Holy Spirit

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The Descent of the Holy Spirit in a 15th century illuminated manuscript. Musée Condé, Chantilly. The Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove in the topmost area of painting.

In Christianity, the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. The term Christ (literally, Anointed), is also used to refer to this presence. That is, the Spirit is considered to act in concert with and share an essential nature with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ). The Christian theology of the Holy Spirit, or pneumatology, was the last piece of Trinitarian theology to be fully explored and developed. For this reason, there is greater theological diversity among Christian understandings of the Spirit than there is among understandings of the Son (Christology) and of the Father. Within Trinitarian theology, the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the "Third Person" of the Triune God - with the Father being the First Person and the Son the Second Person. There are also distinct understandings of the Holy Spirit by non-Trinitarian groups and some non-Christian groups that also use the term. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "I am going to sit at the right hand of my father and when I do I will send a helper to you." Most Christians believe that the "helper" Jesus was referring to was the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove in Marian art in combination with The Father, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and angels, as in this scene by Rubens, 17th century.

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The first mention of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology is in the words of Jesus, speaking to his disciples (John 14:15-18) shortly before his death. He characterizes the Holy Spirit to them as the 'Spirit of Truth'. Chronologically, the Holy Spirit first appears in Luke 1:35 when the angel Gabriel told Mary after being asked how she could conceive a child without having sex, that the Holy Spirit 'will come upon you,' and then at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, when he is baptized in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:31-33). In the latter account, the Holy Spirit is described as descending upon Jesus 'like' or 'as' a dove.

In John's Gospel, emphasis is placed not upon what the Holy Spirit did for Jesus, but upon Jesus giving the Spirit to his disciples. This "Higher" Christology sees Jesus as a sacrificial lamb, and as coming among mankind in order to grant the Spirit of God to humanity.

Although the language used to describe Jesus' receiving the Spirit in John's Gospel is parallel to the accounts in the other three Gospels, John relates this with the aim of showing that Jesus is specially in possession of the Spirit for the purpose of granting the Spirit to his followers, uniting them with himself, and uniting them with the Father. (See Raymond Brown, "The Gospel According to John", chapter on Pneumatology). In the Gospel of John, the gift of the Spirit is equivalent to eternal life, knowledge of God, power to obey, and communion with one another and with the Father.

[edit] Mainstream Christianity

Christians believe that the Holy Spirit leads people to faith in Jesus and gives them the ability to lead a Christian life. The Holy Spirit dwells inside every Christian, each one's body being his temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is depicted as a 'Counsellor' or 'Helper' (paracletus in Latin, derived from Greek), guiding people in the way of the truth. The Holy Spirit's action in one's life is believed to produce positive results, known as the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. A list of "spiritual gifts" that the Spirit is said to bestow include charismatic gifts of prophecy, tongues, healing, and knowledge. Christians holding a view known as cessationism believe these gifts were given only in New Testament times. Christians almost universally[citation needed] agree that certain spiritual gifts are still in effect today, including the gifts of ministry, teaching, giving, leadership, and mercy (for example, see Romans 12:6-8). Experiencing the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as being anointed.

Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the promised "Advocate" (i.e. "strengthener", "fortifier") in John 14:26. After his resurrection, Christ told his disciples that they would be "baptized with the Holy Spirit", and would receive power from this event (Acts 1:4-8), purportedly fulfilled in the events recounted in the second chapter of Acts of the Apostles. According to the biblical account, on the first Pentecost, Jesus' disciples were gathered in Jerusalem when a mighty wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. A multilingual crowd heard the disciples speaking, and each of them heard them speaking in his or her native language.

The Holy Spirit's existence is affirmed in the Apostles Creed and responsibility for the Virgin Birth of Jesus is asserted. In the Nicene Creed (an extensive elaboration of the Apostles Creed), the Holy Spirit is further affirmed to proceed from either one or both of the other members of the Trinity (God the Father and God the Son) (see filioque controversy). This is taken to further imply that the Holy Spirit is consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is also asserted to be the "Lord and Giver of Life".

The Gospel of Matthew 12:31-32, states that the one sin that God will not forgive, and will result in eternal condemnation is blasphemy against the holy spirit: "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."

