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Why I think the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead.
Posted : 3 Aug, 2011 07:49 PM
Why I think the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead.
First off, the Holy Spirit is a NAME.
Matthew 28:19 (English Standard Version)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
note that even though "name" might be used of a nonperson, here,
in conjunction with the Father and the Son, it MUST be used of a person!
Since this is one of those verses that is So easy to understand, but
also SO twisted by enemies of the Faith, here are FOUR answers to the
usual twisting of this verse:
1. "the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit": use of definite
article before each personal noun indicates distinct persons unless
explicitly stated otherwise; compare Rev. 1:17; 2:8, 26
2. The views that "Father" and "Son" are distinct
persons but not the Holy Spirit, or that the Holy Spirit is not a person
at all, or that all three are different offices or roles of one person,
are impossible in view of the grammar (together with the fact that in
Scripture a "spirit" is a person unless context shows
otherwise).
3. Does singular "name" prove that the three are one person? No;
cf. Gen. 5:2; 11:14; 48:6; and esp. 48:16. Thus, the word "name"
can apply distinctly to each of the three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
and does not imply that they have only one name.
4. "Name" need not be personal name, may be title: Is. 9:6;
Matt. 1:23.
Secondly the Holy Spirit is called "The helper" and "Another Helper"
a.Jesus said that the Holy Spirit Is ANOTHER Helper: John 14:16, cf. 1
John 2:1; note also that "Helper" (parakl�tos) was used in
Greek always or almost always of persons.
b. Is sent in Jesus' name, to teach: John 14:26.
c. Will arrive, and then bear witness: John 15:26-27.
d. Is sent by Christ to convict of sin, will speak not on his own but on
behalf of Christ, will glorify Christ, thus exhibiting humility: John
16:7-14. We see Jesus exhibiting Humility by becoming a man, and living
a Holy Life, and we see the Holy Spirit showing Humility also.
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit SPEAKS, and is quoted as speaking in MANY
verses:
Revelation 2:7 (English Standard Version)
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which
is in the paradise of God."
John 16:13; Acts 1:16; 8:29; 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 16:6; 20:23; 21:11:
28:25-27; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:7-11; 10:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 2:7, 11,
17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.
Also.......
4. Can be lied to: Acts 5:3
5. Can make decisions, judgments: Acts 15:28
6. Intercedes for Christians with the Father: Rom. 8:26
Romans 8:26 (English Standard Version)
"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."
The Holy Spirit even "SEARCHES THE DEPTHS OF GOD" (1 Cor. 2:10)
ALL these things are ACTS of an individual PERSON.
7. "Impersonal" language used of the Spirit paralleled by
language used of other persons
a. The Holy Spirit as fire: Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16; cf. Ex. 3:2-4; Deut.
4:24; 9:3; Heb. 12:29
b. The Holy Spirit poured out: Acts 2:17, 33; cf. Is. 53:12; Phil. 2:17;
2 Tim. 4:6
c. Being filled with the Holy Spirit: Eph. 5:18, etc.; cf. Eph. 3:17,
19; John 14:10
Now, since on this group I have read that "Jesus is the Holy Spirit" and
"God is the Holy Spirit", using different phrases like:
"The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father" which is just a fancy way
of saying God the Father IS the Holy Spirit, here are the reasons I
believe that The Holy Spirit is NOT Jesus, and also that the Holy Spirit
is NOT God the Father.
Jesus is not the Holy Spirit
1. The Holy Spirit is "another Comforter": John 14:16; compare 1
John 2:1.
2. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit: John 15:26; 16:7.
3. The Holy Spirit exhibits humility in relation to, and seeks to
glorify, Jesus (John 16:13-14).
4. The Son and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons in Matt.
28:19.
5. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus: Luke 3:22.
6. Is Jesus the Holy Spirit?
a. 2 Cor. 3:17: the Spirit is here called "Lord" in the sense of
being Yahweh or God, not Jesus (cf. v. 16, citing Ex. 34:34; cf. v. 17
in the Revised English Bible); note Acts 28:25-27, cf. Is. 6:8-10.
b. 1 Cor. 15:45: Jesus is "a life-giving Spirit," not in the
sense that he is the Holy Spirit whom he sent at Pentecost, but in the
sense that he is the glorified God-man; and as God he is Spirit by
nature. All three persons of the Trinity are Spirit, though there are
not three divine Spirits; and only one person is designated "the
Holy Spirit."
c. Rom. 8:27, 34: the fact that two persons intercede for us is
consistent with the fact that we have two Advocates (John 14:16; Rom.
8:26; 1 John 2:1).
d. John 14:18: Jesus here refers to his appearances to the disciples
after the resurrection (compare 14:19), not to the coming of the Spirit.
e. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both involved in various activities:
raising Jesus (John 2:19-19-22); Rom. 8:9-11), raising the dead (John
5:21; 6:39-40, 44, 54, Rom. 8:9-11), dwelling in the believer (John
14:16; 2 Cor. 13:5; Col. 1:27), interceding for the believer (Rom. 8:26;
Heb. 7:25), sanctifying believers (Eph. 5:26; 1 Pet. 1:2), etc. These
works prove that the two persons are both God, but not that Jesus is the
Holy Spirit.
AND..........the Father is NOT the Holy Spirit.
1. The Father sent the Holy Spirit: John 14:15; 15:26.
2. The Holy Spirit intercedes with the Father for us: Rom. 8:26-27.
3. The Father and the Holy Spirit are distinguished as two persons in
Matt. 28:19.
4. Is the Father the Holy Spirit?
a. Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35: It is argued that the Holy Spirit is the
Father of the incarnate Son of God; this argument ignores the fact that
the "conception" is not a product of physical union between a
man and a woman!
b. The Father and the Holy Spirit are both said to be active in various
activities; the resurrection of Jesus (Gal. 1:1; Rom. 8:11), comforting
Christians (2 Cor. 1:3-4; John 14:26), sanctifying Christians (Jude 1; 1
Pet. 1:2), etc. The most these facts prove is that the two work
together; they do not prove the two are one person.
Also, Starting in John 14:25 Jesus is telling His disciples that he has
to leave because He is "going to the Father" (verse 28), and in Verse 26
Jesus says:
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom THE FATHER will SEND in my name,
HE will teach you all things..."
Now, Jesus is leaving to go be WITH the Father, and the Father is
SENDING the other Helper, the Holy Spirit.
That makes sense if the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead,
and makes no sense at all if you demand that the Holy Spirit is merely
the "Spirit of God" or an "impersonal force" or just another mask that
God wears.
1 Corinthians 2:10 "For the Spirit searches everything, EVEN the Depths
of God"!!
Also we have this verse:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14
That right there SHOULD quiet anyone saying that the Holy Spirit is
merely the Spirit of God!!!
And lastly, I think VERY little of private religious hunches that I
might have or anyone else might have, and I place great weight upon the
consensus of ALL true Christians throughout the last two thousand years.
The Bible says in the Book of Proverbs THREE times, that
"There is wisdom in many counselors"
So, I want to add that my opinion that the Holy Spirit is the third
person of the Godhead, and is distinct from the Father and the Son is
what I see in Scripture, and also the consensus of all true Christians
throughout church history. And with that I leave you a quote from
Calvin:
"The work of the Spirit, then, is joined to the word of God. But a
distinction is made, that we may know that the external word is of no
avail by itself. unless animated by the power of the Spirit ...All power
of action, then, resides in the Spirit himself." - John Calvin
In Christ,
James
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