Our knowledge of the Holy Spirit must come from what the Spirit has revealed concerning himself in the Word of God. I say this in spite of the fact that the view may be unpopular in a time when personal feelings and emotional reactions are frequently considered to be the source of information concerning the nature of the Holy Spirit. This is not to affirm that the Spirit is confined in or to the Word of revelation, nor is it intended to lessen the value of any experiential relationship with the Spirit by the Christian, It does mean that, in revealing the will of God, the Spirit has described and identified himself in such a manner that man can ascertain all that he needs to know about the character of the Spirit in exactly the same way that he learns other aspects of the divine disclosure.
We dare not test or measure the Word of God by personal feelings. We must judge our feelings in the light of God's Word. The ultimate criterion can never be the subjective, but the objective. It is foolish to say, "I do not know what the Word of God says, nor do I care, for I know how I feel." Feelings can be deceptive. One can be as happy when he believes a lie as when he believes the truth. One can be persuaded that a lie is the truth, as every confidence man on earth realizes.
Jeremiah 17 records the judgment of God upon His people. They are condemned for two things: many persons trusted in men rather than in the Word from Heaven (v. 5); others trusted in their own hearts. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (v. 9; KJV). It must be remembered that this is not the evaluation of the prophet, but the declaration of God.
One can be deceived by others, but he can also be deceived by his own heart. This necessitates the twofold warning found in the Scriptures: "Let no man deceive you with vain words" (Ephesians 5:6); "Let no man deceive himself" (1 Corinthians 3:18; KJV). These things are mentioned so that the reader will understand why my appeal is to the revelation of God as we seek to identify the Spirit and to grasp the significance of His work in our world.
I believe the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a divine personality, and it will be my purpose to share with you my reasons for so believing. This is done without apology inasmuch as Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4; KJV).
It is not my intention to become embroiled in the theological donnybrook about the nature and constitution of Deity. I shall be content to speak of Scriptural things in Scriptural terms without inventing or projecting a specialized jargon that tends more to confuse than to enlighten. If it is true that all we know about the nature of God is what has been revealed, and if the revelation has been provided in words, it is apparent that we can find the terms to express any aspect of the divine will.
All thought must be expressed in words to be communicated. If there are no words for a thought, the idea is not there. If, on the other hand, there are words to express the idea, and if all persons accept the words of Scripture as the norm, there can be no division, as long as all men use Scriptural terms to express Scriptural ideas.
An example of what happens when people do not accept the Scripture is found in the use of the term "Trinity." This word does not occur in the Scriptures. It was first used by Tertullian in the second century, and was employed to express a view of the nature of God that was under attack by certain of his contemporaries. Consequently, the brand, Trinitarians, was being applied to certain ones, and this, in turn, led to the designation Unitarians for the opposers. Both groups considered themselves orthodox expositors of the apostolic doctrine. Yet, if one had asked any apostle if he were a Unitarian or Trinitarian, he would not have understood the question. I shall not belabor the question of whether Deity consists of "three persons in one" or "one person in three."
Matthew speaks of the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (28:19). Paul writes of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). One who studies the Bible can determine the functions ascribed to each of these, and from what is taught can reach conclusions as to their respective offices.
Upon this basis I consider the Holy Spirit as a personality. I use the term "personality" rather than "person," although I have no objection to the latter. Our word "person" comes from the Latin word for an actor's mask, and refers to one who enacts a role or performs an individual part in a drama. We still use persona to designate a character in a novel or play. The Holy Spirit had a unique part to play in the relationship of Deity to creation, and the sum of the individual qualities and attributes assigned to the Spirit make Him a personality.
Having introduced the word "attributes" we are now prepared to examine the Scriptures and see whether the Spirit is portrayed as an intelligent being in His own right.
The Spirit possesses a mind. "And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).
This statement occurs in a context of reassurance that God has provided the Spirit to help us in those matters where we show weakness. One such area is that of prayer. We do not know how to pray as we ought. There are deep desires and earnest longings that we cannot express. Our linguistic talents fail us when we try to translate our profound feelings into our limited vocabulary. In such a time "the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words."
We can be certain that the Father knows the mind of the Spirit and that we are not left to "go it alone." In 1 Corinthians 2:11 we are told that the Spirit knows the mind of God, and in Romans 8:27 we learn that God knows the mind of the Spirit. The mind, or intellect, is the possession of an intelligent being, and this leads us to accept the Spirit as being in that category.
The Holy Spirit can speak and thus communicate thought. Upon this matter there is no room for doubt, if anyone accepts the plain statements of the Scriptures as valid. Occasionally the Spirit took command of human tongues and used them as organs of speech. In Acts 11:6, Peter states, "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas" (KJV). In Acts 4:25, God is given credit for what He "by the mouth of thy servant David hast said." In Acts 28:25, the apostle declares, "Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias." In Hebrews 3:7 occurs a citation from Psalm 95:7 with the preface "as the Holy Ghost saith," also in Hebrews is a quotation from Jeremiah 31:33, of which the writer said, "The Holy Ghost also is a witness to us (10:15-17).
