Friday, April 18, 2008

The Doctrine of the Trinity is Under Attack – Part 5


Introduction
In this final article concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of the Holy Spirit is presented. The early heresies of the church concerning the Holy Spirit are found in the Gnostics and Montanism (151-171) who claimed for themselves special knowledge, spiritual gifts and the powers of the apostles. Sabellianism denied the Trinity claiming the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were merely modes of manifestation and was "the first major error on the doctrine of the Trinity to gain a large following in the church." (Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, p. 240)

Arius held that the Holy Spirit was the first created being produced by the Son. In modern times, the Rationalism of the day led Schleiermacher (1768-1834) to deny the personality of the Spirit. The liberal, with their denial of the supernatural, sees the Holy Spirit as a manifestation of divine influence in the world, and as Dr. Walvoord says, "sometimes little removed from a pantheistic concept of God identified with nature." (IBID)

The Deity of the Holy Spirit
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been the most consistently ignored teaching. The problem is identified by Dr. Couch who writes,

"Surprisingly, Christians often go from one extreme to another in attempting to explain the Holy Spirit. Some see Him simply as an outside force and an influence that really cannot be explained. Others believe that feeling and emotional excitement are evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work…The world, of course, is really confused about the Holy Spirit, because it does not see the Bible as an authoritative source of knowledge about any divine truth. Part of the problem lies with the fact that we are in the period of the cult of the New Age. The New Age is a combination of Pantheism, Humanism and a revival of Hinduism that is now penetrating the Western thinking. The New Age generally presents the idea of the Spirit as the great power or force." (Couch, Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 10-11)



The Person of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Ryrie writes concerning the Person of the Spirit, "Denial that the Spirit is a person often takes the form of substituting the concept that He is a personification of, say, power – much like claiming the Satan is a personification of evil. This denial of His personality has occurred throughout church history, first by the Monarchians, the Arians, the Socinians, and today the Unitarians, liberals, and some neo-orthodox theologians. But there is a great deal of evidence that He is a person."
(Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 395)
The problem of the identification of the Spirit as a person may be identified by two points:

  1. The Spirit speaks for the Father and Son. Dr. Chafer points out the problem saying, "…the Spirit does not now speak from Himself or of Himself; rather, He speaks whatsoever He hears (John 16:13; Acts 13:2), and He is said to come into the world to glorify Christ (John 16:14). In contrast to this, Scripture represents both the Father and the Son as speaking from themselves; and this, not only with final authority and by the use of the personal pronoun I, but presenting them as being in immediate communion, cooperation, conversation – the one with the other. All this tends to make less real the personality of the Holy Spirit who does not speak from or of Himself." (Major Bible Themes, p. 87)

  2. The Spirit is not spoken of anthropomorphically. "The problem in the minds of many people is that personality can exist only in human beings, as though personality can relate only to finite beings but not to the infinite." (Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology, p. 249)


Divine Titles of the SpiritIt should be noted that the word for spirit in the Greek is a neuter noun meaning "wind, breath, spirit." The Greek uses masculine pronouns to describe the Holy Spirit. The inconsistent mix of neuter noun with masculine pronoun proves the Holy Spirit is masculine and hence the same essence as both the Father and Son. "The Hebrew word Ruach and the Greek word Pneumatos both mean spirit or wind. This term was given to describe the Holy Spirit because He is unseen. Too, He is unfelt and moves among men as a wind that cannot be seen or touched." (Couch, The Holy Spirit, p. 15)


  1. He is called God. The Holy Spirit is specifically called God in Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 3:17.

  2. The Spirit of God. The title "the Spirit of God" means He is the Person of God. Dr. Enns notes, "Probably in most instances when the term Spirit of God is used, it is a reference to the Holy Spirit rather than the Father, similarly, when the term Spirit of Christ is used it is usually a reference to the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is that if the Father were intended, it would be most normal to use God, Lord, and so forth; if Christ were intended, it would be most normal to use the name Jesus Christ." (Moody Handbook of Theology, p. 249)

    • Titles relating the Spirit to the Father are: (a) Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2; Matt. 3:16); (b) Spirit of the Lord (Luke 4:18); (c) Spirit of our God (1 Cor.

      6:11); (d) His Spirit (Num. 11:29); (e) Spirit of Jehovah (Judges 3:10); (f) Thy Spirit (Ps. 139:7); (g) Spirit of the Lord God (Isa. 61:1); (h) Spirit of your Father (Matt. 10:20); (I) Spirit of the Living God (2 Cor. 3:3); (j) My Spirit (Gen. 6:3); (k) Spirit of Him (Rom. 8:11).

    • Titles relating the Spirit to the Son are: (a) Spirit of Christ (Rm. 8:9; 1 Pet. 1:11); (b) Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19); (c) Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7); (d) Spirit of His Son (Gal. 4:6); (e) Spirit of the Lord (Acts 5:9; 8:39).

  3. He is called "another Helper" (John 14:16). Jesus promises to send "another Helper." The word for another is the Greek word allos meaning "another of the same kind." Jesus did not say "another" (heteros "another of a different kind").
The Attributes of His PersonalityThe Holy Spirit possesses intellect, emotion and will which demonstrates He must be a person.
  1. He has intellect.