[edit] Particular Christian views

[edit] Roman Catholicism

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, in the first paragraph dealing with the Apostles Creed's article, I believe in the Holy Spirit: "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who 'has spoken through the prophets' makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who 'unveils' Christ to us 'will not speak on his own.'" According to the Catechism, "the world cannot receive [the Spirit], because it neither sees him nor knows him", while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them."

Painting depicting the Marriage of the Virgin; the Holy Spirit descends of the on the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, by Ludovico Carracci, 1587.

As regards the Holy Spirit's relationship with the Church, the Catechism states: "The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit...Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity...Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body."

The Catechism also speaks of various symbols used in the Bible for the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit is depicted in a variety of settings in Roman Catholic Marian art, as in this scene by Filippo Lippi, 1459.
  • Anointing - The symbolism of anointing with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. (Cf. 1 John 2:20,27; 2 Corinthians 1:21) In Christian initiation, anointing is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, called "chrismation" in the Eastern Churches. Its full force can be grasped only in relation to the primary anointing accomplished by the Holy Spirit, that of Jesus. Christ (in Hebrew, messiah) means the one "anointed" by God's Spirit.
  • Fire - symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. In the form of tongues "as of fire", the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself.
  • Cloud and light - The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'" (Luke 9:34-35)
  • The seal is a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal" on Christ and also seals us in him. (John 6:27; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:3) Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (sphragis) has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible "character" imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments.
  • The hand. It is by the Apostles' imposition of hands that the Holy Spirit is given. The Epistle to the Hebrews lists the imposition of hands among the "fundamental elements" of its teaching. The Church has kept this sign of the all-powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its sacramental epicleses.
  • The finger of God. "It is by the finger of God that [Jesus] cast out demons." If God's law was written on tablets of stone "by the finger of God", then the "letter from Christ" entrusted to the care of the apostles, is written "with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts." (Exodus 31:18; 2 Corinthians 3:3)
  • The dove. When Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him. (Matthew 3:16)

[edit] Orthodoxy

Eastern Orthodoxy proclaims that the Father is the eternal source of the Godhead, from whom the Son is begotten eternally, and also from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally. Note that unlike the Roman Catholic Church and western Christianity in general, the Orthodox Church does not espouse the use of the Filioque ("and the Son") in describing the procession of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is believed to eternally proceed from the Father, not from the Father and the Son. Orthodox doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is summarized in the Symbol of Faith (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed). Oriental Orthodox usage coincide with Eastern Orthodox usage and teachings on the matter.

[edit] Pentecostalism

See also: Pentecostalism
The Holy Spirit descending at Pentecost by Anthony van Dyck, circa 1618.

The Christian movement called Pentecostalism derives its name from the event of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit when Jesus' disciples were gathered in Jerusalem (see Acts 2). Pentecostals believe that when a believer is "baptized in the Holy Spirit", the gifts of the Spirit (also called the charismata) are activated in the recipient to edify the Body of Christ, the Church. Some of these gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

The Pentecostal movement places special emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit, and especially on the gifts mentioned above, believing that they are still given today. Much of Pentecostalism differentiates the 'Baptism with the Holy Spirit' from the salvific born again experience, considering it a usually distinct experience in which the Spirit's power is received by the Christian in a new way, with the belief that the Christian can be more readily used to perform signs, miracles, and wonders for the sake of evangelism or for ministry within the church. There are also many Pentecostals who believe that Spirit baptism is a necessary element in salvation, not a "second blessing". These Pentecostals believe that in the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the power of the Spirit is released in their lives.

Many Pentecostals believe that the normative initial evidence of this infilling (baptism) of the Holy Spirit is the ability to speak in other tongues (glossolalia), and that tongues are one of several spiritual manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit in an individual believer's life.

[edit] Dispensationalism

According to dispensationalism, we are now living in the Age of the Spirit, or Church Age. The Old Testament period, under this view, may be called the Age of the Father, or of the (Mosaic) law; the period covered by the Gospels, the Age of the Son; from Pentecost until the second advent of Christ, the Age of the Spirit (see also Joachim of Fiore).

