Class facilitator for young adults. our senior Pastor who has a PHD ,sat in our class and declared that not all scriptures are inspired. He believed that many of the scriptures are either lost in translation or in the method by which the bible books ere selected . Brethren have we become too educated to rely on the Bible!
Hi Freddie, Be gentle on those of us who have PhDs. I have one of those, and working for it has taught me a lot. (fortunately it is not in Theology!) My PhD had given me an appreciation for what I can learn from those around me. Many of my friends have PhDs and I am quite happy to listen to what they have to say, even on theology.
While I understand what you are saying about the inspiration of scripture, I am also acutely aware of how some people misunderstand inspiration. Perhaps we all need to recognize that we are on a journey of understanding, and that if we share our experience with one another we will better appreciate the message of the Bible. We should never be too educated to learn.
Maurice, amid the warnings given us of pursuing such "higher education", many still pursue and justify it. It seems to be a common occurence that many(not saying "all") who have pursued such higher education have departed from Truth. A child may know the truth if properly taught and willing to obey it. For many, this is not the case, and errant ideas, teachings and beliefs have come in through this avenue of placing the ideas of men above the Word of God.
There is no excuse and such influences need to be addressed if for no other reason that to rescue them from their deception. We are being infiltrated from many directions through this, and other avenues as well. Satan will not rest until he is "reduces to ashes upon the earth" by God. Beware!
If we would simply heed the wise counsel given in the words of truth, we would spare ourselves of such departures from the Truth. The obedience of faith is life.
I would add that on the other hand there are many who choose to remain ignorant and justify that ignorance as "remaining in the truth", when in fact they have departed from the Truth. A wise man once said."All that is old is not gold; All that is new is not true." While it is true that some of those who have pursued education have lost their way, there are many more who have lost their way pursuing pleasure, entertainment, and/or riches. Education does not have a stranglehold on loss of faith.
For some of us, education is part of life. I was born with a natural curiosity that led to me becoming a computer scientist. I have a string of academic qualifications as a result. Embarking on such a journey has not been without its challenges. I admit that my faith is a battle hardened faith. Not only have I had to face the challenge of agnostic and atheist friends, I have also had to face the suspicions of my fellow Adventist church members who regard education as antagonistic to Adventist faith. However if you think education is challenging, we need to be reminded that at the other extreme, ignorance is even more challenging.
One of the things that I have learned as an academic is to respect the ideas of those who have taken a different pathway through life. Experience is a great teacher. My mother's highest academic achievement is her primary school completion certificate and it holds pride of place in my home because what Mum lacked in academic achievement she made up for in Christian love. By the time I was five years old, she had taught me more than would learn in the rest of my life (PhD included).
"One of the things that I have learned as an academic is to respect the ideas of those who have taken a different pathway through life."
When I apply this to the teachings and practices of the Church, I think of how Paul dealt with such people "who had taken a different pathway through life", such as the Galatians, and some in Crete, as well as other locations. As fellow believers, we are our brother's keeper if they err from the truth. This cannot be a quick assessment, but a prayerful study and then great soul-searching before working to restore the erring one "in the spirit of meekness".
The church I last attended has split (again) over errant teachings being accepted and promoted by those holding leading positions in the church. There is no such thing as agreeing to disagree where truth is the subject of disagreement. Satan has never worked with more urgency than in these last days, and will not stop for a moment. We cannot let down our guard or look the other way when souls are in peril.
Be good to ask him which part is not inspired, which part does he not like or irritate him or his lifestyle.
It seems to me if the Bible we have today has accurately foretold of future events, and it has, that we can safely trust in the rest of the Bible as well. It is historically accurate as well. God has the ability to protect His Word, and He has. Our current KJV and NKJV match up perfectly with the dead sea scrolls which predate many of the prophecies that have already come to pass, and this gives us good evidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God because it foretold the future.
Thank you Karin Hunter Clarke for your kind explanation regarding the sameness of the Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost. I actually am familiar with the two being one. What I was wondering was that even in the modern world there are still people who are afraid of ghosts as being real (visible sometimes as clouds, and like in comics, such as Jasper) entities (I met such a person when I went for an early morning walk up a steep hill, last year in my white nightdress). Whereas the word 'spirit' seems to be more invisible and sort of 'noble': I am thinking of my childhood when my non church going friends were trying to make sense of the world. My playmates believed in ghosts as fearful beings, and black cats crossing your path as being bad omens, and they never walked under a ladder. They believed these things. Whereas ‘spirit’ seems not to be as bad as a ghost. So in this light, I was wondering what explanations would be different if the words were changed.
I am also very troubled by Freddie Guthrie's report on an possible over educated PHD causing mental mischief among young adults. This is to be feared. Freddie's warning has to be taken seriously. There are too many people we are trying to reach by ‘going out into the world’ with very fragile understandings of likes of the Holy Ghost/Spirit. A clever preacher makes sense and truly educates the unknowing, or seeking student, not cause confusion, to have appreciation of the Bible.
This does not mean that we should not question various words used in translations. This is our responsibility as language changes and words change in meanings. This practice I believe does not go against the Bible as the inspired Word of God: And, I totally agree with Salome. Godbless us today. Mrs A Stolz
The attitude of throwing doubt on the inerrancy of scripture opens us to the uncertainty which will immediately arise about one\'s stance on any and every question in life. How do we determine what is TRUTH?
