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Particulars
of Christianity:
312
The Church Ethic
The Role
of the Holy Spirit (Part 3)
The Role of the Holy Spirit (Part
1)
The Role of the Holy Spirit (Part
2)
The Role of the Holy Spirit (Part
3)
The Role of the Holy Spirit (Part
4)
Conviction
of Sin and Guiding into All Truth
Construct No. 7: The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin.
Construct No. 8: The Holy Spirit guides us into all
truth.
Because the proof texts for these phrases interlock with one
another, we have combined the discussion of these constructs
into a single section.
We should also recall that earlier in our study, we took a
survey of the use of the word "spirit" in the Gospels in order
to locate Jesus' own teachings about the role of the Holy
Spirit. From this survey, we found that the term "spirit"
occurs 85 times in the Gospels but that out of those 85 occurrences,
only 11 verses speak about the rebirth and only 7 provide
instructions regarding the role of the Holy Spirit beyond
the rebirth. And of those 7, we already covered the first
3 verses during our investigation of Construct No. 3 (the
Holy Spirit gives us the right words to speak.) As we move
into this portion of our study, we will take a look at the
remaining 4 of those 7 verses.
As we begin, we might point out that in the modern Church,
the idea of being "convicted of sin" has become synonymous
with the idea of inner feelings or impressions from the Holy
Spirit, which are intended to let us know that we've done
something wrong or perhaps are about to do something wrong.
In this way, we are "convicted" of our sin. And conversely,
if a person does not feel convicted then the Holy Spirit must
not be unhappy with their behavior and anyone else who attempts
to criticize that person's behavior, even if on scriptural
grounds, might be seen as overstepping the work of the Holy
Spirit.
But are any of these concepts what the Bible means by the
idea that the Holy Spirit convicts people of sin?
In our previous segment, we demonstrated from Romans 8, that
the phrase "there is therefore now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus" does not elevate a Christian to a
position above criticism of their behavior or doctrine. Instead,
as we have seen, Romans 8:1-2 simply declares that a person
escapes the condemnation of death prescribed by the Law of
Moses IF that person walks in obedience to the Law of Christ.
This is very essential as we move ahead to the idea of being
"convicted" by the Holy Spirit. Seizing on the terms "condemn"
and "convict," some Christians teach that the word "condemn"
refers to the negative, guilt-driven criticisms of men and
that, by contrast, the "conviction" from the Holy Spirit is
perhaps a more gentle, inward impression from the Holy Spirit.
For example, after sinning we might feel sad and we should
understand this sadness to be the gentle convicting of the
Holy Spirit to let us know that we have grieved him. And again,
this idea is directly contrasted with the negative depiction
of men (or women) verbally criticizing our behavior or beliefs,
which is described as "condemnation."
v So, according to this line of thinking, when Romans 8 says
that we are "free from condemnation," some Christians teach
that we are free from the outward criticisms that come from
men, regardless of whether or not these criticisms include
scripture. Now that we are "in Christ Jesus," we are exempt
from such "condemnation" and instead we receive awareness
about sin, not from men, but through the more gentle inner
leadings from the Holy Spirit.
This is the backdrop that must be understood as we examine
the Bible's description of the Holy Spirit convicting us of
sin. But, as we have already established in our previous segment,
the phrase "there is therefore now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus" was never intended to exempt a Christian
from criticism by other men, including criticism backed by
scripture in particular. Instead, Romans 8:1-2 simply declares
that a person escapes the condemnation of death prescribed
by the Law of Moses IF that person walks in obedience to the
Law of Christ.
Now that we know that freedom from criticism by others is
not asserted by Romans 8:1-3, we can move on to examine what
the Bible says about the Holy Spirit convicting men of sin.
The idea of the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin comes primarily
from John 16.
John 16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I
will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he
will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment…
(Note: the word "reprove" in verse 8 is translated as "convict"
in other translations, such as the NIV, NASB, and NKJV.)
