 Hello everyone. Good morning, Chek. I hope you can hear me. Yeah, okay. Good morning and welcome to today's class. We are starting this new course for this academic year, new as in this is a fresh course that we are doing, which is about the Holy Spirit, the person and power of the Holy Spirit. So if you can check in for online students, if you can check in the Classwork section, we have the notes that are uploaded there. So we're going to be following those notes. And if you're in person, you would have received the hard copies of the notes and also e-learning those notes will be uploaded or have been uploaded so you can download those, put it on your laptop or maybe in any mobile device so you can refer to it from time to time, even as the class progresses. So let's pray and get started. Father, we thank you a lot for this exciting new season, this new academic year that you've given us and we just commit this course into your mighty hands God. I pray that you would speak to us, I pray that you would write your word upon our hearts and I pray that you would draw us closer God and reveal the person and the power of the Holy and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to each one of us. And yes, Lord, I pray that you would draw us to an encounter with you with your heart. We thank you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Okay, so you can open up the notes and I'm just going to tell you, just go through the contents, what we're going to look at. We're going to start by looking at what Trinity is all about, then we're going to look at the person of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And then we're going to keep going, we're going to look at the power, the presence, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and we're going to spend a lot of time doing that and also it's going to be a very interesting session, excuse me. Yeah, it's also going to be a very interesting session because we're going to be looking at the power of the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and it will be very practical sessions as well. So looking forward to turning through those sessions, we're going to be looking at what anointing is and also we're going to be learning about that as well. Okay, so this is the course and as you can see, it's pretty comprehensive, so we'll get a good understanding of who the Holy Spirit is and also not just intellectual understanding but also I know that we will have many encounters as we walk through this course. And also the grading for this course for all platforms, whether you're in campus or online or e-learning will be two quizzes and these quizzes will be 50% each of marks and then both will be added for your final score. So one quiz will be in September, the other one in November. Anyway, we'll announce it. It'll be online, so you'll have instructions and ample time to figure things out and yeah, so that's a thing. If you go down further, you'll see that there's some recommended readings. So we'd like, you know, these are some sources, additional sources. We're going to be using some of these for our course, like especially the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and so on. We're going to be using that as part of the course as well. Okay, so today we'll start by looking at chapter one. Chapter one is about the Trinity. Okay, so if you ask that question, you know, where do we find the word Trinity in the Bible? Okay, what would your response be? Which chapter? Which book? Is it Old Testament? Is it New Testament? Which chapter and which verse do you find the word Trinity? Okay, so after going through, we'll come out with a response. Well, the word Trinity is not there. Yes, the word Trinity is not there in the Bible. It is a word which theologians have used to explain the Triune God and the fact that he exists in three persons as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There's only one God, but we see in Scripture that he exists in chapter and verse of him in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We see that as we go through some of these verses, we will see that they are co-equal and they are eternal, co-equal and they are one. Okay, so even before starting, we just need to have a disclaimer that, well, this is not three gods. We're not saying that they're three gods, but there's one God existing in three persons. Okay, so this is how it starts. Like even in Scripture, we see that the Bible just plainly declares that God is three, God is in three persons, God is one. He is one existing in three persons. Right through Scripture, we'll see that. And so this session, we're going to take some time to look at some of these pictures, some of these images that we have in the Scripture, both in the old and the new, about this triune God, where it is very plainly stated that God is indeed three persons in one. Okay, so let's start. Let's look at creation itself. Okay, and we go to the very beginning. We go to Genesis chapter one, where it says, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. So what do we see here? We see that this is in the beginning. You see that God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form. It was void. And we see that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. We go to verse three. It says, then God said, let there be light and there was light. So we see the Father being mentioned there. We see the Spirit of God being mentioned there. Now, if you go to Hebrews chapter one, which is referring to the same account, same creation account, we go to Hebrews and then we look at chapter one. Okay, this is what we see. Hebrews chapter one and verse two. God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds. So here we see that the Father is referred to here, is referenced here. And it also talks about the Son, the Lord Jesus. The Son is mentioned, the Father is mentioned. Okay, let's look at another scripture Ephesians chapter three and verse nine. Okay, we're going to turning to Ephesians. Just give me a minute here. Okay, Ephesians chapter three and verse nine. Right, so it says, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. So we see in Genesis that God, in the beginning God created the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters and we see in Hebrews and Ephesians where it refers to the Son, everything was created through the Son, through the Lord Jesus. Okay, so very categorically, it just states the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and their active role in creation. So in creation we see the Trinity, we see the Triune God at work. Okay, what about the birth of Jesus? Okay, let's look at Luke chapter one. Luke chapter one and this is the verse which we normally see or read time and time again in church during Christmas, during the Advent season. Okay, Luke chapter one verse 32. Okay, okay, so the incident is this that the angel Gabriel has a conversation with Mary and his encounter and then maybe we'll read from verse 30. It says, then the angel said to her, do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive a son, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the highest. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no in him. Then Mary said to the angel, how can this be since I do not know a man and the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you. Therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Okay, so you see amazing all these references you will conceive and bring forth a son and his name shall be called Jesus. He will be great, he'll be called the Son of the highest, the Lord God will give him the throne of the father. So we see the different persons being mentioned there specifically. Then verse 35, the angel answered and said to her like when Mary asked her how can this be, how can this happen? I do not know a man. Then the angel answers and says to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you. You see the reference of the Holy Spirit. Then he says the power of the highest will overshadow you. Okay, we can say okay referring to the Holy Spirit himself and then it says therefore also the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. So reference to God, reference to the highest one, reference to the Holy Spirit and referring to the Son of God Jesus. So we see in the birth of Jesus, in the announcement of the news of the birth of the Lord Jesus, we see Trinity being portrayed there, the triune God being portrayed over there. Okay, so we see that enough and more proof about the Trinity. Let's move on. Let's move on to another interesting account which is in Matthew chapter 3. Okay, so Matthew chapter 3, this is about, this is the incident where John the Baptist is preaching. John the Baptist is preaching the message of repentance. He's the forerunner and he's talking about things to come and so in doing that he says, he's already prepared the people he's saying, you know, I am not the one. There's one who's coming after me whose sandals are not worthy to carry and he is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire and then Jesus comes before him and he says, oh, you know, I need to be baptized by you and you are asking me to baptize you and all that. They have that conversation. Then Jesus says, permitted to be so for, it is fitting for us to fulfill all that righteousness. I will follow for all righteousness. So then John loves or he baptizes the Lord Jesus, right? Then what happens there is that the Lord Jesus comes out of the water and it says here, let's read verse 16, when he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. Okay, so see Jesus comes out of the water. You see the heavens open and then the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit coming upon him and as descending like a dove and alighting upon him. Verse 17, and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, which means that it's the voice of the Father referring to Jesus as the beloved Son. So we see the Son coming out of the water, the Holy Spirit coming upon the Son, Jesus, the voice of the Father from the heavens, a testing and affirming, this is my beloved Son in whom I will please. So again, a wonderful, amazing picture of the Triune God of Trinity, right? Okay, so Trinity is also revealed in the Great Commission and particularly the instruction for baptism which the Lord Jesus gave us disciples. So for that we'll go to the end of the same book, the end of Matthew, Matthew's Gospel, we're going to chapter 28 and we're looking at verses 18 to 20, right? So he says, Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus' instruction is that all authority has given to me, so you go and you make disciples of all the nations and this is what you do as you go and make disciples of all the nations, you baptize them in the name by the authority, by the delegated authority that you have in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So you see that, we see a couple of things here, the fact that the Lord just plainly stating, do this in the name of the Father, Son of the Holy Spirit. So he's referring to the highest, right? He's not referring to any human being, he's referring to deity. The second thing that we see is that they are co-equal, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus puts them on the same level and he says, this is what you do, you baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So we not only do we see the picture of Trinity here in the instruction for what a baptism, but also we see that the Lord Jesus placing the Triune God or placing the persons on the same level, the Triune God, the Godhead at the same level. So there's no, someone who's more powerful, someone who's less powerful, no, it's the same. One God, three persons, co-equal, eternal. Okay, then we also see that we've seen so far, those four pictures. The fifth one is that God, we see that the Trinity is revealed in redemption. For that we go to Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 14, Hebrews 9 and verse 14. Trinity is revealed in redemption. Okay, so let me just read out. Hebrews 9, 14, here it talks about Jesus who is the High Priest and the fact that the blood of bulls and goats cannot save a person, cannot obtain redemption. And if the blood of bulls and goats sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more, reading verse 14, how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Okay, so verse 14 is about the blood of Christ. It's about the great sacrifice and he's saying that he's comparing that the sacrifice of bulls and goats and goats and