Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Who Is The Holy Spirit?
Supporting Text: Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:26; Gen. 2:24; Gen. 11:7; Deut. 6:4; Job 33:4; Isa. 6:3; Isa. 11:2; Isa. 48:16; Isa. 63:10; Zech. 4:6; Matt. 3:16–17; Matt. 28:19; Luke 1:35; Acts 7:51; Acts 13:2; Rom. 8:26–27; Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19–20; Heb. 9:14; 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:21; Rev. 4:5.
The Nature of God & The Trinity
The nature of God can truly be an enigma (something or someone that is mysterious, puzzling, or impossible to understand). I know that He is the Creator of the Universe (Gen. 1:1) and that He is love. I know that He demonstrated that love by taking on flesh to live among us and then die on the Cross for our sin. Certainly, there are things that we can know about God. He provides us with knowledge of who He is and the love that He has for us through Scripture. When we accept Him as our Savior, we can then experience firsthand the love and peace that He offers.
Still, there is so much about God that I do not understand. Then again, how can the finite (the limited) ever completely understand the infinite (the unlimited)? When it comes down to it, that is what makes Him God and me a man.
One of the most fascinating aspects of God is that He is Triune, meaning that He is one God in three persons. We call this the Trinity, the collective name given to the three persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You may be asking, "How can God be one, yet three?" While no illustration perfectly captures the Trinity, a few examples can help us grasp the concept at a basic level. You could think of it like a three-leaf clover. It is one object, yet it has three distinct leaves. Or, for a more technical example, water exists as one substance while appearing in multiple states of matter (e.g., liquid, solid, and gas).
Rather than relying on illustrations alone, we must ultimately look to Scripture itself to understand how God has revealed His nature. Let us first examine what Scripture reveals about the nature of God, and then we will briefly look at the Creeds (formal, concise statements of the shared beliefs of a religious community). From there, we will specifically begin looking at the third person of the Trinity whom we know as the Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV): Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
As you can see from Deuteronomy 6:4, Scripture declares that the LORD (Jehovah) is one. But what does "one" mean in this context? Is it completely one in the way we often think? The Hebrew word used is echad, meaning properly united, that is, one. We find the first use of echad back in Genesis 2:24, where it is declared that man and woman are to become "one flesh." This not only defines an intimate physical union but also a unified covenantal relationship. This means that echad carries the sense of a "unified singularity."
We see a similar concept in the first name used for God in Scripture:
Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Here, the word for God is Elohim. Grammatically, this presents us with a plural form that functions as a singular.
While diving into a word study can be immensely helpful, it is not always necessary. There are many places throughout Scripture where we can see the concept of the Triune Godhead revealed.
Genesis 1:26 - Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 11:7 - Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”
Genesis 19:24 - Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.
There are additional Old Testament (OT) passages that point to this reality, such as those found in the book of Isaiah. For instance, Isaiah 6:3 makes a threefold declaration that God is "Holy, Holy, Holy." Even more striking, however, is Isaiah 48:16:
Isaiah 48:16 - Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.
We also find numerous passages in the New Testament (NT) such as:
Matthew 3:16-17 - And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John 16:13-15 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Note: Even though 1 John 5:7 is the most explicit trinitarian claim in Scripture I will omit it, as it was not found in the first two editions of Erasmus' text. The simple reason is that none of the Greek manuscripts of 1 John that Erasmus examined contained it. He found it only in the Latin Vulgate. Edward Lee and Diego López de Zúñiga attacked him for not including the passage and accused him of encouraging Arianism. Erasmus responded by saying that if he had found it in even one of the Greek manuscripts, he would have added it.
Still, there is so much about God that I do not understand. Then again, how can the finite (the limited) ever completely understand the infinite (the unlimited)? When it comes down to it, that is what makes Him God and me a man.
One of the most fascinating aspects of God is that He is Triune, meaning that He is one God in three persons. We call this the Trinity, the collective name given to the three persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You may be asking, "How can God be one, yet three?" While no illustration perfectly captures the Trinity, a few examples can help us grasp the concept at a basic level. You could think of it like a three-leaf clover. It is one object, yet it has three distinct leaves. Or, for a more technical example, water exists as one substance while appearing in multiple states of matter (e.g., liquid, solid, and gas).
Rather than relying on illustrations alone, we must ultimately look to Scripture itself to understand how God has revealed His nature. Let us first examine what Scripture reveals about the nature of God, and then we will briefly look at the Creeds (formal, concise statements of the shared beliefs of a religious community). From there, we will specifically begin looking at the third person of the Trinity whom we know as the Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV): Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
As you can see from Deuteronomy 6:4, Scripture declares that the LORD (Jehovah) is one. But what does "one" mean in this context? Is it completely one in the way we often think? The Hebrew word used is echad, meaning properly united, that is, one. We find the first use of echad back in Genesis 2:24, where it is declared that man and woman are to become "one flesh." This not only defines an intimate physical union but also a unified covenantal relationship. This means that echad carries the sense of a "unified singularity."
We see a similar concept in the first name used for God in Scripture:
Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Here, the word for God is Elohim. Grammatically, this presents us with a plural form that functions as a singular.
While diving into a word study can be immensely helpful, it is not always necessary. There are many places throughout Scripture where we can see the concept of the Triune Godhead revealed.
Genesis 1:26 - Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 11:7 - Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”
Genesis 19:24 - Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.
There are additional Old Testament (OT) passages that point to this reality, such as those found in the book of Isaiah. For instance, Isaiah 6:3 makes a threefold declaration that God is "Holy, Holy, Holy." Even more striking, however, is Isaiah 48:16:
Isaiah 48:16 - Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.
