True, and I think it's mostly because people associate the Holy Ghost experience (it) with the Holy Ghost. They just don't stop and think is all and they repeat what everyone else says.
I'm not so sure that it needs to be made a major issue whether the Holy Ghost is referred to as "He" or "It" although there is some theology there to be understood I suppose.
I would assume that most people know who the Holy Ghost is. I sure hope so anyhow.
I think it goes beyond a theological discussion ... it's an attitude towards that experience and what it really means to be filled w/ His Spirit ...
It can lead to a focus on experiencing "it", i.e. counting "experiencers" .... rather than having Him live in you daily.
In the Old Testament, God existed as an omnipresent, invisible Spirit and as a localized, visible (in some way) form or morphe called the Word, the Logos, the Memra, or ha Kavod (the Glory) of the Messiah. That form which was visible to angels and also to humans at special times and in special forms, that expression of God became a human being of flesh in the womb of Mary. I don't really know how to explain it. Just as God was visible and invisible; every where present and localized; Sender and Sent One; Sovereign and Servant; hidden and revealed; transcendent and imminent; but one being or one God, in the Old Testament, we see Him the same way in the New Testament but in a permanent form in the person of Jesus, our Lord, our Messiah, and our God.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
1 John 5:7 says, "there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." NKJV
In the Old Testament, God was:
1 the Father --the One who was the creator and originator of all, the
one Who was above all and sovereign over all.
2 the Word --God revealed, localized, made known, among humankind and
interacting with humankind
3 the Spirit (Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Ghost, etc) --God
working upon, working among, working within people and things,
influencing, empowering, changing, etc.
In the New Testament, God is:
1 the Father --the One who was the creator and originator of all, the
one Who was above all and sovereign over all, our Dad
2 the Word or Son --God revealed, localized, made known, among humankind and interacting with humankind
3 the Spirit (Spirit of God, Spirit of Jesus Christ, Spirit of the Lord, Holy Ghost, Christ in us, etc) --God working upon, working among, working within people and things, influencing, empowering, changing, etc.
Is this Oneness or Trinity?
The answer is "yes."
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
It doesn't say that God humbled Himself, it says Jesus humbled Himself as if He existed in eternity and although He had equality with God, He made Himself nothing. Can God become nothing?
I disagree it is saying Jesus humbled himself as if He existed in eternity. Otherwise if this is speaking of preexistence then it makes no sense. If in this verse, Jesus was in the preexistent form of God then Jesus was God and it's wierd to say he as God 'thought it not robbery to be equal with God'. The Jews thought it was robbery for Jesus to equate himself with God and wanted to stone him for it because was a man.
But if you say that Jesus 'being in the form of God' means Jesus the man is the express image of God or God's human form (and God in any form is God) though he was God in flesh thought it not robbery to be equal with God [his Father who is Spirit] then it makes more sense. IMO
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
Are you speaking of the flesh or inner man, Praxeas????
The only problem w/ your syllogism is that he's both man and God ...
and as long as you assert he's also God then he is eternal also.
Well then that would be the problem with YOUR "Syllogism" since you did it first and left out the man. BTW since I never said he wasn't eternal I have no idea what kick you are on, once again.
BTW by flesh do you mean skin? By flesh I mean human nature.
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
In Oneness circles we teach that Jesus Christ pre-existed as the Word and then became flesh and dwelt among us. I’m interested in how you explain Philippians 2:6-11.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Verse 6 refers to “who”. Verse 7 uses the word “himself” and “him”.Verse 8 says “he” humbled “himself”. Verse 9 refers to “him”.
It seems that Paul is referring to Jesus Christ in the pre-existent state using the same pronouns as the person of Jesus in the flesh on earth, rather than as an “it” which would seem more appropriate if one was referring to the “word”.
Why does it say, “…made himself of no reputation”?
The who being Christ Jesus born of a woman.
Is not Christ the Visible form of the invisible God? Is not "Being in the form of God, showing he is the Word"
If in the beginning "was" the word?
And the "Word" was with God.
And the "Word" was God.
Then the Word "Became" flesh and dwelt amongst us?
If Christ is both God the Father and God the son.
He would be Himself, Him and He.
Jer 10:10 Speaking of the the "Lord? (Jehova/YHWH) is the True God, he is the living God, and everlasting King.
Verse 12 He hath made the earth by "his" power, "he" hath established the world by wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by "his" discretion.
Verse 13 When "he" utterethhis voice.....
Colossians 2:9 Anh in "him" dwelleth the "fullness of the Godhead bodily".
In other words his human body is the fullness or the completeness of God.
And to futher that point of Completeness Paul says in the next verse and we are complete in "him".
Colossians 1:15-17 says of Jesus, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.
For by, "Him" were all things created, that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible,......
17 for he "is" (not was) before all things and by "him" all things consist.
As he said before Abraham was, I am!
He is before all things, Before all things he is the "I AM".
He is all of God we will ever see with our eye's.
He is the center of the being "God".
Because Christ completed God through his birth, completed his forgiveness promise by dying on the cross and his redemption promise by his resurrection.
Php 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Php 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Php 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.