God the Spirit
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
God the Spirit
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Holy Spirit as a Person: God the Spirit has been discussed in terms of “person.” This has been done in spite of the fact that there have been those who were reluctant to do so. For example: Augustine of Hippo (b. A.D. 54) hesitated to use “persons” in discussing the Godhead because he saw the distinctions in the Trinity as those of relations, that is, substantive ways in which God is eternally related.
In modern times, often one finds the same hesitancy to-the term persons when discussing the Trinity. Sometimes this reluctance is for the same reason Augustine offered in the long ago. He said distinctions within the Trinity are not that of persons but of relationships. Modern day statements of this view are not hard to find. For example: Paul Tillich reminded us that Friedrich Schleiemacher held the view that “the doctrine of the trinity is the fullest expression of man’s relation to God. Each of the personal, you should not say persons because that means something else – is a representation of a certain way in which God is related to man and the world.”
Such views are bolstered by the fact that technically neither the Hebrew nor the Greek of the Bible contains the term “personal.” We are also reminded that pneuma (Spirit) is of neuter gender, thus mitigating against a “personal” view of the Holy Spirit. To this is added the observation that in Scripture the Holy Spirit is often referred to in the abstract, calling into question the Personhood of the Spirit.
Since we have consistently spoken of the Father, Son, and Spirit as persons, there must be some response to the preceding objections. The first thing we note concerns Augustine’s position mentioned previously. Bromiley, in analyzing Augustine’s work on the Trinity, speaks of Augustine’s metaphysical formulation of the Trinity as: “Substantive terms, such as ‘wisdom,’ apply to the Godhead and hence to each person, although they may be appropriated specifically to one. The words used to denote distinction of person are, of course, inadequate, being substantive, not relational. Since we obviously cannot call the persons relations, persons will have to do.”
Although Ausustine did not personally prefer the term persons to designate the distinctions within the Godhead because, to him, this did not adequately convey his thinking, he did use the terms because something had to be said. The fact that personal is not technically found in the original languages of Scripture does not eliminate the idea at all. There are many subjects that are “Biblical” although the actual term for a particular subject may not be found in the Bible. In fact, the term “Trinity” is not a biblical term – but who will deny it is a Biblical subject? Further, there are certain linguistic features in the Bible that will allow a translator to use the word “personal,” although it is not literally found in the text. The following from 2 Samuel 13:17a does not contain the Hebrew word, “personal.” However, it is legitimate to use the English word “personal” in its translation. For example:
Note that just as his and who of the NASB translation are not in the literal translation, so personal of the NIV translation is not in the literal rendering. However, no one would question the validity of both the NASB and NIV translations of this verse. Obviously, the word personal does not have to be in the original text for its meaning to be there!
The fact that pneuma (spirit) is of neuter gender in Greek does not necessitate a sexual orientation. The obsession with sex in our age may cloud the minds of many and lead them to think that gender means only male and female. However, grammatically speaking, neuter gender is as correct as female or male gender. Every language recognizes this. For example: teknon (child) is of neuter gender in Greek. In language there are aspects of gender to be considered other than sex.
This is especially significant when the subject is God. One can speak of God as eternal Father, eternal Son and eternal Spirit in terms that are not self-contradictory because, as we have said, there are aspects of gender other than sex. God did not have to beget a Son to be Father. He has always been Father. The Son did not have to be born. He has always been Son. The Spirit did not have to be created, made, or born. He has always been the Spirit. We read the words separately, out of necessity. However, we must remember that what is written separately is actually inseparable. God is one in essence, and that essence is spirit (pneuma) (John 4:24a). When we think, speak, write, or read about the Godhead, we must take great care that we do not drape our thoughts and words about “persons” as if the Father, Son, and Spirit were human persons. God is not superman! We are human. God is Divine. Humility demands that we remember God made us in His image. We must not attempt to make Him in our image. There are significant similarities; however, there are also very important differences. For example: His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Consequently, when we examine the Trinity and the respective Persons who comprise the Trinity, we must remember that technically neither Trinity nor Person is a Biblical term. However, we can rest assured that both terms are valid when applied to God, provided we have not constructed our concept of God on an anthropomorphic man-like model. Therefore, upon the basis of the deducted doctrine of the oneness of God in essence and the threeness of God in persons, we proceed with the Biblical view of the Holy Spirit as Person.
