Is the holy spirit, God, or something else?

[Ingledsva]

OHHH! I like that!

*

 

[Pegg]

Except that in John, it relates that an intercessor will be sent after him, him being Jesus. So saying that Stephen was full of a spirit of holiness, doesn't necessitate that the instance of "holy spirit" in Stephen, and the intercessor in John, are one and the same. Or does it?

its not unusual for the language of the bible to 'personify' things.... the holy spirit is personified and called a 'helper'
Wisdom is personified and is said to have children.

So the 'intercessor' or 'helper' is the personification of the holy spirit, nothing more.

 

[Smart_Guy]

I know this is gonna sound funny but, I'm glad I'm Muslim

 

[Sabour]

The holy spirit is not God, I think it is the angel Gabriel.

 

[truth4u]

The last question I asked was, "What would happen when the disciples received holy spirit?" The scriptures explain that the disciples who received holy spirit received power to perform certain miracles, like Jesus was able to do as well, after his Father GAVE him holy spirit.

Acts 19:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Acts 10:38 New International Version (NIV)
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

 

[Nada]

The last question I asked was, "What would happen when the disciples received holy spirit?" The scriptures explain that the disciples who received holy spirit received power to perform certain miracles, like Jesus was able to do as well, after his Father GAVE him holy spirit.

Acts 19:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Acts 10:38 New International Version (NIV)
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

You just described what happened.

 

[InChrist]

Throughout the NT the Holt Spirit is revealed as a personal being...

"THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON


The qualifications for a person are that they have


1. A mind - able to think and act upon their thinking


2. their own will - self identity


3. and emotions - able to react cognitively


As personal human beings we all have these qualities all of these are qualities. Another quality of being personal is that one has life. A person is identified as a self-conscious being, cognizant of its own existence and the existence of others who also have a self-identity. A will indicates the ability to think, to reason, a choice to act, having desire these are things we associate with self consciousness which is exclusive to Persons. All of these qualities the Holy Spirit has, just as the Son and Father. We find the Holy Spirit is the executive of the Father. He is co-creator of the universe, The author of divine Scripture, the generator of Christ’s humanity, the regenerator of the believer and the distributor of eternal life, for He also eternally exists.


The Holy Spirit is identified as a Person by John, using in the Greek the masculine ekeinos in Jn.16:13.The Holy Spirit is presented as a personal being with a self-identity different from both the Father, and the Son. As the Father and Jesus make this distinction when speaking of Him. He the Holy Spirit says "Separate Barnabas and Saul to me;" He also is identified as "I" in Acts 13:2. "

Holy Spirit is a Person

 

[Sleeppy]

God is the Holy Spirit. You can go around today asking people if they've received the Holy Spirit, and they will not know. But everyone was created of the Holy Spirit, and through Adam's receipt in his nostrils, all human beings have an inheritance from the Father. The people Paul spoke to didn't understand his language. If Paul had simply asked them if they were doing good, law fulfilling things, because of the Gospel, they would have answered in the affirmative.

 

[Nada]

God is the Holy Spirit. You can go around today asking people if they've received the Holy Spirit, and they will not know. But everyone was created of the Holy Spirit, and through Adam's receipt in his nostrils, all human beings have an inheritance from the Father. The people Paul spoke to didn't understand his language. If Paul had simply asked them if they were doing good, law fulfilling things, because of the Gospel, they would have answered in the affirmative.

God is not the holy spirt.The holy spirit is God's active force.This is the same force that was used to create the whole universe and inspire the holy scriptures to be written by men.

 

[Robert.Evans]

If the disciples put faith in Jesus, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, why had the disciples never even heard of the Holy Spirit; and, why did Paul asked them if the disciples were GIVEN Holy Spirit? What would happen when disciples received the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19:1-2Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord’s followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

I would say it is the spirit of God and is the feminine, hence the mother to the Father and son. It is not one with the lord so is incorporated in the masculine framework... thus might not have been taught immediately, which it seems it was not. You bring up a good question though.

Though I have no problem with the idea of the Spirit being the third person of the Trinity even though I see God as One and the Father ultimately (just to fully confuse you)

 

[Robert.Evans]

Do you have any scriptures that support your view?

