ITS WITNESS: COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS. ITS MEANING. ITS SEVEN PARTS. ITS APPLICATION TO THE WORTHIES. SUPPOSED ARGUMENTS ANSWERED. 

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IN THE FIRST part of this chapter we desire to study the Holy Spirit's witness, a subject on which very much confusion prevails. Some think it to be the exuberance that they feel. Thus some, experiencing the assurances of forgiveness on their accepting Christ as Savior and rejoicing therein, think that joy to be the witness that they are sons of God, not being aware of the fact that sonship with God, during the Gospel Age, sets in after consecration in the Spirit-begettal. Thus some think that their habitually cheerful moods are the witness of the Spirit, oblivious of the fact that such cheerfulness may be a matter of heredity, and may be nothing more than a result of good health or uncrossed dispositions, prosperity, or a naturally sunny disposition, not at all exclusive possessions of sonship of God. Again, some think a dream of happy conditions a proof of sonship, forgetting that dreams are our imagination acting without our control. Others see visions which they take to be a proof of sonship, e.g., the Methodist farmer who saw in his field the letters G. P. C. in golden bright colors and immediately went to his bishop, declaring to him that God had given him both the witness of the Spirit and a call to the ministry, since he interpreted the letters to mean, "Go, preach Christ." The bishop, knowing his unfitness for the ministry, told him the letters did not mean, "Go preach Christ," but "Go, plow corn!" Still others hear voices that tell them that they are sons of God, being unaware of the fact that God does not so speak to us, but that fallen angels frequently so do. Still others feel 

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impressions (often coming from their self-esteem or approbativeness bump) that they are sons of God and take such to be the witness of the Spirit, being unmindful of the fact that demons frequently give, for deceitful purposes, such impressions. 

Evidently none of these are the witness of the Spirit. Often the feelings of joy and exuberance leave one. This can be through sickness, pain, losses, disappointments, our faults, family troubles, hardships, necessities, persecutions, severe contrarieties, etc. When their joy and exuberance leave such, they begin to worry over whether they are sons of God. Thus many a person so minded loses his witness, because his liver is not working right, or because dyspepsia seizes on him! Their witness deserts them when they most need the assurance of acceptance as sons. Dreams, visions, voices and impressions, not coming from the Lord, but arising out of one's flesh or from the adversary, or from the world, of course cannot be witnesses of the Spirit. And when relied upon and yielded to, as such, they lead one to disappointments, that in very many cases turn their believers into unbelievers. And this was the adversary's purpose in giving them such delusions as the witness of the Spirit. The devil, the world and the flesh are certainly very deceitful in general, and also in this matter. We may be certain from the nature, source, purpose and results of such "witnesses of the Spirit" that God is not their author, rather that they originate in the adversary, the world and the flesh, sometimes in one of them, at other times in two of them, and still at other times in all of them combined. Let us beware of all of these supposed witnesses, which are all delusions, leading their trusters into swamps of disappointment, unbelief and apostasy. 

In the expression, the witness of the Spirit, the word Spirit is used in the sense, not of God's heart, but in the sense of God's mind, insofar as its contents are concerned, as expressed in the Bible, in a word, in the sense of the Truth. We have more than once called 

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attention to the fact that the word spirit has at least 11 different meanings in the Bible, one of these being that of teachings; and in the case of God's Spirit in this sense, it means the Truth. We will comment on some passages giving such sense of the word spirit, first, in the sense of teachings in general, and secondly in the sense of God's teachings, i.e., the Truth. A few passages from the Old Testament: Zophar refers to his thought on the subject at debate with Job as the spirit [teaching] as he understood matters (Job 20:3), here an actually false teaching. Eliphaz, speaking of Job, whom he thought to be evil, says that the teaching of his mouth would cease (15:30). Job says that the teaching of his mouth was unfamiliar to his wife (19:17). The Lord says of the teachings of errorists, that they will destroy them (Is. 33:11), and that they have erred in doctrine (Is. 29:24). He tells us that false teachers follow their own teachings (Ezek. 13:3). He tells us that false teachers have the spirit of an unsound mind (Hos. 9:7, man of spirit [teaching], margin; Mic. 2:11). God pledges to cause false teaching to cease in the earth (Zech. 13:2). These passages use the word spirit to mean false teachings. Now some examples of the word from the Old Testament meaning the Truth. God declared that His teaching will not by His servants always carry on controversies with the wicked (Gen. 6:3). His servants say that by His teachings God testifies against sinners (Neh. 9:30). Speaking of the creed idols, God says there is not the truth in their mouthpieces (Ps. 135:17). Speaking of Christ's refutative Truth symbolically slaying the wicked, God says that He would slay them with the breath [spirit] of his lips (Is. 11:4). He tells us that the teaching of worldlings is error, not truth (Is. 31:3). 

Now some comments on a few passages of the New Testament, using the word in both senses—teachings in general and the Truth in particular; God says that the brethren were given no teaching by Paul indicating that the Second Advent had set in his day (2 Thes. 2:2).

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He warns against seductive teachings (1 Tim. 4:1, second use of the word). God warns us not to believe every doctrine presented to us but to test them, since many false teachers have gone forth (1 John 4:1). He shows us one way of discerning false teaching; every teaching not in harmony with the ransom is error (1 John 4:3, 6 [second use]). John saw three false teachings going forth and defines them as teachings of fallen angels (Rev. 16:13, 14); and shows that Babylon is a hold of every erroneous teaching (Rev. 18:2). The following comments we will make on some New Testament passages using the word spirit in the sense of Truth. St. Paul assures us that by the teaching of His mouthpieces Jesus would consume Antichrist (2 Thes. 2:8). The Truth forbade Paul's speaking in certain places, places where the character of the people showed that they would not accept the Truth (Acts 16:6, 7). It was in harmony with the Old Testament's teachings (Holy Spirit) and the apostolic mind, not to bind circumcision on Gentile believers (Acts 15:28). Scripture teachings are frequently called the sayings of the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:25; Heb. 3:7; 9:8; 10:15). St. Paul says that the Truth expressly teaches that perilous times are coming, in which deceitful teachings would be heeded (1 Tim. 4:1, twofold use). St. John says that we can know the Truth of God by a teaching being in harmony with the ransom (1 John 4:2). He directly calls the Spirit the Truth (1 John 5:6). By the expression, seven spirits of God, he means the seven main parts of the Bible teachings: doctrines, precepts, promises, exhortations, prophecies, histories and types (Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). Repeatedly he, in Revelation, uses the word spirit to mean the truth (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 14:13; 19:10; 22:17). Accordingly, we see that one of the meanings of the word spirit, ruach in Hebrew, pneuma in Greek, is teaching, either false or true. If false, it means error; if true, the Truth. 

The leading New Testament passage on the witness

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of the Spirit is Rom. 8:16. In this passage in the first occurrence of the word spirit, it means the truth as God's mind expressed in the Bible. Hence the sense of this passage is this: the Bible teachings as to what characteristics, activities, experiences, mark people as sons of God are in harmony with the disposition of God's faithful new creatures in declaring them, in proving them, in certifying them, in sealing them as sons of God. That teaching proves that those who have God's disposition (our spirit) in them are His sons. Their evidences of sonship are the very ones that the Bible teaches mark God's sons. And, therefore, those who have the characteristics, activities and experiences that the Bible teaches are the possession of sons of God, have God's witness in the Word that they are His sons. They, therefore, do not build their assurance of Divine sonship upon the quicksands of exuberant feelings, dreams, visions, voices, impressions and imaginations, but upon the unshakable teachings of God's Word and actual facts as to what is the witness of the Spirit as to their sonship. All that they need is to know what are the characteristics, activities and experiences that the Bible teaches prove sonship of God, and to know if they have these characteristics, activities and experiences, and then they have the witness of the Spirit to their sonship. And this is a witness that does not change because of sickness or health, pain or pleasure, adversity or prosperity, hardship or ease, popularity or unpopularity, human approval or disapproval, persecution or favor. The Truth on the subject abides unmovable in witnessing to sonship of those wherever and whenever the pertinent qualities, activities and experiences exist. Hence, the faithful can comfort themselves with this witness despite every untoward experience and rejoice with it in every toward experience, yea, they are privileged to rejoice for it in every experience, be it whatever it may. 

