John 14:25-26
January 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
Good morning friends.
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
We see the opening verses of Acts saying almost the same thing: “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach”…The idea of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is not so much a substitute but an ambassador of Christ. The implications are of course that the Holy Spirit came to carry on with Jesus teaching. Now I believe that these verses apply specifically to those who God would call to serve as the foundation of the church and more specifically to those whom the Holy Spirit would inspire to write the New Testament. I want to suggest that this “teach” and “remembrance” speaks of a level of inerrancy we attribute to the Scriptures. Now I am not saying that the Holy Spirit does not bring things to memory in our case, but that this is something of far greater significance. These verses primarily deal with the early propagation of Christ’s message and the establishing of the church. We might wish that the Holy Spirit worked in the same fashion in the protecting of the purity of the message, but we have God’s word recorded as the early church did not. We have been given the responsibility to handle God’s word with great care. Yes we are dependent on the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart to understand His word, but again we are primarily dependant the Scriptures to know what Christ taught. Many have gone astray, confused, in that they thought the “word” they “heard” was the Holy Spirit , but was actually contrary to the Word. If we want this teaching of the Holy Spirit – open God’s word and there He will “teach” and “bring to remembrance” all things that Jesus taught.
Bill
Heidelberg Catechism
Q. 29. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus”, that is a Saviour?
A. Because he saveth us, and delivereth us from our sins; (a) and likewise, because we ought not to seek, neither can find salvation in any other. (b) (a) Matt.1:21; Heb.7:24,25. (b) Acts 4:12; John 15:4,5; 1 Tim.2:5; Isa.43:11; 1 John 5:11.
