POST TWO
An early synagogal prayer included the spirit (the paraclete or counsellor) as one of the promises of God to mankind :
“And in our days you laid hold of us through your great High Priest, Jesus Christ your child.... and you bring forward into light the rational animal, the man. With laws, you have taught (him); with just ordinances, you have cleansed (him); bringing on dissolution for a little while, You have promised the resurrection!... You have sent forth the Christ to men as a man, being uniquely born God; you have caused the Paraclete to live in us, you have set up angels (over us); you have dishonored the devil. Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers - 7:4; 9-11; 17; (AposCon 7.38.1-8)
The Jewish Dead Sea Scrolls also bear similar witness to the purpose and effect of the Holy Spirit.
For example , 4Q429 of the Thanksgiving Psalms reads :
“I give thanks to You, O LORD, for You have sustained me with your strength, and your Holy Spirit. Frag. 1 Col. 15:6
1QH and 4Q428 bear similar testimonies saying :
“ ...from my youth You have shined the insight of Your judgment on me. With a sure truth you have supported me, and by your holy spirit you have delighted me; even until this day (Frag 7) Col. 17:31-32
Other, similar witnesses to the early Judeo-Christian belief regarding the purpose and effect of the Holy Spirit are woven throughout the scrolls.
For example :
“And I, the instructor, have known you, O my God, by the spirit which you gave me, and I have listened faithfully to your wondrous council by your holy spirit. You have opened within me knowledge in the mystery of Your insight, and a spring of [Your] strength...” Frags. 10, 24, 42 + 4Q427 Frag. 3 Col. 20:11-13
The New Testament narratives repeat these same witnesses.
For examples :
Jesus tells his disciples : “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. John 14:26;
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. John 15:26-27;
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:12-13;
4) A SUMMARY OF MORTALITY FROM THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
In this model, mankind were sent here to have the opportunity to learn moral and social laws of Good and Evil and thus engage in the process of becoming able to live in a social heaven in joy and harmony for eternity.
However, not all will choose to learn to live those principles and must of necessity, be separated from those who are willing to live those principles. The 4Q narratives from the Dead Sea scrolls summarizes this process and struggle between good and evil thusly :
“The character and fate of all humankind reside with these spirits... God has appointed these spirits as equals until the last age, and set an everlasting enmity between their divisions. False deeds are thus an abomination to the truth, whereas all the ways of truth are for perversity equally a disgrace. Fierce dispute attends ever point of decision, for they can never agree. In his mysterious insight and glorious wisdom God has countenanced an era in which perversity triumphs, but at the time appointed for visitation He shall destroy such forever. Then shall truth come forth in victory upon the earth. Sullied by wicked ways while perversity rules, at the time of the appointed judgment truth shall be decreed. By His truth God shall then purify all human deeds, and refine some of humanity so as to extinguish every perverse spirit from the inward parts of the flesh, cleansing from every wicked deed by a holy spirit. Like purifying waters, He shall sprinkle each with a spirit of truth, effectual against all the abominations of lying and sullying by an unclean spirit. Thereby He shall give the upright insight into the knowledge of the Most High and the wisdom of the angels, making wise those following the perfect way. Indeed, God has chosen them for an eternal covenant; all the glory of Adam shall be theirs alone. Perversity shall be extinct, every fraudulent deed put to shame. Until now the spirits of truth and perversity have contended within the human heart. All people walk in both wisdom and foolishness. As is a person’s endowment of truth and righteousness, so shall he hate perversity; conversely, in proportion to bequest in the lot of evil, one will act wickedly and abominate truth. God has appointed these spirits as equals until the time of decree and renewal. He foreknows the outworking of their deeds for all the ages of eternity. He has granted them dominion over humanity, so imparting knowledge of good and evil, deciding the fate of every living being by the measure of which spirit predominates in him, until the day of the appointed visitation.” 1QS, 4Q255-264a, 5Q11 Col 4 vs 15-26 (Those who are interested in religious history may want to compare this narrative with the Christian Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs - Judah 20:1-3)
Clear
ακ μ
An early synagogal prayer included the spirit (the paraclete or counsellor) as one of the promises of God to mankind :
“And in our days you laid hold of us through your great High Priest, Jesus Christ your child.... and you bring forward into light the rational animal, the man. With laws, you have taught (him); with just ordinances, you have cleansed (him); bringing on dissolution for a little while, You have promised the resurrection!... You have sent forth the Christ to men as a man, being uniquely born God; you have caused the Paraclete to live in us, you have set up angels (over us); you have dishonored the devil. Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers - 7:4; 9-11; 17; (AposCon 7.38.1-8)
The Jewish Dead Sea Scrolls also bear similar witness to the purpose and effect of the Holy Spirit.
