We have discussed elsewhere how the concept of YHWH as a âtrinityâ of three âco-equal personsâ (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) does not do justice to the Biblical data. Behind the pagan accretions, it has echoes of some Hebraic ideas, but not combined in a way that best fits the overall picture. So, if the Son is not YHWH Himself incarnate but is His Word fleshed out as the Second Adam with the image of Elohim fully restored, then where does that leave the Holy Spirit?
The best way to come to conclusions is to scrutinize the pure, plain Scriptural data, rather than starting from dogma (which could be biased) and trying to prove it from this verse or that. So how is the Holy Spirit actually presented in Holy Scripture? Letâs make a thorough study so we donât miss anything.
Letâs take a step back and look at how the Scriptures use the term âspiritâ (Hebrew, ruaH) in general, since it does have a âsecularâ sense as well, just as in English we can speak of âteam spiritâ or say, âThat girl has spirit!â If we understand this, it may help us get a better sense of what the âHoly Spiritâ is.
The most basic meaning of ruaH is âbreathâ. (Isa. 42:5) In some of the very earliest theology, Iyov said, âThe Spirit of Elohim has made me; the breath of El Shaddai has given me life.â (Job 33:4; cf. Ezekiel 37:14) Genesis 2:7 gives us a clue as to how: it says, âYHWH Elohim formed manâ¦and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.â Iyov also equated the spirit of Elohim being within him with there being breath in his nostrils. (27:3) Solomon recognized that no one has power to hold onto his spirit when it is his time to die. (Qoh./Eccles. 8:8) It returns to Elohim, who gave it. (12:7) Â
In verb form, it means to smell (Gen. 8:21), and is related to the word for âaromaâ (reaH) âparticularly to breathe in deeply, enjoy a fragrance (Lev. 26:31), and accept what someone offers. (1 Samuel 26:19; Amos 5:21) Related to this, it speaks of the ability to quickly perceive or judge based on an odor as opposed to what one sees or hears (Isaiah 11:3), like when we can tell that food has gone bad with just one whiff.  ReaH is often paired with niHoaH (pleasing, satisfying, soothing, calming)âsomething that settles someone down after He has been enraged. So it includes a strong emotional element.
For oneâs spirit to rise up indicates fierce anger. (Eccles./Qoh. 10:4) Anguish of spirit kept the enslaved Israelites from listening to Moses. (Ex. 6:9) Asaf and David felt that their spirits were overwhelmed (Psalm 77:3; 142:3; 143:4) and therefore failing (143:7). Hannah had a sorrowful spirit. (1 Sam. 1:15; compare Isaiah 54:6) Pharaohâs spirit was troubled by a dream (Gen. 41:8; compare Daniel 2:1; 7:15; Yochanan 13:21; Acts 17:16), probably literally disrupting his breathing pattern. Ezekiel spoke of bitterness within himself as âheat of spiritâ. (Ez. 3:14) Someone can be âfervent in spiritâ. (Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11) Yeshua became âextremely gladdened in spiritâ (Luke 10:21) at his studentsâ success. But he sighed deeply in his spirit (Mark 8:12) when fed up with people who had little, dare we say, spiritual perceptiveness; we would call him âexasperatedâ, which is literally âhaving run out of breathâ.
The spirit is often associated with the âheartâ (e.g., Psalm 78:8; Ezek. 21:7)âused metaphorically as a personâs innermost passions which set the tone for his words (Isa. 59:13) and actions. (Mat. 12:38; 15:18, 19) The âspirit in his bellyâ might constrain someone to speak what filled his mind. (Job 32:18) When Mosheâs spirit was provoked, he spoke inadvisedly (Psalm 106:32-33), while one with a âfaithful spiritâ knows how to restrain his speech. (Prov. 11:13) One who rules his own spirit is counted mightier than one who conquers a city. (Prov. 16:32; 25:28) A haughty spirit leads to calamity, for it is reckless. (Prov. 16:18) A âhasty spiritâ is contrasted with being slow to anger (literally âlong-nostriledâ!) (Prov. 14:29) When two of his disciples were indeed be hasty about judgment, Yeshua told them, âYou donât realize what kind of spirit you have.â (Luke 9:55) Â
A âspirit of jealousyâ can come over a husband (Num. 5:14)âas an overwhelming, almost obsessive sense that something is not right. Israel was even misled by a âspirit of whoredomâ. (Hosea 4:12; 5:4) So not every spirit is a positive one. (1 Yochanan 4:1) Oneâs spirit can turn against Elohim (Job 15:13), being âhardenedâ like an obstinate heart (Deut. 2:30). Some have spirits full of deceit (Psalm 32:2). We are therefore warned, âtake heed to your spiritâ. (Mal. 2:15) YHWH wants to use it to search out oneâs motives (Prov. 20:27) with the lamp of His Torah. (Prov.6:23) âSoulâ and âspiritâ work in tandem (Luke 1:46-47), but YHWHâs living word can even distinguish between these, sorting out what are just passing thoughts and what our actual intentions are. (Hebrews 4:12) Â
A âbroken heartâ produces a humble and âcontrite spiritâ with which YHWH is able to work. (Psalm 34:18; 51:17; Prov. 29:23; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; Mat. 5:3) A âmeek [teachable] and quiet spiritâ¦is of great value to YHWH.â (1 Peter 3:4) David prays, ârenew a correct spirit in my innermost partâ when asking YHWH to create a clean heart for him. (Psalm 51:10) After He does, one must then in turn restore others who slip in a âspirit of meeknessâ, remembering our own potential to fall. (Gal. 6:1) Â
