What is your take on this?
2007-10-07 15:38:54 · 14 answers · asked by Nina, BaC 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Moises_Frias: The Watchtower Society says that just as human craftsman would use hands and fingers to extert force to build a house, so God used His active force ( Holy Spirit ) to build the universe. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God is is even spoken of in Scripture as His "hands" and "fingers" (Psalm 8:3, 19:1, Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20 )
The Watchtower Society admits that the Hebrew word ruach ( which is the word rendered "active " force in Gen 1:2 NWT ) is translated many times as "spirit" in the OT. However it is also translated as "wind" or in "other ways to denote an invisible active force". This gives justification, the Society says, for translating Gen 1:2, "God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters."
2007-10-08 01:11:51 · update #1
If one were to ask what "wind" and "spirit" have in common, the answer is simple: These words "refer to what which is invisible to human sight and which gives evidence of force in motion. Such invisible force is capable of producing visible effects" . Thus, the Witnesses reason, the invisible force of God's Spirit brought the universe into being at the creation.
2007-10-08 01:15:30 · update #2
IMO: Yes.
If we think about it, would we not be offended if people refered to us as a "thing" or an "it". We would consider that to be very derrogatory and disrespectful.
2007-10-08 03:32:20 · answer #1 · answered by Simon Peter 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No, just ignorant.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit involves rejecting His work, not misunderstanding His place as the third person of our Triune God, even calling Him an "It". This type of ignorance is forgiven. But, what He is presently doing, that is convicting humanity of righteousness, sin, and death, and bearing witness to us that Jesus is the Messiah of the world, is what is critical. If anyone rejects this, His glorious work, they are blaspheming indeed.
Btw, the word "pneuma" in the Greek, meaning "wind" or spirit" finds it derivation in the Hebrew "ruach", which connotes the Old Testament characterization of a messenger, like the angels, which they were called, as it is found in Hebrews 1:13 through 2:2. Now, I ask you, what wind or force was ever recognized to be a spiritual living being, an angel, and communicated messages to anyone? Jesus Himself told us that the Holy Spirit communicates and teaches, guides, leads, and convicts in John 14 and 16. Again, what force or wind can do these? Lastly, when Peter rebuked Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-5 for withholding the correct amount of their earnings, he said that they were lying to the Holy Spirit! Now, again, I ask you, how can anyone possibly lie to a wind or some force? Peter also just happened to mention that they lied to God, thereby connoting the third person of Trinity as divine!
2007-10-07 22:49:52 · answer #2 · answered by Tom 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No the holy spirit is not a person
*** it-2 p. 1017 Spirit ***
SPIRIT
The Greek pneu′ma (spirit) comes from pne′o, meaning “breathe or blow,” and the Hebrew ru′ach (spirit) is believed to come from a root having the same meaning. Ru′ach and pneu′ma, then, basically mean “breath” but have extended meanings beyond that basic sense. (Compare Hab 2:19; Re 13:15.) They can also mean wind; the vital force in living creatures; one’s spirit; spirit persons, including God and his angelic creatures; and God’s active force, or holy spirit. (Compare Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, Leiden, 1958, pp. 877-879; Brown, Driver, and Briggs’ Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1980, pp. 924-926; Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by G. Friedrich, translated by G. Bromiley, 1971, Vol. VI, pp. 332-451.) All these meanings have something in common: They all refer to that which is invisible to human sight and which gives evidence of force in motion. Such invisible force is capable of producing visible effects.Another Hebrew word, nesha‧mah′ (Ge 2:7), also means “breath,” but it is more limited in range of meaning than ru′ach. The Greek pno‧e′ seems to have a similar limited sense (Ac 17:25) and was used by the Septuagint translators to render nesha‧mah′.
2007-10-07 22:41:59 · answer #3 · answered by zorrro857 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No.
Does Luke's Gospel "blaspheme"? That bible book calls the holy spirit "God's finger", which certainly sounds impersonal. How many people believe each of their fingers to be an independent person?
These two Scriptures describe the identical event, thus explaining that the Holy Spirit can be thought of as "God's finger".
(Luke 11:20) If it is by means of God's finger I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken you
(Matthew 12:28) If it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the kingdom of God has really overtaken you.
