THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS TO US THROUGH SCRIPTURE

[GWH]

Thanks GWH. These scriptures you quoted are good examples of how scripture can hold meaning not often realized. For example, Num 33:13 contains two proper noun names. Dophkah meaning 'knocking' and Alush meaning I will knead (bread). So, the scripture could read "And they departed from knocking, and encamped in I will knead bread." Further, after they removed from Alush, they camped at Rephidim, which means 'rests'. It is easy to see that this can have spiritual meaning relating to the gospel. For example, we know the scripture, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Also, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" Certainly, I find it interesting that after knocking, bread occurs (Jesus is the bread of life) and rest occurs (Jesus is our rest).

Concerning the passage from Lev 19:27: "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." We should remember that Jesus is the cornerstone. The corner is important, then. So much so that the corners of a field of grain were to be left for the poor, the stranger, the needy who could find mercy. The corners of the altar are the place of strength, mercy, and refuge. The four corners represent Jesus in all directions and he has a four-fold nature as an ox, an eagle, a man, and a lion in parable language. Hair in the Bible is apparently a covering and speaks of the prophet or the word. So, perhaps this scripture is indicating not to remove the covering of the gospel from those who need mercy, nor to remove Jesus.

However these verses are to be interpreted, this is exactly what I am talking about when I say that the traditions of men have made the word of God of no effect. The whole Bible is talking about Jesus, not the New Testament only, and not just a few select verses of the Old Testament.

I like your creative interpretations, although I will want more specific and obvious relevance for inclusion as a key OT verse.
IOW, my parameter for inclusion prefers exogesis rather than eisogesis.

I agree that the traditions of men tend to stifle Biblical hermeneutics and apologetics.
I may check with you the next time I read Leviticus and Numbers.
Thanks.

 

[GWH]

I said almost every page. That's one of those old ceremonial laws, and we don't follow them anymore. I'm not sure what your question is. ?

Well, birdie said all pages, you said almost every page, and I say most pages.

Birdie answered the question, but the point is that God judged and saved OT people on the basis of the revelation they were provided, which I call the proto-Gospel:

There are two main ways God/Christ is encountered/revealed:

1. General revelation, which includes meditating on the natural world or God’s supernatural work and moral conscience. Paul said men are without excuse, both because God’s eternal power and divine nature (love) are manifested by creation (Rom. 1:20), and because a proto-gospel has been proclaimed to everyone under heaven implicitly or in pre-NT foreshadowings (Acts 14:16-17, 17:26-27&30, Rom. 1:18-20, Rom. 10:13-18, Col. 1:23, Gal. 3:8, 1Pet. 1:10-12, cf. the Parable of the Talents in Matt. 25:14-30). He also taught that all normal humans have an inner conscience or “common” sense (Rom. 2:14-16), which manifests morality or a moral Authority in every culture (the Golden Rule). Thus, sinners have no excuse for not seeking God’s salvation or being truthseekers (Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 11:6).

2. Special revelation (1Pet. 1:8-12), which refers mainly to divinely inspired NT teaching regarding God’s history of salvation. Again, the Parable of the Talents indicates that souls are saved via faith in God/ Christ as revealed (cf. 1Cor. 10:1-5). Truthseekers around the world in all times are pilgrims at various places along the road of life, and all true roads eventually lead to the Way to eternal life in heaven (John 14:6, Acts 24:14, Phil. 2:10-11). All truth leads to One Way.

 

[birdie]

Thanks GWH. During Jesus' earthly ministry, he made the following statement about scriptures. He stated that they testify of him. He said that scriptures wrote of him.

• John 5:39: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me".
• John 5:46: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me".

I think a lot of present day 'thinkers' have thought that this means only in a few places in the Old Testament. I think it is the entire Old Testament as well as New Testament, but the reason is because of Psalm 78, where we read: "...Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable..." Not everyone understands that the entire Bible is written in parable form. That is why the Bible says that "But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." Many persons encounter the Bible but it is a parable that they do not understand. It is only a surface text to them. The New Testament is no different from the Old Testament in this respect. For example, when the Bible talks about grain, or fish, or lights in the New Testament, it is talking about people, not just the surface word. The whole Bible is like this. That is why Jesus tells us that the scriptures speak of him.

 

[Suze]

You're over thinking it. I can see Jesus on almost every page of the OT.

