The Godhead – The Holy Spirit
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The Holy Spirit is a force or an influence |
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Jehovah’s
Witnesses deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit, in that they teach that the
Holy Spirit is a force. Here is what they say: ‘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’ (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, page 381). Many other sects
deny the personality of the Holy Spirit. Let us see some of them. |
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The
followers of Herbert Armstrong: ‘God’s
Holy Spirit is His life. It imparts His life to you!’ (What do you mean … salvation?, page 19); ‘The truth is - and it
would shock millions to know - that the Holy Spirit is not a person. Rather,
it is the agency by which God the Father works. The Holy Spirit is an agency,
a force, a power that is used by the Highest - God the Father - to achieve
his purpose. The Holy Spirit, we repeat, is not a person’ (Good News, Nov./Dec. 1990, p. 9). |
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The followers
of Emanuel Swedenborg: Emanuel Swedenborg wrote: ‘… they that sat on the seats
unanimously agreed in this conclusion, that the Holy Spirit is not a distinct
person of Himself, consequently not a distinct God of Himself; but that by
the Holy Spirit is meant the divine sanctity, coming forth and proceeding
from the one and only omnipresent God, who is the Lord ...’ (Miscellaneous Theological Works of Emanuel
Swedenborg, page 250). In his book What
the Bible Actually Teaches, John Odhner states: The Spirit Is Not Another
Person ….This is vital to understanding the Holy Spirit. …. Throughout the
Bible, the Spirit of God is pictured not as a separate person, but as the
breath of God …. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is the
regenerating and enlightening influence of Jesus Christ, not of some third
person.’ |
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The Iglesia
ni Cristo: they believe in an impersonal Holy Spirit, a power sent by the
Father in the name of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not God but one of the
spirits sent by God (http://thebereans.net/prof-inc.shtml). |
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The |
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Confutation |
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The Holy
Spirit is a Person |
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The Holy
Spirit speaks. Here are some Bible verses according to which the Spirit
speaks: “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his
voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of
temptation in the wilderness” (Hebrews 3:7-8); “Then the Spirit said unto
Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” (Acts 8:29); “While Peter
thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I
have sent them” (Acts 10:19-20); “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them” (Acts 13:2); “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you
things to come” (John 16:13); “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils [demons]” (1 Timothy 4:1). |
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The Holy
Spirit hears, for Jesus said about Him: “Whatsoever he shall hear, that shall
he speak” (John |
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The Holy
Spirit sees, for the seven eyes which the Lamb has (John saw these seven eyes
in a vision while he was on the isle of Patmos) “are the seven Spirits of God
sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6) or, as the prophet Zechariah
said, “the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth”
(Zechariah 4:10). |
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The Holy
Spirit has a mind, for it is written: “And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans |
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The Holy
Spirit has a will, for it is written: “But one and the same Spirit works all
these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1
Corinthians |
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The Holy
Spirit has an awareness of goodness, for the apostles and elders wrote to the
believing Gentiles who were in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: “For it seemed
good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from
blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep
yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well” (Acts |
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The Holy
Spirit loves, for Paul wrote to the Romans: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for
the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive
together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans |
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The Holy
Spirit searches and knows, as it is written: “The Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit
of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). |
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The Holy
Spirit reveals, as it is written in the Gospel according to Luke: “And it was
revealed unto him [Simeon] by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death,
before he had seen the Lord's Christ” (Luke 2:26). |
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The Holy
Spirit teaches, as it is written: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things…”
(John 14:26), and also: “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and
unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall
answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same
hour what ye ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12), and again: “You also gave Your
good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their
mouth” (Nehemiah 9:20 - NKJV), and again: “Which things [the things that have
been freely given to us by God] also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13). |
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The Holy
Spirit guides, as it is written: ““Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth” (John |
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The Holy
Spirit prays, as it is written: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our
weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God”
(Romans |
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The Holy
Spirit convinces, for Jesus said about Him: “And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because
they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye
see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged”
(John 16:8-11). |
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The Holy
Spirit regenerates, as it is written: “Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the |
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The Holy
Spirit brings the words of the Lord to our remembrance, as it is written:
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). |
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The Holy
Spirit makes men overseers, as Paul said to the elders of the church of
Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). |
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The Holy
Spirit commands, as it is written: ““Now there were in the church that was at
Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was
called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and
fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid
their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:1-3). |
