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Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is a term found in English translations of the Bible, but understood differently among the Abrahamic religions.[1][2]

For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, from Old English gast, "spirit") is the third divine person of the Holy Trinity: the "Triune God" manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each person itself being God.[1][2][3]

Jehovah's Witnesses view the Holy Spirit, not as an actual person separate from Jehovah, but as His "energy" or "active force", that he uses to accomplish his will in creation and redemption.[63]

Symbolism

The Holy Spirit is frequently referred to by metaphor and symbol, both doctrinally and biblically. Theologically speaking these symbols are a key to understanding of the Holy Spirit and his actions, and are not mere artistic representations.[34][66]
  • Water – signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism, such that in the manner that "by one Spirit [believers] were all baptized", so they are "made to drink of one Spirit".[1Cor 12:13] Thus the Spirit is also personally the living water welling up from Christ impaled[Jn 19:34] [1 Jn 5:8] as its source and welling up in Christians to eternal life.[66][67]
  • Anointing – The symbolism of bless with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Spirit is referred to as his "anointing".[2Cor 1:21]. The title "Christ" (in Hebrew, messiah) means the one "anointed" by God's Spirit.[66][67]
  • Fire – symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. In the form of tongues "as of fire", the Holy Spirit rested on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost.[66][67]
  • Cloud and light – The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'"[67][Lk 9:34–35]
  • The dove – When Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him.[66][67][Mt 3:16]
  • Wind – The Spirit is likened to the "wind that blows where it will,"[Jn 3:8] and described as "a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind."[Acts 2:24] [66]

Jesus and the Holy Spirit

In the Farewell Discourse Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after his departure,[11] 
The New Testament details a close relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus during his earthly life and ministry.[8] 
Bible books of Luke and Matthew, state that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary.

Specific New Testament references to the interaction of Jesus and the Holy Spirit during his earthly life, and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit during his ministry include:[8][9][31]

"Spirit without measure" having been given to Jesus in John 3:34, referring to the word spoken by Jesus (Rhema) being the words of God.[32]
Baptism of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit descending on him as a dove in Matthew 3:13–17, Mark 1:9–11 and Luke 3:21–23
Temptation of Jesus, in Matthew 4:1 the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert to be tempted
The Spirit casting out demons (Matthew 12:28), in Exorcising the blind and mute man miracle
Rejoice the Spirit in Luke 10:21 where seventy disciples are sent out by Jesus
In Matthew 26:41 during the Agony in the Garden before his crucifixion, Jesus tells his disciples to watch and pray, in order not to fall into temptation for "the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak"
Acts 1:2 states that until his death and resurrection, Jesus "had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles"
Referring to the sacrifice of Jesus to be sacrificed out of obedience to the father, the Letter of Paul to the Hebrews 9:14 states that Jesus "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God"
In his Farewell Discourse to his disciples, Jesus promised that he would "send the Holy Spirit" to them after his departure, in John 15:26 stating: "whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth... shall bear witness of me".[10][11]

180px-Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Annunciation_-_WGA20250.jpg

The Holy Spirit as a dove in the Annunciation by Rubens, 1628

Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit

The "fruit of the Holy Spirit"[52] consists of "permanent dispositions"[52], virtuous characteristics engendered in the Christian by the action of the Holy Spirit.[53] 
 
  • "..On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

In the Letter to the Galatians these nine characteristics are in contrast to the "works of the flesh" and highlight the positive manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit in believers.

The "gifts of the Holy Spirit"[52] are distinct from the Fruit of the Spirit, and consist of specific abilities granted to the individual Christian.[48] They are frequently known by the Greek word for gift, Charisma, from which the term charismatic derives. There is no generally agreed upon exhaustive list of the gifts, and various Christian denominations use different lists, often drawing upon 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.[54]
 

Denominational variations

177px-Nicaea_icon.jpg
Icon of the Fathers of the Council holding the Nicene Creed

Some Christian denominations, have doctrinal variations in their beliefs regarding the Holy Spirit. A well-known example is the Filioque controversy regarding the Holy Spirit - one of the key differences between the teachings of the Western Church and Eastern Orthodox beliefs, ranking at the level of the disagreement about the papal primacy.[56][57]

The Filioque debate centers around whether the Nicene Creed should state that the Spirit "proceeds from the Father" and then have a stop, as the creed was initially adopted in Greek (and followed thereafter by the Eastern Church), or should say "from the Father and the Son" as was later adopted in Latin and followed by the Western Church, filioque being "and the Son" in Latin.[58]

Towards the end of the 20th century, discussions took place about the removal of Filioque in the Nicene Creed from Anglican prayer books along the lines of the Eastern Orthodox approach, but these still have not reached a state of final implementation.[59]

