The holy spirit is the power of God

   Spirit  is  the  means by which   God  created the heavens and the earth,
   and it is also the means by which    the Creation is sustained at the pres-
   ent  time– see Genesis 1v1,2, Job 26v13;33v4;34v14,15,Psalm 104v30.
   The spirit of God is everywhere, Psalm 139v1-12.
   When  God  wishes  to use  His spirit for a special purpose, it is termed
   His  “holy (dedicated) spirit”, as  distinct from His “free spirit”,  Psalm
   51v11,12.  He  used  this power to bring about the birth of Jesus,  Luke
   1v35-“the holy spirit..the power of  the Highest”.  Cp the same descrip-
   tion of “holy spirit” as “power” -  Acts 1v5-8 and 10v38-cp Luke 24v49.
   So “holy spirit” is the medium through which God reveals Himself.
   This power is in His written word.      The same word translated "power"
   in the above passages is also used in Romans 1v16-
   "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ:           for it is the power of
   God unto salvation to every one that believeth…".
   The English word 'dynamo' is from the Greek word 'dunamis' above.
   If we want God's power today we must believe the word of God,   which
   has always been the only way to gain salvation - link to 'Bible'.
   See the conclusion of this page concerning these spirit-given words.

   Although spirit power may sometimes be  spoken of as speaking or do-
   ing something, it is but the means employed.   This becomes plain when
   we look at a passage like 1st Corinthians 2. In v13 we read-   "the holy
   spirit teacheth".  However,  this must be  understood  in harmony  with
   v10- "GOD hath revealed them unto us BY HIS SPIRIT". Also cp v14
   ".. the natural man receiveth not the things of the  SPIRIT OF GOD".
   A similar mode of expression is used in Job 38v35,     and the meaning is
   obvious. No-one would portray "lightnings" as sentient beings!
   Link to 'Bible'-page 3.
   Today  we  might  well use similar expressions-  "the magazine stated"
   etc. Do not be misled by inherited pagan teachings.

   These are  simple  scriptural facts,    which can easily  be understood by
   anyone.  But  when unscriptural  ideas about “a third person  in a  trin-
   ity” are  forced  upon  the  narrative,      it  is no wonder that confusion is
   rife  upon a sublime subject.  Let us be clear on this matter.  There are
   no special capitals ‘h’ and ‘s’ in “holy spirit” in the original.They were
   only  inserted  by biased translators believing in “the trinity”,  a pagan
   doctrine which was only set in its present form       after some centuries of
   argument.  “Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  became   fools”
   Romans 1v22, thus repeating the “mystery” of  Babylon, which had its
   own “trinity”, though by different names!    So here is one identification
   of the modern-day “church”  with ancient Babylon  (which means     'con-
   fusion'). "The trinity"  is  a “mystery”, say “ministers” today.  The an-
   cient “mystery” religion of Babylon  is  well-known to  historians.  The
   Bible warns us against “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT”-  Rev.
   17v5.    See links to 'God', 'mortal', 'devil', 'satan', 'baptism'.
                 The process of apostacy is traced out in 'departure'.

   There  are other uses of the word 'spirit'.      The original carries the idea
   of 'breathe', or 'blow'.   So it is used of breath, Genesis 6v17, Job 12v10
   and Psalm 104v29.  It  therefore also can mean 'life', as in Ecclesiastes
   8v8;12v7, Luke 23v46, Acts7v59, or 'aspect of mind' as in Exodus 6v9,
   Psalm 51v10,   Haggai 1v14,   Mark 14v38,    John 4v24, 1st Peter 3v4.
   'Spirit' comes from the Hebrew 'ruwach' & the Greek 'pneuma',  and
   both words carry the above meanings,  as determined by the context.

   The  purpose of  the spirit gifts was to establish the early believers and
   spread the Gospel.Cp Acts 2,Hebrews 2v1-4. The most spectacular ex-
   ample was on the day of Pentecost,   when the "power..(of) the holy spir-
   it" as predicted by Jesus in Acts 1v8,  came upon the disciples, and the
   Gospel was preached in the native    "tongue,wherein (they) were born",
   of those who heard.  Various  powers  were given to endorse  this early
   preaching.  However,  they  were  only  temporary.      Paul  wrote   three
   chapters concerning their proper use,  1st Corinthians 12-14.       In ch. 13
   he  prophesied  that  these "part(s)" of  the  spirit  would  "fail..cease..
   vanish away", and this came to pass by the early 2nd century AD.   (In
   OT times spirit power was given, & then it ceased). "Perfect" v10    sig-
   nifies  "complete" (Grk.'teleios'),  prophesying of the matured  assem-
   blies- cp  Eph. 4v7-16 (v12 'teleios'). Also  cp  1st Cor.13v11, Eph.4v14.
   In every age, it is God's word, not spirit gifts, that gives salvation.
   The enduring virtues set out by Paul are "faith, hope, charity (love)" -
   1st Corinthians 13v13 - this is the "more excellent way" - ch.12v31.

