Spirit - Explained

There is but one source of information about the God of the Bible, and that, not unsurprisingly, is the Bible. The Divine appeal through its pages is "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he knoweth and understandeth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight." (Jer 9:23,24)

If we would learn about Him, his eternal power and divinity, then we can do nothing other than humbly peruse his revelation to man contained in these sacred pages. However we shall find in them characteristics and attributes that are considerably at variance to the notions of orthodox Christians.

This divergence between what the Bible actually says and what Christians choose to believe has arisen because the simple teachings of Jesus and his apostles have been corrupted. They have been corrupted with Greek thought and mysticism, leading to the formulation of man-made creeds centuries after the Bible had been completed.

Such will not help with the objective of knowing and understanding God. In our last session we outlined the simple Bible teaching concerning the unity of God, so strongly emphasised in the Bible and looked at the other attributes which the Bible ascribes to him. We examined the introduction of the doctrine of the Trinity and found it to be a corruption of Bible teaching with its roots in platonic thought.

In this article our plan is to examine God's spirit and determine whether spirit has any personality. The Word 'Spirit' (Heb ruach)

1.1 Hebrew words used in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament there are only 2 words translated spirit. There is 'neshamah' which is translates spirit twice but primarily means breath and need not concern us. The general word is 'ruach' which is rendered spirit over 200 times, wind 90 times and breath some 30 times.

1.2 The meaning of 'ruach' as wind

An examination of all the uses of the word will however show that the primary meaning of the word is 'air in motion', a breeze, breath or wind.

Parkhurst, an authority on Hebrew, confirms the definition of the word as "air in motion, a breeze, a breath or wind. In fact there is no other word for wind in the Hebrew other than 'ruach'. There is no suggestion of personality.

For example in Genesis chapter 3:8 Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the "ruach" of the day and accordingly we find the margin gives the Hebrew as wind and the translation 'cool'.

In Genesis 8 and verse 1 God made a ruach to pass over the earth - this was when the flood was at its height - and the waters were assuaged.

It was an easterly ruach that brought locusts to plague Egypt and it was a westerly ruach that took them away. The meaning of wind is clear.

It was a blast or ruach from God's nostrils that the waters of the red sea were gathered together to afford Israel safe passage - then God blew with his wind, his ruach, and the sea covered the Egyptians.

Further examples of ruach meaning simply wind are, for instance,

Psalm 1:4 The wicked are compared to the chaff which the wind driveth away

Psalm 48:7 refers to the ships of Tarshish, broken with an east wind

Jeremiah refers to a dry wind or a hot wind sent toward Jerusalem (Jer 4:11)

1.3 The meaning of ruach as breath

Now Gesenius in his lexicon gives the root of 'ruach' as "to breathe, to blow especially with the nostrils, from which is derived 'reach' a smell and 'ruach' breath.

Where 'ruach' pertains to man we shall therefore find it applied, in the first place to the act of breathing.

In Genesis 6 we have a record of the flood sent to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life (Gen 6:17)

The Psalmist denounces idols who have no breath in their mouths (Ps 135:17)

In the book of Ecclesiastes we find a reference which incidentally demonstrates that man and the animal creation share the same condition, "As one dieth so dieth the other; yea they all have one breath; so that man hath no preeminence above a beast".

Ezekiel in a vision saw dry bones representing Israel in a fallen condition. Sinews, flesh and skin came together - but only when breath, or ruach, came into them did they live. Jeremiah refers to the ruach, the breath, of our nostrils.

1.4 The meaning of ruach as a disposition of the mind

Now Parkhurst notes that because air is most powerful, though a subtle and invisible agent it is used for the spirit or animal soul of a brute.

Again let us take some examples, and Jacob's heart fainted when told that his favourite son, long presumed dead, was yet alive and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent his spirit, his ruach, revived. (Gen 45:27) Samson, sore athirst after battle, drank, and his spirit, his ruach, came again and he revived. Metaphorically the word is used of the Queen of Sheba who, stupefied with astonishment and admiration had no more spirit in her.

Then again this invisible force is put for the powers of the mind. the mind is the source of senses, affections and emotions of various kinds. A proverb exposes the weakness of one who has no rule over his spirit.

In the book of Genesis it is said of Pharoah after his experience of unsettling dreams that his spirit was troubled. At the threat of the Israelites advancing upon Canaan it is recorded that the heart of the Canaanites did melt, neither did there remain any more courage or spirit in any man. Moses required an offering from the children of Israel for the tabernacle and it is said that 'they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit, his ruach, made willing. (Ex 35:21) Several times we read of the Lord stirring the spirit of individuals.

