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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: Filled with Holy Spirit? |
Bible Note: Dear Ray, Your option 1 states, "If our interpretation is that God gives the Spirit without measure, then each one of us is claiming to be bigger than God; because God is not measured out then one contains all of God." Even in English, the phrase "without measure" does not necessarily mean that that which is given is measurable. Matthew Henry comments on this expression, "The Spirit dwelt in Him, not as a vessel, but as in a fountain, as in a bottomless ocean." John Gill wrote, "But the Lord Jesus has every, gift of the Spirit, and the fulness of grace in Him: He is anointed with the oil of gladness, with the Holy Ghost above His fellows; and has an immeasurable unction of the Holy One; which, like the precious oil poured on Aaron, descends from him to the members of his body." Albert Barnes simply wrote, "Not in a small degree, but fully, completely." Whereas Robert Jamieson wrote, "It means the entire fulness of divine life and divine power." Furthermore, you put words in our mouths by concluding that "each one of us is bigger than God." None of us would agree to such a conclusion, furthermore we would deny that this is an inescapable conclusion. We understand that God is omnipresent. He is as much with you reading this post as He is with me typing this post. This does not mean that there would be twice as much God present if we were together! :-) What you have presented, therefore, is called a false dilemma. In addition you have used the straw man argument. Both of these are logical fallacies. As believers, we seek to get to the truth. Our methods of reasoning should be as close to above reproach as possible. It is not inappropriate to disagree, but be careful to properly characterize the oposition's arguments. Success in a debate will be much more valuable, as well! In Him, Doc PS John 3:34 isn't talking about God giving the Holy Spirit to men. It is about the degree that God gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus; i.e., infinitely beyond that to which He gave any other prophet. |