Can a person's finger be "hurt" (or "grieved")? Obviously.
(Isaiah 63:10) They themselves rebelled and made his holy spirit [or "God's finger"] feel hurt
(Ephesians 4:30) Also, do not be grieving God's holy spirit [or "God's finger"]
The Scriptures clearly teach that the Holy Spirit is NOT a person, but an impersonal thing or quality. Here are two obvious lines of reasoning...
1. People are NOT filled with other people; they are filled with impersonal QUALITIES:
(Luke 1:41) Elizabeth was filled with holy spirit
(Luke 2:40) filled with wisdom
(Luke 4:28) became filled with anger
(Luke 5:26) they became filled with fear
(Luke 6:11) they became filled with madness
(Acts 3:10) they became filled with astonishment
(Acts 5:17) Sadducees, rose and became filled with jealousy
(Acts 19:29) the city became filled with confusion
2. Logical connections
Here the impersonal thing Holy Spirit is connected with the impersonal thing "power":
(Acts 10:38) God anointed him with holy spirit and power
Here the impersonal thing Holy Spirit is connected with the impersonal thing "joy":
(Acts 13:52) the disciples continued to be filled with joy and holy spirit
The Scriptures apply anthroporphic qualities to many impersonal things. Trinitarians are required to believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, but literally *ALL* of their so-called "proofs" that the Holy Spirit is a person fail in the light of the entire bible. Here are lines of reasoning that expose the unscripturality of the arguments which pretend that the Holy Spirit is a person.
The Scriptures often personify impersonal things or qualities:
(Luke 7:35) wisdom is proved righteous by all its children
(Romans 5:14) death ruled as king
(Romans 5:21) sin ruled as king
Referring to the "mind" or governing principles of an inanimate thing does not make it a person; neither does referring to a thing's "heart" or core make it a person:
(Matthew 12:40) the heart of the earth
(Exodus 15:8) the heart of the sea
(2 Samuel 18:14) the heart of the big tree
(Deuteronomy 4:11, footnote) the heart of the heavens
The Scriptures clarify that actual PERSONS spoke ON BEHALF OF the Holy Spirit:
(Acts 4:25) holy spirit said by the mouth of our forefather David...
(Acts 28:25) The holy spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah the prophet
(Matthew 10:20) it is the spirit of your Father that speaks by you
Other nonpersons 'testify' or 'bear witness':
(1 John 5:7,8) there are three witness bearers, the spirit and the water and the blood
Arguments pretending that a person can "fill" another person are based on pagan witchcraft and Babylonish mysticism. The Scriptures consistently show that only nonpersonal qualities can "fill" a person. Jehovah's Witnesses are unlikely to trade their Scriptural true worship for witchcraft and Trinitarian false worship; apostasy such as trinitarianism was foretold in the bible.
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-3) We request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason... the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed
(2 Peter 2:1) there will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects
Finally, if trinitarians are true Christians, why do they ignore Christ's command that each Christian must preach?
(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.
(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded
Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/article_07.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20020515/
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20050422/article_02.htm
2007-10-08 14:45:10 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Only you can decide if you think it is offensive to God or not.If in doubt it is best not to say it,at least that's how i determine something i am not sure about.
2007-10-07 23:18:36 · answer #5 · answered by ROBERT P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure. But I don't think the Holy Spirit can be impersonal. The Holy Spirit is IN us ... what could be more personal than that?...Blessings!
2007-10-07 22:42:13 · answer #6 · answered by Native Spirit 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I don't think so. God is impersonal by nature correct? Such that if you do good, good will happen to you and if you do evil, etc., etc.. It doesn't matter who you are. God will treat you according to what you do, not who you are.
2007-10-07 22:45:09 · answer #7 · answered by Miribile 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The concept of blasphemy is void. You cannot defame a fiction.
2007-10-07 22:41:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Well if Jesus consider it unpersonal when he used a comparision with fingers then is not blaspheming unless Jesus was a blasphemour, which is improbable.
2007-10-08 00:57:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
heehehee such unnatural thoughts and feelings..don't piss off the ghosts
2007-10-07 22:48:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