Essentials of the Christian Faith Series
The Deity and Personhood of the Holy Spirit
by Mike Bugal
Founder, Heartland Christian Ministries

      We began the Essential Series with an examination of the overall scriptural support for the Trinitarian viewpoint, which included proofs of the Deity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The previous article dealt with the specific scriptural proofs of the eternal nature of the Sonship of Jesus Christ. This is important because one of the main areas of attack from the kingdom of the cults is either the Deity of Jesus or His Sonship. In this article we will examine what the Bible says about the nature of the Holy Spirit, which is the next major area of false doctrine. Is the Holy Spirit God? Is He attributed by scripture as having traits of personhood, or is He merely an impersonal "active force of God at work in the lives of believers today" as some teach?

      The word "Person" as used here and in any formal statement of the Doctrine of the Trinity is not to be confused with the word "people". The latter denotes physical existence within time and space. "Person" is used to basically describe the indescribable: One God Who exists in three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal entities (for lack of a better term): the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is not comprehensible to the finite, sin scarred mind of humanity. Thus, we express the infinite Truth that is clearly taught in scripture in terms we can at least apprehend: Person.

His Deity

      The Deity of the Holy Spirit is first established in the very first Book of the Bible, Genesis. In Genesis 1:1-2 we read, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Here we have the Holy Spirit as an active participant in the Creation. The power of creation is strictly reserved to God in the Bible. In verse 26 of this same chapter He is spoken to by the Creator (whom we have established as the Son in the previous article, "The Eternal Son"), along with the Father, when He says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." There are some who wish to interpret this verse as God speaking to the angels when He said this. Yet where in the Bible do you ever find God conferring with created beings before acting? Also to say "Let US make..." and infer the angels is to say that angels have power of creation. No, this is the Son speaking to both the Father and the Holy Spirit.

      In the New Testament we read in the Book of Acts about the judgment of Ananias and Sapphira. You'll recall that they had a certain piece of property which they sold and gave part of the money to the church... but made out that it was the whole money. In verse 3 we read, "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" Here the One that Ananias lied to is clearly identified as the Holy Spirit. Then in verse 4 Peter says, "Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." This is clear evidence that Peter considered the Holy Spirit to be God, for he used the two Names interchangeably.

      Another consideration is blasphemy. One can only commit blasphemy against God and if the Holy Spirit is not God He cannot be blasphemed against. Yet Jesus warned the Pharisees against committing blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:31. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit CAN be blasphemed against, He must be God.

His Personhood

      While there aren't very many cults which actually deny the Deity of the Holy Spirit, most aim their attack on the Personhood of the Holy Spirit. The Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance,  consider Him to be a impersonal "force"... "the active force of God at work in the lives of believers today." To accomplish this, they either have to rewrite the Bible (JW), read things into the scripture that aren't there by taking verses out of context or simply ignore the scriptures that speak of this. In one-on-one conversation with them they usually try to switch points and go on to other issues without addressing the scriptures. On the Internet they will usually just ignore them and focus on what they want to focus on. But the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is no "impersonal force", but has a mind, will and emotions independent of those of the Father and the Son... yet is One in unity and purpose. In establishing this, we'll examine what the Lord Jesus had to say about the Holy Spirit, as well as the Apostles.

The Comforter

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 16:7-15)

      One of the first things that you notice as you read the passage above is that Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit in the third person singular (He). He obviously thought of the Holy Spirit as being distinct from both the Father and Himself. Notice, too, that he says that the Holy Spirit will be sent just as He was sent. Nowhere does He say that the Holy Spirit is merely a "manifestation" of the Father. Nowhere does He say that the Holy Spirit is merely a "force", for if He were merely a "force" Jesus would have said "It" and not "He". You also see in these verses the sense of personal relationship that Jesus has with the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus said, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) and "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16) so too does He say that the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself but will speak what Jesus tells Him to say. Just as Jesus says that He proceeded from the Father and gave glory to Him in His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit came forth from Christ to give glory to Him in His earthly ministry.

      This is an important key to the proper interpretation of several verses in the New Testament where the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the Spirit of Christ" (Philippians 1:19, 1 Peter 1:11 for example). Some teach that these verses mean that Jesus became the Holy Sprit after He ascended back into Heaven. But the Greek word translated "of" is also used to mean "from" and that meaning would be consistent with what Jesus said in John 16 above. Thus the Holy Spirit is not Jesus now once again in spirit form, but the Holy Spirit sent forth FROM Jesus.

      Thus we see that Jesus considered the Holy Spirit to have one of the attributes of personhood: distinct conscious existence. Now let's see what the scripture says about the other attributes of personhood: will and emotions.

His Will

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

      Paul gives us the next attribute of personhood here when he refers to the exercise of "will" by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit were some impersonal "force" it would not be possible for Him to have a "will". Additionally, you'll notice that Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as "He" rather than as "it". By definition it would be impossible for an "it" to have a "will" of it's own, but rather would operate by either random chance (such as forces of nature) or by instinct (such as animals). The Holy Spirit exercises His will in deciding who gets what Gift.

      While we're on the subject of "will" it's a good time to bring up the subject of "subordination". Some people resist the Doctrine of the Trinity because they believe that it teaches that the Son and the Holy Sprit are somehow naturally subordinate to the Father (they even use the mocking term "junior gods" in misstating the Trinitarians' stand). This is absolutely untrue. Jesus made it clear that He voluntarily submitted Himself to the will of the Father as He prayed in the Garden, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39) . So, too, did Jesus say that the Holy Spirit voluntarily submitted Himself to Jesus' will in John 16:13 (see citation above). The Trinitarians in no way teach a "natural" subordination of the Son or of the Holy Spirit, but rather the Scripturally sound teaching of voluntary submission of Their wills to the Father.

His Emotion

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:29-30)

      If the Holy Sprit were an impersonal "force" it would not be possible to "grieve" Him. A "force" has no emotions, but operates strictly at random (although there are some here in the Midwest that would probably debate that). Grief is an emotion and emotions are reserved to conscious, self-aware beings... persons.

Conclusion

      We have seen that the Bible clearly says that the Holy Spirit is God. We have also seen that the Bible says that He has conscious, self aware existence with will and emotions. Thus He is a Person distinct from either the Father or the Son within the Godhead.

      In the next article we will consider "The New Testament Revelation of the Father" and in the final article summarize all four articles on this Essential of the Christian Faith.