APOCALYSE or ARMAGEDDON? by Archie Facey - HTML preview

8
IS THE HOLY SPIRIT A PERSON?

Much of the confusion about the nature of the Holy Spirit stems from ascribing masculine terms to neuter pronouns. This is explained in more detail here: –

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/holy-spirit/is-the-holy-spirit-a-person/

Discussions about the Trinity and the nature of the Holy Spirit go hand in hand, so it’s recommended to also read this article: -http://www.trinitytruth.org/istheholyspiritaperson.html

A few points to consider: –

• Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. If this was a person, that would make the Holy Spirit the father of Christ-this is not correct as God the Father is the father.
• There’s no indication in the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit was a person.
• If Christ sits on the Father’s right, why doesn’t the Holy Spirit sit on the left?
• Christ doesn’t consider Himself equal to the Father so how can the Trinity consist of equal identities? Christ will eventually put Himself in subjection to the Father: - “When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:28 NIV
• Neither Christ nor the Apostles ever prayed to the Holy Spirit.
• None of the Apostles included the Holy Spirit in their greetings to the churches, an extraordinary omission if the Holy Spirit was a part of the Godhead.
• Why is there no mention of the Holy Spirit in John 1:1? “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Just two in the Godhead not three, the Father and Christ.

“But you aren’t self-centered. Instead, you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to him. If Christ is in you, the Spirit is your life because of God’s righteousness, but the body is dead because of sin. If the Spirit of the one who raised Christ from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through His Spirit that lives in you.” Romans 8:9-11 CEB. The Message Bible gives an excellent rendering of this: - https://beta.biblestudytools.com/msg/romans/passage/?q=romans+8:4-14 (Another handy site for comparing different versions here: - https://biblehub.com/romans/8-9.htm ) Notice what Christ Himself said : – “that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. John 17:21“Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17 Christ replied, “Anyone who loves me will keep my words. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and dwell with them.” “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?” John 14:10 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matt 10:20 Notice, no mention of the Holy Spirit as being a separate individual, but instead, it is the Spirit of God.

Different Bible versions add to the confusion. The KJV says “itself” (neuter in gender) but the NKJV says “Himself”, masculine gender. Who are you going to believe, some man’s mistranslations and religious traditions, or God? “And after this, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28

 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17 “I will pour out My Spirit in those days,” verse 18

  “I know that this will result in my deliverance through your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ.” Philippians 1:19 “… who worship in the Spirit of God” 3:3

  “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” Rev 4:5

 The following links provide deeper research but once again, be wary of false teachings about other subjects.

https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/just-what-is-the-holy-spirit

https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/grammar-confuses-the-nature-of-the-holy-spirit

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/transforming-your-life-the-process-of-conversion/is-the-holy-spirit-a

https://www.cogwriter.com/holyspirit.htm (A worthwhile read)