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NASB | John 3:11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:11 "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. |
Bible Question:
Hello C.S.M., You said "Since Jesus had not died for mankinds sins yet, or been raised from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit at God's right hand, and the Holy Ghost had not yet been sent from God the Father, through Jesus his Son, to indwell believers, no one had been "born again" yet." What role did the Holy Spirit play in the OT? I'm particularly thinking of PS 51:11 where David is asking God not to "take Your Holy Spirit from me". Is Ezek 36:26,27 speaking of times after the cross? Could God's people in the OT not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I see how the NT shows that there would be a different type of work from the Holy Spirit, but I'm unclear as to exactly how that difference shows itself. God Bless, SBoone |
Bible Answer: Hi SBoone, Ezek 36:26-27 is the clincher on the prior note I sent to you. Notice the phrase "I will put my spirit 'within' you", for at the time he was only upon them, they had hard hearts, they needed a new spirit, they needed to be "born again". When did that happen? After Jesus was glorified, and the Holy Spirit came to guide mankind into all the truth concerning God the Father, God the Son and God the HOly Spirit. We were made "new creatures" in Christ II Cor 5:17, Gal 6:15, we were what is called born again, and as Ezek said, "a new spirit will I put within you" speaking of the human spirit, by the HOly Spirit, because he then says "I will put my spirit within you." So we see the process God would use to cause a person to be born again, become new creatures in Christ, and then be filled with the HOly Spirit, instead of him just being upon, he would be within. We also see it is only by the work of Jesus himself that a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit. That job cannot be done by anyone else, God gave Jesus alone that job. Does that mean when you are born again you do not have the HOly Spirit. No, it is the HOly Spirit that baptizes people into the body of Chirst. I Cor 12:13, but it is Jesus that Baptizes with the HOly Ghost for ministry, and power. Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4 Always in Christ, C.S.M. |