Commentaries:
God's Spirit imparts wisdom and understanding. It teaches His way of life, comforts, and helps us. Even when we cannot express ourselves in our prayers, the Spirit aids us in making our requests before God.
Martin G. Collins
The Holy Spirit
The prophecy in Isaiah 11 predicted, centuries in advance, that Jesus Christ would one day rule the earth. David is the "stem," or son, of Jesse (Acts 13:22). The "rod" or shoot is plainly Jesus Christ (verse 23). The "branch" growing out of Jesse's roots is also referring to Christ (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Why Study the Bible in the Space Age?
Each of the qualities of the mind is named to encourage us that this One, Jesus Christ, will hand down judgments of the highest quality. "Spirit" is the general word used to indicate those internal, immaterial, and unseen qualities of mind that energize and activate. We can see, both from God's Word and also from our own experiences, that they can be good or evil, edifying or destructive, clean or foul, generous or miserly, selfless or selfish, cheerful or depressive, positive or negative, etc. However, spirit always affects: It moves, activates, generates, impels, and creates in the direction of its force.
Why are cheerleaders used at football and basketball games? Is it not to generate a spirit? One cannot see the spirit that is energized. It is invisible, unseen. This illustration is no different in principle from what the Bible means by its use of "spirit."
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part 2)
Jesus will not judge according to appearances. He will not pay attention to anecdotal evidence or rumors. Jesus, filled with the Spirit of God, can judge on the basis of true knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Staff
Basic Doctrines: Eternal Judgment
We will have the opportunity to build a totally new world of peace, happiness, and prosperity, and we will accomplish this by teaching and enforcing obedience to God's laws throughout the whole earth. This will be our main responsibility during the thousand-year reign of Christ.
Earl L. Henn (1934-1997)
Basic Doctrines: The Reward of the Saved
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