While there is some distinction between spirit and
mind they are used interchangeably. The spirit is the "mental
disposition" or quality of the mind. The "brain" is still part of the
flesh of mankind.
An indwelling holy spirit is contrasted to
spirit of or mental disposition of the flesh.
Now, see what the Greek mind thought of a
holy spirit by
hearing
what they said about an unholy spirit:
"But an old Hubris
tends to bring forth in evil men, sooner or later, at the fated hour of birth, a
young Hubris and that irresistible, unconquerable, unholy spirit,
Recklessness, and for the household black Curses, which resemble
their parents. (Aeschylus Agamemnon 765)
An unholy spirit was not a person and a holy spirit is not a person.,
They also thought of the dead as being present
in spirit or, as the KJV,
mistranslates a "ghost." They did not think of the spirit as
a separate person but of that indestructable part of the same
person.
The spirit is not a third member of the god "family" or
"tribe." God is One God who is manifested in various ways. However,
when the Lord appeared to Paul He said: "I am Jesus of
Nazareth."
Searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow. 1 Peter 1:11
And I fell at his feet to
worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy. Rev 19:10
Speaking of the Jews
blindness from Mount Sinai onward, Paul said that they would have to
turn to Christ. Then he told us who He Who
Searcheth The spirit is:
Now the Lord is that spirit:
and where the spirit
of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Cor
3:17
Because the Lord Jesus
Christ is our One and Only Mediator with His Devine Being, there is
no Holy spirit separated out from the Mind of Christ
which performs direct operations on us.
Paul acknowledged that his "innermost being" or
his spirit is often
independent of the mind which is our thinking ability with a physical
organ. Sometimes our "spirit" can get excited
and try to take us places our body should not go. For instance,
speaking in tongues in Corinth, which outsiders would see as madness,
was the result of bypassing the rational mind -- usually with loud or
"churchy" type music -- and appealing directly to the emotions.
However, this was the human spirit spirit and not
the Holy spirit:
For if I pray in an
unknown
tongue, my spirit
prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. (barren). 1 Corinthians 14:14
Now put a period at the end of the
complete thought. When travellers spoke in the spirit
they were speaking their native dialects. There were no UNKNOWN
TONGUES but some didn't know the
language the people spoke as native dialects. However, if the others
were to understand he would normally speak in Koine Greek to convey
the message of the rational mind. Or, if he spoke in the dialect of
Thessaly there must be someone to translate the language.
Speaking in unknown tongues as practiced in
Corinthian paganism was prophesying or "moving outside of self" and
literally being momentarily insane. At the same time, none of them
had the ability to speak a foreign language which Paul would never do
"in church."
Now, Christian -- incontrast to pagan --
singing, praying or speaking involved both the spirit
(attitude of the mind) and the mind or understanding itself:
What is it then? I
will pray with the spirit,
and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 1 Corinthians 14:15
Therefore, Paul is not speaking of the Holy
spirit being unable to speak to God Whose spirit or
Mental Disposition He was. Rather, our spirit communes with
God's spirit when our mind
cannot find the human words to communicate. We get "feelings" or
"impulses" to do things but if we allow our rational mind to think
about it for a spell we might save ourselves some
embarassment.
This spirit is
the God-enlightened spirit which fought
with Paul's infirmities back in chapter seven. Again, John makes it
clear that the second witness is in ourselves or our spirit
when we believe the spirit bestowed by the
Words of Christ.
He that
believeth on the Son of
God hath the witness
in
himself: he that
believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 1 John 5:10
J.
W. McGarvey discusses the Witness of the spirit.
If you believe that Jesus Christ spoke God's
Words because He was God in the flesh then you have the witness of
the spirit because Jesus
said: "The words I speak to you are spirit and life" (John
6:63). Christ testifies through spirit words; you
believe that He is God speaking to you; you have the witness of that
spirit.
If you do not believe then you do not have the
witness because you have said that Christ is a liar and is not
therefore God.
Jesus described a primary witness of the
spirit when He commanded:
And he said unto
them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. Mark 16:15
He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:16
Describing the baptism preached by John the
Baptist, Luke recorded:
And all the people
that heard him, and the publicans,
justified
God, being baptized
with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of
him. Luke 7:30
The spirit or Mind of
Christ witnesses with our spirit when we obey God
and therefore do not reject the words of Christ and make Him into a
liar.
