proof of nonpersonality?
( The Watchtower Society teaches that unclean spirits are personal beings. However, they teach that the Holy Spirit of God is "an active force" ?)
2007-10-09 13:43:57 · 4 answers · asked by Nina, BaC 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The abilities, attributes, and activities of the Holy Spirit are exactly the same as those of Christ and the Father. The Holy Spirit is God.
2007-10-09 13:48:55 · answer #1 · answered by cheir 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not exactly.
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.
Comparing these two Scriptures (which describe the identical event) helps explain 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 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.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/
http://watchtower.org/e/20020515/
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_02.htm
2007-10-10 07:44:28 · answer #2 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He is a personality. In John 14 ,Jesus calls "him" the Comforter.In Acts5,Peter says to Ananias,"You have lied to the Holy Spirit...you have not lied to man but to God".He is active at the Rapture and He is active during the Tribulation indwelling the people who get saved and marking the 144,000 Jewish /Christian preachers during that time.He is the one who holds back the Anti-Christ until the church is taken out of the way(II Thessalonians)
2007-10-09 20:54:20 · answer #3 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Maybe the JW's are really Jedi Masters from Brooklyn.
Which side of "Tthe Force" do you think they represent?
Or is it "The Farce"?
2007-10-09 20:49:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