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Except that in John, it relates that an intercessor will be sent after him, him being Jesus. So saying that Stephen was full of a spirit of holiness, doesn't necessitate that the instance of "holy spirit" in Stephen, and the intercessor in John, are one and the same. Or does it?
The last question I asked was, "What would happen when the disciples received holy spirit?" The scriptures explain that the disciples who received holy spirit received power to perform certain miracles, like Jesus was able to do as well, after his Father GAVE him holy spirit.
Acts 19:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Acts 10:38 New International Version (NIV)
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
God is the Holy Spirit. You can go around today asking people if they've received the Holy Spirit, and they will not know. But everyone was created of the Holy Spirit, and through Adam's receipt in his nostrils, all human beings have an inheritance from the Father. The people Paul spoke to didn't understand his language. If Paul had simply asked them if they were doing good, law fulfilling things, because of the Gospel, they would have answered in the affirmative.
I would say it is the spirit of God and is the feminine, hence the mother to the Father and son. It is not one with the lord so is incorporated in the masculine framework... thus might not have been taught immediately, which it seems it was not. You bring up a good question though.If the disciples put faith in Jesus, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, why had the disciples never even heard of the Holy Spirit; and, why did Paul asked them if the disciples were GIVEN Holy Spirit? What would happen when disciples received the Holy Spirit?
Acts 19:1-2Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord’s followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
No... hahaDo you have any scriptures that support your view?
Why the Holy Spirit Is Not a Person
The Bible compares the holy spirit to water. When promising future blessings for his people, God said: “I shall pour out water upon the thirsty one, and trickling streams upon the dry place. I shall pour out my spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your descendants.”—Isaiah 44:3.
When God pours out his spirit upon his servants, they become “full of holy spirit,” or “filled with holy spirit.” Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the disciples who were gathered together on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. are all described as being full of, or filled with, holy spirit.—Luke 1:15; 4:1; Acts 4:8; 9:17; 11:22, 24; 13:9.
Consider this: Could a person be ‘poured out’ on many different individuals? Would you say that one person could ‘fill’ a whole group of people? That defies logic. The Bible does refer to people becoming filled with wisdom, understanding, or even accurate knowledge, but it never describes anyone as being filled with another person.—Exodus 28:3; 1 Kings 7:14; Luke 2:40; Colossians 1:9.
The Greek word translated “spirit” is pneu′ma, which also conveys the idea of an invisible power. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary ofNew Testament Words, the word pneu′ma “primarily denotes the wind . . . also breath; then, especially the spirit, which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial and powerful.”
Clearly, then, the holy spirit is not a person.*
What Is the Holy Spirit? — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
Both God the Almighty and Jesus Christ are spirit forms.They are persona's.The holy spirit is not a persona.It is a force that God can send when ever He needs something done.The holy spirit is not like God or Jesus.It is a force that causes the recipient to obtain power from God.The term person is misleading I think. I suppose it is more because of the son than anything.
But, what is God other than Spirit,and also the son now, for we have the spirit of Christ. So are they active forces?
God is not the holy spirt.The holy spirit is God's active force.This is the same force that was used to create the whole universe and inspire the holy scriptures to be written by men.
Cool.I know your belief.. Mine is somewhat different.
I would say it is the spirit of God and is the feminine, hence the mother to the Father and son. It is not one with the lord so is incorporated in the masculine framework... thus might not have been taught immediately, which it seems it was not. You bring up a good question though.
Though I have no problem with the idea of the Spirit being the third person of the Trinity even though I see God as One and the Father ultimately (just to fully confuse you)
The term person is misleading I think. I suppose it is more because of the son than anything.
But, what is God other than Spirit, and also the son now, for we have the spirit of Christ. So are they active forces?
In Acts 19, Paul was speaking to disciples of John the baptizer.If the disciples put faith in Jesus, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, why had the disciples never even heard of the Holy Spirit; and, why did Paul asked them if the disciples were GIVEN Holy Spirit? What would happen when disciples received the Holy Spirit?
Acts 19:1-2Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord’s followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
I personally believe that the Holy Spirit is the power of God and not a person. If it was a person, then he would be Jesus's father. LIke the sun's rays, the Holy Spirit comes from God. It is His power, His word.A very compelling argument against the holy spirit being a person is found in the account about Stephen.
Acts 7:54 Well, at hearing these things, they were infuriated* in their hearts and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of holy spirit, gazed into heaven and caught sight of God’s glory and of Jesus standing at God’s right hand,+56 and he said: “Look! I see the heavens opened up and the Son of man+ standing at God’s right hand.”+
Stephen is given a vision of heaven, and looking in he see's God and Jesus at his right hand... but no holy spirit. If the holy spirit is a person, and if he is really the 3rd person of the trinity, then surely Stephen would have seen 3 individuals in heaven. But no, he sees only Jesus and Jehovah.