The Mosaic Law was still in effect up to the time when Jesus Christ (the second person of the Trinity) died on a Roman cross, was buried and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). The church age was fully established at Pentecost where the disciples were given the Holy Spirit, and sent out by him to plant his church in the world.


The church age is said to close with the second coming of Christ.

[edit] The Churches of God movement

In Scripture, the Hebrew word most frequently used for "spirit" is ruach (רוח) meaning "breath, wind, spirit". In the Greek Scriptures, the word is pneuma, having a similar meaning.

The The Anderson Churches of God[1] believe that the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons within the Holy Trinity. As the promised comforter (John 16:7),[2] the Holy Spirit comes into the life not only as a gift but an experience. Through the infilling and work of the Holy Spirit a Christian grows in their relationship with God and there is an instilling of wisdom, understanding, and an increasing of faith and strength. The Holy Spirit is offered generously through God's love, but given only to those that seek him.

[edit] Third Wave

The expression Third Wave was coined by Christian theologian Charles Peter Wagner around 1980 to describe what followers believe to be the recent historical work of the Holy Spirit. It is part of the larger Neocharismatic movement. The Third Wave involves those Christians who have allegedly received Pentecostal-like experiences. Most third wave people, like the vineyard churches do see themselves as a part of the world wide pentecostal movement, with the chatolich charismatic as the second and the pentecostal movement as the first wave. Today the first and the third stream of pentecostal movements are increasingly mixed into each other.

[edit] Branch Davidian, Some Messianics, and others

There are numerous Christian groups who base their understanding of the Holy Spirit on the fact that the Hebrew word for Spirit, ruach, is feminine. They give no weight to the facts that the Greek word for Spirit (pneuma) is neuter, and the Latin term is masculine, because the Logos ("oracles" - words) of God are said to be given unto the Jews (Rom. 3:1, 2).

Foremost among these groups, and the most vocal on the subject are the Branch Davidian. In 1977, one of their leaders, Lois Roden, began to formally teach that the feminine Holy Spirit is the heavenly pattern of women. In her many studies and talks she cited numerous scholars and researchers from Jewish, Christian, and other sources.

They see in the creation of Adam and Eve a literal image and likeness of the invisible Godhead, Male and Female, who is "clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1:20). They take the oneness of God to mean the "familial" unity which exists between them, which unity is not seen in any other depiction of the Godhead by the various non-Hebrew peoples.

Thus, having a father and mother in heaven, they see that the Bible shows that those parents had a son born unto them before the creation of the world, by whom all things were created. The final element in their belief that mankind is literally made in the image and likeness of Gods is that of a divine daughter, a feminine counterpart of the son. They say that the concept has it roots in the Bible and the Jewish concept of the Matronit. They believe that the King James translators understood the concept of Christ having his own spirit (feminine counterpart), by using the terms "Holy Spirit" (Mother - Spirit of God), and "Holy Ghost" (Daughter - Spirit of Christ).[3][4][5][6]

There are some other independent Messianic groups with similar teachings.[7]

Some scholars associated with more "mainstream" denominations, while not necessarily indicative of the denominations themselves, have written works explaining a feminine understanding of the third member of the Godhead.[8][9] For example, R.P. Nettlehorst, professor at the Quartz Hill School of Theology (associated with the Southern Baptist Convention) has written on the subject.[10] Evan Randolph, associated with the Episcopal Church, has likewise written on the subject.[11]

[edit] "Holy Spirit" or "Holy Ghost"

The Holy Spirit as a dove in the Annunciation by Rubens, 1628

Holy Ghost was the common name for the Holy Spirit in English prior to the 20th century. It is the name used in the Book of Common Prayer, the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible and the King James Version (KJV), and is still widely used in England and Scotland, and by other English speakers whose religious vocabulary is largely derived from the KJV. The term is still retained in the traditional-language rites of the Anglican Church. The original meaning of the English word ghost closely paralleled the words spirit or soul; only later did the former word come to acquire the specific sense of "disembodied spirit of the dead" and the associated pejorative connotations.[12]

In 1901 the American Standard Version of the Bible translated the name as Holy Spirit, as had the English Revised Version of 1881-1885 upon which it was based. Almost all modern English translations have followed suit. Some languages still use a word that overlaps both English words, such as the German Geist.