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The Holy
Spirit forbids believers to do certain things on certain occasions, as it is
written: “Now when they [the apostles] had gone through |
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The Holy
Spirit does not permit believers to go to certain places on certain
occasions, as it is written: “After they [the apostles] had come to |
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The Holy
Spirit can be known, for Jesus said to His disciples: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of
truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you”
(John 14:16-17). |
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The Holy
Spirit can be grieved, for it is written: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30)
and again: “But they [the Israelites] rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them”
(Isaiah 63:10 – NKJV). |
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The Holy
Spirit can be resisted, for Stephen said before the Sanhedrin: “Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy
Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts |
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The Holy
Spirit can be tempted, for Peter said to Sapphira: “How is it that ye have
agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?” (Acts 5:9). |
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The Holy
Spirit can be lied to, for Peter said to Ananias: “Why hath Satan filled
thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of
the land?” (Acts 5:3). |
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The Holy
Spirit can be spoken against, as it is written: “And whosoever speaketh a
word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:32). |
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As you can
see, the Holy Spirit has personal characteristics and does things which only
a person can do. An impersonal force cannot speak or hear, nor can it be lied
to, spoken against, grieved, tempted, etc. |
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The
Holy
Spirit
is God |
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Now I am
going to compare some verses of the Scripture referring to the Holy Spirit
with other verses referring to God, in order to show you that the Holy Spirit
is God. |
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The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says to the saints: “How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God?” (Hebrews |
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David said to God: “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” (Psalm 139:7 - NKJV),
while God said to Jeremiah: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I
shall not see him? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah |
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Paul said: “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1
Corinthians |
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Elihu said: “The Spirit of God hath made me” (Job 33:4), while David said to
God: “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's
womb” (Psalm 139:13 – The NIV reads: “For you created my inmost being; you
knit me together in my mother’s womb”). Therefore the Spirit creates as God
does, thus He is omnipotent like God. |
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Jesus said: “Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the |
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Peter said to Ananias: “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” (Acts 5:3)
and also: “Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts 5:4). Therefore
to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. |
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● In
the book of the Acts of the apostles it is written that Paul said these words
to those Jews in Rome who refused to accept the Gospel: “Well spake the Holy
Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and
say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall
see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Acts 28:25-27). As
you can see, it was the Holy Spirit who spoke those words through the prophet
Isaiah. However, according to the book of the prophet Isaiah, it was God who
spoke those words, as it is written: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw
also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled
the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain
he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he
did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD
of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door
moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of
the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken
with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said,
Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin
purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and
who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and
tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but
perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,
and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:1-10).
Therefore it was both the Holy Spirit and God who sent Isaiah to prophesy
against the people of |
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● In
the book of the Acts of the apostles it is written: “Now there were in the
church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and
Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had
been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the
Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the
work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and
laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by
the Holy Ghost, departed unto |
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Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Comforter” (John |
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● In
the book of the prophet Isaiah it is written: “But they [the Israelites]
rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an
enemy, and He fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10 - NKJV), while in the book
of Psalms it is written: “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and
grieved Him in the desert!” (Psalm 78:40 - NKJV). Therefore to grieve the
Holy Spirit is to grieve God. |
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Paul said to the Corinthians: “Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) and also: “Know ye not that ye
are the |
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Jesus said: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
send in my name, he shall teach you all things” (John 14:26), but He said
also: “And they shall be all taught of God” (John 6:45), and David said: “The
meek will he [God] guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way”
(Psalm 25:9). Therefore the Holy Spirit teaches as God does. |
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Jesus said about the Holy Spirit: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth” (John |
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As you can
see, according to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit possesses
attributes which belong only to Deity (for He is eternal, omnipresent,
omniscient and omnipotent like God); He is equated with God and does work
that only God does. |
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Therefore,
I exhort you to reject the false teaching that denies the personality of the
Holy Spirit. |