calves and he says, yeah, this is what was instituted and this is what happened. But here's someone who's better, there's this perfect tabernacle, there's this perfect sacrifice. And while referring to that, you know, we see the picture of Trinity in that verse through the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God. So in redemption also we see the Triune God being mentioned there. Okay, now we are going through this for a reason because, you know, as we study the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, you know, now there could be many, I should say, there's many, many, you know, many lines of thought or, you know, many theories out there saying that only if the Father is God, deity or the Son, only Jesus and there's no Holy Spirit even. But we are looking at, you know, we're joining from this Old Testament to the New Testament, we're seeing through all the scriptures that, you know, this picture of Trinity is really, you know, spread out everywhere, mentioned everywhere for us to see, for us to know, for us to be convinced in the fact that our God is Triune God. Yes, we may not be able to understand the whole concept of Trinity. We are finite beings and yes, there is a mystery to how God exists in three persons. How can we say that it's one God? It's not three gods. It's one God existing in three persons. Well, the fact is that there are many things that we don't understand. We see that God is infinite or God is omnipresent. That itself is an aspect that we as finite beings have grasping with or sometimes find it difficult to grasp. How can God be here and there? You know, how can God engage with me? Even as I pray to him and when I speak to him, how can God be speaking to me and to someone who's, you know, so far away across continents and the infiniteness, the omnipresence of God and really, we don't understand all of it. So also, there is this aspect of mystery to the presence of the Triune God or the way in which he presents himself to us as the Triune God existing in three persons. We don't understand it all. But then scripture very plainly declares. So we need to go with what the word of God declares. So what is revealed for us in scripture is that God exists in three persons. Okay, so we're going to look at two more verses. This is in Revelation. Sorry, there's Romans chapter 6 verse 4 and also Romans chapter 8 and verse 11. So, okay, I'm just going to read from Romans 6, 4 first. Romans chapter 6 and verse 4. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life. So referring to the Father, referring to the Son. And it's about the resurrection of the Son, resurrection of the Lord Jesus. So he says, even though even therefore we were buried with him through baptism and just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. So we see that the work of resurrection happening because of the glory of the Father. So the Son being resurrected by the glory of the Father. Let's look at the other verse, chapter 8 and verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. Again, the spirit of him through his spirit, referring to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of him referring to God. And then he says that who raised Jesus from the dead. So we see these references and we see, yeah, very categorically, very plainly stated, stating the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Okay, one more, two more actually, sorry. It's in the martyrdom of Stephen. Okay, so Stephen being the first disciple to be martyred in the early church. So we see Stephen giving an address to his audience. We see that in Acts chapter 7 and just before he is killed, he is martyred for Christ. So chapter 7 and verse 55. Okay, so this is what we see recorded here. We see, but he being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Okay, so just before he was martyred, this is what Stephen saw. He was full of the Spirit, full of the Holy Spirit. Okay, he gazed into heaven and he had this vision, heavens opened up and he saw the Father, he saw the glory of God, it says and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Okay, so he saw this. So we see the Holy Spirit being mentioned here. We see the God the Father, Stephen is seeing and then the Lord Jesus, the Son standing next to the Father. So see all this happening. Another one is Revelation 5 and verses 6 to 7. Okay, so Revelation chapter 5 and verse 6, so Revelation 5 verse 6 says and I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders to the Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the, so the reference to the Lamb obviously referring to the Lord Jesus, the Lamb that was slain and then talks about the Spirit of God and talks about God himself. So we see all these references, the Lamb having the seven eyes, which are the seven spirits or the seven characteristics of the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit. There are several other scriptures and you can see it in your notes which are referring to in the Epistles John, Corinthians Paul writes and Peter and so we see that all the writers, right from the writers of the Gospel to the Epistles and in the early church it was considered the norm that this is how God existed. This is how God is that he is the Father, Son and the Spirit and this is how the Lord Jesus revealed God to the disciples and even when he taught them about going into the world and preaching the Gospel and baptizing people, he told them very clearly that this is, you need to do it in the name of God and you're doing it with the authority, you're doing it with the delegated authority that God has given and so you're doing it in the name of God and this is who he is, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So this is something which is very, very foundational, very basic and something that we need to hold on to. The next chapter is about the person of the Holy Spirit. So the fact that he is God, the fact that he is omnipotent, the fact that he is eternal, he is God himself and he's worthy of worship and he's also a person and we're saying that okay, he's co-equal, he's eternal and he is also a person. So we're going to take a break now and once we come back from the grave, a break, we're going to look at that, the fact that he's a person. So we take a break right now. Thank you.