Better Understanding the Holy Spirit

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

On the last day of the feast Jesus stood up and yelled that if anyone was thirsty, they should come to Him to drink and that whoever believed in Him would lead to what scripture said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” What He said was referring to the Holy Spirit which would be given to anyone who believed in him after his glorification.

Jesus has begun his public ministry, and He’s begun to stir up Jerusalem with his controversial teaching and popularity. On this occasion, Jesus has gone “privately” (vs 10) up to Judea for the Feast of Booths (vs 2), and it is the last “great” day.

Jesus makes a summary statement about what “Scripture has said”. It’s not a direct quote from any one passage, but a portion or concept well documented in Scripture, including His conversation with the woman at the well (John 4) and several other poignant statements in the prophets:

• “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:17)
• “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.” (Jer 17:13)
• “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isa 12:3)
• “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.” (Ezk 47:1ff)

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.

When they heard the preaching of Peter and the rest of the apostles, they were convicted by them and asked what they should do [to be saved]. Peter told them that they each should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that they could receive the remission of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This “gift” was the promise made for all Jews, but also all Gentiles — everyone whom God calls to himself.

Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost where he recalled several prophetic statements from Joel and David (vss 16-36). By divine inspiration, Peter interpreted these statements to apply their fulfillment to Jesus and the ushering in of the “last days”.

He also specifically refers to the “promise of the Holy Spirit” earlier – given by the Father to the Son (vs 33). More were continuing to be saved, and they began meeting together as the Lord’s church (vss 41-47).

The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

You [High Priest and Jewish Council] killed Jesus by hanging Him on a cross, but the God of our ancestors raised Him and exalted him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, thereby bringing Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We [apostles], together with the Holy Spirit – who God, the Father, has given to all that obey Him – are witnesses to these things.

In the early days of the Christian movement and God’s establishment of His “new covenant,” the apostles are carrying the message of the gospel across Jerusalem and Judea. Being confronted by the Jewish leadership (vs 27), as often they were, Peter tells them, “We must obey God rather than men” (vs 29) and witnesses to them about the things he and the others have seen with their eyes.

Their testimony concerns Jesus’ death, resurrection and exaltation (vss 30-32).

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Run away from sexual immorality. All other sin you commit is outside of your body, but committing sexually immorality sins against your own body. Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit that’s within you who God gave you? You are not your own since you were bought with a price. Therefore, use your body to glorify God.

Paul is addressing the brethren of Corinth that are relatively new to the faith. He lists several sinful practices of the “unrighteous” (vss 9-10) – practices that some in Corinth had taken part of but had turned from them in their conversion. He turns to focus specifically on sexual immorality, stating, “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (vs 13)