καὶ μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ θεοῦ, κ.τ.λ. Cf. Ephesians 1:13. This verse introduces a further consideration which would help to the control of the tongue, because the Spirit is especially connected with the gift of Christian utterance, cf. Ephesians 6:17; Luke 12:12. The Spirit however is also in a special sense the guardian of the corporate life (Ephesians 4:3), so the thought has a wider range, covering all the topics discussed in this section. The presence of the Spirit in and with all the members of the Body carries with it, as we were taught in Ephesians 1:13, a mark of God’s possession, and a pledge of coming deliverance. We are reminded here that the Spirit is a Person, Who cannot be regarded as indifferent to our response to His care and guidance. The appeal to the love of the Spirit in Romans 15:30 is parallel; cf. Hebrews 10:29; Isaiah 63:10; Hermas, Mand. x. 2.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising

Old Testament