God is spirit... but what's a spirit?

[Katzpur]

The Bible says that God is [a] spirit? What does this mean to you? What are the attributes of a spirit? Can God be both spirit and anything else?

 

[Aqualung]

I don't think one can even use this passage to define God at all. For one, Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman. Christ said he came for the Jews, and that he spoke to those who weren't his desciples in parables. This samaritan woman wasn't his desciple and wasn't a jew, so he was probably talking in parable anyway. Secondly, he follows that by saying "worship him in spirit and in truth" making it even more likely that he was creating an analogy and not speaking literally.

 

[UnityNow101]

When God is described in the Bible it is always as a spirit, although people take different interpretations as to the character of God. I don't believe that God is ever described in the Bible as a corpereal Being, although I could be wrong. So, in my view, God is definantely a spiritual Being, not having form or physical shape...He defies our human understanding. One could not say..Look, there is God or here He is....He is not a physical Being in my estimation.

 

[may]

God is invisible to human eyes (Ex 33:20; Joh 1:18; 1Ti 1:17),
Although he does not have a material body, he has a spiritual one. A spirit person has a body? Yes, the Bible says: "If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one."—1 Corinthians 15:44; John 4:24.
Since God is a person with a spiritual body, he must have a place to live. The Bible tells us that the heavens are God’s "established place of dwelling." (1 Kings 8:43) Also, we are told that "Christ entered . . . into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24)

 

[FFH]

The Bible says that God is [a] spirit? What does this mean to you? What are the attributes of a spirit? Can God be both spirit and anything else?

This is actually a mistranslation, which the King james is full of...

Many beliefs about God are based upon this one mistranslated scripture.

John 4: 24 (King James)
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth.

Joseph Smith inspired version of the same verse
For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.

As you can see this scripture was butchered by man.

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as mans" ~Joseph Smith~

“if … God … were to make himself visible, … you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man”
~Joseph Smith~

 

[UnityNow101]

God has revealed Himself in the human temple throughout history according to many people. God, which is a Spirit, descended upon individuals to help guide mankind to truth. But in no way does anyone that I know believe that the Father Almighty God has a physical body as you or I do. That almost belittles the Almighty in a way..To say that God Almighty, in His most Perfect State, has a body just as you or I is bringing the Almighty down to our level. God cannot be confined in any way. He is far exalted above our human understanding of Him.

 

[Luke_17:2]

There is a trinity made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All of these are separate, and all are one. Like the parts to a tire (to use a crude example). Together they're called the three Godhead. So God is not necessarily a spirit. He is supernatural, and beyond our comprehension.

 

[FFH]

In no way does anyone that I know believe that the Father Almighty God has a physical body as you or I do. That almost belittles the Almighty in a way..To say that God Almighty, in His most Perfect State, has a body just as you or I is bringing the Almighty down to our level. God cannot be confined in any way. He is far exalted above our human understanding of Him.

Not at all, God the Father and his son Jesus Christ have exalted immortal tangible bodies.

The only difference between our bodies and those who have been exalted, such as Jesus Christ and the Father, is that they are no longer subject to death and sin.

Our bodies are the same, both male and female, in the spirit world and in the heavens, when we will dwell with God the Father and the Son, if we are found worthy.

We will embrace the Father and the Son, as we would an earthly father and brother...

Of this I am 100 percent certain, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever.

For reasons I can't discuss, I know that the Father will embrace us, physically, and lovingly accept us into His presence, if we are found worthy to enter into His presence.

 

[FFH]

There is a trinity made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All of these are separate, and all are one. Like the parts to a tire (to use a crude example). Together they're called the three Godhead. So God is not necessarily a spirit. He is supernatural, and beyond our comprehension.

The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is an extension of God the Father's love, power and presence.

If we have the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit with us we literally have the presence of God with us, in an extended form.

God the Father can be in all places at all times, through his Spirit, which is the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, which manifests to our hearts and minds the truth of all things.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

God most certainly is Spirit.
This may or may not include the possession of a physical body.
It would certainty not stretch God's abilities in any way to be so clothed.

I prefer to perceive him as an all pervading Spirit... Like The Holy Spirit?
But If that were his only form Why would we speak of God And the Holy spirit.
I think we have become confuse by semantics in trying to understand this question.

In trying to understand the two ...God and the Holy spirit, we have tried to do so in our terms not God's. I am not sure our understanding includes terms or thoughts that adequately describe their relationship.

When we add the presence of Jesus, we have even greater problems in expressing this combined Godhead. We know there is only one God but now we have three persons.