We will start with the most straightforward facts about this
verse. Specifically, we should note that in this passage Jesus
says that one role of the Holy Spirit is to "reprove the world
of sin." From this single phrase, there are three very important
items worth noting. All three have to do with vocabulary.
The Greek word for reprove in verse 8 is "elegcho" (Strong's
No. 1651). The full definition is provided below.
1651 elegcho {el-eng'-kho}
of uncertain affinity; TDNT - 2:473,221; v
AV - reprove 6, rebuke 5, convince 4, tell (one's) fault 1,
convict 1; 17
1) to convict, refute, confute
1a) generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted
1b) by conviction to bring to the light, to expose
2) to find fault with, correct
2a) by word
2a1) to reprehend severely, chide, admonish, reprove
2a2) to call to account, show one his fault, demand an explanation
2b) by deed
2b1) to chasten, to punish
First, notice that "elegcho" basically means to "to convict,
refute, confute, to find fault with, correct, to expose."
And notice that "Elegcho" includes, rather than excludes,
refuting someone "by word." Furthermore, "elegcho" also includes
"a suggestion of shame" and "to reprehend severely, chide,
admonish." And finally, "elegcho" also involves the idea of
"punishing," even punishing "by deed."
So, the first thing that we notice from this basic vocabulary
search is the absurdity of the notion that conviction by the
Holy Spirit is supposed to be gentler than the criticism by
men. From the Greek word used by Jesus in this passage, we
should understand that the conviction from the Holy Spirit
can be just as harsh and severe, if not more so, than the
criticisms of men. And, rather than simply being an inner
feeling, this conviction from the Holy Spirit could even be
verbal, either in the form of words in our thoughts or perhaps
an audible voice, possibly even through other people in our
lives. And this leads us to our second point about the word
"elegcho."
Second, if we were to do a survey of how "elegcho" is used
in the New Testament, we would quickly find that it occurs
17 times. Of these 17 occurrences, 11 times "elegcho" is being
used with regard to men refuting or criticizing one another.
The fact that "elegcho" is used equally in the New Testament
to describe rebuke from men and rebuke from the Holy Spirit
is also very significant because this fact erases any attempt
to make strong categorical distinctions between the manner
in which men correct each other and the way the Holy Spirit
corrects us. Or, to put it in more modern terms, we cannot
call rebuke from men "condemnation" and rebuke from the Holy
Spirit "conviction." Whether from men or from the Holy Spirit,
the New Testament describes both forms of correction with
the same Greek word, "elegcho."
Third, notice that Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will reprove
the world.
John 16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It
is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart,
I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me
no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world
is judged.
The Greek word for "world" here is "kosmos" (Strong's No.
2889). Although, "kosmos" can refer to the entire created
realm, the portion of its definition that is in view is "the
inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family." And furthermore,
while "kosmos" can be inclusive of "believers" by definition
it typically refers to "the ungodly multitude; the whole mass
of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause
of Christ."
And, from verse 9 we know that "kosmos" here refers to "the
whole mass of men alienated from God" because verse 9 states
that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin "because
they believe not" in Jesus. By the phrase "because they believe
not in me" we know that Jesus is talking about "unbelievers"
rather than believers. Therefore, this convicting work of
the Holy Spirit with regard to sin applies ONLY to non-Christians,
to those who do not believe in Jesus. Since in John 16:8-10
the Holy Spirit is convincing unbelievers of sin, not believers,
we can very quickly see that John 16 does not provide support
for the idea that the Holy Spirit convinces Christians of
their sin though inward feelings or impressions. But despite
the fact that this disproves the assertion that John 16 supports
the doctrine of the Holy Spirit convicting Christians of sin,
we still must move on to establish how John 16 describes the
role of the Holy Spirit.
Even though we have established from vocabulary that "conviction"
from the Holy Spirit is categorically the same as a rebuke
from one man to another and can possess all of the same elements
including severe chiding, public exposure of wrongdoing, verbal
rebuke, and perhaps even punishment, we still have not yet
examined exactly how the Holy Spirit conveys or manifests
this conviction. For an answer to this pressing question,
we will briefly turn to a broader examination of John's Gospel
on these issues.
