Luke 12 12

Luke 12:12 kjv

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

Luke 12:12 nkjv

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Luke 12:12 niv

for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

Luke 12:12 esv

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Luke 12:12 nlt

for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said."

Luke 12 verses

Luke 12 12 Meaning

Luke 12:12 provides an assurance from Jesus to His disciples: when brought before authorities for their faith, they should not be anxious about what to say in their defense. Instead, the Holy Spirit will providentially enable and empower them by giving them the precise words necessary for that specific moment of testimony, ensuring their message aligns with God's will. It signifies divine intervention and empowerment for bearing witness under pressure.

Luke 12 12 Context

Luke 12:12 is embedded within a discourse by Jesus to His disciples concerning the reality of persecution they would face. Preceding this verse, Jesus has just warned against hypocrisy (v. 1-3) and exhorted His followers to fear God, not man, who can only kill the body (v. 4-7). He stresses the importance of confessing Him before others, with a stark warning about those who deny Him (v. 8-9) and about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (v. 10). Verse 11 explicitly anticipates situations where "they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities." Thus, verse 12 provides immediate comfort and divine promise specifically for these challenging scenarios of public interrogation and legal defense related to their faith. The broader context of Luke's Gospel emphasizes Jesus' identity, the Kingdom of God, and the cost of discipleship, which includes facing opposition. Historically, Jewish authorities often interrogated early believers in synagogues, and Roman authorities brought charges against them in their courts. This verse offers assurance for how to navigate such perilous trials.

Luke 12 12 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This conjunction serves as a causal or explanatory link, indicating that what follows is the reason or justification for the preceding instruction not to be anxious (Luke 12:11). It emphasizes the certainty of the divine provision.
• the Holy Spirit (τὸ γὰρ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον - to gar Pneuma to Hagion):
  • Πνεῦμα (Pneuma): Refers to 'spirit,' 'wind,' or 'breath.' In biblical theology, especially in the New Testament, it unequivocally designates the third person of the Trinity.
  • Ἅγιον (Hagion): Meaning 'holy' or 'sacred.' This emphasizes the divine and distinct nature of this Spirit.
  • Significance: Identifies the specific divine agent of assistance. It's not a general inner feeling but the direct, personal work of God's Spirit indwelling and empowering believers. This ties into the prophetic expectation of the Spirit in the Old Testament and His promised outpouring in the New.
• will teach (διδάξει - didaxei):
  • Future indicative tense of didaskō ('to teach').
  • Significance: Implies direct, specific, and timely instruction. The Spirit will actively and providentially communicate the words needed for that particular moment of testimony or defense. This is a divine impartation, not merely recollection of prior human learning.
• you (ὑμᾶς - hymas):
  • Accusative plural pronoun.
  • Significance: Directly addresses the disciples (and by extension, all believers who face similar circumstances for Christ's sake). The promise is for God's people collectively and individually when persecuted.
• in that very hour (ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ - en autē tē hōra):
  • αὐτῇ (autē): 'that very,' 'the selfsame' (emphatic form of 'that').
  • ὥρᾳ (hōra): 'hour,' 'time,' or 'moment.'
  • Significance: This phrase powerfully assures immediate, precise, and contextually relevant divine intervention. The help will come exactly when needed, eliminating the need for prior preparation for that specific defense, and mitigating fear of spontaneous response.
• what you ought to say (ἅ δεῖ εἰπεῖν - ha dei eipein):
  • ἅ (ha): 'what' or 'the things which' (neuter plural relative pronoun).
  • δεῖ (dei): An impersonal verb meaning 'it is necessary,' 'it must,' 'it is proper' or 'it is binding.'
  • εἰπεῖν (eipein): Aorist infinitive meaning 'to say' or 'to speak.'
  • Significance: The Spirit provides not just any words, but the exact, necessary, and appropriate words—words divinely appointed for the situation. This implies the truth, wisdom, and strategic impact of the message given, fulfilling God's purpose in their testimony. The focus is on divinely mandated content, not human eloquence.
• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "For the Holy Spirit will teach you": Highlights the divine initiative and agency behind the promise. The empowerment comes from a supernatural source, not from the human intellect or preparation.
  • "in that very hour what you ought to say": Emphasizes the spontaneity and precision of the Spirit's aid. The promise is hyper-focused on the urgent and specific need of defending one's faith under duress, ensuring the right message is delivered at the right time.

Luke 12 12 Bonus section

The promise in Luke 12:12, while a specific comfort during persecution, doesn't negate the importance of a Christian diligently studying God's Word and cultivating wisdom for daily life and general evangelism. It speaks to a specific miraculous enablement for critical moments of defending the faith, where the Spirit bypasses human capacity for specific articulation in a public setting for God's glory. This empowerment ensures that Christ's witnesses do not simply speak about God, but that God speaks through them. This also connects to the theological concept of verbal plenary inspiration in a dynamic sense, where human words become divinely breathed words in specific circumstances for specific purposes.

Luke 12 12 Commentary

Luke 12:12 offers profound comfort and empowerment to believers facing hostility and persecution for their faith. It is not an invitation to passive ignorance but a divine guarantee for moments of crisis where human wisdom falls short. When Christ's followers are brought before powerful human authorities because of their allegiance to Him, they are assured that the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God, will personally intervene. This intervention ensures they will speak the exact, appropriate, and divinely ordained words necessary for their testimony, bypassing the fear and anxiety of spontaneous defense. This promise underscores the active role of the Spirit in advancing God's kingdom through His witnesses and confirms that the message conveyed in such trials is truly God's message, not merely human argumentation. It’s a testament to God's faithfulness in upholding His own name through the vulnerability of His servants.