It should not surprise us to find the Holy Spirit referred to at times as “He.” Examples of this are: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He [ekeinos] will teach you all things . . .” (John 14:26). “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He [ekeinos] will bear witness of Me . . .” (John 15:26).
There remains the objection to the Personhood of the Spirit on the basis of those abstract, or indefinite, references. Response to this objection calls for careful analysis. We are speaking of those passages that speak of the Spirit without the definite article. Note two examples: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the] Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Again: “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’” And the angel answered and said to her, “[The] Holy Spirit will come upon you . . .” (Luke 1:34-35a).
The definite article “the” is absent in these verses in the Greek text. This being the case, the immediate question is: “Why did the translators insert a ‘the’ that is not in the original text?” What is the answer?
Every translator is, to a certain extent, also a commentator. Transliteration (letter-by-letter exchange from one language to another) does not produce meaning. Literal word-for-word translation may lack coherence of meaning. Translation can be labeled legitimate only when the translator conveys the original meaning into another language in words that adhere to the original language as much as that process will tolerate. This provides the parameters and the discipline for the translator.
This explains the use of the article in the preceding examples. Its use rests on the virtual certainty that the Holy Spirit is meant, not merely a Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit referred to is Holy (’agion), the Spirit of God is meant. Holiness is God’s supreme attribute. Also, it should be remembered that the Greek language does not require the definite article before a noun for the noun to be definite. The absence of the definite article may merely allow an indefinite reading, not demand it.
Finally, we note something that is explicit in the Gospel of Luke and strongly implied in the Gospel of Matthew. The power and presence of God are being stressed in these accounts of Jesus’ conception and birth: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” which translated means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35b).
In these texts the Fatherhood of God is the primary emphasis, while the power by which that Fatherhood is expressed is His Holy Spirit. There is no contradiction between Mary’s conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and her offspring being called the Son of God.
Personal Characteristics of the Holy Spirit – Introduction: Since we have seen the Holy Spirit may be properly called a Person, it is not surprising to find in Scripture that the Holy Spirit has characteristics that would be difficult to explain without some kind of Personhood being involved. This, of course, is what underlies the use of “personal” pronouns when the Holy Spirit is under consideration. For example: “. . . the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2b). Such language would be meaningless if the Holy Spirit were merely an impersonal power or abstract force.
We have already established that there are no human analogies to help us if we speak of the essence of the Spirit in the Godhead relationships. However, as we now turn to consider the Person of the Holy Spirit, we may utilize human analogies as we have done with the Holy Father and the Holy Son. In fact, we find that this is the chief way the New Testament presents the glorious picture of the Holy Spirit. There are many personal characteristics of this Holy Person.
Personal Characteristics: First, the Spirit has self-consciousness. This is characteristic of a person. The apostle Paul wrote: “The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10b). Searching is an activity to which we can relate.
“I vividly remember a wonderful vacation my wife and I enjoyed not long ago. When we returned, we unpacked and put various things away. It was then that my wife blurted out, ‘I can’t find my diamond ring!’ I remember the search that followed. How we agonized until the ring was found! We were very conscious of the loss and were greatly relieved when the lost was found” (Dr. James E. Priest).
So with the Holy Spirit, but in an infinitely deeper way. This text shows us that the Holy Spirit, as a (self) conscious Person, searches the depths of God and is the Person through Whom God reveals precious treasures to us.
Second, the Spirit exists in relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and human beings. Jesus promised His apostles that at His request His Father would send them the Spirit of truth as a Helper who would live with/in them forever (John 14:16-17). Such beautiful, intimate, and immeasurable relationships within the Trinity and between the Godhead and humanity can scarcely be grasped by mere mortals. Nonetheless, we do realize that such relations could not exist between God and/or mankind if persons were not involved.