In these cases, oneâs spirit refers to his attitude. A âspirit of faithâ (2 Cor. 4:13) is the disposition to believe. When those around him were fearful, Caleb had a âdifferent spiritâ about him, which impressed YHWH. (Num. 14:24) Seeking YHWH with oneâs spirit (Isa. 26:9) seems to mean doing it enthusiastically. Â
The spirit in man (put there by YHWH, Zekh. 12:1) is paralleled with inspiration from Him (Job 32:8) to be generous, for example. (Ex. 35:21) The spirits of even pagan kings were âstirred up by⦠Elohimâ (1 Chron. 5:26) to carry out His judgment (Cf. 2 Chron. 21:16; Jer. 51:11) or end His peopleâs exile. (2 Chron. 36:22; Ezra 1:1) He âraised up the spiritsâ of others to rebuild His Temple. (Ezra 1:5)Â
The queen of Sheba had âno more spirit in herâ (1 Kings 10:5) when she saw Solomonâs magnificence. This does not mean she died, but she lost all motivation to try to compete with his reputation. Iyov said YHWHâs âattacksâ âdrank up his spiritâ (Job 6:4), i.e., sapping him of the will to live. The human spirit can be âbrokenâ by a misused tongue (Prov. 15:4) or a wounded heart. (15:13) YHWH holds back His anger to spare the human spirit from fainting away. (Isa. 48:16) Â
Jacobâs spirit revived when he saw evidence that Joseph was still alive. (Gen. 45:27) I.e., he cheered up, or again had the will to live and renewed enthusiasm about life. Samsonâs spirit was revived when he drank water after having fought to the point of exhaustion. (Judges 15:19) Similarly, one manâs spirit âcame backâ when he was given food again after three days without. (1 Sam. 30:12) Someone actually raised from the dead was described in the same way. (Luke 8:55) We too can, by generous love, refresh one anotherâs spirits. (2 Cor. 7:13) This can keep them going, pushing on through infirmity (Prov. 18:14)
The Spirit of Elohim
Now how do we apply all of these understandings of âspiritâ when we are talking about YHWH?
One time Paul gave what he admitted was his opinion, but said he thought he had the âspirit of Elohimâ. (1 Cor. 7:40) In this context, it means he was confident that he was at least operating by the same principles as YHWH does. He knew that a âspirit of fearâ does not come from YHWH, who instead gives us a spirit of âpower, love, and a sound mind.â (2 Timothy 1:7) The prophets assumed no one was capable of directing or influencing YHWHâs spirit with their own advice. (Isa. 40:13) So here, âspiritâ would seem to refer to His intent and motive, decided upon before He acts.
But there are other ways this phrase âspirit of Elohimâ is used. As we saw above, âspiritâ is related to the word for âsmellâ or âperceiveââthat is, to sense or âfeelâ something tangible yet not solid, like wind. In fact, another âeverydayâ use of the word ruaH does refer to wind or a breeze (e.g., Isaiah 40:7). Ezekiel often tells of âthe spiritâ picking him up and moving him elsewhere (8:3; 11:1, 24; compare Revelation 17:3; 21:10), and the meaning of ruaH that best fits that context is a strong wind. (Ez. 2:2; 3:12, 14; 8:3; 37:1; 43:5) Possibly in anticipation of the whirlwind that carried him away later, a fellow prophet was afraid âthe spirit of Elohimâ would carry Eliyahu away to where he could not find him. (1 Kings 18:12) This seems to speak of a gust that greatly exceeded ordinary wind. (Compare Acts 8:39.) Â
The very first usage of the phrase âSpirit of Elohimâ (Genesis 1:2) may even be meant in this sense. The term âElohimâ can mean something âof magnificent proportionââe.g., extraordinarily-sized mountains (Psalm 36:6), as in English someone might (irreverently or not) say, âThat was a god-awful storm!â What was acting on the yet-unorganized creation may have been such an extremely mighty wind. Â
Metaphorically, then, spirit is something powerful and perceptible but not concrete or easily measurable. So the analogy Yeshua made between wind and those âborn of [YHWHâs] spiritâ was perfectly fitting. (Yochanan 3:8)Â
Similarly, ruaH elohim can mean an âoutstanding empowermentâ with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, or even craftsmanship (Ex. 35:31) This seems to be what Pharaoh meant when he said there was a âspirit of elohimâ within Joseph. (Gen. 41:38) He recognized an extraordinary ability in him to solve problems. Now this was a pagan kingâs idea, so we might not want to base our theology on his opinion. (Compare Daniel 4:8) Yet the concept of YHWHâs spirit being put into a person, giving him wisdom (Gen. 41:38; Num. 27:18), is upheld by many other Scriptures.Â
YHWHâs âgood spiritâ gives insight. (Neh. 9:20) He placed a âspirit of wisdomâ (skill in putting knowledge to practical use) in some people to enable them to make the high priestâs holy garments (Ex. 28:3) and the articles of the Tabernacle which Moshe had been shown in a vision on Mount Sinai. (Ex. 31:3) Such a spirit revealed the same patterns in heaven to David so he could design a larger-scale temple that also portrayed them. (1 Chron. 28:12)
