THS. Who is The Holy Spirit



Written by Tore Johannessen
Wednesday, 21 September 2005
The Holy Spirit is not"the force" in Star Wars
First, it is important to know who the Holy Spirit is.The Holy Spirit is not like “The Force” in Star Wars. He is not an impersonal force floating around somewhere out there. Neither is he like a ghost or a mystical spirit.He is a person as real as I am, and you can talk to him just like you would talk to me.
There are two words used for the Holy Sprit in the Bible. One is Pnevma in Greek or Ruach in Hebrew. It means: Wind, air or spirit. This word is used when the word Spirit is mentioned in the Bible.But, when Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit to his disciples in John 14 and 16 he uses another name. He uses the word Parakaleõ which means: To call someone for help e.g. to get help to defend in a court, or a witness or a counselor. It has the same meaning as the Latin word advocatus, which means advocate, lawyer and spokesman. It also means a comforter. A paraklêtos is a person that gives encouragement and new courage to those who are faint-hearted.
Symbols of the Holy Spirit:Dove (Matt 3:16): It is the symbol of innocence and cleanliness. God’s spirit hovering over the waters Gen 1:2Fire: Cleansing, (John 16:13a) the presence of God. (Acts 2:3)God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29)Wind: This explains some of how the Holy Spirit functions. You can’t control manipulate the wind or see the wind, but you can see the effects. When Jesus in John 3:8 explains some of the functions of the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus, he uses the word Pnevma, wind for the Holy Spirit.
John 3:8"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
What Jesus explained about The Holy SpiritJesus further reveals who the Holy Sprit is in John 14:16-26 and John 16:7-15. I will use some of these scriptures to explain who the Holy Spirit is. I also encourage you to read the entire chapters from 13-17 to get the big picture of what Jesus is saying to the disciples before his crucifixion.
The Holy Spirit is a personAs stated, the Holy Spirit is a person. He can talk, he can listen and he is always there for us. When Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit in John 14:17 he used the word he, not it.This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. (NRSV)
One of the TrinityThe Holy Spirit has been from the beginning and he is part of the Trinity.Gen.1: 2 "and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.."Gen.1: 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,
The Bible uses a plural form when he is taking about the creation.In the Great Commission in Matt 28:19 Jesus mentions the trinity. But we can also see it out from John 16:7 when he says that he will send the advocate, the Spirit.The Father, Son and The Holy Spirit are one. They have the same will and thoughts, but they have tree different tasks. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father and speaks for us before God’s throne, and he is our righteousness. The Holy Spirit’s task is to stay on earth to help us, and to glorify the name of God. (John 16:13)The trinity is a mystery, and we can't fully understand it with our human minds. But one way to explain it is to compare it with a sunbeam. It is only one beam but it has tree different functions:
The invisible UV radiation as The Holy Spirit,
It gives heat and power like God
It gives light as Jesus the light of the world.
He is the spokesman, the Advocate and a comforter.As mentioned, Jesus called him, in John 16:7, the Parakaleõ, our comforter or Advocate.When we don’t know what we are going to say in different situations he will come and help us.Jesus says in Mark 13:1111 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.This was a real encouragement for the disciples as we read in Acts, after the day of Pentecost, how the Holy Spirit helped Peter and the other Christians to speak boldly.
He is omnipresentJesus could only be at one place at one at one time, he was limited. That’s why Jesus said it was best for him to go away so that the Holy Spirit could come and be with you forever and at all times. (John 16:7)
Reveals the truthThe Holy Spirit will show us and guide us to the truth and reveal the unbelief in our life.16:8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
He is also the one that reveal the truth about who God is.16:16:When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Reveals the future.He will declare the things that are to come. John wrote in the book of Revelation about the truth on the condition of the seven Churches and on the vision of what was about to come.We also see this in the spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12. Some of these gifts are to reveal the truth, now, like a word of knowledge and some are for the future, like prophesy.
Gives powerHe is also the one that gives power. I’ll go more into this in the next chapter.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was limited. His strength was poured out only over kings, priests, prophets and some selected people. God could give and take away the Holy Spirit from peoples’ lives in the Old Testament.In Judges 16 we read about Samson losing his power, or the anointing, when his hair was cut off.In Psalm 51 we read about when David fell into sin with Bathsheba. He prays: Remove not the Holy Spirit from me.In the New Testament, on the day of Pentecost, God’s Spirit is poured over all flesh. And when you receive Jesus, The Holy Spirit moves in to your heart, and you can communicate with God. Not all believers were able to do that in the Old Testament.