In our last Watchtower Wednesday on the Facebook page we looked at the Watch Tower teaching on the Holy Spirit. The article we linked to on their website had the title What is the Holy Spirit? The Watch Tower Society deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Christian Trinity. They write:
'By referring to God’s spirit as his “hands,” “fingers,” or “breath,” the Bible shows that the holy spirit is not a person. (Exodus 15:8, 10) A craftsman’s hands cannot function independent of his mind and body; likewise, God’s holy spirit operates only as he directs it. (Luke 11:13) The Bible also compares God’s spirit to water and associates it with such things as faith and knowledge. These comparisons all point to the impersonal nature of the holy spirit—Isaiah 44:3; Acts 6:5; 2 Corinthians 6:6.'
They also say, 'The Bible gives the names of Jehovah God and of his Son, Jesus Christ; yet, nowhere does it name the holy spirit. (Isaiah 42:8; Luke 1:31)'
HE’S Not a What But a WHO!
Understandably, some have taken offence at the Holy Spirit being referred to as a ‘What.’ It is a point well made but there is power in that simple word ‘What’ in the title. In the unwary it works to the Society’s advantage. It has already planted in the mind of the uninformed reader the idea that the Holy Spirit is a ‘What’ not a person. They, typically, go on to argue for what they have already stated, carefully avoiding the numerous Bible passages that challenge their teaching.
One commenter made good and challenging points, writing:
'The references given in the JW article are cherry picked from Acts 6:5 and 2 Cor.6:6 because in both these verses, Holy Spirit is without a definite article just like in Gal 5:16 "walk in the Spirit" and 5:25 "live in the Spirit". Whereas both in Acts 5:3 and 5:9, definite article is used in reference specifically to the person of the Holy Spirit.’ (Thanks Bavesh)
The first thing I always think of when addressing an issue like this is the generations of theologians, teachers, and leaders who have studied such things in great depth. Does the Watch Tower Society, which discourages further and higher education in favour of door-knocking, think it knows better?
When it comes to the Holy Spirit, which Jehovah’s Witnesses insist is an impersonal force, I wonder what I would do if I offended an impersonal force in my life? How would I manage if the electricity in my home took offense at something I said or did? The fridge wouldn’t work, my boiler wouldn’t heat water, this laptop I am using would run down, unreplenished until I repented, apologized to my power supply.
If it Acts Like a Person and Talks Like a Person…
The Holy Spirit has characteristics that distinctly identify a person. Put another way, they are all typical of you, and of me. He says and does things specifically attributable to a person. Even the pronouns used in the Bible are those typically used of persons.
The
Holy Spirit speaks like a person:
In
Acts 8, ’The Spirit told Philip, 'Go
over and join this chariot.’ (v.29,
ESV)
In Acts 10 Peter is thinking
about the vision he has had when, ‘the
Spirit said to him, '’Behold,
three men are looking for you.’
(v.19, ESV)
In
Acts 13,"The Holy Spirit said, 'Set
apart for me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them.’
(v.2, ESV) Note here the personal pronouns
the Spirit uses typical of a person referring to him or herself.
The Holy Spirit is a personal teacher:
Jesus promised, ‘But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things…’ (Jn.14:26, ESV)
The Spirit, hears, speaks, and guides like a person:
Later, Jesus told his disciples, ‘When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.’ (Jn.16:13, ESV) Note all the personal pronouns when referring to the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also has a voice of command:
‘And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.’ (Acts 16:6,7, ESV)
Note here the Holy Spirit is ‘the Spirit of Jesus’ and commands even as Jesus did. This is because he is the ‘other Comforter’ or other Advocate, Jesus promised (Jn.14:16, ESV) of whom Jesus said, ‘...the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.’
He is ‘another advocate,’ and we must ask, who is the first of which this is another? The answer, of course, is Jesus whose return to the Father necessitates the coming of the Holy Spirit to fulfil the promise, ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Mt.28:20, ESV)
There are distinctive and intrinsic characteristics of personhood attributed to the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit has a mind and intercedes for the saints:
Paul writes, ‘He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Ro.8:27) Who else intercedes for the saints (Ro.8:34, ESV)? The significance of this ‘other Advocate’ comes into stark relief in this text as we see the Spirit being another like Christ.
The Spirit has a searching mind, active knowledge of the things of God:
Paul again writes to the Corinthian Church, ‘The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.’ (1 or.2:10, ESV) An impersonal force, no matter how active, seeks nothing, knows nothing. Electricity is an ‘active force.’ Have you ever tried having an intelligent conversation with electricity? I imagine it would be pretty one-sided.
The Holy Spirit has affections:
An active force knows nothing of affection, but Paul appeals to the church in Rome, ‘by the love of the Spirit, to strive together…’ (Rom.15:30, ESV) The Spirit possesses affection, which brings me to an earlier point. It is possible to ‘grieve the Spirit.’ (Eph.4:30); to insult the Holy Spirit (Heb.10:29); to blaspheme him (Mt.12:31,32); to lie to him (Acts 5:3); and to resist him (Acts 7:51).
The Holy Spirit has a will, is a decision maker:
Paul, writing about the administration of gifts, tells the Corinthian Church, ‘All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.’ (1 Cor.12:11, ESV) Note again the personal pronoun. Imagine if the electricity in your home decided to light only certain rooms according to its will. The thought is bizarre!
The Bible couldn’t be clearer, the Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus couldn’t be clearer, he is another of the same kind as Jesus. He is not a ‘What,’ he is God the Holy Spirit.
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