God's Fullness
HOLY SPIRIT PORTRAITS IN SCRIPTURE

Part III – The Spirit As God
Hebrew Bible Perspectives
One cannot read far in Scripture without discovering the prominence of the Holy Spirit. The Bible begins:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2, emphasis mine).

From that point, the reader will find the Holy Spirit consistently present in all the major divisions of Hebrew Bible literature.¹

Sometimes the syntax and context of a particular Scripture make it difficult to determine whether the Spirit of God or the spirit of man is intended (Psalm 106:32-33). Even so, there are at least seventy-five unambiguous references to the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). The first book of the Hebrew Bible mentions the Spirit, and if we look at the arrangement of the books in the Hebrew Bible, we find that the last book continues to speak of the Holy Spirit (2 Chronicles 24:20).

How does this emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible compare with the prominence afforded the Spirit in the New Testament? Statistically speaking, the Holy Spirit is mentioned approximately 250 times in the New Testament. Even if one dismisses the frequent parallelisms found in the Gospels, the New Testament refers to the Holy Spirit about 150 more times than does the Hebrew Bible! In this contrast lies a truth we wish to develop by surveying the subject of the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible as compared to the perspectives of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

The to pneuma to hagion (the Holy Spirit) of the New Testament is the ruah ’elohim (Spirit of God) of the Hebrew Bible (Mark 13:11; Exodus 35:31). This needs to be kept in mind. When one casually refers to the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament, this is from a New Testament perspective. For the Hebrews, who never had a New Testament, the Hebrew Bible was never "old." It is only through the New Testament text that one sees the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies in Jesus of Nazareth. Also, it is only through the further revelation of the New Testament that we come to the full glory; grandeur, and power of the Holy Spirit's Personhood, relationships, work, and gifts.

Before the coming of the Messiah it was not revealed to the Hebrews that the Spirit of God was a Person to be distinguished from God the Father. This additional revelation is a part of the "newness" of the New Testament. The question is: "What concept of the Spirit of God did the Hebrews have as a result of their historical experiences of God and their scriptural accounts of these experiences?"

Ruah may mean "breath, wind, spirit." In Hebrew theological thinking, this breath or wind was associated with the power of God. This power was manifested in many ways. First, ruah was related to God's creative power: ". . . the Spirit [wind] of God was moving over the surface of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). This theme is developed further in the Old Testament to show that all things of God's creation were the result of the released energy of God's creative Spirit (ruah) and Word (Psalm 33:6).

In addition to the close relationship of God's creative Spirit and Word in the creation account in Genesis, there are references to the role of the wind (ruah) in fulfilling God's Word (dabar). As the Psalmist spoke of God's created things, he said: ". . . He commanded and they were created." He spoke further of the "stormy wind, fulfilling His word . . ." (Psalm 148:5b, 8b).

It seems quite clear that the ancient Hebrews did not merely "see" the wind as a powerful "natural" force. They saw the strength of the ruah (Spirit, wind, breath) as the expressed power of God: "He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks on the wings of the wind; He makes the winds [spirits] His messengers . . . Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit [breath, wind], they are created; and Thou dost renew the face of the ground" (Psalm 104:3b, 30).

The Spirit of God was not only believed to be His creative power; the Spirit was God's life-giving power as well. The Spirit was the source of all life. As related in the Genesis account of creation, "Then the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). Although the "breath" in this text is from neshamah, not ruah, the import is the same. Breath from God is equivalent to life from God. In Job's response to Bildad the Shuhite he affirmed the veracity of his speech in typically synonymous Hebrew parallelism, "For as long as life [neshamah = breath] is in me, and the breath [ruah = spirit] of God is in my nostrils . . ." (Job 27:3). In Elihu's address to Job, he said, "The Spirit [ruah] of God has made me, and the breath [neshamah] of the Almighty [Shaddai] gives me life" (Job 33:4). The Hebrews perceived the Spirit of God to be the creative and life-giving power of God.

