That was so well-explained. Even as a Reformed Protestant, I am always amazed by the theological depth of Thomistic people like those in the Dominican Order. You are all helpful to us. We thank you for your teaching from the Scriptures.
Who is the Holy Spirit? But the first big question is WHO IS INSIDE JESUS ? Well, we are absolutely sure that THE FATHER IS INSIDE JESUS AND LEADS HIM VERY TIGHTLY when speaking and acting : (1) "Truly, truly I say to you, THE SON IS NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING of himself,45 but ONLY WHAT HE SEES THE FATHER DOING; for whatever things that One does, THESE THINGS ALSO THE SON DOES LIKEWISE. (2) "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will find out that I am he, and OF MYSELF I DO NOTHING, but rather EXACTLY AS THE FATHER HAS TAUGHT ME, THOSE THINGS I SPEAK. 29And the one who sent me IS CONTINUALLY WITH ME. HE HAS NOT LEFT ME ALONE, because I always do the things pleasing to him." (3) "49 FOR I FROM MYSELF HAVE NOT SPOKEN; rather, the Father who sent me, he has given me COMMANDMENT, WHAT I SHOULD SAY, and HOW I SHOULD SPEAK. 50And I know, that his commandment means eternal life. Therefore, WHAT THINGS I SPEAK, JUST AS THE FATHER HAS SAID THEM TO ME, I SPEAK THEM JUST SO." (4) "The statements which I say to you I do NOT SPEAK FROM MYSELF, BUT THE FATHER ABIDING IN ME IS DOING HIS WORKS." .......... Can ANYONE ELSE additionally be there, inside Jesus, to lead Him? Of course THERE IS NO PLACE LEFT FOR THAT: from the above verses we see that Jesus IS LED VERY CLOSELY ("exactly") by the Father, who is "continually" with Him. That no one else is there is also implicitly stated : "...He has not left me ALONE..." i.e. you just have the Father with the Son, period. But how can one explain that Jesus is filled and led by the Holy Spirit? (5) "FILLED with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from Jordan and was LED BY THE SPIRIT into the wilderness."..... Well, with those verses (1)-(4) Jesus reveals that the HOLY SPIRIT inside Him IS THE FATHER. This would of course imply that the Father is a spirit. Yes, we can find confirmation that the Father is a spirit: "God is a spirit". Not only in Jesus, exactly the same kind of relief - by the Father - when speaking - also occurs inside the apostles: "because it is not ye that will speak, but the SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER...". However, you can notice there that the term "SPIRIT" is used instead. Well, confusion arises because Jesus has the "Father who is a spirit" and calls Him sometimes "FATHER" (Holy) (generally when Himself is concerned), sometimes "SPIRIT" (Holy, of God, of the Father...) when other people are concerned (see the apostles above). But they are just TWO NAMES for the SAME ONE SPIRIT: THE FATHER. No further "omnipotent spirit Lord giver of life" exists: it's an invention. But this was obvious: for example the Devil could be INSIDE you, trying - UNNOTICED as much as possible - to steer your mind and to convince you do something. Well, God is no less, He is able to perform that action too! If God is inside you, trying to lead you, this means that the HOLY SPIRIT IS IN YOU. Thus, "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is SYNONYM of "blasphemy against the Father". No one has been FORGOTTEN there: just TWO blasphemies are possible, one against the Father and one against the Son! This also means that when Jesus was baptized, simply the Holy Spirit - i.e. the Father who is a spirit - SAID "...you are my beloved Son...". Just the Father and the Son were there, TWO ! No one else exists "I am not ALONE because the Father is with me". The Father is now ONLY ACTIVE in His "Spirit form" (see for example the Holy Spirit and Mary's pregnancy), but He also existed in His "normal form" (see "the Father" in the baptismal formula). God existed in his "normal form" ONLY "...before the existence of the world" (Jn. 17:5) "Righteous Father, the world has not known you..." this is why "No one has ever seen God..." and why Jesus inherited the kingdom of God "The Father loves the Son and has given him all things into his hand." . God who dwells in that remote past is thus the SOURCE of the "Spirit of God". The Spirit of God proceeds from the Father dwelling in that past and acts here. But He is just a God's ATTRIBUTE, not someone else. God is thus only made by the Father and the Son.
That was so well-explained. Even as a Reformed Protestant, I am always amazed by the theological depth of Thomistic people like those in the Dominican Order.
