Just WHAT IS the Holy Spirit?
The Majority CAN be Wrong!
An old study paper from the old Ambassador College, Pasadena, California. JUST WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? What does it do and how do you get it? The Holy Spirit, according to the organised religions of this world, is the third person in the Godhead. BUT IS THAT TRUE? MORE than a billion PEOPLE - nearly ONE-THIRD of the antire population of the world - believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. It is one of the few MAJOR doctrines upon which virtually all professing Christendom, Protestant and Catholic alike, basically agree. Nebulous Foundation. The belief in the Trinity is often said to be the heart and core - "the CENTRAL doctrine of the Christian religion" (The Catholic Encyclopedia, article "Trinity'). It is the one point of doctrine where there is the most agreement. Yet in spite of the great universal agreement, it is still one of the most DIFFICULT-TO-EXPLAIN doctrines of professing Christianity. World-renowned evangelists have been quoted as saying that the Holy Spirit, the supposed third person of the godhead, "is not easy to explain in non-theological terms." Or, "In actuality, the doctrine of the trinity is a MYSTERY." No one can possibly understand the "three in one." When pointedly questioned concerning the belief in a Triune or three-in-one God, the answer is in effect - WHO KNOWS? It is something we must accept in faith. "The mind of man cannot fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. He who would try to understand the mystery fully will lose his mind. But he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul" (Harold Lindsell and Charles J. Woodbridge "A Handbook of Christian Truth, pp.51-52). No Mystery to the Apostles. The Bible speaks of the plan of salvation as being a mystery (Greek "muster-ion," meaning something now revealed that was previously unknown). But that doesn't mean that God's truths are a MYSTERY to those whom He is calling to salvation. Open your Bible to Mark 4:11. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, one of the very members of the Godhead, is here speaking to His disciples. He has just given the multitude the parable of the sower and the seed, and after the multitude left, His disciples came to Him for the interpretation of the parable. "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given TO KNOW the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand, lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them." Jesus Christ is plainly, clearly and pointedly showing that the truths of God, the doctrines of salvation or the very words of life are a mystery TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT BEING CALLED. Only those who are His very own disciples are privileged TO KNOW THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. His truth, His way and His teachings aren't "mysterious, hard-to-define, etc." to His people. He only spoke in clouded, ambiguous terms to the unconverted. The same applies today! Jesus Christ never at any time in any way thought, hinted or alluded to the Holy Spirit as a third person in the Godhead. There is absolutely no basis or PROOF whatsoever in the Bible for the worldwide acceptance of the teaching of the Trinity. Even the erudite writers of the Catholic Encyclopedia must confess that: "the passages which can be cited ... as attesting to His [the Holy Spirit's] distinct personality are few" (ibid.). Should you just accept "in faith" - one of the most important beliefs in Christianity? Christians are commanded to, "Prove ALL things..." (1 Thess.5:21). Universal acceptance or reasonability ARE NOT PROOFS of any doctrine. GOD'S WORD, the Bible, is the test of any doctrinal truth - not what MEN say, think or believe. Jesus Christ said, "... Thy word is TRUTH" (John 17:17). He also said in another place, "The word - that I [Jesus] have spoken, the same shall judge him [you] in the last day" (John 12:48). What Do You Mean-Trinity? "The Trinity is ... the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit ... The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet these are not three Gods, but one God ... co-eternal and co-equal: all alike or uncreated and omnipotent" (The Catholic Encyclopedia, article "Trinity"). That is a pretty positive statement. Where is their authority to back it up? One source often referred to by Catholic and Protestant alike is the old stand-by-TRADITION. Ancient writers and "early Church fathers" are quoted, often misquoted, to show that for centuries this doctrine has been taught. But not all professing Christians believed it. Let the record sneak for itself: "We cannot doubt the existence among orthodox Fathers of different opinions on this mysterious subject until its final definition by the Church" ("Trinity," Dictionary of Doctrinal and Historical Theology). An interesting aspect which is often blatantly overlooked is that many of those to whom they now refer as believing in the "blessed Trinity," were anathematized for their beliefs. They were considered heretics in their day and completely disfellowshiped because of their heretical beliefs. It wasn't until the Council of Chalcedon, in 451 A.D., that the doctrine of the Trinity finally and permanently became the official formula of Catholic orthodoxy. But the story began a great deal earlier. The as yet unformed germ of the Trinity idea may be found in such early Christian "Fathers" as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian and Ireanaeus - about two hundred years after Christ. But the idea of triune gods was not new. The ancient pagans were quite familiar with triads or trinities of gods, and it is possible, indeed likely, that pagan thought would have had some influence on the developing doctrine of the church. The first official standing of the Trinity doctrine was given in the decrees of the great Council of Nicaea in A.D.325. This council was called together by the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, who saw in the church a coveted pillar of stability for his rule, and that of His descendants. But seeking to achieve that state of stability, he insisted that all Christians should