Essays on Holy Spirit

Abstract

Despite receiving little attention from many, the subject of Pentecostal soteriology continues to confuse majority of the congregation with a few of them having little insight, if any on matters of the Holy Spirit and baptism. Often these subjects are tackled by church ministers who often suffer from prejudice, sometimes lacking the expertise to interpret scripts from the bible. Previous studies also do not offer convincing enlightenment on the same subject. Following this trail, this paper refers to some prior studies and continues to guide the reader through a journey on the study of the Pentecost along with its Continue reading...

Religious studies:

Introduction
Charismatic theology
Research shows that a large number of self identified Christians in the world form part of the charismatic theology. This Christian theology is one that involves the practices as well as the beliefs that are similar to those of the Pentecostals and are mainly characterized by the use of spiritual gifts. The theology is mainly associated with is termed as baptism with the Holy Spirit and involves the empowerment of Christians with evidence seen through speaking in tongues. The charismatic theology which involves the charismatic Christians are associated with works involving use of spiritual gifts by, Continue reading...

The Holy Spirit plays the most significant role in the life of the apostles. The Book of Acts of apostles explains more about the roles of the Holy Spirit in Chapters #2, # 4, # 8 and #10. In Chapter 1, Jesus told his disciple to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. There were three distinct functions of the Holy Spirit as Christ showed. First function was to convict the world of sin.
In Chapter 1 of the Book of Acts, there is a list of the roles that the Holy Spirit plays. Firstly, the Holy Spirit acts Continue reading...

Book Review of Knowing the Spirit by Colin Dye

In the book Knowing the Spirit by Colin Dye, it becomes clear that there are people who are still puzzled by the powers of the Holy Spirit and its role in the holy trinity. In as much as the Holy Spirit is always referred to as ‘it’, it is imperative to note that he is an entity that completes the holy trinity. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit can be known at a personal level and that it can affect a person and how they live.
The spirit is a distinct person who is just as Continue reading...

I. Introduction
One of the controversial issues among Christian communities is the Charismatic principle, namely, the gift of speaking in tongues. Pentecostal churches teach that “tongues” should be included in the church even today. In fact, these churches hold that anyone who cannot speak in tongues does not have the Holy Spirit within him or her. In the same time, another controversial subject is God’s election of believers unto salvation. Others, particularly Aminians, hold that man has a part in salvation, while others say that the entirety of salvation is God’s work. According to the Scripture, “tongues” Continue reading...

In Religious theology, Holy Spirit is considered to execute particular heavenly features in the lifestyle of the Religious or the cathedral. The Holy Spirit activity is seen as a critical part of the providing the person with the necessary Religious trust. Of the Spirit, the new believer is said to be born again. The Holy Spirit power was also obvious in providing wonders that attested to the honesty of the Gospel concept and its heavenly source. The Holy Spirit allows Religious lifestyle by residing in the person followers and allows them to stay a righteous and trustworthy lifestyle. The Continue reading...

Globally, Christians usually have an interest in providing clear doctrinal presentation of the Holy Spirit in accordance to His purpose. It is clear that this is the time of understanding of the Holy Spirit dispensation and regarded as pneumotology. This is through clear illumination of the bible scriptures with the aim of revealing and glorifying the mighty Christ. The Holy Spirit mighty power is believed to transform Christians into victorious individuals as He transforms their powerless, dry, and fruitless church ministries into mighty, precious and conquerors entities.
The initial aspect that all Christians need to understand is that the Continue reading...

Sam, I am so glad that you were able to find me when you were online. It is so good to hear from you after so many years. I am glad to hear that you have had so many positive things happen in your life, especially your marriage, your children, and a career in which you are happy and successful. It is common that when your children reach elementary school age that families begin to seek a church and a religious foundation. Although I am not really an expert by any means, I am willing to give you some Continue reading...

The apostle Paul, who started as one of Christianity’s most enthusiastic enemies, was hand-picked by Jesus Christ to become the gospel’s most passionate courier. Paul towers as one of the all-time giants of Christianity .he made three long missionary journeys all through the Roman Empire, planting churches, preaching the gospel, and giving power and support to the early Christians. Paul writes in the book of Romans 8:9 that you are not in the monarchy of the flesh but are in the monarchy of the spirit if indeed the spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does Continue reading...

New Life through the Spirits

Paul makes it clear on the application of the spiritual gifts. These spiritual gifts should be shared thereby ensuring life in faithfulness and fruitfulness is achieved within the community. These spirits were to be shared without any jealousy or envy concerning what gifts certain people within the community have benefited from. You are expected to let your emotions of deep affection for fellow beings come to real manifest and view others as more vital than yourself. Be joyful in hope and pray regularly- Life in the Spirit- We are under law to live a pleasing life, though it seems Continue reading...

