"Did Thomas miss out on being born again and having the Holy Spirit coming to indwell him at that time? If so, when was Thomas born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit?"

To tell you the truth I never gave this any thought until you asked the question.

When Jesus breathed into His disciples and said "Receive the Holy Spirit", surely they did not reject the Spirit but received the Spirit and were born again. The breath of God and the Spirit are the same. Remember when God created man. He made the body of man out of the dust of the earth, and then God breathed into the man, and man became a living soul. This breath became the human spirit.

Now getting back to your question, we know that Thomas was in the upper room with the other disciples waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. I am sure that the other disciples shared with Thomas about receiving the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them. Now with the indwelling Holy Spirit their eyes were opened and they could understand the words of Jesus about being born again, which it would seem to me that they would have shared this with Thomas, and by this time a doubting Thomas was a believing Thomas who had received the same indwelling Spirit of God. These are only my thoughts on the matter.

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Mike

Drifter, in response what you think the Kingdom of God is you answered: 2. To me, and I believe scripturally, the kingdom of God is within us, and we will dwell in the kingdom of God forever with Jesus

I dont mean to critical but you didnt answer the question. You pointed out two scriptural teachings ABOUT the Kingdom of Heaven but not what it is.

I only point this out brother because I am curious to hear your thoughts (and perhaps the thoughts of others if they want to weigh in)

I think the idea of what the Kingdom is has direct correlation with what transpired that day when Jesus breathed on the disciples which is why I bring it up

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Tyler

I cant really say it better than Jesus:

"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 17:21

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Nigel Holland

Nigel,

But the disciples could not have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit as soon as Jesus called them and they followed Him because Jesus also said:

John 7:38-39 -- "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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Jade

It would seem awfully strange to me that someone like king David could rejoice in God's salvation without actually knowing Him. (It seems to me some Old Testament believers knew God better than we do today; rather odd if they only had an intellectual knowledge, wouldn't you say?) Jesus said eternal life is to know God.

A. W. Tozer said that Old Testament believers looked forward to the cross, and New Testament believers look back; we are all saved the same way. Only the blood of Jesus can save you, not Old Testament sacrifices.

And Peter even said the Spirit of Christ was in Old Testament believers.

"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:10,11

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Nigel Holland

"But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born."

Luke 1:13-15

Before Pentecost? During the Old Covenant?

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Nigel Holland

Drifter I dont mean to be contentious. But thats the same thing as asking someome what an apple is and you say "the apple hangs from the apple tree." It doesnt answer the question. Jesus obviously knew because he was able to talk about it (in this example where it can be found). The apostles used the term likewise, they knew what it was and could speak of it and its nature because they knew what it was.

Do we?

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Tyler

I see this difference:

Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was not given to permanently indwell a man and the Holy Spirit could be taken away from him. Thus David prayed: “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11).

After Pentecost, born again Christians are given the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell them. Jesus said: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. ” (John 14:16-17).

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Jade