There are especially seven things Biblically taught as constituting the full witness of the Spirit. Any one 

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of these seven testify to the sonship of those who have it; but for its completeness all seven are required. In brief they are the following: (1) an appreciative understanding of the deep things of God's Word; (2) heavenly aspirations; (3) opportunities of service; (4) growth in Christlikeness; (5) persecution for righteousness; (6) chastisements for faults; and (7) tests of character amid temptations to wrong. The Bible teaches of every one of these that it indicates sonship of God, or, to put it in other words, new creatureship, Spirit-begettal. Each one of these seven evidences of sonship will now be discussed in some detail, and that in the order presented. First, let us consider an appreciative understanding of the deep things as one of these witnesses. To understand the deep things of God's Word requires a special enlightening operation of God upon the heart and mind; and wherever such an operation is lacking, there is no understanding of the deep things of the Word, though the surface things of God's Word can be seen without that special operation, as symbolized by that part of the sevenfold sealed scroll which was written on the backside, thus seeable by all (Rev. 5:1). But to see that which was written inside required not only Jesus, as God's pertinent Agent, to open the seals and unroll the scroll, but to open the eyes of understanding of certain ones. 

Jesus indicates that this favor is given to His own but not to others, outsiders (Mark 4:10-12). Before the Lord will enlighten any one on the deep things, he must become a disciple of His, i.e., he must consecrate himself and seek to carry out that consecration. If he so does, taking him into His confidence, the Lord will give him enlightenment on the deep things, i.e., tell him His secrets. Please note how this is taught. Jesus says if one wills to do His will, i.e., consecrate himself and seek to carry it out, he would know His doctrine, and that as coming from God (John 7:17). He also said that if one keeps His commandments (obeys Him, which is done in consecration), he would 

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receive the Holy. Spirit (John 14:15, 16), and would have Christ manifest Himself to him (21). These consecrated ones are the meek, whom the Lord teaches His way and doctrine (Ps. 25:8-10), and are the ones who reverence God and are, therefore, shown God's covenant and His secret (12, 14): St. Paul discusses this enlightening work of God in those who are God's Spirit-begotten children, hence, are consecrated, with considerable detail in 1 Cor. 2:6-16, assuring us that the wisdom, truth, that God gives His own He does not give to worldlings, not even to their leaders (6). He defines it as the Divine mystery, secret, hidden from worldlings, but planned out before creation unto the glory of His faithful (7), a thing not known by human leaders, otherwise they would not have crucified Jesus (8). He proves its existence from Is. 64:4 as the thing God prepared for His lovers, but not perceived by others (9). These things—God's truths—He makes known to the faithful by their New Creature; for that New Creature studies, and thus comes to understand the deep things of God (10). He shows that as appreciatively to understand human things one must be human, so also appreciatively to understand spiritual things is not the privilege of a mere human, but is that of the New Creature, that which is Spirit-begotten (11). Since the disposition of humanity cannot understand these deep things, God has given the faithful His disposition in the Spirit-begettal in order that they might appreciatively understand God's free gift of the Truth (12). So to teach these things requires the enlightenment of God's Spirit in order to compare spiritual things with spiritual things (13). Again, the Apostle emphasizes the thought that the unconsecrated cannot intellectually see spiritual things, rather he considers them foolish; and the reason for it is that spiritual discernment is necessary to perceive them, a thing that the unconsecrated natural man does not have (14). But the Spirit-begotten man forms proper judgments on all spiritual things as due, even if 

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no natural man can form a proper judgment of them or him (15). Appealing in proof to Is. 40:13, he denies that any human taught God, hence taught not Him His plan; but he shows that having the Mind, Spirit, of God, we can understand that plan in its depths (16). 

The Scriptures above cited and briefly expounded prove that only to the faithful children of God is given an appreciative understanding of the deep things of God; hence if one has such an understanding, he has within himself, derived from the Bible, the sure proof that he is a son of God. Hence an appreciative understanding of the deep things is a witness, a proof, of the Spirit to his sonship of God. Hence, if assailed by Satan, the world and his own flesh with the denial of his sonship of God, all he needs to do, from the standpoint of this line of thought, to repel the assault is to examine himself as to whether he has been taken as a son into the Father's confidence and has consequently been by Him entrusted with God's secrets; and if he finds that he has this entrustment, he knows that he is a son of God. And this assurance abides with him in good days and in evil days, in good report and in evil report, in pleasure and pain, in agreement and controversy, in sickness and health, in agreeable, pleasant, easy and prosperous conditions, and in disagreeable, unpleasant, hard and depressed conditions. It remains firm and unmovable, while the witness of exuberance, dreams, visions, voices and impressions, like soap bubbles, burst in touch with untoward circumstances. It is like a huge seagirt rock whose head reaches above the clouds, basking in the pure sunshine of God, and whose base dashes into harmless foam the waves that strike it—eternally firm amid temptations and trials. 

The second witness of the Spirit is heavenly aspirations. Of the earth earthy, the natural man has earthly aspirations. Hence he seeks to gain earth's knowledge, fame, honor, ease, attainments, safety, privacy, possessions, food, drink, raiment, health, life, families, friends, home, native-land. These are his treasures; for

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he sets his heart on them; and of whatever of morals and religion he craves, they are such as appeal to the natural and spiritually unbegotten mind and heart. This is not at all blamable; for sinless Adam and Eve, and even Jesus as a human, had these cravings. Only then do they become sinful when sought after contrary to supreme love to God and equal love to man. That the natural man does not have heavenly aspirations is due to his being a natural man. As only a spiritual man can have heavenly desires and ambitions, it follows that the natural man, not being Spirit-begotten, hence not spiritual, cannot have them. Just as dogs, cats, rats or any other animal lower than a human cannot aspire to what is peculiarly human, neither can humans aspire to that which is peculiarly spiritual. St. Paul assures us of this when he tells us that there have not entered into the heart of man, into human desires, aspirations and ambitions, the spiritual things that God has prepared for His Spirit-begotten sons (1 Cor. 2:9; John 1:12, 13). Hence we should not fault natural men for their lack of the spiritual sense and spiritual aspirations. But the new creature, that which is begotten of God, having implanted by the begettal of the Spirit heavenly capacities into his brain organs enabling him to reach beyond the human things, to which they naturally attach themselves and cleave, to the things on the spiritual plane, corresponding to those to which on the human plane the natural man's affections reach out and cleave, can and does have spiritual aspirations. Hence, the spiritual man has another thing peculiar to the spiritual man, heavenly aspirations, and the possession of the things peculiar to the new creature is to him a proof, a witness of the Spirit, Bible teaching, that he is a son of God; even as a human, having things peculiar to humans, has in that fact the proof, the witness of nature, that he is human. 

Let us note the heavenly things that are the objects of the faithfuls' heavenly aspirations, and that are an evidence of new-creatureship, and hence their possession

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is a witness of the Spirit to the faithfuls' sonship. They aspire to have and retain God as the God and Father of their New Creatures, Jesus as their elder Brother, Head and Bridegroom, Him and their faithful brethren as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus and one another, the Divine nature, and the various heavenly offices, like membership in Christ's Bride and in the Body of the World's Prophet, Priest, King, Mediator, Judge, Mother, Shepherd, Lord, Messiah, Deliverer, Captain, Lawgiver, Physician and Executive. Additionally, they aspire to a character like God's and Christ's, having all the heavenly higher and lower primary, secondary and tertiary affections and graces, which will enable them to set their spiritual affections upon the objects on the heavenly plane corresponding to the human objects on which their human affections were set before their Spirit-begettal, e.g., heavenly instead of earthly possessions, heavenly instead of earthly comfort, heavenly instead of earthly safety, heavenly instead of earthly food, drink, health, life, heavenly instead of earthly father, spouse, children, brethren, friends, home and country. So, too, they set their affections upon and thus aspire to gain the heavenly Truth, as well as its Spirit. Since their whole development from their Spirit-begettal to their Spirit-birth is in order to give them a change of nature, from human to Divine, and heirship of God and joint-heirship with Jesus, it is necessary that they have heavenly aspirations, and that they become crystallized in the resultant character, in order to be fitted thereto. They must set fixedly their affections as aspirations upon heavenly things, as behooves sons of God. And since they must become such sons by the Spirit-begettal in order to have such aspirations, and through them gain their objects, their possession of such aspirations, since mere humans can aspire only to human things, proves them to be Spirit-begotten sons of God. Hence heavenly aspirations are an evidence of sonship with God. 

