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NASB | Ephesians 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:23 and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], |
Subject: A fresh mental and spiritual attitude? |
Bible Note: It would be nice to say it is your brethren who are waiting to hear some scripture to support the idea of a holy spirit. That would be to say that the burden of proof rests with the proponent of the idea. But we have understood all along that being filled with the Holy Spirit means being filled with “the Spirit of God” (as in 1 Corinthians 12). We understand from a passage like that, that he is otherwise called the Holy Ghost (v. 3). We have understood that the same Spirit (v. 4) is Lord (v. 5). Moreover, we have understood that the Holy Spirit is working in us (v. 6). We have understood that he gives gifts to individuals in the church (vv. 7 and 11). He gives these gifted men to the church (Ephesians 4) so that all can profit from their ministry, as we read again in 1 Corinthians 12:7. It is apparent that the brethren are not ready to receive any information suggesting that the Holy Spirit is other than a person, one of the three in the Godhead. They do not believe that any such information exists in scripture. The Holy Spirit gives specific gifts, and he produces certain fruit (Galatians 6). We understand that he works in us to produce the desire (Philippians 2), and the ability (Zechariah 4) and the actual operations (1 Corinthians 12) and fruit (John 15). But we do not read anywhere that he gives anything called “holy spirit”. Above, this writer had to be careful to not say, “It is he …” because someone would think he was referring to the Holy Spirit as an “It”. He had to make sure he did not say “…anything other than a person …” so that no one would think he was referring to the Holy Spirit as a “thing”. We are very sensitive to the fact the Holy Spirit is a person. The conventions of the English language would allow us to say those things, but we are careful not to give a wrong impression. We understand that God can and does give a spirit, for example, a spirit of wisdom (Exodus 28). He may give, through the Holy Spirit, a fullness “in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship (Exodus 35). He may give a spirit of a spirit of judgment (Isaiah 28); even a spirit of deep sleep (Isaiah 29). But none of these things is referred to as a “holy spirit”. Peter tells us (Chapter 3) that we should have a meek and quiet spirit. But that is not referred to as a “holy spirit”. Jesus, being always full of the Holy Spirit (John 3) always had all of the gifts. Isaiah said of him (chapter 11), that there would come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and as a branch out of his roots. The Spirit of Jehovah would rest on Him; and he would have “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah”. But even when those were put together, they are not said to constitute a “holy spirit”. It never was said in scripture that that Jesus had a holy spirit. Now, there is a spirit in man, “the candle of the LORD” (Proverbs 20:27) and it is through that spirit that a man knows what is in his mind. And the Spirit of God knows what is in God’s mind. He reveals God’s mind to us (1 Corinthians 1). And he witnesses with our spirits, telling us, for example, that we are the children of God (Romans 8). He is the one who tells us what the word of God means. It is interesting that this thread begins to suggest we can have a kind of mind, as in Ephesians 2:23, an attitude that might, apparently, take the place of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit in filling us. There is such an attitude: “Let this mind be in you” (Philippians 2). And yet, that attitude, of humility, only allows us to yield to the Holy Spirit, so he can fill us and work in us. It is apparent that it is the Holy Spirit who provides that attitude (v.13). But we can resist him (Acts 7:51). But we are encouraged to allow him to fill us. And he can do that, because he is God, and like the Father (1 Corinthians 15:58) and like the Son (Ephesians 1:23) he can fill all in all. It is not only a mental and spiritual attitude we need, though those may be prerequisites. We need the Holy Spirit himself to fill us. As for a holy spirit, we have never heard of a holy spirit. We know that angels are spirits (Hebrews 4) and they may be holy (Matthew 25, Revelation 14). But that is another subject. We have no information about being filled with something called holy spirit. Having searched the scripture in vain for it, we should be on guard, and fortify the brethren so they can resist the idea. We should discourage anyone from taking on a burden of proof, as it were, in order to try to import that doctrine into the faith. |