Lesson 2
April 17, 2002
Understanding the Person and Ministry of the Holy
Spirit
The Person of the Spirit: Who Is the Holy
Spirit?
1.
The Personality of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit is a Person
a. Reasons Why the Holy Spirit is a Person
1. The Spirit has the Attributes or
Characteristics of Personality:
a. Intellect
1 Cor. 2:10-13
Rom. 8:27
Isa. 11:2
b. Emotion
Ephesians 4:30;
Hebrews 10:29;
James 4:5
c. Will [makes choices]
1 Corinthians 12:11;
2. The Spirit Performs the Actions of a Personality:
a. He teaches. John
14:26; John 16:13-15
b. He testifies or bears witness.
John 15:26; Romans 8:16
c. He guides or leads.
Romans 8:14
d. He commands and directs people. Acts 8:39
e. He convinces [convicts].
John 16:7-8
f. He restrains. Genesis
6:3; 2 Thes. 2:6-7
g. He intercedes in prayer.
Romans 8:26
3. The Spirit Receives Ascriptions of
Personality.
a. He can be obeyed. Acts
16:6-11
b. He can be lied to.
Acts 5:3
c. He can be resisted.
Acts 7:51
d. He can be blasphemed.
Matthew 12:31
e. He can be grieved.
Eph. 4:30
f. He can be quenched. 1
Thes. 5:19
4. The Spirit receives the Accidence of
Personality ("the rudiments or basics of grammar point to
personality").
The
Greek word for Spirit is pneuma which fundamentally means "breath,
wind."
Pneuma is a neuter gender
word and would normally require a neuter gender pronoun according to a rule of
Greek grammar called concord.
Masculine pronouns are used
of the Spirit in John 15:26; 16:7, 8,
13, and 14.
Conclusion is that Scripture
considers the Holy Spirit a person.