The Gospels of Mark and John are argued to have two different interpretations of the motivations and aims of Jesus Christ, and offer unique takes on his message. Both gospels take on the Gospel narrative in quite different ways, leading to distinct disparities in message that are not entirely compatible (i.e. do not function consistently next to each other). While the Gospel of Mark talks about what Jesus did as a person, leaving the reader to ponder the nature of Jesus himself, the Gospel of John states outright his preexistence and spiritual significance. This allows the two gospels to Continue reading...

The person that I interviewed for the purpose of this assignment is my 12-year-old nephew who is in 6th grade. I love my nephew so much and we spend quite some time with him. Through experience, I have learned that he has the gift of courage (NIRV 1 Corinthians 12). The reason that has made me believe that my nephew has this gift of the Holy Spirit is in the way he handles scary instances that would have otherwise be considered overrated for him. He walks alone in places that even an elderly person would compromise. Despite his parents Continue reading...

Introduction

Academic study of the New Testament (NT) excluding Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John sees the influence of Luke in Acts perspective of the divinity of Jesus and Paul's epistles provide his perspective. Reading Luke is critically similar to reading Acts when it comes to the perception of the divinity of Jesus. The early Christian literature of the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline letters in particular, reflect specific ideas about Jesus and continue spurring debate on the divinity of Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus the man, and Jesus the Christ.
There were many centers of Christians attempting Continue reading...

Outline

Various books in the New Testament have various topics they dwelt on depending on the context. In the Acts of the Apostles, the discussions centers on the Holy Spirit. As it will be seen in this study, the book of Acts begins by pointing out the fact that Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit as a helper of the disciples. The prophecy was fulfilled during the Day of the Pentecost when disciples received it. This is portrayed when they began talking in tongues that no one could comprehend. This study also provides succinct description of the passages and verses Continue reading...

For Catholics, the role and influence of the Holy Spirit is one of the most important aspects of learning the religion. From Bible scriptures and church teachings, the Holy Spirit plays an integral part in understanding the faith and carrying out the teachings in a person's daily life. As years progressed, more people slowly forget the importance of the Holy Spirit in their lives and even forget all about Him in entirety.

Although it may seem understandable that the world has completely changed due to the rapid pace of development, it Continue reading...

The Unforgivable Sin

What is unforgivable sin? Jesus gives an answer to this question in Mathew 12 and Mark 3. The Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. He knew what they were thinking and for that reason, he stated the unforgivable sin as that of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. “For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven” (Mathew 12:31). The Pharisees refused to acknowledge Jesus as the messiah; instead, they chose to speak falsely Continue reading...

How does the divine decree relate to the attributes of God?

Answer

The divine decrees regulate the operation of the attributes. The actions of God can no more be separated from the decrees of God than the actions of a man can be from his decisions. The divine decree relates only to God’s opera ad extra or transitive acts. The divine decree, consequently, comprehends only those events that occur in time.

Application

In our Christian walk, we must always Continue reading...

Introduction

Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the people accredited for having brought theology into the limelight. However, though theology existed long before the emergence of philosophers and fathers if the church, individualistic drives such as those of Aquinas brought a deeper understanding into the mysteries of theology. Modern day theology would not have gotten any bearing without the impact of philosophers and scholars who simplified the understanding of theological concepts. While it cannot be independently verified what the motivation was behind the interest in theology, it is clear that theology is what it is because of the input of Continue reading...

Research Paper: Religious Studies

Me
My teenage daughter became pregnant for a young gentleman who lied about his age, associations, immigration status, social life as well as his place of residence. I was never comfortable with this relationship since some of his values conflict with the Christian principles she was taught and the ones I am trying to uphold.
As such, the pregnancy was devastating to me. I felt violated as a parent from the perspective that this should not be happening to us. We love God; she grew up knowing the principles of truth and Continue reading...

1. The nature and meaning of the creed
As any other religion, Christianity has its own religious symbols, values, and rituals, through which it expresses its connection with God. “The creed” is a prayer, a basic catechetical instruction1 a religious ritual but it is also a belief in itself. It stands for a statement of faith into God, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Moreover, it acknowledges the Christian values and traditions, referring to the key moments from Christianity. The purpose of the creed is to gather people to a common set of Christian values, to generate Continue reading...

In Athanasius’ On the Incarnation of the Word, Athanasius speaks of Christ as a figure who was intended to provide salvation to all, and restore harmony to humanity. Christ was an incarnation of the Word of God, and therefore, he was God. First, Athanius discusses the fact that Man is made in God’s image. Man is connected very strongly to the word of God, particularly through its incarnation into Jesus Christ. At the same time, man quickly turned to sin and debauchery, due to a rejection of the contemplation of God.

This led to a marring of God’ Continue reading...

One of the earliest questions that arose in Christian culture was whether or not believers should even avoid sin. After all, if the purpose of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross was to free humanity from the eternal burdens of sin, what is the point of living an ethical life? The thief hanging on one side of Jesus at Golgotha received admission into heaven simply for declaring his belief in Jesus, right at the end of his life. Before that, he had clearly spent a life living far from the teachings of Christ; otherwise, he would not have received a Continue reading...

Introduction

Holy Spirit is a 1000 bedded eye hospital that is located in the heart of the city. Being the only speciality hospital in the city, its services are very much in demand. Earlier, the hospital was known for its prompt services and excellent facilities; however, its reputation over the past two year has been eroded due to some serious internal problems among its employees. The employee turnover rate has more than doubled since last two years and the profitability has been reduced by almost 50%. Being an HR manager of the hospital, I studied the behavioural patterns of the Continue reading...

The Indian caste system places individuals in various occupational groups. It is embedded in religion and it has certain rules and regulations. The caste system dictates the occupations that an individual can pursue. Further, the system limits the social interactions that people can have. The caste system has developed a hierarchy order over the past years of its existence based on personality, birth and occupation. However, this hierarchical order was not part of the religion during its initiation. The hierarchical position of individuals in the caste system dictates their behavior.
The system has four main classifications based on birth, Continue reading...

Summary of the main ideas of each view.

Plenary Verbal View of inspiration
This view means that the original manuscripts of the scripture were directly inspired by God, though He did not alter their intelligence and knowledge while doing so. The evangelical view of inerrancy comes from this view whereby they believe that God being a supreme being chose and inspired authors and equipped them to write the exact words of the scripture.
The evangelicals believe that the holy scriptures were fully written by people inspired by God through the power of the Holy spirit that guided them not make any mistake. The help of the Holy Continue reading...

The person of God has remained to be a major topic of discussion among Christian and non-Christian believers. This has also caused division in churches where some believe that the trinity does not divide God while others believe that does. The fact is that the bible is clear about the nature of God, which has been unveiled to man in three forms, God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. This majorly because of the different dispensation of the Christian faith which required God to show His closeness to man in different forms. Various terms are used to Continue reading...

Saving Grace is a novel written by Lee Smith and first published in 1995. It is a fictional journal of a middle aged woman named Grace Shepherd who embarks on a meandering pilgrimage with her father. Florida Grace is the daughter of Rev. Virgil Shepherd, a travelling preacher who handles snakes and performs signs and wonders. His family is forced to follow Reverend Virgil around in his travels in order to support his preaching ministry. Grace believed in Jesus, but hated Him because she was forced to travel all over in many hardships in support of His ministry. The Continue reading...

28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh Day Adventist Church
The core set of beliefs held by the Seventh Day Adventist Church is called The 28 Fundamental Beliefs and are grouped into 6 doctrines.

The Bible is the Word of God, written by men inspired by His Holy Spirit. God is a unity of 3 co-eternal Persons – God the father is the Creator and Sovereign of all creation; God the Son became incarnate in Jesus and through him all things were created. As a human being, he manifested God’s power and was attested as the promised Messiah. He died Continue reading...

Justification by Faith

Paul is one of the biblical authors of the epistles. Most of Paul's letters are addressed to the church by describing some of the righteous ways that the Christians can live. Paul’s gospel on justification by faith explains that for one to achieve salvation in the Lord, one must have faith first. This is essential for Christians because they strive to be righteous in God’s eyes so as to live eternally. This means that the person who may be tagged as a sinner in a given community can be liberated if he or she decides to trust Continue reading...

Introduction

The scriptures (sacred scriptures), which are also known as Holy Writ, or revered texts, are used by the world’s religious groups as a guideline or instructions while living on earth. It consists of a broad pert of the world’s literature. These scriptures are different from each other in terms of volume, extent of sacredness and age; but they have some similar attributes that make them serve the same purpose, for instance, all the words in the scripture are believed to be sacred by the believers of these scriptures. These sacred words are different from the rest of Continue reading...

Church Visit

I visited the Ashland First United Methodist on Sunday 4th of November 2012. The church schedule indicated that the service would begin at 9.30 am. I arrived at 9.00am because I wanted to meet the pastor Dr. Dan Bilkert and make him aware of my presence. I had spoken to him the previous day and he had granted me the permission I needed to visit the church and observe the proceedings during worship.

