Receiving the Holy Spirit - John 20:19-23 and Acts 2

[Mendalla]

I was looking at Working Preacher to see what was on deck as far as lectionary readings and discovered that tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday. Interestingly, the discussion on the site is about John 20:19-23, which ends with Jesus breathing on the disciples with the words, "“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” So apparently, Jesus is giving the gift of the Spirit here.

Bible Gateway passage: John 20:19-23 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Jesus Appears to the Disciples - When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then...

www.biblegateway.com

Which is then something of a contrast with the more dramatic account in Acts 2:

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 2 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Coming of the Holy Spirit - When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a...

www.biblegateway.com

And here's the commentary from Working Preacher, reflecting on how the John passage relates to Pentecost and gives us a different perspective on the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary on John 20:19-23 - Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

Jesus's breathing the Spirit upon the disciples harkens back to the intimacy of creation.

www.workingpreacher.org

So let's try kicking off a revival of BPoTW with a discussion of these passages about receiving the Holy Spirit and what it means in the stories and in our modern religious lives.

And that's probably how I'll do this. Rather than trying to figure out something, since I've hit on a lot of the passages that interest me, I'll see what's happening in the church calendar and lectionary and draw from that. Not to say I won't do other things, but it's a way to keep it going more steadily even when I can't come up with something on my own.

As always, do read the passages in question and keep the discussion to them and your reactions to them. I am not averse to moving discussion that strays off topic. Be mindful of the values in your interactions here, too. Not everyone sees the Holy Spirit and its role in life and faith the same way and there needs to respect even where there is not agreement.

Here is the sticky post at the top of this forum that gives the purpose and rules of the forum.

Thread 'Bible Passage of the Week 101'

Jan 22, 2023

Hello and welcome to this new incarnation of a feature we first introduced in April of 2021. The idea is simple. On Sunday, a host (sometimes me, sometimes others) posts a new thread with a bible passage and some commentary. Other WC2 members are then invited to chime in with comments, learnings, ideas, what that passage means to their spiritual life, and so on.

We will generally post a link to the passage in our preferred translation (I prefer NRSV but others may use different ones) on BibleGateway or similar, but obviously you can follow along with whatever translation you use. In fact...

• Mendalla
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Bible Passage of the Week (BPoTW)

• 

 

[ninj]

This phenomenon is described in other practices as well, but includes Christianity. It's the idea of  transmission, a gift of awareness beyond words, or as I like to think of it, an upgrade. If you have the starter pack.
Not sure of the source, but it seems a good enough synopsis.
Transmitting Awakened Spirit Consciousness — Integral Christian Network Transmitting Awakened Spirit Consciousness — Integral Christian Network

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Having that ability is supposed to be a healing force.

 

[unsafe]

My Spiritual view

So this is from the Commentary posted

Breath and Spirit​

“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (20:22).
In contrast to our typical Pentecost scene, with “the rush of a violent wind” (Acts 2:2), the Spirit arrives with more intimacy and sensuality in John’s Gospel. Not with tongues of fire, but with warm breath upon skin.

I say -----What you have here in John 20:22 ---is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Disciples ---

You need to go back to John 14 AMP where Jesus tells them--- His Father will send them a Helper

Role of the Spirit​

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—

17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him,
but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.


So in John 20 ---they are Receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ---so first they Receive the Holy Spirit -through the Breath of Christ breathing upon them here because Jesus hasn't ascended to the Father yet ---- only after He ascends does the Holy Spirit indwell the Believer immediately when they Receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour -----


The Greek word for Received in this scripture is

Lexical Summary
lambanó: To take, receive, obtain

actively lay hold of , to take or receive," (actively) accepting what is available (offered).
take in, unto , to take to oneself:

So Here =====they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in John 20 ---

This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is to help them with spiritual discernment and Preaching the real truth of the Gospel to the Jewish Nation -----

In Acts 2---at Pentecost

This is the Infilling of the Holy Spirit -----

The Day of Pentecost​

2 When the day Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,

2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them

4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

The contrast is that these were 2 separate events ---the indwelling and then the infilling ----

The infilling of the Holy Spirit is given to people to preform certain tasks that God has entrusted to the person to preform -----