Over and over in the book of Judges, âthe Spirit came uponâ one person after another, and they ruled Israel and/or battled its enemies successfully. (3:10, etc.; Isa. 42:1) Sometimes it empowered people to do normally-impossible things. (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14, etc.) His spirit can arouse something that makes an oncoming enemy flee, if we are revering Him properly. (Isa. 59:19) In more ordinary (but just as important) situations, YHWHâs spirit âstrivesâ with humanity to get us to change. (Gen. 6:3) It can drive us to want justice (1 Shm. 11:6) or be loyal. (1 Chron. 12:18) Once when he heard some shocking news about a gross injustice, the spirit of YHWH came upon Shaâul and filled him with anger. (1 Sam. 11:6) We donât usually think of anger being a âfruit of the spiritâ (see Galatians 5:22-23), but sometimes it is a necessary manifestation. The spirit can fill a man with power to make His people aware of their errors so they can change. (Micah 3:8) His spirit testified against Israel through the prophets (Neh. 9:30). In general it remains among Israel because of the covenant made when we left Egypt (Haggai 2:5), but, in one of the scariest prospects, is said to depart from an individual if he commits certain kinds of sins. (1 Samuel 16:14; Psalm 51)
The spirit leads people to go to particular places to carry out YHWHâs purposes (Mat. 4:1; Luke 2:27; 4:1, 14; Acts 8:29; 11:12; 16:7)âor not to go to other places. (Acts 16:6) YHWH put His spirit within Moshe to help him lead our whole nation on the way to the Promised Land. (Isaiah 63:11, 14) Â
But he was told that some of that spirit could be taken from him and placed on others to share the burden of the work (Num. 11:17)âof rendering judicial decisions in particular. But some additional results were that they could prophesy (Num. 11:26), as seen on other occasions when Elohimâs spirit came upon people. (Num. 24:2; 1 Shm. 10:6, 10; 2 Chron. 24:20) Pouring out oneâs spirit is paralleled with making oneâs words known (Prov. 1:23); prophecy is making YHWHâs words known. (Joel 2:28). This term âpouring outâ, when applied to YHWHâs spirit, is connected with blessing, the restoration of the lost fruitfulness of the Land of Israel, and bringing our people back to righteousness (Isa. 32:13-18; 44:3) and back into YHWHâs favor. (Ezek. 39:29 and the more familiar Zâkharyah 12:10)
We see another example of this âsharing of spiritâ in 2 Kings 2:9, when Elisha asked for a double portion of the spirit that was in Eliyahu. This was granted, as recognized by those around him (2:15), and we can review the record and see that one way this was manifested is that he was empowered to do exactly twice as many miracles as Eliyahu had done in his lifetimeâthe final one being after Elishaâs death, by means of the beneficiary touching his bones! (2 Kings 13:21) Centuries later, Yochananâs parents were also told that (even with no direct contact with the man) their son would operate âin the spirit and power of Eliyahuâ (Luke 1:17)âi.e., doing the things Malâakhi said Eliyahu would be sent to do (4:5-6) with the same attitude and the same motive. The spirit of both men had the same sourceâYHWHâand that spirit increased more and more within Yochanan. (Luke 1:80) Â
These âsharings of spiritâ provide a precedent for understanding Yeshuaâs âbreathing onâ his disciples and enabling them to receive the same spirit of holiness that filled him. (Yochanan 20:22) This was in addition to the neshamat Hayim (living soul) that YHWH initially breathed into all humankind (Genesis 2:7); it was a special endowment of empowerment from YHWH.
The Spirit and Spirits
Thus far we have seen the Spirit expressed as certain abilities or characteristics with which YHWH invests people. But the term âspiritâ can speak of the numinous realm as well.Â
Some spirits are paralleled with angels. (Acts 23:9) Other spirits exist which frighten people, much like what folks think of as ghosts today. (Iyov/Job 4:15; Mat. 14:26; Luke 24:37-39) Some such evil or unclean spirits (Mark 1:23, etc.) can inhabit or possess/take control of peopleâs bodies. Some chalk this up to mere epilepsy, but these go far beyond that, for they override peopleâs normal brains and voices. (Mat. 9:32; 12:22; 15:22; 17:18, Luke 9:39; Acts 19:15, etc.) The history of where at least some of these came from is found in 1 Hanokh/Enoch 15. (Compare Mat. 12:43) By YHWHâs spirit, Yeshua expelled many of these (Mat. 12:28) and ultimately defeated their prince, who was called âthe spirit that now works in the children of disobedienceâ. (Ephesians 2:2) Â
These are not the focus here, except to note, interestingly, that YHWH will consume the wicked one âby the spirit [i.e., breath or words] of his mouth.â (2 Thess. 2:8) But these types of spirits are individual beings as contrasted with the kind of âevil spiritâ that came over King Shaâul, causing him to suspect and fear David; that was a foul mood that could be alleviated by his soothing music. (1 Sam. 16:14-23) It was not a demon as such like the âlying spiritâ that shows up in 1 Kings 22:21. It was more like the âevil spiritâ that YHWH sent between two parties, causing them to attack one another, not us. (Judges 9:23) Â
Moshe appeals to YHWH as the âElohim of the spirits of all fleshâ (Numbers 16:22) to ask Him to distinguish between one man and another when He was judging the whole nation for the sins of only some of them. Individual human spirits each warrant different treatment. And those whose lives are carried over into the age to come are called âthe spirits of just men made perfect.â (Hebrews 12:23) Thus spirits can refer to individual lives that are distinct from one another.
Can this usage of âspiritâ as a separate living being be applied to YHWH? Â
After talking many times about a ruaH as wind, Ezekiel throws us a loop and says this ruaH speaks to him (3:24) and tells him what to say. (11:5). Does this mean it takes on a life of its own as separate from YHWH, who sends it forth? Let us investigate the details and find out.
