Section XI

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The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

Chapter 59

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Many people have labeled the twentieth century as the century of the Holy Spirit. The rise and spread of Pentecostalism, with its major emphasis on the ministries of the Spirit, and the blossoming of dispensationalism’s emphasis on works of the Spirit are distinctive to this age. The century’s concern for the evangelization of the world also highlighted a need to know the power of the Spirit to accomplish this. Though this attention on the work of the Spirit has been a good thing, it has not always been scripturally guided; thus there exists an even greater need today for careful attention to the biblical teaching on this subject.

I. He is a Person

Denial that the Spirit is a person often takes the form of substituting the concept that He is a personification of, say, power—much like claiming that Satan is a personification of evil. This denial of His personality has occurred throughout church history, first by the Monarchians, the Arians, the Socinians, and today by Unitarians, liberals, and some neo-orthodox theologians. But there is a great deal of evidence that He is a person.
A. He Possesses and Exhibits the Attributes of a Person
1. He has intelligence. He knows and searches the things of God (); He possesses a mind (); and He is able to teach people ().
1 Corinthians 2:10–11 ESV
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:27 ESV
27 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.
1 Corinthians 2:13 ESV
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
2. He shows feelings. He can be grieved by the sinful actions of believers (—an influence cannot be grieved).
Ephesians 4:30 ESV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
3. He has a will. He uses this in distributing gifts to the body of Christ (). He also directs the activities of Christians ().
1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Acts 16:6–11 ESV
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,
Since genuine personality possesses intelligence, feelings, and will, and since the Spirit has these attributes, He must be a person.
B. He Exhibits the Actions of a Person
1. He guides us into truth by hearing, speaking, and showing ().
John 16:13 ESV
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
2. He convicts of sin ().
John 16:8 ESV
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
3. He performs miracles ().
Acts 8:39 ESV
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
4. He intercedes ().
Romans 8:26 ESV
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 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.
These are activities that an influence or personification could not do but that Scripture shows the Holy Spirit can do.
C. He Receives Ascriptions that Would Be Given Only to a Person
1. He is One to be obeyed ().
Acts 10:19–21 ESV
19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”
2. He can be lied to ().
Acts 5:3 ESV
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
3. He can be resisted ().
Acts 7:51 ESV
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
4. He can be grieved ().
Ephesians 4:30 ESV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
5. He can be blasphemed ().
Matthew 12:31 ESV
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
6. He can be insulted ().
Hebrews 10:29 ESV
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
To think of acting and reacting to an influence in these ways is incongruous.
D. He Relates as a Person to Other Persons
1. To the apostles. He related to the apostles in a manner that shows His own distinct personality (). He is a person as they are persons; yet He is a distinct and identifiable person.
Acts 15:28 ESV
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
2. To Jesus. He relates to the Lord Jesus in such a way that if the Lord has personality one must conclude that the Spirit does also. Yet He is distinct from Christ ().
John 16:14 ESV
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
3. To other Trinity members. He relates to the other persons of the Trinity as an equal person (; ).
Matthew 28:19 ESV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
4. To His own power. The Spirit is related to His own power yet distinguished from it so that we may not conclude that He is merely a personification of power (; ; ).
Luke 4:14 ESV
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
Acts 10:38 ESV
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
1 Corinthians 2:4 ESV
4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
E. A Grammatical Consideration
Several times the writers of the New Testament use a masculine pronoun to refer to the Spirit (which is a neuter). The clearest example of this exception to normal grammatical usage is where the masculine demonstrative pronoun is used twice to refer to the Spirit mentioned in verse 13. Other references are less clear since the masculine pronouns used may refer to the word “Paraclete” (which is masculine, 15:26; 16:7–8) or to the word “earnest” (which is also masculine, kjv). Nevertheless, the clear exception to normal accidence in does support the true personality of the Spirit.
John 16:13–14 ESV
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Ephesians 1:14–15 ESV
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
John 16:13–14 ESV
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Each of these lines of scriptural evidence leads to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit, even though a spirit being, is as real a person as the Father, or the Son, or as we are.

II. He is God

kjv King James Version
II. He is God
@book{Ryrie_1999,
Not only is the Spirit a person, but He is a unique person, for He is God. Proofs of personality are not necessarily proofs of Deity; but proofs of Deity are also proofs of His personality. If God is a person, and if the Spirit is also God, then He is a person also.
place={Chicago, IL},
A. His Appellations Show Deity
title={Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth},
publisher={Moody Press},
The divine names of the Spirit reveal His Deity. Sixteen times He is related by name to the other two persons of the Trinity (—“the Spirit of Jesus” and —“the Spirit of our God”).
Acts 16:7 ESV
7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Further, promise of our Lord to send “another Helper” () uses the word for “another” that means another of the same kind. In other words, if Christ is God, then the Spirit, the other Helper of the same kind, is also God.
author={Ryrie, Charles Caldwell},
John 14:16 ESV
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
year={1999},
B. His Attributes are Those that Belong to God Alone
pages={393–397}}
As we have seen, the Spirit has attributes that show that He is a genuine person, but He also possesses attributes that only God has, which shows, therefore, that He is Deity. These attributes are omniscience (; ), omnipresence (), and omnipotence by virtue of His work in Creation (; ).
Isaiah 40:13 ESV
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?
1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Psalm 139:7 ESV
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
Job 33:4 ESV
4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Psalm 104:30 ESV
30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
He is also truth, love, life-giver, but man can be these things in a relative sense as well.
C. His Actions are Those that Only God Can Perform
1. He was the cause of the Virgin Birth ().
Luke 1:35 ESV
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
2. He was the Agent in giving the inspired Scriptures ().
2 Peter 1:21 ESV
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
3. He was involved in the Creation of the world (). Here as with other uses of the “Spirit of God” in the Old Testament we may ask if the references clearly are to the third person of the Trinity or to God as spirit (which He is). Leupold, commenting on verse 2, gives a thoughtful answer to the question.
Genesis 1:2 ESV
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Absolutely none other than the Holy Spirit is here under consideration.… It may require the full light of New Testament revelation to enable us to discern that the Spirit of God here is the same as He who in the New Testament is seen to be the Holy Spirit; but having that light, we need not hesitate to believe that it sheds clear light back on the Old Testament usage of the expression.… Does it not seem reasonable that the Spirit of inspiration should have so worded the words that bear upon His activity that, when the full New Testament revelation has come, all statements concerning the Spirit are in perfect harmony with this later revelation?1
D. His Associations with the Other Persons of the Godhead
Demonstrate Deity
1. Spirit as Yahweh. The New Testament identifies the Spirit as Yahweh of the Old Testament, particularly when quoting an Old Testament passage that God spoke and attributing it to the Spirit (cf. with and with ). This is strong evidence that the New Testament writers considered the Spirit to be God.
Acts 28:25–27 ESV
25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “ ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 27 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
Isaiah 6:8–10 ESV
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Hebrews 10:15–17 ESV
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31–34 ESV
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
2. Spirit and God. Blasphemy of and lying to the Spirit are the same as doing these things to God (; ).
Matthew 12:31–32 ESV
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Acts 5:3–4 ESV
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
3. Equality. The Spirit is associated on an equal basis with the Father and Son (; ). In the Matthew reference the use of the singular “name” strengthens the proof.
Matthew 28:19 ESV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
He is a person and He is God.
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