Personal Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit Advocates Have Many Problems (cont. from 7-2011)
(Part 9, Holy Spirit series; will be intermittent)
by Perry Sexton
The personal indwelling advocates claim that “the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38) is “the Holy Spirit as a gift.” But is that what your Bible says? If it does, I believe I can show you other doctrinal problems with that translation as well. The majority of versions that I have seen have it as the King James Version of which 47 of the world’s best scholars translated (and even more true scholars of other reliable versions). Shall we allow one or a few “scholars” rob us of the truth on this subject? Now to be sure, I am not a Greek scholar in any sense and I am certain that I do not have to be in order to know the truth on this matter or any other Bible matter. The Holy Spirit “as a gift” is not supported by the Bible. Check your contexts and see my prior articles.
Can the personal indwelling advocates find where “gift of God” refers to receiving God as a gift? I do not think so (cp. Acts 8:20; Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 7:7, etc.). Why do they change Acts 2:38 or allow others to change it for them? Is the “gift of Christ,” Christ Himself (Eph. 4:7)? No. Why do they then think Acts 2:38 “the gift of the Holy Ghost” means “the Holy Spirit as a gift?” Oh for consistency! Prior articles show this is not the case (see part 4, etc.).
One brother wrote to me some years ago concerning the personal indwelling: “God says it. I believe it. For me that settles it. To walk by faith (II Cor. 5:7) is to believe what God says and live by it.” It is not strange to me that he never gave one verse for the literal personal indwelling! He just gave the ones about the indwelling. Well the statement he gave is a very good statement IF we search the Scriptures with an honest heart to understand what God actually says and means! I have heard that same statement from denominational people in support of some error many times. This brother and others who believe in the personal indwelling want to take the verses which deal with the indwelling and “think” it is saying the “very Person of the Holy Spirit literally dwells” in the Christian. The Bible does not say that! “God says it” is often applied to that which God did not actually say as in the above case. The verses say “dwell in you,” so I believe it, but I go no further unless the Bible does. Let us try this out: find one person who believes 2 Corinthians 6:16 to be literal, “… for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; ….” Do any of them believe that God is literally walking in the Christian? I have never heard of any! Do any of them even believe that God the Father literally dwells in the Christian? I personally have never heard any say that they do.
Yet, they separate the Holy Spirit with identical language and claim that He does dwell in the Christian literally and personally. What consistency!!! Why do they make what they want literal, but other like verses they make figurative at their will? Does the Bible (or God) actually say that the Holy Spirit literally and personally indwells the Christian? No! If it did I would believe it. Now again, I believe 2 Corinthians 6:16 as well as Romans chapter 8 and all the Bible and I do not claim perfect understanding of it. But I do believe with consistent and proper study we can know the truth on these matters as much as is revealed to us and that is as far as we should go (2 Tim. 2:15; John 8:31,32; Deut. 29:29; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 4:11, etc.). Let us look at some of the Scriptures where some say “The Bible says it and I believe it” (Rom. 8):
Romans 8 is the strongest support they have for the personal indwelling, according to all that I have heard. Let us look at some key verses they use. But first of all, it is important to understand that Paul was writing to Christians (Rom. 1:7; 8:12). Note: We are to follow the Spirit (Rom. 8:1,4); we do so by following the law which the Spirit gave, speaking of the New Testament (v.2 cp. v.5; Eph. 6:17); verse 6 is a very key verse as explained in verse 7; the advocates of personal indwelling use verses 9 and 11 very much which states in part: “… if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you….” Now doesn’t that sound just a little strange IF the personal indwelling is under consideration? Think about it and consider: (1.) Paul was writing to brethren (baptized people). (2.) Those who believe in the personal indwelling believe the Holy Spirit is given at baptism. (3.) IF Paul also believed this, why would Paul, writing to baptized people, say such as “if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you”? Think! Again: (1a.) They were baptized. (2a.) IF the Holy is given at baptism. (3a.) Then the Holy Spirit would be in them. Not “if.” To me it is clear that the personal indwelling doctrine is false.
Let us consider more of Romans 8:
(v.1) How do we follow or “walk…after the Spirit”? Is it by some “nudging, feeling, voice, etc.” of the Holy Spirit within us? Or is by following the Word of God (cp. Eph. 6:17; Col. 3:16, etc.)? Remember: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). IF we are receiving “nudgings, feelings and hearing voices from within us, how do we know they are from the Holy Spirit??? BCV? At this point multitudes of irrational things could be relayed concerning those who do claim those miraculous things!
(v.2) Is not the “law of the Spirit” the Word which the Spirit gave (cp. v.5,7; 2 Tim. 3:16,17; Eph. 6:17)?
(v.4) How do we walk “after the Spirit”? Is it by “nudgings, etc.” of the Spirit within us? Or by following the Word which the Spirit gave, speaking of the New Testament (v.2,5,7; Eph. 6:17)?
(v.5) How do we mind “the things of the Spirit? Is it by “nudgings, etc.” of the Spirit within us? Or by following the Word (cp. Eph. 6:17)?
