Challenge #2 (40 Ways) ~ to Greg Stafford / Jason BeDhun / Serious JWs / Fred Coulter (CofG)

by 4examp 24 Replies latest watchtower bible

4examp

My apologies for the spelling error.
Jason BeDuhn does have a strong, positive opinion of WT scholarship & commentary, & on the "Person" or "Force" controversy.
Narkissos

4examp,
Since you quote me in your op, I must point out that this is not the method I meant to recommend.
You come to your research with at least two implicitly pre-defined notions: (a) person (which I suppose you connect with the 4th-century-AD definition of the Holy Spirit as hupostasis or persona in the context of "orthodox" Trinitarian doctrine; but if you intend to defend orthodoxy, a necessary preliminary question would be whether, or how far do these Greek and Latin words correspond to the intuitive understanding of "person" in English?); (b) communication, which you relate to personality (a), again in the common English sense of that word, and analyse (cleverly enough, I might add) after the pattern of a common understanding of human, person-to-person communication; but whether this has anything to do with the orthodox definition of the Holy Spirit as "person" (in the specific theological sense meant to reflect hupostasis and persona) remains to be seen.
From those arbitrary notions and analysis you decide to question thematically, again, the whole NT corpus in a transtextual, not contextual way. This is the opposite of what I suggested: take each work or author separately (for instance, Matthew or Mark or John or Paul), gather all their references to pneuma in context and see what "portrait" emerges, before asking whether this portrait is "personal," "impersonal" or a particular mix of both.
You are perfectly entitled to your approach of course. I just meant to say it is not mine (and give you a few clues why). :)
4examp

I apologize for my unavoidable tardiness. As a "newbie" I cannot post for more than 24 hours once I exceed 10 posts. Also I'm in Germany for a month & am at the mercy of various factors.
My research starts with (bizarre) WT statements (e.g. missing def. article cancels Holy Pneuma's Personality, but not demon pneuma ~ & ~ this "NO Personal Voice" thing).
So far, my focus has simply been to see if WT statements pass the Test of Agreement with Scipture. Any defence of anything "orthodox" is a by-product.
Interesting that you find my analysis & presentation as "clever".
Really it is just a summary of my collection of "SEE-shells" discovered on a walk along the shores of Pneuma Ocean. If the shells weren't there, then there wouldn't be any summary. It's not my fault if others walked the same path & didn't (want to) SEE the shells.
I actually didn't invent, create, or concoct the various notions that The Pneuma The Holy One:
- hears / understands / consults / initiates / wills / searches / examines / mulls / thinks / favours / loves / shares / comforts / intercedes / hyper-intercedes / pleads / hyper-intercedes transcendently / commissions / calls / summons / bears witness / bears joint witness / testifies / declares / teaches / guides us into truth / reveals / spells it out for us / reminds / warns / forbids / helps us pray / helps us pray & praise via tongues / helps us communicate love / speaks through dreams / speaks through visions / speaks through humans ~ giving prophecy, Divine knowledge, Divine wisdom / speaks through Scripture / speaks directly with Personal Voice / speaks directly & expressly (in articulate, deliberate, distinct, emphatic, explicit, intentional, pointed, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal VOICE) / speaks directly in responsive conversation / speaks directly in conversation & with repetition / invites / enables us to be born in spirit, & communicate / understand spiritual things.
Do you agree that if words mean anything, then this impressive list reveals a very Personal, Awesome, Sentient Being -- separate & apart from any imputed machinations on my part???
As far as a strict application of your comprehensive contextual approach, how about providing your analysis of everything that JESUS taught about Holy Pneuma?
As you well know, John chapters 14 to 16 provides a rich, concentrated revelation. "See what 'portrait' emerges".
Don't you find it intriguing that Scripture is not a Systematic Theology wriitten for the intellectuals amongst us?
If an ordinary mortal found out that The Spirit The Holy One actually communicates in 40 ways, they would be blown away!!!
But then again, we take for granted automatic breath, heart beat, blood circulation, & sleep, memory, thought, senses, pleasure, colour, love.
Narkissos