The Spirit's cosmic work as God's creative power in the universe and His life-giving power in all creatures were evidences of God's presence in the world. However, specific demonstrations of the presence of God via His Spirit among His people were seen often in their leaders. Since their leaders consisted primarily of elders, judges, prophets, priests, and kings, we are not surprised to find their credentials for leadership included their possession of the Spirit. The following examples illustrate this theme in the Hebrew Bible.

Moses was one of God's great leaders. However, even great leaders have their times of discouragement. Leading God's people in the Sinai desert had its trying moments. The people were often ungrateful for God's provisions such as manna and angry because they were not provided for in the way they thought they should be. They wanted meat. Moses could not solve the problem. God could. He told Moses he needed more leaders. He instructed Moses to summon seventy of the elders to the tabernacle. There God told Moses:

". . . I will take of the spirit who is upon you, and will put [Him] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you . . ." And He took of the spirit who was upon him and placed [Him] upon the seventy elders. And it came about that when the spirit tested upon them, they prophesied. . . . Afterward, Moses said, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put His spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:17b, 25b, 29b).

This historical episode verifies that Israel's elders and prophets needed the Holy Spirit to equip them for their work. This is quite clear. Note, however, the hermeneutic route leading to this truth. The KJV translators gave no indication that these verses referred to the Holy Spirit, even though those who received the Spirit prophesied. The translators did not capitalize the word spirit here, although they did when they believed ruah (spirit) referred to the Holy Spirit.²

They also called spirit "it" in Numbers, chapter 11, another indication they did not see "spirit" in this chapter as God's Holy Spirit. The NASB translators made an advance here. They capitalized ruah (Spirit) to indicate God's Holy Spirit. They changed the KJV (inserted) neuter pronoun it by inserting the masculine Him. They also translated the Hebrew ’asher (that, which, who, etc.) as "who," making it agree with the inserted pronoun Him. Thus the rendering: "I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them." The NIV makes another advance with the rendering: "I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them" (Numbers 11:17b).

This writer believes the NIV gives the clearest and most accurate translation of this passage. The translation of ’asher is left impersonal ("that" instead of "who"), and "the Spirit," although itself an insertion, retains the impersonal view of the Spirit in harmony with the Hebrew concept of that age, instead of personalizing with the objective pronoun Him. Here the Spirit of God is understood and perceived as the expressed power of God. In this case, the power was associated with prophesying.

One also finds the Spirit is related to the roles of priests, judges, and kings in the Hebrew Bible. During the reign of Joash (Jehoash) in Judah (ca. 835-796 b.c.), this king was under the protection and influence of Jehoiada, the priest, as long as Jehoiada lived. Together they collected funds and brought in craftsmen to repair the temple of God in Jerusalem. However, after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah turned away from God: "Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, `Thus God has said, "Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you" (2 Chronicles 24:20). This pronouncement cost Zechariah his life, and Joash was murdered because of this bloodshed. This example shows the role of a priest in the affairs of the kingdom as he expressed, by the power of God's Spirit, God's displeasure with the wickedness of a kingly rule in rebellion against His will.

Most of the events recorded in the Book of Judges show a terrible time of upheaval, turmoil, internal strife, invasions, and rampant wickedness. God raised up judges to deliver the people from their various predicaments (Judges 2:16-18). Most of these judges were actually military leaders who had the formidable task of saving God's people from themselves and others. It does not surprise us to find that these men were often empowered by God's Spirit. It was said of Othniel: "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel" (Judges 3:10). Likewise, concerning Gideon, "so the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon . . ." (Judges 6:34a). Also, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and Samson, two mighty men of strength and courage (Judges 11:29, 13:25, 14:6, 19, 15:14).

The turbulent era of the judges was followed by monarchial rule in Israel. Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, was chosen by God to be king over His people. This choosing (anointing) was carried out by Samuel, a transitional leader between the time of Judges and Kings (1 Samuel 9:1-3, 10:1). After his anointing, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul mightily and he prophesied among a group of prophets (1 Samuel 10:9-13). However, due to Saul's disloyalty, God instructed Samuel to anoint his successor (1 Samuel 16:1). David, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:3-6), was chosen to be king after Saul (1 Samuel 16:12). When David was anointed, "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13b).

