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1 Thessalonians 1:5
5 For [hoti] our [hemon] gospel [euaggelion] came [ginomai] not [ou] unto [eis] you [humas] in [en] word [logos] only, [monon] but [alla] also [kai] in [en] power, [dunamis] and [kai] in [en] the Holy [hagios] Ghost, [pneuma] and [kai] in [en] much [polus] assurance; [plerophoria] as [kathos] ye know [eido] what manner of men [hoios] we were [ginomai] among [en] you [humin] for [dia] your [humas] sake. KJV-Interlinear
5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. NASB
Your perception, knowledge and understanding of the scriptures comes to you by means of the Holy Spirit.
Certainly you read or hear these words online, on the radio or television, and so forth, but it is the Holy Spirit that makes them clear and perspicuous, and therefore easy to understand, regardless of your intelligence level or lack of it.
When it comes to hearing and understanding the Word of God, the playing field is leveled by the Holy Spirit.
In this world, there are two systems of perception – the temporal system and the spiritual system.
The temporal system can be summed up in the term – philosophy or the study of existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, morals and so forth. There is also the mysticism and mythology approach to these subjects.
Philosophy approaches these subjects by means of empiricism, logic, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, and so forth. Philosophy is limited by the study of facts, and the subsequent interpretation of facts. Philosophy and all such approaches to truth cannot reach into the spiritual realm. The spiritual realm is beyond human abilities.
In the temporal world, your perception and therefore your knowledge and understanding are limited to your empirical data, your life’s experiences, your logic, and so forth. The temporal world is looking at life in total darkness.
In the spiritual world, God makes everything clear and obvious to all, such that there is no uncertainty about the subject you are considering. The spiritual world is looking at life in total light.
To illustrate this, suppose you are standing in a totally dark place. You cannot see the end of your nose. Someone says, ‘Look, a tree.’ You look and see nothing. So you approach the tree, feel the tree, smell the tree, and because everyone agrees, it must be a tree.
In total light, someone says, ‘Look an ornamental gate.’ While in the darkness you thought it was a tree. But in darkness everyone agreed, and so you had no frame of reference to disagree with the accepted view.
That is the difference between knowledge acquired academically through the temporal world, and knowledge acquired spiritually through the communication function of the Holy Spirit.
While you have to be at least alive and breathing in order to understand temporal knowledge, you only have to be in fellowship (only believers can be in fellowship) in order to understand truth.
Since so many folks are either unbelievers or out of fellowship believers, then God uses parable concepts (temporal examples) in order to teach spiritual principles. This helps people to become saved, to get into fellowship through confession, and to learn doctrine, at least indirectly.
So, no one is left out, nor left behind. And this accomplished without horrendous bureaucracy and cost.
Doctrine comes to each person through the power of the Holy Spirit. Doctrine is clear and the truth of doctrine is evident by virtue of its own character. It is seen in the light and therefore needs no testing or proof, or support apparatus.
Doctrine is communicated by people. However, the content of the things taught by people is sorted out by the Holy Spirit. You do not need to know the person, or the source of their information when you pursue your study of the Word of God, daily, and in a legitimate manner. In time, the concepts taught will be validated or invalidated, but not by the person, but by the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual information comes to you in a supernatural fashion and does not depend on your intellect or perceptive abilities.
The teacher of doctrine is unimportant. I would venture to guess that ninety-nine percent of all who read this study haven’t a clue as to who I am. And that is as it should be.
The content of what is being taught is important, and God makes it all clear to anyone and everyone who approaches their Bible study with an open mind.
If I were to say that there were virgins waiting for you in Paradise, you would know that this is not true, for several reasons. First, paradise is an empty place. Second, the availability of virgins implies sin, and God never condones sin. Third, everyone who leaves this life will go to Torments and there wait for the Lake of Fire, or they will go to heaven. Fourth, no one in the afterlife will be a slave to anyone else. And fifth, where would all of those virgins come from anyway? What of their life?
So, through truth, you were able to sort this false concept out, together with its inconsistencies.
Doctrine originates from God. Doctrine is communicated by God. And your spiritual life is accomplished by God.