As far as a strict application of your comprehensive contextual approach, how about providing your analysis of everything that JESUS taught about Holy Pneuma?
The "Jesus sayings" do not make up one literary context, but at least four (the Fourth Gospel having little in common with the three others), and actually much more if you take into account the fact that each Gospel reflects a variety of traditions and results from a number of literary developments.
Your own pointing to John 14--16 illustrates this. You do so because you have noticed (rightly) that personal traits are particularly conspicuous in that section of that Gospel, and this differs from other NT passages (and even other GJohn references to the Spirit). So the "portrait" which emerges from this passage cannot be simply carried over to other, let alone all references to the Spirit.
In this section the first, foremost and unique name given to that "someone" is not "Spirit" (pneuma, neuter) but "Paraclete" (paraklètos, masculine) -- helper, assistant, advocate, defender. More precisely it is described as "another paraclete" (14:16), implying that it substitutes Jesus as the (first) paraclete (cf. 1 John 2:1 where Jesus is called paraklètos) in his absence. It is secondarily identified with "the Spirit of truth," twice (14:17; 15:26) or "the Holy Spirit," once (14:26). The phrase "spirit of truth," as opposed to "spirit of error" (cf. 1 John 4:6), has a specific background in Jewish literature (e.g. Testament of Judah 20:1, Qumran Rule 3:18f) which sometimes implies a measure of personification (both "spirits" being occasionally described as "angels"). The development of the paraklètos notion in Johannism is much debated, but it is quite possible that at some stage it referred to the spiritual leadership of the community through an individual (whence the unique personal traits) before being extended to the immediate action of the Spirit in all (as is obviously the case in the extant Fourth Gospel and the 1st epistle, cf. in particular 2:27 and the role of the khrisma, anointing: because it belongs to all they do not need to be taught by anybody). The fact is that the wording of the Paraclete texts lends itself to personal (human) identification. Montanus apparently claimed to be the Paraclete, and the same was even claimed about Mohammad in Islam.
In any case, the resultant description of the Paraclete-Spirit as a Jesus-like "person" substituting Jesus is unique in the NT and even in the 4th Gospel. None of the other Johannine uses of pneuma has obvious personal implications. In 3:5-8 it is the pneuma as "wind" which "wills" (a one-word pun in Greek), and the "spiritual" (or metaphorical) pneuma is opposed to sarx, "flesh" (cf. also 6:63 where it parallels "life") as earth to heaven or "down" from "above". In 4:23f "spirit" parallels "truth" and is what God is (just as he is "light" and "love" in the 1st epistle. The trajectory of the Spirit in relation to Jesus is also interesting. In 1:32f it descends and remains on Jesus, characterises his speech (3:34) and possibly his emotions (11:33; 13:21) -- of course polysemy can be implied at surface level, but imo "the Spirit" is implied by double entendre in Johannine fashion; in a similar double entendre Jesus "gives-releases-deliver the s/Spirit" when he dies (19:30), and breathes it on the disciples after his resurrection (20:22). All of this is quite distinct from the "Paraclete" texts and imo does not suggest personality, and certainly not a "person" distinct from the Father or Jesus. So only in one book we already have several "portraits" (which the awkward gloss of 7:39, there was not yet (any) spirit may attempt at reconciling).
The use of logos in the same work might offer an interesting comparison as far as local personification is concerned. In the Prologue (which probably derives from an independent source), the logos is definitely personified (again, with a rich literary background, especially in Philo); but this is definitely not the case in the rest of the Gospel, even when the "word of God" is meant.
wobble

Thank you 4examp for this thread,and thank you Narkissos for your knowledgable replies,they are so helpfull to amatuers like me,who are trying to make sense of the Bible as literature,as well as perhaps searching for the thoughts of God in there.
You have expressed very well the conclusion I had come to since leaving the WT about HOW to view the writings contained in the Bible,and how to arrive at a half sensible exegesis, but I guess it is an on-going work which may never cease in my lifetime!
Many thanks again,
Love
Wobble
4examp

