Teaching Notes

THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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HOLY SPIRIT STUDY PART 1

In I Corinthians 14:33 Paul tells us "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." And yet when it comes to the Holy Spirit, the work of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, there seems to be much confusion and misunderstanding. And the reality of that confusion is God does not bring it upon us, but we bring it upon ourselves because we are not students of the Word of God and/or we are following the ways of man, really doctrines of demons that have brought much confusion into the church today.

Many times what we see in the church is dead orthodoxy that does not believe the gifts of the Spirit are for today, or the abuse of the gifts that many times are brought about by the persons desire to satisfy the flesh, to feel or experience God in some new way. I do believe there is a beautiful balance in regards to the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives that doesn’t bring about confusion, but peace as the Holy Spirit is working in us and through us, equipping us for every situation that we may find ourselves in.

And I think it is very important to lay a firm foundation down in regards to the Holy Spirit before we start getting into the gifts of the Spirit. You see, without a firm foundation the structure is weak, unstable, and will eventually come crashing down. You can see this taking place in those churches that are abusing and misusing the Holy Spirit like He is some kind of force to control. They have no firm foundation on who the Holy Spirit is and they use Him as they please, like some kind of toy!

Over the next several weeks we are going to be looking at various aspects of the Holy Spirit in our lives and then we will move into the gifts of the Spirit. My prayer as we begin this study is that we all would have a better understanding, a much clearer understanding of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives. We need that balance and we need that power in our lives to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Without that balance and without that power there is only confusion and ineffectiveness. It is as A. W. Tozer said: "If the Holy Spirit were taken away from the New Testament church, 90 percent of what they did would come to a halt. If the Holy Spirit were taken away from today’s church, only 10 percent of what it does would cease!"

In saying that, the first thing that I would like to focus on in our study on the Holy Spirit is THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Many have come to the wrong conclusion that the Holy Spirit is some kind of impersonal force or power and not a person at all.

Some of the confusion regarding this issue comes from the fact that the Old Testament Hebrew word for "spirit" is "RAUCH" and it means "breath". Then, as we get to the New Testament the Greek word for "spirit" is "PNEUMA" and it also speaks of "wind" or "air". Now if that is all we were told of the Holy Spirit, if that is all the information we had, we too may come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is some kind of "power" or "force" and not a person at all. But, as we will see tonight, the Scriptures speak much more in regards to the Holy Spirit and they will clearly show us who He is, that He is the third person of the Holy Trinity.

To confuse the picture for many, one of the early church scholars, Arias, who lived 280?-336 AD, taught that only the Father was the true God. He said that Jesus was a created being and that the Holy Spirit was an essence. This doctrine is known as the Arian heresy, and many still hold it as being true, and you can clearly see that many of the cults have picked up on this idea. And yet, clearly the Scriptures don’t support this theory, that is why we call it a heresy!

Also, the Jehovah witnesses teach "The Bible use of ‘Holy Spirit’ indicates that it is a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to accomplish a variety of His purposes. To a certain extent, it can be likened to electricity, a force that can be adapted to perform a great variety of operations."

Catholic theologian, Fortman, was reported as saying "The Jews never regarded the Spirit as a person; nor is there any solid evidence that any Old Testament writer held this view...The Holy Spirit is usually presented in the synoptics [Gospels] and in Acts as a divine force or power."

And in the New Catholic Encyclopedia we read: "The O[ld] T[estament] clearly does not envisage God’s Spirit as a person...God’s Spirit is simply God’s power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly...The majority of N[ew] T[estament] texts reveal God’s Spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the Spirit and the power of God."

And lastly, a Catholic Dictionary says: "On the whole, the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the Spirit as a divine energy or power."