Third, the Spirit has intelligence and will. We associate these attributes with a person, not with an abstraction or force. The Person of the Holy Spirit knows the very thoughts of God! (1 Corinthians 2:11b). Such intelligence cannot be surpassed. It cannot be wrong! When the Holy Spirit acts on behalf of God’s people, His supreme knowledge is expressed according to His perfect will (1 Corinthians 12:11).
Fourth, the Spirit may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30a). Very few attributes express personhood as significantly as grief. In our humanity as persons we “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15b). Sometimes we are distressed and “have sorrow upon sorrow” (Philippians 2:26-27). Jesus Himself was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3a).
What causes the Godhead to be “grieved”? God grieved because His human creatures had become so wicked (Genesis 6:5-6). Jesus wept over Jerusalem because His Father’s own children had killed His prophets and were soon to kill His Son (Luke 13:34). The Holy Spirit can be grieved by those who crush the Spirit’s fruit within them (Galatians 5:22-23) by not living and walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
Fifth, the Holy Spirit possesses the same love as the Father (John 3:16) and the Son (John 13:1). Agape love infinitely expresses their redemptive work on our behalf. If we can sing, “Oh how I love Jesus,” we may with equal fervor include the Holy Spirit. After all, He is a Person Who stirs up our love for Him (Romans 15:30)!
Sixth, effective communication includes hearing what others say and responding to them. These two traits are common to humanity and enrich our relationships. How our spirits soar when we know that the Holy Spirit hears and speaks. How enhanced our lives may become when we learn that the Spirit of truth comes to share with us the life-saving Gospel of Jesus, the message preserved for us in God’s Spirit-filled Word (John 16:13).
Seventh, it is possible for us to hear the Spirit’s teaching and calling in the Word and respond in faith. It is also possible to remain aloof from that message. If we do refuse to surrender to His gracious overture, we have grieved the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) by resisting His invitation (Acts 7:51). This precludes any possibility of living a spiritual life. This truly grieves the Spirit.
Perhaps it is even more grievous for one of the Spirit’s own companions (a Christian) to sever the intimacy of that relationship by being untrue to the very principles of true friendship. Ananias, with the knowledge of Sapphira, his wife, came before the apostles with a sum of money he and Sapphira had received from the sale of some property. How generous they appeared! Yet, ironically, how self-seeking they were! They kept back part of the money but pretended they had given all. What evil deceptions our ego can commit! They succumbed to pride and lied to Deity – the Holy Spirit. It cost them their lives (Acts 5:1-9).
May we never fall into the grievous error of thinking of the Holy Spirit as merely a sweet and benevolent influence. The Holy Spirit is a Person Who wants to be our companion and Helper (John 16:7). He deserves and requires all the homage of Deity because He is one of the Persons of the Godhead (Isaiah 6:8-9; Acts 28:25-28).
We should be extremely careful in speaking of the Holy Spirit as the “third person” of the Godhead. This can be done, since we cannot speak of all three Persons at once. However, this traditional practice may lead to erroneous thinking about the Trinity. For example: We may think that since the Father sends the Son (John 10:36a) and the Son sends the Spirit (John 16:7b) and the Spirit does not speak at His own initiative (John 16:13), the Spirit is inferior – that is, number three in rank. If so, we are engaged in erroneous thinking of a very serious nature. We are mixing the principle of subordination with the superiority/inferiority complex.
Here’s an illustration. Suppose a couple have friends over for dinner. As everyone gathers at the table they introduce their children to the guests in one, two, three order. Do the guests understand them to be saying that the third child to be introduced is inferior to the first two? “Ridiculous,” you say. We agree.
Paul said, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3). Paul spoke of two categories of beings, divine and human. In the divine category, God the Son is subordinate to God the Father; in the human category, woman is subordinate to man. If, in this text, we think of the relationship of the divine to the human, we realize that the created (humanity) is inferior to the Creator (God). However, if we think of the relationships within each category, we realize that God the Father is not superior or inferior to God the Son. They are both God! Nothing can be greater in the divine realm. Likewise, if we are thinking of the relationships within the human category, we realize that the man is not superior or inferior to the woman. They are both human! Nothing is greater in the fleshly created order.
