Conviction

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to the disciples, saying, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21-22). Fifty days later, on Pentecost (Shavuot), Jesus told His disciples: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Notice the Holy Spirit came in two forms: first in peace—the fruit of the Spirit. And then in power—the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Old and New Covenants

The Old and New Covenants

Much has been written about the Old and the New Covenants. Clearly from scripture we find the new is a better covenant. However, does the Old Covenant still serve a purpose in the life of a Christian today? There are many arguments on both sides; some claiming the law has been completely superseded by the New Covenant—called supersessionism—while others within the Messianic Community still follow the Law of Moses, claiming the law is an eternal statute given to the Jewish people.