   Only  the Apostles had the power to pass on the gifts (cp Acts 8v12-19,
   Romans 1v11,1st Tim.4v14,2nd Tim.1v6).  When  they  died, and those
   who had received the gifts from them also died,   there was  no-one left
   with these  powers.  Their purpose, for  upbuilding  and preaching,  was
   fulfilled.  We now live in the time spoken of when, as in the past,  there
   is"a famine..of hearing the words of the LORD" Amos 8v11.."ye shall
   not have a vision..there is no answer of God" Micah 3v6,7.      New re-
   velation & spirit powers have ceased,cpJoel 2v21-32.This is the period
   between  "the former"  and  "the latter rain(s)" of the spirit.    Peter re-
   ferred to  "the former rain"  in  Acts 2v16-21,     but significantly did not
   quote  the  last  part of Joel 2v32 -"for in mount Zion and in  Jerusalem
   shall  be  deliverance,  as  the  LORD  hath  said,   and  in  the  remnant
   whom  the  LORD  shall call";  for this blessed time is yet future. Only
   at  this time  will  "the  latter  rain" be given to the redeemed.

   Some, known as "Pentecostals",    persist in teaching that they have the
   gift of "speaking in tongues". Consider the following undeniable fact:
   the only    "speak(ing) with other tongues"      recorded in the Scriptures
   was speaking in the languages of the hearers ("And how hear we every
   man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" Acts 2v4,8).

   In direct opposition to the above, "Pentecostals" practice a completely
   unintelligible form of speech, laying emphasis on the word "unknown"
   which appears in 1st Corinthians 14v2,4,13,14,19,27.   Such a bizarre  &
   unscriptural practice is known as "glossolalia",     after the Greek word
   for 'speech' ('glossa'), which is used in the chapter above.
   However the word "unknown" appears in italics,    which means that no
   equivalent word appears in the original text. The insertion of this extra
   word therefore carries no weight,  because it simply reflects the under-
   standing of the translator, a fallible person, who may believe in error.
   And even if the word remains, as we will show hereunder, the "tongue"
   was not totally unknown,   but it was not known to those who could not
   understand the foreign language being used - cp Genesis 11v6-9.

   Two words, 'glossa' (= 'speech')  &  'dialectos' (='language')  are used
   interchangeably in Acts 2v4 ('glossa') and v8 ('dialectos').
   Also, 'glossa' is used of INTELLIGIBLE SPEECH in:
   Romans 14v11, Philippians 2v11, 1st John 3v18.
   Finally, 'glossa' refers to FOREIGN LANGUAGES in:
   Revelation 5v9;7v9;10v11;11v9;13v7;14v6;17v15.

   All utterances by the spirit were meant to be understood.   Therefore   Paul specifies  that    unless an interpreter was present,      those able to   speak any type of revelation in a foreign tongue should remain silent.    See 1st Corinthians 14v26-28 - "...But if there be no interpreter,let him   keep silence in the ecclesia; and let him speak to himself, and to God".   Compare v33,40 -"God is not the author of confusion...Let all things be   done decently and in good order".

   Some have deluded themselves by assuming that even    the     speaker did   not understand what he was saying! Cp1st Corinthians 14v14. But such   an interpretation would conflict with v4, which tells us that  "he that   speaketh in a tongue ("unknown" omitted - not in original text) edifieth   himself". See v15-17, 28. The only explanation possible is that v14 is a   reference to the listener and not to the speaker. This is corroborated by   verses 15 and 16..the one receiving the revelation has"understanding"   but without an interpreter the hearer "understandeth not".

   In 1st Corinthians 14v21  there appear  2 quotations  from    the prophet   Isaiah, chapter 28v11,12.The context is one of judgments upon the land   of Israel & the city of Jerusalem,& God promises that He "will speak"   "with another tongue" in that day of judgment.    In Deuteronomy 28v49   we  are told that this would be by"a nation whose tongue thou shalt not   understand". History records that this was Rome. In the context of 1st   Cor. 14 we see that the "tongue" referred to was a foreign language.   It is significant that "with another tongue" is also quoted in Acts 2v4.

   It is convenient to twist Scripture in  a vain endeavour to claim present   possession of what were in fact the  two  least  important of the gifts of   the spirit-  see 1st Corinthians 12v4-12;28-31.When God bore "witness,   both with signs and wonders,  and with divers miracles, and gifts of    the   holy spirit"-Hebrews 2v4, "speaking in tongues" was only a part of the   "former rain" of the spirit(see above). When the power of God is again   revealed in the earth, there will be no doubt about its presence!

   'Spirit'  thus  points  us to  the all-powerful Creator,        and we are invited   to  "take the water of life freely"   in  believing  the Gospel message &   obeying it  as  set  out  in  the  Scriptures  by baptism into Jesus Christ.   "..holy  men  of  God  spake   as  they  were  moved by the holy spirit".   "It is the spirit that quickeneth;  the flesh profiteth nothing: the  words   that I speak unto you,  THEY ARE  SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE".                        Revelation 22v17, 2nd Peter 1v21, John 6v63.