NOTE: All comments in brackets [ ] or in parentheses ( ) as well as highlighted text (bolded and/or in blue) are from the author of this study.
Bible quotations are in maroon.
In order to understand how God is working out His master plan of salvation both in His Church and in the world, it is critical to realize what is the principal means used by God in His interactions with mankind both converted and unconverted.
God is a spirit being; humans are mortal flesh-and-blood beings whose ability to acquire knowledge is limited to what can be perceived by their five senses in the physical-material world. Human beings have no ability to see, hear, taste, smell or touch spiritual beings. It is impossible for humans to perceive the existence of spirit beings unless they specially manifest themselves in a form visible to human beings.
In most cases, God has communicated with His prophets through visions and dreams though some angels carrying out a mission for God, did at times take on a material form visible to human beings as was the case with the angels that were going to Sodom and Gomorrah and whom Abraham saw and recognized (Gen. 18).
In the days of ancient Israel, God in this case the Logos or Spokesman of the God family spoke directly with Moses though not in His glorified state and not face to face.
Num 12:5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
The Logos spoke directly to Moses not through visions and dreams as he does for prophets; He spoke to Moses mouth- to-mouth i.e., in a conversation between the two of them.
But for very few and isolated instances, God and the spirit beings making up His kingdom do not appear to men in visible form.
Satan the devil currently sits on the throne of the earth ruling over the physical earth which was his first estate (Jude 1:6) along with the angels he had been allocated to assist him in doing so. At that time there were no human beings in existence as their creation came only after his rebellion and attempt to overthrow God on the throne of the universe. After the creation of man, he acquired the power to deceive them as to what is the truth of God when Adam and Eve chose as he suggested to decide for themselves right and wrong based on their own ideas of right and wrong rather than putting their trust in God to do it for them (see Rev 12:9 quoted below).
However, nowhere in the Bible do we read of Satan or his demons being allowed to make themselves visible to human beings or to physically interfere with their lives unless being given special permission by God to do so as occurred in the case of Job. Satan is more powerful than men and would easily overwhelm them if he were given the permission to do so. Satan and his demons do however have, as spirit beings, the ability to influence men’s minds (see Eph 2:2 quoted below) and to sometimes take possession of them when men persistently do not control their thoughts but they do not have the power to force men to sin against their will. If they did, they would be more powerful than God and God’s plan of salvation would be impossible.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
The existence of spirit beings has remained a mystery to mankind since the days of Adam and Eve.
However, and here is the point I want to highlight, it is not necessary for God to manifest Himself in a visible form to human beings for Him to be able to effectively influence human beings nor is it necessary for Satan to do so.
The Spirit in Man
Man is the only one of all the living beings (animals) created by God in whom God has placed a spirit essence which the Bible refers to as the spirit in man.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them [men] understanding.
This spirit essence gives man’s animal brain mind power; otherwise, men’s animal brain would be just like that of all the other animals created by God. It would not be able to acquire knowledge in any significant amount and it would not be able to think and make decisions. Man’s existence would be driven by instinct as it is for all the other animals created by God who have no mind power.
This spirit essence is not a part of the man; it is like a marble that someone has ingested; it is in him but it is not part of him.
This spirit essence is not a self-aware, conscious entity that dwells in human bodies. This spirit essence is simply a means whereby man’s animal brain can have mind power.
This spirit essence in man is what allows God, a spirit being, to have contact with men; it is THE means whereby men can know the truth of God when God chooses to reveal it to them.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The spiritual truth of God is not knowable by man’s 5 physical senses. So how does God communicate with men.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
What this last verse is saying is that men can know and understand other men because they have the same spirit in them i.e., the human spirit. In the same way, men can only know and understand the things of God through the Spirit of God when it dwells in them. God’s Spirit in men’s mind is the means used by God to give men knowledge of who and what He is; what He is doing; etc. In fact, it is the principal and only means whereby humans can come to know the things of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we [the Christians to which Paul was speaking and all Christians through the ages] have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God [the Holy Spirit]; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Christians receive a spirit which is not the spirit of the world (Satan’s spirit working in the children of disobedience (Eph 2:2)]; they receive God’s Holy Spirit which enables them to know the truth of God.
