Faith Seeking Understanding

 

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"So, yes, God made us in order that he might love us. But "love" there is not primarily his getting satisfaction from us, but rather giving us the privilege of getting satisfaction from him."

–John Piper, Is it true...

"Opposite of faith is not reason-the opposite of faith is unbelief. Opposite of reason is not faith-the opposite of reason is irrationality."

–Greg Koukl, Stand to Reason (via Twitter)

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

–Paul

This is going to be a collection of verses and possibly notes for a discussion/study I am doing with a friend on what the Scriptures have to say about the baptism of the Spirit. I will continue to add to it for the duration of the study:

RELEVANT ARTICLES and QUOTES:

Baptism of Jesus, Theopedia

1. Here at his baptism the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is first prefigured. It is here at his baptism that the perfect one intentionally identifies himself with repentant sinners, and demonstrates his full humility. It is at his baptism where the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ begins.
2. Keener stands alone in noting the inherent humility displayed by Jesus at his baptism, "In a traditional Mediterranean culture where society stressed honor and shame, Jesus relinquishes his rightful honor to embrace other's shame. After Jesus' public act of humility, God publicly identified Jesus as his own son..."
3. "It is the fact that never in all history before this had any Jew submitted to being baptized. The Jews knew and used baptism, but only for proselytes who came into Judaism from some other faith. It was natural that the sin-stained, polluted proselyte should be baptized, but no Jew had ever conceived that he, a member of the chosen people, a son of Abraham, assured of God's salvation, could ever need baptism. Baptism was for sinners, and no Jew ever conceived of himself as a sinner shut out from God. Now for the first time in their national history the Jews realized their own sin and their own claimant need of God,. Never before had there been such a unique national movement of penitence and of search for God."

Baptism of the Holy Spirit, by Greg Koukl

1. "So the baptism of the Spirit is when the believer gets the Spirit. It becomes a part of him and fully identified with Him so much so that you don't even distinguish the red dye from the shirt anymore. The shirt is red because it is soaked with the red dye, and we are Christians because we are soaked with the Spirit. At that time of being baptized, the Bible uses different terminology to describe what is going on. It says in Ephesians 1 and 4 that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, we have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, we have drunk of the Spirit. Lots of different language to identify the same thing... So what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is and this is a very important distinction, it is not the manifestation of any particular gift. It is the reception of the Spirit which becomes part of us at the time of salvation. That's my belief."
2. "The filling captures a sense of the control of the Holy Spirit on the one who has Him. So you can possess the Spirit because you have been baptized in the Spirit, but when you are filled then the power of the Spirit is manifest through you and different things might happen. One of those might be speaking in tongues, or prophesying, or witnessing boldly, or some other kind of miraculous manifestation. In the book of Acts just about every time a person is filled with the Spirit you see a supernatural manifestation.
3. "Now the question becomes, when does a man get the Spirit? Ephesians 1:13 says, "In Him, Christ, you also after listening to the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." So, you hear the message, you believe, you are sealed. It's all part of the package. Nothing is said of baptism." (NOTE: This quote may be from a different Koukl article)

What Is the Primary Meaning of Baptism? Some Translational Difficulties

1. Trying to get a hold on the essential meaning of baptism can be somewhat elusive. Most lexicons attempt to distinguish between a literal meaning and a figurative meaning. The literal meaning for baptizō is invariably listed as “to dip, immerse, wash.”³ Arndt and Gingrich give the figurative meaning of “baptism” as a type of Israel’s passage through the Red Sea, martyrdom, and being overwhelmed by something.⁴ Thayer adds that it can imply following Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2), uniting all believers to one body (1 Corinthians 12:13), bringing them into fellowship with Christ (Galatians 3:28), imbuing them richly with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), and overwhelming unbelievers with fire in the day of judgment (Matthew 3:11).⁵
2. In Daniel 4:30 (LXX), baptō represents the Hebrew tseba, which means “to dip or to wet.”¹¹ Yet here, because of the nature of the “dew from heaven,” it is not translated “dipped” but instead “drenched” (4:33 NASB, NIV, NLT, TNK) or “wet” (4:33, KJV, NKJV).
3. Isaiah 21:4 in the LXX literally reads “lawlessness baptizes me,” having the sense of “overwhelms me.” The Hebrew ba‘ath has the meaning of “terrify,” except in the Piel where its intensity can picture “to overwhelm.”¹⁰
4. The baptism of the Spirit is twice referred to in Acts as that which the Holy Spirit poured out (ekcheō - 2:33; 10:45), and twice referred to as a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the “pouring out” of the Spirit in the last days upon all flesh (2:17,18). In Hebrews 9:10, baptismois is translated “washings” (KJV, NKJV, NASB), “ceremonial washings” (NIV), and “ritual washing” (NLT), referring to the various washings prescribed in the Levitical law. A number of these requirements are found in Leviticus 11:25, 28, and 40, where the Hebrew kabac and the Greek of the LXX plunō represent the normal word for “wash.”¹²

