WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.339 All right, we're recording. This is, I can't remember which class this is, I think it's the fourth one on creeds. We did some introductory work on the creeds. We did the Nicene, we did the Nicene Creed, we did the Apostles Creed, different definition or different variations of the Apostles Creed. 00:00:22.339 --> 00:00:41.820 Now we're going to do the Creed of Constantinople. I want to, I like charts, charts are helpful for me, so I wanted to just give some timelines for you all to jog our memories, and then we'll jump into the Creed of Constantinople. 00:00:41.820 --> 00:00:54.899 When we first started, we talked about biblical creeds and the definition of a creed, and depending how you define a creed is going to influence what you choose as the earliest Christian creed. 00:00:54.899 --> 00:01:13.859 So the more narrow a definition you give it, if you give a definition of this is a formal statement that Christians would utter at baptism, or this is a formally agreed upon published statement of Christian belief, you know, those will find different timelines for when the first creed began. 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:17.700 But there are some New Testament creedal statements, let's call them that. 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:27.239 There's some New Testament creedal statements Paul has in Philippians, or even the Apostles confessed to Jesus, you know, you are the Messiah, the Son of God. 00:01:27.459 --> 00:01:34.700 So we do have some creedal statements, but these don't really meet the definition of, the narrow definition of creed. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:43.500 If we move on, we also have some creedal statements in 105 AD by Ignatius of Antioch. 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:53.140 And we read some of his stuff, or one of his creedal statements, and he is exhorting Christians about what they should believe. 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:57.939 But this doesn't seem to be particularly formal. 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:00.079 It's just, it's him writing a passionate letter. 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.700 He's being led away to be executed, and he's exhorting people to cling fast to the faith. 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:11.500 So it's definitely illuminating, but it doesn't meet the definition of a narrow creed. 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:19.539 And then since our class, I found another one that I wanted to, I wanted to read to you all today. 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:26.620 So this is, this is by Aristides of Athens in 125 AD. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:31.680 And this is an apology, and by apology, I mean a defense. 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:33.620 He's writing a defense of the faith. 00:02:34.700 --> 00:02:39.420 And he's presenting this before the Roman emperor, or at least delivered it to him. 00:02:39.480 --> 00:02:43.520 Who knows if the emperor was there, actually listened to it, but it's possible he did. 00:02:44.040 --> 00:02:47.300 But this is what Aristides says Christians believe. 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:50.500 Now, when I read this, think about, do we believe that today? 00:02:50.500 --> 00:02:54.039 And I think you'll find that it feels like we do. 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:55.479 So here's Aristides. 00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:55.979 He says, 00:02:56.620 --> 00:03:03.879 The Christians then reckon the beginning of their religion from Jesus Christ, who is named the Son of God Most High. 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:11.599 And it is said that God came down from heaven, and from a Hebrew virgin took and clad himself with flesh. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.520 And in a daughter of man there dwelt the Son of God. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:27.100 This is taught from that gospel, which a little while ago was spoken among them and preached, wherein if you read, you will comprehend the power that is in it. 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:29.620 This Jesus was born of the tribe of the Hebrews. 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:34.620 He had 12 disciples in order that a certain dispensation of his might be fulfilled. 00:03:35.140 --> 00:03:36.480 He was pierced by the Jews. 00:03:36.620 --> 00:03:41.879 He died, was buried, and they say that after three days he rose and ascended to heaven. 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:50.039 And then these 12 disciples went forth into the known parts of the world and taught concerning his greatness with all humility and sobriety. 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:54.879 And on this account, those who today believe in this preaching are called Christians. 00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:56.460 Amen. 00:03:56.819 --> 00:03:59.960 It's just a great summary of Christian belief. 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:04.280 He includes the deity of Jesus, and he's writing very, very early. 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:13.740 So we talked about that, but again, this, though, probably isn't a formal creed in the narrow sense. 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:18.839 To get to that, we probably have to go to Irenaeus in 185 AD. 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:23.199 And there he presents really a very formal creed. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:24.040 We read this. 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:25.639 It's a beautiful creed. 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:28.600 He actually has a couple of them that he gives. 00:04:28.819 --> 00:04:29.699 It's very beautiful. 00:04:29.699 --> 00:04:32.979 He highlights the deity of Jesus. 00:04:33.099 --> 00:04:34.300 He mentions the Holy Spirit. 00:04:34.420 --> 00:04:36.039 It's triune in form. 00:04:36.819 --> 00:04:39.319 Then we just moved on through. 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:40.779 We talked about some other folks. 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:45.420 I won't list here, like Origen and Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage. 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:47.620 These are people writing between 200 and 250. 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:54.300 And then we came to the creed of Nicaea. 00:04:54.300 --> 00:05:03.660 And actually, in your handout, one of your handouts, you can see the creed of Nicaea here on the left-hand side. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:16.400 And we talked about how the creed of Nicaea was opposing Arius, who, what most people say is that he denied the deity of Jesus. 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:22.920 And we saw that he did deny the deity of Jesus, but it's a little more complicated because he would say he didn't. 00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:27.319 He would confess Jesus as divine, Jesus as God. 00:05:27.699 --> 00:05:35.060 But as we saw, he only did this in a very peculiar, strange way that robs Jesus of his actual divinity. 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:42.740 And so, in essence, he doesn't actually confess the deity of Jesus, though he would say he did. 00:05:44.080 --> 00:05:46.000 So we looked at that creed. 00:05:46.340 --> 00:05:48.180 We noticed some other things about it. 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:54.139 We noticed that it just mentions the Holy Spirit in a word or two. 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:55.040 That's it. 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:56.560 It doesn't really dwell on the Holy Spirit. 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:07.259 And we also noticed that there were some vocabulary items that the creed introduced. 00:06:07.259 --> 00:06:13.379 And these are going to be important for our class today. 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:19.319 One of them is ousia, which is often translated substance or essence. 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:36.259 And then another one was, I can never spell this right, homoousias, which is often translated consubstantial, but it can also be translated of the same substance. 00:06:36.259 --> 00:06:48.539 And we talked about how these were words that were trying to get at how Jesus was of the same nature as the father. 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:50.579 The son is the same nature as the father. 00:06:50.579 --> 00:07:04.139 And they were a little controversial because just like substance in English can communicate physical properties, like God had this physicalness that you could cut up and separate out. 00:07:04.919 --> 00:07:11.419 And the members of the Nicene Council were very clear that we're not talking about a physical property here. 00:07:11.719 --> 00:07:14.620 We're not talking about we're talking about divinity itself. 00:07:14.620 --> 00:07:20.240 So essence could be a better way to translate it because that doesn't have that same physicalness to it. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:30.699 But substance is also a good translation because it does contain that possible ambiguity that the original hearers would have detected in it. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:31.819 You guys following me here? 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:42.939 So what I want to do today is talk about the Council of Nicaea in 381. 00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:45.040 Oh, sorry, Council of Constantinople. 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:54.060 In 381, we'll go over just a little bit of the background of it. 