THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTRODUCTION:
-- There is widespread CONFUSION and ERROR in this day concerning the PERSONALITY of the HOLY SPIRIT.
-- It is essential to the faith of EVERY Christian that its scriptural teaching be seen in its TRUE light and held in RIGHT proportion.
-- By the 'PERSONALITY of the HOLY SPIRIT' is meant that He possesses or contains in Himself the elements of PERSONAL EXISTENCE as CONTRASTED with impersonal existence or animal life.
-- It is difficult to define PERSONALITY when used of the DIVINE Being.
[God CANNOT be measured by human standards. God was NOT made in the image of man, but man in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27)] -- ONLY God has PERFECT PERSONALITY. -- PERSONALITY may be said to EXIST when there is found INTELLIGENCE, EMOTION, and VOLITION, or SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS and SELF-DETERMINATION, in a single individual. -- When a being possesses the ATTRIBUTES, PROPERTIES, and QUALITIES of PERSONALITY, then PERSONALITY may be unquestionably predicted. -- The term PERSON as applied to the members of the Trinity is to be used in a QUALIFIED or LIMITED sense, referring to PERSONAL DISTINCTIONS rather than separate organisms as when used of men. I. The necessity for PROOF of the HOLY SPIRIT'S PERSONALITY: A. It is a matter of historical record that the PERSONALITY of the HOLY SPIRIT has been disputed and denied. It may have been -- 1. Because, as contrasted with the other persons of the Godhead, the SPIRIT seems impersonal. 'The visible creation makes the PERSONALITY of God the FATHER somewhat easy to conceive; the Incarnation makes it almost, if not altogether, impossible to disbelieve in the PERSONALITY of JESUS CHRIST; but the acts and workings of the HOLY SPIRIT are so secret and mystical, so much is said of His influence, grace, power and gifts, that we are prone to think of Him as an influence, a power, a manifestation or influence or the divine nature, an agent rather than a Person' (W. Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, pp. 107-8). 2. Because of the names & symbols used of the HOLY SPIRIT, which are suggestive of the impersonal, such as: breath, wind, power, fire, oil and water. See as illustration:"(5)Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6)That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7)Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (8)The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8 -- Nicodemus)
"(1)And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (2)And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (3)And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (4)And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4 -- cf. John 7:38-39; 20:22; Ephesians 5:18; I Thessalonians 5:19; I John 2:20)
3. Because the HOLY SPIRIT is not always associated with the Father and the Son in the salutations and greetings of the N.T. See as illustration: "Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you." (I Thessalonians 3:11) 4. Because the word or name SPIRIT is neuter in the Greek (Pneuma). B. PROOF of the HOLY SPIRIT'S PERSONALITY. 1. MASCULINE PERSONAL PRONOUNS applied to the HOLY SPIRIT:"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" (John 15:26).
"(7)Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (8)And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ... (13)Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14)He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:7-8,13-14)
I turn to grammar to establish the PERSONALITY of the HOLY SPIRIT, because the use of neuter pronouns has been largely responsible for the idea of the impersonality of the Spirit. The Greek word for "spirit" is pneuma, a neuter noun. This argument becomes more remarkable when we see that MASCULINE PRONOUNS are used in connection with pneuma, except where the construction compels a neuter (Romans 8:16), thus showing that the Bible's idea of the PERSONALITY of the HOLY SPIRIT dominates grammatical construction. Christ, the supremely authoritative spokesman of God, repeatedly pours in the N.T. depository of TRUTH numerous PERSONAL PRONOUNS referring to the HOLY SPIRIT, which show that He recognized the SPIRIT as PERSONAL in nature. There is another grammatical testimony, and that is Christ's use of the MASCULINE noun parakletos [par-ak'-lay-tos] in referring to the SPIRIT (John 14:16-17). Jesus Himself was a Comforter (I John 2:2) to the disciples, and He offers comfort to them as He is about to depart by promising them another Comforter (parakletos). EVERYTHING Jesus was to the disciples, the other was to be, and more, because of Jesus' human limitations -- a PERSON coming to take the place of a Person. 2. ASSOCIATIONS of the HOLY SPIRIT with the other persons of the Godhead and with individuals:"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19) -- the Great Commission;
"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than those necessary things;" (Acts 15:28 -- cf. II Corinthians 13:14).
Such ASSOCIATIONS, which are PERSONAL, can ONLY be understood in relation to PERSONALITIES. 3. PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ascribed to the HOLY SPIRIT. By CHARACTERISTICS I do NOT mean hands, feet, or eyes, for these denote corporeity, but qualities such as knowledge, feeling, and will, which denote PERSONALITY. -- Intelligence: "(10)But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (11)For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (I Corinthians 2:10-11) "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:27) The HOLY SPIRIT is NOT MERELY an enlightening power or influence, but is a PERSON possessed of intellect, who knows the deep things of God and reveals them to us. -- Will: (I Corinthians 12:11). An 'it,' that which is impersonal, is not possessed of volition. -- Love: (Romans 15:30). It may be said that we owe our SALVATION just as truly to the love of the Spirit as we do to the love of Father and the love of the Son. -- Goodness: (Nehemiah 9:20). -- Grief: "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). 4. PERSONAL ACTS ascribed to the HOLY SPIRIT. Throughout the Scriptures, the HOLY SPIRIT is represented as a PERSONAL agent, performing ACTS attributable ONLY to a PERSON. -- He searches the deep things of God: (I Corinthians 2:10). -- He speaks: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; ..." (Revelation 2:7). The SPIRIT is also spoken of as crying out (Galatians 4:6) and as bearing testimony (John 15:26). -- He makes intercession: (Romans 8:26). -- He teaches: (John 14:26). -- He leads and guides: (Romans 8:14). -- He calls and commission men: (Acts 13:2) -- Barnabas and Paul; (Acts 20:28) -- Overseers are to feed the church of God. 5. PERSONAL TREATMENT received by the HOLY SPIRIT: -- He is rebelled against and vexed: (Isaiah 63:10). -- He is lied to: (Acts 5:3) -- Ananias. -- He is blasphemed: (Matthew 12:31-32). To blaspheme means 'to speak of the Supreme Being in terms of impious irreverance; to revile or speak reproachfully of God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit.' To blaspheme thus is to clearly impossible unless the object of irreverance be both PERSONAL and DIVINE.III. The IMPORTANCE of the HOLY SPIRIT'S PERSONALITY:
A. In connection with WORSHIP. If the HOLY SPIRIT is a DIVINE PERSON and yet is unknown or ignored as such, He is being deprived and robbed of the love and adoration which are His due. If, on the other hand, He is only an influence, force, or power stemming from God, we are practicing idolatry or false worship. B. From the standpoint of SERVICE. It is NECESSARY to decide whether the HOLY SPIRIT is a power or force that we are to get hold of and use, or whether He is a PERSON of the Godhead, who is to control and use us. The one idea leads to self-exaltation and self-assertion, the other to SELF-ABASEMENT and SELF-RENUNCIATION. C. By reason of its relation to CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. It is of the highest experiential value that we know whether the HOLY SPIRIT is only a mere influence and impersonal force, or whether He is an EVER-present Friend and Helper, a DIVINE Companion and Guide. CONCLUSION: -- By the use of PERSONAL PRONOUNS, by PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS possessed, PERSONAL ACTIONS performed, and TREATMENT received, the Scripture PROVE the HOLY SPIRIT to be a PERSON.