      2.
    • He knows and searches the things of God. "But God as revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:10)

    • He possesses a mind. "Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom. 8:27)

  2. He teaches people (1 Cor. 2:13).

  3. He has Emotion. He can be grieved by the sinful actions of believers. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Eph. 4:30)

  4. He has a will. The Spirit has a will, indicating He has the power of sovereign choice. "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills." (1 Cor. 12:11; cf. Acts 16:6-11)
Dr. Strong writes, "He is affected as a person by the acts of others. That which can be resisted, grieved, vexed, blasphemed, must be a person; for only a person can perceive insult and be offended. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost cannot be merely blasphemy against a power or attribute of God, since in that case blasphemy against God would be a less crime than blasphemy against his power. That against which the unpardonable sin can be committed must be a person." (Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 324)

The God of the Old Testament as the Spirit of the New Testament
Several times the Holy Spirit is used in reference to God in the Old Testament.
  1. Isaiah 6:8-10/Acts 28:25-27 – Isaiah 6:9-10 is quote in Acts 28:26-27 as spoken by the Holy Spirit while Isaiah attributes it to Jehovah and Adonai.
  2. Psalm 95:7-11/Hebrews 3:7-11
  3. Jer. 31:31-34/Heb. 10:15-17 – What Jehovah declares in Jeremiah is attribute to the Holy Spirit in Hebrews. The title of Jehovah, reserved for the true God, is therefore used of the Holy Spirit.
He is said to be equal with GodThe Spirit is said to be equal with the Father and the Son (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). In Matthew 28:19, the baptismal formula relates the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on an equal basis.

The Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit is said to be indwelt by God (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Eph. 2:22). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is said to be an act against God (Matt. 12:31-32; cf. Acts 5:1-4).

The Holy Spirit has divine attributes
  1. Omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-10; John 14:17; 1 Cor. 3:16)
  2. Eternality (Ge. 1:2; Heb. 9:14)
  3. Omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-11; John 16:13)
  4. Omnipotence (Job 33:4; Luke 1:35; Rom. 8:11)
  5. Holiness (Matt. 12:32; Rom. 1:4)
Divine Works are ascribed to the Spirit
  1. Creator (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4)
  2. Preservation and government (Ps. 104:30)
  3. Miracles (Matt. 12:28; 1 Cor. 12:4; Luke 1:35)
  4. Life giver (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; Rom. 8:11)
  5. Generating Christ (Matt. 1:20)
  6. Author of Scriptures (2 Sam. 23:1-2; 2 Pet. 1:21)
  7. Illumination (Eph. 1:17-18)
  8. Intercession (Rom. 8:26)
  9. Sanctification (2 Thes. 2:13)
  10. Helping Saints (John 14:16)
  11. Remission of sin and regeneration (1 Cor. 6:11; John 3:5)
  12. Conviction (2 Tim. 3:16; John 16:7-11)
  13. Restraining sin (2 Thes. 2:6-7)
  14. Regeneration of the believer (John 3:3; Titus 3:5)
The Holy Spirit is WorshipedWorship is prescribed only to God and the Holy Spirit is rendered worship (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 1:4). Dr. Shedd notes, "The reason why less is said in Scripture respecting the adoration and worship of the third person that of the others is that in the economy of redemption it is the office of the Spirit to awaken feelings of worship, and naturally, therefore, he appears more as the author that the object of worship." (Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, p. 269)

The Sending of the SpiritThe designations "Spirit of God" affirm the procession, or "going forth" of the Spirit from both the Father and the Son. John 15:26 affirm that both Christ and the Father sent the Spirit: "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me" (John 15:26). "The present tense of John 15:26 ("proceeds") is used to understand the eternality of the relationship. Hence, the Holy Spirit is spoken of as eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. The eternal procession of the Spirit seems to be affirmed by Psalm 104:30, which indicates the Holy Spirit came forth from the Father in the Old Testament economy." (Enns, p. 253)

ConclusionThe Christian is well warned by the Lord Himself concerning watching out for false prophets, teachers, and Christs (Matt. 24:24). The apostle Paul warns of keeping sober, watching what creeps into the church (1 Thes. 5:6), even leaders are to be examined (2 Pet. 2:1). The false Christs, the false saviors have come, promising salvation in them, in their organization. They pronounce special knowledge that only they possess, and at the same time make God into something other than what He has revealed in Scripture.

Ron Carlson and Ed Decker write, "There are many humanists and philosophers today who seek to study God from man’s viewpoint. We have the study of the philosophy of religion, the sociology of religion, the anthropology of religion, and the psychology of religion. Man, beginning with the image of himself as the model, seeks to define what God is like. But man, beginning from himself, can only arrive at a very small and warped concept of God." (Fast Facts on False Teachings, p. 34)


The Trinity is the heart of God. Making Christ the Son into a created creature, making the Holy Spirit into an impersonal force is too often used as a source of personal gain. At the heart of the perversion are those who would make the members of the Godhead into an impersonal being. One cannot go to the Scriptures and find the word Trinity, but for those who will be intellectually honest, the concept is found over and over again in Scripture. Therefore, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).
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