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:57.920 We'll talk about the creed that it issued. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:03.620 And then in the time that remains, we'll go over the second handout, which I'll explain in a little bit. 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:07.600 Before I do, though, any just recap questions? 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.500 Things that I should, yes. 00:08:10.500 --> 00:08:12.399 Where would the Apostles' Creed fit in? 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:13.139 Oh, great. 00:08:13.459 --> 00:08:16.019 So it all depends on when you date the Apostles' Creed. 00:08:16.459 --> 00:08:18.939 And John talked about that. 00:08:19.099 --> 00:08:23.719 So there's a form that's very popular that the earliest it's witnessed is the 8th century. 00:08:23.719 --> 00:08:25.479 But it does go back. 00:08:25.699 --> 00:08:29.899 The roots go back very, very early into the 2nd century. 00:08:29.899 --> 00:08:34.679 So it just depends where you want to lay it out. 00:08:34.679 --> 00:08:47.059 But certainly, I would say, like, the general form and structure and the affirmations of the Apostles' Creed, you can find in the 2nd century, certainly in the 3rd century. 00:08:47.059 --> 00:08:47.559 Okay. 00:08:47.559 --> 00:09:02.479 So remember that I should have mentioned this earlier, that the Council of Nicaea was the first Roman Empire-wide Christian council that was called. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.899 The persecution of Christians had ended. 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:12.379 They had had many councils before this, but they were never able to have an empire-wide council, 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:14.720 and that was the Council of Nicaea. 00:09:15.019 --> 00:09:23.620 The second empire-wide council that was called is this one, the Council of Constantinople in 381. 00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:28.600 Nicaea dealt with the deity of Jesus. 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:32.720 That was one of the primary reasons the council was called. 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:33.920 Arius was running around. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:39.420 We talked about him denying the deity of Jesus, although saying he wasn't, but he was. 00:09:40.019 --> 00:09:43.000 And so Nicaea dealt with the deity of Jesus. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:48.379 That's why when you read the Nicene Creed, it pretty much is just about the deity of Jesus. 00:09:50.060 --> 00:09:53.899 Constantinople dealt with the deity of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:53.899 --> 00:10:05.559 And similar to what happened in Nicaea, where you had folks like Arius saying Jesus wasn't divine, 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:11.639 in the ensuing decades, you started having people denying that the Holy Spirit was divine. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:15.639 They were called pneumotamachians. 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:17.539 That's what everybody called them. 00:10:17.539 --> 00:10:36.539 Pneumotamachians, which are fighters against the spirit. 00:10:37.740 --> 00:10:38.279 That's what they were called. 00:10:38.339 --> 00:10:39.919 So they did not call themselves that. 00:10:40.259 --> 00:10:42.039 That was what their opponents called themselves. 00:10:42.779 --> 00:10:45.559 And they do bring up a good question. 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:54.339 They bring up a question of scripture, of in scripture, is the Holy Spirit said to be divine? 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:58.059 Is the Holy Spirit said to be like a separate person of the Trinity? 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:03.039 And they said, no, no, that's not the case. 00:11:03.859 --> 00:11:10.299 The Council of Constantinople was called in 381 to kind of solve this issue. 00:11:10.699 --> 00:11:12.819 And they issued a creed. 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:19.900 The person who was in charge of the council, Gregory of Nazianzus, I have an excerpt for you that we'll read when we have time. 00:11:19.900 --> 00:11:25.060 Because he's going to answer in that excerpt the scriptural question of where is this in the Bible. 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:29.760 But before we get to that, let's just go through the Creed of Constantinople. 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:30.760 Let's read it. 00:11:31.060 --> 00:11:32.240 Let's talk about it. 00:11:32.900 --> 00:11:36.460 While we go through it, I want you to be thinking of a couple things. 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:39.580 One, how is this the same or different from Nicaea? 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:43.000 And then two, what does it say about the Holy Spirit? 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:45.259 So let's start. 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:46.580 We'll read on the right-hand column. 00:11:47.780 --> 00:11:52.780 And because of the recording, I'll read this just so people listening can hear it more easily. 00:11:53.180 --> 00:11:54.379 So it goes like this. 00:11:54.379 --> 00:12:00.279 We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:15.620 And we believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial, homoousios, with the Father. 00:12:15.980 --> 00:12:17.860 Through him, all things were made. 00:12:17.860 --> 00:12:27.720 For us humans and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became fully human. 00:12:28.680 --> 00:12:31.759 For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:33.800 He suffered death and was buried. 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.320 He rose again on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:42.440 He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:52.060 Here we go with the Holy Spirit. 00:12:52.260 --> 00:13:03.280 And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken to the prophets. 00:13:03.640 --> 00:13:06.280 We believe in one holy, universal, and apostolic church. 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:09.279 We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:13.139 We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:14.399 Amen. 00:13:16.339 --> 00:13:19.299 So, similarities with the Nicene Creed. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:21.000 Any notice anything? 00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:27.360 Yeah, I feel like the first two paragraphs are basically the same. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:27.939 Yeah. 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:31.740 Yeah, the beginning is basically the same. 00:13:31.740 --> 00:13:45.360 In fact, if you go online, and I tested it this morning, and you go to Google, and you type in Nicene Creed, and you click the first, like, non-Wikipedia link, you will actually go to the Creed of Constantinople. 00:13:46.139 --> 00:13:49.320 Because people routinely, churches do this all the time. 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.960 They call the Creed of Constantinople the Creed of Nicaea. 00:13:52.460 --> 00:14:00.620 And they do that because the Creed of Constantinople basically takes the Creed of Nicaea and tweaks it a little bit. 00:14:00.620 --> 00:14:02.799 They add a paragraph at the end. 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.000 They explain a little bit about these final phrases. 00:14:06.419 --> 00:14:10.960 Now, they don't, it's not verbatim the same, but it's very similar. 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:12.039 It's very, very similar. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:22.279 So, technically, when people talk about the Creed of Constantinople, they'll call it the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, which is a big mouthful. 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:29.379 But often, when churches say, we confess the Nicene Creed, they really mean the Constantinopolitan Creed. 00:14:29.959 --> 00:14:30.779 That's what they mean. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:33.399 So, keep that in mind going forward. 00:14:35.059 --> 00:14:38.799 So, other things. 00:14:39.319 --> 00:14:40.720 Other things that you notice. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:46.879 There's that same homoousios language, that he was consubstantial with the Father. 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:47.960 They preserved that. 00:14:48.899 --> 00:14:50.800 Let's go to paragraph three here. 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:53.139 So, for us humans and for our salvation. 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:56.800 The Holy Spirit in there. 00:14:56.920 --> 00:14:58.340 Yeah, they put the Holy Spirit in there. 00:14:58.840 --> 00:14:59.100 Yeah. 00:14:59.560 --> 00:15:00.639 So, they mention the Holy Spirit. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:00.899 Yes. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:03.620 What does it mean for Christ to be inclined about the Holy Spirit? 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:05.360 Yeah, well, that's a good question. 00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:11.340 You know, I guess the Holy Spirit had something to do with it. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:21.399 I think it's trying to talk about that language in the Gospel of Luke, the Holy Spirit shall overshadow you, referring to Mary. 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:29.220 But in terms of, like, what that actually means, I don't know. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:30.960 I'm not actually sure. 