Gen.1:2 But the earth became waste and emptiness, and darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was brooding upon the surface of the waters. John 7:39 But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
[Part 1 of 3] The revelation in the Bible concerning God, Christ, and the Spirit is progressive. This revelation begins in Genesis 1 and develops progressively until it reaches its consummation in the book of Revelation. The first mention of the Spirit in the Scriptures is found in Genesis 1:2, where we are told that the Spirit of God was brooding over the waters (Heb.). In relation to God's creation, the Spirit is specifically called the Spirit of God. God's relationship with man, of course, is more intimate than His relationship with creation. Hence, in speaking of God's relationship with man, the title of the Spirit is the Spirit of Jehovah (Judg. 3:10; 1 Sam. 10:6). At the time of the conception and birth of Christ, the term Holy Spirit was used (Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:20). This title of the Spirit is related to holiness, sanctification, and separation unto God. Through the Holy Spirit something in man is sanctified, made holy. In Greek, Acts 16:7 speaks of the Spirit of Jesus. The Lord's life on earth was a life of suffering. Thus, the title "the Spirit of Jesus" refers in particular to the Spirit in relation to the Lord's suffering. In Romans 8:9-11 Paul speaks of the Spirit of Christ. According to the context of these verses, the Spirit of Christ is related mainly to Christ's resurrection. We have seen that in 1:19 Paul speaks of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. ...the Spirit of Jesus Christ is related both to suffering and resurrection. In his imprisonment Paul was enjoying the Spirit both as the Spirit of Jesus in suffering and as the Spirit of Christ in resurrection. As he was suffering, Paul was enjoying Christ's resurrection. Since he was experiencing both suffering and resurrection, to him the Spirit was the Spirit of Jesus Christ. John 7:39 speaks of "the Spirit," telling us that before the Lord Jesus was crucified and resurrected, "the Spirit" was not yet. The Spirit of God was there from the beginning (Gen. 1:1-2), but "the Spirit" as the Spirit of Jesus Christ was "not yet" at the time of John 7:39, because the Lord had not yet been glorified. After His resurrection, the Spirit of God became the Spirit of the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Jesus Christ. Even though, before the Lord's death and resurrection, the Spirit of God was the Spirit of Jehovah and the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit" was not yet. This term--"the Spirit"--is used often by Paul in his Epistles and by John in the book of Revelation. Instead of saying the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit, Paul often said "the Spirit"--the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit of the Triune God. (Continued tomorrow) (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Philippians, pp. 41-42. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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