PNEUMATOLOGY: THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Pneumatology is the branch of Christian systematic theology that focuses on the Holy Spirit. Pneumatology seeks to answer the following questions:

What or Who is the Holy Spirit?
Is the Holy Spirit a real person or something impersonal?
What does the Holy Spirit do?
Does the Holy Spirit work with everyone, or only with certain people?
How does the Holy Spirit benefit people?
What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and how are they categorized?
How can we determine if something is of the Holy Spirit or not?
What is the difference between Charismata and Charismania?
Can we see the Holy Spirit along side the Father and Son?

WHAT OR WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The Holy Spirit is the One who proceeds from God the Father and Christ the Son to accomplish their will and glorify them, and in turn glorifying Himself as the third Person of the Trinity. Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is a real living spirit Person, not an impersonal force or power. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the first of the three Persons of the Godhead to be mentioned specifically in the Bible, at Genesis 1:2. When the title Holy Spirit is broken down, we see that the word "spirit" means "breath" or "living spirit," while the word "holy" signifies that the Spirit possesses the holy essence of God, since God is Holy above all things. The meaning "breath" for spirit alludes to the fact that the Holy Spirit is sometimes associated with wind or the sound of wind in the Bible (Job 38:1; Psalm 104:3, John 3:8; Acts 2:2).

THE PERSONHOOD AND DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Some people argue that the Holy Spirit cannot be a real person because the Bible shows people being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:32), anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38), baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11), and receiving the Holy Spirit when in contact with someone who is already filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6). The Holy Spirit is said to be poured out in Acts 2:17-21. Elisha requested that a double portion of the Spirit that was upon Elijah be upon himself, as if the Holy Spirit can be rationed (2 Kings 2:9). The Holy Spirit fills 120 people at the same time at Pentecost 33 AD (Acts ch. 1, 2). The Holy Spirit's appearing to act like something impersonal instead of personal would be analogous to the properties of light. According to physics, light is composed of waves, yet sometimes light behaves as if it is composed of particles. In the same way, the person of the Holy Spirit is capable of using His power in ways that make Him appear to be force-like and impersonal, since the Holy Spirit, as Almighty God, is spiritual, omnipresent and has unlimited power and will for accomplishing things. If the Holy Spirit lacks personhood and is instead an impersonal force, then why does the Bible show the Holy Spirit as speaking directly and referring to himself as "I" and "me" in Acts 13:2? If the Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, how could the Holy Spirit be referred to as "He" and "Him" in John 16:7- 8 and John 16:13-14? How could an impersonal Spirit bear witness (John 15:26, Acts 20:23); be vexed or feel hurt (Isaiah 63:10); be blasphemed against (Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:29, Luke 12:10); say things to people (Ezekiel 3:24, Acts 8:29, 10:19, and Hebrews 10:15-17); forbid someone to say things (Acts 16:6); plead for Christians with groanings (Romans 8:26); be tested (Acts 5:9); send people (Acts 13:4); be a comforter or helper (John 14:16; 16:7); appoint overseers (Acts 20:28); be insulted or spited (Hebrews 10:29); have a desire (Galatians 5:17); search things out (1 Corinthians 2:10); comfort people (Acts 9:31); be grieved (Ephesians 4:30); or love people (Romans 15:30). Peter said the Holy Spirit was lied to, and that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). All of these things prove the personhood and personality of the Holy Spirit. He is God, and He is to be worshiped, feared and glorified together with God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit left the divine revelation of Himself in the Bible. Therefore, it is imperative for Christians to know, believe, and practice the biblical teachings of the deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit.

As the Holy Spirit is Almighty God, He has the power to create things (Psalm 104:30), and to give life (John 6:63). The Holy Spirit also searches all things, and influences a person's heart in various ways. The Word of God is said to be the sword of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). The Holy Spirit enables a person to understand the deep truths of God's Word and He gives people spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). He also guides people in all truth (John 16:13). Galatians 5:22, 23 show that the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Holy Spirit enables believers to praise and worship God and Christ (Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Galatians 4:6). The Father and Jesus Christ are prayed to in the Bible; however, there is no command saying people should pray directly to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does have the sovereign ability and will to work with anyone He pleases; however, the Holy Spirit usually works only with people who humble themselves and faithfully submit to God for doing His will. Only people who are redeemed and born again are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit does not belong to Christ, and is not a child of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness to born again believers that they are children of God (Romans 8:9-17).

It is the Holy Spirit who draws a sinner to repentance, regenerates them, and washes them clean of spiritual corruption. Jesus said that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are "born again". They must be born of the Spirit, because that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:3-7). A believer is transformed into a new creature in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Titus 3:5 describes the Holy Spirit's work as the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit not only regenerates, seals and anoints Christians, but also distributes a variety of spiritual gifts. There are two categories of spiritual gifts: apostolic gifts (also called charismata) and practical gifts.

The apostolic gifts of the Holy Spirit include: healing, prophecy, tongues, tongue interpretation, and miraculous signs.

The practical gifts of the Holy Spirit include: mercy, teaching, administration, discernment, helps, serving, exhortation, giving, leadership, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, and faith.

