Who is the Holy Spirit?
There are many misconceptions on the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others understand the Holy Spirit as the impersonal power God makes available to followers of Christ. What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put - the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a Person, a Being with a mind, emotions, and a will.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is God is clearly seen in many Scriptures including Acts 5:3-4. In this verse Peter confronts Ananias as to why he had lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had “not lied to men but to God.” It is a clear declaration that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. We can also know that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the attributes or characteristics of God. For example, the fact that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent is seen in Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” Then in 1 Corinthians 2:10, we see the characteristic of omniscience in the Holy Spirit. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
We can know that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person because He possesses a mind, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The Holy Spirit is God, the third “Person” of the Trinity. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly function as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised He would be (John 14:16,26; 15:26).
© Copyright 2002-2006 Got Questions Ministries
4 comments:
Friday 27 October 2006 3:39 PM
The Holy Spirit in Greek is called “Parakletos” which means “helper”.
I understand this to mean that let’s say for example, God is the battery and the Holy Spirit is the electric current that flows from the battery to make something function.
So, there is no way the electric current can be equal to the battery or can be confused with the battery. Wouldn’t you agree?
But, I cannot agree that God and the Holy Spirit are one. They may be in union when it comes to thought but, the Holy Spirit is something that God created and is therefore not the same as Him.
Friday 27 October 2006 4:33 PM
Hi Wildcat,
Nice to hear from you again. I though you would disagree :)
There is a question I'd like to ask in return: Why don't you accept what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit? For instance, It's my understanding that you believe the Holy Spirit is not a person, but a force.
That contrasts starkly with what Christian believers have said through the centuries. They have affirmed that the Holy Spirit is Yahweh Himself as the third person of a triune God. Why do they say that?
Well, time and again, the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as having characteristics or qualities which a real person has. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit doing things which real persons do. How the Holy Spirit is described in Scripture goes far beyond a mere influence. That's even emphasized by the pronoun which English Bible translations use for the Holy Spirit. It's always the personal "he" rather than the impersonal "it."
Look at how the Holy Spirit is described in Scripture:
1. The Holy Spirit speaks.
"The Spirit clearly says . . ." -- 1 Timothy 4:1
"The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot . . . .'" -- Acts 8:29
"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men . . .'" Acts 10:19
"The Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart . . . " -- Acts 13:2
2. The Holy Spirit actively teaches.
"The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things" -- John 14:26
3. The Holy Spirit gives testimony.
"The Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me" -- John 14:26
4. The Holy Spirit guides, hears, speaks and tells.
"When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you. . . He will speak only what He hears and He will tell you what is yet to come" -- John 16:13 (look at all those personal persons in that passage; there's no "it" among them)
5. The Holy Spirit forbids.
"Having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word . . . the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them" -- Acts 16:6-7
6. The Holy Spirit intercedes or prays.
"The Spirit Himself intercedes for us . . . The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" -- Romans 8:26-27
All six of these characteristics point to the Holy Spirit being a person. Wind or influence doesn't do these things, does it?
That's not all. There are more characteristics of the Holy Spirit that demonstrate His personhood.
1. The Holy Spirit has a mind.
"He knows the mind of the Spirit" -- Romans 8:27
2. The Holy Spirit has active knowledge.
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" -- 1 Corinthians 1:10. Would an "active force" be said to search all things?
3. The Holy Spirit possesses affection.
"by the love of the Spirit" -- Romans 15:30. Would an "active force" be said to love?
4. The Holy Spirit has a will.
"He gives them to each one, just as He determines" 1 Corinthians 12:11. Could an "active force" or influence make decisions like this Scripture describes?
Don't these last four characteristics imply the Holy Spirit possesses intelligence and personality? For instance, have you ever known an impersonal force that "loved" something or someone?
Then, there is the fact that Scripture says the Holy Spirit can suffer personal slights and injuries. Can an impersonal force can be offended in that way?
1. The Holy Spirit can be grieved.
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" -- Ephesians 4:30
2. The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed.
"The blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven" -- Matthew 12:31-32
3. The Holy Spirit can be insulted.
"who has insulted the Spirit of grace" -- Hebrews 10:29
4. The Holy Spirit can be lied to.
"You have lied to the Holy Spirit" -- Acts 5:3
5. The Holy Spirit can be resisted.
"You always resist the Holy Spirit" -- Acts 7:51
You may say that one or two of these do not constitute "proof" of the personality of the Holy Spirit. But when you look at all of them together, that long list of 15 items becomes evidence that could be admitted in a court of law. Look again at all the ways the Bible describes the Holy Spirit.
In the light of this list, doesn't it seem ludicrous to say the Holy Spirit is simply an impersonal influence like a electric current?
Friday 27 October 2006 7:52 PM
Yes, all good points and I do not deny the importance of the Holy Spirit. It was used to create all things but it is Merely Gods active force, something unseen, like the wind in the trees, you can see the leaves moving but you cannot see whats making them move. God used the Holy Spirit to inspire the writing of the Holy Scriptures too, isn't that correct?
Saturday 28 October 2006 3:29 AM
Wildat, we might think that the Spirit is merely a power, a force, or an "it", when in fact, Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is a person in the same sense that God the Father is a person, and the Lord Jesus Christ is a person.
The word spirit in both Hebrew and Greek means "breath" or "wind." Both a breath of air and a breeze are appropriate images for the Holy Spirit.
1. Wind is moving air, and this fresh air is needed continually for life itself. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God, the source for all life.
2. Wind has no material shape or form. It is invisible; we cannot see the source or the destination of wind. Nevertheless, its presence is known by its effects. Likewise, the unseen Holy Spirit can be experienced in a refreshing way. His presence is displayed in the work he does in human lives by transforming, sanctifying, encouraging, and teaching.
3. Wind cannot be stopped or controlled by people. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is not subject to human control. The moving of the Holy Spirit is God at work.
Paul told Timothy that "All Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). The phrase "inspired by God" translates a single Greek word, theopneustos, which literally means, "breathed out by God." All Scripture is "Godbreathed," exhaled by the Almighty! Another verse that deals with the inspiration of the Scriptures is 2 Peter 1:21. This verse tells us that “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” This verse helps us to understand that although men wrote the Scriptures, the words they wrote were the very words of God.
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