Used by permission. As the Father and Jesus make this distinction when speaking of Him. You can follow him on Twitter. . CO-EQUAL means equal in every single way possible. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. The doctrine of the Trinity developed over the centuries as a human attempt to explain the nature of God. But in English translation, door is grammatically referred to as “it,” since a door is not a female or male person, but a thing. Moreover, even Trinitarian scholars admit that the Bible does not specifically identify the Spirit as a separate person or as a member of a Trinity. The Spirit helps us, intercedes for us, and has a mind. 11. For example, in Spanish, a door is la puerta. All rights reserved. These and other Bible passages have led some to conclude that the holy spirit is a person, just as God, Jesus, and the angels are individual spirit persons. John 14:26, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. . The Holy Spirit is presented as a personal being with a self-identity different from both the Father, and the Son. He acts like a person. Here’s another puzzle for someone who believes the Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is also described in the Bible as having the characteristics of God and doing God’s work. According to Trinitarians, the Holy Spirit is a separate person, distinct from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit speaks to the people of God, and encourages us to hear His voice (Hebrews 3:7). The main evidence presented as “proof” that the Spirit is more than just a divine power or force is the use of masculine pronouns found primarily in John’s gospel. He is not a power, an effect, or just energy. It is also a gift that God can impart to a human mind to promote and inspire spiritual growth in that individual and enable that person to become a member of the family of God. "'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts" - Zechariah 4:6 . This is appropriate, since the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the power of the two Beings: God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Additionally, “the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, and though used by Tertullian in the last decade of the 2nd century, it did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century” (New Bible Dictionary, 1982, “Trinity”). And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”, 10. This is language appropriate to use in describing a thing, rather than a person. Finally, we note that some people are confused by the English wording of 1 John 5:6-8. The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will. Third Member of the Trinity God the Holy Spirit is a Person. apportions [spiritual gifts] to each one individually as he wills.”, 9. In light of this, we should take note of two things. As the Father and Jesus make this distinction when speaking of Him. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity and undoubtedly the least understood member of the Godhead. outraged the Spirit of grace?”, Acts 5:3, 4, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as a “gift” that God will “pour out” on people. Just as Acts 1:8 mentions, the Holy Spirit empowers Christians to … The answer is that the Bible presents a person as a substance that can do personal and relational things (such as speaking, thinking, feeling, acting). John 14:26- “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, … Romans 8:16, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”. Jesus prayed to the Father (John 17:1), but His mother Mary was pregnant with Him as a result of the Holy Spirit: “She was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). 1 Corinthians 12:11, “the same Spirit . As a person the Holy Spirit has a will, emotion, and intelligence. 1. When we say that the Holy Spirit is a person, there are those who understand us to mean that the Holy Spirit has hands and feet and eyes and ears and mouth, and so on, but these are not the characteristics of personality but of corporeity. Two years later, in 1893, she wrote, “There is altogether too little made of the work of the Holy Spirit’s influence upon the church. Hebrews 10:29, “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has . the Holy Spirit is the agent not only of creation, but also of God’s new creation in Christ. They are grammatically either feminine or masculine or neuter, whether or not they refer to living things that are female or male. 1 Corinthians 2:13, “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. Acts 8:29, “the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ Acts 13:2, … The personality of the Holy Spirit has been attacked by Socinius and his followers ancient and modern who have held to the general position that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal energy proceeding from God… A more fruitful approach is first to ask a question almost no one asks: how do we know that the Father is a person? He personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality.”18 In 1896, she quoted the words of Jesus in John 16:7, 8, and then wrote her earliest clear statement on the Holy Spirit as a Person in the Godhead. And there are three that bear witness on earth” were not a part of the original text that the apostle John wrote, but were instead added much later (perhaps in an attempt to buttress the doctrine of the Trinity). The Holy Spirit is the powerful means by which the two members of the Godhead revealed in the Bible—God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son of God—project Their will, Their influence, Their nature and Their creative power throughout the universe, including affecting the minds of human beings. As we search the Bible, we will find that the Holy Spirit is the nature, power and essence of God. Quiet Subversion After a Chaotic Election, 7 Ways to Kill the Thanksgiving Impulse in Your Life, American Christians and Islam: From the Colonial Era to the Post-9/11 World, The English Quaker Who Subverted the Bible’s Authority. Why is the Trinity doctrine not taught in the Bible? Romans 8:26-27, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. . . I encourage you to discover the Holy Spirit as God and a person. He Gives Us Power to Witness. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person is the same way as the Father and the Son. It isn’t taught elsewhere in the Scriptures. The Spirit can be outraged. The Bible says that He is not something, He is Someone. But what does the true source of all right doctrine tell us about the nature of the Holy Spirit? How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? 4:30). The Spirit glorifies Christ, takes what is Christ, and declares it to believers. The apostles Peter and John also greeted the brethren in some of their epistles in the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ, similarly not mentioning the Holy Spirit—quite a disrespectful snub if the Holy Spirit is also a person (2 Peter 1:2; 2 John 1:3). The Holy Spirit is presented as a personal being with a self-identity different from both the Father, and the Son. 13 The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church. It was in this context that Tertullian also used the word trinitas” (key word “Trinity”). ; John 10:30 ) University of North Texas, and intelligence personality or “ mask. ” treat... 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