[edit] Gifts and fruit

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[edit] Fruit of the Spirit

Main article: Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Christians believe the "Fruit of the Spirit" consists of virtues engendered in an individual by the acceptance of the Spirit and his actions in one's life. They can be found in the New Testament (Galatians 5:22-23): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love (Gk: agape), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control". The Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 1832), lists 12 segments making up the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, [and] chastity." Many Christians believe that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is enhanced over time by exposure to the written word of God and by the experience of leading a Christian life. They further believe that the Fruit of the Holy Spirit consists of products of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: "wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord."

[edit] Gifts and filling of the Spirit

Main article: Spiritual gift
The Holy Spirit, The Virgin Mary and Archangel Gabriel in an Annunciation scene by Philippe de Champaigne 1644.

Some Christians believe that when they align themselves with God through Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit dwells inside of them. Some consider conversion to be the point of filling; others hold to a "later filling", "second work of grace", or "baptism of the Spirit" when a believer begins manifesting various gifts and abilities. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer for ministry in the church and world and allows him or her to commune with the Creator.

The Sevenfold or Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out on a believer at baptism (accordant to Saint Ambrose) are the: 1. Spirit of Wisdom; 2. Spirit of Understanding; 3. Spirit of Counsel; 4. Spirit of Strength; 5. Spirit of Knowledge; 6. Spirit of Godliness; 7. Spirit of Holy Fear; (from De Sacramentis 3.8). Ambrose believed that all of these were poured out on the believer at baptism.

Another understanding of Gifts of the Spirit holds that different gifts are given to different people, perhaps even at different times, according to the needs of the church, to carry out God's work on earth. Saint Paul believed that all Christians should work together, each with different functions like the parts of a human body, as discussed at 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

From this perspective, the Holy Spirit can manifest gifts of many kinds, that may enable a person to:

  • Be called as an 'apostle' (sent one, missionary), a pastor, or a holy person;
  • Consistently open one's home in hospitality;
  • Discern needs for, and extend, mercy
  • Discern spiritual, physical and mental conditions;
  • Evangelize (spread the Good News);
  • Exorcise evil spirits from the possessed;
  • Feel the presence of God, powerful sensations through the body, or an overwhelming sense of joy;
  • Have a strong, personal connection to God;
  • Have visions;
  • Hear God speak;
  • Love and forgive supernaturally;
  • Perform miracles
  • Possess special wisdom, revealed knowledge or supernatural faith;
  • Prophesy;
  • Raise the dead;
  • See angels and demons.
  • Speak in or interpret different languages, including glossolalia (speaking in tongues) or religious xenoglossia (speaking in an unlearned language);
  • Understand the Word of God and teach from it;
  • Use one's life to help others;

There are four listings of gifts of the Spirit in the Bible. Isaiah 11:2-3, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 4:11-12, and Romans 12:6-8. In each of these references it is made clear that these gifts are for the building up of the Body of Christ, or the Church. Paul taught that spiritual power manifests its presence, role and importance in the church. These are to be distinguished from talents that all people enjoy because they are created in the image of God. Spiritual gifts provide the power and abilities needed to do the work of Christ in the world.

Some Christians, especially of Eastern Orthodoxy, believe that early fathers were especially guided by the Holy Spirit, making their writings almost as canonical as the Testaments.

Numerous other supernatural occurrences have been linked to the Holy Spirit, and it is believed by many Christians that the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested more in some than it is in others depending on the individual's openness to God using them and the Spirit's sovereign will.

[edit] Life in the Spirit'

Evangelical Christians generally hold that Life in the Spirit is often spoken of in the Bible, based on comments from various theological scholars, including Dr. Gilbert Stafford, who states in his book, Theology for Disciples, "The church was empowered both to increase numerically and to live a quality of life." In view of this, they maintain that the work of the Holy Spirit should be evident in the lives of all Christians. This can be seen as three separate movements, the conviction of sin, the holiness of character, and for power in service.

