Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

Announcements

The Work of the Holy Spirit – A Sermon

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One of the most hotly-debated topics in so-called “Christendom” is the work of the Holy Spirit.  It’s been that way for well over a hundred years, as today’s entry in the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary shows.

Today’s addition to the eLibrary is a sermon delivered by James Anderson, with the title “The Work of the Holy Spirit.”  It was first published back in 1896 as a tract, and it still has value today.

Contents

  1. Life Comes from Life
  2. How the Spirit Operates
  3. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
  4. Things We Do Not Believe
  5. Only One Way Out of Confusion
  6. An Earnest Appeal

This short work has been reformatted, and any errors that we caught were corrected so that you can have the best possible copy of this work available!

To download it, or save for later reading, just click the link below!

Work of the Holy Spirit (James Anderson)

-Bradley S. Cobb

Announcements, Books

Baptism in Spirit and in Fire

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One of the larger religious groups in the United States talk about wanting to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and baptized into fire.  They don’t have a clue what they’re asking for, because baptism in fire is not a good thing (Matthew 3:10-12).

James Challen, a preacher from generations ago, wrote a small book on this exact topic, and we are proud to add it today as part of the Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary.

To download it or read it online, just click the link below!

Challen – Baptism in Spirit and in Fire

-Bradley S. Cobb

Announcements, Books

The Holy Spirit and the Word of God

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I’m assuming you’ve all already seen this post from a couple days ago, so you know about the new Jimmie Beller Memorial eLibrary.  If not, click on the link and read about it.  We’ll wait for you.

Among Jimmie’s many books was a copy of “The Spirit and the Word: A Treatise on the Holy Spirit in Light of a Rational Interpretation of the Word of Truth” by Z.T. Sweeney.  I think it’d have been better titled simply “The Holy Spirit and the Word of God,” but I wasn’t around a hundred years ago when it was written.

This book is all about the Holy Spirit, His work, and His indwelling in the Christian.

Chapters

  1. The Spirit in the Old Testament
  2. The Spirit in the New Testament
  3. The Personality and Divinity of the Spirit
  4. The Spirit and John the Baptist
  5. The Spirit and Jesus
  6. The Spirit and the Apostles
  7. The Spirit and the Apostolic Church
  8. The Spirit and the World
  9. The Spirit and the Christian
  10. The Parting Word (Blasphemy against the Spirit, Fruits of the Spirit, The Spirit of God at Work Today)

This book contains a list of every verse in which the Holy Spirit is mentioned, which is very handy.

For those who are interested in the Holy Spirit, and especially His indwelling in the Christian, this book is for you.  It will make you think.

Click on the link below to read or download this book.

The Spirit and the Word (Z.T. Sweeney)

Articles, Bible Questions

Did Paul Receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying on of Hands?

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Question: The book of Acts says that Ananias came and laid hands on Paul so that he would “receive the Holy Spirit.”  Does that mean that he had the Holy Spirit before he was baptized? –F.B.U.

To answer this question, we need to look at the text that it comes from:

Acts 9:17-18

And Ananias went his way and entered into the house. And putting his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus that appeared to you in the way as you came has sent me so that you might receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and he received sight immediately, and arose, and was baptized.

Putting his hands on him…”Brother Saul…receive your sight…”

Here we see the miracle of Saul’s sight being restored. Verse 18 makes it clear that was the result of Ananias’ laying hands on him. That much is clear and undisputed by anyone who believes the Bible.

The question now, though, is what do we make of the phrase “be filled with the Holy Spirit”?

Jesus…has sent me so that you might…be filled with the Holy Spirit.

There are several opinions from scholars as to what this means. Some insist that it is the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit being given to Saul of Tarsus—prior to baptism—by Ananias laying hands on him. Others say basically the same thing, except they say it was the gift of miracles being given to Saul prior to his baptism by Ananias laying hands on him.

When Luke uses the phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit” or “full of the Holy Spirit,” miracles (usually inspiration) are always under consideration. Examine them for yourself: John the Immerser (Luke 1:15), John’s mother, Elisabeth (Luke 1:41-45), John’s father, Zacharias (Luke 1:67-79), the apostles (Acts 2:4), the apostles again (Acts 4:31), Stephen (Acts 6:5, 7:55-56), Barnabas (Acts 11:22-24), Paul (Acts 13:9-11), and the disciples of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14, 51-52).

Understanding this, let’s now look at the evidence to come to a rational, biblical conclusion to this potential conundrum.