You wrote: "In this section the first, foremost and unique name given to that "someone" is not "Spirit" (pneuma, neuter) but "Paraclete" (paraklètos, masculine) -- helper, assistant, advocate, defender. More precisely it is described as "another paraclete" (14:16), implying that it substitutes Jesus as the (first) paraclete (cf. 1 John 2:1 where Jesus is called paraklètos) in his absence."
I agree that Scripture provides this unique portait of The Holy Spirit as an "allos Paraklete-Lawyer" (not heteros) -- which is another powerful aspect of His Communication expertise!!!
Speaking of name, what is your understanding of the Singular Name in Mt.28:19?
Narkissos

Thank you wobble.
4examp,
Reading it again I think I should have characterised paraklètos as a functional title rather than a "name" (it was very late :)).
I wouldn't push the distinction between allos and heteros too far; often the difference is stylistic rather than semantic. However, if you're tempted to insist on "another of the same kind," a sobering thought is that it is a physical personal presence which is going to be missed and call for substitution...
Now even in the (unmediated) "spiritual" sense implied by the extant context, the personal presence is that of the Son (v. 18, I am coming to you, v. 19 you will see me, 21 I'll reveal myself to them) and the Father (v. 23). The "mutual indwelling" of the Father and Son (e.g. v. 10) extends directly to the elect (cf. chapter 17), without a further mediation between the Father/Son and the Elect through the Holy Spirit as a "third person". The nuance may seem subtle but imo it is essential. If there is anything like a Johannine "trinity" its "third person" is an infinity of persons -- the elect themselves as sharers of divine nature, and "Spirit" characterises the entire deity extending (in-)to the "world" in a dynamic manner.
As to Matthew 28:19, the (again, unique in the NT) trinitarian formula is best understood as a (late) extension of the usual christological baptism formula: eis (to) onoma kuriou/Ièsou/Khristou... More than the (singular) use of onoma which simply belongs to the fixed locution I would say the very parallelism of Father / Son / Holy Spirit tends to "personalise" or "personify" the latter to an extent (so far I would agree).
4examp

I agree that functional / relational title is better.
- The name of the Father is not His personal name but is His title of relationship to us & His Son.
- The name of The Son is not His personal name but is His title of relationship to The Father, & one of many titles of our (1Jn.2:1) Paraclete-Advocate-Lawyer (see Isa.9:6; Mt.1:23; Rev.17:14).
- The name of the Holy Spirit is not His personal name but just one of many titles of our (Jn.14:16,26; 15:26; 16:27) "other" Paraclete-Advocate-Lawyer.
Allos is fundamentally different than heteros of course, but is not locked into a physical straight-jacket. There's no need for a 2nd Bethlehem, but there was & is a need for us to be guided (etc., etc.) into truth.
4examp

You wrote (in Challenge #1): "The absence of article does not indicate lack of personality. But neither does it (or the presence of the article, or the presence or absence of an adjective or other determination for that matter) indicate personality! The different syntaxical patterns which appear in the text (for obvious contextual reasons) are simply irrelevant to this issue...."