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:33.340 But the Holy Spirit was active in this process. 00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:35.000 And that is a scriptural warrant. 00:15:35.139 --> 00:15:35.519 It's not. 00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:37.100 They're not imagining this. 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:38.480 Scripture is very clear. 00:15:38.540 --> 00:15:40.019 The Holy Spirit was involved. 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.580 That is interesting how Jesus sends the Spirit. 00:15:44.660 --> 00:15:46.800 But the Spirit, in some sense, sent Jesus. 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:47.780 I guess. 00:15:48.040 --> 00:15:49.019 You can think about it that way. 00:15:50.660 --> 00:15:51.060 Okay. 00:15:51.160 --> 00:15:52.940 Another thing it adds in that third paragraph. 00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:55.639 The Nicene Creed says he was made man. 00:15:55.780 --> 00:15:57.879 This says he became fully human. 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:05.939 So this seems to be trying to combat those notions that Jesus was only partially human. 00:16:05.939 --> 00:16:10.559 He only had a human body, but he had a divine mind. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:17.679 That was actually a very big controversy at this time, where Jesus was fleshly human. 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:22.159 But all other aspects, his soul, his spirit, his mind, were divine. 00:16:22.739 --> 00:16:29.419 And the response to that is to say, if that's all human he was, then he really wasn't human. 00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:31.819 Most of the issues we face are mental, right? 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:32.819 We get depressed. 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:33.519 We get anxious. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:34.379 We worry. 00:16:34.839 --> 00:16:36.699 I mean, imagine if your mind was perfect. 00:16:36.819 --> 00:16:42.839 You never suffered from any kind of emotional or mental issues ever. 00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:45.179 Life would be a lot easier, wouldn't it? 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.419 I mean, that's 90% of the battle right there. 00:16:47.659 --> 00:16:52.120 So they wanted to emphasize he's fully human in all respects. 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:54.000 So they emphasize that. 00:16:55.080 --> 00:17:02.539 If we move down to the fourth paragraph, they expand the suffering, right? 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:04.559 They explain a little bit more about that. 00:17:04.900 --> 00:17:06.819 He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.220 This is reminiscent of the Apostles' Creed, right? 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.220 The Apostles, we learned last week, said this. 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:15.680 He suffered death, so he really died. 00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:21.960 It wasn't that it just looked like he died or he faked it or something like that. 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:23.339 He was buried. 00:17:23.879 --> 00:17:26.779 He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. 00:17:27.699 --> 00:17:29.199 And that's also scriptural language. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:30.739 Paul talks about that. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.859 He uses those words. 00:17:33.179 --> 00:17:34.699 And then he ascended into heaven. 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:36.699 He's seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:17:37.779 --> 00:17:38.979 Again, very biblical. 00:17:39.139 --> 00:17:42.759 These are all biblical phrases, although they're expanding the Nicene Creed here. 00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:46.819 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:48.479 And then look what they add here. 00:17:48.639 --> 00:17:50.259 And his kingdom will have no end. 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:53.000 Now, why would they add that in there? 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:55.200 Again, it's helpful to know the context. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:58.279 This probably, we can't be sure. 00:17:58.379 --> 00:18:01.339 There are some scholars that would disagree with me, but I like this interpretation. 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:06.759 That this is combating premillennialism. 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:17.299 That in the early church, and you find this with dispensationalists today, and many people today will read the book of Revelation where there's going to be this thousand-year kingdom set up. 00:18:17.299 --> 00:18:19.980 This kind of heavenly kingdom on earth. 00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:26.220 And then Satan will be released again and go plunder and destroy. 00:18:27.159 --> 00:18:33.200 That what this is trying to say here is, no, when Christ sets up his kingdom, it will never have an end. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:41.360 So that thousand-year kingdom, that temporary kingdom that presages this eternal kingdom, they're trying to combat this idea. 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.660 So it seems to be calibrated towards premillennialism. 00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:46.380 There are scholars who disagree with that. 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:47.759 You don't have to agree with that. 00:18:48.100 --> 00:18:50.200 But that seems to be what's going on there. 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:56.200 Then we get to the important part, the part about the Holy Spirit. 00:18:57.420 --> 00:19:00.559 I'm going to read this one more time, this paragraph. 00:19:00.840 --> 00:19:11.360 And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. 00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:17.680 So one thing, I have a couple questions about this. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:23.740 One, is this derived from Scripture? 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.900 Does Scripture say the Holy Spirit is the Lord? 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:32.980 Yes. 00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:34.180 Yes. 00:19:34.500 --> 00:19:36.860 Actually, Scripture does say that. 00:19:37.580 --> 00:19:39.660 Paul does in one of his letters. 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:42.240 He says the Lord is the Spirit. 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:43.920 That's what he says. 00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:46.320 The giver of life. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.740 Now, these titles may not be precisely given, but it does seem like that's literally what God does when he breathes life into people. 00:19:55.619 --> 00:20:00.179 Breath in Hebrew and in Greek is the same word for spirit. 00:20:00.419 --> 00:20:02.799 They didn't distinguish between breath, wind, and spirit. 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:07.879 It's the same term almost always that's being used in those senses. 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:23.180 So when Jesus breathes on the disciples and says, receive the Holy Spirit, in Greek, that has much more linguistic resonance because it's penumitating on them or whatever it is. 00:20:23.800 --> 00:20:28.180 I'd have to double check that, but the breath issues. 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:28.320 Yes. 00:20:28.320 --> 00:20:30.560 And he's reborn in the Spirit. 00:20:30.860 --> 00:20:31.100 Yes. 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:32.180 Like the Spirit goes over. 00:20:32.360 --> 00:20:33.240 Oh, yes. 00:20:33.660 --> 00:20:33.960 Yes. 00:20:34.080 --> 00:20:36.880 And the Spirit causes us to be born again. 00:20:37.080 --> 00:20:38.600 What is that but new life, right? 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:40.000 What is that but new life? 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:42.100 So he proceeds from the Father. 00:20:42.560 --> 00:20:43.279 Is that scriptural? 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:46.680 Yes. 00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:48.080 Yes. 00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:49.480 John 14, John 15. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.680 Yes, precisely. 00:20:51.320 --> 00:20:51.600 Yes. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:54.279 Where Jesus talks about the Father proceeding. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:05.799 Now, this is a controversial passage because Kevin's laughing because in the Western Church, the Roman Catholic Church, they add who proceeds from the Father and the Son. 00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:09.420 And the Eastern Church gets very upset over this. 00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:22.200 This is, in fact, when you look at Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic dialogue, this is like one of the big pain points is this discussion of does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father or does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son? 00:21:22.800 --> 00:21:25.120 And people will say, no, he doesn't proceed from the Son. 00:21:25.180 --> 00:21:26.600 The Son sends the Holy Spirit. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:28.140 And then other people get very upset over this. 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:33.900 And they also, sometimes you'll find them not being upset over the theological content. 00:21:33.900 --> 00:21:39.820 It's just that they feel like, the Orthodox feel like the Catholics changed the creed. 