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Let us note a few passages from Holy Writ which prove that spiritual, heavenly aspirations are a witness of the Spirit to such sonship. To develop such aspirations is for them to do God's will, and to set their affections to develop such aspirations and the spiritual law, is a characteristic of all God's faithful children (Ps. 40:8). They pant after God, as the hart after water brooks; and thirst after Him with the longing to see Him (42:1, 2; 63:1; 84:2). They seek Him as theirs, and His strength and favor (105:4). They set their affections on Him and His Truth (119:2, 10, 20, 40). They hunger and thirst after righteousness, a character like God's and Christ's (Matt. 5:6). They seek above all else to become Divine in character and nature and heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ (6:33). So strongly do they seek these things that they give up all else for them and give the greatest diligence to obtain them (Phil. 3:12-14; 2 Pet. 1:5-11). Since they are new creatures undergoing the resurrection in heart and mind, they detach their affections from earthly things, even unto deadness to self and the world and in setting their affections on things above in aliveness to God, thus seeking the things above which their heavenly aspirations seek to gain, assured that if faithful therein they shall gain all their aspirations (Col. 3:1-4). Please note that v. 1 of this passage shows that we, by developing Christlikeness, are undergoing the resurrection process in our new-creaturely minds, hearts and wills, even as St. Paul shows this also in Rom. 6:4, 5; Col. 2:12. It is, therefore, the privilege of new creatures to set their affections upon heavenly things, cultivate heavenly aspirations, and to detach them from earthly things. And such new-creaturely aspirations faithfully continued will reward us with joint-heirship with Christ as Col. 3:1-4 shows. Therefore, such heavenly aspirations as forerunners of our heavenly inheritance are the accompaniments of our new-creaturely activities, which proves them to be Spirit-begotten, and hence are a witness of the Spirit.

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Hence if we have heavenly aspirations we have a sure proof in it of our being sons of God. 

The third witness of the Spirit is Divinely-given opportunities of service. Our consecration is our introduction into a life of service in which we yield our human all until and unto death to advance God's cause, as Christ did (Rom. 12:1; Heb. 10:5-10). God accepted our consecration by begetting us of the Spirit (John 1:12, 13; Rom. 6:3-5; 12:1, 2). Then He gave our new creatures opportunities to use in His service, according to our consecration vows, our human time, talents, means, influence, strength, health, reputation, positions, education and every other human possession, all of which is included in the term bodies (Rom. 12:1), in order to advance His cause. And to enable us to prosper His cause He gives us opportunities to use our human all in His service, by placing us into such situations as call for service to be rendered to His cause. In other words, we having in consecration and Spirit-begettal entered into His employ, He puts us to service, i.e., gives us to do for Him according to our Spirit, possessions and providential situation, things to do that will advance His cause. Having in the Spirit-begettal accepted our offer to serve Him with our human all, He does His corresponding part toward our offer to serve Him with our human all by putting us into positions where we can use up our human all to speed His cause. This is a privilege that He reserves exclusively for His sons. Hence for Him to give us such opportunities of service proves that He treats us as sons. Hence opportunities of service are a witness of the Spirit to our sonship of God. Thus when inviting us to enter His service He addresses us as sons: "My son, go work today in my vineyard" (Matt. 21:28, 30). If a consecrated child of God finds himself given chances to use his human all for the advancement of God's cause, he may comfort himself with the thought that thereby God is by act calling and treating him as a son. Thereby he knows that he is a 

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son of God. Let the devil, the world and the flesh deny his sonship of God ever so speciously, he can triumph over their sophistries when he can point to the opportunities of service that God gives. This consideration should make us ever on the alert to see and seize chances to serve God's cause; for they are God's loving voice calling us His sons—a witness of the Spirit. 

The fourth thing taught in Holy Writ as an evidence of sonship of God is growth in Christlikeness. By this is meant the development of a character like Christ's. In Jesus' character were found the Divinely desired features of deadness to self and the world and of aliveness to God. There was in Him continuously the will to do God's will, and this will hated, avoided and opposed sin, error, selfishness and worldliness. He set every one of His affections upon pertinent heavenly things, exercised every one of His affections and by them developed spiritually the graces; the higher primary graces, first, as active and, second, as controllers of every other feature of character, then the secondary and tertiary graces as subordinate to the higher primary graces. Thereupon He strengthened and balanced them amid many trials, and finally through faithfulness in suffering crystallized them and maintained that crystallization amid the most crucial sufferings, those that marked His last thirteen hours on earth. This resulted in His gaining and retaining a character that was the completest image of God's character in existence, or ever will be in existence. God has ordained that His Son's joint-heirs as sons of His develop a character like Christ's (Rom. 8:29). This does not mean that they will develop as fine a character as He did; for next to the Father's character the Son's is the highest, finest and noblest of all creation (Ps. 45:2); but it does mean that they are to develop characters like His, images of His, having like Him wills that are dead to self and the world and alive unto God in meditation on God's Word, in watchfulness and prayer according to God's Word, in service of God's 

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Word in laying down life to advance God's Word, in hating, avoiding and opposing evil, in setting their affections on heavenly things, in exercising those affections unto the cultivation of all the three classes of the graces, in proper coordination, superordination and subordination, in strengthening, balancing and crystallizing them. And this is to be done amid toward and untoward things. And when it is done they have developed Christlikeness, and thus during this process, that of growth, in this attainment, they have one of the finest, yea, the very finest of the seven witnesses. 

Let us see how the Scriptures show this. That God requires the faithful to be conformed to Christ's characterlikeness (and this proves that they are the many brethren of Jesus, and thus sons of God, among whom He is both the first-born and chief) is a matter of God's predestination, as we see in Rom. 8:29. Accordingly, as one sees that characterlikeness growing in himself he has in it a proof that God's pertinent predestination as to His sons is being fulfilled in him; hence he sees in it the pertinent witness of the Spirit. To be growing in that characterlikeness is being led, directed, animated by the Holy Spirit, and such are sons of God (Rom. 8:14), hence such growth by the direction of the Holy Spirit is a proof of one's sonship of God. That Spirit, Christlikeness, is the spirit, disposition, that the Spirit as the Truth attests to be a mark of sonship of God (Rom. 8:16). As one is not Christ's who has not His Spirit, disposition, character, so one is Christ's who has His Spirit, disposition, character, and thus as a brother of Christ, he is a son of God; hence Christlikeness, proving sonship of God, is a witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). This characterlikeness of Christ is the "Christ in you," "the hope of glory," and is thus a proof of sonship (Col. 1:27; Rom. 8:10). God has sealed us as sons by this disposition, His Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22); hence whoever has this seal has in it the proof that he is a son of God. Sons of God, like Jesus, are to be blameless, harmless and uncensurable.

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If one has grown in Christlikeness to the degree that he is blameless, harmless and uncensurable in Jesus' Spirit, seeing this in himself, he has therein a proof that he is a son of God (Phil. 2:15). This Christlikeness in us is thus a witness of the Spirit to our sonship of God. We know that Christ abides in us, Christ in you, and that we are thus sons of God, by the spirit of Christlikeness that God has given us (1 John 3:24); hence His abiding in us is a feature of the fourth witness of the Spirit, Christlikeness. If one has the love of God perfected in him, he knows that Christ is in Him, and hence he is a son of God, attested to as such by the Spirit (1 John 2:5). To walk as He walked is Christlikeness, and proves that one is in Him; hence he is a son of God (1 John 2:6) and witnessed to by the Spirit as such. Loving the brethren, which is a part of Christlikeness, is a proof that we have passed from death into life, which makes us sons of God, hence is a witness of the Spirit to our sonship. Since it is sons of God who dwell in Him and He in them, and since they know these two things by the Spirit, Christlikeness, that He gives them (1 John 4:13), their dwelling in Him and He in them is a proof of their sonship of God and thus is a part of the fourth witness of the Spirit. Like the preceding three witnesses of the Spirit, this one is clear, firm in the faithful and abides in them despite every untoward experience, firm, steadfast and immovable, like the heavy anchor lying at the bottom of the sea, unmoved, though the ship is storm-tossed. 

