The scripture states in 2 Corinthians 4:13, 14:
The term "Spirit of Faith," as used in the verse above, can be viewed and understood in many ways, and, in fact, much has been taught about this phrase by many ministers of the Gospel. Brother Kenneth Copeland has referred to this "Spirit of Faith" as an "overcoming, winning attitude."We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. (Italics added for emphasis).
Brother Copeland points out that the "Spirit of Faith" he is describing is not a "spirit" in the sense of being a specific spirit personality, but can be viewed as an attitude:Now the thing that I want to talk to you about is the Spirit of Faith. Now this is not talking about the Holy Spirit, it’s not talking about your spirit, its not talking about a spirit ‘personality’ here. It’s using the phrase ‘the Spirit of Faith’ the same way you would use the phrase ‘espirit de corps;’ the ‘spirit of the corps;’ the ‘spirit of the team;’ the ‘team spirit;’ the ‘school spirit;’ you know what I’m talking about? (Copeland: The Spirit of Faith: The Spirit of Faith Teaching Tape Series)
Brother Copeland further explains his view on the Spirit of Faith as a "winning attitude" by comparing the spiritual activity and lifestyle of a believer to the manifestation of "satanic activity" in the lifestyle of a sinner:I want you to see part of this Spirit of Faith, this attitude of faith...the attitude of faith is so, so important to the life of the believer. The Bible says that you need the spirit of your mind renewed in the Book of Ephesians, it tells us to renew the spirit of our mind. What’s the spirit of your mind? That’s your attitude! Renew your attitude! How do you do that? You do it with God’s Word! You need a winning attitude, you need a faith attitude. Your attitude about things ought to be like Jesus’ attitude. (Copeland: A Winning Attitude of Faith: The Spirit of Faith Teaching Tape Series)
While this view no doubt has instructional value and is an important aspect of this scripture reference, it is not the actual, literal translation of this verse. We can infer that the Spirit of Faith is simply an attitude, but we can not concretely say that it can, and should, only be viewed as an attitude of the heart. In the quotation above, Brother Copeland says that the "Spirit" that is Lord over this attitude is the Holy Spirit of God. We need to dig deeper into the actual meaning of this verse in the original language."I believe therefore have I spoken." Now there are a lot of people, that a lot of places and a lot of times say, "Well, those guys talk about that confession stuff, and that speaking stuff all the time, that’s just all they talk about!" Well that’s because we’re involved with the Spirit of Faith. We’re in the spirit of the thing. I mean, I’m caught up with the spirit of it. Of course, the Spirit that’s Lord over it, is the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Faith! And when you get around Him you just act and talk that way. You can go into any nation of the world, and I don’t care what language they speak, they all act just alike. And did you know that they all (also) act just like the devil...just alike? Wherever you go, you can spot the devil. He acts the same way when he’s drunk. He acts the same way when he’s on drugs...a human being, whether he speaks English, German, French, Swahili, or "Gabi-Gabi," or anything else that you can find. Or one that just stands around and grunts and moans...will act the same way when he’s drunk. He’ll act the same way when he’s on drugs. He’ll act the same way when he’s overcome by some kind of an emotion. He’ll act the same way when he’s mad. He’ll act the same way under any influence of satan. The spirit of that thing is all the same, all over the world. And by the same token, they act the same way when they get born again. They act the same way when they go to praising God in other tongues. They act the same way when the Spirit of God comes on the scene. And you teach them how to operate in faith and go to talking about faith and they’ll go just as nutty somewhere else as they do here… its the same Spirit of Faith! It’s the same Spirit, led by the same one! Thank God! (Copeland: The Spirit of Faith: The Spirit of Faith Teaching Tape Series)
In fact, the phrase "Spirit of Faith" used in 2 Corinthians 3:14 is translated as follows from the original Greek:
In other words, the term " Spirit of Faith" begins with a word that is actually translated directly as a personality such as the spirit of a man, or the Spirit of God. This word simply means "spirit," and, if we examine the context, it must be a "spirit" that we can all share as believers. That is, we are each individually unique spirits in the concrete sense. Each of us is a separate and unique human spirit, we each have a soul, and we each live in a separate physical body.Spirit
4151 pneuma (pnyoo'-mah);
from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:
KJV-- ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare 5590.
of
3588 ho (ho);
including the feminine he (hay); and the neuter to (to); in all their inflections; the def. article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):
KJV-- the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc..
Faith
4102 pistis (pis'-tis);
from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:
KJV-- assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. (Biblesoft: PC Study Bible: Strong’s Concordance)
This scripture indicates that the "whole" man is composed of the spirit, the soul and the body. E.W. Kenyon refers to this fact in his book,The Hidden Man of the Heart: An Unveiling of the Subconcious Mind:And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Kenyon explains that this totality of the "tripartite man" can be recognized in the training and growth of the human being from birth through life.Here are some spirit facts: man is a spirit, he has a soul. The soul is composed of his reasoning faculties. He lives in a physical body. The physical body possesses the five senses, they are the educators and teachers of the brain. (Kenyon: The Hidden Man of the Heart: 8)
To support this truth further, John Osteen relates in his book, How to Flow in the Super Supernatural, "You are a spirit. You have a soul. You live in a body." So, we see, that the "real you" is a unique spirit man. The "real you" has, or possesses, a soul, which can be referred to as "the mind, will and emotions," and lives in a physical body.In the babe we see purely the physical. Then as the child’s mind begins to reach out and becomes inquisitive, the child becomes simply mind and body to us.
We are careful to feed its body, to build it up, to train the mind and make it efficient, but who has ever taught or trained the spirit?
We heard much in psychological discussions about the subconscious mind. At first we were thrilled with it. Then we discovered that it was nothing but our own spirit.