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:42.880 It doesn't matter if you changed it to say something true. 00:21:43.560 --> 00:21:44.500 You changed it. 00:21:44.560 --> 00:21:49.160 So if I stuck in there, oh, and two plus two is four, that's true, but you can't do that. 00:21:49.600 --> 00:21:57.180 So this is a big point of tension between the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. 00:21:57.180 --> 00:22:06.220 So who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified and who has spoken to the prophets? 00:22:06.340 --> 00:22:07.500 Well, who's spoken to the prophets? 00:22:07.620 --> 00:22:09.060 The Holy Spirit's always speaking to the prophets. 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:09.600 That makes sense. 00:22:09.980 --> 00:22:13.180 But with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified. 00:22:14.820 --> 00:22:15.299 Hmm. 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:23.400 Does Scripture say that about worshipping the Spirit and glorifying the Spirit? 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:34.600 And for that matter, notice that the Creed of Constantinople doesn't actually say specifically the Holy Spirit is God. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.340 It doesn't say that in those words. 00:22:38.060 --> 00:22:40.820 It instead has this other paragraph here, Richard. 00:22:41.120 --> 00:22:47.019 So Scripture does say that the church, the Christians, worship in the Spirit. 00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:47.440 Yes. 00:22:48.080 --> 00:22:51.000 They worship and they must worship in the Spirit. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:52.820 It's a requirement to worship God. 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:55.080 It's to worship in the Spirit. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.460 You also pray by the Spirit, right? 00:22:59.560 --> 00:23:04.259 So prayer, which is another form of worship, is supposed to be by the Spirit. 00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:16.580 So, assuming the Spirit is not consubstantial with the Father and the Son, is not part of the Trinity, right? 00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:24.939 Then that means we worship by means of a created being who is lesser than God but greater than us. 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:27.019 Bingo. 00:23:27.019 --> 00:23:38.440 So, I think what the Council is doing here in that sentence, where with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified, it's making a logical deduction. 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:56.140 It's saying, okay, if you think the Holy Spirit is just some creature of God, then what that means, it creates all of these insoluble difficulties where we have to have this creature who's in our worship. 00:23:56.140 --> 00:24:00.140 Like, you're worshipping God by a creature? 00:24:00.820 --> 00:24:06.259 That's what worshipping by the Spirit would necessitate if the Holy Spirit was just a created being. 00:24:06.259 --> 00:24:13.200 So, they are making a logical conclusion here based on the Scriptures. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:19.779 And I think it's a very fair and appropriate logical conclusion. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:27.160 And to help illustrate this, I want us to turn to our second handout here. 00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:37.820 It turns out that the Council of Constantinople had a bishop presiding over it and actually had more than one because the first guy died during the council. 00:24:38.360 --> 00:24:40.519 And then they had Gregory of Nazianzus. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:43.340 Gregory of Nazianzus presided over the council. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:46.860 We have lots of Gregory's writings preserved for us. 00:24:47.220 --> 00:24:49.540 He's given the title the theologian. 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:53.259 Sometimes he's called the Nazianzin, the man from Nazianzus. 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:57.200 He wrote many theological orations. 00:24:57.619 --> 00:25:02.599 His theological orations are some of the most copied Greek works ever, I'm told. 00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:05.119 He's a brilliant guy. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:07.759 He could be very punchy. 00:25:08.059 --> 00:25:10.579 So, you're going to notice that as we read through this. 00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:13.680 But one of his theological orations, this is oration 32. 00:25:14.019 --> 00:25:15.799 It's his fifth theological oration. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:18.700 It concerns the deity of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.400 And I'm just giving you an excerpt here. 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:24.759 We won't be able to read all of this in our time. 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.540 But we'll get through as much as we can. 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:36.140 And he addresses this question of, is the deity of the Spirit found in the scriptures? 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:38.480 And he's going to lay it out. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:47.019 And he is going to make the same argument that we find assumed in the Creed of Constantinople, 00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:55.000 where so many titles, so many duties are given to the Spirit that really can only be given to God. 00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:56.640 They're divine titles. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.539 And therefore, the Holy Spirit must be divine. 00:25:59.539 --> 00:26:08.339 I have to say, there also is that passage in the Gospel of John, where Jesus says, God is spirit. 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:16.079 And that feels like a confession of the deity of the Holy Spirit. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:25.619 It's hard to read it other way, other than that, because if you read it as simply saying, oh, what this is saying is that it's not saying the Holy Spirit is divine. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:29.619 It's simply saying that God the Father is a spiritual being. 00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:30.519 He's not a physical being. 00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:31.279 He's a spiritual being. 00:26:31.319 --> 00:26:32.000 That's all it's saying. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:38.279 Then you find yourself having to then say, well, this spiritual being has a spirit. 00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:41.759 Like, God is spirit, and he has it. 00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:43.740 It's like my soul has a soul kind of thing. 00:26:43.799 --> 00:26:46.039 Like, it's just a weird tension. 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:54.619 And when you pair that with Paul in his letters saying the Lord is the Spirit, it just, I mean, that's a divine title there. 00:26:54.819 --> 00:26:57.420 So anyway, but let's read what Gregory has to say. 00:26:58.619 --> 00:26:59.519 So he starts. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:03.900 This, then, is what may be said by one who admits the silence of the Scripture. 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:11.240 So he's saying, yeah, the Scripture doesn't come out and just say the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully divine. 00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:20.480 But he says, but now the swarm of testimonies shall burst upon you, from which the deity of the Holy Ghost shall be shown to all who are not excessively stupid. 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:26.420 And he says, or if maybe you're not stupid, but you're an enemy of the Spirit. 00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:28.539 And he says, look at these facts. 00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:30.440 Now, second paragraph. 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:32.279 He says, Christ is born. 00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:34.159 The Spirit is his forerunner. 00:27:34.619 --> 00:27:35.500 He is baptized. 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:38.099 The Spirit bears witness. 00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:39.339 He is tempted. 00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:41.159 The Spirit leads him up. 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:42.559 He works miracles. 00:27:42.859 --> 00:27:44.539 The Spirit accompanies them. 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:46.079 He ascends. 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:48.119 The Spirit takes his place. 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:50.200 So Jesus rises. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.339 The Spirit comes down to take his place. 00:27:52.339 --> 00:27:57.679 What great things are there in the idea of God which are not in his, the Spirit's power? 00:27:57.899 --> 00:28:07.000 What titles which belong to God are not applied to him, the Spirit, except only unbegotten and begotten? 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:09.180 Let's talk about that for a moment. 00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:12.559 So he says, what titles does the Father have that the Spirit doesn't? 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:14.380 He says, well, there's these two titles. 00:28:15.059 --> 00:28:17.339 The term unbegotten and begotten. 00:28:17.460 --> 00:28:20.400 Begotten is given to the Son because he's the begotten of the Father. 