All of these examples from the leaders of God's people consisting of prophets, elders, priests, judges, and kings are examples of power being demonstrated with obvious results. Prophets and elders prophesied for the Lord. A priest was emboldened to stand and speak against wickedness, even at the cost of his life. The Spirit of the Lord came "mightily" upon kings.

All of these occurrences of the Spirit's presence were manifested in ways that were immediately observable to others, except for David, of whom it was said: ". . . the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward." Perhaps the writer was thinking of David's forthcoming mighty deeds, such as the killing of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:31-35). The Spirit also came upon Saul "mightily:" However, after his rebellion, "the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him" (1 Samuel 16:14).

The Hebrews came to see that the Spirit of God was not "merely" God's power being made evident. The Spirit of God was also recognized as the presence of God among them. For example: "Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?" (Psalm 139:7). These sentiments expressed in typical Hebrew poetic parallelism show the writer's conviction that God's presence and Spirit are synonymous. This verse reveals "he is by no means seeking such flight. Rather he is glorying in God's omnipresence."³ God's Spirit, presence, and power became virtual synonyms in the Hebrew mind. This perception is seen in King David's agonizing cry: "Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). The synonymous parallelism of this verse means that the thought of the first line is repeated in the second line. If David were removed from God's presence, it would mean God had removed His Spirit from him.

This idea was also applicable at the national level. Isaiah 63 is a good example. Homage is paid to God for His "great goodness toward the house of Israel" (v. 7). He is acknowledged as their Savior and redeemer (vv. 8-9). However, they grieved His Holy Spirit when they rebelled: "Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them" (v. 10). They were made to remember the One Who had put His Holy Spirit in their midst, Whose very Spirit had given them rest (vv. 11, 14).⁴

A certain shift in emphasis took place in the Hebrew Bible with reference to the Holy Spirit. Early on, one finds the Spirit perceived as the creative and life-giving power of God. Then, the Spirit was pictured as the very presence of God. This power, or presence, enabled leaders such as judges and kings to overcome enemy forces. Among prophets, the Spirit's presence was often demonstrated ecstatically.

Then, near the end of David's life, his "last words" include: "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue" (2 Samuel 23:2). Here David goes beyond the concept of Spirit as God's creative power, source of life, and empowerment of His leaders. Here he affirms, "The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me . . ." (2 Samuel 23:3). In poetic fashion, David equates "The Spirit of the Lord spoke" with "The God of Israel said."

In this passage there is an advancement in thinking with reference to the Spirit. The Spirit had been pictured as God's creative power with God's creative word. Also, the Spirit was acknowledged to be God's life-giving power. With respect to the leaders of God's people, their reception of His Spirit was a necessary credential for leadership. However, in David's "last words" he goes further in saying that the God of Israel spoke "to me"; thus God's Spirit spoke "by me." Now, God's king is empowered by God's Spirit to speak God's word – instructively.⁵

This illustrates a shift in emphasis. Generally speaking, in early times there was often a dramatic phenomenon testifying to the presence of the Spirit, such as the ecstatic states of those prophesying (Numbers 17:25-27; 1 Samuel 6:5-6, 10-11, 19:20-21, 23-24). Later, as a rule, the Spirit's presence was emphasized more by the content of what the Spirit said than the experience of being Spirit-possessed. The exceptions to this overall trend in Hebrew Bible history serve to illustrate the trend without disrupting it.

By the time of the later (writing) prophets, one finds the emphasis continuing to shift to a more intimate relationship between God's Spirit and God's people. In this later period a prophet could say, "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin" (Micah 3:8). In addition to power/might, we find here expression of justice and information (to declare) within the scope of the Spirit's work.

