Holy Spirit, Person of
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but a divine Person. Scripture speaks of the Spirit as one who teaches, speaks, wills, and can be grieved.
At a Glance
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but a divine Person. Scripture speaks of the Spirit as one who teaches, speaks, wills, and can be grieved.
Description
The personhood of the Holy Spirit is the biblical teaching that the Spirit is not an impersonal power, presence, or poetic way of speaking about God's activity, but a true divine Person. Scripture attributes to the Holy Spirit personal actions and relations: he speaks and sends, teaches and reminds, bears witness, intercedes, can be lied to, and can be grieved. These descriptions are stronger than mere personification and fit the church’s orthodox confession that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, fully divine, sharing the one divine being with the Father and the Son while remaining personally distinct from both. Care is needed to say no more than Scripture warrants, but the safest conclusion is clear: the Holy Spirit is personal and divine, and believers relate to him reverently as God.