I think the following summary strongly supports the notion that the ABSENCE of the definite article does in fact indicate LACK of personality.
Scripture Context & Focus = AWESOME "POWER"1 Mt.1:18 She was found to be PREGNANT BY holy spirit
2 Mt.1:20 That which has been BEGOTTEN in her is BY holy spirit
3 Mt.3:11 That One will BAPTIZE you people WITH holy spirit
4 Mk.1:8 He will BAPTIZE you WITH holy spirit
5 Lk.1:15 He will be FILLED WITH holy spirit
6 Lk.1:35 holy spirit will COME UPON you, & POWER OF the Most High will overshadow you
7 Lk.1:41 Elizabeth was FILLED WITH holy spirit 8 Lk.1:67 Zechariah its father was FILLED WITH holy spirit
9 Lk.2:25 holy spirit was UPON him
10 Lk.3:16 He will BAPTIZE you people WITH holy spirit
11 Lk.4:1 Jesus, FULL OF holy spirit
12 Lk.11:13 GIVE holy spirit to those asking Him
13 Jn.1:33 This is the One that BAPTIZES IN holy spirit
14 Jn.20:22 He blew upon them & said to them: "RECEIVE holy spirit"
15 Acts 1:2 After He had given commandment THROUGH holy spirit
16 Acts 1:5 You will be BAPTIZED IN holy spirit not many days after this
17 Acts 2:4 They all became FILLED WITH holy spirit
18 Acts 4:8 Then Peter FILLED WITH holy spirit, said to them
19 Acts 4:25 And who THROUGH holy spirit said BY the mouth of our forefather David
20 Acts 6:5 Stephen, a man FULL OF faith & holy spirit
21 Acts 7:55 But he, being FULL OF holy spirit
22 Acts 8:15 And prayed for them to GET holy spirit
23 Acts 8:17 And they began to RECEIVE holy spirit
24 Acts 8:19 That anyone upon whom I lay my hands may RECEIVE holy spirit
25 Acts 9:17 And be FILLED WITH holy spirit
26 Acts 10:38 How God ANOINTED him WITH holy spirit & POWER
27 Acts 11:16 But you will be BAPTIZED IN holy spirit
28 Acts 11:24 He was a good man & FULL OF holy spirit
29 Acts 13:9 Paul, becoming FILLED WITH holy spirit
30 Acts 13:52 The disciples continued to be FILLED WITH joy & holy spirit
31 Acts 19:2 Did you RECEIVE holy spirit when you became believers?
32 Acts 19:2 We have never heard WHETHER THERE IS holy spirit
33 Rom.5:5 THROUGH holy spirit, which was GIVEN us
34 Rom.9:1 My conscience bears witness with me IN holy spirit
35 Rom.14:17 For the kingdom of God... (means) righteousness & peace & joy WITH holy spirit
36 Rom.15:13 That you may abound in hope with POWER OF holy spirit
37 Rom.15:16 Being SANCTIFIED WITH holy spirit
38 Rom.15:19 With the power of signs & portents, with the POWER OF holy spirit
39 1Cor.12:3 Nobody can say: "JESUS is LORD!" except BY holy spirit
40 2Cor.6:4,6 We recommend ourselves as God's ministers... BY holy spirit
41 2Tim.1:14 This fine trust guard THROUGH holy spirit which is dwelling in us
42 Titus 3:5 Through the making of us new BY holy spirit
43 Heb.2:4 And with DISTRIBUTIONS OF holy spirit according to His will
44 Heb.6:4 and who have become PARTAKERS OF holy spirit
45 1Pet.1:12 Declared the good news to you WITH holy spirit sent forth from heaven
46 2Pet.1:21 But men spoke from God as they were BORNE ALONG BY holy spirit
47 Jude 1:20 Praying WITH holy spirit
4examp

