God’s Power – The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the energy or power of God by which all creation came originally into being, and by which it is sustained.
In order to create the universe, “the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:2, 3). Whilst God, Himself, is localised in heaven, His Spirit is diffused throughout creation (Psalm 139:7-12). This God-derived energy is the substratum of all creation (Acts 17:25). In that connection, science today confirms Scripture by teaching that energy is the basis of all matter.
A proper understanding of this subject reveals God to us as a powerful, active Being. Many people have grown up with a vague “belief” in God, but in reality “God” is just a concept in their minds. An understanding of the true God and His very real presence all around us by His spirit can totally change our concept of life. We are surrounded by the spirit, constantly witnessing its actions, which reveal God to us. David found the encouragement of all this absolutely mind-blowing: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me: it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psalms 139:6). Yet responsibilities come with such knowledge. We have to accept that our thinking and actions are totally open to God’s view. God’s majestic words to Jeremiah apply to us, too: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill (by the spirit) heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24).
“Holy Spirit” vs “Holy Ghost”
The term “Holy Spirit” is to be found almost exclusively in the New Testament. In the AV the term “Holy Ghost” is often used, but it should always be translated as “Holy Spirit”, as modern versions make clear. This is equivalent to the Old Testament phrases “the Spirit of God” or “the Spirit of the Lord”. This is clear from passages such as Acts 2, which records the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Peter explained that this was a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel, in which it is described as the pouring out of “my (God’s) Spirit” (Acts 2:17). The main fulfilment of this will be when Jesus returns (Isaiah 32:15,16). Again Luke 4:1 records that Jesus “being full of the Holy Spirit” returned from Jordan, later in the same chapter Jesus speaks of this being a fulfilment of Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me”. In both cases (and in many others) the Holy Spirit is equated with the Old Testament term “the Spirit of God”.
The Holy Spirit often personified in the Bible
The Spirit is sometimes personified in the Bible, as in John 16:7-8, and this has led many to believe that it is a person. They do so because they do not take into account an idiom of the original Greek language. In Greek, inanimate objects which in English would be couched in the neuter gender, are given a masculine or feminine gender, if those objects are identified with any particular individual. For example, a chair is described as “it” in English, because it is neuter, being neither masculine nor feminine. But in Greek that chair can be identified with its owner. If it belongs to me, the chair is described as he; if it belongs to my wife, as she.
For this reason, the Holy Spirit has frequently been personified in the Bible, identifying it with God, and so it is personified as he.However, if the Holy Spirit were actually a person it should be rendered as He in every place where the word is referred to; but it is not. It is sometimes rendered in the neuter. In Romans 8:16, Paul writes: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit.” The neuter, itself is used, and this is in accord with the Greek text, as any Greek scholar will acknowledge.
To personify inanimate objects is normal in the Bible:
- Wisdom is represented as a woman (Proverbs 9:1)
- Mammon is described as a friend (Luke 16:9)
- Sin is personified as a slave-owner (Romans 6:16)
- The Holy Spirit as a comforter (John 14:26), expressing the spirit of truth.
In the Bible the Holy Spirit is never referred to as the second person of a triune God, clearly showing that the doctrine of the Trinity was not acknowledged by the early believers. This is shown beyond all doubt by the expressions of Acts 19:2-3. The chapter records the occasion when Paul met certain disciples at Ephesus, and enquired as to whether they had “received the Holy Spirit.” The disciples answered: “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost” (ie Spirit). Obviously they had never heard of the doctrine of the Trinity!
Further reading…