Finally, we note the grand work of the Holy Spirit in foretelling the coming and nature of the Christian age. It is the Spirit that tied the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament together as God's Word (2 Timothy 3:14-17). It is the Spirit that projected the Messianic hope of Israel into a universal hope for all nations.⁶ It is the Spirit that was promised to God's people under the new, everlasting covenant.⁷

There follows a detailed study of the Personhood, characteristics, and attributes of the Holy Spirit as seen in the New Testament. It will soon be obvious why the Christian era often has been called the age of the Spirit.

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. 354) 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.⁸

In modern times, often one finds the same hesitancy to use 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 personae – 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."⁹

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 from books 1-7 as follows: "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."¹⁰ Although Augustine 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.

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 Persons 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 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]¹¹ 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
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; emphasis mine). Such language would be meaningless or misleading 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.

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 all 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 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. 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 came to share with us the lifesaving 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 on 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.

Let me illustrate. Suppose my wife and I have friends over for dinner. As we gather at the table we introduce our children to our guests in one, two, three order. Do our guests understand us to be saying that the third child to be introduced is inferior to the first two? "Ridiculous," you say. I agree.

Paul said, "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of even, 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 Hebrew Bible, 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; emphasis mine).

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 Hebrew Bible, 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). It 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 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 stated 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 Scripture how 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 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 New Testament Greek 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; emphasis mine) 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 nineteenth 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 NASB followed with a slightly different wording: "He gives the Spirit without measure." The NIV chose to use the noun ho theos (God) but conceded the Greek is he.¹²

These examples illustrate the accuracy of C. H. Dodd's observation: ". . . it is difficult – perhaps impossible – to decide whether the subject of the verb is God or Christ."¹³ Therefore, John 3:34b may be legitimately translated in at least two ways, depending on the judgment call of the translators. These two ways, with the implications in brackets, 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 above, 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."

Footnotes:
¹Examples are Law: Exodus 31:3; History: Judges 6:34; Poetry: Psalms 143:10; Prophesy: Isaiah 61:1.
²E.g., Isaiah 63:10-11, KJV
³Arnold B. Rhodes, "Psalms," in The Layman's Bible Commentary, vol. 9, ed. Balmer H. Kelly (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982), 181.
⁴Cf. John T. Willis, "Isaiah," in The Living Word Commentary, vol. 12, John T. Willis, gen. ed. (Austin: TX: Sweet, 1980), 463. "God's Holy Spirit" (vs. 10-11; cf. v 14) means God himself (note the parallelism of "presence" and "holy Spirit" in Psalm 51:11); not the third member of the Trinity as in the NT (463).
⁵John Peter Lange, "Samuel," in Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, n.d.): "While in ver. 1 the prophetic organ of the divine saying is doubly characterized, ver. 2 sets forth in two-fold expression the twofold divine medium of the inspired prophetic word: the Spirit and the word of God" (586).
⁶Isaiah 11:1-2, 42:1, 48:16, 61:1-2.
⁷Jeremiah 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:15-21.
⁸Hardy; Robert T, Latz, David W. Norris, Richard A., and Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 4th ed. (New York: Charles Scribner's Soils, 1985), 204. Gonzalez, J.L. A History of Christian Thought, vol. 1. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1970), 339.
⁹Carl E. Braaten, ed., Paul Tillich: A History of Christian Thought (New York: , Simon and Schuster [Touchstone], 1972), 408.
¹⁰Geoffrey W. Bromiley; Historical Theology: An Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), 89; emphasis added.
¹¹In Greek, ekeinos is a demonstrative pronoun, i.e., "that." However, it may also he used in the third person as an emphatic personal pronoun. Thus, in the third person, nominative, masculine singular, the meaning shifts from "that" (man) to "he."
¹²Other translations of on qar ek metrou didosin to pneuma: "God gives him the Spirit without reserve" (Jerusalem Bible), "he does not ration his gift of the Spirit" (New American Bible), "it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit" (RSV), "so measureless is God's Gift of the Spirit" (NEB), and "there can be no measuring of the Spirit given to him" (Phillips).
¹³C. H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel (Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1965), 310-11.
¹⁴"You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."