[edit] Functions of the Holy Spirit

[edit] The Conviction of Sin

This is an on going ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. It was first spoken of by Jesus as recorded in John 16:8.[13] His purpose is to turn people towards God. The Holy Spirit convicts non-Christians of their sin (of rejecting Jesus as the Christ) so that they might believe in Jesus Christ and be saved (verse 9). The Holy Spirit then convicts (or reminds) Christians of their righteousness or "right standing" before God through the blood of Jesus Christ (verse 10). The presence of the Holy Spirit will bring to light any sin in a Christan so that the person can repent and live a life pleasing to God, but he will not accuse a person of past sins or stir up guilt.[14] Guilt and condemnation within a Christian are from the devil.[15]

Holiness, and the Holiness movement, at times has been looked upon as legalism, and sometimes went that path. Yet the call to holiness of character should not be perverted by history. One who follows Jesus and is indwelled by the Spirit and submitting to that Spirit will live a life that has the fruit of the Spirit coming out of it, but this is not only for the recipients' benefit, but to serve God and others. The purpose of service within the Kingdom of God is to glorify God, and to extend the purposes and ministry of the kingdom, as stated in Acts 1:8.[16]

[edit] Depiction in art

Baptism of Christ by Pietro Perugino, circa 1498

The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove, based on the account of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove when he was baptized in the Jordan. In many paintings of the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit is shown in the form of a dove, coming down towards Mary on beams of light, representing the Seven Gifts, as the Archangel Gabriel's announces Christ's coming to Mary. A dove may also be seen at the ear of Saint Gregory the Great - as recorded by his secretary - or other Church Father authors, dictating their works to them.

The dove also parallels the one that brought the olive branch to Noah after the deluge (also a symbol of peace), and Rabbinic traditions that doves above the water signify the presence of God.

The book of Acts describes the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles at Pentecost in the form of a wind and tongues of fire resting over the apostles' heads. Based on the imagery in that account, the Holy Spirit is sometimes symbolized by a flame of fire.

[edit] Non-Trinitarian Christian views

In the belief of many nontrinitarian religions — Christadelphians, Unitarians and Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance — the Holy Spirit is God's spirit or God's active force, and not an actual person. These beliefs may be drawn from passages such Luke 1:35: "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'" Here the phrase Holy Spirit is taken by non-trinitarians to be Synonymous parallelism with the power of the Most High. Thus their claim that Holy Spirit is considered to be God's power, not a person. However, Trinitarians take this very phrase to indicate a distinct entity, separate from God the Father, being that this usage is no different from a phrase such as "The Ambassador will present himself to the President, and represent to her the Graces of the Emperor " does not mean that the Ambassador is not a distinct entity from that of the Emperor (which is the view of the non trinitarians).

Some Christadelphians believe that one way God uses his Holy Spirit is in the form of his angels.[17] They also believe that sometimes the phrase Holy Spirit refers to God's character/mind, depending on the context that the phrase is in.[17], but reject the orthodox Christian view that we need strength, guidance and power from the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life, believing instead that the spirit a believer needs within themselves is the mind/character of God, which is developed in a believer by their reading of the Bible and trying to live by what it says during the events of their lives which God uses to help shape their character. It has therefore some similarities with Pelagianism with the belief that our free will combined with Biblical knowledge alone can create the mind/ character of God in us through the events of life.

[edit] Latter-day Saint views

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the name "Holy Spirit" has many references, depending on its usage and the context in which it appears. The term "Holy Spirit" can denote the Holy Ghost; Spirit; the Spirit of God; Spirit of the Lord; Spirit of Christ (or Light of Christ) or even Spirit of Truth. Latter-day Saints teach that these terms are distinct from one another, showing the many aspects and/or functions of God. For example, the Spirit of God has been used as a synonym for the "Holy Ghost", which is a usage that denotes the nature of the Holy Ghost, a distinct personage of the Spirit and an actual distinct and separate person of the Godhead. Spirit of God has also been used to denote a force or power which is impersonal and fills the immensity of space. This latter use is not the Holy Ghost, but denotes a "non-personage", as the Power of God or the Light of God that emanates everywhere.

Examples of these distinctions are shown within the Bible (King James Version) verses as:

There are many other such references within the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Holy Ghost is considered a third and individual member of the Godhead; by virtue of their holy nature and the everlasting covenant existent between them, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit operate as 'One God' (united in the attributes of perfection and pursuit of a common, divine goal). The Holy Spirit exists as a distinct and separate being from the Father and the Son, having a body of spirit with no flesh and bones, whereas the Father and the Son are said to be resurrected individuals having glorified immortalized bodies of flesh and bone. Though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is technically "Non-Trinitarian", their belief in the Godhead is often misinterpreted as an endorsement of Trinitarianism.

