Continuing on in Paul’s discourse in Titus three, verse six says, “whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” The He here is the Holy Spirit whom the regenerated person experiences in the fullest measure possible (hence Paul’s use of “richly” [πλουσίως]). One should ask the question, “What does it mean to experience the Holy Spirit in fullest measure? What is the fullest measure? Jesus Himself helps us answer these questions in John 6: 63 – 65 when He says,
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.””
Here Jesus is finishing up His explanation of what it means to be drawn by the Father. In verse sixty-three Jesus presents one of the most profound truths of the entire New Testament. Literally rendered, this verse says, “The Spirit is the one who is making alive” (τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζῳοποιοῦν). Several points here bear special consideration. First, John’s recounting of Jesus’ words uses the present active indicative form of the stative verb is (ἐστιν). This usage is common in the New Testament to indicate what something or someone is; or put another way, what is the reality of their nature or essence. The use of this word in the present active indicative form brings the understanding of a stated reality concerning the Holy Spirit. What Jesus says about the Spirit is, from Jesus’ and John’s point of view, certainly and absolutely true. What is asserted about the Holy Spirit in the phrase that follows confirms the expressed truth of His nature but clarifies the most valued part of this statement; the Holy Spirit by His ontological nature brings life. The second point to consider here is that John uses the Greek word ζωή (life) which is the term used exclusively in the New Testament to indicate spiritual life. ζωή differs from the other word of life in the New Testament, βίον which refers to biological life and therefore indicates that what Jesus is speaking of is not life in this temporal frame but eternal spiritual life. Thirdly, the form of ζωή is in the present active participial form. As has been discussed elsewhere, this use of the participle could be intended to convey the idea of repeated action however; the Greek imperfect many times is used to indicate simple repletion or lifestyle type ideas. Here the participle semantically indicates an inherent nature or essence. It is a term of ontology not simple repetition. What Jesus is saying is that the Holy Spirit is the One who by His presence bring life; it is His nature, it is His purpose. If there was any doubt as to whether others may accomplish this task of bringing life, Jesus clarifies the point by His use of the definite article τὸ (the, or many times in the Johannine corpus, the one). It does not serve to make a theological mountain from a proverbial mole hill here but the balance of the construct should be sufficient to prove the major point. What is added in any discussion of the definite article should only be to further clarify the independently supported point as is the case. What is of note is that the Holy Spirit is the only source of eternal, spiritual life and such an alteration in the human heart is not possible elsewhere. As Jesus concludes His discourse on this subject, He acknowledges that there are in fact some present who will not accept what He has said. The reason touches again on several points. Highlighting them generally, the first is that what Jesus has spoken about the Spirit and then by extension eternal life are purposed and intentional. Jesus’ discourse was given for one specific reason; to communicate, spoke (λελάληκα) a perfect active indicative, truth about the Holy Spirit. Second, Jesus knew that there were some who are not believing ones (πιστεύοντες) a present active participle which differs in intent from Jesus’ use of believe (πιστεύουσιν) a present active indicative immediately preceding. What is in play is that there are some who are simply demonstrating outwardly a failure to believe (πιστεύουσιν) because that is what they are; not ontologically believing ones (πιστεύοντες). In the hearing of such profound and powerful words from the Lord Himself, how can this be? The reason is that the Holy Spirit had not entered into the hearts of some that witnessed this event and because he had not entered in, life had not come. Jeremiah 31: 33 – 34 further clarifies this point. Jeremiah says,
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.””
Speaking of the New Covenant, the intent of this passage is that the need of external observance of God’s commands is rendered obsolete. Rather, God will write His word on the human heart. This is accomplished by the very presence of the Holy Spirit as He brings spiritual life into the dead heart and materially changes one’s thoughts and intentions. This is why God says there will be no need for one to say to another, “Know (דְּעוּ) a Qal active imperative. The external is superseded by the internal so that the letter of the Law is replaced by the eternal spirit of the Law. In Titus 3: 6, Paul’s use of the term “poured” makes reference to these truths. The fullest experience of the Holy Spirit can be none other than a personal transformation brought about by the tangible presence of the Spirit residence in the heart and soul of the regenerated believer. Not only does the resulting justification of the believer place him once again in right standing with God it make the belier an heir; that is, one of God’s own children and one of God’s own household . It is the transformative change that must occur within the human heart before any other work of God can take place. In short, the internal work of God must precede the external expression of that work. to the subject of this external expression of regeneration, faith and repentance, attention will now be turned.
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