Persecution for devotion to truth and righteousness, or to put it in another Scriptural way, persecution for Christ's sake, is the fifth witness. Persecution is illy treating others for the sake of their opinions, practices or relations. Sometimes it takes on the form of mistreating others for associational, social, national or racial relations; but it usually takes on the form of mistreatment for one's religious opinions, practices and adherence. Persecution for Christ's sake is mistreatment for holding and professing the Divine Truth, and 

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its arrangements and practices, and for holding with those who hold and profess such Truth and its arrangements and practices. It takes on various forms, e.g., hatred, envy, evil-surmising, reproaching, reviling, ridiculing, slandering, business boycotting, social ostracism, religious disfellowshipment, outlawing, exiling, physical and mental injury, in the form of torture, maiming and martyrdom, and all of these for one's religious course or on account of his adhering to, and supporting the Lord's servants and people. The source of such mistreatment is the persecutors' hatred of, and opposition to God, Christ and Their cause. Injury inflicted upon one for his faults is not persecution. If our faults bring suffering upon us we have no right to consider ourselves persecuted; but if we are made to suffer in any of the above-mentioned ways because of our devotion to God and Christ and Their cause, which is the cause of truth, righteousness and holiness, then we may rightly consider ourselves persecuted. If, therefore, our love and zeal for, and our devotion to God, Christ and Their cause, bring upon us mistreatment from the opponents of God, Christ and Their cause, we are suffering persecution for truth, righteousness and holiness. The rock-bottom source of persecution is Satan and his spiritual and human confederates who desire to control others for their purposes, and therefore, resist every one and thing favoring things opposed to their purposes. The cause of truth, righteousness and holiness is in direct antagonism to the purposes of Satan and his confederates. Therefore, failing to dissuade these by their seductions from the cause of God, they try to force them by persecution therefrom. But these are but contributing persecution for Christ that gives us the assurance of our sonship. 

Let us note how the Scriptures prove that the wicked persecute the righteous and that such persecution is one of the witnesses of the Spirit, the fifth one in fact. As a type of the verbal persecution of Jesus and the large and small Joseph, the sharp sayings shot 

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at Joseph are set forth (Gen. 49:23). As a type of the persecutions heaped on the Epiphany messenger, those hurled at Job by Satan and Job's four friends are instanced (Job 1:9; 2:4, 5, etc.). The wicked are the persecutors of the righteous (Ps. 11:2; 37:32). This is done for the Lord's sake (44:15-18, 22), and is a continual thing (56:5). Mocking is their portion (69:10-12). They have at times made persecution widespread against all God's people (74:7, 8; 94:5), mistreating them out of hatred (Prov. 29:10, 27). They do it in opposition to their Truth proclamations (Is. 29:21). Not for evil but for good are they mistreated (Jer. 11:19; 15:10). But this mistreatment puts them in line to inherit the Kingdom, which is the portion of God's sons, hence it is a witness of the Spirit to their sonship (Matt. 5:10-12), which rightly endured proves them God's children, hence is a part of the proof of their sonship (44, 45). Such persecution faithfully endured will lead to salvation, the experience of God's sons, and thus is proved to be a witness of the Spirit (Mark 13:9, 11-13). It comes from the world's hatred of Jesus and His, and evidences their sonship of God (John 15:18, 19). It has been done to them by such as considered it a service of God (16:2). They bear it joyfully, as for Christ's sake, which proves them to be God's sons (Acts 5:40, 41; 1 Pet. 4:14, 16, 19). The more efficiently and faithfully they serve God, the more will their persecutions abound, and thus all the more prove them sons of God (1 Cor. 4:9-13; 2 Cor. 4:8-12; 6:4, 5, 8-10; 11:23-27; 12:10). Because they are sons of God they are persecuted, but thereby evidenced as sons (Gal. 4:29). Those persecuted for Christ's sake are not to fear it, since it inures to their salvation as sons of God, and thus evidences their sonship of God (Phil. 1:28, 29). Suffering with Christ will bring reigning with Him, which proves the sonship of such (2 Tim. 2:10-12). To suffer persecution in Christ is reserved for God's sons, and thus proves sonship; and all that live godly in

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Christ shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). Such persecutions in their various forms should be taken joyfully, as an evidence of heirship in the kingdom as God's sons (Heb. 10:32-34). Such persecution is a privilege reserved for God's sons (1 Pet. 3:14, 16, 17). 

The sixth witness of the Spirit is chastisements for our faults. We have faults in the various forms of sin, error, selfishness and worldliness. Except Jesus, all of God's sons, even our Pastor and St. Paul, have had more or less of them. Some of these we have by heredity, others by experience, others by training and still others by our surroundings. Some of them, by a faithful use of God's Spirit and Word, we overcome by suppression, by hatred, avoidance, opposition, restraint by the good, displacement by the opposite good, and by presenting an impenetrable front to their approaches. But at times we let some of them more or less abound, and have free course. When this happens, chastisement must set in from our Father, because as our Father He greatly desires our overcoming, so that we may as sons be fitted for the Kingdom. These chastisements take on various forms; for some of them deprive us of blessings and are thus negative chastisements; e.g., loss of the Fatherly smile, of growth in Christlikeness, of the Truth, of the heavenly aspirations, opportunities of service, of the approval of the brethren and of our own consciences, and a more or less long time shelving. Sometimes these chastisements are positive, taking the forms of disappointments, delays, increase of faults, demotions, troubles in our families, our employees, our employers, our brethren, our friends, our enemies, sickness, shame, pain, etc. Many of such experiences may be trials merely and not chastisements. And at times we are unable to decipher which of them they are. And if we cannot, but are rightly exercised amid them, we will derive the Divinely intended blessings from them. But at times we can very readily tell whether these are chastisements; if, e.g., they come as a direct or indirect result of, or

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in immediate connection with our faults' expressions, we may be sure that they are chastisements sent to us for our correction. And well will it be with us, if we meekly bow under the rod, receive it as intended for our reformation and use it as such. Then will it prove a blessing needed for our fitness for the Kingdom. Both Little Flock and Great Company members, as sons of God, receive it for their reformation. Indeed, one of its forms in extreme cases is the demotion of a measurably willful Little Flock member to the Great Company. 

But one may say, I can understand how positive blessings, like the first four witnesses of the Spirit, yea, even persecutions, are evidences of sonship of God; but how chastisement can prove sonship of God and thus be a witness of the Spirit, I cannot see. To this we answer as follows: God does not cherish what is called apes' love for His children, i.e., a love of feeling unregulated by principle, as, alas! many parents do. How many a father and mother, seeing faults and evil conduct in their children, instead of applying the needed chastisement, chuckle over it, saying with self-satisfaction, "A chip off the old block!" No such careless and thoughtless father is our Father. While He has great longsuffering with us as His children, after longsuffering correction, if amendment does not set in, He applies the rod, not that He hates us, but that He loves us and ardently desires our reformation and conformity with the image of Himself and His Son. It is just because He has a true father love for us that He stripes us when verbal and other correction is not yielded to by us. If He did not so do, He would be disowning us as His children, yea, would be treating us as the selfish father of an illegitimate child treats the child whom he is ashamed to own and, therefore, neglects him physically, mentally, artistically, morally and religiously. God has many reasons for chastising unto correction His wayward children. He does it to rid them of their faults, to prevent their injuring His cause, to give their graces a better opportunity to develop, to make them more fruitful in service, to open their eyes of 

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understanding to see clearly truth to which their faults measurably blind them, to enable them better to watch, pray and fight the good fight of faith, to enable them to make their calling and election sure, to fit them for their future inheritance and ministry. What good can they derive, above the ten things just mentioned, from their chastisements for faults? The main other good is their rescue from discouragement and their experiencing comfort amid their chastisements; for amid them Satan seeks to discourage them into believing that their stripes are a sure proof of their abandonment by God, of their being cast off from His favor, and the uselessness of further effort to press on. It is when such temptations come that we can give the lie to Satan by telling him that these chastisements are an evidence of God's not casting us off, are an evidence that He has accepted us as sons, and treats us as such. In other words, they are a witness of the Spirit to our sonship of God, and with this assurance we can resist and put the devil to flight in such temptations. 

Let us now consider some Scriptures that teach that chastisements for faults is a witness of the Spirit. The classic passage on this head is Heb. 12:5-13. Briefly would we paraphrase this passage. Speaking to brethren discouraged by the hard experiences of life, particularly to those discouraged by the rod, St. Paul charges them with forgetting that God exhorts them as sons of His not to think lightly of God's disciplines, nor to give up under Divine rebuke (v. 5), assuring us that such treatment comes from God in love, and goes out to all fallen humans whom God accepts as sons (v. 6); for they are God's fatherly dealings with them as His sons, who certainly is not to be expected to fall short on this or any other point of what evidences true earthly fathers as such, since every son receives it from a good father (v. 7), since not to be chastised for our faults, as all real children of fatherly parents are, would be an evidence that we were treated by God as illegitimate fathers treat their illegitimate children (v. 8). Since we reformed at earthly fathers' stripes, and

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respected them all the more for it, we should all the more reform at our Heavenly Father's rod and be subject to Him as the Father of our New Creatures (v. 9). As our earthly fathers, in the short time of our childhood, disciplined us according to their light for our usefulness for this present short life, how much more should we esteem Him, who for our advantage corrects us that we might be fitted for success in eternal life through our responding to His rod by holy living (10)? It is true that these stripes are not pleasant but rather are distressing, yet if we are rightly disposed by them we will become fruitful unto righteousness in all peaceableness (11). Such considerations should move us to be active in God's service, strong in the love of God and others (12). And they should also move us to walk in the paths of truth, righteousness and holiness, lest our limping conduct shortly turn us out of the narrow way through its not being healed, a healing that we should seek (13). Certainly, this Scripture teaches that chastisements for faults is a witness of the Spirit to our sonship with God. 