One may feel the influence of the Holy Ghost before baptism, but may not have the Gift of The Holy Ghost.

[edit] Jehovah's Witness views

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that personification of the Holy Spirit in the Bible does not necessitate that it is a person. They refer to scriptures where the Holy Spirit is referred to impersonally to assert that references of this manner would not occur in such frequency if this was a divine member of God, just as it does not occur with the Father or the Son. They also make reference to the Jesus' baptism at Matthew 3:16, at which time Jesus received God's spirit, which they believe conflicts with the idea that the Son was always one with the Holy Spirit. They also cite as conspicuous, scriptures that mention the Father and the Son, but that do not mention the Holy Sprit, such as Mark 13:32 and Acts 7:55, 56.

In regard to scriptures that mention the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together (as in 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Matthew 28:19), they assert that none of these verses offer any evidence of the equality of nature or authority among them, just as the numerous simultaneous references to "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" or "Peter, James and John" do not imply equality. Alvan Lamson says in The Church of the First Three Centuries: "The modern popular doctrine of the Trinity . . . derives no support from the language of Justin Martyr: and this observation may be extended to all the ante-Nicene Fathers; that is, to all Christian writers for three centuries after the birth of Christ. It is true, they speak of the Father, Son, and . . . Holy Spirit, but not as co-equal, not as one numerical essence, not as Three in One, in any sense now admitted by Trinitarians. The very reverse is the fact." In fairness however, it should be noted that while not explicitly expressing the Trinity in words these very Apocrypha writings from Justin Martyr and many others of ante-Nicene Fathers from A.D. 70 on, do refer to the duality of Jesus and the Father, Jesus being worshiped and referred to as their God.[18]

[edit] Oneness Pentecostalism

Oneness Pentecostals believe that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God himself both in action and in person. They believe the Holy Ghost is not a distinct individual in personage, or in personality apart from or together with God. They believe the Holy Spirit simply is God. They also believe that the Holy Spirit is the life giving power of the body of the man Jesus Christ both before death and after his resurrection, and that in heaven Jesus will be the visible appearance of God on the throne, of whom the church will be his bride. They believe the Spirit of Jesus is the same Spirit that moved over the face of the waters in Genesis 1, spoke to Moses from the burning bush,is the Comforter of John 14, and filled believers in the book of Acts. They believe his human flesh was created by himself and that he chose to dwell with man in this way. They believe that Jesus' body had a spirit until death, just as any live body has a spirit until separated by death, but believe the spirit of Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit of God and therefore was able to return to and raise his human body from the grave. They believe the Holy Spirit had been manifested many times throughout biblical history as the burning bush, a pillar of fire, a finger writing on a wall, or even as angelic forms that spoke to Abraham, Gideon, and even wrestled with Jacob, but the greatest of all manifestations of the Holy Spirit was in the infant human form that was born of the virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem. The Bible says he was conceived by the Holy Sprit, and that he would be called Emanuel, meaning God with us. This was the only form that God ever took that was born flesh and blood, and that could legally take away the sins of the whole world in which he loves so dearly. In this manifestation he would have to be tempted in all ways such as us, yet without sin. He was unlimited as God, but chose limit himself to the form and weaknesses of a natural, finite man. He would have to mind and obey his parents, pray to and obey his heavenly Father, live through life's tempations, yet remaining perfect, with out sin. This was only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside his earthly body.

[edit] Unity Church views

The Unity Church's co-founder Charles Fillmore considered the Holy Spirit a distinctly feminine aspect of God.

To the Christian metaphysician the Holy Spirit is just what the name implies, the whole Spirit of God in action. In the Hebrew Jehovah is written Yahweh, Yah being masculine and weh feminine.

In the New Testament Christ stands for Jehovah. Jesus talked a great deal about the Holy Spirit: that it would bear witness of him, come with him, and help him to the end of the age.

