The all-wise God , knowing the weakness and limitation of imperfect human beings, made provision whereby He could operate in them, sharpen their wit and invigorate them to work in harmony with His will. To this end He caused to emanate from Him a force or power which is entirely under His control and which cannot be traced to a beginning as of creation nor conceived of as a moral being. This is what we, according to the Scripture, now know as the Holy Spirit.
The net of ignorance and confusion into which the world has been enmeshed in regard to the Holy Spirit was caused by Theophilus of Antioch who hundreds of years after Christ and his early apostles, introduced into the Roman Church the idea of a “triune God”. Though the weight of scripture was against it, the Council of Nicea held in Asia Minor in 325 A.D. declared the doctrine of the “Trinity” as an article of faith. Thus Anthanasius in his creed often read in churches up till this day, stated in part: “ That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Substance, for there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father , of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal…The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate… So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God And yet they are not three Gods but one God and in this Trinity, none is afore the other none is greater or less than another; but the whole three Persons are co- eternal together :and co-equal.” –The Common Prayer, pages 23-24.
The spread of this doctrine of the Trinity world-wide was greatly aided by the use of the Explanatory Catechism of Christian Doctrine, which n answer to questions 25 and 26, states: “There are three Persons in God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. These three Persons are not three Gods. The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost are all one and the same God” (Our Emphasis)
Viewed against the background of the Scriptures, the Anthanasian Creed is full of flaws, inconsistencies and untruths. All Christians agree that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. It has never acted on its own without being sent neither has it appeared at any time as a person or God to speak to anyone. That God Almighty the father is a Person and that Jesus Christ, the Son and express image of the Father’s Person (Heb. 1:3) is a person and God, the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6) but distinct from the Father, there is abundance of evidence in the Holy Bible, and therefore beyond argument. And Jesus Christ said, “I and my Father are one. He did not say, I and my Father and he Holy Spirit are one. The oneness of the Father and Jesus Christ is unity or oneness of purpose and not person. This understanding was clearly portrayed in his prayer that all believers should be one, “even as we (Father and Son) are one.” – John 17:20-23.
Simply put, the Holy Spirit is the active force or power of God by which He works in men and moves them to make utterances and/or carry out His purpose. A person who is given the Spirit to act can be inspired of God. As it is written: “But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Job 32:8.
In ancient times, God sent the Holy Spirit to His prophets whose utterances and predictions were accurate and true. Therefore, what they wrote or said were not their own per se, but the words of God. That was why King David whom God gave the Spirit said: “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue”. 2 Sam. 23:2) He, through the spirit predicted in the Psalms that Jesus would be betrayed by a familiar friend (Judas Iscariot) whose office of bishop another should occupy. (Ps 41:9;69:25;109:8) St. Peter while addressing the disciples after the ascension of Jesus Christ, recalled the prophecies of David the prophet .Said he, “Men and brethren. this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus…. For it is written in the book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take. (Acts 1:16-20). Thus Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.
The Old Testament contains the writings and words of the prophets of old which God moved them through the Holy Spirit to write. They are known as the Scripture. And St Paul declared: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Tim. 3:16.17.
Moreover, Peter the apostle of Jesus Christ said: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” -2 Pet. 1:20-21.
Long before the fist advent of Jesus Christ a prophecy was made by Isaiah that he (Christ) would be given the spirit. As it is written: Tie Spirit of the LORD God is upon me because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…” (lsa. 61:1-3). In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus Christ, on the Sabbath day was given book of Isaiah which he opened and read from the very passage. He then said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” -Luke 4:16-21.
It was on the day of his baptism God Almighty the Father sent him the Holy Spirit and John who baptized him gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like dove, and it abode upon him (Christ).” (John 1:32) And John the Baptist further said “For God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him.”-John 3:34.
If the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same God, why was it necessary for Jesus Christ to be given the Spirit? And with reference to the Christian era, God promised in a prophecy: “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.. (Joel 2:28.29) Jesus Christ, knowing that the prophecy was to commence fulfilment after his ascension to heaven, confirmed the promise thus: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive, because he seeth him not neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. But the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit, 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 14:16-17,26.
It is here evident that the Father has control over the Spirit and sends it at His own pleasure. Even Jesus Christ, the Son, is given to exercise governing influence over the Spirit, and that accounts for his saying to his apostles: “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, see also Acts 1:8) How then can the Spirit in the face of all these be equated with the Father or the Son? And Jesus Christ said: “the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” (John 13:16). In other words the master is greater than the servant as he who sends another is greater than the one sent.
Jesus Christ made good his promise when on the day of Pentecost he sent the Holy Spirit. The house where the disciples were assembled was filled by the Spirit, and there appeared cloven tongues like as of fire, and it rested upon each of the apostles. Then they began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:14) And when the people expressed surprise at what happened, Peter pointed out that it was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel that God would pour His Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy.- Verses 12-18.