John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was
in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of
life.
From both John 1 and John 8, we can see that Jesus is the
light of the world. In John 3, Jesus says something about
what this light does in the world.
John 3: 17 For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but
he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath
not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth
evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved.
The word for "reproved" in verse 20 is "elegcho," the same
word used in John 16:10, where it says that the Holy Spirit
will, "reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment." So, in John 3:17, we see that because Jesus
is the light of the world, one function that Jesus has as
the Light is to reprove or convince men concerning truth and
sinfulness.
In John 8, we see an example of Jesus doing just that.
John 8: 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought
unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had
set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman
was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in
the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what
sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they
might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with
his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself,
and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let
him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped
down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it,
being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one,
beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus
was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
The Greek word for "convicted" in verse 9 is "elegcho," the
same word used in John 16:8 where the Holy Spirit is said
to "convict the world of sin." In John 8, the issue is that
the Pharisees are asking Jesus to approve of stoning a women
to death according to the Law of Moses. How does Jesus prove
his case? And remember, that is all that "elegcho" means.
It means to convince, to refute, to correct. So, how does
Jesus convince them not to stone this woman?
As the text demonstrates, the Pharisees were convinced to
leave without stoning the women when the words spoken by Jesus
affected their consciences. So, in this instance we see Jesus
convincing (convicting) the world through his own words. But
why is this significant to how the Holy Spirit convinces men
of sin? For this we turn back to John 9.
John 9: 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the
light of the world.
Jesus words in John 9:5 are very straightforward. In this
verse Jesus plainly states that he lights the world while
he is in the world. And since in John 3 and 8 we can see that
one aspect of lighting the world involved convincing men of
truth and sinfulness that according to John 9:5 Jesus would
only be convincing men of truth and sinfulness while he was
in the world. So, what happens when Jesus is no longer present
after he returns to the Father? This question is answered
specifically by Jesus in John 16.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It
is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart,
I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me
no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world
is judged.
Here in verses 7-11, when Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit
convicting the world of sin, he connects this role of the
Holy Spirit to his own return to the Father in heaven. In
John 3:20 and John 8:9, we saw Jesus literally convincing
men concerning right and wrong. But in John 16, Jesus is reflecting
on how he is going away. And because he is going away, he
won't be around anymore to teach or to convict men of right
and wrong, including right and wrong doctrine. That would
leave the world and Jesus' own followers without someone to
teach them and convict them concerning truth and morality.
So, what is the remedy for this absence? The remedy is that
the Father will send the Holy Spirit to perform these roles
after Jesus goes away.
The fact that Jesus does indeed have in mind that the Holy
Spirit will replace him as the teacher for his disciples and
the rest of the world is further established by Jesus' continued
comments in the very next verse.
John 16: 12 I have yet many things to say unto you,
but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things
to come.
In verses 12-13, Jesus states that although he has many things
to say, which his disciples were not currently able to hear,
the Holy Spirit would guide them into the rest of these teachings
and would speak, not of himself, but only the things that
He hears from Jesus. In fact, this idea of the Holy Spirit
saying only what He hears is identical of the role performed
by Jesus while on earth.
John 12: 46 I am come a light into the world, that
whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge
him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the
world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have
not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto
me, so I speak.
Notice first of all that here in John 12:46-50, Jesus connects
his role of lighting the world with how his own teachings
judge the world. Furthermore, in this passage Jesus explains
that the Father sent him into the world to light the world
and that this lighting of the world occurs by Jesus speaking
the words that the Father says. He also explains that he speaks
and says only what the Father tells him to say and that he
speaks nothing of himself, which is exactly what he says regarding
the Holy Spirit in John 16:12.
John 16: 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth: for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things
to come.
(Note: The phrase "he will shew you things to come" is a reference
to the role of the Holy Spirit with the gift of prophecy.
Since we have already covered this issue and how it relates
to our current study under Construct No. 1, we will conserve
time and space by not restating those points again here. Instead,
with regard to prophecy, we simply refer the reader back to
our comments in that previous section.)