Again, Jesus told the apostles not to be concerned about their defense when they were apprehended and arraigned before governors and kings. He said, "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you" (Matthew 10:19, 20; KJV). Notice that both the content and method would be taken care of by the Spirit.
A question that always seems to agitate the minds of men who must "pin things down" and arrive at specifics before they can be happy is the way in which the Spirit has revealed the message of God. Certain terms have been created to designate the various ideas upon the subject. Some have contended for verbal inspiration, others for thought transference, and the like.
As is frequently the case when we try to capture divine action in human vocabulary, the Spirit may not have been limited to any one theory or any combination. He may well have employed all of them at different times. We know that in old times "men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21), and we are also told that God spoke in former times through the prophets in different times and in many ways (Hebrews 1:1).
On one occasion the apostle wrote, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly," that is, exactly or precisely. This is an indication that at other times the speaking was done with less directness; however, we must never develop a theory that eliminates the use of words in the communication of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit employed language known to men and used by them in their social interchange; otherwise, what was conveyed would not have been a revelation at all. If the language employed was an esoteric or secret code, the subject would have remained a mystery. This is the exact opposite of revelation.
On the Day of Pentecost the Spirit came to provide visual and audible proof that Jesus had been exalted to the right hand of God and had received of the Father the promised Holy Spirit. Through the apostles He testified to wonderful works of God. He communicated this testimony through the native languages of the hearers who were present "from every nation under heaven." Those who spoke in "other languages," that is, in languages they had not learned, did so "as the Spirit gave them utterance."
No revelation has been given to man except in the language of man, that is, as relates to the obligations and duties of man. Nothing else could be regarded as a revelation. It is true that because of the multiplicity of languages used by peoples, tribes, and nations, translation is necessary to make the message understandable to those who did not receive it directly. Revelation is one thing, and translation is another, however.
In the previous chapter, mention was made of Paul's original encounter with the residents of Corinth. This city, the center of commercialized vice in the ancient world, was a veritable showcase exhibiting the fruits of human wisdom coupled with idolatry.
Into this maelstrom of human wickedness entered one who confessed that he came "in weakness and in much fear and trembling." He came bearing the good news that the living God had visited the earth in the form of a Son, and that message was presented in words of stark simplicity. It was a matter of allowing the facts to speak for themselves. Paul intimates that he had the power of deciding his approach to a given culture. He could have used the philosophic method. He was familiar with the teachings of the pagan world, for he quoted from Cleanthes, Epimenides, and others, at various times. But he chose to decry the wisdom of "the rulers of this transitory age" and to impart the wisdom that "God decreed before the ages for our glorification."
This wisdom has to be revealed. It could not be learned by visual or audible methods, because it was beyond the power of the senses to ascertain. Nor could it be learned by rationalization. It was outside the realm of deduction for finite minds. It could be revealed only by the Holy Spirit. It bore no resemblance to the spirit of the age, because that spirit knows nothing of the purpose and pleasure of God.
We are told that the Spirit used words for communicating the things freely given of God. "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Corinthians 2:13; KJV). Surely it requires an intellectual being to select and employ a vocabulary to transmit divine thought to human mentality. The Spirit possesses a mind to accumulate divine information and the ability to share it.
The Holy Spirit can testify to fact and bear witness to men and through men. This is made clear in Jesus' talk with His disciples just before His betrayal and crucifixion. These men were sad because Jesus had told them He was to leave them and return to the Father. They had forsaken everything in order to follow Him. They had been His constant companions for three or more years. The contemplation of a life without this Friend was almost unthinkable. Jesus pointed out to them that He would compensate for their grief and loneliness by requesting the Father to send them another Helper, a Companion who would remain although He himself was absent. In direct language He identified this advocate as the Holy Spirit, and informed them of some of the things the Spirit would accomplish and provide. He reassured them with these words: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:26, 27; KJV). The Holy Spirit was to come and bear witness to the culmination of the divine purpose: that all authority should be granted to the Son, and He would occupy a seat at the right hand of God. The apostles were witnesses to the personal ministry of Jesus from its beginning. The Spirit descended upon Jesus to inaugurate His personal witness to the world. The same Spirit would descend upon the apostles to inaugurate their witness to the world.
In many respects the apostolic mission was the mission of the Spirit, the apostles being the agents. The Spirit would act as a teacher and guide, assuring perfect recall of the precepts of Jesus. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26; KJV).
An analysis of this statement may be helpful. The Spirit was to be sent by the Father, but in the name of Jesus. This last expression indicates the authority under which the Spirit would operate. At the accession of Jesus to the throne, all authority was conferred on Him, and He will continue to exercise it until the last enemy has been destroyed. Any divine action taken in the kingdom of Heaven must be under the authority of the Son.
The Holy Spirit has no direct authority, but acts or functions by derivative authority. All authority was invested in the Father until it was transferred to the Son (1 Corinthians 15:27). The Spirit does nothing in His own name, that is, upon His own authority.