How does a man come to know the things of God? By the spirit which is of God, the Holy Spirit when God allows it to dwell in men.
God works in converted men’s minds through His Spirit not through manifesting Himself in a visible form to them and teaching them.
He sometimes also works in the minds of the unconverted as necessary to bring about the fulfillment of prophecies or to ensure that certain events will occur as needed for the fulfillment of different elements of His plan of salvation for mankind as we will see in the following section.
Cyrus King of Persia
Judah went into captivity under the Chaldeans who were subsequently conquered by the Persians and the Jews found themselves in captivity under the King of Persia as explained in the verses quoted below.
In these verses we read how God through His Spirit, stirred up the mind of Cyrus through the human spirit in his animal brain. God planted the idea in his mind to let those of Judah who wanted to, to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild it and the temple.
Cyrus was a carnal-minded, unconverted man but still this did not make it impossible for God to influence his mind through His Spirit. As a rule, God is not dealing with unconverted humanity but He will do so exceptionally to bring about events that have been prophesied by the mouth of His holy prophets.
2Ch 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
God, through the spirit in man in Cyrus king of Persia, put the idea in Cyrus’ mind to issue a proclamation in writing allowing the Jewish captives to go back to Jerusalem if they wanted to and to be sure there would be no misunderstanding after his death; his successor could refer to the written version of the proclamation as could the Jews if anyone questioned what they were doing.
2Ch 36:23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; [the Persian Empire was one of the 4 world ruling empires that has existed in the history of mankind] and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
And the proclamation was that whosoever among the captives of Judah wanted to go back to Jerusalem could do so to rebuild Jerusalem and God’s house.
God can and also does influence unconverted men’s minds through His Holy Spirit as needed to ensure the fulfillment of prophecies.
The main point I wish to emphasize though is that God who is a spirit being works with His creation, mankind, converted and unconverted, through the human spirit which gives men’s animal brains mind power.
God, like Satan who is also a spirit being, does not have to manifest Himself in a way that can be perceived by human beings’ five physical senses to be able to influence the behavior of human beings when there is a need to do so.
Satan’s Rule over Mankind
We know that Satan, a spirit being , is the ruler of this world. He sits on the throne of the earth and along with his demons, he deceives all of mankind about the correct difference between right and wrong except God’s elect.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels [demons] were cast out with him.
How does Satan deceive the whole world? Is he and his demons taking on human forms and walking among the nations to deceive them? What do the Scriptures say?
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Satan is a spirit being and it is with his spirit that he causes mankind’s spiritual blindness. It is through his spirit that he acts in the minds of those who are disobeying God. However, it should be noted that Satan only has the power to influence men’s minds, he does not have the power to force anyone to obey him. Satan does not have the power to control men’s minds; he can only influence them not control them or force men to obey him. Recall that Lucifer was to administer God’s government over the earth created by God; he was not given the power to rule over mankind which did not at that time exist; this is the “world” over which Satan rules, not men’s minds.
You will also recall that in the book of Job Satan needed God’s permission to physically afflict Job; he does not have the power to cause physical harm to men. He was given power to rule over the physical/material earth not over the minds of men except to deceive them about the correct difference between right and wrong. Satan nor his demons have the power to compel men to engage in evil or to sin.
How effective is the power of a spirit being to influence men’s minds?
Satan’s influence on mankind through his spirit effectively blinds mankind to the truth of God (Rev 12:9). Though Satan cannot force men to obey him he is fully able to deceive them about the true difference between good and evil. The veil of Satanic deception over men’s minds can only be taken away by God and He does it at the time of their calling.
God’s Church
God has the power to work in the minds of men but for the time being He doesn’t do so in a general way as the time has not yet come for salvation to be opened up to all of mankind. Presently God is only active in the minds of His called out ones in accordance with the working out of His great master plan of salvation.
How does God work in the minds of converted human beings?
Does He appear to them to teach them, counsel them, comfort them, reassure them, etc.?
Yet the Scriptures says that He does all of those things.
What was to be the role of God’s Holy Spirit with His Church?