When it is Holy in Particular
On one occasion when we are told the Holy Spirit âsaidâ something, it was this: âSet apart unto me Barnabas and Shaâul for the work to which I have called them.â (Acts 13:2) The specific term âholyâ means âset apart for a particular taskâ or âdedicated to one distinct use and that aloneâ, so the act of setting them apart is what made this spirit that came from YHWH one of holiness in particular, as contrasted with the âspirit of truthâ or the âspirit of wisdom and understandingâ, in this case. I.e., it was the âspirit of setting apartâ. (Compare Acts 20:28) Â
What the Spirit âsaysâ often takes the form of prophecy (Acts 21:11). YHWH is said to have repeatedly warned His people by His spirit that He put within His prophets. (Neh. 9:30; compare Micah 3:8; Zekh. 7:12) The result of the Spiritâs coming upon people suddenly was often that they prophesied in a way they previously could not. (1 Sam. 19:20-23; Luke 1:41, 67) This, too, is part of what makes the results holyâthat is, different from what is ordinary.
One such prophecy was that Yochanan ben ZâkharYah would be filled would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he was still in his motherâs womb. (1:15) He was a Nazir(ite), which means he was called to a special degree of holiness. (Num. 6:2-8) Only on his watch did the Holy Spirit ever take a visible form (Yochanan 1:33), other than the tongues of fire over the recipientsâ heads at Shavuoth in Acts 2, when, as he predicted, they were âimmersed with the Holy Spirit and with fireâ. (Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5). Â
But while He did extraordinary things to get their attention, the onlookers were challenged to repent so they too could receive the same filling. (2:38) These people were set apart, but did not want to remain the only ones in that category. Holiness is not always exclusive. Moshe wanted others to have the same spirit of prophecy that he had. (Numbers 11:29) And YHWH wants us to become holy like He is (Lev. 11:44; 19:2), so He gives the same spirit that is in Himself to those who make themselves available conduits through obedience. (Acts 5:32) Â
He âprovided [His] good spirit to instructâ our ancestors in the wilderness (Neh. 9:20). How did He do that? Through Moshe, the human channel for that instruction. David said YHWHâs spirit spoke through him simply because YHWHâs word was on his tongue. (2 Sam. 23:2) YHWH equates putting His spirit on us with putting His words in our mouths to pass on to our children. (Isa. 59:21; Micah 2:7) This is not so spectacular, but it is the form He most often uses, so that we too can be involved in the process. Â
It must be noted that there is no difference between âHoly Spiritâ and âHoly Ghostâ in the Greek New Testament, despite the distinction some translations make. But I was surprised to find that the precise phrase âHoly Spiritâ appears in the Hebrew Scriptures only three times as such:Â
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Ps 51:11 âCast me not away from Your presence, and do not take Your holy spirit from me.â
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Isa 63:10, 11 "But they rebelled, and vexed His holy spirit; therefore he turned on them to become their enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, His people: âWhere is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is He who put His holy spirit within him?ââ
But there are many other allusions to it that use slightly-different phraseology.Â
YHWHâs Spirit by Many Names
Many times it simply says âthe spiritâ. This can cause some confusion if we do not look closely at what is being said. A contrast between âletter and spiritâ (Romans 2:29; 7:6) is misconstrued to say the Torah is in opposition to YHWHâs spirit: e.g., âThe letter kills, but the Spirit brings life.â (2 Cor. 3:6) What is actually being described here is limiting oneself to a literal command when the attitude (spirit) behind the words can and should be carried over into other contexts not directly addressed in the command but to which an analogous action of a different kind, but with the same motivation, can be applied. The âletterâ can sometimes seem âoldâ or âworn outâ, a tedious, mundane routine, as contrasted with a fresh insight into its underlying intent that shows us how the same principle can fit in a ânewâ context. Instead of discarding the Torah as obsolete, the spirit of the Torah actually expands its scope, giving us new horizons on how to live it out, allowing the âword to become fleshâ again in our own lives.
Yâhoshua had âthe spiritâ in him (Num. 27:18). Here the antecedent was that Moses was asking YHWH, as âthe Elohim of the spirits of all fleshâ, to select a successor whom He knew could be a suitable, effective shepherd to Israel. (27:16) So was it âthe spirit of shepherdingâ that was in Yâhoshua? In context, yes. Later Moses described Yâhoshua as having a âspirit of wisdomâ (Deut. 34:9) imparted when Moses had laid his hands on him. âWisdomâ in Hebrew often means âskillâ, and that fits what is needed to shepherd such a flock. So is there a difference between the spirit of shepherding and that of wisdom? Â
Or is the âSpirit of truthâ a different entity? (Yochanan 14:17) No. âThe spirit is truth.â (1 Yoch. 5:6) This is just a way of emphasizing one aspect of the multi-faceted empowerment that the Holy Spirit brings. The âspirit of truthâ that we must discern from the âspirit of errorâ (1 Yoch. 4:6) refers to prevailing philosophies and ideologies, âwinds of doctrineâ which we have to test to see if they are really from YHWH. (4:1)
From Isaiah 11:2 is derived the idea of âSeven spiritsâ of YHWH: âThe Spirit of YHWH shall rest on him [Messiah]âthe spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YHWH.â (See Revelation 3:1; 4:5)
But these are not a âseptinityââseven different beings who each specialize in that area of skill; that would be a pagan pantheon, wherein all the gods have a division of labor. (Rev. 1:4 speaks of a different group of seven spirits âbefore the throneâ, i.e., not YHWH.) Rather, they are special anointings YHWH gives us to operate in these particular areas, and Yeshua excelled in them all (Rev. 5:6), for he had an unbroken connection to YHWH, unlike the rest of us, whose DNA is still tainted by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The distinctions in terminology clarify which aspect of His nature was being highlighted, according to the need of the moment. One way to wrap our minds around the name He revealed to Moshe (âEhyeh asher Ehyehâ) is, âI will be whatever I need to be.â (Ex. 3:14)
Is the Holy Spirit a Separate âPersonâ?Â
One passage often used to prove that the Holy Spirit is a âseparate personâ distinct from the Father is Acts 5:3-4, which is typically translated, âWhy has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghostâ¦? ⦠You have not lied to men, but to God.â And then again in verse 9, âHow is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?â
The last phrase can be rendered âput the spiritâ¦to the testâânot necessarily in a volitional sense as suggested by the translation âtemptâ. And âlie to the holy spiritâ is better translated â[deliberately] misrepresent the spirit of holinessâ (i.e., pretend you are more holy than you really are in order to be recognized like others who really donated all they said they were donating). The lying to Elohim rather than to humans (alone or primarily) was another, though certainly related, issue. That is in the dative case, while the former form of âlyingâ is in the accusative, and thus the âtoâ is out of place there.
