I have been in many Bible classes where the teacher asks the dreaded, open-ended question that seems rather innocent at first, but becomes increasingly more dangerous as time progresses. I’ve seen entire class periods go by, derailed by various inputs and futile speculations. I’ve watched brother and sister fight over topics and show animosity toward one another, creating rifts and divisions in God’s family. At the end of it all, I’ve witnessed God’s Word be twisted in every direction imaginable. All of these situations stem from the simple question of, “what does this scripture mean to you.”

When we craft a subjective question for an objective truth, the inerrant standard of God’s Word is free to be distorted and shaped however we’d like. We rule over the text rather than letting the text reign over us. Perhaps a better approach would be asking the question, “what does this passage mean for me” rather than “what does this passage mean to me.” It’s a subtle shift of inquiry, but by asking what it means “for me” allows an introspective response to the text whereas asking “to me” leads one to believe God’s Word can be interpreted numerous different ways. The text has its own existence set apart from you and me – it was here before us and will be here after us. It is not liberated to change its message willingly under the condition of time, culture, or experience. Therefore it is the Bible that has the authority to change me, and not the other way around.

Consider the Ethiopian in Acts 8. Philip precisely asked, “do you understand what you are reading?” He didn’t embark on the vain expedition of asking, “how does this text make you feel” or “what does this mean to you?” He assessed the level of knowledge and proceeded to teach the truth. This instance in particular is especially riveting for the dual-fulfillment prophecy of Isaiah 53; understanding that there was an initial truth for Isaiah’s time and a prophetic fulfillment for the age of the Messiah. After teaching of the suffering servant and alluding to the connection to Christ, there was significant obedience on the part of the Ethiopian (8:34-39).

I believe interacting with the Bible by asking questions (the right ones) is healthy for the devoted Bible student. But there is an inherent danger in asking “what does this mean to me” for by it, I am establishing a truth that could be contradictory to my neighbor. We know from the inspired writers that the text is there for our instruction, correction, and training (2 Tim. 3:16). We also know that scripture is perfect and without void (1 Cor. 13:10). Let’s strive to be honest, reliable, and immovable students of scripture. By doing so, we refuse to stand in the way of God’s message.

— Tyler King

The Person of the Holy Spirit

There are religious organizations who believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person like the other persons in the godhead. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses denomination believes that the Holy Spirit is simply “God’s active force” in the world. TheirNew World Translation of the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of the watery deep; and God's active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2) All other translations of the Bible say, “the Spirit of God moved on the face of the water.”

The Holy Spirit is not some glorified “it.” The Holy Spirit is not just an influence or some vague force such as a fog, electricity, or wind. The Holy Spirit is not merely a mode or an aspect, neither is the Spirit the mind, temper or disposition of God or Christ. The Holy Spirit is not the same thing nor synonymous with the Bible or the Word of God. There are many things which both are said to do, but this does not make them the same. There is a difference between the Spirit and “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). It seems also, because the King James Version uses the word “Ghost,” that it led the thinking of many people in the wrong direction. It may have caused some to think of something “spooky” like the “ghosts” which appear around Halloween.

There may be other reasons that caused people not to realize that the Holy Spirit is a person just like God the Father and God the Son are persons. By saying that the Holy Spirit and other members of the godhead are “persons,” the writer does not mean that they are “persons” as human being. They are spiritual beings.

Evidence that the Holy Spirit Is a Being

First, masculine personal pronouns are used when speaking of the Holy Spirit. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26; see also16:13-14). Notice that the pronoun is “He” not “it.”

Second, another proof that the Spirit is a person is that He is capable of speaking. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak” (John 16:13). Inanimate objects cannot speak. The primary work of the Spirit was to guide the apostles and prophets in recording God’s word. He spoke to them as he guided them into all truth.

After the Bible was written, The Spirit no longer speaks to people. It is also interesting to note that even in Bible times, the Holy Spirit never spoke to a sinner. He always spoke to one of God’s prophets or apostles. An example of that is found in Acts 8. When Philip followed the instructions of an angel and arrived at the road that went from Jerusalem to Gaza, he found a man from Ethiopia. “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot’” (Acts 8:29). Why didn’t the Spirit speak directly to the sinner? That was not God’s plan, even in the days when the Spirit did speak to people. God’s plan was for men and women to teach other men and women (I Corinthians 1:21; Romans 10:14).

Third, another proof that the Holy Spirit is a person is that He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Inanimate objects cannot grieve. He has all the emotions that we have.

Conclusion

Much more evidence could be given to show that the Holy Spirit is a person and not some “active force of God.” He has been active from the creation of the world (Genesis 1:1-2). Next week, it will be show that He is also part of the godhead, thus God.

— Wayne Burger