First, Jesus said that the purpose of Ananias’ laying hands on Saul was so he would receive his sight. That was seen in verse 12 of this same chapter. There was no indication in Jesus’ words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit.

Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. After he put his hands on Saul, the Bible only records that Saul received his sight. It says nothing about him receiving the Holy Spirit. If we look at Acts 22, where Saul (who is also called Paul) is telling about this very event, we see that he doesn’t even mention the Holy Spirit at all—but he does mention receiving his sight again.[1]

Third, the ability to pass on the Holy Spirit was only available to the apostles. This is shown in chapter 8, verses 14-18. Ananias was not an apostle, and so—unless someone wishes to argue that Ananias should be classed as an apostle—the evidence is against his being able to pass on this gift.

Fourth, Saul was lost in his sins when Ananias laid his hands on him, and was not a candidate to receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not been baptized. This principle is seen in Acts 8:15-16. Acts 22:12-16 shows that he was still lost in sins after Ananias laid his hands on him. The Holy Spirit was promised only to those who were the obedient servants of God.[2]

Fifth, Paul makes it very clear throughout his life that he did not receive his apostleship from any man. Miracles (the gift of the Holy Spirit) and the ability to pass them on were “the signs of an apostle.”[3] Paul states that he was “an apostle—not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.”[4] All of the apostles received their miraculous ability direct from heaven.[5] Paul would be no different.

Sixth, we see no record of Saul performing miracles until years later. The first time we read of Saul (now called Paul) doing any miracle is in Acts 13:9-11. This is the first time where Paul is said to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Now, this does not mean that Paul was unable to perform miracles prior to Acts 13, but it is supportive evidence that he didn’t receive the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him. There is no evidence that Saul was able to work miracles before that event.

Seventh, it took the testimony of Barnabas to convince the apostles that Saul was really a disciple of Jesus Christ. You might ask, What does that have to do with anything? If Saul of Tarsus had the miraculous abilities given by the Holy Spirit at this point, it would have been very simple for him to prove to the apostles and other disciples that he was a Christian. But instead, it took Barnabas speaking on his behalf. Though not conclusive, this evidence seems to indicate that at this point Saul did not have the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit.

Since the evidence implies that Saul did not receive the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him, what exactly did he mean when he told Saul “Jesus…has sent me so that you might…be filled with the Holy Spirit”?

Ananias’ mission was to heal and baptize Saul; to bring him into the family of God and Christ. As you can see from other passages in Acts,[6] the Holy Spirit was only given to those who were servants of God, and who obey Him. Ananias came to help Saul become spiritually acceptable before God, and thus also help him become a candidate for the reception of the Holy Spirit. It was preparatory work.

-Bradley S. Cobb

[1] Acts 22:12-13

[2] Acts 2:17-18, 5:32

[3] II Corinthians 12:12

[4] Galatians 1:1

[5] Acts 2:1-4, 4:29-31

[6] Acts 2:17-18, 5:32

Articles, Books

The Holy Spirit in Acts 17:11?

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The following short segment comes from our upcoming book, The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts.  Enjoy!

Acts 17:11

These [people of Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

Paul and Silas were both prophets, both spoke by inspiration of God, and Paul (perhaps Silas too) was able to perform miracles—all by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet God takes a moment to praise the people of Berea because they weren’t content with a prophetic message; they weren’t content with an inspired message; they weren’t content with any miracles that Paul may have performed—they knew that the message had to match up with the Scriptures in order for it to be truly from God.

Prophets were temporary (Zechariah 13:2). Miracles (including inspiration) were temporary (I Corinthians 13:8-10). But God’s word remains forever (I Peter 1:23-25). The word of God is called “the sword [or the weapon] of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). It is the word of God that is able to save the souls of men (James 1:21). Miracles can’t save souls—the word of God can.

The Holy Spirit, therefore, is active in every case of conversion from Pentecost through today—but His tool for converting the lost is the living and active word of God (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit is also active in guiding Christians ever since Pentecost in the very same way: through the Scripture which is able to make us perfect (II Timothy 3:16-17).

-Bradley Cobb

(NOTE: Today’s image is taken from the cover of a publication called Nobility, which is freely available from the Gravel Hill church of Christ website)

Announcements

The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

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It’s been months in the making, but our latest book, The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts is just about done.  We believe that you will find it to be a worthwhile and valuable resource.