Similarly, the slant of âpersonalityâ is suggested in the common translation of Ephesians 4:30 as âDo not grieve the holy Spirit of Elohim, by which you are sealed unto the day of redemption.â But the accusative case is again used here. The precedent for this concept is found in Isaiah 63:10, which states, âBut they rebelled and vexed His holy spirit...â This Hebrew word translated âvexedâ can also mean âgrievedâ, âhurtâ, or âfrustratedâ, so Paul was probably alluding directly to this. But the term specifically means to âstretch, wrest, or twistâ, so carrying it back over to Ephesians, âgrievingâ the holy spirit could mean to change the shape of what others perceive holiness to beâby suppressing, hampering, restricting, limiting, or stifling its effect, any of which would be done if you were to âletâ¦unwholesome word[s] proceed out of your mouthâ (which is the direct context, per Ephesians 4:29).
Another challenging statement by the Apostles, on the question of what formerly-Gentile believers would need to do before being admitted to fellowship, is âIt seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to not lay on you a greater burden than these essential things.â (Acts 15:28) For it to âseem goodâ to the spirit seems to require an element of personality, doesnât it?Â
But the same author cites the Holy Spirit as having said through the prophet (Acts 28:25-26) something that in the original text the prophet says YHWH Himself told him to say. (Isaiah 6:9) So for the Holy Spirit to speak through him simply constituted his saying what YHWH told him to say. The added element of the spirit in the speaking may be an important detail, for he preserved the spirit (in this case, the integrity) of what he was supposed to say, in the right attitude, but it does not mean there had to be another personality involved. The word for âseem goodâ also means to âfit withâ; i.e., it was âin agreement with the spirit of holinessâ for these people to make certain crucial distinctions, eating only kosher food and separating themselves from unholy practices, so that they could eat at the same table with the Jews while they kept learning about and then adopting more Torah practices. (Acts 15:19-21).Â
So it is not necessary to separate the Spirit from the Father who directs His spirit where He wishes. While Yeshua was present, it was through the Holy Spirit that he instructed the leaders he had chosen. (Acts 1:2) Now the Father sends the spirit in Yeshuaâs name to instruct us and remind us of the things he said (Yoch. 14:26) so we can accurately bear witness. (Acts 1:8) Â
Might âthe spirit saidâ be a figure of speech like âAll the evidence says that there is an economic recession coming soonâ? âThe evidenceâ isnât a living, breathing creature, but it does âtellâ us something, as a âspirit of wisdom and revelationâ certainly would.
But didnât Yeshua call the spirit âheâ? âWhen the Helper has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father--the Spirit of truth, which proceeds forth from the Father--he shall testify of me.â (John 15:26)
Does the original text really say âheâ as opposed to âitâ? Yes, but the antecedent is therefore not âspiritâ, but the other subject of the sentence--âhelp(er)/ comfort(er)â (parakletos), which is indeed masculine in Greek. But many non-personal things have a gender in Greek (as in other languages). I.e., grammatically, masculine does not necessarily refer to a living thing with a gender. It is ambiguous at best. Also, âspiritâ itself is neuter in Greek (pneuma), but feminine in Hebrew. So we really would have to use the pronoun âitâ to cover both âhelperâ and âspiritâ since he says they are one and the same. Â
Does the rest of Scripture tell us that the spirit is something that acts on its own? Rather, Yeshua says the spirit will instruct us as to what to say when we are summoned to testify on his behalf. (Luke 12:12; compare Acts 10:19; 11:12; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13,22; 14:13)  Parakletos is also used of Yeshua himself as âan advocate with the Fatherâ. (1 Yoch. 2:1) Like Yeshua (Yochanan 5:19, 30), this spirit does ânot speak from itselfâ, but is itself directed in what to âsayâ. The spirit is not the focus, but sheds light on what YHWH is pointing us to. (Yochanan 16:13-15) It is something given by YHWH: âIf you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?â (Luke 11:13) And again, âthe Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from Elohim.â (1 Cor. 6:19) It is the âmeans of assistanceâ, the âhelpâ He provides.Â
The personality issue is also called into question when we look at another salient passage: âWhen his mother Miryam was espoused to Yosef, before they came together, she was found [to be] with child of the Holy Spirit.â (Mat. 1:18; Heb. versions, âfrom the Holy Spiritâ) Thus if the Holy Spirit was a separate âpersonâ of the trinity, then it would not be âGod the Fatherâ who was Yeshuaâs father, but âGod the Holy Spiritâ. This makes it glaringly obvious that the âtrinityâ paradigm does not fit all the Scriptural data. Yeshua tells us that what will enable us to speak the right words at the right time is âthe spirit of your Fatherâ. (Mat. 10:20) So there is not meant to be a dichotomy between the Father and His spirit.
