The Person of the Holy Spirit

Introduction:

            The terms ‘Spirit of God’ or ‘Holy Spirit’ do not suggest personality as much as the term ‘Son’ does.  Moreover, the person of the Holy Spirit did not appear in a clearly discernible personal form among men, as the person of the Son of God did.  As a result the personality of the Hoy Spirit was often called in question, and therefore deserves special attention.  Here we will study first the name applied to the Holy Spirit (third person of the trinity) and the personality of the Holy Spirit including his relation to other persons in the trinity and his divinity in brief.

1          The name applied to the Holy Spirit:  While we are told in John 4:24 that God is Spirit, the name is applies more particularly to the third person in the trinity.  The Hebrew term by which He is designated is ruah, and the Greek pneuma (ðíåýìá), both of which are, like the Latin Spiritus, derived from the roots which mean ‘to breathe.’  Hence they can also  be rendered ‘breath’ (Gen.2:7; 6:17; Eze.37:5-6), or ‘wind’ (Gen.8:1; 1 Kings 19:11; Jn.3:8).  The OT generally uses the term ‘Spirit’ without any qualification, or speaks of ‘the Spirit of God,’ or ‘the Spirit of the Lord,’ and employs the term ‘Holy Spirit’ only in Ps.51:11; Isa.63:10-11, while in the NT this has become a far more common designation of the third person in the trinity.  Though the word ‘holy’ is used of the Spirit only in Ps.51:11 and Isa.63:10f. in OT, there is no doubt that it always applies to the Spirit which is of God and not of man.  It stresses the divine, supernatural and abnormal character of Spirit and the separation of his activity from the merely human, natural and ordinary.  This point is understood by the contrast between Spirit and flesh.  It is a striking fact that, while the OT repeatedly called God ‘the Holy One of Israel,’ (Ps.71:22; 89:18; Isa.10:20; 41:14; 43:3; 48:17), the NT seldom applies the adjective ‘holy’ to God in general, but uses it frequently to characterize the Spirit.  This is in all probability due to the fact that it was especially in the Spirit and his sanctifying work that God revealed himself as ‘the Holy One.’  It is the Holy Spirit that takes up his abode in the hearts of believers, that separates them unto God and that cleanses them from sin.

2          Personality of the Holy Spirit:    The Scripture clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person.  Personality includes intelligence, will, and individual subsisyence.  Scripture proof for the personality of the Holy Spirit is quite sufficient as we shall see below:

            (a)        Designations that are proper to personality are given to him: Though pneuma (ðíåõìá) is neuter, yet the masculine pronoun ekeinos (åêåéíïò) is used of the Spirit in Jn.16:14.  Moreover, the name Parakletos (ðÜñáêëÞôïò) is applies to him (Jn.14:26; 15:26; 16:7), which cannot be translated by ‘comfort,’ or be regarded as the name of any abstract influence.  That a person is meant is indicated by the fact that the Holy Spirit as Comforter is placed in juxtaposition with Christ as the Comforter about to depart, to whom the same term is applied in 1 John 2:1.  It is true that this term is followed by the neuters ‘ho’ (‘ï) and ‘auto’ (áõôï) in Jn.14:16-18, but this is due to the fact that pneuma intervenes.

            We have seen that the personality of the Holy Spirit is derived from the useof  personal pronouns in relation to him.  Thus in Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  Our Lord says, “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me” (Jn.15:26).  Here the use of masculine pronoun ‘he’ instead of ‘it’ shows that the Spirit is a person.  Here there is no possibility of accounting for the use of the personal pronoun ‘he’ on any other ground than the personality of the Spirit.

            (b)        The characteristics of a person are ascribed to him:        The characteristics of a person, such as intelligence (Jn.14:26; 15:26; Rom.8:16), will (Acts 16:7; 1 Cor.12:11), and affections (Isa.63:10; Eph.4:30) are ascribed to the Holy Spirit.  Moreover, he performs acts proper to personality.  He searches, speaks, testifies, commands, reveals, strives, creates, makes intercession, raises the dead etc (Gen.1:2; 6:3; Lk.12:12; Jn.14:26; 15:26; 16:8; Acts 8:29; 13:2; Rom.8:11; 1 Cor.2:10-11).  What does all these things cannot be a mere power or influence, but must  be a person.  If he can be loved, reverenced and obeyed, or offended and sinned against, he must be a person.