Clearly, the Holy Spirit is performing the same role performed
by Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus teaches us what he hears from
God and says nothing of himself, so the Holy Spirit will teach
us what Jesus has said and will speak nothing of himself.
In this way, neither Jesus' followers or the world will be
left without a teacher or someone to convince them of right
and wrong, truth and falsehood. So, as John 9:5 teaches, Jesus
is the light of the world while he is in the world during
which time he convinces the world of truth and sinfulness
by means of his teachings, which are not of himself, but only
what he hears from the Father (John 12:49). And in John 16:7-13,
Jesus says that when he returns to the Father, the Father
will send the Holy Spirit who will then convince the world
of truth and sinfulness in Jesus' absence and who will speak
not of himself but will speak only what he hears.
So, we can see that by convincing the world of truth and sinfulness,
the Holy Spirit is simply taking over the role performed by
Jesus when Jesus was here on earth. John's Gospel has more
to say on these points.
John 14: 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
In John 14:15-17, not only does Jesus say that while he is
going away the Holy Spirit will remain forever, but he also
connects our ability to benefit from the Holy Spirit with
our ability to keep Jesus' commandments. Keep in mind also
that these comments from Jesus in John 14 come before the
comments in John 16. This means that the disciples who heard
Jesus comments in John 16 would have done so with Jesus' earlier
teaching in chapters 14 and 15 in mind. And after his comments
in verses 15-17, Jesus goes on to say a little more about
the role of the Holy Spirit in verse 26.
John 14: 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you
all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you.
John 15: 26 But when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit
of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify
of me:
Here we again see a significant theme to Jesus' teaching about
the Holy Spirit's role. The Holy Spirit will teach and convict,
not by speaking of himself, but by bringing to our remembrance
all things that Jesus has taught in exactly the same way that
Jesus spoke not of himself but said only what the Father told
him to say. So, the primary role of the Holy Spirit is to
testify about Jesus and convince the world of truth and sinfulness
by reminding us about what Christ Jesus has already taught.
Furthermore, the use of the word "remembrance" in these passages
is very significant. The entire concept of remembering requires
that we have already come into contact with the item that
is being remembered. In practical terms, this means that with
regard to doctrine, the Holy Spirit is not going to reveal
to us doctrinal concepts that we've never studied or heard
before. Likewise, this means that the Holy Spirit is not going
to be able to help us understand doctrines that are based
upon scriptures that we've never read before. In order for
the Holy Spirit to perform this function in our lives and
lead us into all truth, we first have to be providing the
Holy Spirit with the raw material He needs in order to help
us remember. In other words, we first have to be reading scripture
so that the Holy Spirit can help us remember the teachings
contained in those scriptures and then help us to put together
a proper understanding of doctrine and the Word of God.
Thus, there is nothing magical, improvised, or subjective
about the way in which the Holy Spirit helps us to understand
the teachings of Christ Jesus. Rather than "all of a sudden"
or "out of nowhere" realizing or discerning a truth that we
haven't really studied, we instead come to understand Biblical
teaching because the Holy Spirit helps us to remember and
appropriately assemble all the parts of a particular topic,
which we have already read or heard, that are scattered throughout
the pages of the Bible.
It is within these parameters that Jesus states that the Holy
Spirit will convince the world of wrongdoing and truth. By
speaking of the Holy Spirit convincing the world in this context,
Jesus is clearly indicating that the Holy Spirit will convince
the world by bringing into remembrance the things that Jesus
has already taught. And, in doing so, the Holy Spirit will
carry on the same role performed by Jesus when he was physically
present. Just as in John 3:20 and 8:9 we saw Jesus convincing
people of truth and righteousness, the Holy Spirit would be
carrying on this work after Jesus returned to the Father.
But how will the Holy Spirit perform this work? Jesus was
physically present and had a physical voice by which he physically
spoke the words from the Father. But the Holy Spirit does
not have a physical human body. So how will he convince men?