Paul had the witness of both spirit and Law
in himself:
Paul's spirit:
For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man: Romans 7:22
In Ephesians he wrote:
That he would grant
you, according to the riches of his glory,
............ to be strengthened with might
............ by his spirit
in the inner
man; Ephesians 3:16
Which means that He Who Searcheth The
spirit is not a material "person" who indwells literally or
physically:
That
Christ may
dwell in your
hearts by
faith; that ye, being
rooted and grounded in love, Ephesians 3:17
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length,
and depth,
and height;
Ephes 3:18
Did you know that Paul said
that we live, move and have our being in God: He is not far off that
we have to send for a message. We LIVE in a three-dimensioned world
and also in time. Paul said that we live in the spirits or MINDS and we live in a FOURTH DIMENSIONED
WORLD!
Things equal to the same things equal each
other. Therefore, Christ in whom dwelled full deity lives in our
hearts s by faith. Therefore, it is Christ the spirit Who
dwells in our hearts. The spirit of Christ in the
prophets (1 Pet 1:11) is not SEPARATED from Christ who IS God Who was
made visible in Jesus of Nazareth. God still wears the name Jesus or
Joshua which means Jehovah- Saves.
Now, note that Christ does not "bodily" live in
our body as the reward of faith. Rather, faith defines the how of Christ's
indwelling. If I have faith and understand the Mind of Christ then
the Holy spirit of God indwells
my "inner being" or heart or spirit.
Paul's Body Parts:
But I see another
law in my members,
warring against the law of
my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
........... which is in my members. Romans 7:23
............O wretched man that I am who shall
deliver me
............ from the body of this death? Romans 7:24
Some Old Testament Parallels to show the
equality between heart, spirit and inner
man:
And they came,
............
every
one whose
hearts stirred him up, and
............ every one whom his spirit made
willing,
............ and they brought the Lords offering to
the work of the tabernacle of the ............ congregation, and for all his service, and for the
holy garments. Ex.35:21
But Sihon king of Heshbon would
not let us pass by him: for the Lord thy God
............
hardened his spirit,
and [made fierce]
............
made his heart
obstinate [steadfast],
............ That he might deliver him into thy hand,
as appeareth this day. De.2:30
AND it came to pass, when all
the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward,
and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard
that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the
children of Israel, until we were passed over,
............ that their heart
melted,
............ neither was there spirit
in them any more,
............ because of the children of Israel.
Jos.5:1
When Paul worried about his own salvation and
prayed his spirit was making
intercession on behalf of his flesh:
I thank
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then
........... with the mind I
myself serve the law of
God;
........... but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:25
THERE is therefore now no
condemnation to them
............ which are in Christ Jesus,
............ who walk not after the flesh,
............ but after the spirit. Ro.8:1
For they that are
............ after the flesh
............ ............
do mind the things of the flesh;
............ but they that are after the
spirit,
............
............ [do
mind] the things of the
spirit. Ro.8:5
And he that
............ searcheth the hearts
............ knoweth what is the mind of the spirit,
............ because he maketh intercession for the
saints
............ according to the will [personal thought] of God. Ro.8:27
And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind;
Ep.4:23
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:
that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of
your affairs,
............ that ye stand fast in one
spirit,
............ with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Ph.1:27
That ye be not soon shaken in
mind, or be troubled, neither by
spirit, nor by word,
nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th.2:2
For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear;
but [spirit] of
power, and [spirit]
of love, and of a [ spirit of
a] sound mind. 2 Ti.1:7
Be not thou
therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of
God; 2 Tim 1:8
And I fell at his feet to
worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Re.19:10
We should note that the "He" Who
searches the heart is not the Holy spirit as the ruler of
this age. There are many passages which equate our hearts and our
spirit s which controls our outward nature:
And he
that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit,
because he
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans
8:27
Notice how God bestows His spirit
which is the Mind of Christ which is His Words to us:
1.
But God hath revealed them unto us by
his spirit:
for the
spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1 Cor 2:10
2. Which things also we speak, not in the
words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy spirit teacheth; comparing spirit ual things with spirit ual. 1 Cor 2:13
3. But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor 2: 14
4. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no
man. 1 Cor 2: 15
6. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have
the mind of Christ. 1 Cor 2: 16
The Psalmist understood that it was his own
spirit which searched his own heart:
I remembered God,
and was troubled: I complained, and
my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Ps.77:3
TROUBLED: Hamah (g1993) haw-maw'; a prim. root
[comp. 1949]; to make a loud sound (like Engl. "hum"); by impl. to be
in great commotion or tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor: -
clamorous, concourse, cry aloud, be disquieted, loud, mourn, be
moved, make a noise, rage, roar, sound, be troubled, make in tumult,
tumultuous, be in an uproar.
OVERWHELMED: Ataph (g5848) aw-taf'; a prim. root; to shroud, i. e.
clothe (whether trans. or reflex.); hence (from the idea of darkness)
to languish: - cover (over), fail, faint, feebler, hide self, be
overwhelmed, swoon.
