John 14:15-31
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him,because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
Luke 12:11-12
The Holy Spirit Will Teach You What to Say
11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
2 Peter 1:20-21
The Holy Spirit, the Inspiration of the Old Testament
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4
Peter and the Other Disciples are Filled with the Holy Spirit
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 4:8-20
Then Peter Was Filled with the Holy Spirit
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
John 15:1-17
The Disciples Were Chosen To Spread Jesus' Word
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you.No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Matthew 24:35
Jesus Words Will Last Forever
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said,“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
St. Peter writes about the Holy Spirit...He tells us that the Books of the Old Testament were inspired by the Holy Spirit...
After Jesus ascended to heaven, and on the Day of Pentecost, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit...Peter and John were brought before a synagogue, with its rulers and authorities...They were in trouble for healing a crippled man...Peter did not have to worry about defending himself and the others, or even what he might say...Just as Jesus have told Peter and the other Disciples, the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say...Jesus had promised the Twelve the Holy Spirit...And as He predicted, the Holy Spirit and Jesus was there when the they needed Him...The Holy Spirit was helping Peter at the synagogue with the rulers and its other authorities...
The Holy Spirit may have been with the Twelve Disciples after Jesus' ascension to heaven, but they were not "filled" with the Holy Spirit...St. Luke writes that Peter (and the other disciples) were filled with the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, after Jesus' ascension to heaven...And then St. Luke writes that when Peter was at the synagogue he was "then" filled with the Holy Spirit, in front of the Sanhedrin...To me this means (by using the word "then" that the Holy Spirit was with Peter, but he was not quite was "filled" with the Holy Spirit (for whatever Godly reasons), until he was at the synagogue speaking to the Sanhedrin...St. Luke uses the word "then" or at this time, Peter was then again filled with the Holy Spirit (the first time was at the house on the day of Pentecost, with the other disciples...These must have been most exciting points in Peter's life (especially after losing at least the physical body of) his LORD, his Teacher, Mentor, and Friend, while being filled with the Holy Spirit of God...He would know longer have the physical presence of Jesus, but He would have the memories and the teachings of His LORD and Savior...And now Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit...Just as Jesus had promised him and the others, the Holy Spirit was there defending them and helping them speak...And surely, when Peter felt being filled with the Presence of the Holy Spirit, I do not doubt that he was a little excitedly overwhelmed by this being swept over and being engulfed with the filling of the Holy Spirit -that His Teacher promised Him...Peter filled by the Spirit, would follow God's will, and would allow the Holy Spirit to help speak for him and he would allow God to use him and to teach others...Whatever Peter would ask in God's name, now would be delivered...He knew it was time to start planting the seeds of His LORD's teachings...
Peter realized he was this branch of the Vine...And the branch of Peter would produce much abundant fruit from the Vine...The Disciples and Peter would remain in Jesus and keep His commands and obey His commandments...Peter and the Disciples were hand chosen by Jesus, and now it was time to spread the good news, to go and bear the fruit, that Jesus had told him would last forever...Peter was planting the seeds of the future...These seeds have lasted now over two thousand years...His seeds are still here and still growing...They are the seeds that last...His words will and have never passed away...
The Disciples love and their plantings of seeds would be a part of the Great Commission...The Twelve would obey Jesus' commandments...St. Peter and the other Eleven, with St. Paul would convert the entire Roman Empire to Jesus teachings...And they did it in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...
St. Peter had learned what being filled with the Holy Spirit meant...It meant that he would follow God's will...It meant that he would allow the Holy Spirit to help speak for him...It meant that he would allow God to use him...It meant that he would teach others about His LORD...It meant he must plant seeds for the future of his Teacher and Savior...