Difference between revisions of "Holy Spirit" - New World Encyclopedia

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Although the Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit as a distinct "person" within the Holy [[Trinity]] was not fully developed until centuries later, several passages in the [[New Testament]] speak of the Holy Spirit. The word for spirit in New Testament Greek is ''pneuma'', which means air or wind. Unlike the Hebrew ''ruach'', it is a neuter noun, and the masculine pronoun is used for it.
 
Although the Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit as a distinct "person" within the Holy [[Trinity]] was not fully developed until centuries later, several passages in the [[New Testament]] speak of the Holy Spirit. The word for spirit in New Testament Greek is ''pneuma'', which means air or wind. Unlike the Hebrew ''ruach'', it is a neuter noun, and the masculine pronoun is used for it.
  
John's Gospel describes the Holy Spirit as descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove at the time of his [[baptism]] by [[John the Baptist]]. Jesus reportedly describes the Holy Spirit as the promised "Advocate" (John 14:26). In the [[Great Commission]], he instructs his disciples to baptize all men in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. After his [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]], Christ is said to have told his disciples that they would be "[[baptism|baptized]] with the Holy Ghost," and would receive power from this event (Acts 1:4-8), a promise that was fulfilled in the events recounted in the second chapter of the [[Book of Acts]]. On the first [[Pentecost]], Jesus' disciples were gathered in [[Jerusalem]] when a mighty wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. A multilingual crowd heard the disciples speaking, and each of them heard them speaking in his or her native [[language]].   
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John's Gospel describes the Holy Spirit as descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove at the time of his [[baptism]] by [[John the Baptist]]. Jesus reportedly describes the Holy Spirit as the promised "Advocate" (John 14:26). In the [[Great Commission]], he instructs his disciples to baptize all men in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. After his [[resurrection]], Christ is said to have told his disciples that they would be "baptized with the Holy Ghost," and would receive power from this event (Acts 1:4-8), a promise that was fulfilled in the events recounted in the second chapter of the [[Book of Acts]]. On the first [[Pentecost]], Jesus' disciples were gathered in [[Jerusalem]] when a mighty wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. A multilingual crowd heard the disciples speaking, and each of them heard them speaking in his or her native [[language]].   
  
The Spirit is said to dwell inside every true Christian, each person's body being God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16}}). The Holy Spirit is depicted as a 'Counselor' or 'Helper' ('''[[Paraclete]]'''), guiding people in the way of the truth. The Spirit's action in one's life is believed to produce positive results, known as the [[Fruit of the Holy Spirit|Fruit of the Spirit]].  A list of gifts of the Spirit includes the [[charism]]atic gifts of [[prophecy]], [[gift of tongues|tongues]], healing, and knowledge.
+
The Spirit is said to dwell inside every true Christian, each person's body being God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is depicted as a 'Counselor' or 'Helper' ('''[[Paraclete]]'''), guiding people in the way of the truth. The Spirit's action in one's life is believed to produce positive results, known as the [[Fruit of the Holy Spirit|Fruit of the Spirit]].  A list of gifts of the Spirit includes the [[charism]]atic gifts of [[prophecy]], [[gift of tongues|tongues]], healing, and knowledge.
  
 
==Third Person of the Trinity==
 
==Third Person of the Trinity==

Revision as of 21:36, 7 January 2008

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File:Stpetersbasilicaholyspiritwindow.jpg
The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove in the stained glass window behind the Cathedra Petri in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.

The Holy Spirit is a theological term referring to the spirit of God in Judaism and to the Third Person of the Holy Trinity in Christianity. The Christian theology of the Holy Spirit, or pneumatology, was the last piece of Trinitarian theology to be developed. For this reason, there is greater theological diversity among Christian views of the Spirit than of the Son (christology) and the Father.