You are all helpful to us. We thank you for your teaching from the Scriptures.
Thanks Fr Thomas!
St Thomas • the dumb ox • pray for us
Is The Holy Spirit, the same as Ruach Hakodesh?
Who is the Holy Spirit? But the first big question is WHO IS INSIDE JESUS ? Well, we are absolutely sure that THE FATHER IS INSIDE JESUS AND LEADS HIM VERY TIGHTLY when speaking and acting :
(1)
"Truly, truly I say to you, THE SON IS NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING of himself,45 but ONLY WHAT HE SEES THE FATHER DOING; for whatever things that One does, THESE THINGS ALSO THE SON DOES LIKEWISE.
(2)
"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will find out that I am he,
and OF MYSELF I DO NOTHING, but rather EXACTLY AS THE FATHER HAS TAUGHT ME, THOSE THINGS I SPEAK. 29And the one who sent me IS CONTINUALLY WITH ME. HE HAS NOT LEFT ME ALONE, because I always do the things pleasing to him."
(3)
"49 FOR I FROM MYSELF HAVE NOT SPOKEN; rather, the Father who sent me, he has given me
COMMANDMENT, WHAT I SHOULD SAY, and HOW I SHOULD SPEAK. 50And I know, that his commandment means eternal life. Therefore, WHAT THINGS I SPEAK, JUST AS THE FATHER HAS SAID THEM TO ME, I SPEAK THEM JUST SO."
(4)
"The statements which I say to you I do NOT SPEAK FROM MYSELF, BUT THE FATHER ABIDING IN ME IS DOING HIS WORKS."
..........
Can ANYONE ELSE additionally be there, inside Jesus, to lead Him? Of course THERE IS NO PLACE LEFT FOR THAT: from the above verses we see that Jesus IS LED VERY CLOSELY ("exactly") by the Father, who is "continually" with Him. That no one else is there is also implicitly stated : "...He has not left me ALONE..." i.e. you just have the Father with the Son, period. But how can one explain that Jesus is filled and led by the Holy Spirit?
(5) "FILLED with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from Jordan and was LED BY THE SPIRIT into the wilderness.".....
Well, with those verses (1)-(4) Jesus reveals that the HOLY SPIRIT inside Him IS THE FATHER. This would of course imply that the Father is a spirit. Yes, we can find confirmation that the Father is a spirit: "God is a spirit". Not only in Jesus, exactly the same kind of relief - by the Father - when speaking - also occurs inside the apostles: "because it is not ye that will speak, but the SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER...". However, you can notice there that the term "SPIRIT" is used instead.
Well, confusion arises because Jesus has the "Father who is a spirit" and calls Him sometimes "FATHER" (Holy) (generally when Himself is concerned), sometimes "SPIRIT" (Holy, of God, of the Father...) when other people are concerned (see the apostles above). But they are just TWO NAMES for the SAME ONE SPIRIT: THE FATHER. No further "omnipotent spirit Lord giver of life" exists: it's an invention. But this was obvious: for example the Devil could be INSIDE you, trying - UNNOTICED as much as possible - to steer your mind and to convince you do something. Well, God is no less, He is able to perform that action too! If God is inside you, trying to lead you, this means that the HOLY SPIRIT IS IN YOU.
Thus, "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" is SYNONYM of "blasphemy against the Father". No one has been FORGOTTEN there: just TWO blasphemies are possible, one against the Father and one against the Son! This also means that when Jesus was baptized, simply the Holy Spirit - i.e. the Father who is a spirit - SAID "...you are my beloved Son...". Just the Father and the Son were there, TWO ! No one else exists "I am not ALONE because the Father is with me".
The Father is now ONLY ACTIVE in His "Spirit form" (see for example the Holy Spirit and Mary's pregnancy), but He also existed in His "normal form" (see "the Father" in the baptismal formula). God existed in his "normal form" ONLY "...before the existence of the world" (Jn. 17:5) "Righteous Father, the world has not known you..." this is why "No one has ever seen God..." and why Jesus inherited the kingdom of God "The Father loves the Son and has given him all things into his hand." . God who dwells in that remote past is thus the SOURCE of the "Spirit of God". The Spirit of God proceeds from the Father dwelling in that past and acts here. But He is just a God's ATTRIBUTE, not someone else. God is thus only made by the Father and the Son.