Yes me too ! I love the Old Testament and c it as a foreshadow of the new . At this moment in time we Christians r just like the Israelites , wandering in the wilderness waiting to b let into the promised land . We r eating the mana and being led by the pillar and the cloud ! So many things in the New come from the Old !

 

[Edward429451]

Yes me too ! I love the Old Testament and c it as a foreshadow of the new . At this moment in time we Christians r just like the Israelites , wandering in the wilderness waiting to b let into the promised land . We r eating the mana and being led by the pillar and the cloud ! So many things in the New come from the Old !

You're right. Our God who tells the end from the beginning. I'm pretty sure that D. Trump is...like King Cyrus. What he did, Trump does. All of the plagues which God brought on Egypt is what happens when the wrath of God is poured out onto modern man.

 

[GWH]

Thanks GWH. During Jesus' earthly ministry, he made the following statement about scriptures. He stated that they testify of him. He said that scriptures wrote of him.

• John 5:39: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me".
• John 5:46: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me".

I think a lot of present day 'thinkers' have thought that this means only in a few places in the Old Testament. I think it is the entire Old Testament as well as New Testament, but the reason is because of Psalm 78, where we read: "...Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable..." Not everyone understands that the entire Bible is written in parable form. That is why the Bible says that "But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." Many persons encounter the Bible but it is a parable that they do not understand. It is only a surface text to them. The New Testament is no different from the Old Testament in this respect. For example, when the Bible talks about grain, or fish, or lights in the New Testament, it is talking about people, not just the surface word. The whole Bible is like this. That is why Jesus tells us that the scriptures speak of him.

The Bible includes passages that are parables and words that are metaphors,
but some statements are literal, such as "Thou shalt not murder, steal, fornicate, etc.".

Jesus cited certain OT Scriptures as speaking of him, and it is those that I am currently adding to the Key OT Scriptures thread.

 

[JayWalker]

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit no longer speaks directly to God's people?

Do you believe all the doctrine floating around that is not backed by scripture?

Like praying to and worshiping mary as an example?

If Jesus did not teach it directly, or teaching it thru the New Testament writers (His Apostles) and it's not of God and is in fact of the enemy.

 

[Suze]

You're right. Our God who tells the end from the beginning. I'm pretty sure that D. Trump is...like King Cyrus. What he did, Trump does. All of the plagues which God brought on Egypt is what happens when the wrath of God is poured out onto modern man.

So , not only is Jesus the original Passover lamb but , he is also the door with the blood on it , the door that if u enter through u will b saved , everything in the New comes originally from the Old ! He is the scarlet thread that saves Rahab .

 

[Edward429451]

So , not only is Jesus the original Passover lamb but , he is also the door with the blood on it , the door that if u enter through u will b saved , everything in the New comes originally from the Old ! He is the scarlet thread that saves Rahab .

That makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Karlon]

Do you believe all the doctrine floating around that is not backed by scripture?

Like praying to and worshiping mary as an example?

If Jesus did not teach it directly, or teaching it thru the New Testament writers (His Apostles) and it's not of God and is in fact of the enemy.

every year i'm teaching catholics about the hail mary prayer & it's uselessness. Matthew 28:18, Ephessians 1:22, 23, 1st Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 1:1,2, 7:25, 9:15, 12:24, Colossians 1;19, 3:17, 1st Corinthians 8:6, 10:31. 1st Timothy 2:5 says it all quite explicitly.

 

[GWH]

every year i'm teaching catholics about the hail mary prayer & it's uselessness. Matthew 28:18, Ephessians 1:22, 23, 1st Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 1:1,2, 7:25, 9:15, 12:24, Colossians 1;19, 3:17, 1st Corinthians 8:6, 10:31. 1st Timothy 2:5 says it all quite explicitly.

If those Scriptures are ineffective, then Mary will reprove them in heaven.
Perhaps you should add 1Cor. 3:10-15.

 

[Beckworth]

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit no longer speaks directly to God's people? After all, there would be no scripture if the Spirit of God had not spoken to God's people.

