The Bible’s Viewpoint- Is the Holy Spirit a person?

Question

WHAT is God’s holy spirit? In its opening words, the Bible speaks of the holy spirit—also rendered “God’s active force”—as “moving to and fro over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) In the account of Jesus’ baptism, while God is described as being in “the heavens,” the holy spirit appears “descending like a dove” upon Jesus. (Matthew 3:16, 17) Additionally, Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a “helper.”—John 14:16.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/200607a/article_01.htm

Answer 1

No. We read that the holy spirit can fill a person, come upon him, and envelop him. (Exodus 31:3; Judges 3:10; 6:34) Some of God’s holy spirit can be taken from one person and given to another. (Numbers 11:17, 25) The holy spirit can become operative upon someone, enabling him to perform superhuman feats.—Judges 14:6; 1 Samuel 10:6.

Like the so-called Old Testament, the part of the Bible called the Christian Greek Scriptures, or “New Testament,” says that the holy spirit can ‘fill’ a person or be “upon” him. (Acts 2:4; Luke 2:25-27) Holy spirit was ‘given,’ ‘poured out upon,’ and ‘distributed.’ (Luke 11:13; Acts 10:45; Hebrews 2:4)

True, at times the Bible personalizes the holy spirit. For instance, Isaiah said that certain rebels ‘made God’s holy spirit feel hurt.’ (Isaiah 63:10) Paul said it could be ‘grieved.’ (Ephesians 4:30) And a number of scriptures say that the holy spirit teaches, guides, speaks, and bears witness. (John 14:26; 16:13, 14; 1 John 5:7, 8) But the Bible also personalizes other nonliving things, such as wisdom, death, and sin. (Proverbs 1:20; Romans 5:17, 21)

Various sources acknowledge that the Bible does not support the idea that the holy spirit is the third person of a Trinity. For example:

The Catholic Encyclopedia: "Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find any clear indication of a Third Person."

Catholic theologian Fortman: "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."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia: "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." It also says: "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."

A Catholic Dictionary: "On the whole, the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the spirit as a divine energy or power."

The Bible's 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.

Answer 2

Contrary to their own doctrine, the following quotes demonstrate what even TRINITARIAN authorities admit about the Holy Spirit:

"The majority of NT texts reveal God's spirit as someTHING, not someone." - New Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 575, Vol. 13, 1967.

"The Holy Spirit was viewed NOT as a personal figure but rather as a power." - The New Encyclopedia Britannica.

"In the N[ew] T[estament] there is no direct suggestion of a doctrine of the Trinity. The spirit is conceived as an IMPERSONAL power by which God effects his will through Christ." - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Ferm (ed.), 1945, p. 344.

"In the O.T. the Holy Spirit means a divine power ..." -p. 269, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1976.

As for the Holy Spirit being called a "helper":

The word 'paraclete' (parakletos) - or 'comforter,' 'helper,' 'advocate' in English translations - is in the masculine gender in the Greek, but may be figuratively applied to things. This usage is also seen where Jesus is figuratively called 'Wisdom' (fem.) or 'lamb' (neut.).

Even Trinitarians have to admit the truth about the usage of the term "helper" for the Holy Spirit. Noted trinitarian scholar and NT translator, Dr. William Barclay, said the following:

"The uses of paraclete for the Holy Spirit are the ONLY places where the masculine pronoun is used for the Holy Spirit in the NT text. This is a FIGURATIVE use and is in contrast with the many other places where the literal Holy Sprit is the true antecedent and always takes NEUTER pronouns and articles." -"The Daily Study Bible Series"

"Neuter pronouns and articles" such as:

The King James Version and the ASV render Is. 34:16: "my mouth, it hath commanded, and his Spirit, IT hath gathered them."
At Numbers 11:17 we see: "I will take ['SOME' - NRSV, NJB] of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put IT upon them." - ASV (compare KJV, RSV, NRSV, AT, LB, NEB, REB, NAB, JB, NJB, Beck).

Also, Acts 2:33 calls the Holy Spirit "that" (or "this" in other versions) which according to the KJV New Testament Greek lexicon is a THING, not a person:

http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=5124&version=kjv

Answer 3

The Holy Spirit is not simply a personification or figurative expression for the divine energy or operation, but He is an intelligent agent, possessed of self-consciousness and freedom.

In proof of this it is justly said:

(1) that the Scriptures that ascribe distinct personality to the Father and the Son with equal explicitness ascribe distinct personality to the Holy Spirit. Prominent illustrations of this are found in Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 14:16-17; John 15:26.

(2) The pronouns used with reference to the Holy Spirit are invariably personal pronouns, e.g., John 16:13-14; Acts 13:2.

(3) The attributes of personality, self-consciousness, and freedom are ascribed to the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10; 1 Cor. 12:11).

(4) The relations described as existing between the Holy Spirit and mankind are such as to emphasize His personality. The Spirit strives with man (Genesis 6:3). He instructs, regenerates, sanctifies, and comforts believers (John 3:5-6; John 14:16-17; John 16:13-14; 1 Peter 1:2). We are warned not to “blaspheme against,” “not to resist,” not to “grieve,” nor to “quench” the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32; Acts 7:51; Ephes. 4:30; 1 Thes. 5:19).

