The Holy Spirit, part one

Lately I've been thinking quite a bit about the Holy Spirit. I think over the next few blog posts I will be discussing the Holy Spirit. First, I am going to give a general introduction. This is a paper I wrote a few years back for a religion class, at a secular university. Be kind, I wrote it, like I did every paper, the night before it was due. :p

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17). If there is one verse that could describe what the Holy Spirit meant to the First Century church, one could make a very well placed bet that the preceding verse would have hit the nail on the head, so to speak. The Holy Spirit has been a very important aspect of the Christian faith, both in times ancient and even still today. As seen in the book of Acts, the recordings of the earliest Christians, the Holy Spirit played an important part in emboldening the Apostles and early converts through signs, healings, and acts of supernatural means. This will show that through Scripture, the Holy Spirit is a part of God, given to those who follow Christ, as a testament of their faith as well as Spiritual guidance, as this is how the 1st century Christians saw the Spirit.

To understand the purpose of the Holy Spirit and its actions, as written in scripture, one must first come to understand the nature what the Holy Spirit actually is. The word used for the Holy Spirit in Greek, is most associated with wind or breath(1). Acts 2:2 says “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting”. The word usage of wind is not likely accidental. When one imagines breath or wind certain images come to mind. For example, if one were to look outside as the wind blew, one would be able to see the effects of the wind, while not being able to see the wind itself. The Holy Spirit is seen much in the same light. There is no record of the Spirit having ever taken a physical, seen presence. Instead, it is this invisible force that is only measured by the works that are performed by it(2). And just like wind, it can be very subtle, like a gentle spring breeze, or as a heavy wind, as seen in Acts 2. But, as mentioned, it’s not only seen as wind, but as a breath. Why? Breathing is a sign that a person is a life. It is essential for those who are alive to take breaths. Christian Scripture is loaded with rhetoric about new life, especially after baptism, when the Holy Spirit fills a person(3). The idea of filling a person is also tied into breathing. Take a breath. When one breathes in, one’s lungs are filled with life giving breath, until the point that one is so full of it that they have to literally expel some. Essentially, this is the same with the Holy Spirit. The idea is that God will pour so much of himself into a believer through the Spirit, that that believer will in turn pour it into others to witness to them the wonders of God. God is using a part of Himself to allow others to know him fully. Then again, how does one know that God and the Holy Spirit are of the same ilk?

Luke answered the aforementioned question in Luke, while narrating the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5: 3-4 says “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” Luke mentions first the Holy Spirit, as saying that Ananias had his heart filled with Satan, causing him to lie to the Holy Spirit. However, in the very next verse it says that God was lied to. It seems that the author realized that the connection would be made that God and the Holy Spirit are one. A similar word exchange is used in 1 Cor. 3:16 and 6:19, where the Christian is described as a Temple of God, and then as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Both of these will be important later on when Christians begin to think more in depth about the relationship of the Godhead, in terms of Trinitarian theology. Matthew 28:14 has also been used to show that the Godhead is composed of multiple parts, including the Holy Spirit. Jesus says in that verse, that the Apostles should go and make disciples in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, showing a relationship between the three. Jesus also is recorded as saying in Acts 1: 4-5, that the Father would give a gift to the believers, in the form of the Holy Spirit. Can the Father give away something that is not His? Surely this is the logic that many early Christians used when explaining the Holy Spirit.

Up to this point this paper has focused on what the Spirit is, including that it is part of the Godhead, and is of supernatural or divine origin, per Christian scripture. But what exactly does the Holy Spirit do? Several passages in the book of Acts reveals to us that the Holy Spirit preformed several miracles for believers to witness to them the power of God. The most famous example is in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit comes down on the day of Pentecost to a group of believers in Jerusalem. The Spirit could have done a multitude of wonders for the believers and non-believers alike there, yet it chose to give the power of speaking in tongues to believers. One could only assume that the reason for this action is that the Holy Spirit desired to get people of various tongues to hear the wonder of Christ. Readers of the Bible know that the Spirit glorifies Christ(4) , so this would make sense as to why the Spirit chose this particular supernatural event. But perhaps another reason was attached to this. As mentioned before, the Holy Spirit was known by the Greek word for breath. However, it was also know by the word for Comfort, paraklete. Jesus said in John 15:26 ““But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”(5) The Helper here is more accurately translated as comforter. In acts, we see the Spirit working as that comfort and that help. Take for example Acts 9:31: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”(6) Notice that the Holy Spirit here is seen as helping and comforting the believers by encouraging them. Though there was a time of peace, no doubt that many of them were unsure about the times ahead of them. The Holy Spirit gave them encouragement as well as strength in numbers, so that they could continue to do the work of Jesus Christ.

The last rather important piece of information about the Holy Spirit is that it has much to do with the process of salvation. While the Father begot a Son which died for mankind, it is the Holy Spirit which convicts people of their sin. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit this: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Not only does He convict the heart of sin, but He also has a great deal to do with Baptism, and important Christian rite. In Acts, every time there was talk about salvation, there was talk about Baptism afterwards, and then the Holy Spirit would fill a person’s life. For example, Acts 2:37-38 is a point where Peter is speaking about what to do in regards to being saved. Peter said "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Even in the case of Jesus, the Holy Spirit only came upon Him once and only once He was baptized. This author personally believes that this is the case because the Holy Spirit is involved in a process known as sanctification, in which a person is cleansed of the past sins and desires through faith and acts of said faith(7).

Much more can be said about the Holy Spirit than what has been covered. Consider other works it does, such as giving wisdom(8) , interceding(9), giving guidance(10) , etc... One can even say that the fruit of the Spirit is a work of the Spirit(11). Or perhaps one could also consider a less spoken side of the Spirit, such as when people who were baptized were not given the Spirit(12). Yet, this author believes that with what has been said about the Spirit in the selected Scripture is sufficient to paint a picture of a force that is not of this world, which is divine in nature, and works miracles and wonders in whomever it comes in contact with. It is clear that 1st Century Christians relied heavily on the Holy Spirit. They relied on it for strength, guidance, hope, comfort, and so much more. And like a fresh spring breeze, it never failed, nor fails in this day and age, to comfort and bring serenity. At the same time, like a tornado, there is nothing, neither ancient nor modern, that can stand against its power.

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Notes:
(1)Pneuma is the Greek in this case.
(2)John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you
(3)Matthew 3: 16-17 says that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit after He was baptized.
(4)John 15:26, 16:13-14;1 Cor. 6:19-20
(5)See also John 14:16.
(6)Compare to Romans 8:26. The Spirit helps us in weakness.
(7)Romans 15:16
(8)John 16:13
(9)Romans 8:26
(10)Romans 8:14
(11)Galatians 5:22-23
(12)Acts 8:16