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Bible Encyclopedias
Spirit
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Spirit and Holy Spirit. The leading significations of the original words thus rendered may be classed under the following heads:—
The primary sense of the term is wind. 'He that formeth the mountains and createth the wind' (; ). 'The wind bloweth where it listeth' (). This is the ground idea of the term 'spirit'—air—ether—air refined, sublimated, or vitalized: hence it denotes—
Breath, as of the mouth. 'At the blast of the breath of his nostrils are they consumed' (). 'The Lord shall consume that wicked me with the breath of his mouth' ().
The vital principle which resides in and animates the body (;; ).
In close connection with this use of the word is another—
In which it has the sense of apparition—specter (;; ).
The soul—the rational immortal principle, by which man is distinguished from the brute creation (;;;;; ).
The race of superhuman created intelligences.
The term is applied to the Deity, as the sole, absolute, and uncreated Spirit. 'God is a Spirit.' This, as a predicate, belongs to the divine nature, irrespective of the distinction of persons in that nature. But its characteristic application is to the third person in the Divinity, who is called the Holy Spirit, because of his essential holiness, and because in the Christian scheme it is his peculiar work to sanctify the people of God. He is denominated The Spirit, by way of eminence, as the immediate author of spiritual life in the hearts of Christians.
The words Spirit, and Holy Spirit, frequently occur in the New Testament, by metonymy, for the influence or effects of His agency.
As a procreative power—'the power of the Highest' ().
As an influence, with which Jesus was endued ().
As a divine inspiration or afflatus, by which the prophets and holy men wrote and spoke. 'Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (;;;;;;; ).
As miraculous gifts and powers, with which the Apostles were endowed, to qualify them for the work to which they were called (; ).
But the phrase, Holy Spirit, is specially used to denote a divine personal agent. The Holy Spirit is associated, as a distinct person, with the Father and the Son, in the baptismal formula and the apostolic benediction. The Father and Son are real persons. It is reasonable to think that the spirit who is joined with them in this solemn form of induction into the Christian church, is also a personal agent, and not an abstraction—a mere power or influence. The subject is baptized into the belief of three personal agents. To suppose that, in this solemn profession of faith, he avows his belief in the Father and the Son, and the power or influence of God, is forced and frigid.
He is baptized into the name of each of the three (). We are not baptized into the name of an influence or a power, but into the name of a person—of three real and distinct subjects, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
In the apostolic benedictions, the Spirit, as a person, is associated in the same way with the Father and Son (). In this uniting of the three there is the recognition of the distinct personality of each, in the separate gift which is appropriated to each.
Distinct personal acts and attributes are ascribed to the Holy Spirit too frequently and fully to admit of explanation by the prosopopoeia.
The Holy Ghost speaks, by Esaias the prophet (), expressly (). He teaches (). He reproves the world of sin (). The spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for the saints (). He is grieved ().
Apostles are set apart to him in the work of the ministry, and he appoints them to that work (; ).
These are all acts which imply a personal agent. And these acts and attributes distinguish the Spirit from the person of the Father on the one hand, and from the personal subjects upon which he acts on the other.
The Spirit, as a personal agent, comes from the Father, is sent by the Father, and of course cannot be the Father. As sent by the Father, He maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God, i.e. the Father from whom He came. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (). If there be no distinct personality of the Spirit separate from that of the Father, the real import of these passages must be, that the Father comes from Himself, is sent by Himself, makes intercession to Himself, according to the will of Himself, and that He searches the deep things of Himself—which is a style of writing not to be ascribed to any rational man, and certainly not to inspired apostles.
The Spirit of God () is not a created spirit; and if uncreated, It must be divine in the highest sense; but this Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and a proper person; hence He is God.
As the author of regeneration, or of the new spiritual and incorruptible life in the heart of the believer, He must be divine. This change, the Scriptures abundantly declare, is wrought by the Spirit and power of God.
Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the only sin for which there is no remission (). This sin against the Holy Spirit, in whatever it may consist, is distinguished from all other sins by a degree of guilt which renders it unpardonable. If He be not in his nature truly God, there is nothing in Him to give to sin against Him such a peculiar aggravation. Although it is not simply because the Spirit is God that blasphemy against Him is unpardonable—for then would blasphemy against the Father and the Son also be unpardonable—yet it is a sin against God, and, as being against the third person of the Godhead, it is aggravated to a degree of enormity which it could not receive if committed against any other being than God.
The divine and incommunicable attributes of the Deity are ascribed to the Spirit. These attributes belong exclusively to the divine nature; he who possesses them must have the divine nature and honor as God.
Works truly divine are attributable to the Holy Spirit, as creation and preservation, and especially the work of sanctification.
Of the office of the Holy Spirit, it is only necessary to say, that it is not ministerial, like that of the angels and apostles, but it is the peculiar work in the salvation of man which he performs, as sent by the Father and the Son.
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Spirit'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/s/spirit.html.