Answer 4

This is a tricky question, and well-asked. Most trinity-believing Christians will answer with a resounding "Yes". I see that you have access to the New World Translation - a good choice in many ways, but not for this particular point. Gen 1:2 cannot be reasonably translated "God's active force". This is an interpretation which, unfortunately, displays religious bias in a mostly-excellent bible version. Literally, the two Hebrew words here translate roughly as "God spirit" or "God wind" (God capitalized because plural). "God's active force" is quite a stretch. The New Jerusalem Bible's use of "divine wind" *may* be the most unbiased translation of this particular phrase available.

As for Joh 14:16-17, a the "Spirit of Truth" does not necessarily specify a person. A vise or a ladder can be considered a helper, and a blanket or fire a comforter, particularly in greek where most words have a sex.

Good luck pinning this one down. I can't find really firm scriptural evidence either way.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 5

READ 1 corinthians 15:40 also read 2 cori. 1:22 GOD has given us of his spirit ,we were made in his likeness and the angels.This feeling in our heart's is just a down payment on what 's to come .It's hard to put it into word;s but you know.Touch not those that have the seal of GOD in their forehead .What's in your forehead your brain ,you know the truth and you can't be fooled,you know his voice.Heb. 4:16 Any body that want's it can have rest. We have a very good retirement plan.John 14:2 In my father's house are many mansions,(or dwellings) I believe that the holy spirit dwells in us today and always .This is not a big fancy house your going to live in you can have it now.What is GOD's holy spirit ?It's the same as our's it's who you are ,and who you will be .In the beginning GOD placed our spirit in to flesh to be born into this earth age ,when we leave this earth age this we go home to that spirit body.LOVE G

Answer 6

The are many images of the holy Spirit in the Bible but in the Book of Acts He acts very much like a person.

Answer 7

The holy spirit is refered to as a person.
Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1Cr 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own1Jo 5:7 For there are three that bear witness *in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. ?
Act 20:23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.

The watchtower changed the Bible to suit their own interpretations. As such the New World Translation is not considered a valid translation of the Bible.

Answer 8

The bible is loud and clear that the holy spirit is a force that god uses to accomplish his will.

Answer 9

Jesus was preaching and being pressed by the crowd...he turned and said...who touched me?
A woman with a flow of blood for many years had faith that if she just touched his hem she would be cured...Jesus said the power went out of him. He told the woman..your faith has made you well.

The holy spirit is a helper.Jesus had it...we also can have it.
When some one is filled with holy spirit they can accomplish Jehovah's tasks..
The 300 in the upper room had holy spirit poured out on them in Pentecost 33 CE so that they could preach with boldness the things Jesus had taught them.

Answer 10

Power in Action

It would not be quite accurate to say that the holy spirit is God’s power. This is because power can be latent, or inactively resident, in someone or something, such as power stored in a charged but unused battery. The Scriptures, however, present God’s spirit in the context of being in motion, somewhat like the electric current that flows from a battery in use. (Genesis 1:2) Hence, God’s holy spirit is his projected energy, his active force.

The Bible sometimes speaks of the holy spirit as accomplishing a certain task or of its being in a different location from God. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 3:21, 22; Acts 8:39; 13:4; 15:28, 29) Some who have read such passages assume that the holy spirit has its own identity apart from God. Why is this language used in the Scriptures? Is the holy spirit an entity separate from God?

Almighty God exists on a plane completely beyond that of his material creation. He is a spirit, invisible to our limited senses. (John 4:24) The Bible says that Jehovah God dwells in the heavens and that from there he gazes on mankind. (Psalm 33:13, 14) This is understandable. The Creator must be greater than the elements he is working with. He masters them, manipulates them, forms them, and controls them.—Genesis 1:1.

From his invisible dwelling place, God can cause things to happen anytime and anywhere. Hence, he does not need to be at the location at which his active force operates. He can send his spirit to accomplish a task. (Psalm 104:30) This may be easily understood by people in modern times who operate household appliances by means of wireless remote control. Today we recognize the power of invisible forces such as electricity or infrared waves. Likewise, with his invisible holy force, or spirit, God can accomplish whatever he sets out to do, without transferring himself from one place to another.—Isaiah 55:11.

In Bible times this concept may have been difficult to grasp. Speaking of the holy spirit as a separate force undoubtedly helped readers to comprehend how God exercises his power even though he does not personally place himself at the location of its operation. When the Bible refers to the holy spirit as having done this or that, it is in effect saying that God himself has projected or exerted his power on persons or things to accomplish his will.What is the holy spirit?

A comparison of Bible texts that refer to the holy spirit shows that it is spoken of as ‘filling’ people; they can be ‘baptized’ with it; and they can be “anointed” with it. (Luke 1:41; Matt. 3:11; Acts 10:38) None of these expressions would be appropriate if the holy spirit were a person.

Jesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper” (Greek, pa·ra′kle·tos), and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Rom. 5:14, 21) While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25; Matt. 10:19, 20; compare Acts 20:23 with 21:10, 11.) At 1 John 5:6-8, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person.

The correct identification of the holy spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer to that spirit. With this viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will.—Ps. 104:30; 2 Pet. 1:21; Acts 4:31.