Now listen carefully to what I am going to say, please don’t misunderstand this. I really don’t care what various organizations, cults, theologians or even church history has to say. The only thing I am truly interested in is what God has to say and that is found in His Word. I am going to trust in God’s Word over man’s every time. As David said in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

You see, if you want to know the truth, follow the light of God’s Word and He will show you the truth. Don’t look to man, for in their wisdom we find only foolishness, confusion and darkness! As Isaiah 8:20 says "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

We are now going to be looking at several Scriptures that speak very clearly on the Holy Spirit being a person and not some impersonal force, like electricity or wind!

And understand this, the Holy Spirit is not called "it" or "thing" but personal pronouns are used when the Holy Spirit is spoken of. Yes, the word "spirit" is in the neuter, and because of that many have come to the wrong conclusion that the Holy Spirit is a force and not a person, but let’s examine the evidence for ourselves so that we might come to our own conclusion based on the Word of God!

PERSONAL PRONOUNS USED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

In the New testament we see over 16 times the use of the Greek pronoun for the Holy Spirit, EKEINOS (ek-i’-nos), which means "he" and is a pronoun in the masculine gender. We see that used in the following verses:

1. JOHN 16:13

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

2. JOHN 15:26

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."

3. JOHN 14:26

"But 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 things that I said to you."

4. JOHN 14:16-17

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

5. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THIS IN JOHN 16:7-14

I think that you can see that by the use of the personal pronouns, God is showing us that the Holy Spirit is a person, but there is much more if you still are in doubt.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TREATED AS A PERSON

There are certain acts that are done upon others that can not be done to some impersonal force, such as electricity. That is what we are going to be looking at next in the following verses:

1. HE CAN BE GRIEVED - EPHESIANS 4:30

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

2. HE CAN BE LIED TO - ACTS 5:3

"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?’"

3. HE CAN BE BLASPHEMED - MATTHEW 12:31, MARK 3:29

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men."

"but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation."

4. HE CAN BE INSULTED - HEBREWS 10:29

"Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?"

5. HE CAN BE QUENCHED - I THESSALONIANS 5:19

"Do not quench the Spirit."

6. HE CAN BE RESISTED - ACTS 7:51

"You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you."

7. WE CAN REBEL AGAINST HIM - ISAIAH 63:10

"But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."

In saying that I think you can clearly see that only a person can be grieved, lied to, blasphemed, insulted, quenched, resisted, and rebelled against. These things can not be said of some impersonal force. I don’t think electricity cares much if it is lied to and-so-on. But a person surely does! But there is more!

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON

Again, we are going to let the Scriptures speak for themselves, and again you are going to see how clear they are in regards to this point.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS INTELLIGENCE - I CORINTHIANS 2:10-11

"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."

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS A WILL - I CORINTHIANS 12:11, ACTS 16:6-7

"But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."

"Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them."

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS EMOTION - ROMANS 15:30, EPHESIANS 4:30, ISAIAH 63:10

"Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me."

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

"But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFIES OF JESUS AND EXALTS THE FATHER AND THE SON OVER HIMSELF - JOHN 15:26, 16:13-14

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."

5. THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US - JOHN 14:16-17

Again, these things can not be spoken of by anything else but a person. You can’t speak of the wind having intelligence, a will, emotions, testifying of things or even helping us by it’s own will. Thus, the Holy Spirit has the characteristics of a person. But there is still more!

PERSONAL ACTS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

As we look at the following verses that deal with this issue, try to see if some impersonal force can fit in with the text or if the text is clearly speaking that the Holy Spirit is a person. I think once again it will be very clear!

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS - ACTS 13:2

"As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’"

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT STRIVES WITH MAN - GENESIS 6:3

"And the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’"

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES - ACTS 16:6-7

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES US - JOHN 14:26, NEHEMIAH 9:20

"But 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 things that I said to you."

"You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst."

5. THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR US - ROMANS 8:26

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

6. THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS MIRACLES - ROMANS 15:19

"in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

7. THE HOLY SPIRIT COMMUNES WITH US - II CORINTHIANS 13:14

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

Once again these attributes can be spoken of in regards to a person and not some impersonal force. To try and say that the church has come up with this doctrine, and to call it a false doctrine, or that we have twisted the Scriptures to fit our bias, is a smoke screen to hide the truth. The Scriptures clearly teach that the Holy Spirit is a person, is alive, is the third person of the Holy Trinity and not some impersonal force like the wind or electricity!