God, in times PAST, spoke to people in various ways—DIRECTLY, as He did to many people and prophets in the Old Testament; and to Peter, Paul, and others in the New Testament. In the first century, no one had the word of God “written down.” It was necessary for God to communicate to people in DREAMS, VISIONS, MIRACLES, or DIRECTLY. But once the complete revelation of God was written down, everyone had access to God’s will, commandments, teachings and warnings. This is why in 1 Cor. 13, the Spirit said these special miracles and gifts of the Spirit would “CEASE.” 2 Timothy 3:16- the Holy Spirit says that the scriptures—those written down in God’s revelation, the Bible—are complete. They alone are sufficient for doctrine( we don’t need any thing else), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. They are sufficient —by themselves—to make every man of God PERFECT ( complete), and they (alone) provide what we need for EVERY GOOD WORK. God is telling us we now have all—EVERYTHING—we need for salvation and Christian living).

The question remains for us is “DO WE BELIEVE WHAT 2 Timothy 3:16 SAYS? Do we doubt God? Do we TRUST Him enough to live by that scripture?

The scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit lives within us (1Cor. 3:16) if we are a child of God. There are many scriptures that tell us about His work within the Christian; He helps us with our prayers, Roman’s 8:28. We are “led by the Spirit” when we read the scriptures and obey them, because we are obeying what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. The New Testament does not teach Christian’s that the Holy Spirit works in them in a “MIRACULOUS” way. The New Testament does not teach That we will hear “voices” telling us what to do. Everything now is done through the scriptures.

Certain scriptures, like John 14:26 and 16:13 apply only to His 12 Disciples. They are the only ones with Him in this context. Jesus tells them the Holy Spirit will come to help them and teach them in a “miraculous” way. They will not have a Bible to preach from; they will need the Spirit of God to teach them what to say. Matthew 10:19-20 verifues this. This is not a promise to all Christian’s everywhere. That would be mis-applying that passage. It is important to know who is doing the speaking and “TO WHOM” they are speaking.

Hebrews 1:1 “GOD, who at various times and IN VARIOUS WAYS ( directly, dreams, visions, etc) spoke IN TIME PAST to the, fathers by the prophets, has IN THESE LAST DAYS spoken to us by His Son…” 1Cor. 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ…”. Written down in the Bible. We don’t need anything else; we have all we need to be saved.

 

[Gideon300]

God, in times PAST, spoke to people in various ways—DIRECTLY, as He did to many people and prophets in the Old Testament; and to Peter, Paul, and others in the New Testament. In the first century, no one had the word of God “written down.” It was necessary for God to communicate to people in DREAMS, VISIONS, MIRACLES, or DIRECTLY. But once the complete revelation of God was written down, everyone had access to God’s will, commandments, teachings and warnings. This is why in 1 Cor. 13, the Spirit said these special miracles and gifts of the Spirit would “CEASE.” 2 Timothy 3:16- the Holy Spirit says that the scriptures—those written down in God’s revelation, the Bible—are complete. They alone are sufficient for doctrine( we don’t need any thing else), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. They are sufficient —by themselves—to make every man of God PERFECT ( complete), and they (alone) provide what we need for EVERY GOOD WORK. God is telling us we now have all—EVERYTHING—we need for salvation and Christian living).

The question remains for us is “DO WE BELIEVE WHAT 2 Timothy 3:16 SAYS? Do we doubt God? Do we TRUST Him enough to live by that scripture?

The scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit lives within us (1Cor. 3:16) if we are a child of God. There are many scriptures that tell us about His work within the Christian; He helps us with our prayers, Roman’s 8:28. We are “led by the Spirit” when we read the scriptures and obey them, because we are obeying what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. The New Testament does not teach Christian’s that the Holy Spirit works in them in a “MIRACULOUS” way. The New Testament does not teach That we will hear “voices” telling us what to do. Everything now is done through the scriptures.

Certain scriptures, like John 14:26 and 16:13 apply only to His 12 Disciples. They are the only ones with Him in this context. Jesus tells them the Holy Spirit will come to help them and teach them in a “miraculous” way. They will not have a Bible to preach from; they will need the Spirit of God to teach them what to say. Matthew 10:19-20 verifues this. This is not a promise to all Christian’s everywhere. That would be mis-applying that passage. It is important to know who is doing the speaking and “TO WHOM” they are speaking.

