Dearest Khazeh, If I may, please accept my Christian-now-Baha'i understanding of these verses from the New Testament.
In John Chapter 3:4-21 Christ challenges Nicodemus to recognize the power of the Holy Spirit in Him and in himself... 4: Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9: Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10: Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12: If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13: And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20: For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21: But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Abdu'l-Baha tell us: "The world of humanity cannot advance through mere physical powers and intellectual attainments; nay, rather, the Holy Spirit is essential. The divine Father must assist the human world to attain maturity. The body of man is in need of physical and mental energy but his spirit requires the life and fortification of the Holy Spirit. Without its protection and quickening the human world would be extinguished. His Holiness Jesus Christ declared, "Let the dead bury their dead." He also said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 241) In John Chapter 14:6-13 Christ attributes His words, and works, to the power of the Holy Spirit in this way: "...the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:..." 6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7: If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8: Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9: Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10: Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11: Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. For me the MOST profound phrase in the above is this: "...He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;.." Greater works! And, from Abdu'l-Baha: "His Holiness Jesus Christ was an educator of humanity. His teachings were altruistic; His bestowal universal. He taught mankind by the power of the Holy Spirit and not through human agency, for the human power is limited whereas the divine power is illimitable and infinite." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 249) In Acts Chapter 4:8-12 Peter testifies to the power of the Holy Spirit with these words: "even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." 8: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9: If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10: Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. >From Abdu'l-Baha on "knowledge"... "How shall we attain the reality of knowledge? By the breaths and promptings of the Holy Spirit which is light and knowledge Itself. Through it the human mind is quickened and fortified into true conclusions and perfect knowledge. This is conclusive argument showing that all available human criterions are erroneous and defective, but the divine standard of knowledge is infallible." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 253) Coming from many different Christian denominations not even Baha'i converts agree on the doctrine of the Trinity. My belief has always been and continues to be: God in His Essence, #1.; the Emanation of the Holy Spirit, #2.; and #3 the Manifest Station, of each of God's Manifestations, comprising the Trinity, -in whatever age- God has chosen to reveal His Qualities; His Attributes; and, His Will to mankind. >From Abdu'l-Baha: "Know that there are two kinds of knowledge: the knowledge of the essence of a thing, and the knowledge of its qualities. The essence of a thing is known through its qualities, otherwise it is unknown and hidden. ... ... Then how can the eternal everlasting Lord, who is held sanctified from comprehension and conception, be known by His essence? That is to say, as things can only be known by their qualities and not by their essence, it is certain that the Divine Reality is unknown with regard to its essence, and is known with regard to its attributes. Besides, how can the phenomenal reality embrace the Pre-existent Reality? For comprehension is the result of encompassing -- embracing must be, so that comprehension may be -- and the Essence of Unity surrounds all, and is not surrounded." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 321-22) "Today the force for Unity is the Holy Spirit of Bah�'u'll�h. He manifested this spirit of Unity." (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 54) With deep affection and sincere appreciation of your devotion to the Cause of Baha'u'llah, Sandra __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
