Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Feb. 14, 2026
Update	: Feb. 14, 2026
Parts	: 04

Synopsis:



Continuing our discussion from part two regarding what may have happened in John 20 when the Lord breathed the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, something else which has occurred to me is the possibility that perhaps the Apostles needed this to occur at that time. Why so? Well, while they were present when Jesus raised Lazarus and a few other individuals from the dead, this was something quite different. Remember, they had watched as the Lord had been beaten, tortured, whipped, forced to carry a heavy Roman cross -- or stake -- and then died a very slow, agonizing death as He hung on that cross.

Furthermore, we have no idea what Jesus looked like after the Romans were done with Him. In other words, how much He may have possibly been disfigured. I mean, folks, it was a pretty dark experience, and the cruel Romans were not known for their kindness. Crucifixion was meant to be as painful, and as excruciating as possible, right? This form of public execution was obviously meant to drive fear into any foolish person or group who was even contemplating rising up against Rome.

In light of these facts, it seems to me that the sudden and unexpected appearance of a dead man in their midst -- behind locked doors no less, because they were hiding from the Jews out of fear -- must have been rather unsettling. So perhaps Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them in order to calm down the Apostles. Remember what He had said to them previously in John 14 regarding giving them His peace? As I point out in articles such as "Sex, A Bowl of Soup and the Nature of Angels", suddenly being confronted with a spiritual entity from the Spiritual Realm can be a frightening, overpowering experience which our human flesh simply cannot handle. In fact, in the Scriptures, we are informed that some of the Prophets and holy men fainted and fell down as one dead when they experienced such encounters. Consider the following set of Bible verses as proof of this point:

"And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and THERE REMAINED NO STRENGTH IN ME: FOR MY COMELINESS WAS TURNED IN ME INTO CORRUPTION, AND I RETAINED NO STRENGTH. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I STOOD TREMBLING . . . And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I HAVE RETAINED NO STRENGTH. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, STRAIGHTWAY THERE REMAINED NO STRENGTH IN ME, NEITHER IS THERE BREATH LEFT IN ME. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me."


"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and THEY FEARED AS THEY ENTERED INTO THE CLOUD."


"And when I saw him, I FELL AT HIS FEET AS DEAD. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."


As I have mentioned before, it is because of verses such as the previous ones, that I have a lot of skepticism regarding the many online accounts where certain Christians claim to have encounters with Jesus Christ or with Angelic Beings, as if it is the most natural thing in the world. I am sorry, my friends, but there is absolutely NOTHING natural or calming about it. Such supernatural experiences would freak out your flesh, unless you are some kind of superhuman, which I doubt. If anything, perhaps some of those people are being deceived by Satan, who can appear as a false angel of light, as we know from the following Bible verse written by Apostle Paul:

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."


At any rate, the next obvious question is why Jesus was able to breathe the Holy Spirit on them in the first place. Well, as I explain in other articles, it is because even though He was still the Son, the Lord was filled with the full Spirit of His Father without measure -- that is to say, without any kind of limit -- as Jesus himself -- as well as the Apostle Paul -- both indicate in the following set of Bible verses:

"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him."


"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;"


"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."


As I explain in a few other BBB articles, it is my view that this is why Jesus said "I and my Father are one" and "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father", as we see by the following group of Bible verses:

"I‭ and‭ ‭my‭ Father‭ are‭‭ one‭.‭"


"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake."


Sadly, it is my view that in our modern day, there are many misguided Christians who have seriously misunderstood what the Lord was saying in the previous Bible verses. However, in order to avoid going off on a huge tangent from our main discussion, and being as I amply discuss the issue in other published and yet-to-be-published articles, I will refrain from delving any deeper into this subject in this current series. On a side note, you may find it interesting to know that in addition to the fact that Jesus was filled with his Father's Spirit without limit or measure, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we are also told that a special body was in fact prepared for Jesus to dwell upon the Earth. Consider the following three verses:

"Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, BUT A BODY HAST THOU PREPARED ME: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."


