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The Holy Spirit—Person or Force?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

As we have entered another year, many challenges lie ahead.  But God has promised to be with us and give us His wisdom and strength as we rely on Him.  He has given us all that we need to live victoriously, and we must not use our own feeble resources to accomplish His work.  Two of the greatest gifts which He has imparted to us are His Word and His Spirit. 

With a new year we begin a new study of one of these precious gifts.  Every believer possesses this Gift, but  every believer does not utilize this Gift in the way that he or she should.   In regard to this Gift, there is much confusion today in the minds of many believers. We know much about the Father and are very aware of who the Son is and His ministry. But who is the Holy Spirit, and what does He do?  How did He work in the Old Testament, and how does He work In this Church age?  We will answer some of these key questions about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.  We will come to appreciate the Person and work of this Divine Comforter.  Let’s first answer this question:  “The Holy Spirit:  Person or Force?”

To hear many refer to the Holy Spirit, even true believers, you would think that the question regarding the Spirit should be “What is it?”  instead of “Who is He?”  Throughout forty-seven years as a believer, I have heard many Christians refer to the Holy Spirit as an “it.”  As such, the Holy Spirit becomes nothing more than an impersonal force, an inanimate object, or a superhuman influence.  Many cults, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Armstrongism, Christian Science, and Unity, teach that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.  But I’m convinced that true believers who refer to the Spirit impersonally don’t mean to be disrespectful to Him. . . they are merely misinformed, having never been taught clearly about His nature.  

Why some are inclined to think of the Holy Spirit as a force rather than a person

  • While nearly all recent Bible translations identify the Holy Spirit with the pronoun “Himself,” the King James Version in certain verses used the pronoun “itself” to refer to the Spirit (Rom. 8:16, 26).  (This actually should be translated “Himself.”)

  • The Greek word for “spirit” is neuter (pneuma), leading some to translate the word as a neuter object. 

  • The Holy Spirit is identified with impersonal symbols, such as breath (John 20:22), wind (John 3:8; Acts 2:2), fire (Acts 2:3), water (John 3:8), and a dove (Matt. 3:16).  This leads many to see Him as a force or influence.  These are merely symbols or illustrations which describe His coming, but are not intended to describe His true essence.  

Why the Holy Spirit is a Person and not a force

The Word of God is clear that the Holy Spirit is a Person and not merely a force or influence.  

  • The Holy Spirit possesses the essential elements of personality.

    • He possesses intellect—He has infinite knowledge (Rom. 8:27; I Cor. 2:10-11, 13).

    • He possesses emotions—He expresses personal feelings (Rom. 15:30; Eph. 4:30).

    • He possesses will—He makes decisions and acts according to His volition (Acts 16:6-11; I Cor. 12:11).

  • The Holy Spirit carries out personal activities.  

    • He speaks (Matt. 10:20; Gal. 4:6; Rev. 2:7).

    • He teaches (John 14:26).

    • He guides (John 14:16).

    • He bears witness (Rom. 8:16).

    • He intercedes (Rom. 8:26).

    • He commands and directs (Acts 8:29).  

    • He convicts (John 16:7-8).  

    • He appoints to service (Acts 13:2, 4).  

  • The Holy Spirit is treated as one would treat a person and not a force. 

    • He can be grieved (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30).

    • He can be resisted (Acts. 7:51; I Thess. 5:19).

    • He can be obeyed (Acts 10:19-21a).

    • He can be insulted (Heb. 10:29).

    • He can be blasphemed (Matt. 12:31).

    • He can be lied to (Acts 5:3).

  • Because of His union with the Father and the Son in the Trinity, it is only fitting that He would be a Person, as the other two Persons are (Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14).

  • The rules of Greek grammar are broken to demonstrate that the Spirit is a Person (masculine) instead of impersonal (neuter) (John 16:7-8, 13-15)—the neuter noun for “Spirit” requires a neuter pronoun instead of a masculine one.

(Resources used:  The Great Doctrines of the Bible, William Evans, pp. 107-111; The Holy Spirit, Charles Ryrie, pp. 11-16; Major Bible Themes, L. S. Chafer, pp. 87-89)

It is important to believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person.  If He is truly a member of the Triune God, then He must be a Person just as the Father and the Son are Persons.  If He is a Person, then we as believers can know Him personally and experience the fullness of His blessings in our lives.  Dr. R. A. Torrey explains why it is important to see the Holy Spirit as a Person:  “It is of the highest experimental importance. . . . Many can testify to the blessing that came into their lives when they came to know the Holy Spirit, not merely as a gracious influence. . . . but as an ever-present, loving friend and helper” (The Great Doctrines of the Bible, Evans, p. 108).    In the Holy Spirit we have a Comforter and Helper who is a Divine Person!  

Because of His Grace—Pastor Charlie