Here are three scriptures that offer additional theological context to the passage in John 14:15-21 and how each passage contributes to our understanding:
- Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
This passage provides a powerful example of the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit. After Jesus’ ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, empowering them and enabling them to speak in different languages. It demonstrates the transformative and empowering work of the Spirit in the lives of believers, as promised by Jesus in John 14:15-21.
- Romans 8:9-11: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
This passage from the book of Romans highlights the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in believers. It emphasizes that through the Spirit, believers are no longer controlled by the flesh but are now partakers of the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit imparts life and righteousness, and just as the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, the Spirit also brings life to the mortal bodies of believers. This passage further reinforces the transformative and life-giving work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, connecting with the themes of the passage in John 14:15-21.
- Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
This passage from the book of Galatians describes the fruit of the Spirit, which are the visible characteristics or virtues produced in the lives of believers through the Holy Spirit’s work. It highlights the transformative nature of the Holy Spirit’s presence, as it produces qualities such as love, joy, peace, kindness, and self-control. These virtues align with the call to love Jesus and keep His commands, as mentioned in John 14:15-21, and demonstrate the practical outworking of the Spirit’s indwelling presence in the lives of believers.
These additional passages contribute theological context by further emphasizing the role and impact of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, reinforcing the transformative power of the Spirit’s indwelling presence, and providing practical examples of how the Spirit’s work manifests in the lives of those who follow Jesus.
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