Does the Spirit Exclusively Use Believers to Convict the World

Dr. Couch, John 14:17 says that the Holy Spirit resides in each believer. My question is from John 16:8-11. Does the Spirit exclusively use believers to convict the world, or does He also work outside of the Church to convict the lost? ANSWER:  This is a good question. Some hold to both possibilities on what is being said in the John 16 passage. Christ said in verse 7 that He would send the Spirit "to you," the believers, when the Lord goes away. But the Lord went on: "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged." The word "convict" in Greek is the word elegcho and can be translated "to rebuke, reprove, find fault, chide, call to account." It is in the future tense. When the Lord ascends back to His Father, the Spirit will be doing this work on earth among the lost in the world. Since this work of the Spirit happens after He is sent to the believers, the implication is that He does this through the believers here on earth. This probably happens, in that the children of God are used by the Spirit to bring about rebuke in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment. But the passage may also leave open the possibility that the Spirit is doing the same work apart from the believers.    I do not think one would be wrong in assuming that it is both through believers, and apart from believers, that the Spirit is reproving the world. We may not be able to be too dogmatic one way or another on the issue.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch