Let us now read Acts 16:7: “After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not.” The King James Version omits two important words in this verse. In the Greek text, “of Jesus” is after the word “Spirit.” It should read “the Spirit of Jesus,” as translated in the American Standard Version and the Amplified New Testament. “The Spirit of Jesus” is a special term. Its meaning differs from that of “the Spirit of God.” Since Jesus was a man, and is still a man, “the Spirit of Jesus” is the Spirit of the man Jesus.
Why was it that when the apostle Paul would go to a certain place to preach the Gospel, “the Spirit of Jesus” suffered him not? Why does the Scripture not say “the Spirit of God” instead of “the Spirit of Jesus”? There must be some reason. When we look into Acts 16 and see the environment of that chapter, we realize the need of the Spirit of Jesus. In this chapter there is much suffering and persecution. Paul was even put into prison! In such a situation “the Spirit of Jesus” was really required. Jesus was a man who continually suffered intense persecution while He was on earth. Therefore, “the Spirit of Jesus” is the Spirit of a man with abundant strength for suffering. He is the Spirit of a man as well as the Spirit of suffering strength. In persecution while preaching the gospel, we do need such a Spirit-“the Spirit of Jesus”!
By the previous verse (Acts 16:6), it is proved that “the Spirit of Jesus” is the “Holy Spirit.” If we read the context of these two verses, we see that “the Holy Spirit” who was leading the apostle Paul in his preaching of the gospel was “the Spirit of Jesus.” It was “the Holy Spirit” that was leading the apostle; but “the Holy Spirit” at that time and in that incident was acting as “the Spirit of Jesus.”
The Spirit of Jesus is not only the Spirit of God with divinity in Him that we may live the divine life, but also the Spirit of the man Jesus with humanity in Him that we may live the proper human life and endure its sufferings.
In Acts 16:7 we have “the Spirit of Jesus,” while in Romans 8:9 “the Spirit of Christ.” In Romans 8:9 “the Spirit of Christ” is used interchangeably with “the Spirit of God.” It tells us that the Spirit of God today is the Spirit of Christ. The emphasis of “the Spirit of Jesus” is upon humanity and the strength for suffering. But the emphasis of “the Spirit of Christ” is upon the resurrection and the imparting of life. Persecution in the environment faced in Acts 16 required suffering strength in humanity. But the death in our nature dealt with in Romans 8 requires resurrection power in the imparting of life. Thus, in Acts 16 it is “the Spirit of Jesus” that led in the preaching of the gospel under persecution. But in Romans 8 it is “the Spirit of Christ” that raises us up from any kind of death-element and animates us by imparting life into us. In the verses following Romans 8:9 we read, “If Christ [who is the Spirit of Christ] is in you, the body is dead...but the spirit is life....But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (vv. 10-11, ASV). The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of the incarnate and suffering Jesus. But the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the resurrected and life-giving Christ. By the Spirit of Jesus we can share “the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death”; but by the Spirit of Christ we can partake of “the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10, ASV), identified with Him in the transcendency of His ascension and in the authority of His enthronement. By the Spirit of Jesus we share the Lord’s humanity and His suffering strength. By the Spirit of Christ we partake of His resurrection life, His resurrection power, His transcendency and His reigning authority.
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