Original question by Judy: >>> Do you believe the Word of God >>> was/is full of the Holy Spirit?"
Judy wrote: >> Had to have been before his baptism; his birth >> was precipitated by the Holy Spirit and there >> was spiritual recognition between he and John >> while both were in utero when Mary visited her >> cousin Elizabeth. These observations address that a work of the Holy Spirit was present, but it does not address his being FULL of the Holy Spirit. Judy wrote: > The Spirit descending at his baptism was to anoint > him for ministry. Jewish men were baptised and > anointed for ministry as priests at age 33. > He fulfilled all righteousness. I think you meant age 30. If the Spirit anointed him at this point for ministry, then could one not say that he was not FULL of the Spirit prior to this point in time? Did not this anointing of the Spirit add something of the Spirit to him? Please explain in more detail how you see this. Also, we must consider the following passage in this discussion. Philippians 2:5-8 (5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Does not this passage teach that Jesus emptied himself of his Divinity in some way when he became man? Consider this also in light of the following passage: Hebrews 2:9 (9) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Here he quotes Psalm 8:5, indicating that Jesus was made lower than the angels. Don't you think this happened at his birth? If so, taking these passages together indicate Jesus as being God prior to his birth, and therefore full of the Holy Spirit at that time in that being God, he was of the same substance with God. Then upon birth, something happened. He emptied himself and did not consider being equal with God something to be seized and held onto. Rather, he emptied himself and became lower than the angels, born a man, but born unique, unlike other men, in that he was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus grew in wisdom the Bible says. He was tempted as other men. He learned obedience by his sufferings. These are all characteristics of men, not of God. The Bible instructs us that there was a point when he was baptized, and at that time, the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. Either that was just for show, or it was an anointing that added something more of the Spirit to him that he did not have before. It appears that not too long after this time, he began public ministry which included miracles. Do you see anything faulty with the way I am thinking on this subject Judy? Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.