The WT incorrectly claims: "The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God's holy spirit is NOT A PERSON but is God's active force by which he accomplishes his purpose & executes his will." (Insight p.1019)
The truth is, the TESTIMONY of the WHOLE NEW TESTAMENT reveals THE Holy Spirit is a PERSON.
The context in the following Scriptures, prove the emphasis is on the PERSON of THE Holy Spirit when the Greek definite article is PRESENT (often present twice).
The PERSON & the POWER ~ & ~ The GIVER & the GIFT of The Holy Spirit distinguished throughout Scripture
Acts 2:4 ~ "...they all became filled with HOLY SPIRIT & started to speak with different tongues, just as THE SPIRIT was granting them to make utterance".
Scripture Context & Focus = AWESOME "PERSON"
Mt.4:1 Then Jesus was LED BY THE SPIRIT up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.
Mt.10:20 The ones speaking are not just you, but it is THE SPIRIT of your Father that SPEAKING IN YOU.
Mt.12:31,32 every sort of sin & blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT will NOT BE FORGIVEN. For example, whoever speaks a word against the SON of Man, it will be forgiven him; but WHOEVER SPEAKS AGAINST THE SPIRIT THE HOLY, it will NOT BE FORGIVEN him, NO, NOT in this system of things NOR in that to come.
Mk.3:29,30 WHOEVER BLASPHEMES AGAINST THE SPIRIT THE HOLY has NO FORGIVENESS FOREVER, but is GUILTY OF EVERLASTING SIN. This because they were saying: "He has an unclean spirit."
Mk.13:11 for you are not the ones SPEAKING, but THE SPIRIT THE HOLY IS.
Lk.2:26 it had been DIVINELY REVEALED to him (Simeon) BY THE SPIRIT THE HOLY that he would not see death before he had seen the Christ of Jehovah.
Lk.12:10-12 but he that BLASPHEMES AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT will not be forgiven it. But when they bring you in... do not become anxious about how or what you will speak in defense or what you will say; for THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL TEACH YOU in that very hour the things you ought to say.
Jn.14:15-17 If you love Me, you will observe My commandments; & I will request the Father & He will give you ANOTHER (allos not heteros) PARACLETE to be with you forever, THE SPIRIT of THE TRUTH, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds Him* nor knows Him*. You know Him*, because He* remains with you & is in you. (* neuter pronoun)
Jn.14:26 But THE PARACLETE, THE SPIRIT THE HOLY, which the Father will send in My name, THAT ONE WILL TEACH you all things & bring back to your minds all the things I told you.
Jn.15:26,27 When THE PARACLETE arrives that I will send you from the Father, THE SPIRIT of THE TRUTH, which proceeds from the Father, THAT ONE will BEAR WITNESS about Me; & you, in turn, are to bear witness...
Jn.16:7,8 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth, it is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, THE PARACLETE will by no means come to you; but if I do go My way, I will send HIM [autos] to you. And when THAT ONE arrives He will give the world CONVINCING EVIDENCE concerning sin & concerning righteousness & concerning judgment:
Jn.16:12-15 I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able to bear them at present. However, when THAT ONE arrives, THE SPIRIT of THE TRUTH, He WILL GUIDE you into all the truth, for He will NOT SPEAK of His own INITIATIVE, but what things HE HEARS HE WILL SPEAK, & HE WILL DECLARE to you the THINGS COMING. THAT ONE will glorify Me, because HE will receive from what is Mine & will DECLARE it to you. All the things that the Father has are Mine. That is why I said HE receives from what is Mine & DECLARES [it] to you.
Acts 1:15,16 Peter rose up in the midst of the brothers & said...: "Men, brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled, which THE SPIRIT THE HOLY FORETOLD (not spoke) beforehand BY DAVID's MOUTH about Judas..."
Acts 2:4 & they all became filled with HOLY SPIRIT & started to speak with different tongues, just as THE SPIRIT WAS GRANTING them to make utterance.