            (c)        He is represented as standing in such relations to other persons as imply his own personality:     He is placed in juxtaposition with the apostles (Acts 15:28), with Christ (Jn.16:14) and with the Father and the Son (Mt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:13; 1 Pet.1:1-2; Jude 20, 21).  Sound exegesis requires that in these passages the Holy Spirit be regarded as a person.

            (d)        The Holy Spirit is distinguished from his own power:       There are also passages in which the Holy Spirit is distinguished from his own power (Lk.1:35; 4:14; Acts 10:38; Rom.15:13; 1 Cor.2:4).  Such passages would become meaningless and even absurd, if they were interpreted on the principle that the Holy Spirit is merely a power.

3          Relation of the Holy Spirit to other persons in the Trinity: In virtue of his procession from the Father and the Son the Spirit is represented as standing in the closest possible relation to both of the other persons.  From 1 Cor.2:10-11, we may infer, not that the Holy Spirit is the same as the self-consciousness of God, but that he is as closely connected with God the Father as the soul of man is with man.  In 2 Cor.3:17, we read, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  Here the Lord (Christ) is identified with the Spirit, not with respect to personality, but as to manner of working.  IN this same passage the Spirit is called ‘the Spirit of the Lord.”  The work for which the Spirit was sent into the church on the day of Pentecost was based on his unity with the Father and the Son.  He came as Parakletos to take the place of Christ and to do his work on earth, that is, to teach, proclaim, testify, and bear witness etc., as the Son had done.  Now in the case of the Son this revelation work rested on his unity with the Father.  Just so the work of the Spirit is based on his unity with Father and the Son (Jn.16:14-15).  Notice the words of Jesus in this passage: “He will glorify me; for he will take what is mine, and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

4          Deity of the Holy Spirit: The deity of the Holy Spirit may be established from Scripture by a line of proof quite similar to that employed in connection with the Son;

            (a)Divine name: Divine names are given to him: (Ex.17:7 cf. Heb.3:7-9); Acts 5:3-4;  1 Cor.3:16; 2 Tim.3:16 cf. 2 Pet.1:21).

            (b)Divine perfections:Divine perfections are ascribed to him, such as omnipresence (Ps.139:7-10), omniscience (Isa.40:13-14; Rom.11:34; 1 Cor.2:10-11) omnipotence (1 Cor.12:11; Rom.155:19), and eternity (Heb.9:14).

            (c)Divine works: Divine works are performed by him, such as creation (Gen.1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4), providential renovation (Ps.104:30), regeneration (Jn.3:5-6; Tit.3:5) and the resurrection of the dead (Rom.8:11).

            (d)        Divine honor:    Divine honor is also paid to him (Mt.28:19; Rom.9:1; 2 Cor.13:13).

Conclusion:       The doctrine of the personality of the Spirit is not easy but our thinking must be controlled by the Scripture where the Spirit is a third He, one against whom a man can blaspheme, the Comforter who can come to men.  However difficult it may be to think of the Spirit as a person, the refusal to do so is to deny the clear evidence of God’s word.  It is best to begin with the teaching of John 14:16f, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13f.  Jesus’ promise of the Comforter who should continue his work and whose work is parallel to that of Christ; and the identification of the Comforter, when he had come, with the Spirit of the Lord, are the basis of the doctrine.  We then read again Romans 8 which talks about a person.  Note that in 1 Cor.12 the problem is the contrast between the many spiritual beings of the heathen world and the one divine Spirit in whom the Christians believed.  That he is a person is clear from what we read of his activity.  The work of him who dwells in men, guiding and inspiring them, is not the effect of an influence but the impact of person upon person.  The fellowship of this divine person is regarded as parallel to the grace of Christ and the love of the Father (Acts 5:3f; 13:12; 15:28; 16:7; 1 Cor.2:10; 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor.13:14).