moorea944
Well-Known Member
The word 'spirit' has the same basic association in both the Hebrew and the Greek. Hebrew is ruach, which is also translated as wind, breath, mind, air and a few miscellaneous ways. This is the same in the Greek with pneuma translated spirit, but meaning "to breathe". WE can recognize the moving air application in our derived English words of pneumatic and pneumonia. Pneuma is translated "wind" in John 3:8 where Jesus tells Nicodemus that being born again to inherit the Kingdom requires a change in nature where we become "like the wind" (pneuma/spirit). This is why the creation of Adam is expressed in two stages... body and then breath (Gen. 2:7)... flesh nature and then spirit nature. In one sense literally everyone has the spirit of God in them, as we have that breath (ruach/spirit) that was breathed into Adam at creation. However there are degrees to everything.
A confirmation of this two stage salvation progression of body and then breath demonstrated in the original creation of mankind would be the awarding of the Holy "Spirit" through a rushing wind at Pentacost (Acts 2:2), projecting the second immortalization event at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. The Holy Spirit gifts served as an "earnest" of the promise of immortalization (2 Cor 5:5... immediately following the description of being awarded immortality in verses 1-4).
Now it should be understood that when it says in 1 John 4:13 that He has given us the spirit... that this refers to the time limited Holy Spirit gifts. However a greater application of the spirit (the 'breath') of God replaced those time limited Holy Spirit gifts. Paul explains this in
1 Cor 13:8-11 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The gift of prophecy would end. The gift of speaking in any language (tongue) would stop. This was only "in part" and served as a temporary educational tool. When the time of God's silence began (Micah 3:6-7; Amos 8:11-12) the availability of the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts ended. God's silence will end at the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom (Is. 42:13-14) when the darkness is replaced by morning and the drought of rain is replaced by the latter rains (Hos. 6:1-3).
So despite not being invested with the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts, we now have the greater gift that replaced the miraculous gifts. This is the complete Bible, the whole word of God... finished with the book of Revelation near the end of that 2nd generation around 96AD when John was exiled on Patmos. The completed Bible is also a demonstration of the spirit (breath) of God. This is the breath that can bring us to life... as it did with Adam and as it will do with Israel's repentance (Ezek 37:9). This is why the word spirit can be used within the understanding of 'teaching' or doctrine. Just like God, we communicate when we breathe out. Just try to speak to someone while breathing in... very confusing, counterproductive and uncomfortable. God's teachings are His out-breathings... His spirit breath that is shared with us through the Bible. This is why John warns us not to believe every "spirit" or teaching or 'out-beathing' coming from within the enlightened community.
Just as Jesus is a spirit... so we hope to become spirit nature. We will certainly still be flesh and bone (as Jesus declared about himself after his resurrection; Luke 24:39). We wish to be covered (atoned) by the spirit nature of immortality. Therefore we must fill ourselves at this time with the spirit of God (His word) if we want to inherit that wind-like spirit nature.
Yes... many people take many divine expressions "out of context". The instinctive motivation is to oversimplify divine expressions, to make it easy and apply the same understanding in all cases. That is a solid wall barrier to understanding divine expressions, that are intentionally complex in order to encourage us to abandon the natural self-glorifying presumptions generated from an uncircumcised heart. "Spirit" doesnt necessarily mean a ghost figure or spirit figure.
A confirmation of this two stage salvation progression of body and then breath demonstrated in the original creation of mankind would be the awarding of the Holy "Spirit" through a rushing wind at Pentacost (Acts 2:2), projecting the second immortalization event at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. The Holy Spirit gifts served as an "earnest" of the promise of immortalization (2 Cor 5:5... immediately following the description of being awarded immortality in verses 1-4).
Now it should be understood that when it says in 1 John 4:13 that He has given us the spirit... that this refers to the time limited Holy Spirit gifts. However a greater application of the spirit (the 'breath') of God replaced those time limited Holy Spirit gifts. Paul explains this in
1 Cor 13:8-11 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The gift of prophecy would end. The gift of speaking in any language (tongue) would stop. This was only "in part" and served as a temporary educational tool. When the time of God's silence began (Micah 3:6-7; Amos 8:11-12) the availability of the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts ended. God's silence will end at the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom (Is. 42:13-14) when the darkness is replaced by morning and the drought of rain is replaced by the latter rains (Hos. 6:1-3).
So despite not being invested with the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts, we now have the greater gift that replaced the miraculous gifts. This is the complete Bible, the whole word of God... finished with the book of Revelation near the end of that 2nd generation around 96AD when John was exiled on Patmos. The completed Bible is also a demonstration of the spirit (breath) of God. This is the breath that can bring us to life... as it did with Adam and as it will do with Israel's repentance (Ezek 37:9). This is why the word spirit can be used within the understanding of 'teaching' or doctrine. Just like God, we communicate when we breathe out. Just try to speak to someone while breathing in... very confusing, counterproductive and uncomfortable. God's teachings are His out-breathings... His spirit breath that is shared with us through the Bible. This is why John warns us not to believe every "spirit" or teaching or 'out-beathing' coming from within the enlightened community.
Just as Jesus is a spirit... so we hope to become spirit nature. We will certainly still be flesh and bone (as Jesus declared about himself after his resurrection; Luke 24:39). We wish to be covered (atoned) by the spirit nature of immortality. Therefore we must fill ourselves at this time with the spirit of God (His word) if we want to inherit that wind-like spirit nature.
Yes... many people take many divine expressions "out of context". The instinctive motivation is to oversimplify divine expressions, to make it easy and apply the same understanding in all cases. That is a solid wall barrier to understanding divine expressions, that are intentionally complex in order to encourage us to abandon the natural self-glorifying presumptions generated from an uncircumcised heart. "Spirit" doesnt necessarily mean a ghost figure or spirit figure.