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NASB | Acts 15:8 "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 15:8 "And God, who knows and understands the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; |
Bible Question:
In looking at this verse I do not see it as speaking about the Person of the Holy Spirit. Rather, I would have you consider the holy spirit as being synonymous with the "word of the gospel" in Acts 15:7. Similarly, I would have you consider putting spirit in the lower case for Acts 2:18, "Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My *spirit And they shall prophecy." Can we not contrast/compare Acts 15:8 with Romans 8:16, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." The spirit and word of the gospel that we have received is a spirit of adoption as sons which leads us to cry out in faith. God gives us the holy spirit. Consider that with me. |
Bible Answer: In these passages, we see Paul and Peter putting to rest the argument amongst the Jews as to whether to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The spirit represented here is the Holy Spirit. The spirit is not a "person" but is still a living being that dwells within us. Peter is telling those gathered that since God chose the Gentiles by offering them His Holy Spirit (not words of the Gospel but the living presence of Himself) that it was right to preach to the Gentiles the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The spirit in this sense is not the "word of the gospel" but the true spirit that is God. Even the physical nature of the heart that Peter speaks of here is spiritual, ie the desires and intentions of men. The entire passage is of the metaphysical, and therefore not pertaining to the all-too-physical words of the scriptures. Instead, it is talking about the spirit of God, and the spirits of men in which He dwells. |