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:28.300 And then unbegotten, that's not actually, I don't think that's actually in Scripture, but people will use it to describe the Father as being unbegotten. 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:39.900 We talked about this with Nicaea where Arius would say that the term begotten means Jesus must have come into existence in time. 00:28:39.900 --> 00:28:54.680 And how the church responded to that by saying, no, just like if you had a tree, an eternal tree with these big branches, those branches are contingent on the trunk, but they're eternal. 00:28:54.940 --> 00:28:57.200 They always existed with the tree. 00:28:58.040 --> 00:29:03.560 And in fact, if you take the tree analogy, if you were to cut off one of those branches and plant it, there's trees that just are their own tree then. 00:29:03.620 --> 00:29:04.700 They just keep going. 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:13.700 And so they're saying that begottenness means that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, much like an eternal tree will have an eternal branch. 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:16.980 No analogies are perfect, so you don't want to push it too far. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:18.380 Okay. 00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:29.940 He says, for it was needful that the distinctive properties of the Father and the Son should remain peculiar to them, lest there should be confusion in the Godhead, 00:29:29.940 --> 00:29:34.960 which brings all things, even disorder itself, into due arrangement and good order. 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:40.400 What he's saying here is, of course, there needs to be distinctions between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:29:40.580 --> 00:29:42.920 If there were no distinctions, they would be the same. 00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:44.620 They'd be exactly the same. 00:29:44.900 --> 00:29:46.220 But there are distinctions. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:52.400 That's what Trinitarianism is, that there's a unity of nature, but there's distinction in persons. 00:29:52.400 --> 00:30:02.440 Indeed, I tremble when I think of the abundance of the titles and how many names they outrage who fall foul of the Spirit. 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:11.740 So he's saying, you know, those who deny the proper deity of the Holy Spirit are outraging the Holy Spirit. 00:30:12.100 --> 00:30:15.420 And he's going to go and he's going to give even more of these. 00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:16.580 We'll get to those in just a moment. 00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:20.040 I want to go back to the top of the second paragraph. 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:26.079 But do you see how interconnected the Holy Spirit is with the life of Christ? 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:31.799 Like, it says Christ is born, the Spirit is his forerunner. 00:30:31.879 --> 00:30:37.399 We could also say the Spirit, remember, overshadowed, he was incarnated of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.759 The Spirit overshadowed Mary, causing Jesus to be incarnated. 00:30:43.399 --> 00:30:47.240 So Christ's birth is brought about by the Spirit. 00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:50.120 He's baptized, the Spirit bears witness. 00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:52.680 He descends on him in the form of a dove. 00:30:54.039 --> 00:31:00.539 Christ is tempted, but the Spirit is leading him into and through those temptations. 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:02.160 He works miracles, how? 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:03.559 By the Spirit. 00:31:04.220 --> 00:31:08.400 Christ ascends, the Spirit comes down to take his place. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:11.120 Where Jesus even says, you know, we won't abandon you. 00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:12.320 We, we won't do this. 00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:18.420 Like, this is all part of this seamless operation of the Trinity that's going on. 00:31:21.360 --> 00:31:25.220 Any comments or questions before we continue here? 00:31:26.900 --> 00:31:28.920 Let's go to the third paragraph here. 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:33.680 So he says, he is called the Spirit of God. 00:31:34.340 --> 00:31:37.220 Now, I just want to stop right there before we go anywhere else. 00:31:37.340 --> 00:31:39.940 Think about that title for a moment. 00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:44.380 In biblical language, we have spirits. 00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:45.400 Like, you have a spirit. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:48.340 You have a spirit that's part of your human nature. 00:31:48.759 --> 00:31:49.860 Soul, spirit, mind. 00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:50.720 You have a mind. 00:31:50.840 --> 00:31:51.480 You have a soul. 00:31:51.800 --> 00:31:52.420 You have a spirit. 00:31:52.420 --> 00:32:02.640 So when we talk about the spirit of man or the spirit of someone, that's a human part of human nature. 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:11.940 So when we talk about the spirit of God, that title in of itself implies divinity. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:16.180 It implies either divinity or, like, wouldn't God's spirit be divine? 00:32:16.860 --> 00:32:17.560 Like, yes. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:18.980 Like, why would God's spirit? 00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:20.779 Are you saying he doesn't have a spirit? 00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:20.819 A spirit. 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:23.779 Scripture says he has a spirit. 00:32:23.980 --> 00:32:26.240 So that in of itself is divine. 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:29.079 So the term spirit of God is very scriptural. 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:31.799 The third paragraph goes on. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.839 He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ. 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:39.099 You can see that in Romans, for instance. 00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:45.039 You see it in other places where the term spirit of God and spirit of Christ are used interchangeably of the same spirit. 00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:46.099 Back and forth. 00:32:46.299 --> 00:32:46.779 Back and forth. 00:32:46.879 --> 00:32:47.339 Back and forth. 00:32:47.339 --> 00:32:50.379 I don't know how you can get around. 00:32:50.539 --> 00:32:53.119 Like, if Jesus and the Father have the same spirit. 00:32:53.699 --> 00:32:56.619 Also called the mind of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord. 00:32:56.899 --> 00:32:59.419 He himself is the Lord. 00:32:59.819 --> 00:33:00.759 Richard mentioned that. 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:06.159 That's where Paul says where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and the Lord is the Spirit. 00:33:06.679 --> 00:33:07.359 Right there. 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:11.979 He's also called the Spirit of Adoption. 00:33:12.979 --> 00:33:14.559 What's that referring to? 00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:18.779 Well, what does that mean? 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:20.479 Spirit of Adoption. 00:33:20.679 --> 00:33:21.099 Adoption. 00:33:21.639 --> 00:33:21.879 What? 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:26.000 By the Lord, Adoption comes. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:28.100 He's the agent of that. 00:33:28.100 --> 00:33:28.540 Yes. 00:33:29.260 --> 00:33:31.580 And we're adopted as children of God, right? 00:33:31.980 --> 00:33:37.600 So, like, he's the one that welcomes us into the family of God. 00:33:37.600 --> 00:33:42.020 That feels like a divine role. 00:33:42.340 --> 00:33:45.500 I mean, some of these you can squirrel out of if you really, really want to. 00:33:45.500 --> 00:33:49.599 But it's just odd if God is doing these functions. 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:54.960 I mean, if you're welcoming someone into your family, if you're formally adopting someone into your family, 00:33:55.619 --> 00:34:02.200 are you really going to have the primary agent who welcomes them into your family being someone who's not in your family? 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:04.900 Like, it's just weird. 00:34:05.460 --> 00:34:10.800 And you could, of course, you could come up with mental acrobatics to think of situations where this might be the case. 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:15.300 But again and again and again and again, we come across these titles. 00:34:16.660 --> 00:34:17.660 But here's some other ones. 00:34:17.720 --> 00:34:18.600 So, the Spirit of Adoption. 00:34:18.940 --> 00:34:20.220 The Spirit of Truth. 00:34:24.100 --> 00:34:28.700 And Jesus says, who convicts the world of sin and of righteousness. 00:34:29.780 --> 00:34:39.060 Like, does the Spirit of Truth itself feel like something God would designate for something else other than a member of the Godhead? 00:34:39.059 --> 00:34:40.679 And Jesus calls himself the truth. 00:34:41.860 --> 00:34:42.500 That's good. 00:34:42.619 --> 00:34:42.799 Yeah. 00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:44.000 He calls himself the truth, too. 00:34:44.259 --> 00:34:44.440 Yeah. 00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:47.659 The Spirit of Liberty. 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:49.880 The Spirit of Wisdom. 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:52.259 Wisdom belongs to this guy. 00:34:53.259 --> 00:34:54.659 Spirit of Understanding. 