The Deity of the Holy Spirit Timothy Cowin If God is the Holy Spirit and we deny it, than we are guilty of denying God. On the other hand, if The Holy Spirit is not God, and we affirm that He is, than we are guilty of blaspheme. The Church has historically affirmed the teaching of the existence of one God in three persons. Within the one essence of God, it was affirmed, that there are three persons. Doctrinal Variations! Two general classifications: o Trinitarians = who hold to the Orthodox doctrine of a plurality of persons in the unity of one essence called the Godhead. o Unitarians = who stress the oneness of God and deny the Trinity.! Arianism = Arius, a deacon in the Church of Alexandria, and subsequent Arians asserted about Christ that, there was once when he was not ; before his generation he was not ; he was made out of nothing ; the Son of God is of another subsistence or substance ; and the Son of God [is] created or alterable or mutable. In affirming the Unity of God, Arius assumed that Christ must be a created being. He then denied the deity of the Holy Spirit in the rejection of His personality. To Arius the Holy Spirit was the exerted energy of God. He was just the power of God or the force of God. This system of thought is commonly referred to as Subordinationism. After a long, hard struggle the early Church eventually overcame the threat of Arius movement.! Sabellianism = was rooted in the concept of the existence of a divine monad. This monad, By a process of expansion projected itself successively in revelation as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This was a 3 rd century attack on the deity of the Holy Spirit and came through the teachings of Sabellius of Rome. There were three different modes revealing the same divine person. The distinct personalities of the three persons of the Godhead are thus rejected. This system of thought is often referred to as Modalism or
Monarchianism. To affirm the Unity of God, Sabellius assumed that the Holy Spirit was just one mode of God s existence. The one God uses three different masks, so to speak.! These various deviations from Orthodox doctrine can be seen in the modern teachings of Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, United Pentecostals, Unitarians, and many cults such as The Way International. The Personality of the Holy Spirit! His Personhood The Scriptural witness consistently acknowledges the Holy Spirit as a person. In John 14.16-18,26,27, we have a clear indication of this truth as revealed in the teaching of Jesus. In this passage, the Lord is instructing the Disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the nature of His future ministry. Here He is called the Helper (Paraclete). Paraclete means, Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Strengthener, Supporter. 1 This type of title certainly implies His personality, but the passage further solidifies this truth by undeniably addressing the Holy Spirit as He. J.I. Packer clearly revealed the importance of this passage: More precisely, he is another Paraclete (John 14.16), second in line to the Lord Jesus, continuing Jesus own ministry-and only a person, one like Jesus, could do that. John underlines the point by repeatedly using a masculine pronoun (ekeinos, he ) to render Jesus references to the Spirit, when Greek grammar called for a neuter one (ekeino, it ) to agree with the neuter noun Spirit (pneuma): John wants his readers to be in no doubt that the Spirit is he not it. 2 1 J.I. Packer, Keep In Step With The Spirit (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company., 1984) 9. 2 Ibid., 61.
(See: John 15.26; 16.13-14, 1 Corinthians 12.11, Ephesians 1.13,14)! His Personality = Personality involves having intelligence, will, and emotions. o The possession of intelligence is seen in 1 Corinthians 2.11,13 o The will of the Holy Spirit is observed in 1 Corinthians 12.11. o We clearly see the emotive nature of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 4.30. The word grieve is lupeiste, which has the idea of pain, sadness, grief, sorrow, distress, being wounded, and being insulted. Paul was saying do not cause him pain. This proves beyond any doubt the personality of the Holy Spirit. It is not possible to grieve a mere influence, or a desire, or an it. An it cannot be grieved. 3! His Power These actions reveal personality and not some type of divine influence or power. The Scripture depicts the Holy Spirit in various passages doing things that only can be ascribed to a person. He: Convicts (John 16.8-11), Illuminates (John 16.12-15), Teaches (John 14.26), Guides (Romans 8.14), Assures (Romans 8.16), Intercedes/prays (Romans 8.26), Directs (Acts 20.22), Warns (Acts 20.23), Searches (1 Corinthians 2.10),
Reminds (John 14.26), talks (Acts 13.2), Comforts (John 14.26), And convinces (John 16.8). These are certainly actions that imply the presence of a personality behind them. These are not appropriate descriptions of the influence of just a mere force or power. These passages reveal to us that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Identity of the Holy Spirit Name Association Verses: 1. Matthew 28.19, 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. 2. 2 Corinthians 13.14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 3. Acts 5.3,4, to lie to the Holy Spirit, in vs. 3 as compared to vs. 4, You have not lied to men but to God. 4. 1 Corinthians 12.4-6, as it reveals the relationships, but the same Spirit, and the same Lord, and the same God. Deity Association Verses: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit share the same finger print attributes. The Holy Spirit possesses attributes that necessitate the doctrine of His deity. The only physical attribute that we know about Him is that He is Spirit. In John 4.24, it is said of God that, God is Spirit. There are many other common attributes that God and the Holy Spirit share. Scripture assigns to the Spirit divine attributes: 1. Omniscience (1 Corinthians 2.10-13), 2. Omnipotence (Job 33.4, Genesis 1.2, Psalms 104.30), 3. Omnipresence (Psalms 139.7), 4. Eternal existence (Hebrews 9.14). 3 Landrum P. Leavell II, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Nashville, Tennessee: Convention Press., 1983) 90.