Do not be misled by the personality of the Holy Spirit and the reference to it as "he." This was the bias of the Oriental mind, making God and all forms of the Deity masculine.

Holy Spirit is the love of Jehovah taking care of the human family, and love is always feminine. Love is the great harmonizer and healer, and whoever calls upon God as Holy Spirit for healing is calling upon the divine love. Jesus Christ Heals, pp. 182-183

[edit] Roman Catholic views on Unitarianism

The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove by Tiepolo, in a scene of the Assumption, 1767

There are many Roman Catholic writings that attempt to explain how the Holy Spirit, prior to Pentecost, might have been mistaken as not being a Person of the Trinity. One, the New Catholic Encyclopedia states: "The O[ld] T[estament] clearly does not envisage God's spirit as a person … God's spirit is simply God's power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly. … The majority of N[ew] T[estament] texts reveal God's spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God." (New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. 14, pp. 574, 575).

If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly (Isa. 48:16; 63:11; 32:15). Very rarely do the OT writers attribute to God's spirit emotions or intellectual activity (Isa. 63:10; Wisdom of Solomon 1:3-7). When such expressions are used, they are mere figures of speech that are explained by the fact that the RUAH was regarded also as the seat of intellectual acts and feeling (Gen. 41:8).

Neither is there found in the OT or in rabbinical literature the notion that God's spirit is an intermediary being between God and the world. This activity is proper to the angels, although to them is ascribed some of the activity that elsewhere is ascribed to the spirit of God"

This encyclopedia further states:

"… the NT (New Testament) concepts of the Spirit of God are largely a continuation of those of the OT. … The majority of NT texts reveal God's spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God.

When a quasi-personal activity is ascribed to God's spirit, e.g., speaking, hindering, desiring, dwelling (Acts 8:29; 16:7; Rom.8:9), one is not justified in concluding immediately that in these passages God's spirit is regarded as a Person; the same expressions are used in regard to rhetorically personified things or abstract ideas (see Rom.6:6; 7:17).

Thus the context of the phrase 'blasphemy against the spirit' (Mat.12:31; cf. Mat.12:28; Luke 11:20, see also Eternal sin) shows that reference is being made to the power of God".

Thus, it must be noted that Roman Catholic teaching has always held the Holy Spirit, however depicted, to be a distinct Person of the Trinity, not just an aspect or manifestation of some attribute of the Father or the Son.

According to those who hold the minority (and, for Catholics, heretical) view of Binitarianism, the Holy Spirit is not a separate being, but the Father and the Son are. One such group, the Living Church of God teaches this about the Holy Spirit, "The Holy Spirit is the very essence, the mind, life and power of God. It is not a Being. The Spirit is inherent in the Father and the Son, and emanates from Them throughout the entire universe (1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:24). It was through the Spirit that God created all things (Genesis 1:1-2; Revelation 4:11). It is the power by which Christ maintains the universe (Hebrews 1:2-3). It is given to all who repent of their sins and are baptized (Acts 2:38-39) and is the power (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:6-7) by which all believers may be "overcomers" (Romans 8:37; Revelation 2:26-27) and will be led to eternal life" (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs).

The view that the Holy Spirit is not a distinct person has been considered to be heretical by mainstream Christianity, including Roman Catholicism. For example, Epiphanius of Salamis referred to some of those as Semi-Arians and Pneumatomachi ("spirit-fighters") and called them, "A sort of monstrous, half-formed people of two natures … Semi-Arians … hold the truly orthodox view of the Son, that he was forever with the Father...but has been begotten without beginning and not in time … But all of these blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and do not count him in the Godhead with the Father and the Son" (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp.471-472)

[edit] Non-Christian views

[edit] Bahá'í Faith

In the Bahá'í Faith, the Holy Spirit, also known as the Most Great Spirit, is seen as the bounty of God.[19] It is usually used to describe the descent of the Spirit of God upon the messengers/prophets of God, which are known as Manifestations of God, and include among others Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh.[20] In Bahá'í belief the Holy Spirit is the conduit through which the wisdom of God becomes directly associated with his messenger, and it has been described variously in different religions such as the burning bush to Moses, the sacred fire to Zoroaster, the dove to Jesus, the angel Gabriel to Muhammad, and the Holy Maiden to Bahá'u'lláh.[21] The Bahá'í view rejects the idea that the Holy Spirit is a partner to God in the Godhead, but rather is a pure reflection of God's attributes.[22]

