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Featured Resisting the Holy Ghost

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Revmitchell, Feb 11, 2014.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.



    So, who is resisting the Holy Ghost here and how is this possible?
     
  2. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Since the nation (or fleshly) Israel is a picture of God's true (spiritual) Israel, then, by context, and in application, it is Christians who resist the Spirit, just as Christians, and only Christians, have the option to obey, or disobey, having two natures in them, the old one, and the ADDED one.
     
  3. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    I don't pretend to know who around here is doing so, but resisting Him is simple disobedience. Stephen described it perfectly in his fatal lecture to the Jews.
    Acts 7, NASB
    51 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did."​
    Their response? The same as their ancestors with the prophets.
    Acts 7
    54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
    55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
    56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
    57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.
    58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
    60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.
    Jesus had John take dictation for the seven churches in Asia, giving each a different message, but concluding each with the same phrase:
    Revelation 2-3 multiple verses
    "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says ...." ​
    Today we reject what the Holy Spirit reveals to us through God's word and through our own personal revelation given during prayer, by other brothers and sisters who feel led to speak to us, or by a clear vision of what we are supposed to be doing. We are disobedient to His instructions, closing our ears to what He has to say because we find it offensive, too difficult, or question our instincts as to from where the message has come.

    Everything revealed by the Holy Spirit is truth. We must approach the Word of God with a heart that submits to its authority, a heart that desires to know "the mind of the Spirit" and a heart that desires to conform to what the Spirit says.
     
  4. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    So who do you see in that passage is resisting the HG?
     
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    So God stops being sovereign once we become Christians?
     
  6. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    You make some of the dumbest, most stupid, off the wall remarks.....

    It was the 'Holy Ghost' that was convicting them of their crimes through Stephen; and these weren't just 'resisting', they were outright bearing false witness against Him:

    10 And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.
    11 Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
    12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council,
    13 and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law:
    14 for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us.
    15 And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Acts 6
     
  7. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    The Pharisees, scribes and other Jews who took issue with his indictment of them in the slaying of Christ, with Saul also, who tacitly agreed in their murder of Stephen by watching their coats while they stoned him.
     
  8. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    They were "convicted" of nothing. They resisted conviction, they resisted the Holy Spirit, just as Stephen accused them in v. 51.
     
  9. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Were these people actual believers in Christ?
     
  10. prophet

    prophet Active Member
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    If you were interested in finding truth, then the question Rev. asked is the logical next step.
    You must be able to establish the converse, before you can establish the original ascertation as truth.

    If God's Sovereignty is strictly enforced by Him, then no Christian would ever disobey Him.

    His logical question, and the truthful answer, expose the weakness of a whole line of unbiblical teaching.

    Man can resist the Holy Ghost all the way to Hell. Certainly most of the Israelites did, as was addressed here by Stephen, and illustrated by their murder of the Son of God.
     
  11. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    They were God's chosen nation, they regularly came under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit even though He -- the Holy Spirit -- did not indwell them, so yes, they resisted Him, just as they did in the scenario Jesus gave them in Matthew 12:30, 31.
     
  12. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    Unbelieving Jews were resisting the Holy Ghost. It is possible because the Bible says they were doing it.
     
  13. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    It is the Spirit here in Acts 7 that is convicting those Jews of the judicial murder of Christ.

    When Christ commissioned the twelve apostles He foretold them:
    But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. Mt 10:17-20

    In the Olivet Discourse He foretold them:
    But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name`s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. Lk 21:12-15

    In the Farewell Discourse He foretold them:
    They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.....And he, when he [the Comforter] is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye behold me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world hath been judged. Jn 16:2, 8-11

    The 'world' meant here is not the human race in general. This is the 'world' that Christ is referring to:
    Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world; I ever taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret spake I nothing. Jn 18:20. IOW, 'When the Spirit comes, He will convict the Jews of the judicial murder of Christ, and will declare Christ to be righteous in that God has raised Him from the dead, and will pass judgment upon this generation.'

    Take note, in all these examples given, of the redundancy of the message from the Comforter to the Jews; YOU KILLED HIM, BUT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

    Acts 2:
    4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance
    14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words.
    22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;
    23 him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay:
    24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
    36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.40 And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.

    Acts 3:
    12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?
    13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.14 But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,
    15 and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
    23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

    Acts 4:
    8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders,
    9 if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;
    10 be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even in him doth this man stand here before you whole.