In Jewish tradition the Holy Spirit is usually thought of as simply the spirit of God which animates life and inspired the prophets. In rabbinical literature it is sometimes identified with the Shekhinah, the feminine aspect of God who is present to the congregation as the Sabbath Queen. In Christian tradition, the Holy Spirit is often depicted artistically as a dove, a reference to the Spirit's descent on Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism.

Unlike the second person of the Trinity, Christian theology does not teach that there was an Incarnation of the Spirit. Instead, the Spirit is usually described as a comforter, advocate, or helper who inspires Christians. Various views about the Holy Spirit's role and nature existed in the early church. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit as a distinct "person" who shares, from the beginning of existence, the same substance with the Father and the Son was established through the councils of Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381). A disagreement about the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son occasioned the Great Schism between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism in 1054.

In Protestantism, the Holy Spirit is particularly important in the Pentecostal tradition, which sees such gifts as speaking in tongues as a sign of the Spirit's presence in the believer. In some traditions, the Holy Spirit is seen as having a feminine character, working with Jesus to give rebirth to those who have faith.

The Holy Spirit in Judaism

The Holy Spirit in Judaism is not distinguished from God as a "person," but is seen more as an aspect, essence, or attribute of God. The word for spirit in Hebrew is ruach, and it is closely related to the concept of breath. In the Book of Genesis, God's spirit hovered over the form of lifeless matter, thereby making the Creation possible (Gen. 1:2). God blew the breath of life into Adam (Gen. 2:7). The Book of Job affirms that "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4;). God is the God of the spirits of all flesh (Num. 16:22). The breath of animals also is derived from Him (Gen. 6:17; Eccl. 3:19-21; Isa. 42:5).

In the Hebrew scriptures, the Holy Spirit enabled the prophets to speak with God's voice.

Thus, all creatures live only through the spirit given by God. However, the terms "spirit of God" and "spirit of the Lord" are not limited to the sense of God as a life-giving spirit. He "pours out" His spirit upon those whom He has chosen to execute His will. This spirit imbues them with spiritual power or wisdom, making them capable of heroic speech and action (Gen. 41:38; Ex. 31:3; Num. 24:2; Judges 3:10; II Sam. 23:2). The spirit of God rests upon man (Isa. 6:2); it surrounds him like a garment (Judges 6:34); it falls upon him and holds him like a hand (Ezek. 6:5, 37:1). It may also be taken away from the chosen one and transferred to some one else (Num. 6:17). It may enter into man and speak with his voice (II Sam. 23:2; Ezek. ii. 2). The prophet sees and hears by means of the spirit (Num. I Sam. 10:6; II Sam. 23:2, etc). The prophet Joel predicted (2: 28-29) that in the Day of the Lord: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit."

What the Bible calls "Spirit of Yahweh (the Lord)" and "Spirit of Elohim (God)" is called in the Talmud and Midrash "Holy Spirit" ("Ruach ha-Kodesh"). The specific expression "Holy Spirit" also occurs in Ps. 52:11 and in Isa. 63:10-11.

In rabbinical literature, the Shekhinah is often referred to instead of the Holy Spirit. It is said of the Shekhinah, as of the Holy Spirit, that it rests upon a person, inspires the righteous, and dwells among the congregation as the Queen of the Sabbath. Like ruach, Shekhinah is a feminine noun, and its function among the congregation and with regard to certain especially holy rabbis, is specifically bride-like.

New Testament

The baptism of Jesus

Although the Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit as a distinct "person" within the Holy Trinity was not fully developed until centuries later, several passages in the New Testament speak of the Holy Spirit. The word for spirit in New Testament Greek is pneuma, which means air or wind. Unlike the Hebrew ruach, it is a neuter noun, and the masculine pronoun is used for it.

John's Gospel describes the Holy Spirit as descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus reportedly describes the Holy Spirit as the promised "Advocate" (John 14:26). In the Great Commission, he instructs his disciples to baptize all men in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. After his resurrection, Christ is said to have told his disciples that they would be "baptized with the Holy Ghost," and would receive power from this event (Acts 1:4-8), a promise that was fulfilled in the events recounted in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. On the first Pentecost, Jesus' disciples were gathered in Jerusalem when a mighty wind was heard and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. A multilingual crowd heard the disciples speaking, and each of them heard them speaking in his or her native language.

