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HE DOESN’T REST UPON YOU

HE DOESN’T REST UPON YOU
And he said unto me, My grace is 
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made 
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore 
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that 
the power of Christ may rest upon me 
(2 Corinthians 12:9).
tuesday 10
Actually, it’s not scripturally correct in the New 
Testament to say, “May God’s Spirit rest upon 
you.” Someone may read our opening verse and run 
off with the idea that even Paul desired that the power 
of Christ may “rest upon him.” That wasn’t the case. 
What Paul said wasn’t about the power of Christ 
resting upon him. The word translated “rest” is from 
the Greek, “episkēnoo ̄,” which is a combination of 
two words: “epi” meaning “a superimposition,” and 
“ske ̄noo ̄” meaning “habitation.” “Episke ̄noo ̄” therefore 
means, “coming over something to take charge of 
it from within.” Paul was in other words describing 
his experience of being continuously filled with the 
Spirit. 
Another use of the term “rest upon” is seen in 1 
Peter 4:14, where the Bible says,  “If ye be reproached 
for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of 
glory and of God resteth upon you….” Here, the word, 
“anapauō” is used, which refers to being refreshed 
or given rest, but not as in sleep. If you study the 
context, you’ll observe that it says, if you’re persecuted 
because of Jesus, happy are you, for the Spirit of glory 
and of God will give you rest; He refreshes you and 
strengthens you. The Greek word doesn’t say rest upon 
you; it can’t even be translated that way.
The essence of the detailed foregoing explanations 
is that in the New Testament, there’s no suggestion of 
the Holy Ghost coming to rest upon us. The emphasis 
throughout the Scriptures is for us to be full of the Spirit 
because He lives in us. This was the standard in the 
early Church, and it’s still our standard today. 
The Bible says, “… and they chose Stephen, a man 
full of faith and of the Holy Ghost...”  (Acts 6:5). In 
Acts 4:31 NIV, it says,  “After they prayed, the place 
where they were meeting was shaken, and they were 
all filled with the Holy Spirit ....”  This is the will of God 
for us today in the Church: being continually filled 
with the Spirit. 
CONFESSION
Dear Father, thank you; for your Spirit, in all of His 
glory and awesomeness, has come to take up His 
abode in the quarters of my heart in His totality. 
I’m a God-carrying vessel, a conveyor of eternal 
verities. By virtue of being a carrier of God, I can do 
all things, and effect positive changes in my world. 
Hallelujah!
FURTHER S TUDY:
John 14:17; Colossians 2:9-10; Acts 4:31

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