Core Seminar
Systematic Theology II
Session 15: The Person of the Holy Spirit
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Introduction
Today, we’re considering the Person of the Holy Spirit; and we want to think carefully about what the Bible teaches us about Him.
Why is this important?
Well, IMAGINE this: Tomorrow, I find my AFFECTIONSincrediblySTIRRED for my wife. I’ve thought about her at ALL DAY and CAN’T get her off my mind. So moved, when I go home, and I’m looking for SOME way to communicate how I feel…
Since I know what makes her happy, I rush to clean the house, wash the dishes, throwin a load of laundry, clean up the kid’s toys, and as soon as she comes home, I look at her in the eyes, heart HURTING from MISSING her all day and I tell her,
“Honey, I’m crazy about you; you’re lookin’ EXCEPTIONALLY FINE today. I don’t know what it is today, maybe your long flowing blonde hair or beautiful blues eyes; but you leave me breathless.”
Some of you CAUGHT it right away…the problem is…
My wife has BLACK hair…and BROWN eyes [and she also hates it when I tell her corny things like that…[she’s more of a QUALITY TIME kinda gal]So, what may SOUND sweet to some, it’s gonna go REALLYBAD for me.
THE POINT IS: How we see God is IMPORTANT, because if we’re NOT seeing Him as He’s REVEALED HimselfinScripture,we’re NOT worshipping the God of the BIBLE, but rather…a false God.
Christians worship ONE God; we are monotheistic, yet Scripture clearly depicts THREE persons of the godhead.The DOCTRINE of the TRINITY, which explains this IDEA is a central TEACHING of the Christian faith.
Its a SUMMARY of NUMEROUS biblical concepts that are indisputable from Scripture.
Specifically; that there is ONE God, that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are each DISTINCT persons [not just in the ROLES they play], and that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are each FULLY God [not PARTIALLY God]
The TRINITY is a helpfulUNDERSTANDING of GOD that seeks to CONVEYall that Scripture teaches regarding the NATURE and the RELATIONSHIP of the Godhead.
[Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to talk in detail about the Trinity, but PLEASE take a look at the PICTURE provided for you in handout and email Charles or John if you have any questions]
[Well, Back to the TOPIC AT HAND]
In the godhead, when we think of God the Father and God the Son, it makes more SENSE to us, in that there is a relational component that we are immediately familiar with: that of a father or son.
But how do we UNDERSTAND—God the Spirit?
He is OFTEN known as the SHY,FORGOTTEN [or NEGLECTED] member of the TRINITY, It’s tempting to think of the 3rd person of the Trinity as cold or distant, but when we read the Bible, we see something ENTIRELY different. The Holy Spirit is VERY much ALIVE and ACTIVE.
So, what DO we mean when we talk about the Holy Spirit as a Person?
I want to focus our time, by talking about:
1)what SCRIPTURE saysabout theHOLY SPIRIT as a PERSON.
2)and what it says about the HOLY SPIRITas fully GOD
II.[DON’T SAY…] The Person of the Holy Spirit
Now, I want it to be CLEAR, what we DON’T mean is that the Holy Spirit is a HUMANPERSON that we justCAN NOT see. The only person of the Godhead taking humanity upon Himself is Jesus.
However, what we DO mean…is that the Holy Spirit has personal subsistence. He is an intelligent, voluntarylivingbeing, with understanding and willand while being ONE with the Father and the Son, there is a DISTINCTION made between the THREE.
For example, Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer (Rom. 8:27), this naturally INDICATED a distinction between the Holy Spirit and God the Father…TO WHOM the intercession is made.This is, CLEARLY different from a false view of God that is called “modalism,” which, claims that God is NOT really three distinct persons, but only ONE person who APPEARS to people in three different modes at different times.
So, for example, in the Old Testament, God appeared as the Father, in the Gospels God appeared as the Son, and after Pentecost God appeared as the Spirit.
This view does what so many other false views do, by trying to make the mystery of the Trinity completely RATIONAL. Yet, it falls SHORT due to all of the examples where we see the members of the Trinity interacting with each other.
What was Jesus doing when Scripture tells us He rose early to pray? Was Jesus’ praying to the Father merely a charade? How could the Spirit descend on the Son when he was baptized?
In the early church, some DENIED that the Spirit was a separate personal ENTITY.
Instead, they said that the Spirit was more like an “essence” or an influence or energy from God the Father.His place in the Trinity has been questioned in light of these ideas, so it’s important to UNDERSTAND [from Scripture] the Spirit’s “personality,” His distinct,unique,identity.