The Spirit is said to dwell inside every true Christian, each person's body being God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is depicted as a 'Counselor' or 'Helper' (Paraclete), guiding people in the way of the truth. The Spirit's action in one's life is believed to produce positive results, known as the Fruit of the Spirit. A list of gifts of the Spirit includes the charismatic gifts of prophecy, tongues, healing, and knowledge.

Third Person of the Trinity

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a French miniature from the fourteenth century

In orthodox Christianity, the Holy Spirit came to be seen as a distinct person from God the Father and God the Son. Scripturally, the clearest basis for this doctrine is seen in the triadic formula for baptism—"in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost"—in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).

This formula can also be seen in second-century Christian writings such as the Didache, Ignatius of Antioch and Tertullian (c.160-c.225) and third century writers such as Hippolytus (c.170-c.236), Cyprian (d.258), and Gregory Thaumaturgus (c.213-c.270). It apparently became a fixed expression.

However, the exact nature of the Holy Spirit and its relationship to the other components of the Godhead became a matter of significant debate within the Christian community. For example, Montanus, the second century leader of a charismatic heretical movement known as Montanism, reportedly claimed that his ministry fulfilled Jesus' prediction of the coming of the Paraclete (Holy Spirit) prophesied in John 14:26.

Many, especially Jews and possibly Jewish Christians, criticized the early trinitarian notion as teaching "three gods" instead of one. In order to safeguard monotheism, a theological movement called "Monarchianism" emphasized the oneness of the Trinity, expressing its operation as three modes of God's being and activity. Another form of this movement saw God the Father as supreme, with the Son and the Holy Spirit as creatures rather than being co-eternal with the Father.

Tertullian of Carthage

The influential Church Father Tertullian countered this trend by maintaining that the Father, Son, and Holy spirit are neither one and the same nor separate, but rather merely "distinct" from one another. Tertullian used the expression of "three persons." However, the Latin word persona in those days meant legal ownership or a character, not necessarily a distinct self-conscious being. Thus three distinct "persons" were still of "one substance." It was in this context that Tertullian also used the word trinitas. The terms that Tertullian coined considerably influenced the later Councils of Nicea (325) and of Constantinople (381).

In the fourth century, the aftermath of the Arian controversy led to numerous debates about the Holy Spirit. Eunomians, Semi-Arians, Acacians, for example, all admitted the triple personality of the Godhead but denied the doctrine of consubstantiality (sharing one substance). The Council of Constantinople established consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and Son. It also declared that the Holy Spirit was not "created," but that it "proceeded" from the Father. Thus, the Holy Spirit was now firmly established as the Third Person of the Trinity, really distinct from the Father and the Son, but also existing with them from the beginning and sharing the same divine substance.

Views of the Holy Spirit

A great controversy would later arise between the Catholic and Orthodox churches regarding the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Son. Other denominations hold a variety of views regarding the Holy Spirit.

Roman Catholicism

"Shield Trinity" diagram of the Western, or Roman Catholic, Trinity

The Roman Catholic version of the Nicene Creed reads: "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father and the Son." The addition of "and the son" was strongly objected to by the Orthodox Church, which eventually declared it a heresy, leading ultimately to the Great Schism between Catholicism and Orthodox in 1054.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following in the first paragraph dealing with the Apostles Creed's article I believe in the Holy Spirit:

"No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself...

The Holy Spirit is especially present in the Church and its sacraments. As the Catechism states:

The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit... Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.

Orthodoxy

Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that the Father is the eternal source of the Godhead, from whom is begotten the Son eternally and also from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally. Thus, unlike the Catholic Church and western Christianity in general, the Orthodox Church does not espouse the use of the Filioque clause—"and the Son"—in describing the procession of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is believed to proceed eternally from the Father only, not from the Father and the Son.