Hebrews 1:1 “GOD, who at various times and IN VARIOUS WAYS ( directly, dreams, visions, etc) spoke IN TIME PAST to the, fathers by the prophets, has IN THESE LAST DAYS spoken to us by His Son…” 1Cor. 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ…”. Written down in the Bible. We don’t need anything else; we have all we need to be saved.

"Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that is coming out the mouth of God." God has not stopped speaking. I get communication from God every day. It's often more an impression, not in actual words. For example, I was staining timber today. I finished the work and took my paintbrush inside to clean it. I got distracted and went on with something else. I had this nudge to go back outside. I'd left the lid of the stain. I have just enough left for the last coat. The Lord just saved me $50.

I have had countless experiences of God speaking. How can a believer obey the Lord if he does not know what God is saying? I don't always get it right and never does God say something that contradicts His word. Life is not a series of Bible verses. It's a living relationship with the Living God.

 

[Gideon300]

God, in times PAST, spoke to people in various ways—DIRECTLY, as He did to many people and prophets in the Old Testament; and to Peter, Paul, and others in the New Testament. In the first century, no one had the word of God “written down.” It was necessary for God to communicate to people in DREAMS, VISIONS, MIRACLES, or DIRECTLY. But once the complete revelation of God was written down, everyone had access to God’s will, commandments, teachings and warnings. This is why in 1 Cor. 13, the Spirit said these special miracles and gifts of the Spirit would “CEASE.” 2 Timothy 3:16- the Holy Spirit says that the scriptures—those written down in God’s revelation, the Bible—are complete. They alone are sufficient for doctrine( we don’t need any thing else), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. They are sufficient —by themselves—to make every man of God PERFECT ( complete), and they (alone) provide what we need for EVERY GOOD WORK. God is telling us we now have all—EVERYTHING—we need for salvation and Christian living).

The question remains for us is “DO WE BELIEVE WHAT 2 Timothy 3:16 SAYS? Do we doubt God? Do we TRUST Him enough to live by that scripture?

The scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit lives within us (1Cor. 3:16) if we are a child of God. There are many scriptures that tell us about His work within the Christian; He helps us with our prayers, Roman’s 8:28. We are “led by the Spirit” when we read the scriptures and obey them, because we are obeying what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. The New Testament does not teach Christian’s that the Holy Spirit works in them in a “MIRACULOUS” way. The New Testament does not teach That we will hear “voices” telling us what to do. Everything now is done through the scriptures.

Certain scriptures, like John 14:26 and 16:13 apply only to His 12 Disciples. They are the only ones with Him in this context. Jesus tells them the Holy Spirit will come to help them and teach them in a “miraculous” way. They will not have a Bible to preach from; they will need the Spirit of God to teach them what to say. Matthew 10:19-20 verifues this. This is not a promise to all Christian’s everywhere. That would be mis-applying that passage. It is important to know who is doing the speaking and “TO WHOM” they are speaking.

Hebrews 1:1 “GOD, who at various times and IN VARIOUS WAYS ( directly, dreams, visions, etc) spoke IN TIME PAST to the, fathers by the prophets, has IN THESE LAST DAYS spoken to us by His Son…” 1Cor. 2:16, “We have the mind of Christ…”. Written down in the Bible. We don’t need anything else; we have all we need to be saved.

The initial salvation experience has to be followed by our walk with Christ. Not every situation is covered by a Bible verse. God has not stopped speaking. The question is, who is listening?

 

[Karlon]

The initial salvation experience has to be followed by our walk with Christ. Not every situation is covered by a Bible verse. God has not stopped speaking. The question is, who is listening?

& we walk with Christ by being regenerated in Him, the way we think, speak & act.

 

[Aaron56]

There is also the issue of timing. If God is not speaking today then the New Testament is just another book of rules to follow. And men will manipulate the text to get it to say whatever they desire. Our enemy showed us as much: he could quote the scriptures to the Lord to make his case, but he rejected God's sovereignty over time and space.

Besides, the NT is full of the Lord leading His people in certain moments and to certain areas (and to avoid others). If the Lord is not speaking directly to people today then the people will use their own historical templates to decide what to do and when.... no different than the moral heathens.

As an anecdote I don't recall even NOT speaking with the Lord. I used to rest in the bows of trees just talking with Him about my day when I was a wee lad. I certainly know what life is like ignoring Him but He's been with me as long as I remember.