[edit] Islam

Main article: Holy Spirit (Islam)

Holy Spirit in Islam is an agent of divine action or communication commonly identified with the angel Gabriel (ar: Jibreel) or Ruhul Qudus but also alternatively with the created spirit from God by which he enlivened Adam, made Mary pregnant with Jesus, and inspired the angels and the prophets. The belief in Trinity is explicitly forbidden by the Qur'an and called a grave sin. The same applies to any idea of the duality of God (Allah). [23][24]

[edit] Judaism

In Judaism, the idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical (see Deuteronomy 6:4). Nonetheless, the term Ruah Ha-qodesh (Holy Spirit) is found frequently in Talmudic and Midrashic literature. In some cases it signifies prophetic inspiration, while in others it is used as a hypostatization or a metonym for God. [25] The Rabbinic “Holy Spirit,” has a certain degree of personification, but it remains, “a quality belonging to God, one of his attributes” and not, as in Christianity, representative of “any metaphysical divisions in the Godhead.” [26]

See also shekhinah.

[edit] Mandaeanism

Main article: Ruha d-Qudsha

[edit] Rastafarian view

As a movement that developed out of Christianity, Rastafari has its own unique interpretation of both the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit. Although there are several slight variations, they generally state that it is Haile Selassie who embodies both God the Father and God the Son, while the Holy (or rather, "Hola") Spirit is to be found within Rasta believers (see 'I and I'), and within every human being. Rastas also say that the true church is the human body, and that it is this church (or "structure") that contains the Holy Spirit.

[edit] Sant Mat

(see Surat Shabd Yoga)

[edit] See also

Spirituality portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_%28Anderson%29
  2. ^ BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: John 16:7
  3. ^ It's all Greek to Them, The Holy Spirit He, She or It?
  4. ^ The Real Ghost Story
  5. ^ She is a Tree of Life
  6. ^ Shelter from the Storm
  7. ^ Joy In the World[1]; The Torah and Testimony Revealed [2]
  8. ^ “Martin Luther, the originator of the Protestant movement, was not ashamed to think of the Holy Spirit in feminine terms
  9. ^ Church Fathers Believed the Holy Spirit was Feminine
  10. ^ [3][4][5]
  11. ^ [6][7]
  12. ^ Norfolk schools told Holy Ghost 'too spooky' | Schools special reports | EducationGuardian.co.uk
  13. ^ BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: John 16:8
  14. ^ BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Psalm 103:12
  15. ^ BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Revelation 12:10
  16. ^ BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Acts 1:8
  17. ^ a b Broughton, James H.; Peter J Southgate. The Trinity: True or False?. UK: The Dawn Book Supply. http://www.biblelight.org/trin/trinind.htm. 
  18. ^ Jehovah is The Almighty Creator. Jesus is the first born of all creation. Holy Spirit is Jehovah God's active force. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
  19. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1981). "The Holy Spirit". Some Answered Questions. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. 108–109. ISBN 0877431906. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-25.html. 
  20. ^ Taherzadeh, Adib (1976). The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 1: Baghdad 1853-63. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 10. ISBN 0853982708. 
  21. ^ Abdo, Lil (1994). "Female Representations of the Holy Spirit in Bahá'í and Christian writings and their implications for gender roles". Bahá'í Studies Review 4 (1). http://bahai-library.com/bsr/bsr04/43_abdo_femalespirit.htm. 
  22. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1981). "The Trinity". Some Answered Questions. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. 113–115. ISBN 0877431906. http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-27.html. 
  23. ^ Griffith, Sidney H. Holy Spirit, Encyclopaedia of the Quran
  24. ^ Patrick Hughes, Thomas Patrick Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, p. 605
  25. ^ Alan Unterman and Rivka Horowitz,Ruah ha-Kodesh, Encyclopedia Judaica (CD-ROM Edition, Jerusalem: Judaica Multimedia/Keter, 1997).
  26. ^ Joseph Abelson,The Immanence of God in Rabbinical Literature (London:Macmillan and Co., 1912)

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