Miryam was told, âThe Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow (envelop) you, and for that reason the holy one born of you shall be called âSon of Elohimâ.â (Luke 1:35) This aspect of His spirit is beyond our understanding, like the contrast drawn in the familiar Zâkharyah 4:6âââNot by might (military strength or force), not by power (human strength or wealth), but by My spiritâ, says YHWH...â But somehow the spirit of holiness produced a holy son. Divine holiness begot a holy human being, for Yeshua was indeed in a separate category not seen among men since the unfallen Adam. Whatever the physical mechanism, His spirit is the instrument He will use for this purpose. Â
We see a similar construct in, âMy Elohim shall supply all your needâ¦through Messiah Yeshuaâ (Philippians 4:19) ââ¦through whom, after you believed, you also were sealed with that holy Spirit of promiseâ¦â (Ephesians 1:13) Here Yeshua is the means YHWH uses to supply our needs, but he is also the one who seals us with the spirit that YHWH provided. (1Thessalonians 4:8 speaks of âElohim, who has also given unto us his holy spirit.â) Thus YHWH is the One who supplies what we need, the One who loved the world so much that He gave His Son. (Yoch. 3:16) Likewise, when YHWH tells us what He will accomplish âby the spirit which He has given usâ (e.g., Zech. 4:6; 1 John 3:24), YHWH is the Actor, the spirit is the means, and the method He chooses differs according to each need. (1 Corinthians 12:4, 9)
Thus there is no grammatical evidence of the holy spirit being a separate âpersonâ from YHWH. Instead, it seems to include assistance of any kind (sometimes to a special degree) âsentâ by YHWH and by Yeshua, as something over which he is given some jurisdictionâso they are not âco-equalâ. As Yeshua is subordinate to the Father, the spirit is somehow subject to Yeshua, though Yeshua operated in that spirit as well, so a hierarchy is not the best way to describe this relationship. But Yeshua could not âpour it outâ to us (with no physical limitations) until it was given to him by the Father. (Yoch. 16:7; Acts 2:33) For that He had to wait until he was with the Father, from whom that help proceeds (Yoch. 7:39; 15:26), âguiding us into all truthâ and âinforming us of things to comeâ. (Yoch. 16:13) He was in a better position to share it after he was promoted to his higher position and authority (Philippians 2:9). Â
But though the spirit may not be a person as such, it is certainly personal, for every one of the examples we have found throughout Scripture reflects YHWHâs personal involvement with and direct intervention for individuals (or groups of individuals who are seeking Him in unity).
Is There a Better Way to Define It?
To avoid such misunderstanding, should we then always render âholy spiritâ as âspirit of holinessâ insteadâone more of those many ways the one spirit of Elohim is manifested? (Ephesians 2:18; 4:4)
When we read it this way, it resolves many questions about what it is: It is in this spirit of holiness that our conscience (which warns us away from sinning) is able to function. (Romans 9:1) The Kingdom is expressed as ârighteousness and peace and joy in the spirit of holiness.â (Romans 14:17) . Â
Yet there is one place it is actually translated âspirit of holinessâ in traditional English versions: Yeshua was âdeclared to be the Son of Elohim with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.â (Romans 1:4) Is this grammatically different in Greek from the usual way of saying âHoly Spiritâ? Yes, in fact, it is. âHolinessâ there, as in English, is a noun rather than an adjective. So in other contexts, ruaH haQodesh could be rendered âspirit of what is holyâ. But while Greek often makes finer philosophical distinctions, the Hebrew source phrase would be the same, and the same form, qodesh, can be translated either as a noun (sanctuary, or holy place) or an adjective (âholy armâ, âholy hillâ, âholy oilâ, etc.) because in actuality it is a participle (âbeing holyâ or âthat which is holyâ--literally, âthe oil that is [being] dedicatedâ, etc.). We might even translate it âthe Spirit of the One who is holyâ, though âthe Holy One of Israelâ usually appears in the form Qadosh, the true adjective form.
Hebrew is not a language of abstracts like Greek, and so all of these conceptual understandingsâinfluence, intervention, involvement, etc.âare grounded in tangible terms like âwindâ and âbreathâ, and take on whatever nuance the context calls for.
Dr. Stephen Pidgeon describes the Holy Spirit as an âimpetusââwhich would fit with a âfresh breath of airâ or âwind in our wingsâ. For example, having oneâs spirit stirred up is equated in Haggai 1:14 with being granted the motivation to do some very hard work. In Ezekielâs vision, âthe spirit of the living creatures was in the wheelsâ. (1:20, 21) I.e., the motivating forceâwhat caused them to move. Thus âmotivationâ might apply as another broad-brushed meaning of âspiritâ, including YHWHâs spirit: He provides us with a special measure of motivation to do whatever He has called us to do.