In Scripture we have in the one God an equality of three Persons. We also find that God the Son is subordinate to God the Father (John 17:4) and God the Spirit is subordinate to both the Father and the Son. He is sent/proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26). Therefore, subordination does not imply inequality in the Godhead; rather, it shows the beautiful harmony of God’s will being enacted by the Trinity in history for the redemption of humanity.
Attributes of the Holy Spirit: This study has probed the Trinity, the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and various “pictures” of the Spirit in the New Testament. The inquiry now turns to the majestic and glorious attributes of the Holy Spirit as God.
First, the Holy Spirit is eternal; He did not come along later. He was not created. He was not born. He is not inferior to the Father or the Son. He is not referred to as “the third person of the Godhead” because He does not rate first or second place. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son and has existed as long as they have – forever! All three interact in the great work of redemption. For example: “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).
Second, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent. It is scarcely possible to stress the power of the Spirit sufficiently. When one says omnipotence, one says all-power. Without looking back to the comments on the Spirit’s power displayed in the Old Testament, we can quickly see the Spirit’s power demonstrated in prominent ways in the New Testament. The Spirit’s power was vital to the ministry of Jesus: “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit . . .” (Luke 4:14a). If we realize the ministry of Jesus is essential for our salvation, we must also realize how important the power of the Holy Spirit is for our salvation.
If we realize how powerful the gospel of Christ is for our salvation (Romans 1:16-17), we also need to remember the Gospel was delivered to us in the power of the Spirit. The apostle Paul said: “. . . in the power of the Spirit . . . I have fully preached the gospel” (Romans 15:19). In order to be fully assured about the efficacy of the Gospel for our salvation, we must be convinced that the Holy Spirit acted in an all-powerful way to bring about the Gospel’s intended results.
Third, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. He does not come in a flood of emotion only to recede when the tide goes out. He is constant. He is present in every place at all times. He is omnipresent because He is God. David was aware of this. He said: “Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). He also said: “Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?” (Psalm 139:7).
In the typical synonymous parallelism of Hebrew poetry, David states that one cannot “go” from God’s Spirit or “flee” from His presence. This is a keen and exalted insight. However, one must wait for further revelation of God in the Christian era to realize the Holy Spirit is more than the unsurpassed expressed power of God. Progressive revelation within Scripture shows that the Holy Spirit is indeed one of the three Persons of the one Deity – Godhead (tes theotetos) (Colossians 2:9).
Fourth, the Holy Spirit is omniscient. This attribute is corollary to the other three. How encouraging it is to know that the Holy Spirit is eternal, all-powerful, ever-present, and all- knowing! We may have difficulties others do not know about. The Spirit knows. We may be barraged with temptation hidden from others. The Spirit knows. We may be yearning desperately to serve the Lord in productive, meaningful ways. The Spirit knows. There are no secret yearnings, misgivings, aches, trepidations, or faintings of the human heart of which the Holy Spirit is not completely aware. He is in complete and indescribable unity with the Father. This assures us there is a knowledgeable Friend and Helper Who shares with us the unfathomable riches of the Father’s love, grace, and mercy (1 Corinthians 2:10-13). This passage is a sublime scriptural portrait of our God, Who cares for us and bares His very heart to us by revelation of the Spirit.
We are almost ready to turn our attention specifically to the relationships, work, and gifts of God the Spirit. We will see how He, with the Father and the Son, engages with us for our redemption and eventual glorification. First, however, there is an issue we must address.
The Person of the Holy Spirit Cannot Be Parceled: The one essence of God is spirit. The three Persons of the Trinity are distinctive and inseparable. There is a distinction between spirit as the essence of the Trinity and the Spirit as the Person of the Holy Spirit. The equality of the three Persons of the Trinity was derived from Scripture and set in creedal form based on scriptural insights. The Holy Spirit is seen as a Person with characteristics we can relate to a person by human analogy. We now note that the Person of the Holy Spirit cannot be parceled.
