The Person of the Holy Spirit

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Truly understanding the Trinity is impossible this side of Heaven; however, we can understand that all three Persons of the Godhead are just that, persons. It is easy to think of the Father and the Son as persons; the titles they hold imply personality (Barth 220). However the word “spirit” conjures images of smoke and ghosts, not personality. But if it is easy to think of the Father and Son as persons, it should also be easy to think of the Holy Spirit as a person because they are just as much “spirit” as He is. God the Father does not have a body with limitations, and prior to His incarnation, God the Son existed as a spirit and still is a spirit as to His essence (Barth 220). So the Holy Spirit is the same type of being as the Father and the Son.

We can know that the Holy Spirit is a person due to His having the characteristics of a personality: intellect, emotion, and will (Freeman). The intellect of the Holy Spirit is the mind of God. I Corinthians 2:10-11 reveals the Holy Spirit as a thinking being (Freeman). He studies and reasons; therefore, He has a mind. The emotion of the Holy Spirit is seen in both positive and negative lights. Ephesians 4:30 reveals that the Spirit can be grieved or saddened, and Galatians 5:22-23 identifies the fruit of the Spirit, several of which are positive emotions: love, joy, and peace. An emanation, inanimate force, or influence would not have the ability to feel. The will of the Holy Spirit is evident in how He relates to other beings. Acts 15:22-28 reveals that the Spirit chooses or decides (Freeman), and John 16:13 reveals that He guides. He operates according to His will.

The Holy Spirit’s relation to other beings does not simply prove He has a will, it proves He is a person. Relating to someone implies having something in common with him or her. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit is relating to persons by teaching them, speaking to them, and warning them (Freeman). He is able to relate to them in this way because of a common personality. Finally, an action on both my part in this paper and the inspired writers of the Bible emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s person aspect. That action is referring to Him using personal pronouns (Freeman). If the Holy Spirit was not a person, the inspired writers of the Bible would have used “It” rather than “He,” and I would have followed their example.

Why is this important? Knowing the Holy Spirit as a person rather than some inanimate force or being impacts believers in the church by allowing them to understand His ministry in their lives and properly respond to it. If believers were told a force descended on them, what would that mean and how should they respond? But if they are told that the Holy Spirit guides them, they know the proper response is to follow. For me personally, knowing that the Holy Spirit is a person encourages me that I am not alone in this Christian life. As a single woman who lives away from her family, it is very encouraging to know that someone else is always with me and always will be with me. When I first moved away from my family to live in Papua New Guinea, there were times of great loneliness and wondering if I would be able to make it without a present support system like I had at home. However, by knowing that the Holy Spirit indwells me and that He is a person, I knew that Someone would always be there. I don’t think this would have been as comforting or encouraging (if comforting and encouraging at all) without the Holy Spirit being a person that I can relate to because I am a person. This knowledge gives me freedom of movement. If I relocate to Papua New Guinea, He is there; if I make my bed in Waukesha, Wisconsin, behold, He is there.