So we invent the Trinity, to explain it. It is a very poor explanation, because few understand it.

Again the problem is understanding the relationship of God Jesus and The Holy spirit in Our terms. In the terms of, and in relation to the Power of God, no problem exists.

From our point of view...
The Trinity is as good an explanation as we can come up with.
That God can have both a spiritual and physical body is self evident.
That the trinity is describing three persons is obvious.
It is also necessary to understand that those three persons are also in some way One.

There is only One God.
It is our powers of thought and description that are somewhat inadequate.

 

[wizanda]

Spirit = Quarks i.e. squiggly lines of reality or Quantum’s (unsure on which is correct name in mans terms)

 

[michel]

Strangely enough, I just wanted a definition of the word "spirit". After all, it is a word that has various meanings in different situations.........

i.e He was in low spirits this morning
Her spirit was good when I last saw her
I like drinking spirits..

Just by coincidence I came across this;-

http://www.mat.univie.ac.at/~neum/sciandf/eng/spirit.html

A spirit is a force that influences the will of people. A spirit can be an anonymous force responsible for the atmosphere in a meeting of people, or for the mood within a person, it can also be as personal as the spirit of other people who shape our daily actions. It is called a spirit because it relates not to matter but to mind, soul, and feelings. Spirits can be loving, harmless or dangerous, fleeting or powerful, discreet or haunting, helping or hurting. They can inhabitate places, memories, books, or people.

The most important fact about spirits is that they have to obey the commands of Christ. If we feel under the power of a spirit we do not want, we can command the spirit to leave in the name of Christ since we are His people, and the devil's forces have no power over Christians unless they cooperate. It may be simply a matter of a single command spoken in trust of God, or it may be a spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10-17) where we need to draw closer to God in faith and let go of attachments to passing values (1 Tim. 6:6-12).
I
t is dangerous to play with the powers of the spirits since, in this way, we give the devil an easy way to irritate us, mislead us, and finally lead us astray. Instead, we should ask God for discernment that we learn to recognize the spirit that is of God and help us to grow and become strong in love and faith. 2 Tim 1:8;
Deadly spirits make it easygoing initially, and take their toll later when resistance has become weak. It is like drugs that promise heaven for free but ruin the life of those who trusted and became dependent. The devil's spirits dress like a spirit of light, but in the long run cause death (Rom. 6:16-23).

God's spirit may be demanding initially, but prepares you for a life of quality and freedom, and develops your personality and your abilities so that life becomes easier and more fruitful as you cooperate with them. God's spirit is like a loving teacher who shows you what is true and what is worth doing (John 14:26), and the results are such that you'll not regret your efforts (Gal. 5:16-26).

Arnold Neumaier

 

[joeboonda]

Here is something from Got Questions.org:



Question: "Does God have a physical body?"

Answer: Both the Bible and good philosophy report that God is non-physical - spirit. In John 4:24 it is said that God is spirit (see also Luke 24:39; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17). This is why no material thing was to be used to represent God (Exodus 20:4). But this can also be shown by reflecting on what God is. Philosophically the same truth comes through. All that is created is necessarily finite and limited. But the first cause (God) is uncreated, and therefore must be non-finite, or infinite. That which is beyond the finite must, by definition, be infinite, and the Bible states that God is beyond creation (1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-9; Isaiah 66:1-2; Colossians 1:17). That which is physical cannot be infinite - for you cannot add finite parts together until they reach infinity. Therefore God is spirit as opposed to physical/material in His Being. This does not mean He cannot localize a physical appearance. God is not composed of matter nor any other imaginable substance. He also cannot be measured, is not spatial, and has no true location (presence is a different concept).
Knowing this truth can help us understand the metaphorical speech often used to describe God or, more often, God's actions in Scripture. In the case of God, once all finitude is negated from a statement, what is left is what is actually true. If nothing is left, then it is a pure metaphor. Some metaphors use attributes from creation itself (2 Samuel 22:3). Others use man’s attributes (anthropomorphism - Deuteronomy 33:27). In this way we can go from what we know by experience to what we know through the metaphors. For example, when Scripture describes God's mighty arm we know that arms are by definition limited - but might is not. So God's mighty arm is actually unlimited power to act (what we call omnipotence). When Scripture describes God's mind, we know that minds are limited, but knowledge is not. God's mind is actually His infinite knowledge (what we call omniscience).
There were times in the Bible when God appeared in a physical body in order to be seen by men in a form which they could perceive without danger to themselves. Because God said, “No man can see me and live” (Exodus 33:20), He chose at certain times to reveal Himself in human form. These occurrences are called theophanies (Genesis 12:7-9; 18:1-33; 32:22-30). Every theophany wherein God takes on human form foreshadows the incarnation, where God took the form of a man to live among us as Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

 

[joeboonda]

This is actually a mistranslation, which the King james is full of...

