On The Holy Spirit: His Person and Nature

Who Is The Holy Spirit? His Person And Nature Connecting the Dots Series 1/19/2022 “From the Bible, we know that the source of life is the Holy Spirit. Paul said that in God we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Even a pagan cannot breathe without the power of the Holy Spirit. Although the Bible speaks of Christ being conceived in the womb of Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, in a more general sense no one is conceived in the womb except by the Holy Spirit.” -R.C. Sproul1 Why the “Who” Matters Jehovah’s Witnesses (Kingdom Hall, 11.4 miles, 15 minutes away) - JW’s believe the trinity is a lie2 and that the Holy Spirit is an active force, controlled and used for God’s purposes.3 Mormons / Latter Day Saints (LDS) / Reorganized Latter Day Saints (RLDS) (Community of Christ, 7.8 miles, 11 minutes away) - Mormons believe the trinity cannot exist without God being a monstrosity.4 The HS is a spiritchild of God the Father,5 who can be omnipresent because he has not yet taken a body to himself.6 The Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost are considered to be separate7 “personage[s] of spirit.”8 1 Sproul, 178. 2 “Satan is the originator of the trinity doctrine” (Let God Be True, 101) The JW view is expressed in there writings here: “[He] is a controlled force that…accomplish[es] a variety of [God’s] purposes,” (Should You Believe in the Trinity?, 20) “and executes his will” (Aid to Bible Understanding, Brooklyn: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1969, 1971, 1543). He is “likened to electricity, a force that can be adapted to perform a great variety of operations” (Should You Believe in the Trinity?, 20). 3 “…All are to be crammed into one God, according to sectarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God—he would be a giant or a monster.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 372). 4 5 James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 48. 6 “[He is] waiting to take to himself a body as the Saviour did or as the gods before them took bodies” (Joseph Smith, April 6, 1843; see Discourses on the Holy Ghost compiled by N.B. Lundwall, 73). 7 John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliation, 76. 8 Doctrines and Covenants 130:22. J.C. Andrews The Person and Nature of the HS 1 Health, Wealth, and Prosperity Gospel / New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) (International House of Prayer (IHOP), 47.6 miles, 56 minutes) - Some Pentecostal movements can, despite claiming orthodox views of the Holy Spirit, treat Him as a tool or a means to an end.9 By faith, one is saved by God yet it is by works one is “baptized in the Spirit” and by further works one may be “filled with the Spirit.” The Deity of the Holy Spirit - “God” is used interchangeably with Holy Spirit10 - The Holy Spirit “possesses the attributes or qualities of God”11 - God’s Omniscience (1 Cor 2:10-13; Jn 16:13) - God’s Omnipresence (Ps 139:7; Jn 14:17) - God’s Omnipotence (Jb 33:4; Zech 4:6; Lk 1:35; Rm 15:19) - God’s Holiness (Mt 12:32) - God’s Eternality (Heb 1:10-12; 9:14)12 - The Holy Spirit does the works of God - Creation (Gn 1:2; Jb 26:13) 9 An excellent and clear example of this mentality is found in the teachings of Jenn Johnson (Pastor Bill Johnson’s wife) from the stage of IHOP-KC. Here are three separate quotes from three separate messages she delivered: 1.) -“The Holy Spirit to me is like the genie from Aladdin… It’s who he is to me and he’s funny and he’s sneaky. He’s silly. He’s wonderful…” 2.) - “I view the HS like the genie from Aladdin…and he’s blue. And he’s funny. And he’s sneaky. And he’s courageous and he’s everywhere and he’s wonderful…’ 3.) - “And I view him like the genie from Aladdin. I don’t where in my life that kinda just came up, maybe like when I was ten. Because he’s there, you know. He’s the helper and he’s just always supportive and comforting and he’s just fun…” 10 See Acts 5:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-20 for examples of Peter and Paul viewing the Holy Spirit as God. 11 Erickson, 782. 12 “In Hebrews 9:14 he is spoken of as ‘the eternal Spirit’ through whom Jesus offered himself up. Only God, however, is eternal (Heb. 1:10-12), all creatures being temporal. So the Holy Spirit must be God.” (Erickson, 783) J.C. Andrews The Person and Nature of the HS 2 - Preservation (Ps 104:30) - Salvation (Jn 3:5-8; Tt 3:5; Rm 8:11) - The Holy Spirit is spoken of being equal with God the Father and God the Son - In Jesus’s words (Mt 12:31-32;13 28:19) - In Paul’s writing (1 Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14) - In Peter’s writing (1 Pt 1:2) The Personhood of the Holy Spirit - The New Testament authors ascribed personhood to the Holy Spirit through the use of a masculine personal pronoun.14 (Jn 16:13-14; Eph 1:14) - Actions and descriptions ascribed to individuals, not forces or emanations, are used of the Holy Spirit. - The term παράκλητος (parakletos) or paraclete15 / comforter16 or helper is used for the Spirit and Jesus alike17 (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 Jn 2:1) -The Spirit is described as having emotions (Rm 15:30; Eph 4:30) 13 “Blasphemy is a sin that can only be committed against God.” (Zuber, 193). 14 “The first evidence of the Spirit’s personality is the use of the masculine pronoun in representing him. Since the word πνεῦμα (pneuma) is neuter and since pronouns are to agree with their antecedents in person, number and gender, we would expect the neuter pronoun to be used to represent the Holy Spirit.” (Erickson, 784) “The word parakletos comes from Greek culture. The prefix para- means ‘alongside of,’ which we find in English words such as parachurch, paralegal, and paramedic. You’ll recall that we noted earlier how someone or something that is para is alongside something else. The root of the word parakletos comes from the verb kaleo, which means ‘to call.’ So parakletos literally means someone who is called to come alongside of someone else.” (Sproul, 184). 15 “Unfortunately, the original meaning of the word comforter has been lost. The translation of Paraclete as Comforter derives originally from Wycliffe and was subsequently adopted by the KJV, thus bringing it into the use we see today. The meaning of comforter in the time of Wycliffe and King James, however, does not align well with the modern usage of the term… The derivation of the word comforter from its Latin root would imply someone who is strong (forte) with (con) someone. The use of the word comforter to describe the Holy Spirit has contributed greatly to a perception of the Spirit as being uninvolved in the harsher aspects of God’s nature.” (Umstattd, ix-x). 16 “In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the Paraclete, and the Holy Spirit is the second Paraclete, another Paraclete alongside of Jesus. There is great significance to this, not only as it relates to Jesus, but also as it relates to the person and the work of the Holy Spirit.” (Sproul, 182-183) 17 J.C. Andrews The Person and Nature of the HS 3 -The Spirit is described as having a will (Acts 13:2; 1 Cor 12:11) -The Spirit has personal relationships with individuals (Jn 16:8; Acts 15:28; 1 Cor 6:1920; 12:7; Eph 4:3-4) Acts 5:1-11: 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. Bibliography: Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology, 3rd Ed. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2013. Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction To Biblical Doctrine. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000. Sproul, R.C. Everyone’s A Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology. Reformation Trust Publishing: Sanford, Florida, 2014. Umstattd, Rustin. The Spirit And The Lake Of Fire: Pneumatology and Judgement. Wipf & Stock Publishers: Eugene, Oregon, 2017. Zuber, Kevin D. The Essential Scriptures: A Handbook of the Biblical Texts for Key Doctrines. Moody Publishers: Chicago, Illinois, 2021. J.C. Andrews The Person and Nature of the HS 4