When I arrived at the church, there were about 10 young men and women in the church. Two ladies were standing next to the large oak Continue reading...

Introduction

Eucharist is one of the rituals in the Roman Catholic Church. It denotes a celebration of the Eucharist liturgy of as commonly referred to, the mass. The start of this ritual can be traced back to the Last Supper. This is the night before Jesus was betrayed. Together with his disciples, Jesus instituted this ritual that entailed the Eucharistic Sacrifice. In this ritual, the Body and Blood of Jesus were sacrificed according to Catholic Catechism (Catholic Church 1323). The presence of Christ in the sacrament that was used in the altar, the Eucharistic ritual honors Christ through the worship Continue reading...

Comparison between the religions

Islam and Christianity are two most widely followed religions of the world. Both of these are divine religions that are confirming the presence of Prophet Abraham.

Some of the Comparisons of the Two Religions

God. In Christianity, there is One God, who is present in three distinct individuals known as The Trinity. On the other hand, in Islam, there is One God (in Arabic known as Allah), who is unique as mentioned in Quran 112:1.
Trinity. The concept of Trinity in Christianity shows the Father, Son and Holy Spirit according to Matthew 28:19 (Boora, n.a.). The Islamic view of God is strictly on the basis of Monotheism Continue reading...

Introduction

The trinity has always been a matter of debate among spiritual circles, eliciting violence in some instances in the past. The main issue of controversy fueling this debate is the divinity of Jesus Christ. Arianism was one of the notable heretical teachings of the past that threatened the Christian church. This belief challenged the core tenet of the orthodoxy regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ. This view held that Jesus was a creation of God and as such did not possess the divine substance of the Father. The Arian view was majorly advanced by Arius, a Libyan, born around Continue reading...

“Catholicism is a denomination that is a subset of Christianity. There are several misconceptions surrounding Catholicism and Christianity. There is a fair share of the populace that does not know what the difference is or what each of them entails. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ.” Followers of Jesus Christ further classified according to various denominations like Catholics, Protestants, Anglican, Orthodox or any other branch of the religion.
Being a Catholic refers to being a Christian who follows the Catholic religion, passed on through the succession of the Popes of Rome and the Vatican Empire passed down Continue reading...

Jesus is the central figure in Christianity and Christian faith. Both Christian believers and those who criticize His very nature have said a lot about him. The mystery that surrounds his birth, life and death makes him a central figure of debate. Paul Johnson’s in his book ‘Jesus’ looks at the life of Jesus and the events that surrounded it. He takes us through more than just what the scriptures give us as he analyses his life and how the events relate to our day to day Christian life. It is a book that shades more light on Continue reading...

Theologically, Christianity is considered a teaching religion with its fundamentals on Lord’s revelation through the scriptures. This revelation discloses the character of God and His ways. The religion reveals Gods teaching capacity and directs the biblical institutions into the teaching mission. Integrating baptismal teaching as one of the essential elements is a command by Jesus Christ in the bible to his Disciples. (1 peter 3:15) Examining the baptism criteria in Old Testament and New Testament provide foundation for the teachers to understand it’s imperative functioning in the teaching fraternity .
Baptism refers to spiritual purification or consecration using Continue reading...

The triune God is basically a Christian doctrine in the trinity that teaches the unity and relationships between God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit as three different persons but under one God head. Taking in to consideration all the scriptures, orthodox Christian theology always affirms that the true God is triune in nature: three co-eternal and co-equal persons under one God head.
The trinity is an infinite and yet a distinct doctrine in the scriptures. According to Edward J. (2000), it is the deepest and highest among all divine mysteries. In Deuteronomy 6:4 the bible puts Continue reading...

I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).
The preceding verse taken from the Book of John in the New Testament speaks about what every Christian intends to accomplish in his or her lifetime. Jesus Christ as the Messiah is a central idea in Christianity, and this is the belief of one third of the world’s population. With a population of 2.18 billion people, Christians comprise the world’s largest religious group (Pew Research, np).

Core Beliefs

The core beliefs of Christianity are Continue reading...

Background research: author, audience, occasion, genre, date

The Great commission lies in the book of Mathew chapter 28 verses 18-20. Mathew as the author of this book has described that it is the command for disciples to teach peach his commands. Mathew puts more emphasis on the fact that people should be the commands of Christ. He therefore emphasized on the fact that disciples were commanded to create other disciples. Apart from creating other disciples the author also emphasized on evangelism. The main theme is to spread the gospel to non-believers in order to impart the virtues of Christ on them.
The audience of the great Continue reading...