But the Bible gives us many more passages on chastisements as a Divine method of God's dealing with more or less wayward sons. The Psalmist speaks of the blessedness of such chastisements given to bestow needed blessings (Ps. 94:12, 13). However sorely He applies the rod, He does it to deliver His children from death into life (118:18); for without them God's children go wrong, but with them they seek to make themselves right with God (119:67). Prov. 3:11, 12 is the exhortation that St. Paul quotes in Heb. 12:5, 6, to the effect that we forget it, though it speaks to us as to sons. God's children turn to Him in trouble and chastening (Is. 26:16). God stripes with many blows His sinning children who, knowing His will, prepare not themselves to do it, since such sins contain the element of willfulness; yea, even those serving children who do not know His will, which they could have known, had they been commendably diligent to learn it, and who do contrary to His will, must receive

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stripes to arouse them to the needed diligence to study that will allsidedly (Luke 12:47, 48). The Word repeatedly assures us that it is because He loves us as sons that He stripes us, as we have seen from Prov. 3:11, 12 and Heb. 12:5, 6, and as we can now see from a consideration of Rev. 3:19: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." Let us, when and if chastened, see to it that we fulfill the exhortation contained in the last part of the text, as becomes sons of God: "Be zealous, therefore, and repent." Since striping for wrong evidences our sonship, let us be very diligent to respond by reformation to these stripes; and under Satan's efforts to discourage us as reprobates let us comfort our hearts that these chastisements disprove his suggestions and prove us to be sons of God. Both the Little Flock and the Great Company undergo such providential treatment, the latter more than the former; but both should make the twofold uses of them indicated in the preceding sentence. 

We now come to the discussion of the seventh and last witness of the Spirit: trials amid temptations to disobey God's will, to test our progress or lack of progress as to past opportunities of growth and to determine our fitness or unfitness for our future inheritance. These trials are tests similar to those that we had when at school, and are of two kinds, intermittent and final. After we had studied a phase of a subject, e.g., arithmetic, grammar, geography, music, etc., our teachers would examine us on such a phase. Then at the end of the year, and especially at the end of the entire school course they would test us to determine, in the former case, whether we should be promoted to the next class or not, or, in the latter case whether we should be graduated or not. So our Heavenly Father gives us frequent tests along the lines of what He is seeking to develop in us from time to time, to determine whether He should promote us to higher stages of development or not; and then He gives us final tests amid temptations to evil by Satan, etc., along all lines of character at the end of our course, to determine 

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whether we have attained a degree of character fitted for Little Flockship, Great Companyship or Youthful Worthiship, or not, as our standing may be. As to our intermittent tests, we often fail to prove that we have made the progress that we should have made. The Lord then gives us further opportunities to make such progress, which are followed by pertinent tests. Some, because of more loyalty, make the progress from point to point much more rapidly than others; hence their intermittent trials are more frequent than the others, e.g., Jesus developed along Spiritual lines more rapidly than any other new creature, considering the very much higher heights of character that He had to reach than any other new creature, and therefore, had more frequent tests than the others. These tests must be on every point of character, as were Jesus' tests. 

Thus we must be tested along all the lines of our intellects, affections and will, including the seven higher primary graces, the seventeen lower primary graces, i.e., ten of the selfish and seven of the social graces, the seventeen secondary graces, i.e., the ten related to our ten selfish lower primary graces and the seven related to our social primary graces, and the twelve tertiary graces. This covers merely character development. Additionally the tests are along the lines of the other six lines of Christian development, i.e., deadness to self and the world, also along the lines of aliveness to God in studying and spreading His Word, in watchfulness and prayer and in faithful endurance of all sorts of evils while undergoing the previously mentioned forms of growth. These tests take in the motives, thoughts, words and acts; and in ever-increasing strenuousness, according to the peculiarities of each one upon whom they come. These tests are searching and thorough, and are made amid the following conditions: losses, disappointments, restraints, shelvings, our and others' faults, hardships, necessities, oppositions, contradictions, siftings, divisions, disagreements, misunderstandings, strife, disfellowshipment, false teachings, false brethren, weariness, pain, sickness, chastisements,

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sorrow, persecutions, uncertainties; and amid them Satan brings upon us manifold temptations, etc., offering easy ways of relief, but at the expense of our consecration always and frequently at the expense of our justification. Surely a formidable list of trials with manifold temptations! The Lord never tests us on any point until after He has given us reasonable opportunities to develop on that point. Moreover, He never tests us beyond our ability, if we are faithful, though He often allows us to reach the limit of our ability. He then keeps the tests from becoming severer, and finds a way of escape so that we may endure. At times He tests us along but one line at a time, at times along two or three, then along combined lines to enable us to secure balance. At the end of our course He tests us along all lines to determine whether we have gained crystallization of character, even as He tested our Lord along all lines at once in the last 13 hours of His life. These tests being preparatory to our gaining a place in the Kingdom, a peculiar privilege of God's sons, are, of course, a witness to sonship. 

Let us see some Scriptures that treat of trials, especially as an evidence of sonship: "The Lord your God proveth you to know [to make known, to demonstrate] whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 13:3). The faithful will be kept from stumbling in their trials (Ps. 119:165). In these trials of His people, the Lord observes narrowly their acts and words and the motives that animate them (Prov. 5:21). He inculcates carefulness as to their steps, warning that one cannot play with evil unharmed (6:27). Reverence for God will help one overcome in his tests (14:27). When tempted to error, they will shut their ears thereto (19:27). It is those who shut their ears to the tempter's voice and keep on in well doing who stand their tests aright (Is. 33:15). Jesus endured the three great temptations: selfishly to use the powers of His office, to use fakir methods to attract attention, and to avoid suffering to use sin as a means of gaining glory and power (Matt. 4:1-11).

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The faithful overcome, and the measurably faithful are for a while overcome in their trials by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the pleasures of this life (Luke 8:13, 14); for love of riches has stumbled many a one during his trial time (1 Tim. 6:9, 10). Many cause weak brethren to fall in their tests (Matt. 18:6-9). Watchfulness and prayer will keep us amid our trials (Matt. 26:41). Jesus warned the disciples of Satan's fell purposes in their trials (Luke 22:31, 32). Scriptural warnings are a safeguard amid our trials (John 16:1). Nothing can make the faithful stumble in their trials (Rom. 8:36-39). God helps His faithful in their trials, lest they fail (1 Cor. 10:13). Satan is very subtle in tempting us to wrong in our trials (2 Cor. 2:11; 11:3, 14, 15). God sends us restraints amid our trials, lest we go too far (2 Cor. 12:7). Our overcoming can be accomplished, if we put and keep on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18). 

Their tests must be on all points of character (Heb. 4:15). We are to recognize that our trials are given us to enable us to develop aright, to overcome and to gain the Kingdom as sons of God (Jas. 1:2-4, 12), and therefore, prove our sonship. Resistance of the devil will deliver us from him in our trials (4:7). Though our trials are severe, they will fit us for our inheritance, hence should be recognized to have this purpose and prove our sonship (1 Pet. 1:6, 7). We are not to be surprised at being tried as sons of God; for they prove our sonship and help us to overcome (1 Pet. 4; 12, 13). Steadfast resistance of evil amid our trials will not only help us to overcome; but will prove us to be brothers of God's children, all of whom have such trials combined with temptations to evil (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). Because they are being tested as His sons, God knows how to deliver them in their trials (2 Pet. 2:9). When tried by errorists, let them be on their guard lest they fall (3:17). To keep God's Word preserves from falling in trial, while all others fall (Rev. 3:10). The whole Church in her entire wilderness course has been tested to demonstrate her heart's attitude as children

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of God, which proves them to be such (Deut. 8:2). In ultimate analysis, it is God who gives us our testful experiences for our development, however much secondary agents may act therein (Ps. 66:10-13). The faithful will come out of trial standing, but the wicked falling (Dan. 12:10). Jesus is God's Agent in bringing trials upon God's children and by them purifies them, the faithful unto Little Flockship, the measurably faithful unto Great Companyship, but both as God's children for His temple service, hence these trials give them the witness of the Spirit (Mal. 3:2-4). However they build on Christ they must be tested by fiery trials, and if ultimately faithful will, as God's sons, inherit either in the Little Flock or Great Company, as they have built on Christ (1 Cor. 3:12-15). 

