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Q2. The Spirit as a Person


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  • 4 weeks later...

(John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”? 

 

John sees the Holy Spirit as a Person, sent by the Father to replace Jesus' physical presence to be the Paraclete with his disciples.The Holy Spirit is a distinct person in his own right and performs functions we attribute to person-hood:

- The Holy Spirit appoints missionaries

- He leads and directs them in their ministry

- He speaks through the prophets  

- He corrects

- Helps us in our infirmities

- Teaches

- Guides

- Sanctifies

- Testifies of Christ

- Glorifies Christ

- Has a power of his own

- Searches all things

- Works according to his own will

- Dwells with saints

- Can be grieved

- Can be resisted
- Can be tempted
 
It is easy to refer to the Holy Spirit as "it" because we cannot see Him. However, this is because the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and does not seek to impose His will on us. Nevertheless, He is very much a part of our lives and we can certainly trust Him to lead us, guide us and show us great and mighty things.
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Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person?

 

Scripture tells us that He is a Person. He is referred to by Jesus as "He". He performs the functions of a Person. He is sent by the Father in the place of Jesus after Jesus ascended to Heaven. Jesus said in John 15:26 regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit, "He Himself will testify regarding Me."

 

I love seeing Him in the story of Abraham, as the servant not named who is sent to seek a bride for Abraham's son Isaac. A beautiful "type and shadow" of the Father sending the Holy Sprit (Who is always magnifying Jesus and not drawing attention to Himself) to seek a bride for His Son.

 

What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do?

 

He was moving and "brooding" (as a hen broods her chicks bringing  life) over the face of the waters, in Genesis 1:2

in John 15:26,27:

He is a Messenger...what He hears from the Father, through the prophets, speaking the Word of God, and through His people today. He speaks of the future.

He introduces open hearts to Jesus.

He leads.

He prompts.

He Comforts, tenderly as a Mother tenderly comforts her child.

He Counsels ...with God's wisdom.

He Helps...Divine assistance.

He Advocates..interprets our imperfect prayers and carries them to the Father

He Intercedes...prays for us.

He Strengthens...empowers us in our weakness

He Stands by....ever present... all knowing....never changing....all powerful

He is Truth...cannot lie

He Proceeds from the Father....represents the Father and Son on earth.

He Testifies....makes Jesus known...makes God's will known.

He has a Voice.

He Hears.

He is Holy.

He Grieves.

He Rejoices!

He is alive and active, dwelling in believers.

He is Teacher...instructing and correcting.

He Reminds us...of what we need to know

He LOVES.

He is Co-equal with the Father and the Son, each having a different function.

 

Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”?

 

I think it's because He's referred to as "The Holy Spirit" or in older versions "The Holy Ghost".... The Father, Jehovah and the Son, Jesus, have  names designating Personhood.  The Holy Spirit doesn't have a "name" as do the the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity.  

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(John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”?          

  • The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power because the Holy Sprit form functions that are attributed to personhood.   
  • The Holy Spirit appoints missionaries...he leads and directs them in their ministry; he speaks through the prophets; he corrects, comforts, helps us in our infirmities, teaches, guides, sanctifies, testifies of Christ, glorifies Christ, has a power of his own, searches all things, works according to his own will, dwells with saints, can be grieved, can be resisted  and can be tempted.
  • We cannot see the Holy Spirit, so it is easy to refer to the Spirit as an it. 
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Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”?

 

The Holy Spirit in the scriptures is attributed to having a personal presence and qualities. For example, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit a friend to help and teach believers and remind them of what Jesus has taught them (John 14:26, 15:26). In addition the Holy Spirit will guide and tell his believers what is going to happen (John 16:13). Perhaps it is easier to refer to the Holy Spirit as "it" rather than “Him" because if the Holy Spirit is not a properly defined entity then we, or the world does not have to be accountable to Him.

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Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?

The Holy Spirit is spoken of as a distinct person who comes from the Father and is Holy.

He is the Counselor for us and the Advocate for  Christ.  He has been appointed by the Father for this.

What the "know it all" world doesn't see, it doesn't recognize as anything to be reckoned with.  So the world diminishes anything that is not of the world.  What we don't understand we give the title "it".  If we understand we will refer to in a proper title, in this case He.

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

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1. The Word tells us he will send back a Comforter to help us remember what he has taught. The Holy Spirit is a person sent back to us from God.

2. The Holy Spirit offers hope. It gives us strength to endure the unreasonable hatred and evil in the world and the hate many have against Christ.