OBSERVATIONS/THOUGHTS from discussions so far:

6-5-09
- Apparently, being filled with the Spirit is not necessarily connected with water baptism or other believers laying hands on a person, etc. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit while still in his mother's womb!! His mother was filled at the greeting of Mary, and his father, Zacharias (a priest), we are told was filled with the Spirit but no mention of anything preceding it.

- J the B said that: 'He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.' Being baptized with the Spirit is an act of God according to His will and His timing, not because it is requested or prayed for necessarily... nor because of the laying on of hands.

- Sometimes being filled with the Spirit is accompanied by tongues or prophesy or speaking boldly, etc. but not always.

- Jesus was both baptized in water and filled with the Spirit. Perhaps Jesus, being in human form, needed to be filled with the Spirit in order to carry out his ministry and rescue mission!

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
       and streams on the dry ground;
       I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
       and my blessing on your descendants.

Joel 2:28
"And afterward,
       I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
       Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
       your old men will dream dreams,
       your young men will see visions.

Joel 2:29
Even on my servants, both men and women,
       I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Zechariah 12:10
"I will ^(A)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have ^(B)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one ^(C)mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

---

Matthew 3:11
"As for me, ^(A)I baptize you ^[a]with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; ^(B)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:16
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and ^(A)he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,

Matthew 12:18

" BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

Matthew 28:19

" Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

---

Mark 1:4–12
⁴John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness ^[a](E)preaching a baptism of repentance for the ^(F)forgiveness of sins.

 ⁵And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

 ⁶John was clothed with camel's hair and wore ^(G)a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.

 ⁷And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.

 ⁸"I baptized you ^[b]with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

 ^9(H)In those days Jesus ^(I)came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

 ¹⁰Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him;

 ¹¹and a voice came out of the heavens: "^(J)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

 ^12(K)Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.

Mark 10:38–39

But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

---

Luke 1:15

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.

Luke 1:41

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:67

And his father Zacharias ^(B)was filled with the Holy Spirit, and ^(C)prophesied, saying: 

Luke 2:25

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Luke 3:32

and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, " You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Luke 4:1
[ The Temptation of Jesus ] Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness

Luke 4:14
[ Jesus' Public Ministry ] And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.

Luke 7:29
When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

Luke10:21
At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

Luke 11:13
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

Luke 12:50
"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

---

John 1:32
John testified saying, " I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

John 1:33
"I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'

John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:8
"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

John 3:34
"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.

John 7:39
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 14:16–17
¹⁶"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^(A)Helper, that He may be with you forever;

 ¹⁷that is ^(B)the Spirit of truth, ^(C)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John 20:22
And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

---

Acts 1:5
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Acts 2:17
' AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says,'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

Acts 2:18
EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRITAnd they shall prophesy.

Acts 2:33
"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, " Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, " Rulers and elders of the people,

Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 5:32
"And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Acts 6:3
"Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

Acts 6:5
The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

Acts 7:55
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Acts 8:14–20

¹⁴Now when ^(U)the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them ^(V)Peter and John,

 ¹⁵who came down and prayed for them ^(W)that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

 ¹⁶For He had ^(X)not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been ^(Y)baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 ¹⁷Then they ^(Z)began laying their hands on them, and they were ^(AA)receiving the Holy Spirit.

 ¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

 ¹⁹saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

 ²⁰But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could ^(AB)obtain the gift of God with money!