(v.6) What makes us “spiritually minded”? By being aware of subtle “nudges, voices, etc.” from the Holy Spirit within us? No, but by following the law: v.6 is a very key verse as explained in verse 7.
(v.7) “carnal mind…is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” To follow the law of God, His Word is to follow the Holy Spirit.
(v.8) “in the flesh” = mind the things of the flesh (v.5,6).
(v.9) Read again the two paragraphs beginning with Romans 8. (v.9,11) “… if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you….” I ask again, doesn’t that sound just a little strange IF the personal indwelling is under consideration?
Consider again:
(1.) Paul was writing to brethren, i.e., baptized people (v.12).
(2.) Those who believe in the personal indwelling believe the Holy Spirit was/is given in baptism.
(3.) So, why would Paul, writing to baptized people, say such as “if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you”?
(1a.) They were baptized! (2a.) IF the Holy is given at baptism. (3a.) Then the Holy Spirit would be in them. Not “if.” To me it is clear that personal indwelling is false.
(v.11) Must the Holy Spirit literally and personally be in us to raise us from the dead? Was the Holy Spirit in Lazarus (John 11:43,44)? Must the Holy Spirit be in us personally to do anything? If so, where is BCV? Can the Holy Spirit do all things from the outside of our bodies? Or is His power limited when He is outside of our bodies?
(v.10) How is Christ in us? Through the Word of God: Eph. 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;” cp. Rom. 10:17.
The Holy Spirit dwells in us in the same manner. Note these parallel verses:
(Col 3:16) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you … singing ….”
(Eph. 5:18,19) “… be filled with the Spirit; … singing ….”
*To have the Word of God in us ruling and directing our lives is to have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in us.
(v.12) Paul is speaking to “brethren,” i.e., baptized people in the book of Romans. Context is always very important to any study.
(v.13) How do we “through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body”? See contexts: v.1,2,5,7; Eph. 6:17 “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” How did Christ overcome the temptations of Satan (Matt. 4:4,6,10).
(v.14) How are we “led by the Spirit of God”? By following the Word of God (v.1ff).
(v.16) How does the Spirit bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God?
Then by miraculous deeds which proved the Word (cp. Eph. 1:13,14; Acts 19:1-7 Ephesians’ conversion).
Now by the Word which was confirmed by the miraculous (2 Cor. 13:5, etc.). Certainly not by personal indwelling (PI)! If so, where is BCV? Cp. Jer. 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
(v.26) Is this from within us? If so, where is the proof (1 Thess. 5:21)?
Must the Holy Spirit be in us (PI) to “help” us?
Must the Holy Spirit be in us to make “intercession for us”? Cp. next:
Must Christ be in us to make “intercession for us” (Romans 8:34; Heb. 7:25)? Think and compare to the Holy Spirit.
The error of receiving the Holy Spirit in baptism is answered by the Holy Spirit very well in Acts 8:16 “(For as yet he [the Holy Spirit] was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)” Brother Guy N. Woods had this to say on the matter: “It must follow therefore that any theory regarding the reception of the Holy Spirit which alleges that it is automatically received in consequence of being baptized in water is in conflict with the facts emerging in this event in Samaria. How is it possible for one seriously to contend that the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit simply and solely because they had been baptized, when the text asserts positively and specifically that they had not?” [Questions and Answers (Vol. 1) by Guy N. Woods, pg. 60]
How did the Holy Spirit dwell in the Christian then?
There are only two ways revealed in the Bible:
1. Miraculous: Joel 2:28,29; Mark 16:15-20 cp. Luke
24:46-53; Acts 1:1-12; 2:1-4,16,33,38,39; 8:16-18; 10:44-48; 19:1-7, etc.
2. Through the Word of God. The same way the Father and Son dwell in the Christian: Eph. 3:17 cp. Rom. 10:17; note parallel verses: Eph 5:18,19 and Col. 3:16 cp. John 15:1-10; 1 John 4:12,13, etc.
a. The Godhead dwells in us now only through the Word of God.
b. If there is any other manner it is not revealed to us (Duet. 29:29: 1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Peter 4:11, etc.). If so, where is BCV?
Study 1 John 4:12,13.
1. What if we do not love one another: Does God continue to dwell in us? See above at *. What about the Holy Spirit (think literal personal indwelling here)? Many such questions can and should be asked, e.g., what about when we sin?
2. How do we dwell in God (a very important question to this subject)? Is it not by and through the Word of God?
3. Is it reasonable to think that God dwells in us in the same manner? I think so.
Study John 15:1-14.
No support for PI here, but there is much support for the Godhead dwelling in us through the Word of God. Concerning the indwelling brother Guy N. Woods stated: “It seems certain that God, Christ and the Holy Spirit dwell in the hearts of faithful disciples in exactly the same manner, i.e., through the word of truth.” [Questions and Answers (Vol. 1) by Guy N. Woods, pg. 278]. Please consider 2 John 9 in this matter as well. ♥
2011, 7 SW Personal Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit Advocates Have Many Problems
(How The Godhead Dwells In The Christian Today)
(Part 8, Holy Spirit series; will be intermittent)
Is The Personal Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit The Earnest Of Our Inheritance?
(Part 10, Holy Spirit series; will be intermittent)
