Expert: Marvin Howard - 7/15/2006

Question
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me a detailed answer.  It really helped me out a lot.  I have one more question that I hope you can help me with.  The Question is, "How do you feel that the Holy Spirit operates today?"  Once again, I thank you for taking time to make your answers so clear and understandable.  
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Followup To

Question -
Hi.  I have been asked to answer a question and I keep getting stumped and can't get started with the answer.  The question is, "Explain how you feel about John 4:24."  If you could, would you please explain how you feel about John 4:24?  I would appreciate it.  It will help me get started with answering for myself.  Thank you for your time.  

Answer
Hi!

Chad, thank you for your kind words. Also, thank you for the further opportunity to help. There are very few, direct Scriptures speaking to the direct function of the Spirit. We will see these, but I feel we can get as much information just from understanding who He is based on the ancient texts.

First, let's look back to the related study verses I just gave you.

2nd Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

Notice that this passage does not say "thoroughly," but rather, "throughly." One can thouroughly cover something and still end up in the same place where he started. However, if he covers it throughly (goes through it completely), he comes out on the other side, having completed at least a portion of a journey. I understand that some versions look at this as a typo and try to correct it, but such a change is unwarranted from the Greek. Now, you may wonder what this has to do with the Holy Spirit. We need to look at this in the Greek, and compared to English etymologies, to get the answer.

Here is the Greek for the word, "inspiration of God:"

θεόπνευστος
theopneustos
theh-op'-nyoo-stos
From G2316 and a presumed derivative of G4154; divinely breathed in: - given by inspiration of God.

In other words, the Scriptures are the very breath of God: or God-breathed.

The first of the references in the compound word simply means "deity." It is the same root from which we get our word, "theology." The second is the same root from where we get our word, "pneumonia." It has to do with the lungs, or  breath. To "expire" is to die, or to breathe out your last breath. to "spire" then is "to breathe." A "spirit" then is "one who breathes." The result of this word study is that the Holy Spirit is "the one who breathes Holiness," or the Word of God.

So, what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? What does He do today? You must remember, we just studied that Jesus is the Word. He sent the Holy Spirit to help the apostles once He ascended. Consider each of the following passages.

John 14:16, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;"

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:"

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."

It is easliy seen from these passages that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He spoke of Jesus. He reminded the Apostles of everything Jesus said while on earth. He provided them with enough surety that they were correct in their beliefs that they could face death without flinching or departing from the faith. If the Spirit is the Comforter for the Apostles by giving them the words, how is he our Comforter today? Or, IS He our Comforter today?

Romans 15:4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

The words that the Spirit gave to the Apostles were written down for people, both present and future (including us today), that we may have the same comfort. We may have the same surety that our faith is correct. We may face the persecutions and death without wavering. This ties back directly into the fact that the Scriptures are breathed directly by the Spirit.

Hebrews 1:1-2, "God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"

Today, God speaks to us by Jesus. The Holy Spirit only repeats the same truths and words that Jesus said. He does not sit inside of us saying something different to each of us to prove Himself. For Him to do so would be to provide someone with a tool for their salvation which He did not give to another. This would make Him a respecter of persons, and being God, He cannot do that.

To see more of what He no longer does for us, please see my sermon at http://www.geocities.com/braswellcoc1/archive3.html .

The Spirit does dwell within us (Romans 8:9, where the Spirit of God who is God, the Father who is God, and Jesus who is God each dwell within us), as He is God, and God dwells within us IF we do the things He says (John 15:4-7 and 1st John 2:24 where we have to keep to the words already given). We are baptized in the Spirit, AFTER we are obedient to baptism in water, by immersing ourselves in the Word because of our desire, and in so doing receive the comfort of the Scriptures.

The Spirit does have one other function today that I can find in Scripture. He does have to be within us before He does this. He is our interpreter before the Father, if you will allow me that expression.

Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

Sometimes, because we are weak and mortal, we do not know the things for which we should ask. The Holy Spirit helps us in this matter. Imagine trying to ask something of someone who speaks a different language. Because of the unity within the Godhead, and His invention of our language at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), this is not a perfect analogy, but it is the best I can devise.

Philippians 1:21-24, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."

Even Paul "wot not" (didn't know) which was the best thing for which to ask: life or death. In addition, he asked God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" three times. God said, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2nd Corinthians 12:9). Therefore, I see that when I do not know that for which I should pray, I am in excellent company.

In summary, the Spirit swells in us today, if we are Christians. However, He does not supply us with any special insights or revelations. He provided the Scriptures to serve the purpose of being both our teacher and comfort. The only direct intervention He does for us as individuals is in our prayer life. Even then, He does not change the words that we say, He only fills in the gaps. He doesn't make us pray in other languages. Instead, He takes our prayer, in our language, and makes it suitable for reception by the Father.

Chad, once again, I thank you for asking me this, and allowing me the opportunity to further serve you and the Kingdom of God. I am always available to do this work. I commend you on your desire to study and your search for the truth.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
http://www.geocities.com/preacherman_1962
http://360.yahoo.com/preacherman_1962