Another point of interest is that the Spirit was to make use of the rational powers of the human messengers of Jesus. It is certainly true that upon occasion, and in emergency, the Spirit commandeered the tongues of the apostles to speak words of defense with no thought required by the speaker. Such involuntary speech was certainly rendered when the apostles were unjustly arraigned before kings and magistrates. But the Spirit also taught them, and this involves a learning process requiring cooperation upon the part of the student. In addition to the faculty of perception, that of memory was also stimulated so that those who had been with Jesus could recall the things He had taught. Later this would be designated "the gift of knowledge."
The promise to the apostles was amplified by another statement of Jesus: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:13, 14; KJV).
"All truth" refers to the body of truth of divine revelation, that which is required to save and sanctify men. It was such truth the apostles were commissioned to furnish the world, and which they were to receive from the Spirit. The expression, "for he shall not speak of himself," is frequently misunderstood and misapplied. It is taken to mean that the Spirit will say nothing about himself, His influence, or function. This cannot be true because the Scriptures furnish us much material about the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit had not spoken about himself we would have known nothing about His work.
The expression here does not mean that the Spirit will say nothing about himself, rather that He will not speak upon His own authority. This passage is clear even in the King James Version when properly considered, "He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak." The thought is that the Spirit is the agent for, not the source of, the testimony. The Revised Version and New English Bible are correct in rendering the expression, "For he will not speak on his own authority."
It must be noted that the Spirit was not only to bring to memory the things Jesus had taught in the past, but was also to reveal future things. Jesus had to forgo dealing with many things because His disciples were not yet able to bear them (John 16:12). The word translated "bear" means literally, "to lift up for the purpose of carrying." Metaphorically it signifies one's taking up thoughts or assimilating concepts. In subsequent revelation the Spirit disclosed many things that were to transpire. One such record is called The Revelation, or Apocalypse. It actually portrays the future of the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdoms of this world.
The Spirit would glorify Jesus, in that every disclosure that was made would be drawn from Jesus, the embodiment of all wisdom and power. Jesus made this clear. "All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:15; RSV). It is evident that the Spirit was to be the earthly advocate or helper during the time Jesus reigned by the will of the Father. It seems equally evident that the witness borne by the Spirit was to be personal, teaching, reminding, and foretelling future events. These are not the actions of a vague influence, but of an individual divine and prescient.
The Spirit is credited with selecting and calling men to fulfill certain missions. The congregation of saints in Antioch of Syria was fortunate in having a number of prophets and teachers in its service. "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, `Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off" (Acts 13:2, 3).
It is interesting to note that while they were sent forth by the congregation, Luke also gives credit to the Holy Spirit. "So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus" (v. 4). That the Spirit mapped out their route and determined the places they were to visit is strongly suggested in Acts 16:6: "And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia." From this it appears that the Holy Spirit is a personality regulating and arranging the work of apostolic mission, exercising control over both time and place for the initial proclamation of the good news in various places. We, being human and limited in both knowledge and insight, are not always capable of judging the opportune time in which to present our witness to a people; but the Spirit, knowing the hearts of men, is able to judge.
The Spirit is portrayed as possessing will and acting accordingly. Three chapters of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians are dedicated to a discussion of special gifts of the Holy Spirit. This was made imperative because of strife, especially over misuse of the ability granted to some to speak in other languages (1 Corinthians 12-14). In 12:7 Paul points out that the gifts are distributed to various members of the body, and each one who receives a manifestation of the Spirit is to use it for the common good.
There follows a catalogue of the nine spiritual gifts, all of which were apparently possessed by individuals in that congregation. The apostle then writes: "All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills" (v. 11). It is clear that in the distribution of gifts the decision as to who should receive them remained with the Spirit. Regardless of how eager one might be to receive a special gift, the final apportionment was not dependent upon the will of the recipient, but upon the will of the Spirit.
An interesting observation about the origin of prophecy occurs in 2 Peter 1:21, where the apostle asserts that the things spoken and written by godly men of old did not result from an interpretation of events by the prophets themselves. They did not observe what was going on and deduce their prophecies from their views of what might lie ahead as a result. They spoke as they were motivated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit determined both the appropriate time and content of prophetic declarations. In this the human will of the mouthpiece was made subservient to the will of the Spirit.
A summary of what has been said in this chapter will remind us that the Holy Spirit possesses a mind, and can communicate thought. Moreover, the Spirit can testify to what has been said by another, guide listeners into truth, men into certain missions, and exercise will in selecting those who are to be recipients of special gifts and qualifying abilities.
Again, it must be emphasized that these are attributes of a person and can hardly be assigned to a mere influence or a vague, motivating force. This means that if one is to share in the life of the Spirit he must become a partaker of the divine life--the life of God--in a genuine personal relationship. This is the distinguishing characteristic between the one who recognizes Jesus as Lord over his life and the one who rejects His lordship. One's acceptance of Christ makes the difference between life and death.