２０２５年６月１日～約１年間かけ、キリスト教入門・神学コースで学んでいきたいと思います。只毎回集いたいのに集えない学びたいけど１年間を通すとなれば～？？？と思う方朗報です！この度HPから見る・学ぶことが可能になりました。数年後あ！こんな話してたよねって振り返えり誰かの力になることもあると思います。
第8回 8. God the Holy Ghost (The Trinity)
（第8回の 8. God the Holy Ghost (The Trinity)は英語・日本語に分けてがあります。ですのでダウンロード無しで印刷可能です）
8. God the Holy Ghost (The Trinity)
We believe in the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Triune Godhead, that He proceeds from the Father and the Son as the true and eternal God, of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:32; Romans 8:9-11). He is ever present and efficiently active in and with the Church of Christ, convincing the world of sin, regenerating those who repent and believe, sanctifying believers and guiding into all truth as it is in Jesus (John 3:5-8, 16:8, 13; Acts 15:8-9).
(BMC Manual Articles of Religion)
As we have previously studied, we know that the Bible teaches that Jesus and God the Father are both the same true God, of the same essence and power and are co-eternal. Today we are going to be studying about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Trinity may be hard for us to understand but there is great error in trying to explain away a concept or belief because it is hard to comprehend. There are many things about God that our human mind has a hard time grasping. Nobody knows all there is to know about God. His ways are much higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts. What we cannot fully understand and explain we must simply believe, and as we choose to believe what God has said, He will continue to reveal Himself to us. Faith opens the door to a lifetime/eternity of learning who God is and how we can be pleasing to Him. Let us open our hearts and learn more about our wonderful Lord!
The Unity of God- One in essence
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD
This creed was the way that the ancient Israelite expressed His faith in the one true God. He did not believe in many gods or idols made with hands but he believed and we believe in the one, true, Creator God.
We serve one God who expresses Himself in three persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
These three are completely unified and are of the same essence, substance, power and eternity.
Each person of the Trinity does not represent one-third of God but each is fully 100% God and fulfills unique functions.
They are different from each other in how they are perceived and in their unique working but they all have the same essence and nature of God. Eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, loving, merciful, wise, omniscient,holy, perfect etc. The three personalities of the Godhead are in perfect union and are in eternal fellowship with one another. God is a Spirit and so God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost can all be everywhere at once.
The Trinity
From the very beginning of the Bible we see the first glimpses of the Trinity. Genesis 1:26 And God said, “Let US make man in our image, after our likeness” Genesis 3:22 “And the LORD God said, “Behold, the man is become as one of US, to know good and evil” God speaks of Himself in the plural, signifying more than one personality. Even in times where God was stressing that there should be no other gods before Him and that He alone was God, the word for God that was used was “Elohim” in the plural, showing that while there is only one true God, there are three distinct personalities.
In Isaiah 6:3 we see how the seraphims were crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts” again showing the three persons of the Godhead.
What was a blurry concept in the Old Testament becomes a clearer truth in the New Testament.
• Jesus talks to His Father and says they are one and also promises to send the Comforter who will glorify Jesus as Jesus glorified the Father.
• When Jesus is baptized (Matthew 3:16-17) we read that the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove alights on Jesus as the Father says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”
• Also in this verse we see the three persons of the Godhead named and listed equally.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Some of the ways that the Trinity expresses itself.
In salvation- The Father loved us and gave His Son, the Son went and worked and died and rose again , and the Spirit awakened us, drew us, and we were born of the Spirit when we believed.
Dealing with sin- The Father's law shows us our sin and guilt, the Son's atonement washes away our acts of sin, and the Holy Spirit's fire burns up the very root and nature of sin in sanctification.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are divine and equally worthy of our worship.
The Holy Spirit
We have tried to explain the Trinity in a limited way but let us go back and talk about the third person of the Trinity in more detail.
Not just a spiritual force but a distinct person.
Some say that the Holy Spirit is not God but simply a force or spirit or influence from God that we can sense and feel.
The following passages show us plainly that the Holy Spirit is indeed a personality. The Holy Spirit
Teaches (John 14:26), Reproves, (John 16:8) Hears and guides (John 16:13)
Speaks, (Mark 13:11) Sends, (Acts 13:4) Can be lied against (Acts 5:3)
Leads the church, (Acts 13:2) Testifies of Christ (John 15:26),
Acts as the agent in regeneration (John 3:6) and sanctification (II Thessalonians 2:13).
We are spiritually born through the Holy Spirit- He gives us spiritual life
John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Sent by Jesus for our benefit
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Every believer who asks for the Holy Spirit can be filled by the Spirit
Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Our Teacher
John 14:26 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.
Our Purifier, Sanctifier
Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying きよめ their hearts by faith.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,聖なるものとされ
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Our Comforter 助け主in Japanese Bible
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
He comforts us 励ます方in Japanese Bible
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Our Guide
Joh 16:13 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.