Returning to the issue of how "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ" seem to be used as synonymous or interchangeable terms in the Bible, aside from the event we find in John 20 which occurred about fifty days before the day of Pentecost, the Lord said something else which partially reveals how the Spirit of God works. I am referring to the following verse:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."


Well now, isn't that interesting! Exactly why is it that the Comforter of the Holy Spirit couldn't even be sent until the Lord's bodily presence was removed from the Earth? For my part, I think the previous group of Bible verses explains it to us rather clearly. To say it again, the full power of our Heavenly Father was concentrated in Jesus during the time He spent on the Earth. That is why the Lord was able to perform such powerful miracles. It was NOT Jesus -- the man in human flesh -- who was actually performing the miracles. It was the power of the Most High which resided in His body of flesh. In fact, Jesus plainly stated so Himself, as we can determine by the following Bible verses:

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise . . . I CAN OF MINE OWN SELF DO NOTHING: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."


So while I may possibly be mistaken, it seems to me that as long as Jesus remained on the Earth, and as long as the full power of his Father's Spirit resided in Him, it could not be properly dispersed amongst the Apostles, or amongst anyone else who received the Holy Spirit after that very first main indwelling of the Spirit which occurred in Acts chapter two. To be clear, this is just my personal theory at this current time. You may accept it or reject it as you wish. Anyway, one of the primary points I want you to consider here is the fact that whether we are talking about God the Father, or Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, they ALL seem to be constituted of the very same spiritual substance. They are all one in that regard, although their levels of authority do appear to be different, as I explain in other BBB articles. Let's not forget that Jesus did say "My Father is greater than I", as we see by the following Bible verse:

"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I."


Now exactly what that substance is, is a very good question. I have mentioned before that my personal view has long been that Spirit is simply some type of energy. It is a positive, creative force. We learn this from the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis where we are told that the Spirit of God moved upon the waters, and then the act of creation began, as we know from the following two verses, as well as from the first chapter of the Gospel of John:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."


So, my friends, taking into consideration all of the various pieces of Scriptural evidence I've now presented to you, what can we really conclude? Well, let's consider the facts which we have uncovered thus far in this current series:

1. Jesus said to ASK for the Holy Spirit. He also engaged in a lot of prayer time, and encouraged others to pray as well.

2. Amongst Christian believers, asking God for things is for the most part usually done by the way of personal prayer.

3. We are told that we must believe in, RECEIVE and confess Christ as part of the Salvation process.

4. We are informed that the Spirit of Christ dwells in one's HEART by the Apostle Paul.

5. The Apostle Paul appears to use the phrases "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ" as interchangeable, synonymous terms when he writes about God's Spirit dwelling in our HEART.

6. Father, Son and Holy Spirit all form a part of what Paul refers to as the Godhead.

7. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all constituted of the same spiritual substance.

8. Jesus was fully empowered by the Spirit of His Father during His time on the Earth.

9. We are informed that the Holy Spirit could not be given until Jesus returned to Heaven.

So then, when a person PRAYS AND ASKS to receive the Holy Spirit -- just as the Lord himself indicated in Luke 11:13 -- can we conclude that by praying and asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, one is in effect also asking Jesus to come into his or her heart being as Spirit of God and Spirit Of Christ are used interchangeably in the Scriptures? I have presented you with the evidence. Now I will just let this question percolate in your mind, and allow you to arrive at your own conclusion.

Personally, I will simply say the following. While there may not be any verses which outright instruct us to pray and ask Jesus to come into our hearts by way of a prayer, I believe that I have now demonstrated -- as I likewise discuss in "To Believe in Jesus Is Also to Accept Jesus" -- that based on what we are told in the Scriptures, praying to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and asking Jesus to come into our hearts, pretty much amounts to the same thing.

So am I saying that we MUST say a Salvation prayer in order to be truly saved? No I am not. I simply will not go that far precisely because it is not stated directly in the Scriptures. Yet at the same time, as I have already made clear, I embrace the view that it is wrong to harshly criticize and condemn any Christian, simply because they happen to believe in the merit of saying a Salvation prayer. Again, each individual must live and believe according to their personal faith, and they should not be too concerned with the opinions of other Christians who may disagree with them, or worse.

