Arrabon: Earnest or Guarantee?

In this episode, we find that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. We show that the translation earnest or downpayment is not the meaning of the word. Once again, we are asserting that the Holy Spirit was given in those days to new converts as a security, proof, or guarantee that they were in fact His children. This, we believe, is what was promised, through the laying on of the apostles' hands, in Acts 2:38 and exemplified in Samaria (Acts 8)and Ephesus (Acts 19).

To illustrate this, we have chosen the example of Judah and Tamar.

1. The sash, staff, and ring of Judah was given to Tamar not as a downpayment with future payments in kind but as collateral. The payment was livestock and these items only secured or guaranteed that payment would be received.
2. These items had no value to Tamar but they meant a great deal to Judah.
3. Once payment was received, Tamar would not keep the items. She would return them to Judah.