We need to be careful with terms such as inerrancy because different people interpret the term in different ways. Seventh-day Adventists believe that: "The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will." But at the same time they do not believe in verbal inspiration; "The inspired authors spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit". In other words they used their own words. There are indeed differences in concurrent records of the same event as one would expect from individual witnesses.
If term "inerrancy" is used within this context, it is very different to when it is used in the context of verbal inspiration. Seventh-day Adventists believe in thought inspiration, not verbal inspiration.
Thanks Bro.Ashton. Your comments are well received. My comments were motivated by the Sabbath school\'s facilitator\'s comments concerning his senior pastor\'s comments in a young adults ss class which in my view made the scriptures seem like an unreliable source of TRUTH. I leave this quote for all who would receive it:
That the Holy Scriptures are an expression of the character and will of God is abundantly attested by many striking evidences. Consider first the testimony of the Scriptures themselves as to their divine inerrancy. (Testimony Of Jesus pg6.paragraph3)
Paul, the quote you have provided is by Francis McLellan Wilcox in the book "Testimony of Jesus". I did q quick search this morning for inerrancy and inerrant on Ellen White's writings and did not find them. (Caveat: I have been tricked by the search engine in the past so I won't say that she never used the terms until I have had time to do some cross checking.)
The term "inerrancy" has strong associations with the the notion of verbal inspiration, but the word "reliable", as used in the Seventh-day Adventist Fundamentals of Belief, is a word that better describes our view of the Bible.
In the present (2015) 28 fundamental beliefs “reliable” is not there anymore, if I’m not mistaken. It was associated with Sis White’s writings. Is the Bible just simply *reliable* like the Spirit of Prophecy? Is it that the “prophets” and other bible writers might have used *wrong * words or phrases while speaking or writing under inspiration?
Jesus said, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words, and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” Jn 14:24. There could be no error there. Balaam’s donkey’s words were inspired, could there have been error in the statement? Jesus commended Peter’s inspired recognition - Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.Mat 16:16. Caiaphas prophesied Jn 11:50-52. Was there possible error in their expressions? The books of the prophets typically started, “The word of the Lord which came to...”. Unless they lied their words were without error. They were what the Lord revealed to them. Would He “inspire” wrong expressions of truth?
We might have error in translating original texts. I can’t see error in original inspired scripture.
Let me add to this conversation the following passages, while mentioning how Jesus always pointed to the written word of God as the source of Truth.
Prov 22:20, 21, Ps 117. What do these verses tell us of the certainty of Truth and it's safety from being corrupted?
For us to understand the Holy Spirit and His work, we have to understand God the father and Jesus. Having considered the trio, we can easily be guided to focus on the Holy Spirit without detaching Him from the rest.
The Holy Spirit as a person is directly responsible for a willing and accepting heart which had put self aside; to inspire and reveal the secrets of God for the benefit of the entire world regardless of status. We have a task to accomplish - to preach to the whole world. Without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing.
After reading the paragraph on revaluation, makes my heart feel good, as sometimes I have a hard time understanding the Bible, and it said, as finite and fallen beings separated from God because of sin, we are greatly limited in what we can learn on our own. So I just study & pray for understanding, and it really helps.
Evie, the key to knowing the truth is found in having true humility(void of any pride) and being obedient to what we do know as truth. The rest will follow. God can only show His servants, since all others will be resisting His leading(Rev 1:1). It is through obedience that Truth is opened to the mind that is seeking to know and follow it(John 7:17). Too many are looking for a way of escape that they might justify their departure from the truth they do not love more than life.
God can only give light to those walking in it, all others will call it false and walk in the sparks of their own kindling.
The God who gave the apostles authority to proclain his Word is the same God we worship today.If we surrender our whole body to him then There's nothng which can avoid us to do murch more than what the apostles did.
Robert, thanx for replying to my comment, that encourage's me. I truly believe the Bible was written from inspired men of God, that the HS told 'em what to write. I'm trying to learn how to hear the HS in my life. I think being quite & listening is part of it. I'm looking forwards to this quarter's lessons.
Thanks Maurice and Robert for your comments I am encouraged to dig deeper into God's word
Did Jesus when HE was on earth need the Holy Spirit to communicate with the Father?
Jesus got HIS empowerment from these times alone, and so in human form did HE need the Holy Spirit in this communication?
It was the Holy Spirit that hovered over him at the baptism, and that guided him into the desert shortly after, the Holy Spirit was orchastrating and protecting him thru out the whole experience.
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts". Zech 4:6
This is the vital connection Jesus demonstrated for us to imitate. Remember how the Spirit descended on Jesus in greater power after His baptism by John? This is what God would do for all if all were willing and living by faith in His Word.
Let me add something to this discussion. The reason we have different interpretation of scripture regardless of whether one has attained higher education or not is that we do not follow how God wants us to understand and learn from Him. He has given us His Word- the Bible and and inspired writings that make a lot easier to understand the Bible.
In the book of Zechariah specifically chapter 4 verse 1 up to 6 He has given us road map that can help us ease these differences
I believe if, we would take time to understand what Zechariah was shown and the meaning, we would, to some large extent, avoid the different interpretation of scripture stemming from the same passage.
God bless