So, let’s examine THREE Biblical reasons to conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person, just as God the Father is a person,and God the Son, Jesus Christ is a person:
1. PERSONAL PRONOUNS
The first reason to conclude the Holy Spirit is a person is that personal pronouns are used of Him, and that he makes statements in the first person.
Consider:
Acts 10:19-20; “And while Peter was ponderingthe vision, the Spirit SAID to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.20Rise and go down andaccompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”
When Jesus and the Apostles speak of the Holy Spirit they always use personal pronouns: He, Him,Himself. This testifies to the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
2. PERSONAL PROPERTIES
The second reason to conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person, is from the personal properties that are ascribed to Him, such as understanding or wisdom, will, and power.
The operation of His will, for example, is seen in:
I Corinthians 12:11 –
“All these are empowered by ONE and the same Spirit,who apportions to each one individuallyas he wills.
In John 14:26, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter Not merely comfort but the Comfort-er.
3. PERSONAL ACTIVITIES
The Holy Spirit who has these personal characteristics is also involved in personal activities,
The Holy Spirit loves (Romans 15:30), speaks (1 Tim 4:1, Rev 2:7), teaches (Luke 12:12), reveals(John 16:13; 1 Cor 2:10), comforts, counsels, helps (John 14:26),
He also Empowers (Luke 24:49), testifies (1 John 5:6-8; Romans 8:16), guides (John 16:13), and much more…
The Holy Spirit also can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3) and blasphemed (Matthew 12:31).
In all of these things we see: the clear personality, or distinct identity of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. Sound exegesis requires that the Holy Spirit be regarded as a PERSON and not as a power or a FORCE.
Well, why does this matter? Because far from being cold or distant; or shy or invisible far from being just a force or energy, the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person means we can have a relationship with Him!
We’ll talk more about this in the next few weeks when we discuss the workof the Holy Spirit, But the FACT that, as we are led by Him, loved by Him, purified by Him, indwelt by Himall of which happens in the context of a relationship,SCRIPTURE SHOWS us that He does this because He is GOD…
The TRINITARIAN GOD [in HIMSELF]— is in ESSENCE—THE PERFECTCOMMUNITY—PERFECTLYRELATIONAL.
[which moves us to our NEXT SECTION…III]
QUESTIONSORCOMMENTSORENCOURAGEMENTS??
III.The Holy Spirit is God
Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit is FULLY God for 6 REASONS…
#1.The Holy Spirit Possesses Divine Attributes
The Holy Spirit is FULLY God, therefore he possesses divine attributes.Throughout Scripture we see that…
•The Holy Spirit is ETERNAL.
Hebrews 9:14 says, “how much more willthe blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spiritoffered himself without blemish to God,purify ourconsciencefrom dead worksto serve the living God.
•The Holy Spirit is alsoomnipresent– everywhere at once.
Psalm 139:7-10 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or whereshall I flee from your presence? 8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10even there your hand shalllead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
•The Holy Spirit is omniscient – all knowing.
I Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “these things,God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, eventhe depths of God.11For who knows a person's thoughtsexcept the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
#2.The Holy Spirit [is FULLY GOD because HE] does Divine Work
John 3:5-6, Jesus answered,“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is bornof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6That which is born of the flesh isflesh, and that which is BORN of the Spirit is spirit.
Som we see that the HOLY SPIRIT’s role in REGENERATION is IMPERATIVE.
[not to mention His role in CREATION, and SANCTIFICATION, and GLORIFICATION of believer]
#3.[HOLY SPIRIT IS FULLY GOD because] Scripture identifies Him as God
Acts 5:1-4 says, But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,2and with his wife's knowledgehe kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it andlaid it at the apostles' feet.
3But Peter said, “Ananias, why hasSatan filled your heart to lieto the Holy Spirit andto keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to MAN, butto GOD.”
Here we see that according to Peter, when Ananias “lied to the Holy Spirit,” he was in fact “lying to God.” If lying to the Spirit is synonymous with lying to God, then the Spirit MUST be God [as according to SCRIPTURE].
#4.The Holy Spirit is identified as the Yahweh of the OT
Acts 28:25-27 in referencing Isaiah 6:9-10 says:
25 “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26“Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” [27For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyesand hear with their ears and understand with their heartandturn, and I would heal them.’]
Hebrews 3:7 quoting Psalm 95:7 says:
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years…”
You can see that in BOTH of these instances, the New Testament authors equate Yahweh of the OT to be the voice of the Holy Spirit.