A word on the Youthful Worthies as to the witness of the Spirit. Not being sons of God yet, they, of course, are not by the witness of the Spirit, the Truth, given proof that their standing is one of sons, new creatures. Hence they do not now get, by the witness of the Spirit, the same as the Little Flock and the Great Company get. They get the same witness of the Spirit as the Ancient Worthies got, i.e., that they are friends and servants and prospective sons of God. Hence, whatever in the seven witnesses of the Spirit given sons is applicable to friends and servants and prospective sons of God, is given to them. Hence as the Ancient Worthies got all of the Truth due in their days, so the Youthful Worthies get all the Truth due in our day. Hence it is their privilege as they are loyal to get all the Truth that is due the Little Flock and Great Company, dependent on whether they mingle with the Little Flock or with the Great Company. The facts of experience show this to be true. Some object that not being Spirit-begotten, they cannot see the deep things. To this we answer, the Scriptures teach for all times that the due Truth is for all the consecrated. Hence, in the Old Testament times the Ancient Worthies got all of the Truth due in their times. In the next Age, without Spirit-begettal, the Ancient and Youthful Worthies 

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and the restitution class will come to understand everything in the Bible (Is. 11:9; 29:18, 24; 35:5; 40:5; Jer. 31:34). Why? Because it is always the privilege of the consecrated to see the Truth due in their times. St. Paul's words in 1 Cor. 2:5-16 denying that the unbegotten of the Spirit are able to understand the deep things are limited to the time of the general call, during which to be Spirit-begotten and to be consecrated meant the same thing, hence all the consecrated were then Spirit-begotten, which was not the case before the call to the high calling opened. Hence, after the general call ceased St. Paul's pertinent words do not apply universally. But the rule that applies always is that only the consecrated can see the due Truth. Therefore, the Youthful Worthies do have as a witness of their being friends and servants and prospective sons of God, the due Truth on the deep things. 

While they do not have heavenly aspirations, they, like the Ancient Worthies, hope to inherit perfect humanity in the earthly phase of the Kingdom as princes and Levites (Ps. 45:16; Heb. 11:13-16), and hope in the Little Season to come to heavenly aspirations. God also gives them opportunities of service, as He did the Ancient Worthies (Heb. 11:30, 31). Like them, too, they are given righteous characters as another witness of the Spirit to their being friends and servants and prospective sons of God (Heb. 11:33). So, too, like the Ancient Worthies, they endure persecution (Heb. 11:35-38), and are chastised for faults, like the Ancient Worthies, as the cases of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samson, David, Hezekiah, etc., show. And like them they are tried and tested for fitness of princeship and Leviteship in the Millennium (Heb. 11:36-38). And like them the faithful Youthful Worthies do receive a good report, the evidence, or witness, of the Spirit as to faithfulness. Hence, we see that God gives the Youthful Worthies the witness of the Spirit, the Truth, not that they are sons of God, but that they are friends and servants and prospective sons of God. Let us rejoice in this. There are several witnesses of the Spirit given 

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even the loyal justified ones, i.e., the testimony of the Word, Spirit, that their sins are forgiven them, that Christ's righteousness is imputed to them, that they are friends of God and that God is helping them to live righteous lives. And let us, whether members of the Little Flock, Great Company, Youthful Worthies or faithful justified ones, use whatever the witness of the Spirit, the Truth, is to us, to repel the darts of the adversary when he tempts us to give up our hope; and let us use it to comfort our hearts as to our standing. 

We have covered in fair detail the main Truth features of our subject, The Holy Spirit, and incidentally have refuted the idea that the Holy Spirit is a person, while considering certain passages that by trinitarians are alleged to teach that the Holy Spirit is a person. We believe in the personality of the Holy Spirit, but not in the Holy Spirit as a person; for the personality of the Holy Spirit is the Father and the Son, as well as all other good beings: angels, saints, etc., who have it; for personality consists in the disposition, whose parts are intellect, sensibilities and will, the elements of personality; all persons have such; hence they have personality; hence the Holy Spirit has as personality the Father, Son, saints, good angels, etc., in their dispositions; for every one who has a holy disposition has the Holy Spirit as his personality; and hence the personality of the Holy Spirit is their personality, their disposition. Trinitarians are hard beset for a Biblical basis of their doctrine of one God in three persons; particularly that the third of these persons is the Holy Spirit. Not having one passage that asserts this, they seize upon any passage connected with God where there are three things mentioned, as a proof of the trinity, and hence as a proof that the Holy Spirit is a person. We will now examine passages so used, and will see, we trust, that none of them teaches their doctrine, which counterfeits the pertinent truth. 

E.g., in the account of the creation mention is made of the Spirit of God as moving on the face of the waters (Gen. 1:2) and of God's saying, Let us make

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man, etc. (Gen. 1:26). Undoubtedly in this second passage God is speaking to the Logos, through whom He created all things (John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16); but it will be noted that in each of these passages the Father alone, and that in contrast with the Son, is called God, while in each of them the Son is mentioned in the Greek as the Father's Agent in creation; for the Greek word dia in these passages should have been rendered through, not by (hypo). Accordingly, God, the speaker in Gen. 1:26, addressing someone else than Himself, suggests that He and that someone else, the Logos, as His Agent, do the work of creation, the Father as its Source and the Logos as its Agent. In Gen. 1:2, as we have already seen, the word Spirit of God means God's power that acted on the face of the waters. In strictest literality the Hebrew expression translated in the A. V., the Spirit of God, can be translated, a spirit [power] of God, moved upon the face of the waters. Moreover, nowhere in these verses is it intimated that the Spirit or a Spirit of God is God. The very expression, Spirit of God, proves that the Spirit is not God, but something that belongs to God, just as the expression Son of God proves that the Son is not God, but is one who stands in filial relationship to God. Nothing in Gen. 1:2 implies that God's Spirit here referred to is a person. The creative work done through it proves that here it is used to mean God's power. Claiming the Spirit to be a person and the trinity to be taught in Gen. 1:2, 26 is not exegesis but eisegesis, a reading of thought into these verses, not taking it out of them. But trinitarians think that they prove one God in three persons, because three things are here meant. While we agree that three things are here meant, that is indeed afar cry from these three being three persons in one God, since one is a thing, a Spirit, power, of God, the second is God Himself and the third is the Son of God, not God. 

Trinitarians claim that the Aaronic benediction (Num. 6:24-26) teaches the trinity, because three blessings are pronounced in it. We might just as logically 

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conclude from the soul, body and spirit of the Church receiving each one a separate blessing that the expression proves the trinity (1 Thes. 5:23). God alone gave this charge as a putting of His name (office-work) upon the children of Israel (v. 27). This office-work was of three kinds, because Israel was made up of three classes on whom that office-work acted: (1) Israelites, (2) Levites and (3) priests, i.e., the camp, the court and the holy, and each of the blessings implied the advancement in the antitype of a separate class toward a higher position. Hence, the threefold blessing: The first, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee" types God's blessing certain antitypical Campers with true repentance (bless thee) and keeping them from falling into impenitence (keep thee) unto taking the next step. The second, "The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee," types God's blessing such with justifying faith and justification unto Leviteship (make his face shine upon thee) and keeping such in the favors that such Levites have as theirs (be gracious unto thee) unto taking the next step. The third: "The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace," types God's blessing certain Levites with the offer of the high calling through consecration and Spirit-begettal (the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee), and God's blessing them with prosperity (the Hebrew word shalom, here translated peace, primarily means prosperity, of which peace is a part, and means that here) in the High Calling (give thee peace) unto making their calling and election sure. Trinitarians do not understand the thought of the passage at all, and read their thought into it without the slightest basis for it in the text. It comes from their perversity that three things imply one God in three persons. Not the slightest mention of the Son and Spirit is made in this passage. It does not prove the trinity or that the Spirit is a person. 