Acts 5:3,4,9 Peter said: "Ananias, why has Satan embolden you TO LIE TO THE SPIRIT THE HOLY & to hold back secretly some of the price of the field? As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, & after it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed such a deed as this in your heart? You have LIED, not to men, but TO GOD." ... So Peter said to her: "Why was it agreed upon between you [two] TO TEST THE SPIRIT of the Lord?"
Acts 5:32 WE ARE WITNESSES of these matters, AND SO IS THE SPIRIT THE HOLY....
Acts 8:26,29,39 However Jehovah's ANGEL SPOKE to Philip, saying: "RISE & go...." So THE SPIRIT SAID to Philip: "Approach...." Philip... SAID: "Do you actually know what you are reading?" He SAID: "Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?"
[Speakers: angel, THE SPIRIT, Philip, Ethiopian eunuch!!! ]
Acts 8:39 When they had come up out of the water, Jehovah's SPIRIT SNATCHED Philip away....
[Notice it does not say: "Jehovah SNATCHED Philip away"!]
Acts 9:31 Then, indeed, the CONGREGATION... entered into a period of peace, being built up: & as it walked in the fear of The Lord & in the COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT it kept on multiplying.
Acts 10:19,20 As Peter was going over in his mind about the vision, THE SPIRIT SAID: "LOOK! Three men are seeking you. However, RISE, GO downstairs & be on your way with them, NOT DOUBTING AT ALL, because I HAVE SENT THEM."
Acts 11:4-12 At this PETER commenced & went on to EXPLAIN THE PARTICULARS to them, saying: "I was in the city of Joppa praying... I also HEARD A VOICE SAY to me, 'Rise, Peter....' The SECOND time THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN ANSWERED, 'You stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed,' This occurred for a THIRD time.... Also, look! at that instant there were three men standing at the house.... So THE SPIRIT TOLD me to go with them, NOT DOUBTING AT ALL.
Acts 13:1-4 Now in Antioch there were prophets & teachers in the local congregation, Barnabas... Symeon... Lucius... Manaen... & Saul. As they publicly ministering to the Lord & fasting, THE SPIRIT THE HOLY SAID: "Of all persons set Barnabas & Saul apart for ME for the work to which I HAVE CALLED THEM." Then they fasted & prayed & laid their hands upon them & let them go. Accordingly these men SENT OUT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, went down to Seleucia....
Acts 15:23,25,26,28 & by their hand they wrote: "The apostles & the older brothers to those brothers in Antioch... Greetings! ...we have come to a unanimous accord & have favored choosing men to send you together with our beloved Barnabas & Paul, men that have delivered up their souls for the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.... IT SEEMED (GOOD to) THE SPIRIT THE HOLY & we ourselves...." [ See SEEMED (edoxen) & the 24-word chart, under #6 "Intellect". ]
Acts 16:6,7 Moreover, they went through Phrygia & the country of Galatia, because THEY WERE FORBIDDEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT to speak the word in the [district of] Asia. Further, when getting down to Mysia they made efforts to go into Bithynia, but THE SPIRIT OF JESUS DID NOT PERMIT THEM.
Acts 20:23 except that from city to city THE SPIRIT THE HOLY REPEATEDLY BEARS WITNESS to me AS IT SAYS that bonds & tribulations are waiting for me.
Acts 20:28 Pay attention to yourselves & to all the flock, among which THE SPIRIT THE HOLY HAS APPOINTED YOU OVERSEERS....
Acts 21:10,11 Agabus came down from Judea, &... said: "THUS SAYS THE SPIRIT THE HOLY...."
Acts 28:25,26 Paul made this one comment: "THE SPIRIT THE HOLY APTLY SPOKE THROUGH ISAIAH THE PROPHET to your forefathers, SAYING, 'Go to this people & SAY: "By hearing you will hear BUT NOT UNDERSTAND; &, looking, you will look BUT NOT SEE. For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, & with their ears they have heard without response, & they have shut their eyes; that they should never see with their eyes & hear with their ears & understand with their heart & turn back, & I should heal them." ' "
Rom.8:16 THE SPIRIT ITSELF BEARS WITNESS with our spirit that we are God's children.
Rom.8:26,27,34 In like manner THE SPIRIT ALSO joins in with help for our weakness; for the [problem of] what we should pray for as we need to we do not know, but THE SPIRIT itself PLEADS FOR US with groanings unuttered. Yet he who searches the hearts knows what the MIND of THE SPIRIT is, because it is PLEADING in accord with God for holy ones.... CHRIST JESUS is the one... who ALSO PLEADS FOR US.