3.I think when we talk about the Holy Spirit  we make a mistake in calling it it. I just did in the last question.  When we speak of the Holy Spirit lets say Holy Spirit because it was sent from our Holy Father.

 

I don't know how I posted two post but did God Bless All

Edited by quilter
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Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) 

Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? 

What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? 

Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?

Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person. We also note that He possesses intellect, emotion, and will, which are characteristics of a person. His intellect: “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). His emotion: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). His will: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11). Among the personal functions that He performs are: communicates joy (Rom 14:17; Gal 5:22; 1Th 1:6); edifies the Church (Act 9:31); testifies about Christ (John 15:26); imparts the love of God (Rom 5:3-5); imparts hope (Rom 15:13; Gal 5:5); teaches (John 14:26); dwells with, and in believers (John 14:17); abides for ever with believers (John 14:16);  is known by believers (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit came in Christ's name in the sense that He came to represent our Lord Jesus here on earth, and the fact that He did not come to glorify Himself, but to draw men and women to the Saviour may be a reason that He is sometimes referred to as “it”. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”?

We believe the Holy Spirit is a person rather than an impersonal force or power, first, Jesus called him a person by stating he would send from the Father, a counselor, who would testify of and about Jesus, he would be a helper. Then he who has been sent from the Father, takes a personal interest in us and applies his help accordingly. An impersonal force or power has no interest in us personally or our needs, it would be a power we could use at our own discretion.

The kinds of functions we attribute to people the Holy Spirit indwells would be abnormal for these people to do on their own. It would be obvious that the Holy Spirit was present because of the needs that are displayed when he needed to witness and glorify Jesus.

We refer to the Holy Spirit as an "it" rather than "He or His" because he is a presence we can not visually see or touch and because of this we normally call things an it, for we can not understand a spiritual sense of being.          

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The Scriptures are very clear that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force.  The type of functions which are normally seen as done by a person, such as encouragement to a holier life, leadership, teaching and counsel are things done by the Holy Spirit.  It is so easy to depersonalise the Holy Spirit because we can visualise Jesus easily as he was once a man, and the Father, because we all know what a father is like.  It is harder to personalise the Holy Spirit because there is nothing from this world that we can hold onto.  Spirits are from the spiritual world, not our earthly one.


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Lesson 27 Question 2

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person because in John 14: 26 Jesus says that he will send a counselor who teaches and reminds. He is referred to as HE - not IT, when performing these functions. Likewise, in 15: 26 and 16: 13 HE is used when the Spirit's active attributes of testifying and teaching are mentioned.

The Holy Spirit's personal functions listed in the lesson are as: appointing leaders and missionaries, speaking through prophets, correcting, guiding, searching all things, and working his will.

We do sometimes refer to the Holy Spirit as IT rather than He when we are talking about the particular characteristic he has , namely, of the wind.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?
 

 

Because He does things that humans also fo eg teach, comfort, guide etc and also can be grieved, be present amongst us and  many more.

 

It can be easy to refer Him as  "ït" because he is not thought to be a person

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  • 2 weeks later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?

 

This lesson is not just about technicalities. One of the great promises and blessings God gives us is the seal and indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14 1Corinthians 3:16). This promise is so much more encouraging when we understand that the Spirit who is with us is not an impersonal force but one of the three who are God is with us personally.

The Holy Spirit Thinks

The Holy Spirit Wills

The Holy Spirit Feels Emotion

The Holy Spirit Knows

The Holy Spirit Speaks

 The Holy Spirit Hears

The Holy Spirit Intercedes

Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what he had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the Holy Spirit helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Jesus taught and did (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-14). The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. As we study the Bible, we can trust him to plant truth in our mind, convince us of God’s will, and remind us when we stray from it.

 

Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit—”Counselor” and “Spirit of truth.” The word Counselor conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit. Spirit of truth points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important.

 

The truth into which the Holy Spirit guides us is the truth about Christ. The Spirit also helps us through patient practice to discern right from wrong.

 

“God is Spirit” means he is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere, and he can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have the Holy Spirit’s help? How does the Holy Spirit help us worship? The Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:26), teaches us the words of Christ (14:26), and tells us we are loved (Romans 5:5).

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Jesus and the record of Scripture identify the Holy Spirit as a “he”, not an “it”.  The Spirit has qualities and emotions of personhood.  He has a mind, will, and feelings – which are characteristics of a person.  The Spirit conducts activities and does work in personhood.  He oversees and directs ministry, appoints and equips and teaches workers, comforts and encourages and convicts and corrects, testifies of Christ and glorifies Him.  He is busy and active with intent and purpose. Only personhood is capable of these things.

