Luke 12:12 - Printer Friendly

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

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

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

CSB: For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said."

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

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

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

A crowd of thousands are swarming Jesus and the disciples (Luke 12:1). Jesus knows many in the crowd will eventually betray Him, perhaps even joining the mob that demands His crucifixion. He is telling the disciples to remain faithful to Him, even in the face of death. The Pharisees are hypocrites who deny the witness of the Holy Spirit's power in Jesus' ministry (Luke 11:14–23). The Sanhedrin will demand the disciples disavow Jesus (Acts 4:17–18). The disciples must not fear; only God has power over their eternity (Luke 12:1–11).

The disciples will reel after witnessing Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. The book of Acts records an explosion of church growth and persecution by the Jewish religious leaders. It depicts a murderous Pharisee who then repents and becomes a powerful apostle who brings the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Through it all, Jesus' followers will not be alone. Jesus will send them the Holy Spirit who will remind them of Jesus' words and bear witness about who He is (John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 2:1–4). The Spirit will give the disciples the words to say when they face men and councils with the power to beat or even kill them (Acts 5:33, 40).

After healing a crippled man at the gate of the temple, Peter will boldly preach that the people standing in awe of such miracles are responsible for the murder of Jesus. But Jesus rose again and offers forgiveness for those who repent (Acts 3). "The priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them" (Acts 4:1–3). A tribunal gathered and demanded Peter and John defend themselves. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…" (Acts 4:8). By the time Peter finishes his indictment of his audience, and an offer of salvation, the council members are at a loss for words. They release Peter and John with the command to no longer speak about Jesus (Acts 4:1–22).

What flummoxes them is that Peter and John are "uneducated, common men" (Acts 4:13). How could fishermen give such a defense? It is the Holy Spirit working through them that gives them courage and words.

Jesus will later tell the disciples, "This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict" (Luke 21:13–15). He says similar words in Matthew 10:19–20 and Mark 13:11.

Luke 12:8–12 encourages Jesus' disciples to stand firm. The prior passage spoke of fear of death. Jesus reminded His followers that physical death is not the same as spiritual death. He encouraged them with the truth that God sees them, knows them, and cares for them. Here Jesus reassures His followers: when authorities, religious leaders, or civil magistrates and kings accuse them of crimes, the Holy Spirit will give the disciples the words to speak. The judges who reject their words will stand condemned of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and worthy of hell. Matthew 10:32–33 and 12:31–32 and Mark 3:28–30 also record Jesus' teaching on this subject.

Luke 12:1—13:9 compares the world with the kingdom of God. Jesus has condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 11:14–54). He now instructs His disciples to reject the fame and security that Pharisees crave, and hold lightly to their lives, wealth, security, and even family. He then warns the crowd to be wise about their relationships with other people and with God. The next two units each include a miracle and teaching on God's kingdom and salvation (Luke 13:10—15:32). Then the final section in the "travelogue" repeats that three-unit pattern (Luke 16:1—19:27) before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.