00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:56.279 Of Counsel. 00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:57.279 Of Might. 00:34:57.759 --> 00:34:58.599 Of Knowledge. 00:34:59.139 --> 00:34:59.980 Of Godliness. 00:35:00.779 --> 00:35:02.480 Of the Fear of God. 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:03.840 Yeah. 00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:09.559 I mean, that feels pretty definitive. 00:35:10.019 --> 00:35:10.680 He goes on, though. 00:35:11.019 --> 00:35:13.940 He, the Spirit, is the maker of all these. 00:35:14.240 --> 00:35:16.360 Now, let's pause there. 00:35:16.500 --> 00:35:18.360 So, the maker of... 00:35:18.360 --> 00:35:24.500 Is the Holy Spirit ever called, like, the maker of all things? 00:35:24.500 --> 00:35:29.900 Paul says this of Jesus, you know, by whom and for whom all things were made. 00:35:30.300 --> 00:35:31.639 John says this of Jesus. 00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:38.420 Is the Spirit ever given those kinds of descriptions? 00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:45.500 I think of Genesis 1, the Spirit hovering over the water. 00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:46.320 Yes. 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:47.079 Yes. 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:52.000 And then God says, and then he's let there be, and then he's created. 00:35:52.259 --> 00:35:52.699 Yes. 00:35:52.940 --> 00:35:56.619 It seems like the Spirit is present in the act of creation. 00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:57.400 Exactly. 00:35:57.599 --> 00:35:57.920 Exactly. 00:35:58.019 --> 00:35:59.279 Right there in Genesis 1. 00:35:59.579 --> 00:36:02.279 Right there in Genesis 1, the Spirit's hovering over the waters. 00:36:03.279 --> 00:36:05.400 Through the chaos, the abyss, the emptiness. 00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:07.039 The Spirit is hovering. 00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:09.539 And everything comes through that. 00:36:10.119 --> 00:36:10.380 Yeah. 00:36:11.219 --> 00:36:16.559 Any other Bible verses come to mind? 00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:18.119 Forgive me for typing here. 00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:18.619 Yes. 00:36:18.619 --> 00:36:19.299 I'm trying to find it. 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:19.579 Yes. 00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:21.559 I think it's... 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:26.960 I'm going to get close, but I don't think I'll hit it on your head here. 00:36:27.239 --> 00:36:28.099 Psalm 108. 00:36:28.619 --> 00:36:28.960 Okay. 00:36:29.420 --> 00:36:35.679 Which says, you send forth your spirit and renew the face of the earth. 00:36:36.139 --> 00:36:41.719 So, it sounds like it does harken back to Genesis again. 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:42.360 Yes. 00:36:42.679 --> 00:36:42.880 Yes. 00:36:42.880 --> 00:36:48.360 But this time, I think the picture is after the flood. 00:36:48.840 --> 00:36:57.140 So, that the face of the earth having been effaced by the flood is now renewed by the Spirit. 00:36:57.220 --> 00:36:57.780 It's very good. 00:36:57.980 --> 00:36:58.240 Yes. 00:36:58.340 --> 00:36:59.140 I think you're right. 00:36:59.260 --> 00:36:59.420 Yes. 00:36:59.420 --> 00:37:07.680 So, if we combine Tyler and Richard's observations, the Spirit is part of creation, but also part of renewing creation. 00:37:09.220 --> 00:37:10.579 Psalm 33.6. 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:16.079 By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:18.699 Remember, breath also means spirit. 00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:21.559 So, yes. 00:37:21.659 --> 00:37:31.380 The Spirit is given creative responsibilities in creation, in both creating from nothing, but also renewing what has gone lost. 00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:33.679 Well, let's continue. 00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:35.379 So, he's the maker of all these things. 00:37:35.899 --> 00:37:37.879 He fills all things with his essence. 00:37:38.299 --> 00:37:45.779 He contains all things, filling the world in his essence, yet incapable of being comprehended in his power by the world. 00:37:46.419 --> 00:37:50.179 Good, upright, princely by nature, not by adoption. 00:37:50.179 --> 00:37:58.259 What he's saying there is that the nature of the Spirit isn't just imparted to him as like a gift or like it's part of his nature. 00:37:58.899 --> 00:38:00.199 And that makes sense. 00:38:00.279 --> 00:38:07.019 I mean, if he's really the Spirit of truth, that feels like that must be from eternity. 00:38:07.219 --> 00:38:08.960 If it's truth, truth, we're talking about here. 00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:14.339 Sanctifying, not sanctified. 00:38:14.739 --> 00:38:16.219 Measuring, not measured. 00:38:16.899 --> 00:38:18.460 Shared, not sharing. 00:38:18.460 --> 00:38:20.480 Filling, not filled. 00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:22.659 Containing, not contained. 00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:24.260 Inherited, glorified. 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:25.740 Reckoned with the Father and the Son. 00:38:26.559 --> 00:38:27.260 We'll pause there. 00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:31.500 So, yeah, he sanctifies, but people don't sanctify him. 00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:33.119 He doesn't need to be sanctified. 00:38:33.860 --> 00:38:35.320 He's the one sanctifying. 00:38:35.699 --> 00:38:39.500 He's the one who measures, but he's not measured by anything. 00:38:40.300 --> 00:38:45.280 Those all, in their highest sense, must be divine titles. 00:38:45.280 --> 00:39:03.000 When it says he's reckoned with the Father and the Son, he's probably referring to the Great Commission in the end of the Gospel of Matthew, where you're supposed to baptize in the name, not names, but the singular name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:09.420 Where that triune phrase is held together in unity under a single name. 00:39:10.519 --> 00:39:14.099 And what else is that but reckoning the Spirit with the Father and the Son? 00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:17.380 We don't say, you know, with the Father, the Son, and the angel Gabriel. 00:39:17.960 --> 00:39:18.860 We don't say that. 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:20.579 Scripture doesn't talk that way. 00:39:20.579 --> 00:39:25.279 Because Gabriel, though very exalted, is a created being, the angel Gabriel. 00:39:25.880 --> 00:39:30.360 So, the Father and the Son, let's keep going here. 00:39:30.739 --> 00:39:32.219 He's held out as a threat. 00:39:33.139 --> 00:39:34.599 He's the finger of God. 00:39:34.860 --> 00:39:38.119 Jesus uses that language. 00:39:38.539 --> 00:39:40.199 He's fire like God. 00:39:40.659 --> 00:39:43.659 To manifest, as I take it, his consubstantiality. 00:39:43.659 --> 00:39:48.239 So, he's a fire, and he's depicted as a fire in Scripture. 00:39:48.799 --> 00:39:59.019 The reason why is to make known the fact that he is consubstantial or of the same substance as God, who's also called a consuming fire, right? 00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:03.219 That's the image we get of God in the Scriptures. 00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:04.799 The Spirit has the same thing. 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:09.779 He's the creator Spirit who, by baptism and by resurrection, creates anew. 00:40:10.500 --> 00:40:11.339 Here's a big one. 00:40:11.340 --> 00:40:14.700 The Spirit who knows all things. 00:40:15.100 --> 00:40:16.160 Scripture says that. 00:40:16.260 --> 00:40:17.720 The Spirit knows all things. 00:40:19.120 --> 00:40:20.780 Who else can you say that of? 00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:22.720 That's omniscience right there. 00:40:23.280 --> 00:40:24.880 The Spirit knows all things. 00:40:25.260 --> 00:40:25.740 He teaches. 00:40:25.980 --> 00:40:26.519 He blows. 00:40:27.180 --> 00:40:29.800 To where and to what extent he lists. 00:40:29.940 --> 00:40:32.059 I don't like that translation there, lists. 00:40:32.200 --> 00:40:33.940 Probably just designs. 00:40:34.539 --> 00:40:35.039 He guides. 00:40:35.160 --> 00:40:35.640 He talks. 00:40:35.740 --> 00:40:36.440 He sends forth. 00:40:36.539 --> 00:40:37.180 He separates. 00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:38.140 He's angry. 00:40:38.240 --> 00:40:38.740 He's tempted. 00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:40.300 He reveals. 00:40:40.300 --> 00:40:41.059 He illumines. 00:40:41.059 --> 00:40:41.860 He quickens. 00:40:43.860 --> 00:40:44.420 This is... 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:51.940 Here he's talking about some other issue that comes up when we speak of the Spirit. 00:40:52.820 --> 00:40:56.500 And that's this idea that the Spirit is not a person. 00:40:56.679 --> 00:40:57.599 It's just a force. 00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:59.940 So, yes, of course the Spirit is divine. 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:01.480 Of course the Spirit is divine. 00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:01.840 Why? 00:41:01.840 --> 00:41:06.640 Because just like we have a Spirit, but our Spirit isn't like a separate person within you. 00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:08.220 It's just part of you. 00:41:08.640 --> 00:41:10.100 Then we have... 00:41:10.100 --> 00:41:11.220 God is the same way. 00:41:11.380 --> 00:41:14.240 God just has this divine Spirit, but the Spirit is not... 00:41:14.239 --> 00:41:17.179 He doesn't have a mind, so to speak. 00:41:17.179 --> 00:41:21.299 And what Gregory does here is he says, yeah, but he's talking. 