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36 THE CONVENTION TEACHER Lesson VII. February 15, 1948 THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SENIOR TOPIC: POWER THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT John 14:25-26; Acts 2:1-4; 4:31b; Gal. 5:22-26. [[line]] AUTHORIZED VERSION 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 31b And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. 23 Meekness temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. [[line]] REVISED VERSION 25 These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. 26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. 1 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty win, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 31b And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof. 25 If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. 26 Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. [[line]] MOTTO TEXT - You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Acts 1:8 [[line]] LESSON SETTING Time: A. D. 33-58 Place: Jerusalem; Written from Rome to Galatians. LESSON OUTLINE 1. The Holy Spirit Promised as Comforter. (VV. 25-26.) II. The Holy Spirit at Word (VV. 1-4; 31b.) III. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit (VV. 22-26.) DAILY HOME READING Feb. 9 - Feb. 15 M. The Inspiring Spirit. II Peter 1:16-21 T. The Mysterious Spirit. John 3:1-8 W. The Testifying Spirit. Romans 8:9-17 T. The Teaching Spirit. John 14:22-27 F. Gifts of the Spirit. I Corinthians 12:4-13 S. The Fruitful Spirit Galatians. 5:22-26 S. The Sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:10-20. INTRODUCTION A careful study of the Bible has found that there are One Hundred and Fifty Seven references to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Of these, Fifty-Six are in the book of the Acts; Forty-five are in the Epistle to the Romans; Thirty-four in the Synoptic Gospels; Twenty-one in John's Gospel and his epistles and One in Corinthians. With so much emphasis in the New Testament on teaching concerning the Holy Spirit, Christians should make a more diligent effort to know more about His person and work. We are not so uniformed as were certain disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:2) who had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, but we do know all too little of His place and work in the life of the world and in our own personal experience. His work is to reprove the world of sin, to convict the hearts of those that are lost, to regenerate those who surrender themselves to Christ, to enlighten our minds in the knowledge of God and His word, to teach, guide, direct, and encourage those who have given their hearts to Christ, to comfort them and empower them, and to lead them all in their ways. It is through His work in our minds and hearts and wills that we are united to Christ, in our lives here on earth and throughout all eternity. [[end page]] [[start page]] THE CONVENTION TEACHER 37 EXPOSITION I. THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED AS COMFORTER. (VV. 25-26.) (25) These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. Jesus explains a strict obedience to His commands. Love is the true service of Christian obedience, and that obedience is the greatest of love; "If ye love me keep my commandments." In that case says Jesus, "I will ask the Father and He will send you another Comforter, Advocate and Friend," who will more than supply the loss of my bodily presence; and He will remain with you, not for a few years, as I have done, but forever. (26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. [[/bold]]The Holy Spirit (The Comforter) also teaches, if in the things I (Jesus) have already spoken to you, there appear to you any obscurity, the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, Counsellor, and Instructor will take away all your doubts, free you from all embarrassment, and give you a perfect understanding in all things; and this Spirit ye shall shortly receive. And bring all things to your remembrance. Here Christ promises them that inspiration of the Holy Spirit which enables them not only to give a true history of His life and death but also gave them the most perfect recollection of all the words which He had spoken to them, so that they have been able to transmit to posterity the identical words which Jesus uttered in His sermons, and His different discourses with them, the Jews and others. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth because it is His office to reveal truth, and apply it to the consolation of the human mind, nor is any consolation derived from Him but what is found in truth and righteousness. This Holy Spirit teaches and instructs us by bringing to our recollection, and impressing on our minds - not new truths, but those which Christ Himself taught, nothing but what He had learned and heart of the Father. II. THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK. (VV. 1-4; 31b.) (1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. The feast of Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Passover, and had its name fifty which is compounded of five and the decimal termination. It commenced on the fiftieth day reckoned from the first day of unleavened bread, i.e., on the morrow after the paschal lamb was offered. This law relative to the feast is found in Leviticus 23:15, 16. This feast was instituted in commemoration of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, and is therefore sometimes called the joy of the law, and frequently, the Feast of Works. There is a correspondence between the giving of the Law, which is celebrated by this feast of Pentecost, together with the crucifixion of our Lord, which took place at the Passover, the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage; as Jesus arose on the first day of the week, so the Holy Spirit descended on the same seven weeks, or on the fiftiest day afterwards. This tends to honor this day, which soon was set apart as the Christian Sabbath. Was fully come. The day of Pentecost properly speaking, began the preceding evening, so that in the morning it might be said to be full come, and the apostles, and their company, were there collected together in entire harmony and love. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Perhaps thunder is meant, which is the harbinger of the Divine presence. So while the assembled disciples were thus waiting the performance of the promise which their Lord had given them. This was the emblem of the invincible energy with which the Holy Spirit works upon the minds of men, bearing down all opposition before them, in a manner which cannot be explained, but is most manifest in its effects. Rushing mighty wind. The passage of a large portion of electrical fluid over that place would not only occasion the sound, or thunder, but also the rushing mighty wind; and as the air would rush suddenly and strongly into the vacuum occasioned by the rarefication of the atmosphere in that place, through the sudden passage of the electrical fluid; and the wind would follow the direction of the fire. Notice the similarity of this account and that of the appearance of God to Elijah: I Kings 19:11, 12. (3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. These cloven tongues resembled a divided flame. The cloven tongues pointed out the diversity of these languages; and the fire seemed to intimate that the whole would be a spiritual gift; and be the means of bringing