No... haha

 

[Robert.Evans]

Why the Holy Spirit Is Not a Person

The Bible compares the holy spirit to water. When promising future blessings for his people, God said: “I shall pour out water upon the thirsty one, and trickling streams upon the dry place. I shall pour out my spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your descendants.”—Isaiah 44:3.

When God pours out his spirit upon his servants, they become “full of holy spirit,” or “filled with holy spirit.” Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the disciples who were gathered together on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. are all described as being full of, or filled with, holy spirit.—Luke 1:15; 4:1; Acts 4:8; 9:17; 11:22, 24; 13:9.

Consider this: Could a person be ‘poured out’ on many different individuals? Would you say that one person could ‘fill’ a whole group of people? That defies logic. The Bible does refer to people becoming filled with wisdom, understanding, or even accurate knowledge, but it never describes anyone as being filled with another person.—Exodus 28:3; 1 Kings 7:14; Luke 2:40; Colossians 1:9.

The Greek word translated “spirit” is pneu′ma, which also conveys the idea of an invisible power. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary ofNew Testament Words, the word pneu′ma “primarily denotes the wind . . . also breath; then, especially the spirit, which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial and powerful.”

Clearly, then, the holy spirit is not a person.*

What Is the Holy Spirit? — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

The term person is misleading I think. I suppose it is more because of the son than anything.

But, what is God other than Spirit,and also the son now, for we have the spirit of Christ. So are they active forces?

 

[Nada]

The term person is misleading I think. I suppose it is more because of the son than anything.

But, what is God other than Spirit,and also the son now, for we have the spirit of Christ. So are they active forces?

Both God the Almighty and Jesus Christ are spirit forms.They are persona's.The holy spirit is not a persona.It is a force that God can send when ever He needs something done.The holy spirit is not like God or Jesus.It is a force that causes the recipient to obtain power from God.

 

[Sleeppy]

God is not the holy spirt.The holy spirit is God's active force.This is the same force that was used to create the whole universe and inspire the holy scriptures to be written by men.

I know your belief.. Mine is somewhat different.

 

[Nada]

I know your belief.. Mine is somewhat different.

Cool.

 

[truth4u]

I would say it is the spirit of God and is the feminine, hence the mother to the Father and son. It is not one with the lord so is incorporated in the masculine framework... thus might not have been taught immediately, which it seems it was not. You bring up a good question though.

Though I have no problem with the idea of the Spirit being the third person of the Trinity even though I see God as One and the Father ultimately (just to fully confuse you)

If the Spirit is a literal individual, why hadn't the Christian disciples heard of the Holy Spirit?

 

[truth4u]

The term person is misleading I think. I suppose it is more because of the son than anything.

But, what is God other than Spirit, and also the son now, for we have the spirit of Christ. So are they active forces?

Robert - Thank you for your question. The original language word for "spirit" is actually used in a few different ways in the Bible. For example, God, the angels and Jesus are called spirits, meaning they are not physical beings, they are spirit beings. Another example is that the word "spirit" can mean the attitude of a person, the spirit they show. Having the spirit of Christ would mean we have the same kind of attitude that he has, being motivated by love and righteousness. A third example is that the word "wind" is translated from the same word as "spirit," and the wind is an invisible force, as is gravity and magnetism.

Perhaps you will recall that, when the disciples received holy spirit in the upper room at Pentecost, it came in LIKE A RUSHING STIFF BREEZE, and then, they were able to speak in foreign tongues or languages and teach people about Jesus in the language they were most comfortable in. There were about 120 people in that room. God's holy spirit was sent to help them so that they could, in turn, help God in the teaching work, so that people could learn about Jesus being the promised Messiah, the one who would eventually sit on the throne of David. Luke 1:32 The gift of holy spirit from the Father is a force, rather than a person, that can be directed by the Father for various purposes, such as giving them power or helping them to both understand and to remember God's truths. Being from God, he is fully aware of what the holy spirit is doing, so it's like having God himself watching over us and caring for us and helping us and teaching us, etc.

Please note in the verses quoted below how God's Holy Spirit is described as a powerful force. In Greek, the words "wind" and "Spirit" are translated from the Greek word [pneuma]; and, in Hebrew the words "wind" and "breath" and "Spirit" are translated from the Hebrew word, [ruwach].

