If your life is not in jeopardy
for what you believe, you’re probably on the wrong side!
If you don’t believe Genesis 1-11,
how can you possibly believe John 3:16?
“Indeed, all who want to live a godly
life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.” (2Tim 3:12)
It is what you actually believe that determines how you walk out your faith,
“but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, quarrels and fights
about the Torah; because they are worthless and futile.” (Titus 3:9)
Please Note: Absolutely nothing on this website should be taken as anti-Church or anti-Rabbinic. I am not anti-anything or anti-anyone. I am only pro-Torah and pro-Truth (see “Philosophy”), but sometimes the Truth upsets our long-held beliefs. I know it certainly upset mine! For example, see “Why Isn’t My Theology Consistent Throughout the Website?”
Developing a
Systematic Messianic Theology
“The purpose of careful theological formulations is not to put barriers in the way of people who are seeking salvation, but to define clearly the truths upon which genuine [Biblical] faith rests, so that people will not be misled by false doctrines.” [Bowman]
“It must be clearly and unequivocally stated that theology cannot save you. Only faith in Messiah Yeshua can save you. Theology can only give you sound doctrine.” [RLS]
Unless otherwise specified, throughout the Theology section of my website I use the term “Torah” in the wider sense of including the entire body of inspired Scripture: both the Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings. I personally do not consder any other so-called “sacred writings” either inspired by God or authoritative for the Believer’s walk of faith. Thus, I do not consider the Mishnah (the “Oral Torah”) as part of Torah. You should make up your own mind.
[Explanations of rabbinic citations are HERE]
What the Torah Says About
Ruach HaKodesh
Ruach HaKodesh or the Ruach Kodesh [but not the Ruach HaKodesh, which would be “the the Holy Spirit”] is a divine Person, possessing all of the attributes of Deity, and is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, indivisible, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, personal, and perfect in wisdom, power, holiness, righteousness, justice, goodness, truth, mercy, and love (Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 48:16-17, Genesis 1:1-2, Exodus 3:6, Proverbs 30:4, Ephesians 4:4-6). He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is fully God, and is therefore coequal to and coeternal with Abba and HaBen.
The Biblical ministry of Ruach HaKodesh is to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8). He is a Divine Person, possessing all of the attributes of Deity, He is fully God, and is therefore coequal to and coeternal with the Father and the Son. With both HaAv (the Father) and HaBen (the Son), He was an active agent in the creation, and He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration and sanctification, immersing all believers into the Body of Mashiach (the Holy Community), equally and permanently indwelling every believer, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. He is the Divine Teacher, Who inspired and superintended the writing of Scripture, Who illuminates the interpretation of Scripture, and Who guides believers into all truth, assisting believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures. It is therefore the privilege and duty of all true Believers in Mashiach to be filled with and controlled by Ruach HaKodesh.
Most of the “pseudo-Christian” cults-- as well as many who call themselves “Christian” or “Messianic”-- deny the deity, the individuality, and even the personality of Ruach HaKodesh, teaching that He has no mind, no volition, and is certainly not God, but rather only an impersonal force, like the wind, or (at best) like the Force of the George Lucas “Star Wars” stories. Still others teach that He is but one of the “avatars” or a “projection” of HaShem.
Ruach HaKodesh has the attributes of personality: intelligence, will, and emotions.
First, He has intelligence :
For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God. For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Spirit. (1Corinthians 2:11-12, CJB)
Then Kefa said, “Why has the Adversary so filled you heart that you lie to Ruach HaKodesh and keep back some of the money you received for the land? … You have lied not to human beings but to God!” (Acts 5:3-4, CJB)
It is only possible to lie to a person, not to an impersonal force or a “projection.” How can one lie to the wind or a radio transmission?? And Kefa (Peter), under the inspiration of Ruach HaKodesh, says that when Hananyah lied to Ruach HaKodesh he was lying to God; thus it is clear that Ruach HaKodesh is God.
Ruach HaKodesh has will/volition: Note that Scripture uses the personal pronoun: He, not it!
One and the same Spirit is at work in all these things, distribution to each person as He chooses. (1Corinthians 12:11, CJB)
Ruach HaKodesh has feelings/emotions: Again note the use of the personal pronoun-- Whom, not Which!
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30, NAS)
Ruach HaKodesh is God the Creator: In the Tanakh, the words “breath” and “Spirit” are two different translations of exactly the same word: ruach. Of the 348 times ruach appears in the Tanakh, it is translated 321 times as “spirit” and only 27 times as “breath.”
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit [Ruach] of God hovered over the surface of the water. (Genesis 1:1-2, CJB).
By the word of ADONAI the heavens were made, and their whole host by a Breath [Ruach] of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6, CJB)
If You send out Your Breath [Ruach], they are created, and You renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 104:30, CJB)
The Work of Ruach HaKodesh
Work of the Ruach Toward the World (John 16:7-11)
7Nevertheless, I’m telling you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the Advocate won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. 8When He has come, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment; 9about sin, because they don’t believe in Me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to My Father, and you won’t see me any more; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Work of the Ruach Toward His Talmidim (John 16:12-15)
12“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13However, when the Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all truth, He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also disclose to you things that are to come. 14He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you. 15Everything the Father has is Mine. That is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will disclose it to you.
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