Will the Holy Spirit speak audibly? Will the Holy Spirit convince
through inward feelings and impressions? Or will the Holy
Spirit communicate through some other means?
Well, here it is no small secret what the primary means of
communication would be. Consider what Jesus says of his own
followers in Matthew 5.
Matthew 5: 14 Ye are the light of the world. A
city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men
light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Here Jesus says that his followers are the light of the world
and that they should let their light shine before men. As
we have said, it is no small secret that the New Testament
presents that the job of convincing the world with the teachings
of Jesus Christ would continue after Jesus' ascension through
his followers who were commanded to preach his teaching to
the world. The role of the Holy Spirit was to enable men to
do this by helping them remember the teachings of Jesus Christ
and by helping them to understand those things that they had
already heard and were remembering.
In fact, the notion that the Holy Spirit would carry out this
function of convincing the world through the speech and teaching
of Jesus' followers, rather than through internal feelings
or impressions, is clear throughout the New Testament.
We have already seen this clearly during our examination of
Construct No. 3, which dealt with the Holy Spirit giving men
the right words to speak. We started that segment by stating
that out of the 85 verses in the Gospel where the word "spirit"
appears, only 7 of those passages were about teaching from
Jesus concerning the role of the Holy Spirit. 3 of those 7
passages had the following to say.
Matthew 10: 18 And ye shall be brought before governors
and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and
the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no
thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given
you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it
is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up
the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children
shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be
put to death.
Mark 13: 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they
shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues
ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers
and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.11
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no
thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate:
but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak
ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and
the father the son; and children shall rise up against their
parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
Luke 12: 11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues,
and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or
what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what
ye ought to say.
As can be seen, in these passages, Jesus instructs his followers
that when they are testifying before rulers and political
authorities, God will give them the words to say by the power
of the Holy Spirit. From these verses, we can see ample and
clear proof that the role of the Holy Spirit of convicting
the world after Jesus ascension was going to be carried out
through the continued proclamation of Jesus' teaching by his
followers.
And, we can also see that the Holy Spirit would primarily
carry out the task of convicting the world of truth through
the teaching of Jesus' followers in the Great Commission.
Mark 16: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…19
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received
up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And
they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Matthew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 1: 4 And, being assembled together with them,
commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he,
ye have heard of me…8 But ye shall receive power, after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In Matthew, Mark, and Acts we see that Jesus commanded his
followers to spread his teaching and commandments to the whole
world after his ascension. What is so remarkable about this
simple process was the extent to which it was designed to
perfectly preserve the words of the Father. In John 12:49,
Jesus says he speaks, not of himself, but only what the Father
says. In John 14:26, 15:26, and 16:13, Jesus says that the
Holy Spirit will not speak of himself but will testify of
Jesus, speak only what he hears, and bring the disciples into
remembrance of everything Jesus' taught. In John 14:17, Jesus
says that the Holy Spirit will dwell in all those who receive
his teachings. And in Mark 16:15, 19-20, Matthew 28:19-20,
and Acts 1:4, 8 Jesus commands his followers to spread his
teachings over the whole world. And finally, the apostles
also repeatedly command their followers to preach and preserve
the doctrine of Christ just as the apostles had preached it
to them, without modification or corruption in such passages
as Romans 16:17-18, 1 Corinthians 11:2, Galatians 1:6-8, Ephesians
4:11-15, Ephesians 4:6-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians
3:14-15, 1 Timothy 4:1. 1 Timothy 4:9-16, 1 Timothy 6:3-5,
2 Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 1:9,
13, Titus 2:1, Titus 2:7, 1 John 2:14, 1 John 2:21, 1 John
2:24, 2 John 1:9-11, and Jude 1:3.
Similarly, in Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells his followers that
they are the light of the world, which is the same role that
he himself filled while he was present on earth as he convinced
the world of truth and sinfulness by means of his own teachings.
Now he was sending them out, empowered by the Holy Spirit,
to carry on this work of convincing the world of truth by
preaching his teachings, which he had received from the Father
and which the Holy Spirit would help them remember and understand.