Look again at Romans 8:26
and the inner groanings:
Likewise the
spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we
ought: but the spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26
Now, look at how David was
overwhelmed so that he could not speak; therefore he communed with
his own heart as He Who Searcheth The
spirit was his own spirit:
Thou holdest mine eyes
waking:
........... I am so troubled that I cannot
speak. Psalm 77:4
David continued:
I have considered the days of
old, the years of ancient times. Psalm 77:5
I call to remembrance
my song in the night:
........... I commune with mine own heart:
........... and my spirit made
diligent search.
Ps.77:6
COMMUNE:
Siyach (h7878) see'-akh; a prim. root; to
ponder, i. e. (by impl.) converse (with oneself, and hence
aloud) or (trans.)
utter: - commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray,
speak, talk (with).
The spirit of
man is the candle of
the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:27
If God's words are in our heart or minds they
totally control our bodies and even reads our physical mind or
brain:
For the
word of God is
quick (alive) and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to
the dividing
asunder of
soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
And thou, Solomon my son, know
thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart
and with a willing
mind:
for the Lord
searcheth all hearts,
and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts:
if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake
him, he will cast thee off for ever. 1 Chronicles 28:9
Seek is:
Darash (g1875) daw-rash'; a prim. root; prop.
to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by
impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship: - ask, * at all, care for, *
diligently, inquire, make inquisition, [necro-] mancer, question,
require, search, seek [for, out], * surely.
David compares a Holy spirit
from God to a broken spirit or a contrite
heart.
Create in me a
clean (holy)
heart, O God; and renew a right (upright) spirit within me.
Ps.51:10
Do not cast me from
your
presence or take your
holy spirit from me. Ps
51:11
............ There is no man that hath
power over the
spirit to retain the spirit;
............ neither hath he power in the day of
death:
............ and there is no discharge in that war;
............ neither shall wickedness deliver those
that are given to it. Ecc 8:8
The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise. Ps.51:17
The following passages might be researched to
show that the spirit which dwells in
us is our own spirit and is related
to our heart:
And might not be as
their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation
that
........... set not their heart aright,
........... and whose spirit
was not stedfast with God. Ps.78:8
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. Ps.143:4
I remember the days
of old; I meditate
(ponder) on all thy
works; I muse on
the work of thy hands. Psa 143:5
Muse means: I
speak to myself.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Pr.15:13
............ The heart
of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge:
............ but the mouth of fools feedeth on
foolishness. Pr 15:14
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
............ but a broken spirit
drieth the bones. Pr.17:22
For thus saith the high and
lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and
holy place,
............ with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit,
............ to revive the spirit
of the humble,
and
............ to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Is.57:15
And I will give them one
heart, and I will put a spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of
their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: Eze.11:19
This new spirit was not a
literal member of the Godhead; it was a new heart or a new
spirit or a new way of thinking which was possible only after
turning away from sin and turning to God:
Therefore I will
judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith
the Lord God. Repent,
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not
be your ruin. Ezekiel 18:30
Cast away from
you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a
new heart and a new spirit:
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 18:31
For I have no
pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God:
wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezekiel 18:32
Peter explained this in a spirit ual
sense on the day of Pentecost:
Then Peter said
unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
spirit. Acts 2:38
The evidence, witness or testimony of a
sub-normal spirit was their
refusal to listen to the laws of God through the words sent His
spirit in the prophets:
Only God can
sprinkle or wash the spirit
or heart of mankind. John said that man can baptize the body but only
Christ would cleanse the spirit.
1 Petr 3:21 then says that at baptism we REQUEST that God give us a
new or pure conscience. Therefore, this is a prophesy of
baptism:
A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Eze.36:26
And I will put my
spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Eze
36:27
Yea, they made their
heart as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the
law, and the
words which the Lord of hosts hath sent
in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of
hosts. Zec.7:12
Just having a human heart or mind was enough to
understand the words of the prophets and understand the
spirit or mind of God. This spirit put into literal
words was the work of the spirit of
Christ:
Searching what, or
what manner of time the spirit
of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter
1:11
And immediately, when Jesus
perceived in his
spirit that they so reasoned within
themselves, he said
unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Mk.2:8
But God hath
revealed them unto us by
his spirit: for the spirit
searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. 1Co.2:10 (This is the Mind of
Christ)
And unto the angel of the
church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like
fine brass; Re 2:18
And I will kill her
children with death; and all the churches shall know
that I
am he which searcheth the reins and hearts:
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Re.2:23
He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the spirit
saith unto the churches. Re 2:29
The spirit says through the
written word.