agree on and subscribe to a common unified belief, including of course a common view of the nature of God. It was the formulation for the Trinity of Athanasius, an Egyptian deacon from Alexandria that was adopted by the council. "The Alexandrian catechetical school, which revered Clement of Alexandria and Origen, the greatest theologians of the Greek Church, as its heads, applied the allegorical method to the explanation of Scripture. Its thought was influenced by Plato: its strong point was theological speculation. Athanasius and the three Cappadocians had been included among its members ...." ("Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church," by Hubert Jedin, p.29). Many were opposed to the creed as adopted. They were led by the priest Arius and others. For Arius standardization soon led to excommunication and banishment. But it was not long before he was back, with Constantine's backing and favor, and soon it was Athanasius' turn to be expelled. Constantine himself, of course, knew little and cared less about the truth of the matter in dispute. The seesaw continued. Athanasius was exiled three or four times and brought back again. More conferences were held, some deciding one thing, some another. The one thread that ran consistently through it all was politics, striving for power, and strife. And perhaps the real reason that trinitarianism ever prevailed was simply that the majority were not ready to declare that Christ was originally a created being, as maintained by Arius, or merely an ordinary man before being anointed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, as maintained by others. It was not until the Council of Chalcedon at the midpoint of the fifth century that the trinitarian creed was permanently and irrevocably rooted in Catholicism. Even so, individuals and groups have continued to hold differing opinions throughout the ages ever since. The Holy Spirit is God's Power. Matthew 28:19-20 is often cited by the advocates of the Trinity to prove the Holy Spirit is a separate individual. What this verse actually shows is that when we are baptized, we are inducted into A FAMILY. When we are baptized into the name of God, we are simply being baptized into the family of God. All that is shown by the mentioning of the Holy Spirit in this verse is that the Holy Spirit also BELONGS TO THE GOD FAMILY. It is the essence or power of God. And just as the seed of life or spermatozoon of a man engenders a child and makes that child his, so God uses His Spirit to engender us, upon baptism, into His family and make us His begotten children. The Holy Spirit then is the power of God which emanates from God. Since this power belongs to God, it is also found to be with all His sons, and to be the joining force which makes them a family. The truth of the matter in this verse is positive proof of the family relationship of God. It has nothing whatsoever to do with a triune God. What the Power of God Can Do. God is power! His power is the Holy Spirit. It is the power of God or Spirit of God by which all things were created in the very beginning. How can this be? Genesis 1:1 says: "In the beginning GOD CREATED..." Does that mean that God Himself had to fashion the whole creation with His own hands? No! God the Father didn't do the creating personally. Christ was the one who did the actual creating of all things (John 1:3). This truth is again demonstrated in Hebrews 1:2. Here it says, referring to Christ, "by whom also he made the worlds." Does this then mean that it was Jesus Christ only who fashioned all things? Again the answer is no. The word for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim which is plural in form and thus can signify a plurality or family relationship between the Father and a Son. The God family planned the creation, long before it ever took place. Each and every detail was carefully thought out. Just as a contractor will have blueprints drawn up long before he ever lays the foundation for a large construction job, so the family of God planned the universe. After all planning was completed Jesus Christ executed the plans, through the power which is the Holy Spirit. That doesn't mean that a third party took over and did the job. It simply means the work was done by the power or spirit or authority of the God family. Take the Panama Canal for example. We say the United States built the Panama Canal. Did all fortyeight, as it then was, of the states go down to the Isthmus of Panama and do the work? Of course not. It was done by the authority and power of the United States. The men, money and power of the United States caused the canal to come into being. In that way, the United States did the job. An exact parallel. The Holy Spirit Is Omnipresent. In both the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Old Testament, the words for spirit also mean air, wind, atmosphere. And like the atmosphere on earth, the power of God is everywhere. That is how Jesus was able to do all the work of the creation by Himself. David's prayer in Psalm 139:7-8 shows that he knew God's Spirit or power was omnipresent. No matter where in the universe you might go, God's Spirit will still be there. That is how Jesus Christ is upholding all things by the word of his POWER" (Heb. 1:3). By His authority as God, He keeps all things in the universe in their place. This work is done through the power of the God family and with the express consent of the Father. Though the Father is SUPREME in the God Family, as witnessed to by Christ Himself (John 14:28), Jesus is the administrator of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). He is greater than that Spirit. These two Scriptures alone nullify and make void the supposition that the Holy Spirit is a person of equal rank with the Falher and the Son. The Spirit is the very power of God - the agent by which He does His Will. IT IS NOT ANOTHER PERSON! It Is a Gift This power of God can be yours as a free gift if you will only meet the preordained requirements. Once you have repented and been baptized, God gives you the free gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). If the Holy Spirit were a person, God is being rather presumptuous to go around giving a part of that person to whomever He chooses. Again in speaking about the gift of the Spirit, God says that in the last days He will pour out His Spirit, which belongs to Him, upon all mankind (Acts 2:17). The meaning of the Greek here is to literally pour out as you would water from a pitcher. How can you pour out a person? YOU CAN'T! It is impossible! What Are Its Functions? We are to learn what God is planning by observing the happenings here on earth (Rom.1:20). Everywhere we look we can see each animal, bird, microbe and plant reproducing itself. In Genesis 1:26, God (Elohim) is quoted as saying: "... Let us make man in OUR IMAGE ...." God is reproducing Himself! How very plain that should be to us rational, thinking individuals. We humans ARE TO BE MADE IN THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD! We are to become "Gods" ourselves. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, unites with our minds and we are BEGOTTEN AGAIN - this time spiritually as we were once begotten physically. Read it in your own Bible. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy bath BEGOTTEN us AGAIN unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (I Pet. 1:3). In verse 23, it says, "Being BEGOTTEN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (Panin translation). The Holy Spirit impregnates us with the God nature. That spiritual begettal imbues us with the nature and mind of God. Throughout our Christian lives we continue to grow and develop in the understanding and mind of God until we are finally born INTO the God family and made immortal at the return of Jesus Christ to this earth (I Cor.15:49-52). We will then rule this earth as God's sons. Why the Deception? Why has Satan palmed off the doctrine of the Trinity on the world? Because he doesn't want YOU to rule in his place. Satan was originally created to carry out God's rule on earth. He rebelled and refused to serve the Creator and was cast out of his position of responsibility (Ezek.28:11-19 and Isa.14:12-14). A third of the angels united with Lucifer in that rebellion and were CAST DOWN TO THIS EARTH WITH HIM - having forever DISQUAL- IFIED themselves and Satan from ruling in the Government of God. Since they are disqualified, they don't want anyone else to take their place... If they can make you believe in the Trinity, you will be deceived into thinking that the Godhead consists of only three persons. You would then never in your wildest dreams ever imagine that YOU were created to be born into the GOD FAMILY and actually share in ruling the universe. Satan wants you to think that God is a limited Trinity and not a growing family or Kingdom into which we may enter. If we look upon the Godhead as being a closed unit, we won't WORK and STRIVE to qualify for that family. (not that works gets you salvation, but you do have to set your mind to serve God, to live according to His will and commandments - Keith Hunt) Anyway you want to look at it, the Trinity idea is a false and inadequate view of God. If anyone wants to say that the Trinity is merely three aspects or manifestations for one God, he is taking personhood away from Christ. But if the Holy Spirits a person, it (or he) could not be placed as the character and the seed of God into many different human beings to beget and bring each of them individually to birth as "many sons." And if someone would argue that this could occur - on the ground that with God anything is possible - this is actually making the Holy Spirit to be the Father, which is once more, equivalent to making the Holy Spirit not a separate person. So there you have it. There is the truth about the Holy Spirit. God's family isn't closed to mankind as Satan would have you believe. It's WIDE OPEN to you, your family and all mankind. If you accept the truth of God and obey Him, You can be made in the exact likeness of God at Christ's return. God wants it. THE Decision is YOURS! ............. NOTE: As child growing up my parents sent me to a Church of England school. From age 6 till finishing High School, the first half hour of the day was reading the Bible. I heard all of my young life about God the Father, Jesus as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. I went faithfully every Sunday to Sunday school. Heard the same thing, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BUT not one single person EVER methodically tried to prove to me or my class, that the Holy Spirit was a PERSON, separate from the Father and the Son. It was not until I came to Canada at age 18 and was attending a Baptist church that I first heard explained to me that the Holy Spirit was a person, a third person in the Godhead. I literally laughed and said, "You have to be joking, you mean you actually believe that the Holy Spirit is a literal third person." They answered me with "Well....yes!" I replied to them, "I've been reading my Bible since age 6 and have NEVER thought the Holy Spirit was a literal third person in the Godhead." I had read the passages where "he" is used together with the Holy Spirit, but never thought that language meant the Holy Spirit was a literal third person. I knew, even as a child, that we in our language often name "cars" - "boats" - "weather storms" etc. by names. In just reading the Bible, I, as a child, could see that the Godhead was made up of TWO ETERNAL BEINGS - one we call "the "Father" and the other today we call "Jesus Christ." I had read the passages of people in the Bible (John in Revelation) seeing in visions or dreams the throne of God in heaven, and it only stated there were TWO GOD BEINGS - the Father sits on the throne and Jesus the Christ is on His right hand. I had from a young child only thought of the Holy Spirit as the very NATURE, POWER, FORCE, of those Two Eternal Beings, so they could work ANYWHERE or EVERYWHERE in the universe at the same time. Now, that made complete and logical sense to me. And it is indeed the truth of your Bible, even if the majority of Christian religion does not believe it! The majority CAN be WRONG! What else is new. The majority of Christian religion believes a lot of other things that are wrong! Keith Hunt |
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