For one to remain a complete person, one must retain all parts. This principle includes the Person of the Holy Spirit; and we shall see from the Scripture a grasp of this principle helps us to understand and appreciate the relationships, work, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Ironically, we begin with a difficult verse: “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34). In 1611 the KJV ended the verse with the phrase unto him in italics. The translators put these words in italics to indicate that they were not in the original text but are needed to convey the correct meaning in English. By the time of the ASV of 1901, the translators had a great advantage over the KJV scholars because textual discoveries like the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus manuscripts provided a much clearer scriptural base than the sixteenth and seventeenth century Textus Receptus available to the KJV translation committees. Therefore, the ASV, and later translators (RSV, NASB, NIV, etc.), dropped the phrase “unto him.” It no longer rates even a footnote in standard Greek New Testament texts, such as the twenty-fifth edition of the Nestle-Aland text and the 1966 edition of the United Bible Society Greek text. To put it plainly, the words “unto him” were never in the authentic Greek text and are not needed to convey the meaning of the verse.
The second difficulty is found in the last half of the sentence: “God [ho theos] gives not the Spirit by measure” (John 3:34b) is from the Textus Receptus, mentioned previously. Since the KJV translators were using the TR, or at least Stephens's rendition of 1550, they included the word God in their translation. However, by the nineteeth century prominent textual scholars such as Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, and Alford were either dropping ho theos (God) or growing doubtful of its authenticity.
It was becoming clear that the Greek textual base to support ho theos was crumbling under the weight of more reliable manuscripts. By the time of the twentieth century translation of the ASV (1901), the wording had become: “. . . he giveth not the Spirit by measure.” The NIV chose to use the noun ho theos (God) but conceded the Greek is “he.”
These examples illustrate the accuracy of Dodd’s observation: “. . . it is difficult – perhaps impossible – to decide whether the subject of the verb is God or Christ. Therefore, John 3:34b may be legitimately translated in at least two ways, depending on the judgment call of the translators. These two ways are as follows: one: “. . . for He [God] gives the Spirit without measure [to Christ]”; and two: “. . . for He [Christ] gives the Spirit without measure [to believers].”
At last we have the verse fully before us. This verse contains a basic, foundational truth that must be remembered in any study about the Holy Spirit. Its turbulent textual history and its present translation ambiguity do not affect the impact of the truth of which we now speak.
The fate of the “unto him” phrase has been settled. The choice of the two alternatives, which a knowledge of Greek cannot solve, does not alter at all the fundamental truth that we find in this passage. That truth is this: If God is the subject in the last part of the sentence, He does not give a portion, measure (metron), parcel of the Holy Spirit to Christ. If Christ is the subject of the last part of the sentence, He does not give a portion, measure (metron), parcel of the Holy Spirit to others. Neither God the Father nor God the Son gives (didosin) the Holy Spirit by measure.
This conclusion is what we should expect. Since the Holy Spirit is a Person, we cannot expect that Person to be shared in part or parceled to Christ or to us. We have ample reason to rejoice in knowing that when we do receive the Holy Spirit we have been granted the companionship of a Person of the Godhead – God, the Spirit! We have not been given a share, portion, measure, or parcel of the Holy Spirit. If we have received the Holy Spirit as a gift, we have, by God’s grace, been given the Person of the Holy Spirit as a true friend who seeks to comfort and help us along the Christian way of life.
Another reason the Scripture under consideration is so central to our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s relationships, work, and gifts is that this is the only place in the New Testament where anything is said about giving the Holy Spirit ek metrou “by measure,” or “with definite limitation.” The passage says the Holy Spirit is not given by measure, or with limitation. Shouldn’t this verse about the Holy Spirit be as emphatic for us as James 2:24 is about faith? Each passage is an example of hapax legomenon (something said only once). If taken at face value, both statements would change the lives of countless numbers of people, including Christians. Indeed, God the Spirit cannot be parceled!
