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R3. Coming Against the Holy Spirit.    [Make a Comment]

We are not to oppose or come against the Holy Spirit.

This precept is derived from His Word (blessed be He):

Key Scriptures

WE ARE NOT TO BLASPHEME THE HOLY SPIRIT

Matthew 12:30-32
Those who are not with me are against me, and those who do not gather with me are scattering. Because of this, I tell you that people will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but blaspheming the Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven. One can say something against the Son of Man and be forgiven; but whoever keeps on speaking against the Ruach HaKodesh will never be forgiven, neither in the 'olam hazeh nor in the 'olam haba.

Mark 3:28-29
Yes! I tell you that people will be forgiven all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; however, someone who blasphemes against the Ruach HaKodesh never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin.

Luke 12:10
Also, everyone who says something against the Son of Man will have it forgiven him; but whoever has blasphemed the Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven.

WE ARE NOT TO DEFRAUD THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 5:1-9
But there was a man named Hananyah who, with his wife Shappirah, sold some property and, with his wife's knowledge, withheld some of the proceeds for himself; although he did bring the rest to the emissaries. Then Kefa said, "Why has the Adversary so filled your heart that you lie to the Ruach HaKodesh and keep back some of the money you received for the land? Before you sold it, the property was yours; and after you sold it, the money was yours to use as you pleased. So what made you decide to do such a thing? You have lied not to human beings but to God!" On hearing these words, Hananyah fell down dead; and everyone who heard about it was terrified. The young men got up, wrapped his body in a shroud, carried him out and buried him. Some three hours later, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. Kefa challenged her: "Tell me, is it true that you sold the land for such-and-such a price?" "Yes," she answered, "that is what we were paid for it." But Kefa came back at her, "Then why did you people plot to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The men who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out too!" Instantly she collapsed at his feet and died. The young men entered, found her there dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

WE ARE NOT TO QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Don't quench the Spirit, don't despise inspired messages. But do test everything - hold onto what is good, but keep away from every form of evil.

WE ARE NOT TO GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Isaiah 63:10
However, they rebelled, they grieved his Holy Spirit; so he became their enemy and himself fought against them.

Ephesians 4:30-32
Don't cause grief to God's Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.

WE ARE NOT TO FORBIT PROPHESYING IN TONGUES
(See the entirety of 1 Corinthians 14 for a complete list of instructions)

1 Corinthians 14:27-28
If the gift of tongues is exercised, let it be by two or at most three, and each in turn; and let someone interpret. And if there is no one present who can interpret, let the people who speak in tongues keep silent when the congregation meets - they can speak to themselves and to God.

1 Corinthians 14:29-33
Let two or three prophets speak, while the others weigh what is said. And if something is revealed to a prophet who is sitting down, let the first one be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, with the result that all will learn something and all will be encouraged. Also, the prophets' spirits are under the prophets' control; for God is not a God of unruliness but of shalom. As in all the congregations of God's people

1 Corinthians 14:39-40
So, my brothers, eagerly seek to prophesy; and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but let all things be done in a proper and orderly way.

THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY

1 Samuel 16:14
Now the Spirit of ADONAI had left Sha'ul; instead, an evil spirit from ADONAI would suddenly come over him.

Psalm 51:11(9)
Don't thrust me away from your presence, don't take your Ruach Kodesh away from me.

Commentary

The Ru'ach Hakodesh is so often identified with the New Covenant, that the Spirit's ministry going back to the creation is often overlooked. It is absolutely essential that we not oppose the Ru'ach Hakodesh in any manner because He is our relational and communication link to the Father and to Yeshua. Theologians debate the meaning of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the one and only act that Scripture tells us is unforgiveable. Whatever it is, it cannot be easy to do, and if we are the least concerned about it, that alone is strong evidence that the Holy Spirit has not left us.

The benefit of the New Covenant over the Mosaic Covenant (other than Yeshua's sacrifice for our sins) is largely the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His willingness to dwell within us. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 the Shaliach Paul asks:

... don't you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God?

It is therefore absolutely essential that we do nothing to grieve or oppose the Holy Spirit in any manner. The Holy Spirit not only speaks to us individually, but He is also able to speak to us for others - sometimes in a language that we understand, and sometimes in a language that we do not understand unless we or someone else is able to interpret. We call the latter kind of language "tongues", and the Shaliach Paul is emphatic that we must not forbid prophesying in tongues (albeit it must be done in a right order, and with interpretation).

Can we sin to a degree that God withdraws His Holy Spirit from us? The two examples provided above (1 Samuel 16:14 and Psalms 51:11) occurred prior to the New Covenant; David was worried about losing the Holy Spirit, and Saul actually did. In the New Covenant, we have Matthew 12:30-32 and Mark 3:28-29 that tell us that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable and results in an eternal sin. Scripture does not say that that involves loss of the Holy Spirit, but it certainly seems as though it does.

Classical Commentators

Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch did not write about coming against the Ru'ach Hakodesh or losing the Ru'ach Hakodesh; it is no doubt due to their not believing that the Apostolic Writings are Scripture, nor believing that we are in (and subject to) the New Covenant.

NCLA: JMm JFm KMm KFm GMm GFm

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