Baptism, spirit and superstition

by thinker 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Narkissos

  If I'm right that God's spirit (Holy Spirit) is really God's breath

  By the word of Yhwh the heavens were made,
  and all their host by the breath (ruach) of his mouth. -- Psalm 33:6.

  When you hide your face, they (animals) are dismayed;
  when you take away their breath(ruach), they die
  and return to their dust.
  When you send forth your spirit (ruach), they are created;
  and you renew the face of the ground. -- Psalm 104:29f (adaptation of the Egyptian Hymn to Atum)

  As to the connection between ruach as "wind" and as "breath," the "resurrection" scene in Ezekiel 37 is also interesting:

  So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.
  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

  Of course you must also allow for a difference of perspective between the texts: what belongs to solid cosmological / zoological / anthropological description in some may be reduced to the status of metaphor in others (e.g. John 3:8 with pneuma as both "wind" and "Spirit").
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  Terry

  I think of the bible writers as expressing the prevailing theory about what/who God is when they write.

  Their thinking was anthropomorphistic.

  God was like an august ruler. But, magical.

  The idea of a magical word spoken to enact a miraculous occurance is ordinarily found in all cultures.

  The connection between words and deeds is interesting.When a human potentate says a word of command; the deed is carried out post haste. Why not God as well?

  The word itself appears to do the deed. But, it is the power which the potentate carries within his office of implied life and death that actuates the obedience of his command.

  Consequently, the breath actuates the word and the word is a command and the deed is done.

  Breath=Power to command=deed accomplished.

  Applying this, then, to God is easily demonstrated.

  God's power is in his breath/word (of command) and life itself commences or ends.
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  thinker

  Hi Terry,

  The word itself appears to do the deed . But, it is the power which the potentate carries within his office of implied life and death that actuates the obedience of his command.

  One of the complaints against idols was that they don't breathe: Jer 10:14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

  The idea of a magical word spoken to enact a miraculous occurance is ordinarily found in all cultures.

  I agree. In the bible the sin against the holy spirit is when one denies the magic of a god-breathed word.

  John 20:22

  And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

  Matt 10:20

  for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

  Mark 3:29

  But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

  The thinking seems to have been that Jesus had God's breath, God's magic breath could expell demons and cure illness, and Jesus could pass on God's breath to others. It was the breath itself which held God's spirit. When you had God's breath you could heal, expell demons, speak in tongues, etc.... The bible itself is considered magical because those who wrote it were considered "inspired" ie. filled with God-breath, making the scriptures "God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16).

  thinker