Is. 6:3: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" is quoted and used by trinitarians, as a proof of their doctrine, and that the Holy Spirit is a person. At least

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it must be conceded that the passage does not say so directly or impliedly. The thoughts are read into the passage, and that because there is a repetition of the word holy twice in this verse—the same old trinitarian trick of assuming that a threefold mention of things means the trinity. We should here remark that in vs. 1 and 8 the word adonai occurs in the Massorite text; but Dr. Ginsburg shows that the proper reading is Jehovah, which is evidently correct, since v. 8 shows that it is Jehovah of hosts that Isaiah says he saw, as set forth in v. 1. The "us" of v. 8 truly are Jehovah and the Logos, as Jehovah's Agent in the matters here mentioned, as we noted above was the case in Gen. 1:26; for Isaiah here represents the Lord's faithful people in the Parousia time, first, while in Babylon defiled by nominal church errors, coming to see certain features of God's character of wisdom, justice, love and power (seraphim) displayed in the Harvest message (vs. 1-4); secondly, recognizing the unclean condition of their then teachings (lips), and the unclean teachings of the nominal people of God (people of unclean lips), since the sight of Divine matters revealed in the plan's proclamation manifested God to them, not, of course, in His person, which no one can see and live, but in His character of wisdom, power, justice and love (v. 5). Then thirdly, they, by the Divine wisdom's taking the doctrinal Truth (a live coal) ministerially (hand) from the Christ class in the Truth, as God's Altar, previously gained therefrom by controversial teachings (tongs), were cleansed in their utterances from error and sin (vs. 6, 7). Fourthly, they, by the foregoing three things having been brought into the Parousia Truth, heard the Lord's call to proclaim the day of vengeance and volunteered to do so (v. 8). Fifthly, they are commissioned to proclaim that message which would not be understood (v. 9) because it, in the nominal people's unclean condition, would be heard with unsuitable affections, knowledge and understanding, all of which made them indifferent and unbelieving to the message (v. 10). Sixthly, their inquiry 

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as to how long they should give this proclamation was answered; they were told so to do until the destruction of the present evil world would begin where they dwelt (v. 11) and the Lord would bring to a completion the great shakings of the Harvest (v. 12). And seventhly, amid these shaken classes the Great Company (a tenth, fraction of ten, the number for natures lower than the Divine) shall dwell and be given up to the destruction of their flesh, and though fallen, they will retain the seed of their begettal, which will be the substance of their survival (v. 13). Accordingly, the threefold holy ascribed to God in the harvest message cannot be the trinity, nor mean that the Holy Spirit is a person. Why then is this threefold holy ascribed to God and the prophecy as given, that restitution will fill the whole earth with God's wisdom, power, justice and love (his glory, v. 3)? We reply: The three above described office works of God (Num. 6:24-26) on the three responsive classes of God's people are holy, and therefore, the word holy is repeated twice after its first use, which takes the trinity out of Is. 6:3. This passage does not at all mention the Spirit, nor give the thought that the Holy Spirit is a person. 

Trinitarians are certain that they have a proof of the trinity in the words of Matt. 3:16, 17, words used in connection with our Lord's baptism; for they reason: There are here three persons brought to our attention, who thus constitute God in three persons. We reply that there are three different things here mentioned; but only one of them is called God, and of the other two, one is called the Spirit of God, not God Himself, and the other is called by God Himself His Son, not God Himself. In other words, trinitarians read into this passage their thoughts contrary to what the passage says. But they say, Are not three persons mentioned? We reply, No! There are two persons mentioned, and the third thing, instead of being a person, is called the Spirit of God, which, of course, cannot mean a spirit being inside of God, who Himself is a spirit (John 4:24), but here means His power by 

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which Jesus was begotten unto sonship of God and anointed (Acts 10:38). This passage as little proves the trinity and that the Holy Spirit is a person as Rev. 1:4, 5 proves the trinity; for here, too, two persons are mentioned (God and Jesus Christ, who therefore, is separate and distinct from God), and the third thing mentioned is not a person; but the seven forms of Bible teachings which constitute the Holy Spirit's mind, as distinct from its heart and will. The fact that He was here begotten by God through God's Spirit, power, proves first that He is God's Son, not God Himself, and secondly proves that He is not God, for God Himself is without a beginning, hence cannot be begotten; for a son is younger than his father, and thirdly proves that He is not God; for God needs nothing given to Him for qualification unto a ministry, while Jesus' anointing qualified Him for His ministry. Thus the words of Matt. 3:16, 17 and the facts shown in those words prove that the Son and Spirit are not God. Hence, these words and facts overthrow the thought of the trinity and that the Holy Spirit is a person; but the fact that the Holy Spirit is the anointing substance (Acts 10:38) proves that it is not a person; for a person cannot be an anointing substance. 

Matt. 28:19 (baptizing them into [so the Greek, and so the R. V. and A. R. V., etc., properly render it] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) is by trinitarians quoted with much assurance, especially as it is mistranslated in the A. V. as, in the name, etc., as a sure proof of the trinity and that the Holy Spirit is a person; for they claim that to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit puts them on a par, and thus proves their equality, and thus the trinity, since there is but one God, which they argue proves the Holy Spirit to be a person. To this we reply, first, that they base their thought upon a mistranslation—in the name of the Father, etc. Secondly, even if the mistranslation were granted to be correct, it would not necessarily follow that the authorization by the three implies equality in the three; for often, e.g.,

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British ambassadors will say: "I speak in the name of the king, the British empire, the prime minister and parliament," without implying their equality in any sense. Again, in offering terms of surrender, the victorious commander at times will say: "I act in the name of my country, my government and the high command," without meaning that these are equal. So, too, things are often done in the name of a husband and wife and children without equality being meant. But the translation is false on which the equality of the three is allegedly based; hence even this flimsy argument is proven to be entirely baseless. 

When the right translation is made, the argument on the trinity and on the Spirit as a person hangs on air. In the expression, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was giving a charge to God's people to help brethren to be immersed into the characterlikeness of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; for one of the meanings of the word name is character (Ps. 8:1; 22:22; 33:21; 111:9; Acts 15:14, 17; Rev. 2:17; 3:5; 13:16, 17; 15:4; 16:9; 17:5; 22:4). This is evidently the meaning of the word here, for it is the great mission of the Church to build up the brethren into the characterlikeness of God and of Christ and of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:11-13). As the Son developed God's characterlikeness, so are we to do; for the Church is to develop God's, Christ's and the Spirit's characterlikeness. But, one may ask, why baptize the brethren into the characterlikeness of the Spirit in addition to that of the Father and of the Son, if these three are not the trinity and the Holy Spirit is not a person? Our answer is this: first the passage shows that three characterlikenesses are meant and not one; for it does not say into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; but into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Hence there is a difference; for the Father has a greater character than that of the Son, and the Son has a greater character than that of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit here

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evidently means God's disposition in the Church; for this term here does not mean the Holy Spirit as the Father's disposition, nor as the Son's disposition, since those are covered by the expressions, name of the Father and of the Son; but it covers that of the Holy Spirit as it exists in the Faithful; for the latter's character or disposition, while like God's and like Christ's, is inferior as character to those of both. We are to remember that in addition to our being baptized into God and Christ, we are baptized into the Church (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 3:3; John 17:21; 1 and 2 Thes. 1:1). Hence the great commission, among other things, charges us to help the brethren to conform their characters to that of God, that of Christ and that of the faithful saints, which shows that the trinity doctrine has no sanction in this passage, and that the Holy Spirit is not a person. 

The following is an argument that trinitarians use allegedly to prove that the Holy Spirit is a person. They state, as their major premise, that whatever exercises intellectuality, sensibility and will is a person. As their minor premise they set forth the following: the Holy Spirit exercises intellectuality (1 Cor. 2:10-13), sensibilities (Rom. 14:17) and will (1 Cor. 12:11). Then they draw the conclusion: Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a person. We deny the major premise, which, to be true, would have to include everything that exercises intellectuality, sensibility and will, which is not true; for not only persons exercise intellectuality, sensibility and will, but dispositions exercise these. Therefore, it does not follow that since the Holy Spirit exercises intellectuality, sensibility and will, it is a person. As we have abundantly proven above, the Holy Spirit is God's disposition in Himself and in all who are in disposition like Him. Since, therefore, disposition exercises intellectuality, sensibility and will, and the Holy Spirit is a holy disposition, it follows that the Holy Spirit is not a person; for a person and his disposition are not the same thing. Hence the same things cannot in all cases be predicated of both of them, e.g.,

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we can say of a person that he has legs, but cannot say that of his disposition. Because the Holy Spirit is the Holy disposition in God and in all who are in disposition like Him, we can predicate personality of it; for it has as its nature the essential elements of personality, which are intellect, sensibility and will, without its being a person. Hence, we say that the personality of the Father, the Son, the saints, etc., is the Holy Spirit; yet cannot say that it is a person; for a person and his disposition are not one and the same thing. 