Many beliefs about God are based upon this one mistranslated scripture.

John 4: 24 (King James)
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth.

Joseph Smith inspired version of the same verse
For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.

As you can see this scripture was butchered by man.

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as mans" ~Joseph Smith~

“if … God … were to make himself visible, … you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man”
~Joseph Smith~

John 4:24 (King James Version)
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:24 (New King James Version)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:24 (New International Version)
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

John 4:24 (New American Standard Bible)
24"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship (A)in spirit and truth."


John 4:24 (New Living Translation)
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24 (New Life Version)
24 God is Spirit. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

John 4:24 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
24 God is spirit, (A) and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (B)


Okay, shooeey! I could go on with the Bible versions, there's a lot more. They all say pretty much the same thing:

"God is (a) spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

That is a lot of versions against the J.S. inspired version. Perhaps He mistranslated it or changed it to fit his own teachings? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying God has not ever taken on human form, He has, (called a theophany) but it was to be able to 'hang-out' as it were with man, like Abraham for instance, as man would die in His presence otherwise. Anyway, if J.S. was right and all these verses were wrong, what about these verses:

1 Timothy 1:17 (King James Version)
17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Colossians 1:15 (King James Version)
15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:


Romans 1:20 (King James Version)
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Luke 24:39 (King James Version)
39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

 

[Katzpur]

When God is described in the Bible it is always as a spirit...

Could you give me some examples other than John 4:24 in which He is described as a spirit only?

 

[Katzpur]

Here is something from Got Questions.org:



Question: "Does God have a physical body?"

Answer: Both the Bible and good philosophy report that God is non-physical - spirit. In John 4:24 it is said that God is spirit (see also Luke 24:39; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17). This is why no material thing was to be used to represent God (Exodus 20:4). But this can also be shown by reflecting on what God is. Philosophically the same truth comes through. All that is created is necessarily finite and limited. But the first cause (God) is uncreated, and therefore must be non-finite, or infinite. That which is beyond the finite must, by definition, be infinite, and the Bible states that God is beyond creation (1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-9; Isaiah 66:1-2; Colossians 1:17). That which is physical cannot be infinite - for you cannot add finite parts together until they reach infinity. Therefore God is spirit as opposed to physical/material in His Being. This does not mean He cannot localize a physical appearance. God is not composed of matter nor any other imaginable substance. He also cannot be measured, is not spatial, and has no true location (presence is a different concept).
Knowing this truth can help us understand the metaphorical speech often used to describe God or, more often, God's actions in Scripture. In the case of God, once all finitude is negated from a statement, what is left is what is actually true. If nothing is left, then it is a pure metaphor. Some metaphors use attributes from creation itself (2 Samuel 22:3). Others use man’s attributes (anthropomorphism - Deuteronomy 33:27). In this way we can go from what we know by experience to what we know through the metaphors. For example, when Scripture describes God's mighty arm we know that arms are by definition limited - but might is not. So God's mighty arm is actually unlimited power to act (what we call omnipotence). When Scripture describes God's mind, we know that minds are limited, but knowledge is not. God's mind is actually His infinite knowledge (what we call omniscience).
There were times in the Bible when God appeared in a physical body in order to be seen by men in a form which they could perceive without danger to themselves. Because God said, “No man can see me and live” (Exodus 33:20), He chose at certain times to reveal Himself in human form. These occurrences are called theophanies (Genesis 12:7-9; 18:1-33; 32:22-30). Every theophany wherein God takes on human form foreshadows the incarnation, where God took the form of a man to live among us as Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

You have missed my point entirely. This is not a debate on whether God has a physical body or not. It's a debate on what a spirit is. Can you tell me what it means to be a spirit?

 

[Random]

...Awareness. That is all.

 

[Katzpur]

...Awareness. That is all.

I'd say awareness. But I'd also say that it's a life force.

 

[wizanda]

(Unconditional love (Wisdom (God = faith as pure energy)Wisdom) Unconditional love) = Oneness or Heaven
made of those same quarks to begin, yet that is above this reality, yet built this reality.

 

[logician]

A supposed god is made in man's image, with man's faults.