A doctrine known as cessationism teaches that the apostolic gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased once the biblical cannon was completed. However, cessationists still believe that the practical gifts of the Holy Spirit are still in operation today. They believe the apostolic gifts have ceased but the practical gifts continue to operate among Christians. Another doctrine known as continuationism teaches that the apostolic gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to be in operation today, along with all the practical gifts of the Holy Spirit. In other words, continuationists believe ALL the spirituals, both apostolic and practical, continue to operate among Christians today. Cessationists often accuse continuationists of taking the risk of engaging in practices facilitated by demonic powers. On the other hand, continuationists accuse cessationists of trying to put God in a box, or even blaspheming the Holy Spirit. As far as attitudes about the Holy Spirit are concerned, there are two spiritual extremes among today churches: pneumatomania and pneumatophobia. The first extreme, pneumatomania, is an overemphasis upon supernatural experiences and phenomena to the point of neglecting common sense notions and sound doctrine. The opposite extreme, pneumatophobia, is a fear or rejection of supernatural phenomena, along with an excessive focus on the doctrinal and ethical aspects of the Christian faith. Biblical Christians should avoid both of these extremes. Charismata is another name for the apostolic gifts of the Holy Spirit, it also alludes to the proper use of these spiritual gifts according to God's will. Charismania is an outright obsession with spiritual phenomena in the context of merely pretending to have spiritual gifts (chicanery), using demonic spiritual powers, or abusing genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit.

DISTINGUISHING THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM OTHER SPIRITS

There are a number of ways to determine whether something is of the Holy Spirit or of human or demonic origin. First, the Holy Spirit will never go against truth that is already written in the Bible; instead, He will affirm the principles of truth outlined in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit will seek to glorify God and the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14, 15), not the world, not fallen humanity, nor Satan. The Holy Spirit would not be a partner in sinful or carnal practices of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-18; 1 Peter 2:11). The Holy Spirit guides people into truth, not falsehood (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit always accompanies the true Jesus and the true gospel; therefore, a false Jesus and a false gospel are accompanied by a different spirit (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4; 1 John 4:6). The Holy Spirit will convict a person of sin and expose their sin to them, not support them in their sin. The Holy Spirit moves people to do all things according to love and the other fruitage of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Timothy 1:7).

NAMES, TITLES AND SYMBOLS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Most people among the Church use the Dove as an imagery for the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit takes on a number of other symbols in the Bible. Sometimes the Holy Spirit displays Himself as fire, sometimes as wind, sometimes as anointing oil, sometimes as eyes, and so on.

Titles and descriptions of the Holy Spirit include: the finger of God (Luke 11:20), the breath of God (Job 4:9; 33:4), the Comforter or Helper (John 14:16), the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29), the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 14:6), the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), the Seven Spirits of God (Revelation 4:5), the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2), the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding (Isaiah 11:2), and a host of others.

When Jesus referred to "another Comforter" or "another Helper" at John 14:16, the Greek word allos (ἄλλος) is used, and that word means "another of the same kind." That means that the Holy Spirit is of the nature of God just like Jesus and the Father, and, although Jesus would no longer be present with Christians in His bodily form, the Holy Spirit will take Jesus' place in helping and leading Christians on earth.

APPEARANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN REVELATION

One excuse non-Trinitarians make for denying the Trinity is that the Holy Spirit  is not easily identified whenever a scene in Heaven shows the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is called "the seven spirits of God" in the heavenly scenes of Revelation chapters 4 and 5. In Revelation 5, Christ is portrayed as a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes instead of a human-like form, despite the fact that Christ is a person. The Holy Spirit is present as the "seven spirits of God" in the heavenly scene of Revelation 5 while all creation worships God the Father and Christ the Lamb.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BLASPHEME THE HOLY SPIRIT?

What does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Blasphemy or sin against the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:31, 32 and  Mark 3:28-30. Mark specifically identifies the sin as regarding Jesus as having an unclean spirit (Mark 3:30). The sins of total and final apostasy mentioned at Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-31, 2 Peter 2:20-22, 1 John 5:16, 17 and Revelation 14:9-11 are often seen as tantamount to blaspheming the Holy Spirit. No one can blaspheme the Holy Spirit without having first received full revelation of God's truth, which is reveal through the power of the Holy Spirit. The scribes and Pharisees had already received a substantial amount of divine revelation through God's spirit-inspired Word at the time they totally rejected Jesus Christ and His miraculous signs. Nicodemus made it clear that the Pharisees knew Jesus was from God (John 3:1, 2), but most of the Pharisees persecuted and rejected Jesus anyway, perhaps out of envy (Matthew 27:18). They loved the approval of men more than the approval of God (John 12:42, 43). God's love and grace leads people to repentance through the revelations and influences of the Holy Spirit, thus to totally reject the Savior Jesus Christ and the Gospel ultimately leads to a hardened heart and outright contempt for the Holy Spirit to the point of blasphemy. Furthermore, a person who is truly born again in Christ cannot and will not commit the unforgivable sin because their hearts have been permanently changed by the Holy Spirit, plus the Holy Spirit owns them as a child of God and sibling of Christ.