On June 27, 2010, during the Sunday Evening Story-Time with the ‘teaching elder’ from Illinois, he made a point to say that, "We are sealed ‘WITH’ .... not ‘BY’ .... the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, which is the day of resurrection."
Eph 1:13 is the verse that says we were sealed ‘WITH’ the Holy Spirit, as the ‘teaching elder’ said. However, we will see that for him to exclude the word ‘BY’ was wrong.
We should be aware that in Eph 1:13, the Greek word [sphragizo] was translated into 4 English words, namely, "ye were sealed with".
There is NO problem with the translation, even though the word ‘with’ does not have an actual, separate Greek word from which it was translated. This reason, alone, is enough to NOT invent a teaching on it. But it is really no surprise that the ‘teaching elder’ does it, because he does the same thing with the English word ‘of’ in Gal 2:7. There, too, he creates 2 different gospels (one for Paul and a different one for Peter), based on the word ‘of’ that does not have a distinct word in the Greek.
The problem is with the ‘teaching elder’ .... building a doctrine .... making a statement, "We are sealed ‘WITH’ .... not ‘BY’ .... the Holy Spirit," when other scriptures contradict him:
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with [sphragizo] that holy Spirit of promise,
Later in Eph 4:30, in the same epistle, Paul (by inspiration of God) teaches we are sealed ‘BY’ the Holy Spirit. Let’s be aware of the Greek in that verse also.
The same Greek word [sphragizo] was translated into 3 English words, namely, "ye are sealed" (the word 'with' was not translated, although the Greek was the same as in Eph 1:13).
There are 2 Greek words [en] [hos] translated ‘whereby’. The preposition [en] is in the scriptures 2,800 times. It was translated ‘in’ 1,902 times, ‘BY’ 163 times, ‘WITH’ 140 times, ‘among’ 117 times, ‘at’ 113 times, ‘on’ 62 times, ‘through’ 39 times, and miscellaneous 264 times. It is unreasonable to manufacture a contrast, since the same Greek word was translated both 'by' and 'with'.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby [en] [hos]
ye are sealed [sphragizo] unto the day of redemption.
For the ‘teaching elder’ to create a big distinction between the English prepositions ‘with’ and ‘by’ .... about ‘how’ we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, is yet another example of excessive DIVIDING.
PAUL wrote scripture that says God sealed those who are in Christ:
2 Cor 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ,
and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath [sphragizo] also sealed [sphragizo] us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Oh, no! JOHN also wrote scripture that quoted Jesus saying that God sealed those who have everlasting life:
John 6:26-27 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed [sphragizo].
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ have 2 different ‘sealings’.
What will they divide next?
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