We found that the conscience is the voice of the spirit, reason is the voice of our mind, and feelings are the voice of our body. (Kenyon: The Hidden Man of the Heart: 25, 26)
Yet, no one can know another man’s spirit in the natural. That is, it is impossible to "read the mind" (or the spirit) of another outside of supernatural activity beyond the operation of the five natural senses. The following scripture makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 2:9-12:
The "heart" and the "spirit" are synonymous. Quoting Brother E.W. Kenyon again: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.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
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.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
His reference to "hidden man of the heart" is from this scripture reference:Psychology has to do with the mind, and the New Birth has to do with the "hidden man of the heart," or the spirit of man. (Kenyon: The Hidden Man of the Heart: 7)
As we see, the reference to the term "heart" is, indeed, synonymous with the word "spirit" in the same verse.Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (1 Peter 3:3, 4, emphasis added.)
No one can "know" the things that are in another man’s spirit, but we can know the things that are freely given to us of the Spirit of God. Why is this? Because God has placed His Own Spirit within each of us that are born again! We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, which is the earnest of our inheritance.
That is why the scripture can assert that we have access to the things that are in God’s Spirit. As we noted in 1 Corinthians 2:12: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 that Holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13, 14)
We have each, as believers, received the Holy Spirit of God, therefore, when we review the context and translation of 2 Corinthians 4:13, we must conclude that if Paul asserts that we (implying all the believers that he was addressing) have the same Spirit of Faith, then this Spirit must, in fact, be the Holy Spirit. There is no other common spirit personality that we can all share.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.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Given this fact, what conclusion can we draw? We must realize that the attitude that Brother Copeland refers to as a "winning, overcoming attitude" must be the result of the Spirit of God operating in the believer. The "Spirit of Faith" is an outward manifestation of the inward operation and manifestation of the Spirit of God.
Now, let’s examine what the results of the "Spirit of Faith’s" operation is in this scripture:
"I believed, and therefore have I spoken..." Apparently, the Holy Spirit’s operation in the believer’s life, producing this winning attitude, also produces an unction to speak out words of faith. Let us remember our definition of the word "pistis," or "faith," from Strong’s Concordance:We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak...
(2 Corinthians 4:13).
Note the fact that "pistis" is a "persuasion", and it also implies "constancy in such profession." It would seem that confession, or speaking one’s faith, or beliefs, is a key part of what it means to be a believer, and certainly one that operates in this "Spirit of Faith."from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:
KJV-- assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. (Biblesoft: PC Study Bible: Strong’s Concordance)
The Spirit of Faith believes the Word of God in spite of what the circumstances say, then it speaks what God’s Word says about the circumstance or situation.The first and most fundamental fact these verses (2 Corinthians 4:13-18) reveal about the spirit of faith is that itbelieves.
What does it believe? The Word of God. What’s more, faith believes God’s Word just because God said it -- whether natural circumstances seem to agree or not.
That means if you want to maintain a spirit of faith in the area of healing, for example, you must start by getting your Bible and finding out what God has said about healing. (Gloria Copeland: The Unbeatable Spirit of Faith: 6, 7)
The Spirit of Faith, then, can be viewed as operating in a prevailing attitude of victory that arises from the fact that the Holy Spirit of God within us is at work bringing the Word of God in our lives to pass. You must live by faith, walk by faith and talk by faith. Then you will be living in the Spirit of Faith.That’s what the spirit of faith does. It stands in the midst of the most impossible circumstances and believes God anyway! Then it begins to speak. (Gloria Copeland: The Unbeatable Spirit of Faith: 11)
Our key scripture in our study of the Spirit of Faith in 2 Corinthians 4:13 says that:Right now you may be thinking, I really want to walk and talk by faith. The problem is, every time I look at the mess I’m in, I get discouraged.
Then stop looking at the mess! Instead, focus your attention on the promise of God. Keep His Word in front of your eyes and in your ears until you see it coming to pass with the eyes of your spirit.
That’s what the spirit of faith does. It looks "not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Of course, I’m not saying you should ignore your problems or close you eyes to them as if they aren’t real. They are real. But according to the Word they are temporal. That means subject to change. And you can be assured that if you keep looking at the Word, they will change! (Gloria Copeland: The Unbeatable Spirit of Faith: 15, 16)
From what we have learned from the Word during the recent "Word of Faith," or "Teaching Revival;" what we say is what comes to pass in our lives. This principle is at the heart of "faith teaching." We are to believe in our heart and confess with our mouth.We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak...
This is the very essence of "the Word of Faith," which we preach! Now the Spirit of Faith compels us to speak our faith!But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8, 9)
People who act in faith, speak the Word, and live the "faith life" are the one’s that overcome in life!He said here that faith has a spirit about it. Well to find out what the spirit of something is, you just listen to it speak for a little bit and you’ll find out what the spirit is that prevails over it. How does it speak, how does it act? How does it walk, how does it conduct itself? What does it do? What prevails when more than one faith person comes together, what is the spirit that prevails in that place? How do they all act? They’ll all act the same way if its all the same faith. If they all have faith in the same thing then they are all going to act the same way when they come together. (Copeland: The Spirit of Faith: The Spirit of Faith Teaching Tape Series)
We will see further confirmation of these truths with regard to the Spirit of Faith as we explore the scriptures verse by verse in 2 Corinthians Chapters Three through Five to see the meaning of this term within context in the writings of Paul in Chapter Four of this dissertation. Before we move on to that examination, we need to establish a correlation between the Spirit of God and the Glory of God.
Smith Wigglesworth an Apostle of Faith Indeed, Faith is our assurance for Greater Exploits......
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