During the time leading up to the Feast of the Passover and during the Passover celebration, verses are read from the book of John. In John 14 the time setting is the evening that Christ was to be taken by the mob to be tried by Pilate and ultimately crucified and Christ wanted to reassure His disciples and comfort them by explaining to them how the Church was to continue after His death and following His eventual return to His Father.
If we want to know and understand how Christ will continue to be in His church guiding and leading it until His 2nd Coming then the following verses of the book of John allows us to do so.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Christ was the Comforter that was with them. He was with them as a flesh-and-blood human being but after His ascension to His Father, Christ would be in their mind. After His glorification, Christ would go back to being the Logos, the Word and God’s Spokesman and He would be the holy spirit being along with the holy spirit being called God who would dwell with the truly converted.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh_14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
It would be another Comforter but yet the same Comforter; it would be Christ returned to the glory that He had with His Father before He was born as a man and He would be with the disciples through His Spirit being with their human spirit.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he [Christ] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Something of very great importance to understand here.
Christ says that He is the Spirit of truth and that the world doesn’t know this Spirit BECAUSE it can’t see it; it is not something that can be perceived by man’s eyesight or any one of his physical senses.
But Christ tells the disciples that they know the Spirit of truth because he dwells with you (Christ is the spirit of truth that dwelt with the disciples as a physical human being).
And it, the Spirit of truth whom they know, would in the future, be in them i.e., on the day of Pentecost, it would be in them i.e., Christ as a glorified spirit being would then be a the holy spirit being that would dwell in their minds guiding and leading them.
Christ makes plain how He will rule over His Church. He would do so through His
in-dwelling presence in the minds of the converted; not by being physically present with His Church.
Joh 14:18 I [Christ] will not leave you comfortless: I [Christ] will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. [Christ is in the Father and the believers are in Christ and Christ is in them or in other words, God the Father and Christ are in true Christians.]
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Another very important point to notice here. Christ says that He will manifest Himself to those that keep God’s commandments. How would He manifest Himself to converted members of God’s church? Let’s read on.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [God the Father and Christ will come to those that keep God’s words and dwell with them.]
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Spirit, it should read], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
So what will this Comforter that the Father will send do? IT SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS. It shall teach the disciples and bring into their remembrance all things Christ taught them. These are the foundational truth (1 Cor’ns 3:10) of God’s Church which the disciples become apostles would teach to God’s Church of their days and which would be restored to God’s Philadelphia Era Church by God’s promised end-time Elijah (Mat 17:10-11).
All the things that would be brought back to their remembrance is what Christ had taught them; the foundational truth of God’s Church (1 Cor’ns 3:10).
So how does God teach His Church and make it possible for true Christians to have growth all through their Christian lives? Would it be by appearing to them in a humanly visible form and teaching them? How would God teach truly converted Christians?
Through His Comforter, the holy spirit being called God the Father’s Word and Spokesman, which is the means whereby we can learn all things as it teaches us.
Since, the First Coming of Christ and His ascension to His Father, we have been in the last days of God’s master plan of salvation for mankind where a day in fulfillment is 1,000 years. In the past God spoke to Israel by prophets but since the glorification of Christ, He speaks to the truly converted Christian by his Son, the holy spirit being that dwells in the truly converted and teaches them all things.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
As an important aside, it should be noted that there are no more prophets to come but God’s Two Witnesses. So, a word of caution to those who call themselves true prophets of God and who are building so-called churches of God: God says they are no more prophets to come in New Testament times except the Two Witnesses.
Now going back to the topic under discussion. The Comforter or the holy spirit being called the Word would teach Christians the foundational truth of the Church as well as truth not given the apostles but which could be discovered by Christians once they have mastered the foundational truth.
God is not saying and nowhere can it be found in the Bible that God would send angels, cherubs or archangels to teach His Church; He would do it Himself through the agency of His Holy Spirit dwelling in the mind of the individual Christian. The Bible speaks of there being no other way.
God’s Spirit is immeasurably stronger than our spirit but it does not compel us, it merely leads and it is up to the individual Christian to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead (Rom 8:14).
God’s presence is in His Church through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the minds of the truly converted who collectively, though very often not together physically, are the temple in which the holy spirit beings God and the Word dwell.