00:41:21.539 --> 00:41:22.219 He's guiding. 00:41:22.619 --> 00:41:23.779 He's getting angry. 00:41:24.819 --> 00:41:26.839 This only happens with minds. 00:41:27.539 --> 00:41:34.039 And Gregory doesn't point to that explicitly, but the Spirit is said to have a mind in the Scriptures. 00:41:34.039 --> 00:41:36.219 That language is used of the Spirit. 00:41:37.340 --> 00:41:41.579 Well, if we go on to page two, we're at the top here. 00:41:45.579 --> 00:41:46.099 Oh. 00:41:46.099 --> 00:41:49.420 I only did one-sided copies. 00:41:52.199 --> 00:41:53.079 Okay, I'll read it. 00:41:53.219 --> 00:41:54.099 I'm sorry, guys. 00:41:54.599 --> 00:41:54.860 All right. 00:41:55.019 --> 00:41:55.699 So here we go. 00:41:56.179 --> 00:41:56.860 He reveals. 00:41:57.039 --> 00:41:57.599 He illumines. 00:41:57.719 --> 00:41:58.420 He quickens. 00:41:58.699 --> 00:42:01.119 He is very light and life. 00:42:01.799 --> 00:42:03.480 He makes temples. 00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:06.719 What's that referring to? 00:42:11.480 --> 00:42:11.880 Ooh. 00:42:12.119 --> 00:42:13.420 Ooh, I heard several. 00:42:16.099 --> 00:42:17.099 Yes. 00:42:18.139 --> 00:42:19.619 So he makes the church. 00:42:20.659 --> 00:42:21.679 He also does. 00:42:22.059 --> 00:42:25.239 He equipped the Old Testament saints to build the actual temple. 00:42:25.659 --> 00:42:26.199 He did. 00:42:26.259 --> 00:42:27.039 He did do that. 00:42:27.119 --> 00:42:28.000 Yes, he did. 00:42:28.099 --> 00:42:28.339 Yes. 00:42:28.339 --> 00:42:28.460 Yes. 00:42:35.099 --> 00:42:35.579 Yes. 00:42:37.880 --> 00:42:38.360 Yep. 00:42:40.199 --> 00:42:40.599 Yes. 00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:44.880 Ooh. 00:42:45.579 --> 00:42:45.900 Okay. 00:42:45.900 --> 00:42:48.119 So we have lots of actual possible temples here. 00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:48.840 We have the church. 00:42:49.079 --> 00:42:52.180 We have the Old Testament temple that was filled by God's Spirit. 00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:59.000 We have the individual temples of the Spirit that we become as Christians. 00:43:00.139 --> 00:43:02.820 And that must be divine. 00:43:02.940 --> 00:43:03.800 Like, you're not... 00:43:03.800 --> 00:43:04.840 Imagine if we said it... 00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:05.800 Like, I'll use Gabriel again. 00:43:05.900 --> 00:43:08.160 A temple to Gabriel or of Gabriel. 00:43:08.240 --> 00:43:08.900 Like, that's just... 00:43:08.900 --> 00:43:10.200 That's a creature. 00:43:10.199 --> 00:43:17.219 But the Spirit is the one who indwells in us as the temple of God. 00:43:17.219 --> 00:43:19.079 So the temple of God has what there? 00:43:19.299 --> 00:43:20.019 His Spirit? 00:43:21.019 --> 00:43:22.079 That's got to be divine. 00:43:22.319 --> 00:43:23.179 I mean, that's... 00:43:23.179 --> 00:43:24.299 How do you... 00:43:24.299 --> 00:43:25.559 You can't really get around that. 00:43:27.179 --> 00:43:27.619 Next. 00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:29.739 So he says, he makes temples. 00:43:29.739 --> 00:43:30.739 And it says... 00:43:30.739 --> 00:43:31.739 And it says... 00:43:31.739 --> 00:43:33.199 Then he goes, he deifies. 00:43:34.199 --> 00:43:35.419 Now, this is... 00:43:35.419 --> 00:43:36.779 He's being very explicit here. 00:43:37.119 --> 00:43:37.899 But this is... 00:43:37.899 --> 00:43:42.959 You find this in 2 Peter, where Peter says that we become partakers of the divine nature. 00:43:42.960 --> 00:43:49.780 You also see this with the language in Scripture that we are adopted as children of God. 00:43:49.960 --> 00:43:57.840 When you're welcomed into the family of God, you are given this kind of divine, the associated sonship. 00:43:58.840 --> 00:44:00.780 And that's what he's talking about here. 00:44:00.840 --> 00:44:02.119 And that's done by the Spirit. 00:44:03.460 --> 00:44:07.079 He perfects so as even to anticipate baptism. 00:44:07.300 --> 00:44:11.639 Yet after baptism, he is sought as a separate gift. 00:44:11.639 --> 00:44:14.000 This is another hard one. 00:44:14.119 --> 00:44:15.159 What is he talking about there? 00:44:17.019 --> 00:44:20.099 He perfects so as to even anticipate baptism. 00:44:20.480 --> 00:44:24.359 Yet after baptism, he is sought as a separate gift. 00:44:25.719 --> 00:44:27.119 It's like regeneration. 00:44:28.119 --> 00:44:32.460 The Spirit rots in regeneration and we ask to be filled with the Spirit. 00:44:32.699 --> 00:44:33.000 Yeah. 00:44:33.699 --> 00:44:39.799 Yeah, I think that the Spirit is part of bringing you to new life and redeeming you. 00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:41.860 And then you're filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:44:41.980 --> 00:44:45.800 So it's before, during, and after your kind of conversion process. 00:44:46.580 --> 00:44:52.519 He could also be talking about the gifts of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians. 00:44:52.840 --> 00:44:56.039 That they're imparted and you need to seek these gifts. 00:44:56.740 --> 00:44:57.260 Yes, Richard. 00:44:57.260 --> 00:45:05.140 That second line that he perfects so as even to anticipate baptism. 00:45:05.800 --> 00:45:12.820 That could be understood in a sense contrary to baptismal regeneration. 00:45:13.620 --> 00:45:16.720 Because he brings us to perfection. 00:45:17.280 --> 00:45:17.560 Yeah. 00:45:17.660 --> 00:45:23.300 He brings us to that place of sanctification that is pleasing and perfect before God. 00:45:23.300 --> 00:45:26.720 And in anticipation of water baptism. 00:45:26.720 --> 00:45:27.480 Of water baptism. 00:45:28.340 --> 00:45:29.060 I agree. 00:45:29.240 --> 00:45:31.060 He definitely could mean that. 00:45:31.220 --> 00:45:33.920 I don't know what his baptismal theology was. 00:45:34.300 --> 00:45:42.180 But what you say seems to be the logical assumption that he has with that. 00:45:42.260 --> 00:45:46.019 I know in his time, people would often wait a very, very long time to be baptized. 00:45:46.019 --> 00:45:47.019 He did. 00:45:47.019 --> 00:45:48.840 He waited until he was an adult. 00:45:49.179 --> 00:45:49.659 He did. 00:45:49.780 --> 00:45:49.980 Okay. 00:45:50.300 --> 00:45:50.519 Oh. 00:45:50.860 --> 00:45:55.659 So maybe that explains why he was waiting to grow more in his faith. 00:45:55.880 --> 00:45:58.079 Or you find these things. 00:45:58.759 --> 00:46:06.000 One thing you will find in the early church is you do get this thread of kind of perfectionism. 00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:17.159 Where people will, you'll find this belief embedded or assumed in certain writers where you can slowly kind of become perfect in this life. 00:46:17.699 --> 00:46:20.719 And this might be hearkening back to that. 00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:25.300 Where he's wanting to get to that point of perfection and then be baptized. 00:46:25.940 --> 00:46:27.460 I don't think that's very good theology. 00:46:28.139 --> 00:46:31.219 But he may have had that. 00:46:31.219 --> 00:46:35.119 I noticed that Richard does have a second side. 00:46:35.319 --> 00:46:36.299 So he's, he's, yeah. 00:46:36.659 --> 00:46:37.359 I think, okay. 00:46:37.439 --> 00:46:38.759 So let's see. 00:46:38.859 --> 00:46:39.519 Let's keep reading here. 00:46:39.859 --> 00:46:43.480 So the spirit does all things that God does. 00:46:43.739 --> 00:46:45.879 He's divided into fiery tongues. 00:46:46.299 --> 00:46:48.159 He divides gifts. 00:46:48.379 --> 00:46:52.339 He makes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. 00:46:52.339 --> 00:46:59.980 His understanding is manifold, clear, piercing, undefiled, and unhindered. 00:46:59.980 --> 00:47:05.900 Which is the same as the most, as most wise and varied in his actions. 00:47:06.019 --> 00:47:07.420 So he's most wise. 00:47:07.579 --> 00:47:09.420 He makes all things clear and plain. 00:47:09.820 --> 00:47:11.559 He is of independent power. 00:47:11.699 --> 00:47:17.360 He is unchangeable, almighty, all seen, penetrating all spirits that are intelligent, pure. 00:47:17.719 --> 00:47:18.719 He's most subtle. 00:47:18.719 --> 00:47:24.299 And also, this translation seems weird. 00:47:24.819 --> 00:47:30.959 And also all prophetic spirits and apostolic in the same manner and not in the same places. 00:47:31.079 --> 00:47:31.539 I'm not sure. 00:47:31.899 --> 00:47:34.279 It feels like there's something wrong grammatically with that sentence. 00:47:36.279 --> 00:47:38.099 Well, he lists all these things. 00:47:38.179 --> 00:47:42.359 He's making concluding statements here about this must mean he's most wise. 00:47:42.599 --> 00:47:43.119 He's almighty. 00:47:43.259 --> 00:47:43.859 He's all seen. 00:47:43.959 --> 00:47:44.599 He's all knowing. 00:47:44.599 --> 00:47:45.460 He's penetrating. 00:47:47.019 --> 00:47:49.179 It's much easier to understand in Greek. 00:47:51.699 --> 00:47:55.920 You know, even if you were fluent in Greek, it might not be. 00:47:56.019 --> 00:48:03.819 Sometimes these guys would write, like, they delighted in difficulty and being hard to understand. 00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:05.860 I don't know if Gregory was the same way. 00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:08.559 Basil of Caesarea was that way. 00:48:08.819 --> 00:48:10.719 And Gregory was his friend. 00:48:10.719 --> 00:48:11.859 All right. 00:48:12.500 --> 00:48:18.839 They who say these things call the spirit another paraclete. 00:48:18.899 --> 00:48:23.319 Remember that Jesus is called the paraclete, the counselor. 00:48:23.459 --> 00:48:24.980 And he says, I will send you another one. 00:48:25.879 --> 00:48:28.799 So Jesus is saying, this guy's going to be in my place. 00:48:29.259 --> 00:48:30.359 He's going to be in my place. 00:48:30.360 --> 00:48:43.059 But what Gregory goes on to say is, some call him a paraclete in the sense of another god, like a multiple gods, not one. 00:48:43.059 --> 00:48:51.500 And he says, they say this who know that blasphemy against the spirit cannot be forgiven. 