Acts 9:17
So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, " Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 10:38
"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:44–48
⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, ^(BO)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

 ^45(BP)All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been ^(BQ)poured out on the Gentiles also.

 ⁴⁶For they were hearing them ^(BR)speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,

 ⁴⁷"^(BS)Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who ^(BT)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"

 ⁴⁸And he ^(BU)ordered them to be baptized ^(BV)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Acts 11:15–16
"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.
"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ' John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

Acts 11:24
for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

Acts 13:9
But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

Acts 13:52
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 15:8
"And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

Acts 19:1-6

 ¹It happened that while ^(A)Apollos was at ^(B)Corinth, Paul passed through the ^(C)upper country and came to ^(D)Ephesus, and found some disciples.

 ²He said to them, "^(E)Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, ^(F)we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."

 ³And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "^(G)Into John's baptism."

 ⁴Paul said, "^(H)John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people ^(I)to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."

 ⁵When they heard this, they were ^(J)baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 ⁶And when Paul had ^(K)laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began ^(L)speaking with tongues and ^(M)prophesying.

---

Romans 5:5
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:4-6 (in Context) Romans 5 (Whole Chapter)

Romans 6:4
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 8:9
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:10
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

---

1 Corinthians 2:12
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,

1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 6:11
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

1 Corinthians 7:40
But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 12:10
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:11
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:1
[ Prophecy a Superior Gift ] Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:2
For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

---

2 Corinthians 1:22
who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

2 Corinthians 5:5
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

---

Galatians 3:2
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

Galatians 3:5
So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

Galatians 3:14
in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 4:6
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, " Abba! Father!"

---

Ephesians 1:13
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 2:22
in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:5
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Ephesians 4:30
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

---

Colossians 2:12
having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

1 Thessalonians 4:8
So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

2 Timothy 1:14
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

Hebrews 2:4
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Hebrews 6:4
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

James 4:5
Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: " He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?

1 Peter 1:11
seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

1 Peter 3:21
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 4:14
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

2 Peter 1:21
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

1 John 3:24
The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John 4:13
By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Revelation 1:10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

Excerpt below from Viewpoint: Dr. Michael S. Horton

Pakistan: What do you say about Islam?

Michael S. Horton: Islam means "submission." Allah is one person and he does not enter into relationships with human beings, much less become human in order to save those whom he loves who stand under his judgment. Each person must submit to Allah, carefully fulfilling his law, and hope to merit heaven. By contrast, the source of Christianity is Good News. There is one God in three persons, so relationship is at the heart of God's own eternal existence. God the Son became flesh in history, fulfilled the law in our place, bore our sentence in his death, and rose again for our justification. His righteousness is imputed (or credited) to us, even though we are inherently sinful and undeserving of it, as a free gift that we receive through faith in him. Then and there, we are no longer condemned but declared righteous, are adopted as co-heirs with Christ, bearing the fruit of righteousness as branches of his life-giving vine, and will be bodily raised when Christ returns. We therefore do not fear the Last Judgment, since we have already heard the verdict: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

"For myself, I confess that so soon as the Christian religion reveals the principle that human nature is corrupt and fallen from God, that opens my eyes to see everywhere the mark of this truth: for nature is such that she testifies everywhere, both within man and without him, to a lost God and a corrupt nature."

–Blaise Pascal

The following is an excerpt taken from Jesus, Plain and Simple:

Finally, this idea of "Jesus Christ, Plain and Simple" makes it hard to imagine how such a Jesus could transform the world. I have a quote here from Will Durant. He's the author of The Story of Civilization . In part three, "Caesar and Christ: A History of the Roman Civilization and of Christianity from Beginnings to A.D. 325," Will Durant writes this. Now remember, this guy is a world class historian. He mentions that at first there seem to be contradictions between one Gospel and another and there are dubious statements of history and suspicious resemblance to legends of old pagan gods, etc. All this granted he says, "In the enthusiasm of its discoveries, the higher criticism has applied to the New Testament text tests of authenticity so severe that by them a hundred ancient worthies, Hammurabi, David, Socrates, would fade into legend. Despite the prejudices and theological preconceptions of the evangelists, they record many incidents that many inventors would have concealed. No one reading these scenes can doubt the reality of the figure behind them. That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic, and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels. After two centuries of higher criticism, the outlines of the life, character and teachings of Christ remain reasonably clear and constitute the most fascinating feature in the history of Western man." Here is a man of world class status that says the higher critics are out in left field and if we follow their methodology nothing would be considered reliable history.

