IS THE HOLY SPIRIT A PERSON?
A few months back I presented a lesson entitled, Who is the Holy Spirit? As a result of that lesson, I was approached and asked, where in the Bible is the Holy Spirit called a person? To my knowledge, there is no passage that spells it out in those terms. However, what is said about Holy Spirit indicates that He is a person. Let us notice why.
The term person. In a study like this it is important that we first define what a person is. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word person is defined first as, 1. A living human. It is this most common use or references to the term in relationship to human beings (e.g. chairperson, appearing in person, a person of importance) that probably causes most of the confusion. One thing we must understand is that I am NOT saying that the Holy Spirit is a human being, any more than Jehovah God is a human being (but we as humans ARE made in the image of God - Genesis 1:26-27). However the term also has other definitions. The AHD continues to define the term person, 2.An individual of specified character. 3.The composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality, the self. These definitions describe the attributes that distinguish one from another. 7. Any of three separate individualities of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as distinguished from the essence of the Godhead that unites them. It is this definition that we have in mind. The term person is used to describe the three distinct beings of the Godhead so as to distinguish them from other living creatures and to note their similarities to human beings because we were made in Their image. Websters third definition of person is, A living, self-conscious being, as distinct from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman, or child. (Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1913) which helps us understand this distinction. So while the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not human, it is proper to use the term person to identify Them.
What makes the Holy Spirit a Person? He possesses distinct characteristics that make Him a person. First we must understand that He has personality. The term personality is defined as, 1. the quality or condition of being a person. 2. The total of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person. (AHD, 4th ed., © 2000) In other words, Holy Spirit is a distinct being. He is distinct from God the Father and God the Son as seen in many different passages such as Matthew 3:16-17 where at the baptism of Jesus we read of the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.; and Matthew 28:19 where Jesus is instructing His disciples to, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. These passages and others demonstrate that Holy Spirit is NOT Jesus or the Father, but His own person in the Godhead. We see that in the work He is to do. When Jesus was about to die He gave His disciples instructions, promising them that they would not be left alone. In John 14:15-18 He said, If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Later, in that same discourse, He said, However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13) These verses show the distinct work of Holy Spirit in spreading the word.
In these verses we also find another interesting characteristic about the Holy Spirit: pronouns are used to describe Him. Note what He was to do. The Holy Spirit is not referred to as an it or a thing, but a person.
What is the personality of the Holy Spirit? There are numerous passages that show His character and personality as a person. He has a mind (Romans 8:27), knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:11), affection (Romans 15:30), and a will of His own -1 Corinthians 12:11. That passage says But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Note how the Holy Spirit independently thinks.
In addition to this, He speaks - Now the Spirit expressly says (1 Timothy 4:1 ); He testifies the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me (John 15:26); He speaks, hears and tells (John 16:13); He intercedes - Romans 8:26 says, Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Add to this the fact that He can be mistreated. We read that He can be lied to (Acts 5:3); tested (Acts 5:9); grieved (Ephesians 4:30); insulted (Hebrews 10:29); blasphemed (Matthew 12:31-32); and resisted (Acts 7:51).
All of these traits demonstrate His personality and that He is indeed a person, unlike animals or things.
If the Holy Spirit is a person, why do we sometimes use the article the to identify Him? Because it is found that way in scripture. Consider again the above passage in John 16:13. Jesus spoke of the Spirit of Truth. More than 150 times in the New Testament, the article is found in describing Him. However that does NOT mean He is not a person because of the above characteristics that we have noted. It is simply the way He is described. There are passages that also use the article to describe God and Jesus. Consider again, Matthew 28:18, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The fact that the article is used in this text does NOT mean that Jesus and the Father are not persons.
Why is it important that we understand this fact about the Holy Spirit? Because there is so much misunderstanding about who He is. Some see the Spirit as merely an influence or extension that emanates from God. Others see Him as a thing that moves about like fog or vapor that is sent by God. Some believe that the Godhead does not consist of three persons. They reject that He IS God.
But understanding who He is helps us to give Him the reverence He deserves. Consider Matthew 12:31-32 which says, Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. If the Holy Spirit is a thing, this warning would make no sense to me.
Also, the fact that in some way He dwells within us (another lesson) requires that we have at least an elementary understanding of his personality.
It is my hope that in this article we have established that Holy Spirit is a person rather than an it. And being a part of the Godhead, He is worthy of proper respect in our lives. When we become Christians we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) and all that He offers us (cf. Romans 8:9-17, 26, etc.). [Note I am not implying a miraculous indwelling in saying this]. Let us be thankful that He is there and strive to understood all that we can about Him and how He can help us. Think about it. ! TATJR