But is that all that the âHoly Spiritâ is? I never like to be a minimalist when it comes to things YHWH does. When Shaâul had the spirit come upon him, he was âchanged into another manâ. (1 Sam. 10:6) A change of spirit sounds a lot like being âborn againâ, and Yeshua was indeed speaking about wind when he described this concept to Nicodemus. Alternately, he used the phrase âborn of the spiritâ in the same context. (Yochanan 3) It may be not unlike what we call âa second windâ which enables us to get up again after âhaving the wind knocked out of usâ and keep going with a difficult, challenging task. Â
But it seems to be more than that. YHWH also says He will âput a new spirit within" us (Ezek. 11:19; 36:26) where the old human spirit (again, paralleling the âheartâ) has been marred or compromised (e.g., a âseared conscienceâ), when He puts His own spirit in us. (36:27) We are then âstrengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man.â (Ephesians 3:16) Yeshua said YHWH wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality), i.e. from our innermost core, and wherever one goes, in contrast with just worshipping in a temple in a particular location (Yoch. 4:23-24), each of our bodies now serving as His mobile temples. (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19) Paul similarly spoke of âserving Elohim in spirit.â (Romans 1:9)
But wouldnât you know it? Ezekiel threw another monkey-wrench into his discussion of the new spirit YHWH would put in us, when he told Israel to âmake a new heart and a new spirit for yourselfâ! (Ezek. 18:31) Is it to our shame that YHWH has to put this in us, when a willing spirit should have been enough to generate repentance and revival in our own hearts?Â
When He created Adam, YHWH âbreathed into his nostrils the breath of life.â (Gen. 2:7) Since Adam fell, his descendants had only been in his own image (Gen 5:3), no longer sharing fully in Elohimâs image as Adam initially had. (Gen. 5:1) So while the spirit may be willing, the weakened flesh can hinder it. (Mat. 26:41) And our own spirits can also be wrong. YHWH chides âfoolish prophets who walk after their own spirit, while having failed to see (any vision from Him).â (Ezek. 13:3)
But now that there was again a man in YHWHâs image, whose spiritual perception was complete (Mark 2:8) since he never lost his connection with the Father and thus was given the spirit âwithout measureâ (Yochanan 3:34), Yeshuaâs restored-race âseedâ (1 Yochanan 3:9) could be spread to people who recognized that they needed a âspirit transplantâ. This is a spirit that really needs to be shared. It can be passed on to others by the hands of those who have already received it. (Acts 8:17; 9:17)
One result of YHWHâs pouring out His spirit on us is that He will no longer have to hide His face from us. (Ezek. 39:29) His âseedâ being in us is said to be what keeps us from sin. (1 Yoch. 3:9) In this regard, âThat which is born of flesh is flesh; that which is born of spirit is spirit.â (Yoch. 3:6) Though it has nothing to do with physical seed yet, this spiritual âseedâ is the âdownpaymentâ for the restored body that will join it as the second stage and make us complete persons againâin Elohimâs image again, no longer just Adamâs. As a classic song says, âAdamâs likeness now efface; stamp thine image in its place. Second Adam from above, reinstate us in thy love.â Â
But even now, âif Messiah is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Moreover, if the spirit of Him who raised Yeshua from the dead is within you, then He who raised Messiahâ¦will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spiritâ (Rom. 8:10-11), as the first-fruits of more to come. (8:23; 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5) That whole chapter is well worth studying in depth; it is life-changing. It explains how through the spirit we can harness the flesh, so its downhill tendencies will not control us and it can still be useful for holy purposes. (8:13; compare Eph. 5:9; Gal. 5:16, 22-23; 6:8) Â
Yeshua said, âIt is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words I speakâ¦are spirit [effective], and they are life.â (Yochanan 6:63; cf. Galatians 3:3; Philippians 3:3) Some of the results are having our hearts filled with hope and love. (Romans 5:5; 15:13) Through the spirit we can obey the truth and thus even purify our souls. (1 Peter 1:22) But we have to be careful to choose this path, because the spirit can be quenched if our thoughts or actions do not allow it the space to flow freely. (Zech. 6:8; 1 Thess. 5:19) Â
We can âwalk in the fleshâ (which in Hebraic usage means following our natural inclinations or operating only in our unaided and thus insufficient muscular strengthâhence the term âfleshâ) or we can âwalk in the spiritâ (Romans 8:4-9; compare Isa. 31:3), motivated or aided by the Spirit of Elohim and the spirit of Messiah, who give us the raw materials to form that new heart in ourselves, as Ezekiel said we must. Â
That spirit can also supersede another fleshly weakness: that of not knowing âhow to pray as we oughtâ, for by getting in synch with the spirit that is from YHWH and therefore âknows His mindâ, our own hearts can understand (1 Cor. 2:9-14) and pray according to His will in ways far deeper than our sin-damaged brains could ever comprehend (Rom. 8:26-27; 1 Cor. 14:14-15). This way we can still accomplish what is needed âon earth as it is in heavenâ. And even the âspirit of our mindsâ can be renewed as well. (Ephesians 4:23; Romans 12:2) Paul called the spirit the ability to actually change, as contrasted with mere (theoretical) words of conventional human wisdom (1 Cor. 2:4, 13) which were so common in the Greco-Roman world of his day, and still are. Â
Another effect of the spirit of holiness is boldness to go on proclaiming YHWHâs word when men threaten us. (Acts 4:31) In Stephenâs case, âNo one was able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.â (Acts 6:10) He said the problem was that his accusers were resisting the spirit of holiness just as their ancestors had also done. (Acts 7:51) So this was far from the only time that spirit was available; it was not something new, but it now had a purified channel by which to flow more widely and effectively, and if we habitually allow it free rein, its flow through us can, like the effect of aerobic activity on our blood vessels (again, breathing!), make the conduit even cleaner with use. Â
The Spirit of Messiah
But what is that âspirit of Messiahâ referred to above? (Rom. 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11) It certainly refers to having the same attitude he had/has. But the âspirit of Messiahâ can also be a source of unseen supply in otherwise-impossible circumstances. (Philippians 1:19) And the root meaning of the word âMessiahâ is âanointingâ. Indeed, when David had been anointed as king, the spirit of YHWH came upon him âfrom that day forwardâ. (1 Sam. 16:13) The same spirit was put upon the Messiah when YHWH anointed him to speak in a way that brings encouragement and liberty. (Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:16-21)
The apostles described Yeshua as âone whom Elohim had anointed with the Holy Spirit and with powerâ. (Acts 10:38) He âgrew strong in spirit and Elohimâs favor was on him.â (Luke 2:40) Ultimately, it was âthrough the eternal spiritâ that he was able to offer himself to Elohim without blemish and thereby cleanse us as well (Heb. 9:14), passing that spiritual life-breath on to others. (Yochanan 5:21, 26) Â
Yeshua, as the âsecond Adamâ, is to us a âlife-giving spiritâ (1 Corinthians 15:45), undoing the effects the first Adam still has on us, for that spirit flows through all of his âspiritual descendantsâ just as the poison from the fruit flows through the bodies of all who descended from the man who ate it. Thus YHWH has âsent the spirit of His son [Messiah] into our hearts, crying âAbba!ââ (Gal. 4:6) Since he is the firstborn son, we share in the same relationship to YHWH through partaking of his. (Rom. 8:29; Hebrews 2:10) Â
The result of someoneâs willingly receiving this spirit from Yeshua is that ârivers of living waterâ (which Hebraically means that which can purify what has been defiled) will flow âout of his innermost being.â (Yochanan 7:37-39) Thus the outpouring from YHWH continues from us as extensions of Yeshua. Â
Is the spirit of Messiah any different from the Spirit of Elohim? Not ultimately, for both operated through the prophets. (1 Peter 1:11; Rev. 19:10) And the spirit YHWH âgivesâ us to one degree or another seems to be presented as distinct from Him only for descriptive purposes, to clarify our understanding of different aspects of His work. Some disciples of Yochanan functioned well without even knowing there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit, but when they were invited to receive it, in conjunction with immersion in Yeshuaâs name, it did add new dimensions to their relationship with YHWH. (Acts 19:1-8) That is a door we always want to keep open.
