Tag: Worship

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:12–13 (NASB1995)

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Why Sola Spiritu Matters

The Reformation gave us five Solas—but the early Church lived with a sixth always at the center:

Sola Spiritu — By the Holy Spirit Alone.

The early believers knew that truth was not merely taught—it was revealed. While Scripture was their foundation, it was the Holy Spirit who opened their eyes, convicted their hearts, and formed Christ within them. They didn’t outsource understanding to councils or intellectuals. They received it directly from the Spirit of God.

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The Promise of the Spirit

Jesus was clear:

“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
— John 16:13–14

The Spirit is not an optional accessory for the Christian life—He is the Teacher, the Interpreter, the Witness, and the Power behind everything in the Kingdom.

The early Church understood this. They depended on Him for:

• Understanding Scripture (John 14:26)
• Speaking boldly under persecution (Mark 13:11)
• Resisting sin (Romans 8:13–14)
• Confirming their salvation (Romans 8:16)
• Discerning truth from error (1 John 2:27)

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The Early Church and the Spirit

The Ante-Nicene believers did not rely on hierarchical priests or scholarly systems to know truth. They met in homes, read the Scriptures, and sought the Holy Spirit together.

“No one can understand the Gospel unless he has been enlightened by the same Spirit who caused the Scriptures to be written.”
— Origen, Commentary on John, Book 1 (c. AD 220)

This doesn’t mean they rejected teaching—but they refused to elevate man’s voice above God’s Spirit. A sermon was only as good as it aligned with the Spirit-taught Word.

They believed that every believer, filled with the Spirit, could know and walk in truth—not by independent thinking, but by spiritual discernment and humble obedience.

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The Spirit vs. The Institution

Today, many churches teach Sola Scriptura in word but Sola Systema in practice.

We are taught to rely on:

• Seminaries to interpret
• Denominations to define
• Commentaries to clarify
• Theologians to discern

But the Spirit is still speaking. Still teaching. Still convicting. Still leading.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
— Galatians 5:25

The early Church did. So can we.

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What the Spirit Teaches

The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word—He confirms it, illuminates it, and applies it to the heart.

He teaches:

• Christ as Lord (1 Cor. 12:3)
• Righteousness, judgment, and sin (John 16:8)
• Obedience and transformation (2 Cor. 3:18)
• Boldness to speak and suffer (Acts 4:31)

To walk by the Spirit is to walk in holiness, truth, and power. The early Church’s fearless love and uncompromising obedience came not from willpower—but from the indwelling Spirit of God.

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Kingdom Discipleship Reflection

• Do I rely on the Spirit to teach me—or only others to tell me what Scripture means?
• Am I sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction—or have I silenced His voice through routine and tradition?
• When I open my Bible, do I invite the Holy Spirit to lead me into truth?

This week, before reading Scripture, pause and pray:

“Holy Spirit, You inspired this Word. Teach me now. Reveal the Father. Glorify the Son. Lead me into truth.”

He will.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…”
— John 16:13

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
— John 14:26 (NASB1995)

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Whose Interpretation?

The question is no longer, “Is Scripture true?”—but rather, “Whose interpretation of Scripture is right?”

Some say Calvin. Others, Augustine. Still others, Luther, Aquinas, or a denominational confession.

But the early Church had another answer:

The Holy Spirit.

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Scripture Interprets Scripture—By the Spirit

The Ante-Nicene Church understood what Jesus taught: that the same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures would also teach and interpret them for those who belonged to Him.

They didn’t need a new method. They needed the same Spirit who taught Peter, John, and Paul.

“The Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit.”
— Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapter 28 (c. AD 180)

They did not invent allegorical methods or theological structures to discover hidden meanings. They believed the plain sense of the text, in context, was enough—especially when read under the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

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What Happens When Man Takes Over

As early as the second century, men like Origen began using allegory and Greek philosophy to “deepen” the meaning of Scripture. But this move away from Spirit-led interpretation led to confusion, contradiction, and corruption.

By the time of Augustine and beyond, interpretation was no longer Spirit-driven—it was system-driven. Verses were pulled from their context and reinterpreted through philosophical categories.

The Church no longer asked, “What did the Spirit teach through this?”
Instead, it asked, “How does this verse fit within our system?”

“Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’—for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.”
— 1 Timothy 6:20–21

The early Church warned of this—of knowledge that overcomplicates the truth and pulls us away from the simplicity of the gospel.

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The Spirit Is Still Our Teacher

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would guide His disciples into all truth (John 16:13). That promise wasn’t limited to the apostles—it was extended to all who receive the Spirit.

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things… just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
— 1 John 2:27

This doesn’t mean we ignore teachers. It means we test every teaching by the Spirit’s interpretation of the Word—not by theological constructs.

If an interpretation:

• Contradicts the plain reading of the text
• Requires allegory or abstraction to make it work
• Ignores historical or grammatical context
• Overrules Scripture with philosophy

Then it is not from the Spirit.

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Ante-Nicene Discernment

The early Church judged doctrine by:

• The plain reading of Scripture
• The consistent testimony of the apostles
• The fruit of obedience and holiness it produced

They didn’t say, “That’s a valid interpretation within our theological stream.”
They said, “That’s not what the apostles taught.”

“Those who wish to be saved must not follow doctrines which come from their own minds… but must hold fast to the teachings of the Lord, which have been delivered to us through the apostles.”
— Irenaeus, Book 3

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Kingdom Discipleship Reflection

• Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me Scripture, or relying on a theological system?
• Do I believe the Word is clear—or do I think only scholars can rightly understand it?
• Have I tested the interpretations I believe by reading the Scriptures plainly, in context, with prayer?

This week, choose one passage that has often been debated or systematized. Read it afresh. Slowly. Prayerfully. Ask the Spirit:

“What are You saying here—not what others say You are saying?”

“But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:14