The Mind of Christ is the Holy spirit of
God
In First Corinthians chapter two Paul makes it
clear that the spirit or Mind of God
is the Mind of Christ. Our spirit has no power to
control our flesh or body. However, if we have the mind of Christ we walk
after our converted mind and not after our natural impulses. When we
turn to the Lord the "veil" is removed and we have access or the gift
to approach the Most Holy Place which in the place of God's Mind or
spirit presence.
Paul often writes doctrinal
statements in First Corinthians which their carnal mind could not
grasp and indeed "perverted to their own destruction.
Therefore, in Second Corinthians he clarifies
his first statement.
In First Corinthians Paul clearly dispelled
ignorance of those who hallucinated and believed that they could
grasp the spirit of God as a
Divine power to allow them to compose and sing their own songs. By
doing so in tongues, and probably music, they confessed that they
were falling back into charismatic prophesying out of their own head.
However, they were just "speaking into the air."
First: The statement in First Corinthians that the Mind of
Christ is that which Knows the Mind or spirit of God:
But God hath
revealed them unto us by
his spirit: for the spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 1
Corinthians 2:10
For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit
of man which is in
him? even so the things
of God knoweth no man, but the spirit
of God (which is in Him?
No. He IS spirit
). 1 Corinthians 2:11
Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is
of God;
that
we might
know the things that
are freely given to us of God. 1 Corinthians 2:12
For who hath known the
mind of the
Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
The Holy spirit as a person does
not search our hearts, but God searches the human heart or
spirit:
And thou, Solomon
my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a
perfect
heart and with a
willing
mind: for the Lord
searcheth all hearts,
and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if
thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. 1 Chronicles
28:9
The spirit of the
world is not a person who is human! No.
The spirit of the world is
the mental disposition of the world and this agrees with all definitions of
spirit.
It would be doubly confusing if the
word "spirit" were used in
two different ways in the same breath.
Therefore, when we have the spirit of
God we do not have a little person
living in us. We have something much more valuable: we have the mind
or mental disposition of full Deity.
Paul does not draw a contrast between our flesh
and a warrior Holy spirit Who fights
against us. The battle is between our spirit and our body.
Only Christ living in our mind or heart can He win the battle.
He is not going to say that we have a little
"third person" living in our literal body. Paul understands, and
scholars understand that he understands, that Jesus Christ is full
Deity in His spirit form:
Second: The Statement in Second Corinthians that The Lord
Jesus Christ is the spirit:
Now the
Lord (Christ in 3:14) is that
spirit: and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17
But we all, with
open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed
into the same
image from glory to
glory, even as by the spirit of
the Lord. 2 Corinthians
3:18
And we have the word of the
prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to
it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and
the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter1:19
Our children are changed into our image because
they are trained by our spirit or mind. Our
spirit and mind are not two different persons. By insisting
upon a one-third god who lives in us directly but does nothing
directly is to cheat us of the rich indwelling of the full Mind or
spirit of full Deity which dwelled in Christ as the
through or
means or
Mediator
God provided between mankind and His spirit Being.
For in Christ
all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
Col.2:9NIV
Remember that Walter Scott wrote the obvious:
First, the Holy spirit is God the
spirit or Christ the spirit Himself because
"God is spirit." Second, in
connection with mortals--who are not the second incarnated--the holy
spirit is a spirit or mental
disposition which is holy or set aside to God. In chapter Eight the
term "the Holy spirit is not once
mentioned." However, Paul shows the contrast between our body and
our
spirit as it is controlled by the Mind or Mental disposition
of Christ Who is the spirit.
In chapter eight, Paul will often use the term
"the spirit of" something. He began
this in the first Chapter:
Concerning his Son
Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
according to the
flesh; Romans
1:3
And declared to be
the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of
holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead: Romans 1:4
Jesus said that He would resurrect Himself by
the spirit Who did not
die. The spirit of holiness
declared His Deity when He was resurrected. For us, the
spirit of holiness is the mental disposition which is holy or
set aside to God. Therefore, the spirit of holiness is
holiness itself. In the same way, the spirit or Mind of God
is God Himself. This is how He He can dwell in us. God's
spirit dwelled fully in Jesus Christ. While the physical body
suffered and died, Jesus had the power to "lay down his life and take
it up again" because the creative power of Full Deity dwelled in
Him.
UNTO the angel of
the church of Ephesus write;
These things saith
he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks; Rev 2:1
And I will kill her
children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he
which searcheth the reins and hearts:
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Rev
2:23
He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the spirit
saith unto the churches. Rev 2:29
When you hear what the spirit of
Christ WRITES then you hear the spirit as surely as in
seeing the human form of Jesus Christ you see God.
The intercession is God looking into our hearts
or spirit
s which know the total needs of our
body which may not comprehend by our crippled way of thinking.
Chapter ] 1 [
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Kenneth Sublett
Holy spirit
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