And God teaches true Christians through the holy spirit being called the Word and gives them understanding of the things of God which otherwise are a totally unknowable mystery and foolishness to men.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
When there is a visible corporate body of the Church as in the days of HWA, we read in Ephesians 4 that God sets certain persons in the body of Christ, His Church, they do not appoint themselves, for the purpose of perfecting the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Eph 4:11 And he [God] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, [in knowledge and understanding] tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But , [the apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, teachers and members] speaking the truth in love may grow up [as the body of Christ] into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint [apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers and members] supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase [growth] of the body [the Church] unto the edifying of itself in love.
God teaches His Church by using converted men who have the natural abilities to act as apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers NOT through spirit beings materializing and teaching the Church. God teaches the Church through His Spirit which is in the mind of those that are chosen to pastor, teach, etc. and in the minds of the members. The Holy Spirit makes the truth of God comprehensible to the minds of both the teachers and to those who are taught by them. The truth the Church teaches was placed in the Church by Christ through the apostles. Evangelists, pastors, elders and teachers are not the source of Church doctrine, they are merely to teach the truth given the Church by Christ to the apostles.
So, God rules His Church and teaches it through His presence in the minds of both the human preachers and teachers He sets in His Church and through the Holy Spirit in those who are being taught which makes it possible for them to understand in its spiritual dimension what is being taught them.
God rules in the affairs of converted and unconverted men by His Spirit acting in their minds as is needed to ensure the carrying out of His master plan of salvation for mankind.
God is Spirit
The essential and only nature of God is to be a spirit being and the means by which He communicates with men is through the mind power given their animal brains by the presence of a spirit essence the Bible refers to as the “spirit in man.”
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
And as we have already seen, I Corn’s 2:10-12 tells us that the truth of God is unknowable through man’s 5 physical senses which limits his ability to learn to what his 5 physical senses can perceive i.e., the physical-material world.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God [the Holy Spirit]; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Man’s mind was created incomplete in that its ability to learn is limited to the material world; in order for men’s minds to be able to know the spiritual things of God, it needs to have another spirit added to its human spirit essence, God’s Holy Spirit.
They Shall be All Taught of God
In the book of John we read of the Jews struggling to try to understand what it was Jesus meant when He said He was the bread of life.
Joh 6:34 Then said they [the Jews] unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. [they wanted the eternal life that came from eating this bread.]
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Up to that point they thought Jesus was talking about physical bread but now He tells them that He is that bread of life and they become totally confused as to what He is really talking about. Notice that Jesus says that it is “he that cometh to me” that shall never hunger and never thirst. But as He says in John 6:37; 44, it is not just anyone that can come to Him; it is not a choice that the individual makes as we can see from John 6:37, 44 and 65, it is God the Father who calls.
Joh 6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
All of those called to conversion by the Father will come to Christ to be taught and Christ says He will surely teach them; they will understand but the Jews were not being called and couldn’t come to Christ for Him to teach them and they could not understand what Christ was telling them.
In the following verses (John 6:38-40), Jesus tells them what is his mission. He came to do the will of the Father and the will of the Father is that He was to teach only those whom the Father would call. Let’s read on.
Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. [Christ came to do the Father’s will and what is His Father’s will; the next verse tells us.]
Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. [God the Father calls men and upon their committing themselves to obeying Him they are given over to Christ who will teach them and if they remain faithful until the end of their physical lives, of all those who remain faithful, none shall be lost, they will all be resurrected to glorified spirit life.]
Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, [is given to know the truth taught by Christ] and believeth on him,[change their lives to be in obedience to the truth] may [God will allow them] have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.[Those that are called and believe Christ’s teachings and abandon their former lives to follow the truth will be resurrected.]
Joh 6:41 The Jews then murmured [disbelieved and criticized Jesus in low voices among themselves] at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. [They could not understand the spiritual aspect of what Christ was telling them; they could only understand what Christ told them in a literal fashion i.e., that Christ was somehow a piece of bread that one could eat.]
Joh 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? [Another thing that made them incredulous was that they couldn’t understand how Christ could have come down from heaven when they knew his parents; those coming from heaven to their minds are not born of women.]