The entire process is designed to convince the world through
the uncorrupted, unmodified, pure teachings given by the Father,
proclaimed by Jesus, brought into remembrance and understanding
among Jesus' followers by the Holy Spirit after Jesus' ascension,
and preached and taught by Jesus' followers to the world.
This was the testimony of the teaching of God and the manner
in which the world is to be convinced of truth and sinfulness.
What is clear is that it is Jesus' words and teachings, which
come from the Father and which the Holy Spirit would bring
into remembrance, that are doing the convincing. In John 8:9,
the Pharisees who hear Jesus' words are convinced. In John
12:48, it is the words of Jesus Christ, which judge men. And
in John 16:8-13 and John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is said to
speaking only what he hears and to bring Jesus' followers
in remembrance of Jesus' words and in so doing to carry on
Jesus' role of convincing the world of truth in Jesus' absence.
Likewise, in Matthew 5:14 Jesus says that his disciples are
the light of the world and in Mark 16:15, 19-20, Matthew 28:19-20,
and Acts 1:4, 8 Jesus sends his followers out to convince
the world of truth by preaching everything that he had taught
them after they have received the Holy Spirit (John 14:17).
Clearly in all cases, the means of convicting mankind is through
the teachings of Jesus Christ, which he received from the
Father and which the Holy Spirit would remind Jesus' followers
of so that they could carry on this work of convicting the
world by preaching Jesus' teachings after he returned to the
Father. And, in contrast to this consistent underlying theme
in which the world is convicted by the proclamation of Jesus'
teaching, we find absolutely no trace anywhere in John's description
of conviction that indicates any connection to inner feelings
or impressions.
Furthermore, although we have found no trace in any of these
passages that the Holy Spirit leads Christians through inner
feelings or impressions of any kind, even if there was some
capacity of that, it would certainly not be to the point of
overriding or excluding what we have seen repeatedly in the
scriptures. So, there is no basis for suggesting inner feelings
or impressions replace, exclude, override, or remove the need
for conviction by means of the teachings of Jesus Christ preached
verbally first by Jesus Christ himself as recorded in scripture
and then by his followers. In any case, primary means of convicting,
even the Holy Spirit's work of convicting and leading us into
truth, comes not through inner feelings or impressions, which
we've seen no trace of in scripture, but through the teachings
of Jesus Christ either preached verbally or read from scripture.
And that is the role of the Holy Spirit according to the New
Testament, not to show us which behaviors, which doctrines,
which situations, or which relationships we should choose
by some inner feeling or impression. But instead, the Holy
Spirit shows us which behaviors, which doctrines, which situations,
or which relationships we should choose by reminding us of
what Jesus' has already taught on these subjects and helping
us to understand that teaching.
The bottom line is that the teaching of Jesus Christ as recorded
in scripture is the very means, power, and authority by which
we are convinced of truth and sin, whether that teaching comes
to us from remembering what we've already heard or studied
or from someone else speaking to us about scripture. Even
when the Holy Spirit helps us remember, the power and mechanism
of convincing us resides in the teachings of Christ Jesus,
not in feelings or impressions that supercede our understanding.
But, we still need to go just a little farther to further
establish this conclusion. What remains is an examination
of the striking similarities between John 14 and the Apostle
John's comments in his first epistle concerning the Holy Spirit
helping us to understand truth.
John 14: 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth hi m: but ye know him; for
he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14: 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my
sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's
which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you,
being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which
is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Notice in both of these two passages from John 14 that Jesus
starts out by stating that those who love him will keep his
teachings and commandments. Then Jesus states that for those
who have received his teachings will have the Holy Spirit
sent to them. This is significant because Jesus is telling
us plainly that in order to receive the Holy Spirit we must
abide in his teachings. So, if we receive Jesus' teachings
then he will send the Holy Spirit to us and the Holy Spirit
will teach us to understand all the things spoken by Christ,
which we have already accepted, and the Holy Spirit will keep
us in remembrance of those things as well.
