Sort of a provocative question, especially when I am talking about the church as a whole. But John prophesied concerning Jesus that He would baptize believers in the Holy Spirit and in Fire, and this began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when tongues of fire were visibly seen to come to rest upon the disciples, as they spoke in tongues and glorified God. But a few decades later, we have Paul writing to the Thessalonians and telling them:
15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)
What was this passage talking about specifically? "Abstain from every form of evil" (in v.22) was an exhortation directing the reader back to v.15, in that "do not render evil for evil unto any man" was one of the primary ways a congregation could begin to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit among them (see Ephesians 4:26-32, with emphasis on v30). But praying in the Spirit without ceasing and giving thanks to God in tongues kept the fires of the Spirit burning amongst a congregation, so they were commanded to "keep" themselves in the love of God in this manner (Jude 1:20-21).
This is likewise what is discussed in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14:
12 Even so you, forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church.
13 Wherefore let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing in the Spirit but I will sing with the understanding also.
16 Else when you shall bless in the Spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned say "Amen!" at your giving of thanks, seeing he does not understand what you say?
17 For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not edified. (1 Corinthians 14:12-17)
The verses that read together as, "Rejoice always. Pray incessantly. In every thing give thanks... and quench not the Spirit," are all referring to praying in the Spirit, i.e. praying in tongues. They are immediately followed with "Despise not prophesyings." This then makes the statement which follows, "Quench not the Spirit" a reference to quenching the operation of the gifts of tongues and prophecy in particular.
Have we quenched the Holy Spirit? If so what will it take to get the fires of the Holy Spirit burning amongst us again?
I believe the answer is found in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, which I created a thread on just recently. Paul may well have borrowed the expression "quench not the Spirit" from this parable in fact, where the mistake that the foolish virgins made was to let their lamps "go out." Why were they going out? Because they did not have enough of the oil of the Holy Spirit to keep them from doing so.
I post this because it all the more confirms to me the interpretation I gave on the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It proves the importance that the New Testament writers placed on praying in tongues and prophesying, as gifts that were necessary to maintaining the Presence of God, and continuing to receive true prophetic light in the end-times. Unfortunately, at the present time, the church is still in a state where the Spirit has long since been quenched among us. But the answer to how to fix it is given in my interpretation below to this parable. If we go to God, He who has the power to give us the oil of the Spirit, only then will we restore ourselves to that place where the spiritual gifts operate amongst us again, and the Spirit is no longer quenched, as has been the case with much of the church for a very long time.
Blessings in Christ to all who read these words.
I will post my interpretation to the Parable of the Ten Virgins hereafter, but it can also be found in the following thread:
Parable of the Ten Virgins
15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)
What was this passage talking about specifically? "Abstain from every form of evil" (in v.22) was an exhortation directing the reader back to v.15, in that "do not render evil for evil unto any man" was one of the primary ways a congregation could begin to quench the fire of the Holy Spirit among them (see Ephesians 4:26-32, with emphasis on v30). But praying in the Spirit without ceasing and giving thanks to God in tongues kept the fires of the Spirit burning amongst a congregation, so they were commanded to "keep" themselves in the love of God in this manner (Jude 1:20-21).
This is likewise what is discussed in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14:
12 Even so you, forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church.
13 Wherefore let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing in the Spirit but I will sing with the understanding also.
16 Else when you shall bless in the Spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned say "Amen!" at your giving of thanks, seeing he does not understand what you say?
17 For you truly give thanks well, but the other is not edified. (1 Corinthians 14:12-17)
The verses that read together as, "Rejoice always. Pray incessantly. In every thing give thanks... and quench not the Spirit," are all referring to praying in the Spirit, i.e. praying in tongues. They are immediately followed with "Despise not prophesyings." This then makes the statement which follows, "Quench not the Spirit" a reference to quenching the operation of the gifts of tongues and prophecy in particular.
Have we quenched the Holy Spirit? If so what will it take to get the fires of the Holy Spirit burning amongst us again?
I believe the answer is found in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, which I created a thread on just recently. Paul may well have borrowed the expression "quench not the Spirit" from this parable in fact, where the mistake that the foolish virgins made was to let their lamps "go out." Why were they going out? Because they did not have enough of the oil of the Holy Spirit to keep them from doing so.
I post this because it all the more confirms to me the interpretation I gave on the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It proves the importance that the New Testament writers placed on praying in tongues and prophesying, as gifts that were necessary to maintaining the Presence of God, and continuing to receive true prophetic light in the end-times. Unfortunately, at the present time, the church is still in a state where the Spirit has long since been quenched among us. But the answer to how to fix it is given in my interpretation below to this parable. If we go to God, He who has the power to give us the oil of the Spirit, only then will we restore ourselves to that place where the spiritual gifts operate amongst us again, and the Spirit is no longer quenched, as has been the case with much of the church for a very long time.
Blessings in Christ to all who read these words.
I will post my interpretation to the Parable of the Ten Virgins hereafter, but it can also be found in the following thread:
Parable of the Ten Virgins
