Why do some churches of Christ not believe in the Holy Spirit?
Question:
Howdy!
I am reaching out to inquire why some of the churches of Christ do not believe in the Holy Spirit. They think it's just the Bible and that He is not actually with Christians! Seems like a false teaching. It's like they are too afraid to be anything like the church of God movement, so they went way too far to the other side and neglected the truth of Scripture.
(Acts 2:38, 5:32; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 3, 6; Ephesians 1; 1 John 3:24)
Answer:
I don't know of any congregation that says it doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, you need to define what you think believing the Holy Spirit means.
The Bible is the product of the Holy Spirit's work. "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (II Peter 1:20-21). It wasn't a vague method of inspiring people to write, but giving them the very words to write. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" (I Corinthians 2:12-13). When we study and listen to the teachings found in the Bible, we are listening to the Holy Spirit.
Paul said that through singing we fill ourselves with the Spirit. "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:18-20). Paul told the Colossians a similar thing in slightly different words. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:16-17). In one place Paul said "be filled with the Spirit" in another, he said, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;" both are the same thing expressed in different words.
The Church of God began on August 19, 1886, in Monroe County, Tennessee, by Richard Green Spurling. The churches of Christ have existed for a much longer period of time. What is taught among the churches is definitely not in reaction to a denomination that did not exist at the time.
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