Historical Posts

God, the Holy Spirit – The Spirit of God

The Holy Spirit seems to be the only member of the Godhead that has no proper name. Unlike Jehovah and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is known by a more informal designation. But, just like the other two members of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit’s name is also a descriptive term. For the most part, He is called, the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit, or the Spirit of God, or some other variation of these terms (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 4:4,30). In the King James Version of the Bible, the word, Ghost is frequently substituted for Spirit. This is because of the close association between the two words, which was especially strong when the KJV was translated. We must not, however, make the mistake of thinking that the Holy Spirit behaves anything like a ghost, as people typically think of ghosts today.

The Greek and Hebrew words, which are translated “spirit,” in the Bible, literally mean, “a breath” or “a blast of air.” These words, however, must not be understood in a literal sense. In John 3, Jesus contrasted “the wind” and “the Spirit” (John 3:5-8). Some argue that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than a breath of air, and that the term does not refer to a person, but to the influence of God. We may know that this argument is false, because of the evidence provided by the Scriptures concerning the nature of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit has all the attributes of an individual person. He has a mind (Romans 8:27). He has a will (Acts 16:7; 21:11-14). He can speak (1 Timothy 4:1). He searches (1 Corinthians 2:10). He helps (Romans 8:26). He strives (Genesis 6:3). He loves (Romans 15:30). He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He can be lied to (Acts 5:3-4). The Holy Spirit is not merely an extension of God, or a part of God’s character. He is God. He has divine authority and He acts in full cooperation with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit is probably the most misunderstood of all the members of the Godhead. Most people have no trouble conceiving of the Biblical model for the Father and for the Son, but many in the religious world are unwilling to accept the Biblical description of the Holy Spirit. This is perplexing, since the Holy Spirit is responsible for inspiring the men who wrote the Bible (2 Peter 1:21). Nevertheless, misunderstandings abound, concerning the Holy Spirit. We owe it to Him to study our Bibles and sort through the confusion to attain understanding.