1Cor.2:10,11 For it is to us God has revealed them through THE SPIRIT, for THE SPIRIT SEARCHES INTO ALL THINGS, EVEN THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD.... So, too, no one has come to KNOW the things of God, except THE SPIRIT of God
1Cor.12:4-6 Now there are VARIETIES of gifts, but there is THE SAME SPIRIT; & there are VARIETIES of ministries, & yet there is THE SAME LORD; & there are VARIETIES of operations, & yet it is THE SAME GOD....
1Cor.12:7-11 THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT is given to each one for a beneficial purpose. For example, to one is GIVEN THROUGH THE SPIRIT speech of wisdom, to another speech of knowledge ACCORDING TO THE SAME SPIRIT, to another faith BY THE SAME SPIRIT, to another gifts of healings BY THAT ONE SPIRIT, to yet another operations of powerful works, to another prophesyings, to another discerning of SPIRITS, to another different tongues, & to another interpretation of tongues. BUT ALL THESE OPERATIONS THE ONE & THE SAME SPIRIT PERFORMS making a distribution to each one respectively JUST AS IT WILLS.
2Cor.13:14 The undeserved KINDNESS of the LORD JESUS CHRIST & the LOVE of GOD & the SHARING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT be with all of you.
Eph.4:30 NWT - Also, do NOT be GRIEVING God's Holy Spirit...
Eph.4:30 KI - And NOT be you SADDENING THE SPIRIT THE HOLY of THE GOD...
(grieving/saddening = lupeo Strong's #3076, EGC p.465, found 26x & means: "to cause pain, or grief, to distress" Vine's, Vol.2, p.178)
1Tim.4:1 NWT - However, THE INSPIRED UTTERANCE SAYS DEFINITELY...
1Tim.4:1 KI - But THE SPIRIT SPOKENLY IS SAYING...
(spokenly = hretos Strong's #4490 found only once & means: "out-spokenly, i.e. distinctly" )
1Tim.4:1 However, THE SPIRIT SAYS DEFINITELY that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to MISLEADING SPIRITS & teachings of demons, by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies...
Heb.3:7 For this reason, just as THE SPIRIT THE HOLY SAYS: "Today if you people listen... do not harden your hearts...."
Heb.9:8 Thus THE SPIRIT THE HOLY MAKES IT PLAIN that the way into the holy place had not yet been made manifest while the first tent was standing.
Heb.10:15-17 Moreover, THE SPIRIT THE HOLY ALSO BEARS WITNESS to us, for after IT HAS SAID: "This is the covenant that I shall covenant...." IT SAYS afterwards: "And I shall...."
Heb.10:29 NWT - Of how much more severe a punishment, do you think, will the man be counted worthy who has trampled upon the Son of God..., & who has OUTRAGED THE SPIRIT of undeserved kindness WITH CONTEMPT?
Heb.10:29 KI - THE SPIRIT of THE Undeserved Kindness HAVING CONTEMPTUOUSLY OUTRAGED
1Pet.1:11 They kept on investigating what particular season or what sort of [season] THE SPIRIT in them WAS INDICATING concerning Christ when IT WAS BEARING WITNESS BEFOREHAND about the sufferings for Christ & about the glories to follow these.
Rev.2:7 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations:
Rev.2:11 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations:
Rev.2:17 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations:
Rev.2:29 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations.
Rev.3:6 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations.
Rev.3:13 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations.
Rev.3:22 Let the one who has an ear HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING to the congregations.
Rev.14:13 I heard a voice out of heaven SAY: "Write: Happy are the dead who die IN [the] Lord from this time onward. YES, IS SAYING THE SPIRIT, let them rest from their labors, for the things they did go right with them."
Rev.22:17 THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE ARE SAYING: "Come!" And let ANYONE HEARING SAY: "Come!"
These Scriptures CANNOT be EXPLAINED AWAY as just examples of "PERSONIFICATION".

Challenge #2 (40 Ways) ~ to Greg Stafford / Jason BeDhun / Serious JWs / Fred Coulter (CofG)

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