The Holy Ghost Among Us Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italian

Cornelius, an Italian, who served as a type of "regimental commander", received the Holy Ghost along with others who were present, including the Jewish people who had come along with Peter to visit with Cornelius, his family and his friends.

Acts 10:44-46 says this, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God."

(In order to gain a more complete understanding of this extremely poignant story, read the entire 10th chapter of Acts.)

Answer: The Holy Spirit bears witness to the spirit of individuals

Romans 8:14-17 states that, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

1st John 3:10 adds to this concept with another train of thought:

"In this the children of God are manifest (made known), and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

(While it is true that everyone and everything are all a part of God's creation, most evangelical Christians believe that people must be "born again" by His Spirit in order to be claimed as one of His children.)

Answer: 9

There are total of NINE gifts listed as coming from the Holy Spirit of God. I have capitalized each of them for your review:

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the WORD OF WISDOM; to another the WORD OF KNOWLEDGE by the same Spirit; To another FAITH by the same Spirit; to another the GIFTS OF HEALING by the same Spirit; To another the WORKING OF MIRACLES; to another PROPHECY; to another DISCERNING OF SPIRITS; to another DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES; to another the INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

(Please note that it is not "the gift of healing", but the GIFTS of healing in plural form, not in the singular.)

Answer: 12

In Acts 19:1-7 we read:

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

"And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?
And they said, Unto John's baptism.

"Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve."

Answer: they will have their mortal bodies quickened

Read the King James Version of this scripture carefully:

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

(The word "quicken" translates roughly as "to enliven".) In other words, people who are still in flesh and blood status CAN receive Christ's Holy Spirit, but while flesh and blood cannot enter into heaven itself, the NEW body that will be received by those who trust in God's Holy Ghost will be able to enter into the presence of God's glory.

Answer: another person laid hands on each of them

The implication here seems to be indicative of the Holy Ghost at work. It was not the "laying on of hands" alone that created the desired results, yet this act may be viewed as the manifestation of faith at work through the use of the hands of others.

For the purpose of emphasis, I will capitalize the relevant wording in each of the instances that appear below.

Acts 8:14-17 says, "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) THEN LAID THEY THEIR HANDS ON THEM, and they received the Holy Ghost."

Matthew 19:13-15 reads, "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. AND HE LAID HIS HANDS ON THEM, and departed thence."

Mark 5:41-42 reads, "AND HE TOOK THE DAMSEL BY THE HAND, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment."

Answer: the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost

After Jesus' resurrection in the book of Luke, He reviews a few things with his disciples and commands them to wait patiently for the appearance of the Holy Ghost. In Luke 24:49 we read, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
In Acts 1:8, we see the following: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
And in Acts 2:1-4 - "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The disciples were instructed to tarry (or wait) for the Father to send His Holy Spirit until God's timing was ready. We see this occurred when the day of Pentecost was FULLY come. This type of waiting period is also shown in the following scripture found in Isaiah 40:31 - "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Answer: as a dove

The Holy Ghost appeared in the form of a dove, according to each of the gospel accounts. (Luke 3:21-22, Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10-11 and John 1:32-34.)

The figure of the dove was likely used because of its familiarity to the people. It represented peace, freedom (because of its wild nature, even though it was one of the earliest domesticated of all birds), and as one of the most easily frightened creatures; for it to deliberately land on Jesus may be seen to demonstrate that it was perfectly comfortable with Him. Doves land differently from other birds; they flutter down gently. Of course, this was not an actual dove, merely a symbolism of one, and since Jesus claimed kinship with the Father, then Christians believe that quite naturally the Holy Ghost of God would have been quite at ease with the Son of God.

Luke's account puts it this way; "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."

Matthew says, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"

Mark states that; "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Finally, in John we read, "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God."

Answer: by the Holy Ghost

1 Corinthians 12:3 - "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."

This seems to say that the Holy Ghost reveals itself to those who believe in their hearts that Christ is the son of God.

(I feel that no matter WHAT Grandma and Grandpa believed, and no matter how fine a person they may have been, each individual person is responsible for their OWN beliefs, and no manner of our own "goodness" or of what "Granny's preacher said..." is a substitute for the Holy Ghost of God dwelling within us, providing guidance and leadership, and extending God's love to us.)

Answer: "that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

In the introductory verses of John's gospel, we find that John states that Jesus IS the Word of God. In John 1:1 we see, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In verse 14 we read,
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Later, in John 5:7-11, the scripture has this to say about all three entities of the Godhead:

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."