However, I most certainly do believe that we must believe in what Jesus did for us, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, and also verbally confess our faith in Him to others, because that's what the Bible plainly instructs us to do, as we have already discussed. As I mention in my personal biography, I believed in Jesus for many years before I ever said a prayer in San Jose. I simply did that at the time, because I wasn't yet well-grounded in the Scriptures, and that is what those Jesus People told me I had to do in order to be saved. That was fifty-five years ago, and the widespread practice of the Salvation prayer has continued to this day. Again, I really see nothing wrong with doing it, as long as one's prayer is said in faith, and from one's heart. If you wish to disagree with me, that is your right, but I will not debate the point.

Now, if we truly believe in Jesus, and if we have also truly received Him so that His Spirit dwells within our hearts as we learned earlier with Ephesians 3:17 and various related Scriptures, then what should be the obvious end result of our faith? Well, as I amply point out in the series entitled "The Parable of the Sower: Salvation and Service", our Salvation should result in good works being done for the Lord. Let me be clear about this. As I have taught for literally decades now, I am fully convinced that our Salvation is definitely NOT the result of our good works. Our Salvation is totally a gift of God's mercy and grace through our faith in Christ. It is God's unmerited favor resting upon us, as I point out in so many other BBB articles such as "Free From the Fear of Death: Law and Works vs Grace". Consider the following Bible verses which confirm this point"

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"


"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified . . . I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."


"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT OF GOD: Not of works, lest any man should boast."


"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."


"For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the GIFT OF GOD, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."


HOWEVER, if our Salvation does NOT result in good works for the Lord -- such as through public witnessing, or serving the Lord in some other capacity -- then it would seem that something is obviously seriously wrong somewhere. As I have mentioned on previous occasions, once we accept God's gift of Salvation through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, God expects us to bear some manner of fruit for His Kingdom. Consider the following group of Bible verses which confirm this particular point:

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, THAT WE SHOULD BRING FORTH FRUIT UNTO GOD."


"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."


"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE."


"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold . . . But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."


"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."


"And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."


"But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."


"He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."


"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."


"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned . . . Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."


So again, bearing fruit for God's Kingdom is an obvious sign that a person is truly saved and filled with the Spirit of Christ, or the Holy Spirit. But here is what those Christians who harshly condemn Salvation prayers need to understand. It is NOT that there is something wrong with the prayer itself. As I have explained on previous occasions, if a person does earnestly pray such a prayer with sincerity and a heart full of faith, I am fully convinced that they are truly saved on the spot. I know that I was fifty-five years ago. The prayer itself is NOT the problem. The problem is actually the person themself.

This is precisely what Jesus talks about in the Parable of the Sower, as I fully explain in the aforementioned series. Not every seed that is planted will sprout and eventually bear fruit at some point in the future. Jesus offers the various reasons why this may happen in that Parable. Just like the dog who returns to his vomit, or the swine to his mud pit, some people who accept Christ will cool off and backslide into the world. As we know, that is precisely what happened to the Apostle Paul's former companion named Demas. There are a number of Bible verses -- aside from the Parable of the Sower -- where this issue is mentioned. I also discuss it in articles such as "Backsliding, Divine Chastisement and the Divine Agreement". Consider the following sample verses:

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."


"Remember Lot's wife."


"Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?"


"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."


"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."


"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."


So to reiterate that key point, repeating a Salvation prayer is NOT the problem. The efficacy of the prayer itself most certainly remains sure. It is solid, because God will stand behind the promise of Salvation which is found in His Word, for anyone who prays such a prayer with a believing heart. Many people have been truly saved through such prayers, and gone on to serve God faithfully in some manner. As I already stated, I am one of them. It is what certain people do AFTER they have said such a prayer that is the real problem.

Please go to part four for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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