Many different modes of thinking and acting are described as a certain kind of spirit.

For example, we read of a spirit of jealousy, a sorrowful spirit, a contrite spirit, a broken spirit, a faithful spirit, a haughty spirit, a lying spirit and an evil spirit. Now there cannot be the slightest confusion that the spirit we have spoken of has any personality distinct from the person with whom it is associated. Jacob's spirit that revived was not another form, another body, it was simply himself We believe this is fundamental to appreciate before contemplating what is meant by the spirit of God. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath, or spirit, of his mouth...... for he spake and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast." Compare this with Jer 10:12 "He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his discretion". There is no personality here, these are attributes of the one true God.

This same power went out to war.

For example the strength of Samson was divinely given

Judg 13:25

Samson was moved or impelled by the direct action of God and this is illustrated in the following chapter

Judg 14:5,6

Similarly in the following chapter a further superhuman feat of strength is recorded.

Judg 15:14-15

But especially do we find that God filled men with the Spirit to become his prophets - ie to declare his word. Moses was overburdened with the care of the Israelites, and in Numbers we find how God shared the ability to cope with the people by transferring his spirit to 70 elders.

Num 11:17

The consequence of this transfer is seen in verse 25, as the elders are given the ability to prophesy, that is to declare the will of God in the law.

Num 11:25,26

Later in Israel's history we find God continually raising prophets to correct his wayward people. For instance, Ezekiel was required to prophesy against Israel and he testifies "The spirit of the Lord fell upon me and said unto me, Speak." (Ezek 11:5)

Elsewhere he describes such an occurrence as "The word of the

Lord came to me .. (Ezek 12:17)

The prophet Micah describes his mission in this way, "Truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin" (Micah 3:8)

However the prophet Joel looks forward to a time when there would be a very special outpouring of God's spirit. It would be a special manifestation of his power for a special purpose

Joel 2:28,29

This reference we can refer to again when we turn to the NT, as there was an extraordinary display of God's power shortly after the ascension of Jesus.

Spirit Manifestation

We might here point out that it is given to but few to experience this form of the Spirit's manifestation and it is given to none in the present day.

The apostles were the recipients of it on the day of Pentecost. Its power was real and felt. Its influx was accompanied with the sound of a mighty wind, that shook the material fabric of the building in which they were assembled. Its results were manifest, God's hand was upon the apostles, and they were endowed with powers above natural law. Their faculties were preternaturally exercised. They were enabled by the Spirit to speak fluently in languages they had never learnt; not in unknown tongues, but words which were identified by the bystanders as the current languages of the time.

 

These bystanders were Jews and proselytes from the various countries of the globe, assembled to keep the feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem. When they heard the apostles, they said :--

"Are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man IN our own TONGUE wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God" (Acts ii, 7-11).

The Holy Spirit also endowed them with miraculous power, evinced in the instantaneous cure of disease, the raising of the dead, and other wonderful works. The Spirit was the medium, instrumentality, or power by which these things were done. It was a reality, a palpably present something pervading the persons of the apostles. Thus, from the body of Paul "were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs, or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts xix, 11, 12). The healing spirit-power in Paul could be conveyed, and brought medically to bear on the afflicted. Thus, also the shadow of Peter crossing the sick was efficacious for cure (Acts v, 15).

The same peculiarity is apparent in the case of Jesus, to whom the Spirit was given without measure (John iii, 34). When a certain afflicted woman in a crowd came stealthily behind him and touched the hem of his garment, that she might receive benefit, Jesus "perceived that virtue had gone out of him" (Luke viii, 46; Matt. xiv, 35,36).

These miraculous powers were necessary to qualify the apostles for the performance of the work they had to do. That work was to bear witness to the resurrection of Christ (Acts i, 22), as the basis of the truth built upon that fact. Now, how could they have done this with any effect if their testimony had not been miraculously confirmed? How could they have obtained credence to the naturally incredible announcement that a man publicly executed by the Romans, had been secretly raised from the dead, unless their words had been confirmed by the power alleged to be on their side? It is true the apostles were witnesses, in a natural sense, of the fact that Christ was alive, and would have steadily maintained their testimony to the fact, even if God had not worked with them, but how could the work of getting many to believe their testimony have been accomplished? The earnest protestation of belief on the part of the apostles, though it might have influenced a few, could not have produced that widespread conviction which was necessary to the creation of the Body of Christ.