    Acts 5:
    27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,
    28 saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man`s blood upon us.
    29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.
    30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree.
    31 Him did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
    32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

    Acts 6:
    8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people.
    9 But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.
    10 And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.
    15 And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
    Acts 7:
    51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
    52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers;
    53 ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.
    55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
    56 and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Acts 7

    Acts 10:
    39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree.
    40 Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,
    41 not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
    42 And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

    Acts 13:
    16 And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken:
    27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
    28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain.
    29 And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.
    30 But God raised him from the dead:
    31 and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people.
     
  14. Archie the Preacher

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    Referring to the passage in question...

    In the passage cited, Stephen is addressing Jewish leaders at Stephen's 'trial' before the Council for actions described in Acts 6:8-10.
     
  15. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    Zactly. Thank you:

    8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people.
    9 But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.
    10 And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake. Acts 6

    These were 'disputing'/'resisting' the Spirit, NOT Stephen as it appears superficially. AND, nothing new here, they're filling up the measure of their fathers who had a long history of 'disputing'/'resisting' the 'HG':

    9 And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt...
    27 But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
    39 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,
    40 saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
    51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. Acts 7
     
    #15 kyredneck, Feb 12, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 12, 2014
  16. Florida Believer

    Florida Believer New Member

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    Choices

    It really is all about choices. God does not force himself on anyone. He rather presents himself, presents the 2 roads, the narrow one and the wide one.
    Many scriptures to support this but one of the earliest examples is in Genesis 4

    3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for[c] you, but you must rule over it.”
     
  17. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    As I have stated many times in different threads:

    a) The Holy Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets in pre-66 books times) were written for the learning of God's people, and only they. By implication, the Law and the Prophets were for Israel, and Israel only. In our times, the Bible is for God's people, and they only, not for God's entire creation called mankind or humanity. Who are God's people ? all His elect, Jew or Gentile, everywhere. Who are the believers ? Those who have been reached by the gospel message and have been benefited by the message and its teachings, who are among the elect.

    b) The nation ISRAEL was a picture of the true Israel. From the loins of one man, just as spiritual Israel has Christ as its Creator. Recipients of Jehovah's oracles, just as spiritual Israel is recipient of God's word, supplied with prophets and teachers sent by God, just as spiritual Israel was given in the church pastors and teachers, infiltrated by false prophets and false teachers, just as spiritual Israel is today, false prohets and teachers who would rather go the wrong way, and listen to handed down teachings, just as spiritual Israel today would rather insist on man-made seminary concocted teachings and practices.

    And just as among national Israel many resist the Holy Spirit, so in spiritual Israel many grieve, quench, and resist the Holy Spirit either by what they teach and preach, or by how they live.
     
  18. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    So you believe they were believers simply because Israel was a chosen nation?
     
  19. just-want-peace

    just-want-peace Well-Known Member
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    Gentlemen, I am certainly no scholar, and am not attempting to get into the "meat", if you will, of this discussion, but am just going to give a bit of testimony regarding my interaction with the Spirit.
    I firmly believe that when you accept Christ you receive the Spirit - He's in you from NOW ON !!!!
    However, you are still in control of your own actions; if you weren't you would live a perfect life from acceptance to death/rapture.
    I'm sure you all have seen/heard of the book, "God is my co-pilot", and the following retort - "Then you need to change seats"!
    Now this sounds real SPIRITUAL, but, again if this became true, then we would live that perfect life til the end; which, as we all know ain't happening.
    My description of the situation is as follows - picture yourself driving in some large city (Berlin, SF, London, etc) with a native of that same city as your passenger. You want to go from point A to point B, but have no earthly idea how to get there. Well, you have that passenger that can tell you each and every turn to make to succeed.
    HOWEVER, you, YOU ALONE, must decide to whether to follow your guide's instructions or take charge yourself - after all you have the steering wheel in your hands.
    IMHO, you can be led by the Spirit but ignore this leading - that is a choice each individual must make for themselves.

    Personal story.
    Many years ago I began to feel that I should prepare for being a pastor of a small church in a non-paid status. This was a blindside for me, as I am most definitely NOT a "people" person.
    Anyway, I stewed over this for many months, and finally relented and said OK, if this is Your will, then I'll do it, even though it is totally out of sync with any gifts and/or talents I have.
    Surprisingly, as soon as I made this commitment, the "call" totally disappeared.
    I can only assume that I was being tested for WILLINGNESS!?!?
     
  20. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    All were part of the chosen nation, not all were believers. But God had not set Israel aside temporarily at that point, as He did after the destruction of the Temple and most of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
     
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