This is He who came
by water
and blood––Jesus
Christ; not only
by water, but by
water and blood.
And it is the Spirit
who bears witness,
because the Spirit is
truth. For there
are three that bear
witness in heaven;
the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Spirit;
and these three are
one. And there are three
that bear witness on
earth; the Spirit, the water,
and the blood; and
these three agree as one.
1John 5:6–8
These
verses came up on my Greek studies class and are appertains to the subject at
hand: the Holy Spirit. If you compare the New King James, or Authorized Version
of the King James, let say, with the NIV you will notice several differences. I
am not here attempting to address those verse except to point out that which
you should know about languages, especially the Greek language. Jehovah Witness
will point to these verses that the Holy Spirit is neuter, therefore cannot be
a person. Mormons would point out there are three gods and all are in some
agreement. Christianity has from the early days of the Church includes those
missing verses in the NIV, ESV, etc. So, how are we to understand the word
Spirit since it s neuter: does this thing make the Holy Spirit a thing and not
God? In English, we use the pronouns of gender, he, she, it, to point out what
the noun points to, a man, a woman, or a thing. In Greek gender is grammatical
and not necessarily is used as gender specific. Example: the word for Church,
or called out ones is only feminine, έκκλησία, so are we then to think that the
Church is a girl, or that only the called out ones are girls? No! The word for
Spirit, πνεϋμα, is a thing? No! Those genders are the only way those words are
written. Neither word can be used a specific to a gender as in English. This
misunderstanding of the Greek language has spawned a plethora of
misinterpretations and translations leading people away from the truth.
Therefore, to know the truth will set you free, free from error and a true
understanding the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity and is the
same essence as the Father and the Son, and proceeds from the Father and the
Son. It said; the Holy Spirit has a personality and that this points to Him
being a Person. Yes, He is a Personality, but lest we forget; He is God, the
Spirit of God and He applies the work of redemption for He is essential to
redemption itself. It is then, once again, indispensable that we know what the
Bible teaches concerning the Holy Spirit, both to His office and to His nature.
We then
need proof as to His Personality. Do we not? We say, Christians say that the
Scriptures clearly teach that He is a Person. To say that they are a person is
to say that they have personality. Personality includes intelligence, will, and
individual subsistence. If I can prove all these attributes apply to the Holy
Spirit, I have then proved that He is a Person. Many of the passages in
Scripture in regards to the attributes that are attributed to Him are included
often in the same verse, so arguments that prove the one, in many cases prove
the others also, therefore we will look at the arguments.
Argument
#1: The use of personal pronouns in relation to Him to prove personality. So,
what is a person? One who when he speaks uses the pronoun; “I,” or, when
addressed the pronoun “thou,” is the term to address him, or, when he is spoken
of he is called, he, or him. To stop any confrontation about the use of
rhetorical address in any figure that gives personification to inanimate, or
irrational beings, or sentiments, or attributes, that may be used by a person
who is speaking, calling things by those attributes to make sound as a person
or having personality is not any difficulty. It is rare that the use in such a
way causes and doubt or uncertainty. Just because a person decides to
apostrophize: i.e., heavens, or elements, etc., does not give any pretext for
explaining as a personification of all the passages that God or Jesus Christ
used as to be a Person, is not a Person. The Holy Spirit is so often introduced
in Scripture, not only in poetic or excited discourse, but in simple
narratives, and in didactic instructions. Also, His personality is sustained by
so many collateral proofs, that to explain the use of the personal pronouns in
relation to Him on the principle of personification, is to do violence to all
rules of interpretation.
Look
first at one passage: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy
Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the world to which I
have called them’” (Luke 13:2). Notice: the Holy Spirit is said to speak,
and it is the word “I” that us used pointing to the Holy Spirit that had called
them. This verse: But the Helper, the Holy Sprit, whom the Father will send
in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
things that I have said to you” (John
14:26). The use of the pronoun, έκεϊνος, the word for He is said to be the
one who is testifying of and bringing to mind all the things that Jesus spoke.
Using “he” instead of “it” shows that the Spirit is a person. Now, some would
point out that the word for Paraclete is masculine therefore the pronoun
referring to it must of course be in the same gender. The rules as explained
for Spirit, τό πνεϋμα, must be used, for the word; πνεϋμα is neuter and can be
used in no other way. The word for Paraclete is masculine therefore the word
“ό” the which is masculine and Paraclete being masculine must be used and this
is very important, the Holy Spirit is equated with the Paraclete and admits of
the personality of the Holy Spirit as a person and not a thing.
I
will continue this in the next blog.
Peace I leave with you,
My
peace I give
To you; not as the world
Gives
to I give to you.
Let not you heart be troubled,
Neither
let it be afraid.
John 14:27
You are an ambassador for Jesus
Richard L. Crumb
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