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit mostly came upon the person and on occasion indwelled the person but then withdrew -----the Holy Spirit was never given permanently in the Old Testament -----

I liked the reference in the commentary where the Preacher takes the breath that Jesus breaths on the Disciples back to where God breaths the breath of life into Adam -----very neatly done -----

 

[GordW]

Only the author of Luke/Acts seems to know the PEntecost story as we have it. Matthew and Mark have no account of the giving of the Holy SPirit (and little reference to the concept of the giving of the HOly SPirit as a discrete event IIRC). John, as @Mendalla has already pointed out, has the SPirit being breathed onto the disciples on Easter Day (in the evening). [I remember some discussion about how we might preach that verse on Easter 2 {John 20 is always the reading on Easter 2} back in 202 when breathing on people was heavily frowned upon] Paul never really refers to the Pentecost event, but does talk about the power of the Holy Spirit working in the community.

REally it reminds us that there are multiple voices and understanding in Scripture. I like the Acts story for its drama and the reminder that the story speaks in many languages. However I like the fact that John links it so clearly to the Easter event. The beauty of varied voices is is allows us to drawn out different aspects of the story.

THis image was in my FB memories today, talks about the muli-lingual aspect of the Acts story:

 

[unsafe]

​

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?​

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today? | GotQuestions.org

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today? How is the role of the Holy Spirit today different than in the Old Testament?

www.gotquestions.org

Jesus gave the Spirit as a “compensation” for His absence, to perform the functions toward us that He would have done if He had remained personally with us.

The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples that “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. He is the ultimate guide, going before, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things. Without such a guide, we would be apt to fall into error. A crucial part of the truth He reveals is that Jesus is who He said He is (John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 12:3). The Spirit convinces us of Christ’s deity and incarnation, His being the Messiah, His suffering and death, His resurrection and ascension, His exaltation at the right hand of God, and His role as the judge of all. He gives glory to Christ in all things (John 16:14).

the Holy Spirit’s roles is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to believers in order that we may function as the body of Christ on earth. All these gifts, both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors to the world, showing forth His grace and glorifying Him.

The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not works of our flesh, which is incapable of producing such fruit, but they are products of the Spirit’s presence in our lives.

 

[unsafe]

What Role does the Holy Spirit play towards Unbelievers today

Read all yourselves --just posting this part

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/the-holy-spirit-how-he-works/18-what-is-the-ministry-of-the-holy-spirt-to-unbelievers.cf

Don Stewart​

What Is the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Unbelieving World?​

The Holy Spirit: How He Works

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has a ministry not only to the believer but also to the unbelieving world. The Scripture teaches the following on this subject.

Jesus Revealed the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Unbelieving World​

On the night of His betrayal, Jesus, in talking to His disciples, revealed to them the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the world. He said.

However, I am telling you the truth: It’s good for you that I’m going away. If I don’t go away, the helper won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. He will convict the world of sin, because people don’t believe in me. He will show the world what has God’s approval, because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. He will convince the world that God judges it, because the ruler of this world has been judged (John 16:7-11 God’s Word).

The unbelieving world will be convicted of their sins by the working of God the Holy Spirit. In other words, He will show them their need for salvation through Jesus Christ.

 

[GordW]

Lost in the Christian stories of the "gift" of the Holy Spirit (as noted in John and in Acts) is the fact that the Holy SPirit is a part of the faith story from Genesis 1.
Maybe the question we have to ask is more along the lines of "what is different now?"

THen in the development of Christian theology there is the filiogue controversy where East and West differed on whether the Spirit Proceeds only from the Father or from both the Father and the Son. This was one of the points of contention that led to the Great Schism. If the Spirit is part of the Godhead from the beginning does it really flow from either or is it part of the Great Mystery that is God? If the latter how can we talk about the SPirit being 'given' or 'poured out' (to use language 2 used in other places, notably the Joel passage Peter cites in his Acts 2 sermon) at one specific time and place?

Deep behind how we read John 20 (and earlier in John where the promise of teh Advocate is given) or Acts 2 is how we understand who the HS is and when they(it? she?) is present in the faith story.