Trinitarians use 1 Cor. 12:4-6, where St. Paul speaks of diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, differences of administrations, but the same Lord, and diversities of operations, but the same God. They here commit their usual sophistry, that since three things are mentioned it must refer to one God in three persons. But they must admit that the passage neither calls the Spirit, nor Jesus, God. On the contrary, a contrast is made between the one God (the Father) and the other two things mentioned, here calling Jesus Lord, which frequently happens when God and Jesus are contrasted (Rom. 1:1, 3, 7; 5:1, 11; 15:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:5, 6; Phil. 2:9, 11, etc., etc., etc.), and God's power here called Spirit. The fact then that God is here differentiated from the Son and the Spirit proves that neither the Son nor the Spirit is God. It is very noteworthy that every passage that trinitarians quote to prove the trinity contains such terms as disprove that doctrine, even as we have seen it in all cases examined. 

In an uncritical age 1 John 5:7 was quoted to prove the trinity: There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. Now, however, no well informed trinitarian uses the passage for such proof; for no Greek New Testament scholar accepts it as a part of the Bible. The facts of the case prove it to be an interpolation: No Greek MS. of the New Testament earlier than the 15th century contains it, which proves it is a forgery; for it is evident that if a book existed in multiplied copies made over the course of 1,400 years from

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its beginning, without containing a certain sentence, and then this sentence was found for the first time in a copy made 1,400 years after that book was first written, that sentence must be an interpolation. The following exceedingly able scholars have given us the ablest and most reliable editions of the Greek New Testament based on the best Greek MSS. of the New Testament during the 19th and 20th century: Griesbach, Scholtz, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Nestle, Gregory, Weiss, Von Soden, Tregelles, Wescott and Hort, Weymouth, Souter, the Revisers, and Ezra Abbott, and every one of them omits this passage as a self-evident interpolation. All worthwhile translators of the last half of the 19th and so far of the 20th centuries indicate either by brackets or omission that it is no part of God's Bible. During the great trinitarian controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries, the trinity's defenders, who, pressed hard for proof, could offer nothing better for proof than the passages examined above, and who resorted to all sorts of twists to read the trinity into other passages, never once quoted this passage, which would have come nearer a proof text for their purpose than any other, and that because it was then no part of the New Testament. It probably slipped into the Bible as follows: A reader saw that three witnesses are referred to in v. 8, the Spirit, the water and the blood, and he added his trinitarian thought as a note in the margin of his Bible; and some copyist mistook this marginal note to be a part of the Bible, and while copying the context inserted it into the text. But even this passage does not prove the trinity, as the Greek grammar shows; for if the word God is to be accepted as implied after the word one, thus: these three are one God, the Greek word for one would have to be in the masculine gender, heis, to agree with the masculine gender of the word theos (God); but the Greek word for one here, hen, is neuter; hence a neuter word, e.g., pneuma, spirit, would have to be implied as agreeing in gender with the neuter word, hen. This would make the passage mean that the Father, the Word (Son) and the 

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Holy Spirit are one disposition, which is true. Other cases where the neuter, hen, is used characterizing more than one, the implied word evidently is spirit, in the sense of disposition, e.g., John 10:30; 17:11, 21-23; 1 Cor. 3:8; Eph. 2:14. Please note 1 Cor. 6:17 and Eph. 4:4 as examples of the Greek word for one, when combined with the neuter Pneuma, spirit, taking the form of the neuter, hen, not that of the masculine, heis. For details on this point please see E 492, Note II, on this general subject. 

Some trinitarians have the temerity to use Rev. 1:4, 5 as a proof of the trinity and that the Spirit is a person: "Grace be unto you, and peace from him [God] which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ." Actually this passage, as we showed above, destroys trinitarianism; for here the Father is described as the eternal God, and as such is distinguished, differentiated, from the seven spirits of God and from Jesus Christ. Again, these seven spirits are the seven lines of Biblical thought as the complete revealed knowledge of God. In Rev. 3:1 these seven spirits are called the seven spirits [teachings] of God. Jesus' full Bible knowledge [seven eyes] is called the seven spirits [teachings] of God (Rev. 5:6). Under the symbolism of a lamp (Ps. 119:105; 132:17; Prov. 6:23) the Bible is meant; and under the symbolism of lamps the Bible's teachings are meant (Matt. 25:1, 3, 4, 7, 8). These teachings are fully summed up under the following seven lines of thought: doctrines, precepts, promises, exhortations, prophecies, histories and types. There is not a thought given in the Bible but comes under one or another of these seven heads. These are the seven spirits of God, seven lamps burning as fire (Rev. 4:5)—the seven teachings of God. They are called seven lamps because they give God's and Jesus' perfect revealed knowledge which gives light. Certainly, from these seven teachings, not only light [knowledge] comes, but also grace and peace (Rev. 1:4), which also come from God and 

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Christ, from God as the Source, from Jesus as the Agent, and from these seven teachings as the means of enlightenment. These seven spirits, teachings, are in God's disposition, God's Spirit, the mind [knowledge] of God as distinct from His heart and will. As we have seen, the mind in the sense of truth is often called the Spirit, i.e., the Holy Spirit in the intellect, which, of course, is a part of God's disposition, His heart and will being the rest of it (1 John 5:6; 4:1, 2, 6; Rev. 2:7; 14:13; 22:17). Therefore, the expression, seven spirits of God (Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6), is equivalent to the expression, Holy Spirit, as it is used in Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. Hence, they prove that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but here are used as the Divinely revealed Word of God in its seven parts. This takes the trinity and the Spirit as a person out of this passage; and by distinguishing the eternal God from Jesus Christ, Rev. 1:4 disproves that Jesus is God. 

Some trinitarians claim that the plural form, "Elohim", Biblically applied to Jehovah, proves a plurality in God. To this claim a variety of answers lies on the surface. Their sophistry on this point is manifest when we remember that this word has the same form for the singular and plural numbers. Secondly, their use of it contradicts their doctrine of there being but one God; for if the plural form as such is to be taken to signify a plurality, the word would have to be translated "Gods," which would be against the doctrine of one God. Again, if the plural form of this word, when applied to God, were a plural in meaning, the verbs of which it is the subject would have to be in the plural number, whereas they are in the singular number; while in passages where good or bad angels, or where great men are called "Elohim" (gods), when they are used as the subjects of verbs, the verbs are in the plural number. As examples of plural verbs following the word "Elohim" used in the sense of "Angels" as the verbs' subjects, please see Ps. 97:7, compared with Hebrews 1:6. See also Ex. 32:1; 1 Sam. 4:8. On the same usage in connection with great 

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men, please see Ex. 21:6; 22:8 (Elohim is here translated "judges"); Ps. 82:6, compared with John 10:34. Moreover, when the New Testament quotes Old Testament passages, it translates "Elohim", when applied to Jehovah, by the word "Theos", God, in the singular number, and not "Theoi", gods, the plural number, as can be seen in the quotation of Ex. 3:6 in Luke 20:37, of Jer. 31:33 in Heb. 8:10, of Ex. 24:8 in Heb. 9:20, etc., etc. The use of plural forms with singular meanings is not at all strange; for we at times have the same use of plural forms with singular meanings in English, e.g., expressions like the following occur denoting things in the singular, though plural in form: "I made amends for my damaging his house by paying him the full sum." "He perished on the gallows." "I bring you the sad news of your friend's death." "Odds was against David as compared with Goliath." "I resorted to great pains to please him." "I bring you good tidings of great joy." "The wages of sin is death." "He gave me thanks for my kindness." "Politics is now corrupt." "Ethics commends good, and condemns bad conduct." "Physics is a useful study." "Optics is the science of light." "Mathematics trains the reasoning powers," etc. The following English words, just like "Elohim", have the same form for the singular and plural: sheep, deer, grouse, salmon, heathen, etc. These considerations prove the folly of using the plural form "Elohim" when applied to Jehovah to prove the Trinity; for they prove its plural form is singular in meaning. 

We have now finished our lengthy discussion of the Holy Spirit. We have found it to be, first, God's power, and, secondly, God's disposition, and that in Himself, in Jesus, in the Saints, in the Great Company, in the Ancient and Youthful Worthies and in the faithful restitution class, as it will also be such in the saved fallen angels. This makes the subject clear and saves one from one of the chief errors and confusions of the Dark Ages, even Satan's counterfeit of the true God and of His relation to Jesus palmed off on the world through papacy, the Antichrist of the Bible.