For example , 4Q429 of the Thanksgiving Psalms reads :
“I give thanks to You, O LORD, for You have sustained me with your strength, and your Holy Spirit. Frag. 1 Col. 15:6
1QH and 4Q428 bear similar testimonies saying :
“ ...from my youth You have shined the insight of Your judgment on me. With a sure truth you have supported me, and by your holy spirit you have delighted me; even until this day (Frag 7) Col. 17:31-32
Other, similar witnesses to the early Judeo-Christian belief regarding the purpose and effect of the Holy Spirit are woven throughout the scrolls.
For example :
“And I, the instructor, have known you, O my God, by the spirit which you gave me, and I have listened faithfully to your wondrous council by your holy spirit. You have opened within me knowledge in the mystery of Your insight, and a spring of [Your] strength...” Frags. 10, 24, 42 + 4Q427 Frag. 3 Col. 20:11-13
The New Testament narratives repeat these same witnesses.
For examples :
Jesus tells his disciples : “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. John 14:26;
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. John 15:26-27;
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:12-13;
4) A SUMMARY OF MORTALITY FROM THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
In this model, mankind were sent here to have the opportunity to learn moral and social laws of Good and Evil and thus engage in the process of becoming able to live in a social heaven in joy and harmony for eternity.
However, not all will choose to learn to live those principles and must of necessity, be separated from those who are willing to live those principles. The 4Q narratives from the Dead Sea scrolls summarizes this process and struggle between good and evil thusly :
“The character and fate of all humankind reside with these spirits... God has appointed these spirits as equals until the last age, and set an everlasting enmity between their divisions. False deeds are thus an abomination to the truth, whereas all the ways of truth are for perversity equally a disgrace. Fierce dispute attends ever point of decision, for they can never agree. In his mysterious insight and glorious wisdom God has countenanced an era in which perversity triumphs, but at the time appointed for visitation He shall destroy such forever. Then shall truth come forth in victory upon the earth. Sullied by wicked ways while perversity rules, at the time of the appointed judgment truth shall be decreed. By His truth God shall then purify all human deeds, and refine some of humanity so as to extinguish every perverse spirit from the inward parts of the flesh, cleansing from every wicked deed by a holy spirit. Like purifying waters, He shall sprinkle each with a spirit of truth, effectual against all the abominations of lying and sullying by an unclean spirit. Thereby He shall give the upright insight into the knowledge of the Most High and the wisdom of the angels, making wise those following the perfect way. Indeed, God has chosen them for an eternal covenant; all the glory of Adam shall be theirs alone. Perversity shall be extinct, every fraudulent deed put to shame. Until now the spirits of truth and perversity have contended within the human heart. All people walk in both wisdom and foolishness. As is a person’s endowment of truth and righteousness, so shall he hate perversity; conversely, in proportion to bequest in the lot of evil, one will act wickedly and abominate truth. God has appointed these spirits as equals until the time of decree and renewal. He foreknows the outworking of their deeds for all the ages of eternity. He has granted them dominion over humanity, so imparting knowledge of good and evil, deciding the fate of every living being by the measure of which spirit predominates in him, until the day of the appointed visitation.” 1QS, 4Q255-264a, 5Q11 Col 4 vs 15-26 (Those who are interested in religious history may want to compare this narrative with the Christian Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs - Judah 20:1-3)
Clear
ακ μ