Word of Life Church Podcast

We tend to forget about the Holy Spirit. It's helpful to understand the Holy Spirit in the context of the Trinity. To do so, often people reach for metaphors, but all metaphors fail at some point. As we work to understand God the Holy Spirit, it seems like the Spirit is a backseat member of the Trinity because Jesus gets so much attention. However, the Holy Spirit is a fully active member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is fully God, though, at times, the forgotten God.

In explaining the remarkable events of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said that this is what the prophet Joel foretold would happen in the last days, and that this is what would happen before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ten days after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, we find ourselves living between Pentecost and Parousia.

For Christians, a Christological interpretation of the Old Testament is far more important than the original authorial intent. The Apostles were so committed to making scripture about Christ and Christlike, that, if necessary, they would change words in the original text to make the meaning Christlike. They understood that the supreme revelation of God is the Word made flesh and that scripture must be Christlike or it will be the letter that kills.

Paul at the Areopagus, Hill of Ares, Mars Hill, War Hill, or we might say Paul at the Pentagon. What did Paul preach while quoting two pagan poets? He preached Jesus, the resurrection, the necessity of repentance, and the coming day of judgment.