00:48:55.279 --> 00:49:01.840 And that this blasphemy branded Ananias and Sapphira with having lied to the Holy Ghost. 00:49:02.980 --> 00:49:06.259 So that, remember what Jesus says about blasphemy against the spirit. 00:49:06.360 --> 00:49:07.139 It cannot be forgiven. 00:49:07.940 --> 00:49:10.940 But he says all sins can be forgiven. 00:49:11.119 --> 00:49:12.679 Blasphemy against the son can be forgiven. 00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:14.059 But not the Holy Spirit. 00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:17.839 How could the Holy Spirit be a created being and that be the case? 00:49:18.599 --> 00:49:18.960 How? 00:49:19.779 --> 00:49:20.699 It's impossible. 00:49:21.460 --> 00:49:26.379 And he doesn't point this out. 00:49:26.460 --> 00:49:30.659 But in that passage where Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts, where they're lying. 00:49:31.599 --> 00:49:32.440 Can I read that? 00:49:32.440 --> 00:49:32.899 Yeah, read it. 00:49:33.079 --> 00:49:33.219 Read it. 00:49:33.219 --> 00:49:33.500 Yeah. 00:49:33.500 --> 00:49:34.719 Just read it a little passage. 00:49:34.879 --> 00:49:35.379 Because this is it. 00:49:35.739 --> 00:49:38.779 Whenever I think about the deity of the Holy Spirit, I always think of this passage. 00:49:38.899 --> 00:49:39.139 Yes. 00:49:39.139 --> 00:49:43.599 So he says, Peter, speaking of the story, Ananias and Sapphira lying. 00:49:44.039 --> 00:49:44.759 To the church. 00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:45.139 To the church. 00:49:45.279 --> 00:49:47.359 But trying to pretend like they were giving more than they were. 00:49:47.639 --> 00:49:47.819 Yeah. 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:53.460 And Peter, Ananias comes in and Peter says, Ananias, why is Satan put your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? 00:49:53.460 --> 00:49:56.379 And you keep after yourself part of the person's land. 00:49:56.779 --> 00:49:58.719 Why remain unsold that did not remain your own? 00:49:58.799 --> 00:50:01.400 And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? 00:50:02.059 --> 00:50:04.139 Why is it that you have contrived to Satan your heart? 00:50:04.539 --> 00:50:07.239 You have not lied to man, but to God. 00:50:07.239 --> 00:50:07.959 Right. 00:50:08.779 --> 00:50:11.879 So lying to the Holy Spirit and lying to God. 00:50:12.139 --> 00:50:12.539 Yeah. 00:50:13.179 --> 00:50:13.899 They're the same thing. 00:50:14.199 --> 00:50:14.399 Yeah. 00:50:14.719 --> 00:50:15.119 Exactly. 00:50:15.359 --> 00:50:15.679 Yes. 00:50:16.379 --> 00:50:16.639 Yep. 00:50:18.459 --> 00:50:18.859 Okay. 00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:20.259 Well, we got to wrap up here. 00:50:20.339 --> 00:50:21.539 So I'll quickly read the final part. 00:50:21.879 --> 00:50:25.139 He says, so important then and so vivid are the Spirit's names. 00:50:25.279 --> 00:50:29.899 Why is it necessary to lay before you the testimony contained in the very words of Scripture? 00:50:31.779 --> 00:50:32.879 The Spirit is given. 00:50:33.019 --> 00:50:33.419 He sent. 00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:34.039 He's divided. 00:50:34.199 --> 00:50:34.839 He's the gift. 00:50:34.959 --> 00:50:35.539 He's the bounty. 00:50:35.679 --> 00:50:36.500 He's the inspiration. 00:50:36.500 --> 00:50:37.320 He's the promise. 00:50:37.320 --> 00:50:38.880 He's the intercession for us. 00:50:39.579 --> 00:50:44.599 And not to go into any further detail, any other expressions of this sort are to be referred 00:50:44.599 --> 00:50:52.559 to the first cause, that it may be shown from whom he is, and that men may not, in a heathen 00:50:52.559 --> 00:50:56.719 or pagan fashion, admit three principles or three gods. 00:50:57.139 --> 00:51:01.340 He's saying that all of this, I've proved the deity of the Holy Spirit, but he's not a 00:51:01.340 --> 00:51:01.860 separate God. 00:51:01.860 --> 00:51:08.140 It's all, they're all united together as in one Lord, one God, one Godhead. 00:51:09.960 --> 00:51:10.360 Okay. 00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:12.880 If you want, I can make copies. 00:51:13.079 --> 00:51:14.519 I should have given that second copy to you. 00:51:14.519 --> 00:51:18.820 We have a few more minutes here before we wrap up with prayer. 00:51:18.820 --> 00:51:24.620 The sum of what I'm trying to say here is that, number one, the Creed of Constantinople articulates 00:51:24.620 --> 00:51:25.600 the deity of the Spirit. 00:51:26.640 --> 00:51:34.380 It does so by using scriptural language as well as a logical deduction from the scriptures 00:51:34.380 --> 00:51:38.920 based on the titles and actions given to the Spirit. 00:51:38.920 --> 00:51:46.880 And Gregory of Nazianzus, who piloted the council in his fifth theological oration, he discusses 00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:47.700 this in depth. 00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:52.599 And I've never actually seen a better presentation of the deity of the Holy Spirit in terms of 00:51:52.599 --> 00:51:54.880 just the mass of citations that he gives. 00:51:55.519 --> 00:51:58.480 If you're interested, I can give you, this is a free translation online. 00:51:58.599 --> 00:52:02.099 There's another one that you'd have to purchase, but I can point you to that if you're interested. 00:52:02.099 --> 00:52:10.639 Next, oh, the final thing I'll say is that the Council of Constantinople is the big one. 00:52:11.079 --> 00:52:12.980 People always say it's the Council of Nicaea. 00:52:13.659 --> 00:52:14.940 In many ways, it's not. 00:52:15.039 --> 00:52:16.239 It's the Council of Constantinople. 00:52:16.319 --> 00:52:21.819 That is the biggest, most universal, most used council of all time. 00:52:22.119 --> 00:52:27.460 And the reason why is because the Council of Nicaea is kind of embedded in it. 00:52:27.599 --> 00:52:30.920 That's why the creed is sometimes called the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed. 00:52:30.920 --> 00:52:36.159 The Creed of Constantinople is the creed that most churches, when they recite creeds, use. 00:52:36.559 --> 00:52:37.500 They use that one. 00:52:37.820 --> 00:52:42.820 It's also the Council that the most number of churches adhere to. 00:52:43.059 --> 00:52:44.039 The Catholics do. 00:52:44.360 --> 00:52:45.340 The Orthodox do. 00:52:45.740 --> 00:52:48.420 The Oriental Orthodox, we'll get into them next week. 00:52:48.539 --> 00:52:54.500 Those are the ancient churches from Africa and Asia, like the Armenians and the Coptics and 00:52:54.500 --> 00:52:57.599 the Christians and the Ethiopians and the Syriac Christians. 00:52:57.740 --> 00:52:58.780 They adhere to it. 00:52:58.780 --> 00:53:02.519 The Church of the East, the Persian Church, they adhere to it. 00:53:02.640 --> 00:53:09.880 And many Protestant denominations formally recognize it as in their doctrinal documents. 00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:15.880 And then those churches that don't have a formal recognition of it agree with it. 00:53:15.920 --> 00:53:17.420 I mean, they don't disagree with it. 00:53:17.460 --> 00:53:18.040 They think it's fine. 00:53:18.039 --> 00:53:22.699 So it's kind of the gold standard of Christian creedal statements. 00:53:23.059 --> 00:53:23.159 Yes. 00:53:23.500 --> 00:53:28.579 I'll just add the, I think a lot, one clause that makes so uncomfortable is that last, 00:53:28.699 --> 00:53:29.480 that's like the last one. 00:53:29.539 --> 00:53:31.880 We acknowledge one baptism for forgiveness of sins. 00:53:32.099 --> 00:53:32.340 Yes. 00:53:32.340 --> 00:53:37.300 And I'll just say that's taken verbatim from Peter's sermon in the book of Acts. 00:53:37.640 --> 00:53:38.660 Ah, yes, yes, yes. 00:53:38.680 --> 00:53:44.480 And I think we need to come up with that scriptural verbatim language. 00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:47.720 I think there, we could talk more about what that means. 00:53:48.079 --> 00:53:48.800 Yes, yes. 00:53:48.800 --> 00:53:58.440 But I think the, whatever it means is something that Protestants have acknowledged and that's 00:53:58.440 --> 00:54:00.220 consistent with our faith. 00:54:00.360 --> 00:54:00.740 Oh, amen. 00:54:00.820 --> 00:54:08.080 So some people will be like, that sounds pretty non-Protestant to me, but it's certainly been 00:54:08.080 --> 00:54:10.880 accepted churches across the world. 00:54:11.180 --> 00:54:13.140 So that's more of a longer conversation. 00:54:13.340 --> 00:54:13.580 Amen. 00:54:13.740 --> 00:54:14.060 Okay. 00:54:14.760 --> 00:54:16.060 Well, let's pray real quick. 00:54:16.059 --> 00:54:19.239 Father in heaven, we thank you for the deity of your spirit. 00:54:19.380 --> 00:54:21.099 We ask that he would fill us. 00:54:21.259 --> 00:54:25.759 He'd fill us throughout this day, this week for our whole lives, renewing and restoring 00:54:25.759 --> 00:54:26.039 us. 00:54:26.139 --> 00:54:31.840 We pray today at church, at our great assembly, that we would worship in spirit and in truth, 00:54:31.920 --> 00:54:36.279 that we'd be filled with your spirit, that your word would be preached by power with your 00:54:36.279 --> 00:54:36.559 spirit. 00:54:37.059 --> 00:54:38.659 And we submit all these things to you. 00:54:38.779 --> 00:54:39.679 We love you, Lord. 00:54:39.759 --> 00:54:41.719 And it's in the name of Jesus we pray. 00:54:42.079 --> 00:54:42.299 Amen. 00:54:42.299 --> 00:54:42.420 Amen. 00:54:42.739 --> 00:54:42.940 Amen. 00:54:42.940 --> 00:54:43.000 Amen. 00:54:46.059 --> 00:54:47.840 Thanks so much. 00:54:49.679 --> 00:54:52.239 Next week, we're doing the final two councils. 00:54:52.460 --> 00:54:53.880 We'll talk about that next week. 00:54:57.279 --> 00:55:01.199 I'm glad that Gregory mentioned Ananias and Sapphira. 00:55:01.340 --> 00:55:01.579 Yes. 00:55:02.420 --> 00:55:06.860 I was like, I hope that they use this because I feel like this is such a straightforward 00:55:06.860 --> 00:55:06.860 00:55:06.860 --> 00:55:08.200 I agree. 00:55:08.200 --> 00:55:09.700 I agree.