Does The Holy Spirit "Convict" Christians?

Biblegems #301

Question: Christians frequently say things like, “I feel convicted by the Holy Spirit.” Does the Holy Spirit convict Christians, or is conviction the same as condemnation and judgment, and only done by God as Judge?

It would certainly be terrific in an ideal world if people always used perfectly precise words to express themselves—words such as “convict,” for example. I expect that in heaven all the communication confusion we experience in the fallen world will be clear up. Until then…

The word “convict” is sometimes taught to be a legal term of judgment and condemnation exclusively, and therefore not to be used to describe how the Holy Spirit interacts with believers. It is usually claimed in these circles that the word “convict” is never used in the Bible of the Holy Spirit’s interaction with believers.

“Convict” in the Bible

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

   John. 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:… (ESV)

The NT Greek word behind the English translation is elegcho (pronounced, el-eng-ko). Its specific meaning is broad, depending upon the context. The Mounce Greek Dictionary defines elegcho and gives scriptural examples of its various uses:

   “…to put to proof, to test; to convict, Jn. 8:46; Jas. 2:9; to refute, confute, 

1 Cor. 14:24; Tit. 1:9; to detect, lay bare, expose, Jn. 3:20; Eph. 5:11, 13; to reprove, rebuke, Mt. 18:15; Lk. 3:19; 1 Tim. 5:20; to discipline, chastise, Heb. 12:5; Rev. 3:19; pass. to experience conviction, Jn. 3:20; 1 Cor. 14:24 ˘ rebuke; refute”        —(Underlining is mine).

As the definition and variety of uses shows, it is incorrect to say that “convict” is strictly a legal term of condemnation and judgment. In fact, the apostle Paul uses the word elegcho (“conviction”) to describe how God can expose the secrets of an unbeliever’s heart who participates in a worship service:

         1Cor. 14:24-25 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted (elegcho) by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you (ESV).

He is “convicted by all”—meaning the Holy Spirit working through the believers present in worship. This is not judgment; it is spiritual surgery!

For Christians to use “convict” in describing the corrective ministry of the Holy Spirit is neither incorrect nor unbiblical, unless it is used in the sense of condemnation.

Words do mean things, and improperly used words can lead to confusion. But we all “get it” when a believer says he is convicted by the Holy Spirit. Such “conviction” is how the Lord rebukes His children in love:

Heb. 12:5-6 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you (i.e., “convicts”; Gk.: elegcho), because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

   

Does Mark 16:9-20 Belong In The Bible?

Biblegems #300

Question: A note in my Bible says that the earliest manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20. Does that mean that these verses in the Gospel of Mark were added later, and are therefore not part of God’s inspired, revealed Word?

The answer is “No.” Here’s why:

First, the note in your Bible is accurate in that the earliest manuscripts do not contain this portion of Mark. However, that only means the earliest manuscripts we have found so far. All that can be said for certain is that for some reason, unknown at this time, these earlier documents—of which there are only a few—lost their final paragraph.

Second, the “ancient witnesses” the note in your Bible refers to are comments written in the margins of ancient biblical manuscripts. These “witnesses” are often identified by a number since no author’s name for the comment is available. For example, one such “ancient witness” is identified by the number “20”. He wrote in the margin of his manuscript of Mark 16:8:

                    From this to the end is not found in some

                    copies; but in the ancient copies the whole

                    is found uncurtailed.

This ancient author is telling us that he personally knows of other copies of Mark that are “ancient” to him that have not lost the last paragraph of Mark 16!

We can be confident then that Mark’s Gospel did not end with verse 8. So the question is whether verses 9-20 are authentic to Mark or whether they were added later, as many claim.

While it is true that the shift from verse 8 to verse 9 is awkward and abrupt, this is also true for much of Mark’s Gospel. Rather than flowing from one event or scene to another, events in Mark’s Gospel are presented as happening “immediately.” Style is not a convincing argument against Mark’s authorship.

Finally, most of the content in verses 9-20 can be found in the other Gospels as well, especially Matthew, and none of the content is incompatible with biblical teaching. This is even true of verses 17-18, where Jesus says just before His Ascension:

                    And these signs will accompany those who

                    believe: In my name they will drive out demons;

                    they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up

                    snakes with their hands; and when they drink

                    deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will

                    place their hands on sick people, and they will

                    get well.

Some have misconstrued this to mean that all believers will demonstrate miraculous powers and will be invincible to snake bites. What Jesus actually says is that “signs will accompany those who

Believe,” and gives examples of what some of those “signs” could be.

In short, there is no reason not to trust the Gospel of Mark in its entirety. The closing paragraph is present in most manuscripts, sound in doctrine, and typical of Mark’s somewhat awkward style. And even though this final paragraph is not present in some ancient documents, the “witnesses” testify to earlier copies where it was present.

Ps. 119:43  Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.

Does God Repent?

Biblegems # 293

Question: The book of Numbers (23:19) seems to indicate that God never repents. Yet other passages give examples of God repenting. Does God repent?

Here is Numbers 23:19 in the King James Version:

Num. 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

In apparent contrast to the verse above, there are several examples where God is presented as repenting:

         Ex. 32:14  And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

This apparent contradiction is primarily one of proper translation from the Hebrew word nacham into English. Nacham means “comfort,” “console,” or “relent,”[i] depending on the context. Nacham is used in both Numbers 23 and Exodus 32. In Ex. 32:14 the translation should read: “Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” In fact, of the thirty-eight times nacham is used in the Bible, only twice could it be used to mean “repent,” and those two occasions refer to people repenting, not God.

In Numbers 23:19 nacham should likewise be translated “relent” (meaning, “change”) rather than “repent.” The passage compares God against man: that God does not lie and He is not fickle. When He says He will do something, He does it. 

         1Sam. 15:29  “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

Even so, Exodus 32:14 states that God did indeed “relent”—He changed His punishment against the Hebrews for building the golden calf in the Wilderness. Yet He did so without violating His own character, for God Himself has repeatedly stated three conditions where He will change His attitude and actions toward people: (1) when people repent (Jer. 18:3-11); (2) when someone intercedes on behalf of others (Amos 7:1-6); and (3) out of His own compassion (Dt. 32:36).

“Repent,” as it’s used today, carries with it emotional and spiritual overtones. In the 1600’s language of the KJV Bible, the word could be used as a synonym for “relent,” and the average reader would understand without difficulty. Because language changes, modern translations often use “relent” instead of “repent” in these and similar passages.

There is no contradiction. When God “relents,” He chooses a pre-planned alternate route to fulfill His promises, in keeping with His character:

         Ps. 106:45  …for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.

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[i] BDB Abridged. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (abridged) (BDB). Based on A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, by F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs.  Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.  Digitized and abridged as a part of the Princeton Theological Seminary Hebrew Lexicon Project under the direction of Dr. J. M. Roberts.  Used by permission. Electronic text corrected, formatted, and hypertexted by OakTree Software, Inc. This electronic adaptation ©2001 OakTree Software, Inc. Version 3.6