Features:

  • An in-depth look at every passage in Acts which mentions or alludes to the Holy Spirit.
  • Each passage is examined to come to a better understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit as described in the book of Acts.
  • Opposing viewpoints are considered (when such exist) in light of the context of each passage and the book as a whole.
  • No stances are taken on interpretation of a passage without first proving from the Bible that it is the proper one.
  • An appendix on the end of miracles.

This book came about because of the wrangling that is done throughout the church over the issue of the Holy Spirit, His work, and how various passages in Acts are used or misused in an effort to prove each side’s arguments.

Coming in at just over 200 pages, this book is easy to read and understand, but it is in-depth, and backs up its conclusions with careful Bible examination.  Unlike some books which attempt to tell you what to believe on the issue, this one attempts to prove from the Scriptures what the proper belief is.

Issues covered in the book include:

  • Miraculous inspiration
  • Miraculous fulfillment
  • The purposes of miracles
  • The end of miracles
  • To whom does “the gift of the Holy Spirit” of Acts 2:38-39 apply?
  • How was the Holy Spirit a witness for the believers?
  • Prophecy given and fulfilled by the Holy Spirit.

We do hope that you will consider checking the book out.  Look for it (Lord willing) by the end of this month!

Announcements, Books

The Holy Spirit, Revelation, Restoration, Infant Baptism, and …

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There’s a lot to be thankful for–and that’s true all the time!  We’re thankful for you, and the fact that you take the time to read what we’ve posted here.

And now, we’d like to let you know about some things that we’ve been keeping secret!

The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

We are over half-way finished writing this book.  It’s been a very rewarding and eye-opening study.  Every passage in the book of Acts that mentions or alludes to the Holy Spirit is examined to see what we can learn about the third person of the Godhead, and how He works.

When keeping all these verses in context, it becomes apparent that several verses have been pulled out of context and used to teach something that they were never intended to teach–even by some of our own good, sound brethren.

Things Which Came to Pass: A Study of Revelation

Over a year ago, well over a thousand hours of work was poured into writing and preaching forty-eight sermons covering the entire book of Revelation.  We are currently in the process of taking those sermon outlines and converting them into a readable book/commentary/study guide so that you can benefit from the study and see what the final book of the Bible meant to the original readers–and what it means to us today.

When preaching these sermons, we also had handouts for the congregation which acted as worksheets to help them see the main points of each section of Revelation.  These handouts (222 pages’ worth) have been collected into a single workbook, and is available here for just $6.99 $5.99 until Christmas!  These workbooks are priced cheap so that any congregations wishing to use them can easily afford to get one for each student.  We know of at least three congregations already who are planning on using this material in the next year.

The David King Collection

You might be asking yourself, “Who is David King?”  But if you were a Christian from England, you’d probably already know the answer to that question.  Many people don’t realize it, but Alexander Campbell worked with David King in a trans-continental way.  In the United States, Campbell was publishing the Millennial Harbinger, while David King was in England publishing the British Millennial Harbinger.

King was a preacher, editor, writer, and debater, yet many Americans haven’t ever been blessed to read his works.  We’re hoping to start the process of remedying that.  We’re just about finished with the final touches of the David King Collection (perhaps the first of multiple volumes, if people want more).  This first collection includes the following:

  • The Primitive Church, the Apostasy, and the Restoration
  • Why Baptize the Little Ones?
  • The History and Mystery of the Christadelphians
  • The Resurrection of Saints and Sinners at the Coming of the Lord

If you’re interested in reading some of these online, we’ve made them available for free at GravelHillchurchofChrist.com.  But for those of you who–like me–would rather hold a real book in your hand, we’re making this available very shortly in paperback!

Scripture Studies, Volumes 1 and 2

Back in 1931 and 1941, Gospel Advocate published two volumes of Scripture Studies, written by S.H. Hall.  These books contained twenty-four lessons each, designed to ground members in the basic truths about the Bible, Jesus, salvation, the church, and fellowship.

These valuable resources have been hard to find for several years, but are now finally back in print–complete with the Cobb Publishing quality you’ve come to know and appreciate.  We’ve made the text easier to read, corrected any mistakes we ran across, and put it all together in one convenient package!

It is a great collection for teaching a Bible class, and your students would benefit from having their own copy of these two classic books in one 362-page collection!  Learn more about it here!

Or, you can read through them at the Gravel Hill website (mentioned above).

So You’re Thinking About Elders

At the request of the elders here, a series of lessons were presented on elders, their responsibilities, their authority, and the qualifications of elders.  It actually ended up covering sixteen weeks, and was very well-received.  We are collecting these sermons and making it into a Bible class book which should be available, Lord willing, by early 2015.