YHWHâs Prerogative
YHWH Himself will one day serve as âa spirit of judgment to those who sit in judgment.â (Isa. 28:6) YHWHâs spirit being among us is thus synonymous with He Himself being with us. (Haggai 2:4-5) When the spirit âspeaksâ through someone, it puts YHWHâs own words on oneâs tongue (2 Shm. 23:2) So in that sense YHWHâs spirit is YHWH. His spirit is simply paralleled with Himself again in Isa. 30:1 and 48:16, but it is not presented as being one third of Him. Â
âYHWH IS spiritâ (Yoch. 4:23-24); One can no sooner flee from YHWHâs spirit than from His face or presence. (Psalm 139:7) âThe spirit that indwells us is jealousâ (James 4:5), and this is a characteristic of YHWH Himself (Exodus 20:5, et al), since we rightfully belong to Him. So why make Him even more jealous by dividing His glory between two entities when they are really one? (Isaiah 42:8) Â
âAdonai YHWH and His spirit have sent me.â (Isa. 48:16) Which was it? It was both. The Hebrew sense could also just as well be rendered, âAdonai YHWHâHis spirit, that isâhas sent me.â No need for an elaborate theology with various levels of hierarchy as in Gnosticism (Galatians 4:3, 9; 1 Timothy 1:4; Titus 3:9), or even a division of labor as a âtrinityâ would suggest; we deal directly with YHWH alone, with only Yeshua as mediator (who due to our present circumstances directs YHWHâs spirit toward us in the right measure). For in whatever way YHWH wants to empower us, it is all His doing.
The âfierce east windâ by which He opened the way for us to escape bondage (Exodus 14:21) could just as correctly be translated âprevailing ancient spiritâ, and either way, there would be no contradiction, because YHWH is the One who accomplished our deliverance.
âFor YHWH is that spirit, and where the spirit of YHWH is, there is liberty, and we allâ¦are being changed into the same likeness, from one degree of importance to another, the source altogether being YHWHâs spirit.â (2 Cor. 3:17-18) Â
âThat Spiritâ should, for practical purposes, be seen as YHWHâs working purposefully, vigorously, and emphatically in whatever way is specifically needed for each individual circumstance. âThe very same spirit accomplishes all of these things, distributing [empowerment] to each one personally as He sees fit.â (1 Corinthians 12:11)
We who were once no material for the Kingdom have been made holy by the spirit of our Elohim. (1 Cor. 6:10-11) There you see it all converging with no need to distinguish the spirit of holiness from the spirit of Elohim; it is all YHWHâs work. And we too, being joined to His spirit, become âone spiritââwith Him and with one another (6:17), for being of âone spiritâ means âhaving one mindâ or attitude and working toward one purpose. (Philippians 1:27) Even if separated physically by many miles, we can be âwith [one another] in spiritâ. (Col. 2:5)Â
So we come full circle. Once we are re-connected with YHWH through His spirit which makes us alive again, it is (practically) as if we were never separated from Himâor from one anotherâeven though we were. And it is YHWH Himself who reveals, by means of this spirit, the additional things He has in store for us, which we could never understand without this âin-spirationâ. (1 Cor. 2:10)
In simplest terms, the Holy Spirit seems to be whatever means YHWH uses, like an invisible but powerful wind, to intervene against the evil influences in the world and give people the right attitude and motivation to carry out His goals for the world. We could also describe His spirit as His direct, personal attention to and focused influence on each of us to accomplish His purposes in us. He expands or throttles the degree of the manifestation according to the situationâs need, but we can also restrict the degree to which His presence is revealed if we limit the expression of what He has put into us. May we not do so by either over- or under-defining it.
Yet âthe wind blows wherever it is determined toâ (Yochanan 3:8), and, this side of our renewed bodies, the spirit will always be somewhat of a mystery to us all, though that need not prevent it from operating effectively through us. Though we can study its many aspects like this, it is not ultimately an academic matter; it is how YHWHâs life is brought into this chaotic world, just as it was at creation. So let us not stifle it by letting our understandings of this aspect of His work in this world become a source of contention among those on whom He wishes to move with that spirit. Rather, let us be certain that we put ourselves in the position to be moved, and help one another get âdown-windâ of Him too so we can all âcatch the windâ together. Â
And that may not be as difficult as you think. The Holy Spirit is too important to ignore or to miss, so YHWH willingly âgives the holy spirit to those who ask.â (Luke 11:13) Soâ¦ask!