That is the pattern. Receive Jesus' teachings. Then receive
the Holy Spirit who will help us understand, remember, and
continue to abide in those teachings. Having heard Jesus say
this, John restates the very same thing in his first epistle.
1 John 2: 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which
ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard
from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue
in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise
that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things
have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth
in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the
same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and
is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide
in him.
Notice the similarities with Jesus words in John 14. Most
importantly, we can see by comparison with John 14 that John's
mention of an anointing here (as well as in verse 20 below)
is a reference to the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of
us who teaches us the true meaning of the words of Christ
Jesus. And like Jesus, John begins these verses by instructing
his audience to remain in the teachings of Jesus Christ just
as they have heard those teachings from the beginning. And
then John goes on to talk about how the anointing (that is
within them as a result of receiving Jesus' teachings) will
continue to teach them so that they don't need anyone else
to teach them.
Now, what does John mean that they don't need anyone else
to teach them? First, we should notice that this statement
is conditional. ONLY IF they stayed in the teaching of Christ
Jesus as it had been taught from the beginning were they without
need of someone else to teach them. Therefore, this statement
does not apply to situations or persons who deviate from the
teaching of Jesus Christ as it was taught from the beginning.
Second, notice that remaining in the original doctrine of
Jesus Christ as it was taught from the beginning is the theme
of this passage.
1 John 2: 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because
ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have
written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and
the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome
the wicked one.
1 John 2: 21 I have not written unto you because
ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that
no lie is of the truth.
1 John 2: 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which
ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard
from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue
in the Son, and in the Father.
John's emphasis to his audience that they will remain in the
Father and the Son only if they remain in the teaching as
it has been taught from the beginning is also echoed in other
passages likewise instructing Christians to remain in the
teaching just as they have received it from the apostles.
(Romans 16:17-18, 1 Corinthians 11:2, Galatians 1:6-8, Ephesians
4:11-15, Ephesians 4:6-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Thessalonians
3:14-15, 1 Timothy 4:1. 1 Timothy 4:9-16, 1 Timothy 6:3-5,
2 Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 1:9,
13, Titus 2:1, Titus 2:7, 2 John 1:9-11, Jude 1:3.)
Third, notice that John is talking about false teachers in
this passage who are trying to lead Christians away from the
teaching as it was taught from the beginning.
1 John 2: 18 Little children, it is the last time:
and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even
now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that
it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they
were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no
doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that
they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye
know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie
is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that
Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father
and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same
hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also.
In contrast to John's audience who John instructs to remain
in the teaching of Christ Jesus, John also talks about such
men who started out among the Christians but have not remained.
These men went on to deny that Jesus is the Christ. And John
even calls them liars, which indicates that they were telling
these false beliefs to others, and so these men were teaching
false things about Christ Jesus. It is concerning these false
teachers that John writes, "if that which ye have heard from
the beginning shall remain in you… ye need not that any man
teach you." For, these men had departed from the truth and
were now teaching falsehood and so John writes to the Christians
that if they remain in the doctrine of Christ, they have no
need of such men to teach them because they already have the
truth while the things that these men teach are mere lies.
But again, the essential point from John's epistle is that
exemption from needing a teacher was conditional and only
applied to those who were remaining in Jesus' teaching as
it had been taught from the beginning. Therefore, this passage
cannot be use by those who deviate from Jesus' original teaching.
Such persons are not exempt from needing a teacher. Furthermore,
in this passage ONLY those who remaining in Jesus' teaching
as it had been taught from the beginning could expect the
Holy Spirit to help them further understand. Consequently,
this passage does NOT support the idea that the Holy Spirit
will teach those who do NOT hold to Jesus' teaching as it
was taught from the beginning. If a person has doctrine that
differs from the original teaching of Christ Jesus, they cannot
expect to be taught inwardly by the Holy Spirit. (However,
they can receive help for their mistaken doctrine through
the external preaching of men who hold to sound doctrine.
So, they are not without help.)