 

[homwardbound]

Thanks Beckworth. I appreciated your post. We read about Jeremiah: "...this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee..." We might be tempted to think that the author is Jeremiah since he wrote down the words, but it is clear that it is the Lord's words and Jeremiah is simply writing down what the author, the Lord, says. It is from the Lord's mind, so there are no limitations in the text that would apply based on any limited understanding, cultural or historical. Joshua (whose name means Jehova is salvation, just like Jesus' name), provides us with a picture of Christ himself. Joshua was told: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

God only wants the best for each person. Time to beleive, trust and be freed
Jeremiah 29:11

 

[GWH]

The apostle Peter says in Acts 1:16, “THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE before by the mouth of David concerning Judas…”. Then Peter quotes Psalm 109. David may have recorded it but the words were from the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul in Acts 28:25 quotes the book of Isaiah and says, “THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers…”. Thus, testifying to the divine inspiration of the book of Isaiah.

The Hebrew writer ( whoever he may be) quotes Psalm 95 and says, “Therefore, AS THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYS…”. Hebrews 3:7. And again in chapter 10:15, “But THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO WITNESSES TO US for after He had said before…”. The Holy Spirit “witnesses” to us through the scriptures.
“Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21. The writers of the Bible were inspired by The Spirit of God as they spoke and wrote. John 16:13. As These men wrote, they were “guided into all truth “ by the Holy Spirit.

Paul says that the things he and the other apostles speak, are the things that the Holy Spirit teaches. They did not come from man. 1 Cor. 2:13. He goes on to say in verse 16, that “we have the mind of Christ.”Christ and the Spirit are United in thought, purpose, knowledge and words. They do not disagree, argue debate, or contend with each other. They are “one.” The mind of Christ is exactly what the Holy Spirit teaches.

So when we read the Bible, when we read scripture, we are reading the “mind of Christ”, spoken and taught by God the Holy Spirit. When we read scripture, we are reading the words of the Holy Spirit. He is talking to us. He has written this for and to us. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS TO Us THROUGH SCRIPTURE.

“ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR REPROOF, CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT THE MAN OF GOD
MAY BE COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY
EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.”

As Peter says, sometimes it is good to be reminded of these things, even though we know them. 2 Peter 1:12

In the history of beliefs God's Spirit first spoke/revealed God's power and nature via creation and conscience,
which is called general revelation.

Later the Lord inspired Moses to write the Torah and various prophets to write other books of the OT,
which is called special revelation.

Then the HS inspired the apostles (especially Paul) to record the teachings of Jesus in the NT,
which is the most special Gospel.

Finally, during the church age until the end of salvation history God's HS continues to speak via both general and special
revelation, but any additional insights must not contradict the Gospel/be anti-Christ.

Unfortunately, many beliefs have done just that, including medieval/inquisitional Roman Catholicism, Islam, Marxism and various pseudo-Christian cults such as Tulipism and Mormonism.

 

[JayWalker]

If those Scriptures are ineffective, then Mary will reprove them in heaven

No she won't because she's not in any position of authority in Heaven at all and is not involved in anybody's salvation in anyway

God used her for Jesus to come in the flesh and then she assisted with raising Jesus from a baby to the age of accountability

After that, she's no longer involved in any way shape or form.

She had to get born again like all the rest of us and she's no more important than anybody else.

 

[SabbathBlessing]

Thanks GWH. I agree that Christ's atonement is the thing. But I see the Old Testament testifying of that just as the New Testament does. When Moses strikes a rock and water comes out it is a picture of Christ being struck and those thirsty for salvation drink. When Joshua takes his own people across the river of judgment unharmed, it is a picture of Christ saving believers and bringing them in to the kingdom of God. And so forth.

I think what many do not understand that the God in the OT is the same God in the NT. Many believe that the God of the OT has a completely different standard of righteousness (right-doing) Psa119:172 Isa56:1-2 than the God of the NT, when its the foundation of God's Throne Psa89:14 meanings its from everlasting to everlasting Psa119:142

Jesus is the great I AM in the OT

John 8:58 — “Before Abraham was, I AM

Jesus created everything
John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made
Col 1:16 By Him were all things created… in heaven and on earth
Exo20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Mark 2:27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”


Why we are told in the NT to worship this God, because many are forgetting what God said Remember that points to Him as our Creator

Rev14:7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”