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Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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597<br />

Fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Wisdom and <strong>the</strong> Word. The Spirit is not a third metaphysical<br />

being, but <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> God himself. To receive <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit means to<br />

receive <strong>the</strong> anointing <strong>of</strong> God. The indwelling <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit in us is <strong>the</strong><br />

indwelling <strong>of</strong> God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:22). He who lies<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit lies to God (Acts 5:4). The Spirit is a modus, a form <strong>of</strong><br />

divine existence. He is also called <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> Christ and <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Son (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:9; 1 Pet. 1:11). The human spirit is a spark <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Divine Spirit, an image <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Wisdom <strong>of</strong> God, created, yet similar. God<br />

brea<strong>the</strong>s his Spirit into man in his birth, and again in regeneration.<br />

In connection with this subject, Servetus goes into an investigation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

vital spirits in man, and gives a minute description <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lesser circulation<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> blood, which, as we have seen, he first discovered. f1110 He studied<br />

<strong>the</strong>ology as a physician and surgeon, and studied medicine as a <strong>the</strong>ologian.<br />

He discusses also <strong>the</strong> procession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit, which he regards not as a<br />

metaphysical and eternal process, but as a historical manifestation, identical<br />

with <strong>the</strong> mission. Herein he differs from both <strong>the</strong> Greek and <strong>the</strong> Latin<br />

<strong>the</strong>ories, but unjustly charges <strong>the</strong> Greeks (who distinguish <strong>the</strong> procession<br />

from <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r alone, and <strong>the</strong> mission from <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>the</strong> Son) with<br />

error in denying <strong>the</strong> Filioque. The Spirit, he says, proceeds from <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r<br />

and <strong>the</strong> Son, and he proceeds from <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r through <strong>the</strong> Son, who is <strong>the</strong><br />

proper fountain <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit. But he dates this procession from <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong><br />

Pentecost. In <strong>the</strong> Old Testament <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit was unknown, which he<br />

proves from John 7:39 and Acts 19:2 (but contrary to such passages as Ps.<br />

51:13; 1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13; Isa. 11:2; 61:1; 1 Pet. 1:11). The spirit in <strong>the</strong><br />

Old Testament was only a spirit <strong>of</strong> servitude and fear, not <strong>of</strong> adoption and<br />

love (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Christ calls us friends and brethren (John<br />

15:15; 20:17). The Jews knew only a sanctification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> flesh and<br />

external things, not <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> spirit. The anointing we receive from Christ is<br />

<strong>the</strong> anointing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21; 1 John 2:20, 27). The Holy Spirit<br />

becomes ours in regeneration. We are deified or made partakers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

divine nature by Christ.<br />

3. Christopan<strong>the</strong>ism.<br />

The premises and conclusions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> speculations <strong>of</strong> Servetus are<br />

pan<strong>the</strong>istic. He adopts <strong>the</strong> conception <strong>of</strong> God as <strong>the</strong> all-embracing<br />

substance. “All is one and one is all, because all things are one in God, and<br />

God is <strong>the</strong> substance <strong>of</strong> all things.” f1111 As <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God is essentially<br />

man, so <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> God is essentially <strong>the</strong> spirit <strong>of</strong> man. By <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong>

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