Joh 6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
So Jesus said, don’t be unbelieving and critical of what I have said and He tells them why but in a way that they cannot understand but which should be plain to us.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
No one can believe that Jesus is the Christ who before His incarnation as a man born of woman subject to the law and the 2nd death, was the Logos who dwelt in eternity with God the Father unless God the Father draws him i.e., calls him to conversion to be taught by Christ. Christ after His ascension to His Father would resume His glorified state and be the God being that would be God the Father’s Spokesman that would teach those called by the Father. (Heb 1:1-2)
Christ is God, He is Holy and He is a Spirit; Christ is a Holy Spirit as is God the Father. Christ is God’s Spokesman, He is the Holy Spirit of the God family that would work in the minds of those the Father would call to conversion once they have accepted their calling. The Father calls and begets those whom He call by giving them knowledge that brings them to the point where they have to make a decision on whether to pursue the Father’s calling or to go back into the world. If the called out one decides to pursue the Father’s calling, then Christ is the one that then becomes responsible for teaching the new convert.
As even more proof of what He was saying, Christ gives the Jews a quote from the OT scriptures which they said they knew very well but which in reality they did not really understand.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. [by the God family, God the Father and Christ] Every man therefore that hath heard, [who has heard the Father calling them; whom the Father calls] and hath learned of the Father, [and who have been taught by the Father who gives them knowledge that brings them to the point where they have to make a decision; once they commit to obeying God, Christ then continues the teaching process; the Father begets and Christ provides the spiritual growth] cometh unto me. [Christ, the Spokesman, is the Holy Spirit of God’s family that will dwell in the minds of those whom the Father calls and who will teach them all things. And, since Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Christ, they both dwell in the minds of the truly converted and therefore, all those called and chosen are taught of God.]
In John 6:45 Jesus was quoting them Isa 54:13 as proof that what He was telling them was fully supported by the scriptures they studied and held to be true.
Isa 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Of course, it was impossible for them to understand what Christ was telling them as they didn’t have the mind to be able to do so; they had Christ with them but He was not sent to teach them, only those God the Father gave Him, His disciples and, in the future, all those whom God the Father would call during the 7,000 year administration of His great master plan of salvation.
We also have the same truth repeated in epistles as we can see in the following verse from I Timothei.
1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Who are the “they” the Scriptures are talking about?
In John 6:44-45 Jesus makes it clear that it is all those that He will teach; those the Father will call and give over to Him. He is God’s Spokesman, the Holy Spirit that will teach all those drawn and begotten by the Father.
Conclusion
We started off this study seeking to show how God rules over mankind, converted and unconverted and we have seen how through His Holy Spirit He is capable of acting in the minds of both the converted and the unconverted. God only acts in the minds of the unconverted of the world as needed to ensure prophetic events occur as prophesied and as necessary for his great, master plan of salvation to occur as planned. God’s Holy Spirit is the means whereby truly converted Christians are taught God’s truth; it teaches them all things.
As we have seen God is quite able of effectively influencing mankind without ever having to show Himself in a form visible to human physical senses.
God teaches His Church through the Holy Spirit dwelling in the minds of true Christians and in that way all true Christians are taught of God.
The Holy Spirit is what allows Christian to understand the truth of God taught them by God’s ministry when there is one.
It is also the means whereby God teaches true Christians as they study their Bible. The Holy Spirit makes understandable to the human mind the spiritual truth of the Bible.
All those called by God the Father after committing themselves to obey God are taught by God’s Holy Spirit which is Christ, God’s Spokesman, the One through which God speaks to the truly converted.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
God has not been using spirit beings materializing in a form visible to men to teach His Church. There is no evidence in the whole Bible that God has ever allowed spirit beings or that He will use glorified spirit beings (God’s saints in the first resurrection) to teach those that are to be called to salvation after Christ’s 2nd Coming during the Millennium and the Last Great Day.
The saints to come in the days of the Millennium and of the Last Great Day will be taught in the same manner as today’s saints and past saints since the beginning of God’s New Testament Spirit-begotten Church, by God’s Holy Spirit that teaches them all things.
Much more to come on this topic in the following study: Administration of God’s Plan of Salvation During the Millennium
God's Spiritual Nation 