The effusion of the Holy Spirit did this. By the manifestation of supernatural powers, it bore witness to the truth of what the apostles declared. It is said, "They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mark xvi, 20). Paul describes the case in similar terms:-- "The great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Heb. ii, 3, 4). In this sense, the Holy Spirit is styled a witness of Christ's resurrection; "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree .... and we are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the HOLY SPIRIT, whom God hath given to them that obey Him" (Acts v. 30-32).

 

[This is in accordance with what Christ had said: "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John xv, 26,27).]

The power granted to the apostles for the confirmation of their testimony, was deposited in them as heavenly treasure in an earthen vessel, and they had the power of imparting it to others.

This is evident from an incident recorded in Acts viii. Philip, the evangelist, went down to Samaria, and so proclaimed the truth (of which miraculous attestation was produced by him), that many believed and were baptised; but these did not at the time receive the gift of the Holy Spirit:-- "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.* And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that, on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit" (Acts viii, 14-19).

* In the common version, "ghost" is given as the translation of pneuma; this ought in every case to be rendered spirit; "ghost" is an obsolete Saxon term, which needlessly mystifies the idea expressed by pneuma and ruach.

This power of bestowing the Spirit was invariably exercised where the truth was received. In almost every case recorded, the reception of the Spirit followed the reception of the truth. It was, indeed, a matter of promise that this should be so. On the day of Pentecost, Peter said, "Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts ii, 38, 39). This promise was realised in the experience of the churches founded in the days of the apostles.

The spirit was distributed to believers in different forms and degrees. Paul says :--

"There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another theinterpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (I Cor. xii, 6-11).

The object of this general diffusion of spiritual power in apostolic times, is thus stated by Paul :-- "He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph. iv, 11-14).

This is perfectly intelligible: If the early churches, consisting of men and women fresh from the abominations and immoralities of heathenism, and without the authoritative standard of the completed Scripture which now exists, had been left to the mere power of apostolic tradition intellectually received, they could not have held together. The winds of doctrine, blowing about through the activity of "men of corrupt minds," would have broken them from their moorings, and they would have been tossed to and fro in the billows of uncertain and conflicting report and opinion, and finally stranded in hopeless shipwreck.

This catastrophe was prevented by the gifts of the spirit. Properly qualified men, as to moral and intellectual parts, were made the repositories of these gifts, and empowered to "speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority." They "ruled" the communities over which they were placed, feeding the flock of God over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock (Acts xx, 28; I Peter v, 2, 3).

In this way the early churches were built up and edified. The work of the apostles was conserved, improved, and carried to a consummation. The faith was completed and consolidated by the voice of inspiration, speaking through the spiritually-appointed leaders of the churches. By this means the results of gospel-preaching in the first century, when there were no railways, telegraphs, or other means of a rapid circulation of ideas, instead of evaporating to nothing, as, otherwise, they would have done, were secured and made permanent, both as regards that generation and succeeding centuries.

 

Spirit Personification

In the gospel record of John the Holy Spirit is personified by Jesus as 'The Comforter'. The personality of the Spirit is thought by many, amply proved by these references, such as John 14:26.  "But the Comforter, Which is the Holy spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  Now there is no authority to use a capital letter for Comforter, and there is no valid argument that can be based on the usage of the personal pronoun "he".

A reference to the Concordance gives the following details of the usage of this Greek word 'Ekeinos'. Meaning: That, this, same, he, she, it, they, etc.

The word is very general in its meaning and can just as easily be translated it, as is the case, for example in I John 5:16 "There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

As regards personification in the scriptures then we may compare the following:

Wisdom	A woman
Sin	A tyrant
Death	said to reign
Iron gate	said to open of his own accord
Gates and doors	told to lift up their heads

                                     

As we have shown we must start with the simple usage and understanding of the word spirit, and then we shall not be misled by the use of personification.

Now because God is Spirit this should not lead us to conclude that God is immaterial or without parts. The articles of religion of the church of England which requires faith in the Holy Trinity state that "There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts or passions." Contrast this with the statement in the Psalms challenging ignorant puny man and his foolish speculations:

Understand, ye brutish among the People: and ye fools when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity. (Ps 94:8-11)

Many passages indicate that God is a reality, although we cannot begin to conceive in our minds the majesty of God. As regards the angels we have seen that they appear with bodies and in human form. There is not the slightest intimation anywhere that theses bodies are not real or are only assumed for a time and then laid aside. Indeed man himself was made in the image of the elohim.

God's son was also made in human form and retained this after his resurrection.