Bible Study - Matthew Chapter 1
Verse 20
from Kaniyamparmabil Achen, the Great Teacher of Malankara
V20: “For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her"
For those who doubt the virgin birth, the church fathers quote many similar miracles:
1) Adam and Birth of Eve
2) Lamp from the tree
3) Water from Rock
4) Coin from fish
5) Above all the coming of Holy Spirit
Regarding this mysterious pregnancy St. Luke writes: (1:28-32)
“And the angel entered the house, and said to her: Peace to thee, thou full of grace! The Lord is with thee: and blessed art thou among women. For lo, thou wilt conceive in thy womb, and wilt bear a son, and wilt call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his reign there will be no end. The Holy Spirit will come, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee; therefore he that is born of thee is holy, and will be called the Son of God.” (Peshitta).
The Submission of Mary to the Will of God
About the Holy One born through Holy Spirit.
In the beginning, was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
Every thing was by his hand; and without him, was not any thing whatever that existed.
In him was life; and the life was the light of man. . He was in the world; and the world was by his hand; and the world did not know him. (:10). And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled with us: and we saw his glory, a glory as of the only begotten from the Father, that he was full of grace and truth (:14)
About the Annunciation to St. Mary
The annunciation to St. Mary was in Nazareth (Luke) and it occurred when Mary was praying at that time (From the Sunday prayer book). The Holy Church celebrates this day as a great day. During the time of Great lent Holy Qurbana (Communion) can be celebrated only in Saturdays and Sundays. But on the day Annunciation to St. Mary, the Holy Qurbana has to be celebrated even if that day is Good Friday. (Hudaya Canon).
Holy Spirit
In the past heretics like Macadonious and in modern time the Jehovah’s Witness says that Holy Spirit has no ‘personality’ [character] of [its, his] own. But from the scriptures it can be seen that Holy Spirit like Father and Son have personality. They are:
I. Provides life: (Job 33:4; Romans 8:11)
II. Appoints the overseers of the church (Acts 13:2;20:23,8:29,10:19,20; 16:6,7; Mark 13:11;1 Cori 2:4, 13)
III. Talked through the prophets ( Luke 1:67; Acts 1:16, 1 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 1:21)
IV. Argues with the sinners (Gen 6:13)
V. Give us consciousness (Jer 16:8)
VI. Comforts us (Acts 9:31)
VII. Supports the weakness (Romans 8:26)
VIII. Advices (John 14:26; 1 Cori 12:3)
IX. Guides us (John 16:13)
X. Cleanses us (Romans 15:15; 1 Cori 6:11)
XI. Witness Christ and Glorify Him (John 15:26; 16:14)
XII. Has power (Romans 15:26)
XIII. Works in its own way (1 Cori 12 :11)
XIV. Resides with the righteous people (John 14:17)
XV. Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30; Isaiah 63:10)
XVI. One can dissent with Holy Spirit ( Acts 7:51)
XVII. One can test Holy Spirit (Acts 5:9 )
The Holy Spirit is one among the Holy Trinity:
1) Holy Spirit is YHWH (Exodus 17:7; Hebrew 3:7-9; 2 Peter 1:21)
2) He is Most High God: (Psalm 78:17,21)
3) One who offer petitions to: (Luke 2:26-29; Acts 4:23-25; 1:16, 20; 2 Tes 3:5)
4) Saluted God (Acts 5:3,4;)
5) Eternal (Hebrews 9:14)
6) Omnipresent /Ubiquitous (Psalm 139:7-13;)
7) Omniscient (1 Cor 2:10)
8) Creator (Genesis 1:26 27)
9) Equal to Father (Matthew 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14)
10) Producer of all (1 Cor 12: 6-11; Daniel 4:35)
11) Lord of born again (John 3,5,6 1 John 5-4)
12) One who rose Christ from the dead (Acts 2:24 1 Peter 3:18, Hebrew 13:20, Romans 1:4)
13) One who inspires the scriptures (2 Tim 3:16 2 Peter 1:21)
14) Source of great powers (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20; Acts 19:11;Romans 15:18)
The sins against the Holy Spirit
1) Testing the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:9)
2) Saddening the Spirit (Ephesus 4:30)
3) Lying to the Spirit (Acts 5:3)
4) Protesting to the Spirit (Acts 7:51)
5) Offending the Spirit (Hebrew 10:29)
6) Belittling the gift of the Spirit (Acts 8:19-20)
7) Ridiculing the spirit (?) (Matthew 12:31,32; 1 John 5:16)
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