Is the Holy Spirit a "person"?

[China Cat Sunflower]

Yes, I have not seen him back lately.

So what do you think China Cat?

Well, that's a deep subject. I tend to think of the OT references as connected to the Shekinah, which is essentially God's "presence", but there's a lot more to it than that. I tend to think of the NT references as an adaptation of that. One idea in Judaism is that the Shekinah is exiled with the Jews from her "husband" (sorta) God. There is an attraction between them like you would expect between a god and his consort. They want to get back together, so she entices him to become involved in the affairs of the chosen people as a means for them to reconnect. It's possible that the NT authors had this in mind, only now there's a different chosen people so they have to wait for the appropriate seperation from God's direct emmisary for the new Shekinah to show up. This is pure conjecture, so get out the salt shaker.

I like the story of how Elijah (or was it Elisha) looked for God in the thunderstorm and the whirlwind, but found him, instead, in the "still small voice."

Chris

 

[mee]

Is the Holy Spirit a "person" - a distinct intelligence similar to the Father and Jesus?

God’s​

Active Force; Holy Spirit. By far the majority of occurrences of ru´ach and pneu´ma relate to God’s spirit, his active force, his holy spirit.​

Not a person. Not until the fourth century C.E. did the teaching that the holy spirit was a person and part of the "Godhead" become official church dogma. Early church "fathers" did not so teach; Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an ‘influence or mode of operation of the Deity’; Hippolytus likewise ascribed no personality to the holy spirit. The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God’s holy spirit is not a person but is God’s active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will

 

[Thomas]

Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an ‘influence or mode of operation of the Deity’;

Indeed, but then so is the Son, so is the Father -

'Son' and 'Father' signify a relationship - a father cannot be a father without a son, and vice versa. But the Father can be Himself and not Father...

The Trinity is Three in One, so if one possesses the nature of 'person' - and 'father' and 'son' signify a person-to-person relationship, then the Spirit must also be possessed of personhood, else God would be lesser than Himself...

The Father is All

The Son is Alpha (the Logos that causes all things to be)

The Spirit is Omega (that nurtures all things to their perfection)

And the three are 'all in all'

Thomas

 

[Bandit]

God’s​

Active Force; Holy Spirit. By far the majority of occurrences of ru´ach and pneu´ma relate to God’s spirit, his active force, his holy spirit.​

Not a person. Not until the fourth century C.E. did the teaching that the holy spirit was a person and part of the "Godhead" become official church dogma. Early church "fathers" did not so teach; Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an ‘influence or mode of operation of the Deity’; Hippolytus likewise ascribed no personality to the holy spirit. The Scriptures themselves unite to show that God’s holy spirit is not a person but is God’s active force by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will

i agree with some of this Mee, but i also believe the Holy Ghost is a person but not in a third person, actually just a title for the same person as the father & the son, just as father & son are also titles.

 

[Quahom1]

You two have strong opinions on the issue. I have one to.

Does that make mine wrong? Or yours?

We'll find out when we meet our "Maker"...

v/r

Q

 

[Dor]

Most definately. He is fully God. He is eternal, omniscent, omnipresent, has a will and can speak. If the holy spirit was not a persona and mearly a force then he could not speak(Acts 13:2); he could not be grieved(Eph.4:30); and he would not have a will(1 cor.12:11).