The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
July 24, 2005
In
This Issue:
Foolish
Questions
by
Steve Klein
The
Holy Spirit: His Deity and Nature
by
Lynn Headrick
Foolish Questions
My wife's grandfather died of electrocution working for the Power Company many years ago. That was well before my time. But I once met a man who told me that he had been a friend of my wife's grandfather. "Oh," I said, "So, did you know him before he was electrocuted?"
I've been told all my life that, "There is no such thing as a foolish question." Such a statement might be made by a teacher trying to encourage inquiry and motivate students to learn. That is a noble goal. But the fact is that foolish questions do exist. I know that, not only because I have asked some, but also because the Bible warns us against asking them -- or at least against asking certain kinds of them.
In Titus 3:9 the apostle Paul commands, "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain" (KJV). The New King James Version here reads "avoid foolish disputes" and the New International Version has "avoid foolish controversies." In 2 Timothy 2:23, we are told to avoid "foolish and unlearned questions&ldots;knowing that they do gender strifes" (KJV). And 1 Timothy 6:3-4 says that, "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising" (see also 1 Timothy 1:4).
While none of these passages give a specific example of a foolish question, they do tell us something of the nature of such questions and their consequences. Notice:
-
Foolish Questions do not seek to find answers in the "wholesome words&ldots;of our Lord Jesus Christ" or in His "doctrine." Questions aimed at getting answers that are solely human opinion or philosophy are foolish because the source of ultimate truth is God, not man (Jeremiah 10:23). When it comes to spiritual matters, questions that do not lead us to a better understanding of the will of God have no business being asked.
- Foolish questions are "unprofitable and vain," and they
cause "useless wrangling"(1 Timothy 6:5, NKJV). If an
action is unprofitable and useless, there is no point in engaging in
it. Even if we could come up with the correct answer to a
foolish question, it would not benefit anyone!
- Foolish questions cause strife, contention, envy, railing
(reviling) and evil surmisings. Foolish questions create
battles of words in which egos are inflated, feelings are hurt,
brethren are called names, and motives are impugned, but the Lord is
not glorified and His will is not discovered. The
aftermath of a single foolish question may leave ill will and
division among brethren for years.
- Foolish questions are asked by the "proud." Notice that Paul describes an individual who dotes about "questions and strifes of words" as "proud." An individual who feels that his knowledge is superior to others and his "issue" is worth splitting the church over is proud.
Let us all pray for wisdom to ask good questions as we strive to understand the will of the Lord together. Before initiating a discussion, first ask yourself the following:
1) Has the Lord revealed something on this matter?
2) Does my question seek a better understanding of what the Lord has said?
3) If my question is answered, will the answer help anyone?
4) By asking this question, am I just trying to start or win an argument?
5) Can I discuss this question without allowing pride or emotion to control me?
--Steve Klein
"...the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." We are thus introduced to the Holy Spirit in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. The last chapter of the last book of the Bible presents an invitation from the Spirit saying, "and the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'" Between the first and last chapters of the Bible, there is a fascinating account of the deity, nature, and work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is called "God"
The word divinity or godhead is used in Romans 1:20 to denote "the attributes of God, His divine nature and properties." God is divine as opposed to being human. There is one God, one divine essence, Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Timothy 2:5, whose attributes are expressed in three persons: God, the Father; God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. "There is one God and Father of all," Eph.4:6. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," John 10:30. Jesus meant that both he and the Father are divine; "In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily," Colossians 2:9. God and Christ are of the same divine essence but are distinct persons. Ananias lied "to the Holy Spirit," but it was also said, "thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God," Acts 5:3-5. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Holy Spirit is God--He possesses the attributes of God; He is divine.
At the baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus was on earth, God spoke from heaven and the Spirit was descending. When disciples are baptized, it is done "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," Matthew 28:19.
Paul acknowledges the three persons of the godhead in his benediction at the close of the second Corinthian letter: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." Scripture does not affirm three Gods but it does repeatedly emphasize three persons in the godhead.
These thoughts on the deity of the Holy Spirit may seem strange to us because: 1) we are finite and do, indeed, find such concepts as eternity and deity difficult to comprehend, and 2) we just do not preach, write and talk enough about the nature and deity of the Holy Spirit.
The nature of the Holy Spirit
By nature is meant the essential characteristics and qualities of a person. It was said of Barnabas that he was a good man, of Dorcas that she was full of almsdeeds, of Cornelius that he was well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, and of Epaphroditus that he was Paul's fellow-worker and fellow-soldier. When we are made aware of these characteristics and qualities, we feel that we know these people. Since the Holy Spirit is divine, we expect to find, and do find, in Him qualities superior to humanity.
The Spirit was active, as already noted, in the creation of the heavens and the earth. God testified against rebellious Israel by the "Spirit through thy prophets," Nehemiah 9:30. We have the Bible because of the work of the Holy Spirit. Peter affirms that no prophecy of Scripture originated in the mind of men but, on the contrary, "men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit," 2 Peter 1:21. This same Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all the truth, John 16:13. No human being can know God's thoughts but the divine Holy Spirit searched out the things of God and revealed them in words to the apostles, 1 Corinthians 2:10-13. When we read these words of the Spirit we can understand them, Ephesians 3:4,5.
We learn through the words of the Spirit, the New Testament, that the Spirit is "given to all that obey" God, Acts 5:32. The Spirit's testimony or witness is found in God's word and when our testimony agrees with that of the Holy Spirit we have assurance that we are children of God, Romans 8:16. The Spirit testifies that we are to hear the gospel, believe that God is, repent of our sins, confess Christ to be the Son of God and be baptized for the remission of our sins. Our testimony must be the same. A strong argument for living free of fornication is that our bodies are temples of "the Holy Spirit which is in you," 1 Corinthians 6:19. When we do wrong we grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30.
"Now the Spirit expressly says," 1 Timothy 4:1, many wonderful things unto us in the Bible. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches," Revelation 2:29.
-- Lynn Headrick