Some argued that if the Holy Spirit is not a person or God, why then is the pronoun ‘he’ used for it in the Scriptures. The usage of the pronoun ‘he’ for the Holy Spirit is only a matter of convention in language that permits attributing human characteristics to a thing or even an abstraction. For example, a ship or vessel that sails in the waters usually goes with the pronoun ‘she’. Similarly, the pronoun ‘she’ or ‘her’ is used for a nation or country as in Isaiah 10:11; “Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?”. There are texts which use the neuter gender ‘it’ for the Holy Spirit as we have at Acts 2:3, Romans 8:16, 1 John 2:27 and so on. And if the Holy Spirit is a personality, is the evil spirit or spirit of the devil a person too?
St. Paul admonished the Christians at Thessalonica thus: Quench not the Spirit.” (2 Thess. 5:19) If indeed the Spirit is God, can any human being stop or quench him? Also if the Holy Spirit is God would it be sensible to pour it on all flesh as promised by God through Joel the prophet that fulfilled on the day of Pentecost? It is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is not God or a personality. To quench the spirit is to restrain from acting when urged by the spirit.
How is the Holy Spirit?
The word SPIRIT derived from the Latin word SPIRITUS means breeze or air. Breeze is a gentle wind that blows over the atmosphere as defined in the Collins Concise Dictionary. Breeze or air cannot be seen but can be felt or sensed. A spirit, therefore, cannot be seen but can be felt.
It is in this light we find in the Holy Bible that the “breath of life” in man (Gen 2:7) is referred to as the Spirit of God. Job declared: “All the while my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils; my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.” (Job 27:3,4). When a man dies, the breath of life or the spirit returns to God , the Owner and Possessor of all things. –Eccl. 12:7; see also Zech. 12:1.
The spirit or breath of life in man enables him to reason or think and to understand things. God made man to have a spirit as He has but His own is perfect and higher. Said St. Paul: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11) Can we also say that the spirit of a man is a person? God reveals His secret or deep things to men by His Spirit as made known by St. Paul: “But as it is written: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them into us by His spirit: for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God… which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness into him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Cor.2:9-14.
An area that must be mentioned as worthy of note is that God the Father gave the Holy Spirit to men by measures as gifts. It was only Jesus Christ that obtained it without measure. (John 3:34) Though the spirit is one it manifests itself in variety of gifts. Writing on this, St Paul stated: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit… But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; …But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” – 1 Cor. 12:4-11, see also Rom. 12:3-6; Eph. 4:7-12.
Anointing of the Holy Spirit
Though every true Christian has the Spirit of God, not every one is anointed of the Holy Spirit. It is only Jesus Christ and his closest associates, the apostles and those of their class, known as the “Little Flock” or “Church of the First-born” (Luke 12:32; Heb 12:23) that are given the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Through the anointing they are taught in spirit the hidden things of God, and they do not need to be taught by man. Jesus Christ received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38). And John the apostle wrote: “But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1 John 2:27). This anointing is the “ First fruits of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:23) that enables the recipients to see visions and understand mysteries. St. Paul who after his conversion did not meet any of the apostles before he went about preaching Christ, said he was not taught by man. – Gal. 1:11,12.
The Holy Spirit is sometimes personified in the Holy Writ. We agree Jesus said that whoever sins or says a word against him would be forgiven, but whosoever sins or speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come. (Matt. 12:31,32) He did not by this mean that the Holy Spirit is a person or God, nor did he infer that the Spirit was greater than himself. One sins against the Holy Spirit when one having received the gift of the Spirits commits the offence willfully. Such a person, according to St. Paul, crucifies to himself the Son of God afresh. (Heb. 6:4-6;10:26) And St. Peter likened such a person to a dog that turned again to his own vomit. 2 Peter 2:20-22.
A Christian who has been given the grace of the spirit in any capacity should not do anything against it otherwise he will grieve the Spirit. And we are admonished not to grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:10). The things that grieve the Spirit were described by St. Paul as the works of the flesh. He said, “Walk in the Spirit. and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:16,17). He then added: ”Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as have also told you in time past, that they which do those things shall not inherit he Kingdom of God.” Verses 19-21.
For a Christian to show that he has the Holy Spirit, he or she must not behave like one under the influence of alcohol, speak with eyes red, gyrate and strike himself or herself to the ground. Not by demonstration of power to perform miracles s false prophets and teachers do, nor by false interpretation of dreams or visions. But it must be by a decent, orderly and responsible conduct in preaching the truth in accordance with the Scriptures. In this regard, St. Paul said: “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” –Gal. 5:22-23. See also Eph. 5:9.
The facts have been made bare: the Holy Spirit is neither a person nor God. It proceeds from God, and is under the control of the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. It must not, therefore, be worshipped. And Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. (John 17:3) He did not include the Holy Spirit.