We also find numerous passages in the New Testament (NT) such as:
Matthew 3:16-17 - And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John 16:13-15 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Note: Even though 1 John 5:7 is the most explicit trinitarian claim in Scripture I will omit it, as it was not found in the first two editions of Erasmus' text. The simple reason is that none of the Greek manuscripts of 1 John that Erasmus examined contained it. He found it only in the Latin Vulgate. Edward Lee and Diego López de Zúñiga attacked him for not including the passage and accused him of encouraging Arianism. Erasmus responded by saying that if he had found it in even one of the Greek manuscripts, he would have added it.
Creeds
From reading these Scriptures, you can see that the word Trinity is not explicitly found in the biblical text. The term later developed through the earliest expressions of creedal formulations regarding Trinitarian doctrine, beginning with the baptismal formula, which itself is rooted in Scripture (Matt. 28:19).
The Old Roman Creed emerged by the end of the second century as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates. It followed a Trinitarian pattern that included the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In AD 381, the Council of Constantinople revised the Nicene Creed (AD 325) and adopted a statement affirming the deity of the Holy Spirit.
The Athanasian Creed then emerged between AD 381 and 428. It contains one of the clearest statements on both the Trinity and the Incarnation, affirming that "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God."
Regardless of the later development of these creeds, which helped categorize and articulate the doctrine of the Trinity, the teaching itself was already present in Scripture, as we have seen.
The Old Roman Creed emerged by the end of the second century as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates. It followed a Trinitarian pattern that included the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In AD 381, the Council of Constantinople revised the Nicene Creed (AD 325) and adopted a statement affirming the deity of the Holy Spirit.
The Athanasian Creed then emerged between AD 381 and 428. It contains one of the clearest statements on both the Trinity and the Incarnation, affirming that "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God."
Regardless of the later development of these creeds, which helped categorize and articulate the doctrine of the Trinity, the teaching itself was already present in Scripture, as we have seen.
The Holy Spirit is God (He is a Person & NOT a Thing...)
Certainly Scripture declares that the Holy Spirit is God. Scripture declares He was:
In Isaiah 11:2, we encounter the sevenfold description of the Spirit, which is further reflected in the imagery of Revelation 4:5, where the "seven spirits" are before the throne of God, where the Father and the Son are present.
Furthermore, we know that He is not merely a force of God, but a distinct Person who speaks of His own accord:
Acts 13:2 - While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
He can also be grieved:
Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Isaiah 63:10 - But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
He can be quenched
1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 - [19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies,
He can be resisted:
Acts 7:51 - “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
He can be blasphemed:
Mark 3:29 - but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
He will also pray for and through you:
Romans 8:26-27 - [26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
- Created Man: Job 33:4
- involved in the Incarnation: Luke 1:3
- The Atonement: Hebrews 9:14
- Inspired the Scriptures: 2 Peter 1:21
- We partake of His Nature: 2 Peter 1:4
In Isaiah 11:2, we encounter the sevenfold description of the Spirit, which is further reflected in the imagery of Revelation 4:5, where the "seven spirits" are before the throne of God, where the Father and the Son are present.
Furthermore, we know that He is not merely a force of God, but a distinct Person who speaks of His own accord:
Acts 13:2 - While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
He can also be grieved:
Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Isaiah 63:10 - But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
He can be quenched
1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 - [19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies,
He can be resisted:
Acts 7:51 - “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
He can be blasphemed:
Mark 3:29 - but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
He will also pray for and through you:
Romans 8:26-27 - [26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27] And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
His Role & Purpose
Regarding the Trinity D.R. McConnell stated the following:
"The Father’s exclusive role is as the Source of Creation; the Son’s exclusive role is as the Agent of Creation, and the role of the Holy Spirit is that of Executor."
McConnell went on to say,
"The creation is from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit."
We can then view the Trinity as follows:
We can also see this in Zechariah 4:6:
Zechariah 4:6 - Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
Simply put, the Holy Spirit is the enabler of the work of God.
In the OT, the Holy Spirit empowered the miracles performed through Moses and Aaron during the Exodus. He provided strength to Caleb, Samson, David, and David’s mighty men. He gave visions and wisdom to Daniel. He stirred the hearts of the people of Israel to give toward the building of the Tabernacle.
The role of the Holy Spirit is to be the divine Executor and Power of God, ensuring that the will of God is accomplished. That is what we see throughout the Old Testament. It is what we see throughout the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts, which predominantly records the working of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. And it is what we continue to see today.
In the next article we will learn about the Role of the Holy Spirit in our Salvation.
"The Father’s exclusive role is as the Source of Creation; the Son’s exclusive role is as the Agent of Creation, and the role of the Holy Spirit is that of Executor."
McConnell went on to say,
"The creation is from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit."
We can then view the Trinity as follows:
- God the FatherThe Source
- God the SonThe Agent
- God the Holy SpiritThe Executor
We can also see this in Zechariah 4:6:
Zechariah 4:6 - Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
Simply put, the Holy Spirit is the enabler of the work of God.
In the OT, the Holy Spirit empowered the miracles performed through Moses and Aaron during the Exodus. He provided strength to Caleb, Samson, David, and David’s mighty men. He gave visions and wisdom to Daniel. He stirred the hearts of the people of Israel to give toward the building of the Tabernacle.
The role of the Holy Spirit is to be the divine Executor and Power of God, ensuring that the will of God is accomplished. That is what we see throughout the Old Testament. It is what we see throughout the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts, which predominantly records the working of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. And it is what we continue to see today.
In the next article we will learn about the Role of the Holy Spirit in our Salvation.
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