There’s more to come, because this list doesn’t even contain half of the projects currently underway.  But it’s  sampling of some things you can look forward to in the coming months!

Thanks again for reading!

Articles, Bible Questions

Bible Q&A – Did Paul Receive the Holy Spirit by the Laying on of Hands?

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Question: Ananias was sent to Damascus in Acts 9 to lay hands on Saul of Tarsus (later the Apostle Paul).  One of the reasons he came was so that Saul could “receive the Holy Spirit.”  So, did Saul receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands?–L.F.

There are several opinions from scholars as to what this means. Some insist that it is the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit being given to Saul of Tarsus—prior to baptism—by Ananias laying hands on him. Others say basically the same thing, except they say it was the gift of miracles being given to Saul prior to his baptism by Ananias laying hands on him.

When Luke uses the phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit” or “full of the Holy Spirit,” miracles (usually inspiration) are always under consideration. Examine them for yourself: John the Immerser (Luke 1:15), John’s mother, Elisabeth (Luke 1:41-45), John’s father, Zacharias (Luke 1:67-79), the apostles (Acts 2:4), the apostles again (Acts 4:31), Stephen (Acts 6:5, 7:55-56), Barnabas (Acts 11:22-24), Paul (Acts 13:9-11), and the Iconium disciples (Acts 13:52-14:1).

Understanding this, let’s now look at the evidence to come to a rational, biblical conclusion to this potential conundrum.

First, Jesus said that the purpose of Ananias’ laying hands on Saul was so he would receive his sight. That was seen in verse 12 of this same chapter (Acts 9). There was no indication in Jesus’ words that Ananias was going to give Saul the Holy Spirit.

Second, the only result of this event shown in the Bible is that Saul received his sight. After he put his hands on Saul, the Bible only records that Saul received his sight. It says nothing about him receiving the Holy Spirit. If we look at Acts 22, where Saul (who is also called Paul) is telling about this very event, we see that he doesn’t even mention the Holy Spirit at all—but he does mention receiving his sight again (Acts 22:12-13).

Third, the ability to pass on the Holy Spirit was only available to the apostles. This is shown in chapter 8, verses 14-18. Ananias was not an apostle, and so—unless he is classed as an apostle—the evidence is against his being able to pass on this gift.

Fourth, Saul was lost in his sins when Ananias laid his hands on him, and was not a candidate to receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not been baptized. This principle is seen in Acts 8:15-16. Acts 22:12-16 shows that he was still lost in sins after Ananias laid his hands on him. The Holy Spirit was promised only to those who were the obedient servants of God (Acts 2:17-18, 5:32).[1]

Fifth, Paul makes it very clear throughout his life that he did not receive his apostleship from any man. Miracles (the gift of the Holy Spirit) and the ability to pass them on were “the signs of an apostle” (II Corinthians 12:12). Paul states that he was “an apostle—not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1). All of the apostles received their miraculous ability direct from heaven (Acts 2:1-4, 4:29-31). Paul would be no different.

Sixth, we see no record of Saul performing miracles until years later. The first time we read of Saul (now called Paul) doing any miracle is in Acts 13:9-11. This is the first time where Paul is said to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Now, this does not mean that Paul was unable to perform miracles prior to Acts 13, but it is supportive evidence that he did not receive the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him. There is no evidence that Saul was able to work miracles before that event.

Seventh, it took the testimony of Barnabas to convince the apostles that Saul was really a disciple of Jesus Christ. You might ask What does that have to do with anything? If Saul of Tarsus had the miraculous abilities given by the Holy Spirit at this point, it would have been very simple for him to prove to the apostles and other disciples that he was a Christian. But instead, it took Barnabas speaking on his behalf. Though not conclusive, this evidence seems to indicate that at this point Saul did not have the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit.

Since the evidence implies that Saul did not receive the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him, what exactly did he mean when he told Saul “Jesus…has sent me so that you might…be filled with the Holy Spirit”?

Ananias’ mission was to heal and baptize Saul—to bring him into the family of God and Christ. As we’ve seen from other passages in Acts (2:17-18, 5:32), the Holy Spirit was only given to those who were servants of God, and who obey Him. Ananias came to help Saul become spiritually acceptable before God, and thus also help him become a candidate for the reception of the Holy Spirit. It was preparatory work.

[1] The example of Cornelius, who was a faithful servant of God under the Patriarchal Law, will be dealt with in the notes on chapters ten and eleven.

[NOTE: the answer given above is taken from our upcoming book, The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts]

-Bradley S. Cobb