 

I think it’s easy to consider the Spirit to be an “it” because He is such an intangible to us.  God’s Word doesn’t describe Him with human physical attributes like it does for the Father and the Son.  He is described like a wind, and has appeared like a cloud of glory, a dove, and a fire.  We experience evidence of the Spirit's ministry to us and work in/through us, but we can’t see and touch that work like we can see and touch creation and miracles (works of the Father and Son).  We sense and feel it more with our hearts and minds. 

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Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?

As God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth, it is difficult for me to use the word person, like a physical real world person. The Holy Spirit lives in me and advises me, he is invisible, but he provides the attributes of the "Fruit of the Spirit" and this defines his personality and how he will witness to me and my conscience depending upon what I choose to do in a given moment.

 

For me it is easy to refer to the Holy Spirit as a he. I don't use the term it. Just as we can't see Jesus or Father God, we know that they are there and their names suggest them being masculine.

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  • 3 months later...

Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person?  The Holy Spirit has characteristics that we attribute to a person, certainly not to some sort of nondescript entity.  There is also biblical confirmation that clearly leads one to the conclusion that, as one of the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), He is indeed a distinct being.  Jesus is all the proof that I need… in His own words: “When the Advocate (Paraclete) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. (John 15:26)  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  (John 16:13)

 

What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do?  He appoints missionaries and leads and directs them in their ministry, he corrects and comforts us, teaches, guides and sanctifies and much, much more.

 

Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?  Jesus said, The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.(John 14:17)  The characteristics that define us as a person also apply to the Holy Spirit.  Even though He a spiritual being, He is a distinct entity, fully aware of His own being and fully aware of others and he obviously has a will of his own which indicates the ability to think and reason.  These are all attributes and characteristics that are generally linked to a person but… since the Holy Spirit can’t be seen so it’s easier for most people to relate him to some kind of mysterious spiritual power rather than a living being.

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  • 3 years later...

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person because then we can relate to him. The function that we attribute to persons that the Holy Spirit does is to remind us of our teaching of the Bible. He keeps us on the straight and narrow. We refer to the Spirit as “It” rather than “Him” because we can’t see Him.

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  • 7 months later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as “it” rather than “Him”? We believe He is a Person because we can relate to Him and because He is part of the Trinity. He appoints, comforts, directs, corrects. I believe it is because we can not see Him. 

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  • 1 year later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a)

a)   Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person because He performs functions that we attribute to a person. Also, the personal nature of the Spirit is confirmed in the foundational creeds of the Church such as the Nicene Creed.

b)    What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, he sanctifies and guides us and can also be grieved and tempted.

c)    Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"? This is because some words taken from the Greek language for example, do not have a matching direct English translation and so it becomes easy to refer to “Spirit” as it.
 

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  • 1 year later...

Jehovah Witness followers believe that the "holy spirit" is an impersonal force; they don't believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity.   We are not Arian in our beliefs like the JW's.  Christ refers to the Holy Spirit as HE (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7, 8,13-15).  Gnosticism also would not acknowledge the third person of the Holy Spirit as "HE".    Gnostics were noted for believing in numerous intermediaries and emanating between earth and heaven.

The Holy Spirit will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.  This is the threefold work of the Holy Spirit in the world.  The Holy Spirit's mission is very profound---convincing and refuting all men concerning unbelief in the one and final sacrifice for sins, man's righteousness is useless and those that refuse to believe will be damaged forever.

The cultural background that we live in is hugely responsible for using the word "it" to refer to the Holy Spirit.  That is the problem with false theologies.   Gender neutral words are used in modern Bible translations.  Even in various churches, an masculine word used to refer to God is considered wrong.   Gnostic teachers used feminine terms when describing God.   They didn't fully confess that Christ was truly God and truly man and the Holy Spirit was a "emanation", "a force" or "energy".

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  • 8 months later...

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a)

Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person?

What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do?

Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"?

God is God and is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and has attributes as a person has and as the Holy Spirit is God , so does He.

It is not easy to refer to the Holy Spirit as "it".

There are many functions attributed to persons that are attributed to the Holy Spirit.

John 14 v 16 & 17 (AMP) mentions a few:

The Holy Spirit is referred to a Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby, The Spirit of Truth, Teacher

 

 

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