I will comment on what he wrote on this before posting his comments on this subject. I can agree with what he said on these points:
*Jesus had to ascend back to heaven in order for the outpouring of the Spirit to occur
*God speaks to us through His Spirit.
*There aren't 3 Gods - rather, there is just ONE TRUE GOD, but having parts to himself. We also as humans - have parts to ourselves too - body, soul and spirit.
*We who have received Jesus as Lord (God) and Savior of our lives, are enabled to understand the scriptures with the help of God's Spirit that indwells every true believer. And none who are not led by God's Spirit, are true children of God. Romans 8:14
*It is a great necessity to understand that Jesus was God in the flesh - in other words, to recognize His deity. So I wouldn't say it as he did - saying that it was never required. It's true Jesus didn't require it before He died and rose from the dead. It was a transistional time between the Old Covenant and the coming in of the New Covenant. But after the outpouring of God's Spirit, in early Acts, I believe it was required ever after. And one proof of this is that John's followers had to be rebaptized.
Acts 19:2-6
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
KJV
Ok now, here's Dad's writing:
THE WORK OF JESUS NOW
While Jesus was on the earth he spoke as one authorized to speak for God. He spoke, therefore, as one who had authority and not as the scribes and Pharisees. God also approved him, saying, “This is my beloved son; hear him.” The disciples did not hear from God directly, nor did they obey separate commands, some from God and some from Jesus. They said of Jesus, “You have the words of life.”
We can no longer hear Jesus’ words with our ears, but he continues to be our teacher. A significant statement in John 14: “He that hath been with you shall be in you. I come unto you.” He had been telling his disciples about the Holy Spirit. His words seem to imply that he would teach them as the Spirit of God. He also said, “If I go not away, the Comforter cannot come.” All now who have received God’s gift of the Holy Spirit have received the Spirit of Christ. If any have not received the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to him.
Notice the oneness of God’s voice. We must avoid thinking of three voices, three Gods. The Lord our God is one God. The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Christ” because Jesus was still functioning as a teacher to his followers as the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is God. God is a spirit, and there are not two spirits or three.
In the Old Testament God spoke directly to man, to Abraham and to prophets. He spoke to Pharaoh through Moses, and God told Moses that he was as God to Pharaoh, but Moses was not God. Israel was a theocracy, ruled by God, but God ruled through Moses, Joshua, and then then through judges, but none of these was God. All were apart from God.
When Jesus was departing, he instructed the apostles to make disciples, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them.” So, how do we know Jesus’ commandments? We find them in the scriptures where they appear as God’s word to us. We also are led of God’s Spirit. According to a wonderful statement of the New Testament gospel, found in Jeremiah 31:31, God said that He would write His laws on the hearts of His people. So, Jesus’ laws are within us. Increasingly, God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit which He has given.
There is one God and one mediator between God and man. That mediator is Jesus. In this, he is not God. If any man sin, he has an advocate, Jesus Christ.
It was absolutely required of Jesus’ followers that they believe that Jesus was sent of God. “If you believe not that I am he (the Messiah), you will die in your sins. Twice in the Book of Acts it is stated that certain individuals believed that God had sent Jesus. Never required that they believe that Jesus was God.
*Jesus had to ascend back to heaven in order for the outpouring of the Spirit to occur
*God speaks to us through His Spirit.
*There aren't 3 Gods - rather, there is just ONE TRUE GOD, but having parts to himself. We also as humans - have parts to ourselves too - body, soul and spirit.
*We who have received Jesus as Lord (God) and Savior of our lives, are enabled to understand the scriptures with the help of God's Spirit that indwells every true believer. And none who are not led by God's Spirit, are true children of God. Romans 8:14
*It is a great necessity to understand that Jesus was God in the flesh - in other words, to recognize His deity. So I wouldn't say it as he did - saying that it was never required. It's true Jesus didn't require it before He died and rose from the dead. It was a transistional time between the Old Covenant and the coming in of the New Covenant. But after the outpouring of God's Spirit, in early Acts, I believe it was required ever after. And one proof of this is that John's followers had to be rebaptized.
Acts 19:2-6
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
KJV
Ok now, here's Dad's writing:
THE WORK OF JESUS NOW
While Jesus was on the earth he spoke as one authorized to speak for God. He spoke, therefore, as one who had authority and not as the scribes and Pharisees. God also approved him, saying, “This is my beloved son; hear him.” The disciples did not hear from God directly, nor did they obey separate commands, some from God and some from Jesus. They said of Jesus, “You have the words of life.”
We can no longer hear Jesus’ words with our ears, but he continues to be our teacher. A significant statement in John 14: “He that hath been with you shall be in you. I come unto you.” He had been telling his disciples about the Holy Spirit. His words seem to imply that he would teach them as the Spirit of God. He also said, “If I go not away, the Comforter cannot come.” All now who have received God’s gift of the Holy Spirit have received the Spirit of Christ. If any have not received the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to him.
Notice the oneness of God’s voice. We must avoid thinking of three voices, three Gods. The Lord our God is one God. The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Christ” because Jesus was still functioning as a teacher to his followers as the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is God. God is a spirit, and there are not two spirits or three.
In the Old Testament God spoke directly to man, to Abraham and to prophets. He spoke to Pharaoh through Moses, and God told Moses that he was as God to Pharaoh, but Moses was not God. Israel was a theocracy, ruled by God, but God ruled through Moses, Joshua, and then then through judges, but none of these was God. All were apart from God.
When Jesus was departing, he instructed the apostles to make disciples, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them.” So, how do we know Jesus’ commandments? We find them in the scriptures where they appear as God’s word to us. We also are led of God’s Spirit. According to a wonderful statement of the New Testament gospel, found in Jeremiah 31:31, God said that He would write His laws on the hearts of His people. So, Jesus’ laws are within us. Increasingly, God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit which He has given.
There is one God and one mediator between God and man. That mediator is Jesus. In this, he is not God. If any man sin, he has an advocate, Jesus Christ.
It was absolutely required of Jesus’ followers that they believe that Jesus was sent of God. “If you believe not that I am he (the Messiah), you will die in your sins. Twice in the Book of Acts it is stated that certain individuals believed that God had sent Jesus. Never required that they believe that Jesus was God.
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