Yes the Scriptures do speak of the Holy Spirit working like the wind. We see this in John 3:8, which says "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." But the Scriptures also speak of God being a door, being a mother hen, being a light and we don’t say that Jesus and the Father are some impersonal force. Why? Because they are illustrations for us to picture God in a certain way. We are trying to understand an all-knowing God with our finite minds, and thus, God uses things we will understand to relate to Him. Thus, if we don’t do that with the Father and with Jesus, lets not toss that reasoning out the window when it comes to the Holy Spirit, for He is a person!

As we bring this study to a close, clearly we have shown you that the Holy Spirit is a person, there is no other conclusion to come to. That the Scriptures speak of the Holy Spirit using personal pronouns, such as "He", "Him", "His", and-so-on, and not "it" or "thing". That He has personal attributes applied to Him.

In saying all that, I want to leave you with these words, these thoughts from R. A. Torrey from his book "THE PERSON & WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT". He said:

"Before one can correctly understand the work of the Holy Spirit, he must first of all know the Spirit Himself. A frequent source of error and fanaticism about the work of the Holy Spirit is the attempt to study and understand His work without first coming to know Him as a person."

"It is of the highest importance from the standpoint of worship that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is a divine person, worthy to receive our adoration, our faith, our love, and our entire surrender to Himself, or whether it is simply an influence emanating from God or a power or an illumination that God imparts to us. If the Holy Spirit is a person, and a divine person, and we don not know Him as such, then we are robbing a divine being of the worship and the faith and the love and the surrender to Himself which are His due."

"It is also of the highest importance from the practical standpoint that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is merely some mysterious and wonderful power, which we in our weakness and ignorance are somehow to get hold of and use, or a real person, infinitely holy, infinitely wise, infinitely mighty, and infinitely tender, who is to get hold of and use us. The former conception is utterly heathenish, not essentially different from the thought of the African fetish worshiper who has his god whom he uses. The latter conception is sublime and Christian."

"If we think of the Holy Spirit, as so many do, as merely a power or influence, our constant thought will be, How can I get more of the Holy Spirit, but if we think of Him in the biblical way as a divine person, our thought will rather be, How can the Holy Spirit have more of me? The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence or power that we are somehow to get hold of and use leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who so thinks of the Holy Spirit and at the same time imagines that he has received the Holy Spirit almost inevitably will be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if he belonged to some superior order of Christians. One frequently hears such a person say, ‘I am a Holy Ghost man,’ or ‘I am a Holy Ghost woman.’ But if we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit is a divine person of infinite majesty, glory, holiness, and power, who in marvelous condescension has come into our hearts to make His abode there and take possession of our lives and make use of them, it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust. I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me."

"It is of the highest importance from the standpoint of experience that we know the Holy Spirit as a person. Thousands and tens of thousands of men and women can testify to the blessing that has come into their own lives as they have come to know the Holy Spirit, not merely as a gracious influence (emanating, it is true, from God), but as a real person, just as real as Jesus Christ Himself, an ever-present, loving friend and mighty helper, who is not only always by their side but dwells in their heart every day and every hour, and who is ready to undertake for them in every emergency of life. Thousands of ministers, Christian workers, and Christians in the humblest spheres of life have spoken to me or written to me of the complete transformation of their Christian experience that came to them when they grasped the thought -not merely in a theological, but in an experiential way - that the Holy Spirit was a person and consequently came to know Him." (pp. 9-11).

In saying all that, let me leave you with this thought. When it comes to matters of life, don’t trust in what man has said, be they Christian or not. But bring everything into the light of God’s Word and you won’t go astray. The Scriptures have clearly shown us - THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON!

In our next study we are going to be looking at the deity of the Holy Spirit or is the Holy Spirit God! Come and see!