John 3:8 (Amplified Bible)
8 The WIND [pneuma] BLOWS WHERE IT WILLS; AND THOUGH YOU HEAR ITS SOUND, YET YOU NEITER KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM NOR WHERE IT IS GOING. SO IT IS WITH EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT [pneuma].

Acts 2:1-4 (American Standard Version)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a MIGHTY WIND, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
4 And they were ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and began to speak with other tongues, as THE SPIRIT gave them utterance.

Ezekiel 37:9-10 Darby Translation (DARBY)
9 And he said unto me, Prophesy unto the WIND [ruwach] , prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind [ruwach], Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four WINDS [ruwach], O BREATH [ruwach], and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 And I prophesied as he had commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 14 And I will put my SPIRIT [ruwach] in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land: and ye shall know that I Jehovah have spoken, and have done [it], saith Jehovah.
The holy spirit that the Father sends is invisible and powerful like wind, so if a person has it, you cannot see it; but, that doesn't mean that it;s not there and it can also be very gentle or very powerful like wind can be. They are both invisible forces from God the Father and can be used by him. God can give his holy spirit to anyone, and thus, they can receive various gifts of holy spirit such as POWER. Please note in the following passage that Jesus was able to perform this miracle due to the fact that God gave him the POWER by holy spirit to do it.

Matthew 9:2,8 (New Century Version)2 Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed and lying on a mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, young man. Your sins are forgiven." 8 When the people saw this, they were amazed and PRAISED GOD FOR GIVING POWER LIKE THIS TO HUMAN BEINGS.

Luke 4:14
And Jesus returned in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT into Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about.

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive POWER, WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS COME UPON YOU: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Luke 9:1
And he called the twelve together, and gave them POWER and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

Luke 24:49
And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with POWER FROM ON HIGH.

Acts 8:19
saying, Give me also this POWER, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Acts 10:38
even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the HOLY SPIRIT and with POWER: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Romans 15:19
in the POWER of signs and wonders, in the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; so that from Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ;

 

[Kolibri]

I appreciated the comparison between Mt 12:28 and Lu 11:20. One says "spirit" the other says "finger." Interestingly the the magic-practicing priests of Egypt referred to the gnat plague as "the finger of God!" (Ex 8:19). Likewise the Bible will refer to the Holy Spirit as God's Hands (Ps 19:1) and his Breath (Ex 15:8,10). Just as none of these - finger, hand, breath - can function without the person who has them, so too the Holy Spirit is not something that functions with an independent mind and body. It responds only to God's will for it - much like our hands and fingers do not respond with a will of their own.

 

[Yes]

If the disciples put faith in Jesus, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, why had the disciples never even heard of the Holy Spirit; and, why did Paul asked them if the disciples were GIVEN Holy Spirit? What would happen when disciples received the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19:1-2Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord’s followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

In Acts 19, Paul was speaking to disciples of John the baptizer.
They only heard a little about Jesus.

They only had a water baptism and not the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

John the baptizer prepared the way for Jesus. He came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:76-80).

John the baptizer told his disciples to believe on the one who comes after him.

Mark 1:7 And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.'

We are still to confess that we are sinners, and to repent, to prepare the way for Jesus Christ into our lives.

Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

 

[moorea944]

A very compelling argument against the holy spirit being a person is found in the account about Stephen.

Acts 7:54 Well, at hearing these things, they were infuriated* in their hearts and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of holy spirit, gazed into heaven and caught sight of God’s glory and of Jesus standing at God’s right hand,+56 and he said: “Look! I see the heavens opened up and the Son of man+ standing at God’s right hand.”+​

Stephen is given a vision of heaven, and looking in he see's God and Jesus at his right hand... but no holy spirit. If the holy spirit is a person, and if he is really the 3rd person of the trinity, then surely Stephen would have seen 3 individuals in heaven. But no, he sees only Jesus and Jehovah.

I personally believe that the Holy Spirit is the power of God and not a person. If it was a person, then he would be Jesus's father. LIke the sun's rays, the Holy Spirit comes from God. It is His power, His word.