The majority of mainstream Protestantism hold similar views on the theology of the Holy Spirit as the Roman Catholic Church, but there are significant differences in belief between Pentecostalism and the rest of Protestantism.[1][60] Pentecostalism has a focus on "Baptism with the Spirit", relying on Acts 1:5 which refers to "now you will baptize with the Holy Spirit".[61] The more recent Charismatic movements have a focus on the "gifts of the Spirit" (such as healing, prophecy, etc.) and rely on 1 Corinthians 12 as a scriptural basis, but often differ from Pentecostal movements.[62]

Non-trinitarian views about the Holy Spirit differ significantly from mainstream Christian doctrine. Jehovah's Witnesses view the Holy Spirit, not as an actual person separate from God the Father, but as God's "energy" or "active force", that he uses to accomplish his will in creation and redemption.[63]

Mormons believe that the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones.[64] He is often referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter.[65]

See also


Holy Spirit - Talk by David Gibson Jr. in the UK (pre-1980)
Joseph and the Operation of Jehovahs Holy Spirit - Talk by Ulysses Grant - 1971
The Word Spirit in the Bible - Paul Illingworth
 

Early Church Fathers viewpoints:

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN - ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
Theodore of Mopsuestia - on the Holy Spirit
ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA ON ISAIAH 48v16

