Wayne Jackson wrote this piece which appeared in the July 1974 edition of The Christian Courier, published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California and edited by Jackson.
In Hebrews 10:29, the inspired writer charges that some, having abandoned Christianity have "done despite to the Spirit of grace." The word "despite" is an intensive term meaning to insult. Once could scarcely imagine how the Holy Spirit might be more grossly insulted than by having His very existence denied, yet this is precisely what a number of religious cultists do. Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science) defined the Spirit as "Divine Science." The Jehovah's Witnesses contend that the Holy Spirit is but the "active force" of God; similarly, the Herbert Armstrong cult teaches that the Spirit is an impersonal "force." Parley Pratt, one of Mormonism's original "twelve apostles" taught that the third person of the Godhead is a divine "fluid."
The Scriptures however, make it abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is an individual personality possessing the nature of deity. The Spirit's personality may be demonstrated in the following ways:
(1) Jesus promised His disciples: "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth." (John 14:16-18) Two important points need to be observed here. (a) The Spirit is a Comforter (parakletos) which derives from two roots: para, "beside" and kaleo, "to call." This word suggests someone called to one's side for the purpose of assistance and thus implies a personality. It is always used of personality in the New Testament. (Cf. I John 2:1.) (b) The Lord referred to the Spirit as "another" (allos) Comforter. Allos denotes "another of the same kind," thus, the Holy Spirit is the same kind of Comforter as Christ, i.e., a divine person, though not physical of course.
(2) The word Spirit (pneuma) is a noun of neuter gender. From a grammatical standpoint, pronouns referring to it ought likewise to be neuter, yet in numerous instances, Inspiration has clearly set aside grammatical precision in order to deliberately stress the Spirit's personality. Note these few examples. (a) "But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He (ekeinos) shall teach you all things..." (John 14:26) (b) "...the Spirit said unto him, 'Behold, three men seek thee. But arise, and get thee down and go with them, nothing doubting; for I (ego) have sent them.'" (Acts 10:19-20) (c) "...the Holy Spirit said, Separate Me (moi) Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (Acts 13:2) (d) "...the things of God no one (oudeis) knoweth, except the Spirit of God." (I Corinthians 2:11)
(3) Actions are predicated of the Holy Spirit which could only imply a person. The Spirit is said to: speak (Matthew 10:20), teach (John 14:26), bear witness (John 15:26), guide, hear and declare (John 16:13), send (Acts 10:20), forbid (Acts 16:6), search and know (I Corinthians 2:10-11), will (I Corinthians 12:11), help (Romans 8:26), love (Romans 15:30), etc. In addition, as a person the Spirit can be: grieved (Ephesians 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3), spoken against (Matthew 12:32), resisted (Acts 7:51) and insulted (Hebrews 10:29).
(4) The Holy Spirit is frequently mentioned in connection with other persons. (a) "...Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul," (Acts 13:2). (b) "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us..." (Acts 15:28). (c) "He (the Spirit) shall glorify Me (Christ)." (John 16:14). Compare also Matthew 28:19 and II Corinthians 13:14.
(5) A basic rule of interpretation is: "The proper definition of a word may be used in the place of the word. If the trial be made in this way, and the definition is wrong, the sense of the passage will be destroyed as to make it apparent." (D.R. Dungan, Hermeneutics, pp. 188, 189.) If the Holy Spirit is simply and impersonal force or power, the following passage would read: "...God anointed him with the Holy Spirit (power) and with power." (Acts 10:38)
Several objections are commonly offered in the attempt to negate the Biblical concept of the personal Spirit. Let us briefly consider them.
(1) It is speciously argued: The Bible says, "Quench not the Spirit." (I Thessalonians 5:19) One cannot quench a person, thus the Spirit is not a person. This fails of course, to recognize that I Thessalonians 5:19 involves the use of metonymy. The Spirit (source of the Word) stands for His influence as exercised through the Word of God. Thus, to quench the influence of the Truth in one's life is, in effect, quenching the Spirit.
(2) Again, we are told that the Spirit was poured forth (Acts 2:17) on Pentecost and that such cannot be true of a person. this likewise ignores figurative language. Peter identifies that which was poured out as the visible and audible effects of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). Additionally, if being "poured out" demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is not a person, then neither was Christ a person, for the Lord is prophetically represented as saying, "I am poured out like water." (Psalms 22:14)
(3) It is objected that men can be "filled with the Spirit," but that one person cannot be filled with another person. This is a materialistic view of the Spirit! Christians are to be "filled unto all fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19) Shall we now repudiate the personhood of God, our Father?
Yes the Holy Spirit is a person. He is a divine person. (Acts 5:3-4) And it is into His possession (along with the Father and Christ) that we are baptized for forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 28:19) And when one daily responds to the teaching of the divine Spirit as wielded by the Scriptures, he is in fellowship with the third person of the Godhead. (II Corinthians 13:14)
It is a gross and wicked heresy to deny the personal nature of the Holy Spirit. The cultists do it unashamedly; and some untaught Christians seem to occasionally border on this error. Let us therefore give diligence to study that we may honor the Spirit, even as we do the Father and the Son.
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