Orthodox doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is summarized in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Eastern Catholics and Oriental Orthodox also coincide with Eastern Orthodox usage and teachings on the matter. The Orthodox tradition also stresses the descent of the Holy Spirit during the sacrament of holy communion, when the eucharastic bread and wine are blessed in the epiclesis prayer.

Protestantism

Although Protestant churches have diverse views about the Holy Spirit, most are basically trinitarian in nature, affirming the belief that the Holy Spirit is a distinct "person" sharing the same substance with God the Father and God the Son. Some Protestant churches and movements, however, place unique emphasis on the Holy Spirit or hold particular views about the Holy Spirit that set them apart from the norm.

The apostles receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, as described in the Book of Acts.

For example, Pentecostalism derives its name from the event of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit when Jesus' disciples were gathered in Jerusalem. The Pentecostal movement places special emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of speaking in tongues. Many Pentecostals hold that the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" is distinct a form of the Christian regeneration, separate from the "born-again" experience of conversion or water baptism. Some believe that Holy Spirit baptism is a necessary element in salvation.

Dispensationalism teaches that the current time is the Age of the Holy Spirit, or church age, a teaching that can be found in Medieval writers such as Joachim of Fiore and Saint Bonaventure. Late nineteenth century dispensationalists understood history as a process of seven dispensations, the last dispensation of which would be the thousand-year reign of Christ. Modern dispensationalism was made popular through the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible.

Non-Trinitarian views

In the belief of many non-trinitarian denominations—Christadelphians, Unitarians, Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance—the Holy Spirit is viewed in ways that do not conform to the traditional formula of the councils of Nicea and Constantinople. Some Christadelphians, for example, believe that the Holy Spirit/Comforter is in fact an Angel. [1] Unitarians affirm a strict monotheism, denying the pre-existent divinity of Jesus and rejecting the notion that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the name "Holy Spirit" has many references, depending on its usage and the context in which it appears. The term "Holy Spirit" can denote the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ, or even the Spirit of Truth. The Latter-day Saints teach that these terms are distinct from one another, showing the many aspects and/or functions of God. The Holy Spirit has a "body" of spirit with no flesh and bones, whereas the Father and the Son are said to be resurrected individuals having immortalized bodies of flesh and bone. Although Mormons affirm a belief in the Trinity, in this version of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit exists as a distinct and separate being from the Father and the Son—not simply a distinct "person" with the same "substance."

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that [2] the Holy Spirit is not a "person" or a divine member of the Godhead. At Jesus' baptism in (Matthew 3:16), Jesus received God's spirit, which witnesses say conflicts with the idea that the Son was always one with the Holy Spirit. Also Jesus relates in Mark 13:32 "But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Witnesses note that the Holy Spirit is conspicuously missing from this statement, just as it is missing from Stephen's vision in (Acts 7:55, 56), where he sees only the Son and God in heaven. The Holy Spirit is thus the spiritual power of God, not a distinct person.

Femininity of the Holy Spirit

Numerous Christian or Christian-oriented groups consider that the gender of the Holy Spirit is feminine. Some early Christians apparently took this view. For example, the Gospel of Thomas (v. 101) apparently speaks of the Holy Spirit as Jesus' "true mother," and the Gospel of the Hebrews refers to "my mother, the Holy Spirit."

Coptic Christianity saw the Holy Spirit as the Mother, while regarding the two persons of the Trinity as the Father and Son. So did Zinzendorf (1700-1760), the founder of Moravianism. More recently, Catholic scholars such as Willi Moll, Franz Mayr, and Lena Boff have also characterized the Holy Spirit as feminine. Numerous Catholic artworks have made a special connection between the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, implying a feminine aspect to the Holy Spirit.

The Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. In Unificationist teaching, the Holy Spirit is feminine, and the Moon couple represent Christ and the Holy Spirit in the current age.

The Unity Church's co-founder Charles Fillmore also considered the Holy Spirit a distinctly feminine aspect of God.

Holy Spirit is the love of Jehovah taking care of the human family, and love is always feminine. Love is the great harmonizer and healer, and whoever calls upon God as the Holy Spirit for healing is calling upon the divine love. (Jesus Christ Heals, pp. 182-183)

Some groups point to the fact that the Hebrew word for Spirit, ruach, is feminine. Among these are the Branch Davidian Seventh day Adventists.

Several groups also see in the creation of Adam and Eve a literal image and likeness of the invisible Godhead, Male and Female, who is "clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1:20). The Unification Church affirms this, and also teaches that if Jesus had not been crucified, he would have taken a Bride in whom the Holy Spirit would have incarnated in much the same way that the Christ incarnated in Jesus. However, in this view, the person of Jesus was not constubstantial with the Father, nor was the Holy Spirit. The ideal man could have been realized in Adam, and he and Eve together would have realized a Trinity with God. Moreover, all human beings are potentially capable of realizing this same Trinity; and the church's founders, the Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, have succeeded in doing so.

The "Messianic Jewish" Christian movement B'nai Yashua Synagogues Worldwide[3] headed by Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky, also holds to the feminine view of the Holy Spirit. Based in part on the rabbinical teaching of the femininity of the Shekhinah, there are several other Messianic Jewish-Christian groups with similar teachings. Some examples include Joy In the World, The Torah and Testimony Revealed, and the Union of Nazarene Jewish Congregations/Synagogues, which also counts as canonical the fragmentary Gospel of the Hebrews which has the unique feature of referring to the Holy Spirit as Jesus' "Mother."

Depiction in art

The Holy Spirit, as a dove, and Mary as its particular agent

The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove, based on the account of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove when He was baptized in the Jordan. In many paintings of the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit is shown in the form of a dove, coming down toward Mary on beams of light, representing the Seven Gifts, as the Angel Gabriel's announces Christ's coming to Mary. A dove may also be seen at the ear of Saint Gregory the Great - as recorded by his secretary - or other Church Father authors, dictating their works to them.

The dove also parallels the one that brought the olive branch to Noah after the deluge (also a symbol of peace), and Rabbinic traditions that doves above the water signify the presence of God.

The book of Acts describes the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles at Pentecost in the form of a wind and tongues of fire resting over the apostles' heads. Based on the imagery in that account, the Holy Spirit is sometimes symbolized by a flame of fire.

See also

Notes

  1. Angel www.aletheiacollege.net. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  2. Holy Spirit. www.watchtower.org. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  3. Messianic Jews/ yourarmstoisrael.org. Retrieved October 15, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Burgess, Stanley M. The Holy Spirit: Eastern Christian Traditions. Hendrickson Publishers, 1989. ISBN 9780913573815
  • Küng, Hans, and Jürgen Moltmann. Conflicts About the Holy Spirit. Seabury Press, 1980. ISBN 978-0816420353
  • Schandorff, Esther Dech. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit: A Bibliography Showing Its Chronological Development. ATLA bibliography series, no. 28. Scarecrow Press, 1995. ISBN 9780810825239
  • Schaupp, Joan P. Woman: Image of the Holy Spirit. International Scholars Publications, 1996. ISBN 9781573091152
  • Stanton, Graham, et al. The Holy Spirit and Christian Origins: Essays in Honor of James D.G. Dunn. W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 2004. ISBN 9780802828224
  • Stephens, Bruce M. The Holy Spirit in American Protestant Thought, 1750-1850. Studies in American religion, v. 59. E. Mellen Press, 1993. ISBN 978-0773491939
  • Wright, Christopher J. H. Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament. IVP Academic, 2006. ISBN 9780830825912

External links

All Retrieved on October 12, 2007.

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