Memory Text: John 16:13 KJV “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
John 16:13 NLT “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Sunday, May 21 The Spirit, a Guide
John 14:26 KJV “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 14:26 Holman “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit––the Father will send Him in My name––will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:26 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Amid the multitude of things which Jesus spake during a ministry of more than three years, it was to be expected that many things which he had uttered, that would be important for the edification of the church, would be forgotten. We see, hence, the nature of their inspiration. The Holy Spirit made use of their memories, and doubtless of all their natural faculties. He so presided over their memories as to recall what they had forgotten, and then it was recorded as a thing which they distinctly remembered, in the same way as we remember a thing which would have been forgotten had not some friend recalled it to our recollection. John 14:17 Holman “He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.”
John 15:26 God’s Word to the Nations “"The helper whom I will send to you from the Father will come. This helper, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will declare the truth about me.”
John 16:12-14 KJ21 “12 "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come. 14 He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.”

Monday, May 22 Flesh and Spirit
Romans 8:4 KJ21 “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 13:14 Holman “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.”
Romans 13:14 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES With reference to its corrupt desires. The gratification of the flesh was the main object among the Romans. Living in luxury and licentiousness, they made it their great object of study to multiply and prolong the means of licentious indulgence. In respect to this, Christians were to be a separate people, and to show that they were influenced by a higher and purer desire than this grovelling propensity to minister to sensual gratification.
Galatians 5:22-24 ESV “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self–control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
1 Peter 4:1-2 ESV “1 ¶ Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”

Tuesday, May 23 The Spirit and the Word
Ephesians 6:17 MKJV “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,”
Ephesians 6:17 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Of the Spirit. Which the Holy Spirit furnishes; the truth which he has revealed.
1 Corinthians 12:10 NKJV “to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another [different] kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”
1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”
1 John 3:24-4:1 NKJV “24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. 4:1 ¶ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
What do these texts tell us about whether a teaching is really inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Psalm 119:105 NRSV “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Isaiah 8:20 NRSV “for teaching and for instruction?" Surely, those who speak like this will have no dawn!”
Luke 10:26 NRSV “He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?"”
Luke 16:29-31 NLT “29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ 31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’””
Acts 17:11 NIV “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
2 Timothy 3:15-17 Holman “15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Wednesday, May 24 The Work of the Spirit
John 16:14 God’s Word “He will give me glory, because he will tell you what I say.”
John 15:8 ASV “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and [so] shall ye be my disciples.”
Galatians 5:22-25 NLT “22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self–control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Ephesians 5:9 KJ21 “for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth”

Thursday, May 25 Example of Spirit’s Guidance
Luke 2:25-30 Holman “25 ¶ There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: 29 Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, according to Your word. 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation.”
What was Simeon doing through his prayer?
John 15:26 Holman ““When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father––the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father––He will testify about Me.”
John 16:14 Holman “He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.”
What gift of the Spirit was Simeon showing to Mary when he said this prayer?
Romans 12:6 ESV “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;”
1 Corinthians 12:10 ESV “to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”
1 Corinthians 13:2 “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Friday, May 26 Further Study
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 55 – “As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a family presenting their first-born son before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty; but Simeon understands the warnings of the Spirit, and he is deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel, the One he has longed to see. To the astonished priest, Simeon appears like a man enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he takes it in his arms and presents it to God, while a joy that he has never before felt enters his soul. As he lifts the infant Saviour toward heaven, he says, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.’”
Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 703 – “God intends that, even in this life, truth shall be ever unfolding to His people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We can attain to an understanding of God’s word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the word was given.
Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 704 – “It is sometimes the case that men of intellectual ability, improved by education and culture, fail to comprehend certain passages of Scripture, while others who are uneducated, whose understanding seems weak and whose minds are undisciplined, will grasp the meaning, finding strength and comfort in that which the former declare to be mysterious or pass by as unimportant. Why is this? It has been explained to me that the latter class do not rely upon their own understanding. They go to the Source of light, the One who has inspired the Scriptures, and with humility of heart ask God for wisdom, and they receive it. There are mines of truth yet to be discovered by the earnest seeker. Christ represented the truth as treasure hid in a field. It does not lie right upon the surface; we must dig for it. But our success in finding it does not depend so much on our intellectual ability as on our humility of heart and the faith which will lay hold upon divine aid.