References

  1. Millard J. Erickson (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. p. 103.
  2. T C Hammond; Revised and edited by David F Wright (1968). In Understanding be Men:A Handbook of Christian Doctrine. (sixth ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 54–56 and 128–131.
  3. Grudem, Wayne A. 1994. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Page 226.
  4. Acts and Pauline writings by Watson E. Mills, Richard F. Wilson 1997 ISBN 0-86554-512-X, pages xl–xlx
  5. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg 2009 ISBN 0-8054-4482-3, page 280
  6. Grabe, Petrus J. The Power of God in Paul's Letters 2008 ISBN 978-3-16-149719-3, pp. 248–249
  7. Spirit of Truth: The origins of Johannine pneumatology by John Breck 1990 ISBN 0-88141-081-0, pages 1–5
  8. Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective: An Introductory Christology by Scott Horrell, Donald Fairbairn, Garrett DeWeese and Bruce Ware (Oct 1, 2007) ISBN 080544422X pages 208-213
  9.  
  10. John by Andreas J. Köstenberger 2004 ISBN 080102644X, page 442
  11. The Gospel of John: Question by Question by Judith Schubert 2009 ISBN 0809145499, pages 112–127
  12. Lord, giver of life by Jane Barter Moulaison 2006 ISBN 0-88920-501-9 page 5
  13. Vickers, Jason E. Invocation and Assent: The Making and the Remaking of Trinitarian Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008. ISBN 0-8028-6269-1, pages 2–5
  14. The Cambridge Companion to the Trinity by Peter C. Phan 2011 ISBN 0521701139, pages 3–4
  15. Companion Bible–KJV–Large Print by E. W. Bullinger, Kregel Publications, 1999. ISBN 0-8254-2099-7. Page 146.
  16. Robin W. Lovin, Foreword to the English translation of Karl Barth's The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life (1993 ISBN 0-664-25325-3), page xvii
  17. Millard J. Erickson, L. Arnold Hustad, //Introducing Christian Doctrine// (Baker Academic 2001 ISBN 9780801022500), p. 271
  18. "Norfolk schools told Holy Ghost 'too spooky'". The Guardian (London). 2005-04-11. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  19. Matthew 28:19
  20. "Holy Spirit", Jewish Encyclopedia
  21. The Gospel of Luke by Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel J. Harrington 1992 ISBN 0-8146-5805-9, page 195
  22. 1, 2, and 3 John by John Painter, Daniel J. Harrington 2002 ISBN 0-8146-5812-1, page 324
  23. The anointed community: the Holy Spirit in the Johannine tradition by Gary M. Burge 1987 ISBN 0-8028-0193-5, pages 14–21
  24. Theology of Paul the Apostle by James D. G. Dunn 2003 ISBN 0-567-08958-4, pages 418–420
  25. A Concise Dictionary of Theology by Gerald O'Collins, Edward G. Farrugia 2004 ISBN 0-567-08354-3 page 115
  26. Holy People of the World: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 3 by Phyllis G. Jestice 2004 ISBN 1-57607-355-6, pages 393–394
  27. 1 & 2 Thessalonians by Jon A. Weatherly 1996 ISBN 0-89900-636-1, pages 42–43
  28. The Acts of the Apostles by Luke Timothy Johnson, Daniel J. Harrington 1992 ISBN 0-8146-5807-5, pages 14–18
  29. A Bible Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles by Mal Couch 2004 ISBN 0-8254-2391-0, pages 120–129
  30. Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles by Charles H. Talbert 2005 ISBN 1-57312-277-7, pages 24–25
  31. Karl Barth (1949). Dogmatics in Outline. New York Philosophical Library. p. 95.
  32. The Gospel According to John: An Introduction and Commentary by Colin G. Kruse (Jun 2004) ISBN 0802827713, page 123
  33. The Cambridge Companion to Christian Doctrine by Colin E. Gunton (Jun 28, 1997) ISBN 052147695X, pages 280–285
  34. "Catholic Encyclopedia:Holy Spirit".
  35. Pope Pius XII (1943). //Mystici Corporis Christi//.
  36. See discussion in "Person". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
  37. "Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Dogma of the Holy trinity".
  38. Luke 1:35
  39. Harrington, Daniel J., SJ. "Jesus Goes Public." America, Jan. 7–14, 2008, p. 38
  40. [Mt 3:17] [Mk 1:11] [Lk 3:21-22]
  41. John 15:26
  42. John 14:16
  43. Theology for the Community of God by Stanley J. Grenz (Jan 31, 2000) ISBN 0802847552 page 380
  44. Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries by Everett Ferguson (Mar 29, 2009) ISBN 0802827489, page 776
  45. Systematic Theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer 1993 ISBN 0-8254-2340-6, page 25
  46. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament by Warren W. Wiersbe 2007 ISBN 978-0-7814-4539-9, page 471
  47. The mystery of the Triune God by John Joseph O'Donnell 1988 ISBN 0-7220-5760-1 page 75
  48. Millard J. Erickson (1992). Introducing Christian Doctrine. Baker Book House. pp. 265–270.
  49. Though the term "born again" is most frequently used by evangelical Christians, most denominations do consider that the new Christian is a "new creation" and "born again". See for example the Catholic Encyclopedia [1]
  50. The Holy Spirit and His Gifts. J. Oswald Sanders. Inter-Varsity Press. chapter 5.
  51. T C Hammond; Revised and edited by David F Wright (1968). In Understanding be Men:A Handbook of Christian Doctrine. (sixth ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. p. 134.
  52. CCC nos. 1830-32.
  53. The Epistle to the Galatians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) by Ronald Y. K. Fung (Jul 22, 1988) Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing ISBN 0802825095, pages 262–263
  54. Erickson, Millard J. (1992). //Introducing Christian Doctrine//. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group. ISBN 0-801-03215-6; ISBN 978-08-0103-215-8. 2nd ed. 2001. Chapter Thirty - "The work of the Holy Spirit" (pp. 275ff.). ISBN 0-801-02250-9; ISBN 978-08-0102-250-0.
  55. Shaw, Russell; Stravinskas, Peter M. J. (1998). //Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia//. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. p. 457. ISBN 0-879-73669-0; ISBN 978-08-7973-669-9.
  56. Kasper, Walter. The Petrine ministry. Catholics and Orthodox in Dialogue: Academic Symposium Neld at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Paulist Press. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-8091-4334-4.
  57. Kinnamon, Michael; Cope, Brian E. (1997). The Ecumenical Movement: An Anthology of Key Texts and Voices. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 172.ISBN 978-0-8028-4263-3.
  58. The Holy Spirit: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Eugene F. Rogers Jr. (May 19, 2009) Wiley ISBN 1405136235, page 81
  59. Introduction to Theology by Owen C. Thomas and Ellen K. Wondra (Jul 1, 2002 )ISBN 0819218979, page 221
  60. David Watson (1973). One in the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 39–64.
  61. Encyclopedia of Protestantism by J. Gordon Melton 2008 ISBN 0816077460, page 69
  62. Encyclopedia of Protestantism by J. Gordon Melton 2008 ISBN 0816077460, page 134
  63. "Is the Holy Spirit a Person?". Awake!: 14–15. July 2006. "In the Bible, God's Holy Spirit is identified as God's power in action. Hence, an accurate translation of the Bible's Hebrew text refers to God’s spirit as "God's active force.""
  64. http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130.22
  65. "True to the Faith", p. 81http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/36863_eng.pdf
  66. David Watson (1973). One in the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 20–25.
  67. Catechism of the Catholic Church: Symbols of the Holy Spirit (nos. 694-701).
  68. Vatican website: //Catechism// item 1137
  69. Renaissance Art: A Topical Dictionary by Irene Earls 1987 ISBN 0-313-24658-0, page 70
  70. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective by Fred S. Kleiner ISBN 495573558, page 349
  71. Vladimir Lossky, 1999 The Meaning of Icons ISBN 0-913836-99-0, page 17
  72. We Believe in the Holy Spirit (Ancient Christian Doctrine, No. 4) by Joel C. Elowsky (Jul 13, 2009) InterVarsity ISBN 0830825347, page 14
  73. The Holy Spirit: Classic and Contemporary Readings by Eugene F. Rogers Jr. (May 19, 2009) Wiley ISBN 1405136235, pages 121–123

 

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Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is a term found in English translations of the Bible, but understood differently among the Abrahamic religions.[1][2]For the large majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit (

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