#5.[HOLY SPIRIT IS FULLY GOD because] Though distinguished from the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is represented as EQUAL with the Father and the Son [in the great Trinitarian passages of the New Testament]
[So, this POINTregards the ASSOCIATION of the HS with the Other members of the TRINITY]. So, let’s take a look at some of the KEY Trinitarian passages in the New Testament:
Matthew 3:16 says – 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,the heavens were opened to him,and hesaw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
The three persons of the Godhead are seen clearly in this passage functioning in their distinct roles:
-God the Father is speaking from heaven,
-God the Son is being baptized to fulfill the Father’s will,
-and God the Spirit is seendescending from heaven upon the Son empowering his ministry.
[another passage is…] Matt 28:19 – [where] Jesus says, “Go therefore andmake disciples ofall nations,baptizing theminthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Notice that Jesus does NOT instruct his disciples, to baptize new believers in the “names” of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, as if we were dealing with three different beings,but, HE SAYS BAPTIZE in the “name,” which is singular.Jesus, like he did so many other times in his ministry, TEACHES that He and the Father are ONE, and here He includes the Holy Spirit in that UNITY of essence.
The statement asserts the “unity of the three Persons of the Trinity by combining them all within the BOUNDS of the single Name; and then [emphasizes] the distinctness of each,by introducing them in turn with the repeated article: ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Spirit.’“The Holy Spirit, then is fully God [not PARTIALLY or 1/3 God]
Yet, it’s not the Spirit ALONE who is fully God, but he eternallyEXISTSalong with the Father, and the Son, each of whom also possessesFULLY,the identicallysame, undivided, divine nature...
Hence, what distinguishes the Spirit from the Father and the Son is NOT the divine nature. What distinguishes the Spirit is his particularPERSONALITY as the Holy Spirit, in relation to the Father and to the Son and the relationships that he has with each of them.”
Another helpful passage is Ephesians 2:18;
“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”We see here, that whatever the Father does in dealing with us/man, He generally does through the Son, by the Spirit.
#6. [LAST, BUT NOT LEAST; HS is FULLY GOD because], The Holy Spirit COMES from the Father, and is SENT by the Father and the Son (John 14-16)
The night before His crucifixion, what does Jesus teach his disciples? What does Jesus see as important for them to know? In John 14-16, Jesus teaches them who the Holy Spirit is.
Notice what he says to them in John 16:7, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, forif I do not go away,the Helper will not come to you. ButifI go,I will send him to you.”Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples for a moment. You’ve ate with, walked with, ministered with, listened to, gotten to know, witnessed Jesus over the last several years. They’ve given their lives to Him – and that time must’ve been amazing!!
And yet, Jesus says it’s BETTER (“ it’s to your advantage”) that He go away so that the Holy Spirit would come to them. I don’t know about you, but it wouldn’t be immediatelyobviousWHY that’s better. How can that be????
If you look back at John 15:26–27,Again, Jesus speaks of the Helper—the Holy Spirit saying, “Butwhen the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,he will bear witness about me.Andyou also will bear witness,because you have been with mefrom the beginning.
There’s a bit of a double meaning here between the disciples and the Spirit. BUT…just as the disciples will bearwitness about Jesus, so too will the Helper, the Holy Spirit. What’s the qualification for the disciples’ being a witness? v.27 says : “because you have been with me from the beginning.”
If that’s true of the disciples, how much more of the Holy Spirit??
As the early church Father, Basil of Caesarea, put it, the Holy Spirit was Christ’s ‘inseparable companion…all the activity of Christ was unfolded in the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
In eternity past, the Spirit and the Son were in perfect fellowship. When Jesus was conceived in the Virgin Mary, it was by the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:35).
In Jesus’ baptism, temptations, and ministry of miracles and teaching, the Spirit was there leading (Lk. 4:1), empowering (Mt. 12:28) and making Him known. In Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the Spirit was there (Heb. 9:14, Rom. 6:4).
Here’s the point. As the one who has been Jesus’ constant companion, He is the perfectcandidate tobear witness to, and to make known—the SON—JESUS CHRIST.
That’s precisely what He does, and that’s part of why Jesus can say, it’s better that he leaves so the Holy Spirit can come.
To HAVE the Spirit is to have the Spirit of Christ;to have the Spirit is to have Christ.
No longer limited by space and time, the Holy Spirit manifests the presence of Jesus to us.
In Jesus’ high priestly prayer of John 17, Jesus notes in v.24,
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may bewith mewhere I am,to see my glory that you have given me because you loved mebefore the foundation of the world.
So, Jesus gives us a sneak peek into eternity past in the perfect, abiding,joy-filled loving relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amazingly, in the verse before, Jesus had testified that God would love Jesus’ followers “even as” the Father loved him! And that’s an AMAZING THING!