The Holy Ghost

1 Cor 14:1-20

The Bible teaches many things about the Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of the Lord, including:

Conviction The Holy Spirit can convict unbelievers of sin and help them see the truth of the gospel.

John 16.8

a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law. Our need for Christ.

Union with Christ The Holy Spirit can unite believers with Christ, enabling them to live victoriously over sin and receive eternal life. Empowerment The Holy Spirit can empower believers to feel love, joy, and peace, and to help others. Protection The Holy Spirit can protect believers and prevent their salvation from being stolen. Transformation The Holy Spirit can transform believers into the temple of God. Col 1:13 Guidance The Holy Spirit can guide believers and help them live in a way that's consistent with God's plan. Gifts The Holy Spirit can give believers gifts such as wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

Some Bible verses that teach about the Holy Spirit include:

Galatians 5:22–23: Describes the "fruit of the Spirit" as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and

temperanceMatthew 28:19-20: States that the Holy Spirit is God, and believers are baptized in His NameEphesians 4:30: States that the Holy

Spirit has the power to protect believers1 Corinthians 6:19-20: States that the Holy Spirit dwells within believers and transforms them into the temple of God.

John 15: States that the Holy Spirit illuminates the fallen condition of humans and convicts them of sin.

2 Corinthians 4: States that the Holy Spirit shines a light into the darkened hearts and minds of humans.

The contrast between tongues and prophecy.

1. (1) The guiding principles.

to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office: - prophesy.

Pursue love: Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, brilliantly declared the preeminence of love for Christians in 1 Corinthians 13. Now, since love is the greatest, we must pursue it.

Desire spiritual gifts: There was nothing wrong with the Corinthian Christians’ desire for spiritual gifts. But they made a godly desire into an obsessive pursuit, when the main pursuit for Christians should be love.

Now, he will focus on the gifts of prophecy and tongues, and how they should function in church body life. Obviously, in the Corinthian church, there was an over-emphasis on tongues and an under-emphasis on prophecy.

That you may prophesy: What does it mean for someone to prophesy? Many who believe miraculous gifts are no longer given by God regard prophecy as simply “inspired preaching,” and not “inspired” in a direct way.

“Preaching is essentially a merging of the gifts of teaching and exhortation, prophecy has the primary elements of prediction and revelation.” (Farnell, cited in Kistemaker)

Paul will tell us much more about prophecy in this chapter. Yet, we know he does not mean prophecy is identical to preaching, because there was an ancient Greek word available for “preaching” (kerusso), and Paul did not use this ancient Greek word.

****God does not give anyone the gift of tongues for the direct sake of others (though indirectly others are edified), but for that believer and God alone.

Let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel: The goal must be mutual benefit at church meetings. If there must be tongues, there must be interpretation, so there can be edification.