"Who then can refuse to believe and adore this heavenly light? For is it not clearer than day that we perceive within ourselves ineffaceable marks of excellence? And is it not equally true that we experience every hour the results of our deplorable condition? What does this chaos and monstrous confusion proclaim to us but the truth of these two states, with a voice so powerful that it is impossible to resist it."

–Blaise Pascal

"Religion is suited to all kinds of minds. Some pay attention only to its establishment, and this religion [Christianity] is such that its very establishment suffices to prove its truth."

–Blaise Pascal

"Atheists.– What reason have they for saying that we cannot rise from the dead? What is more difficult, to be born or to rise again; that what has never been should be, or that what has been should be again? Is it more difficult to come into existence than to return to it? Habit makes the one appear easy to us; want of habit makes the other impossible..."

-Blaise Pascal

"The sensibility of man to trifles, and his insensibility to great things, indicates a strange inversion."

–Blaise Pascal

"For it is not to be doubted that the duration of this life is but a moment; that the state of death is eternal, whatever may be its nature; and that thus all our actions and thoughts must take such different directions according to the state of that eternity, that it is impossible to take one step with sense and judgment, unless we regulate our course by the truth of that point which ought to be our ultimate end."

–Blaise Pascal

"Finally, let them recognize that there are two kinds of people one can call reasonable; those who serve God with all their heart because they know Him, and those who seek Him with all their heart because they do not know Him."

–Blaise Pascal

"Nothing is so important to man as his own state, nothing is so formidable to him as eternity; and thus it is not natural that there should be men indifferent to the loss of their existence, and to the perils of everlasting suffering. They are quite different with regard to all other things. They are afraid of mere trifles; they foresee them;  they feel them. And this same man who spends so many days and nights in rage and despair for the loss of office, or for some imaginary insult to his honour, is the very one who knows without anxiety and without emotion that he will lose all by death. It is a monstrous thing to see in the same heart and at the same time this sensibility to trifles and this strange insensibility to the greatest objects. It is an incomprehensible enchantment, and a supernatural slumber, which indicates as its cause an all-powerful force."

–Blaise Pascal

"And how can it happen that the following argument occurs to a reasonable man?
        "I know not who put me into the world, nor what the world is, nor what I myself am. I am in terrible ignorance of everthing. I know not what my body is, nor my senses, nor my soul, not even that part of me which thinks what I say, which reflects on all and on itself, and knows itself no more than the rest. I see those frightful spaces of the universe which surround me, and I find myself tied to one corner of this vast expanse, without knowing why I am put in this place rather than in another, nor why the short time which is given me to live is assigned to me at this point rather than at another of the whole eternity which was before me or which shall come after me. I see nothing but infities on all sides, which surround me as an atom, and as a shadow that endures only for an instant and endures no more. All I know is that I must soon die, but what I know least is this very death which I cannot escape.
       "As I know not whence I come, so I know not whither I go. I know only that, in leaving this world, I fall for ever either into annihilation or into the hands of an angry God, without knowing to which of these two states I shall be for ever assigned. Such is my state, full of weakness and uncertainty. And from all this I conclude that I ought to spend all the days of my life without caring to inquire into what must happen to me. Perhaps I might find some solution to my doubts, but I will not take the trouble, nor take a step to seek it; and after treating with scorn those who are concerned with this care, I will go without foresight and without fear to try the great event, and let myself be led carelessly to death, uncertian of the eternity of my future state.""

–Blaise Pascal

"The immortality of the soul is a matter which is of so great consequence to us, and which touches us so profoundly, that we must have lost all feeling to be indifferent as to knowing what it is. All our actions and thoughts must take such different courses, according as there are or are not eternal joys to hope for, that it is impossible to take one step with sense and judgment, unless we regulate our course by our view of this point which ought to be our ultimate end."
–Blaise Pascal