Second, in this passage, the kinds of teachers that Christians
are exempt from are those teachers who would lead us away
from Jesus' teaching as it was taught from the beginning.
Therefore, nothing in this passage can be used to support
the idea of exemption from teachers who teach us correct doctrine
as it was taught from the beginning.
Third, we can clearly see both the first and second points
above in Hebrews 5:11-6:3.
Hebrews 5: 11 Of whom we have many things to say,
and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have
need that one teach you again which be the first principles
of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need
of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth
milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he
is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that
are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their
senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 6:1 Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the
doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection
of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will
we do, if God permit.
In contrast to John's comments in 1 John 2, where John teaches
that those who understand and remain in sound doctrine do
not need to subject themselves to false teachers, here in
Hebrews 5:11-6:3, Paul teaches that those who do not yet properly
understand Christ's teachings are still in need of orthodox
teachers to teach them.
In this passage from Hebrews, Paul states that he has many
things to teach his audience but that he cannot do so because
they are dull of hearing and do not yet understand the basics
of God's Word. And Paul comments that because his audience
doesn't understand the basics of the doctrine of Christ, they
therefore still "need that one teach" them. And notice that
Paul says that enough time has past that his audience should
be teachers themselves by now. So, Paul is not talking about
new converts to Christianity. He is talking about people who've
been Christians long enough to be teachers but they still
need teachers themselves because they have not yet come to
understand the doctrine of Christ Jesus.
And notice the list of things that Paul counts among the basic
doctrine: repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands,
the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. This covers
every aspect of doctrine from conversion through the return
of Christ and eschatology, which ends at the final judgment.
All these, according to Paul, are things that a person must
understand or else "they are yet a babe." And according to
Paul, if a person doesn't understand such things, not only
are they immature, but they are still in need of someone else
to teach these things to them. Therefore, no one can claim
to be exempt from needing a teacher so long as they still
do not understand the basics that Paul lists here.
But we would like to add one additional point. If everything
from repentance to eschatology are "the foundations" and "the
basics" according to Paul, then what is the "meat" of the
Word that Paul wants to go on to talk about here? Well, notice
in chapter 6:1, that Paul says, "let us go on unto perfection."
In chapter 5:7-9, Paul was talking about the character of
Jesus Christ, how he endured even suffering with faith and
patience. But Paul has to stop talking about the development
of the character of Christ Jesus because his audience still
doesn't understand the basics, which include everything from
repentance to eschatology. In saying this, Paul is defining
everything from repentance to eschatology as the milk and
the basic foundation and simultaneously defining development
of the character of Christ as the meat, which is developed
only after that foundation is laid.
In other words, Paul wants to talk about character but he
can't because an understanding of everything from repentance
to eschatology comes first and provides the foundation of
character development and his audience does not yet understand
those things. This is very significant in two ways. First,
far from having God be unconcerned with our doctrine as long
as we focus on character, here Paul is teaching that God first
wants us to understand doctrine because that forms the necessary
foundation of good character development.
Second, in listing everything from repentance to eschatology
as the basics, Paul is defining what he considers to be "essential
doctrines." In modern terms, Church leaders often want to
define the "essentials" as strictly those things that deal
with the Trinity, the nature of Christ Jesus, and how Christ
Jesus obtained our salvation through his death and resurrection.
But Paul's definition of the essentials is much broader than
that. Paul's definition of the essentials spans from repentance
to Revelation, so to speak.
And more to the point, according to Paul, anyone who does
not yet understand these things is still in need of a teacher.
As such, the exemption from the need for a teacher describing
in 1 John 2 does not apply to anyone who doesn't yet understand
sound doctrine. In short, if you don't understand sound doctrine
as it was taught from the beginning concerning topics from
repentance to revelation, then you cannot assert that you
are exempt from needing a human teacher because you have the
Holy Spirit inside of you. A person only becomes exempt from
needing a human teacher when they understand and remain in
the foundational range of doctrines defined by Paul in Hebrews
6:1-3, and only then can such a person invoke reliance solely
on the Holy Spirit to keep them in sound doctrine.
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