THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS TAUGHT IN THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES OF THE JEHOVAH WITNESSES
(ALL QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE NWT UNLESS STATED. ITALICS USED FOR EMPHASIS ARE MINE)
DEFINITION: A "person" is a living entity, endowed with understanding and will, being an intelligent and willing agent.
OBSERVANCE: All the elements which constitute personality are ascribed to and found in the Holy Spirit.
1) PERSONAL PROPERTIES ARE AFFIRMED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
"For it is God which has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:10)
"…so, too, no one has come to know the things of God, except the spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:11)
"But all these operations the one and the same spirit performs, making a distribution to each one respectively just as it wills." (1 Corinthians 12:11) […as he wills. AV]
"Now, I exhort you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the spirit…" (Romans 15:30)
2) PASSIVE PERSONAL PROPERTIES ARE ASCRIBED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
(That is: He is the Object of such actions of men are none but a person can be.)
"Why was it agreed between you [two] to make a test of the spirit of Jehovah?" (Acts 5:9) […to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? AV] Greek word peirazmo is translated tempted in Matthew 4:1 NWT
"But Peter said: Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit…?" (Acts 5:3) […to lie to the Holy Ghost? AV] Greek word pseudomai translated lying in Romans 9:1 NWT
"Also, do not be grieving God's holy spirit" (Ephesians 4:30)
"…and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt." (Hebrews 10:29) [hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace. AV] This is the only NT use of the Greek word enubrizo
"But they themselves rebelled and made his holy spirit feel hurt…" (Isaiah 63:10) […vexed his holy Spirit AV] Hebrew word atsab translated "hurt his feelings" in 1 Kings 1:6 NWT
"…every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven." (Matthew 12:31)
3) PERSONAL ACTIONS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT:
"However the inspired utterance says definitely…" (1 Timothy 4:1)
[…the Spirit speaketh expressly…AV] The Greek word pneuma is translated dozens of times in the NWT. See 2 Timothy 1:7/4:22 etc.,
"Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations…" (Revelation 2:7) (Pneuma)
"For the holy spirit will teach you in that very hour…" (Luke 12:12)
"But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send you in my name, that one will teach you all things…" (John 14:26)
"As they were publicly ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the holy spirit said: Of all persons set Barnabas and Saul apart for me for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2) […separate me Barnabas and Saul] Greek word Aporizo
translated separate in Acts 19:9 NWT (Note: Here we have the Holy
Spirit speaking and separating and acknowledging His own existence:
"me")
"In like manner the spirit also joins in with help for our weakness:
for the [problem of] what we should pray for as we need to we do not
know, but the spirit itself pleads for us with groaning unuttered." (Romans 8:26) […maketh intercession for us…AV] This is the only NT use of the Greek word huperpentugchano.
"After that Jehovah said: My spirit shall not act towards man indefinitely…" (Genesis 6:3) […shall not always strive with man" AV] Hebrew word dun
appears only here in Genesis 6:3 and also in Job 29:19 where it is
translated as "judge" (NWT) or "judgement" (AV) which means more than a
bare acting.
4) PERSONAL CHARACTERS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Four times over the Lord Jesus Christ referred to the Holy Spirit as the helper (John 14:16/14:26/15:26/16:7) […the Comforter: AV] The Greek word parakletos always translated helper in the NWT.
Note: Not merely the help or comfort, for inanimate things like clothes
can bring us comfort, but only a living person can be a comforter or
helper.
"Moreover the holy spirit also bears witness to us…" (Hebrews 10:15)
"The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit…" (Romans 8:16)
Note: This term bear witness is a forensic one, denoting the supplying
of a valid evidence or legal proof: obviously only an intelligent agent
is capable of discharging such an office.
5) PERSONAL PRONOUNS ARE USED ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Although the Greek word Pneuma like spirit in the English is neuter, nevertheless the Holy Spirit is frequently spoken of in the masculine gender.
"But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all things that I have told you. (John 14:26) […he shall teach you all things…" AV]
Note: Not that thing, but that one or quite properly "he"
"Nevertheless I am telling you the truth, it is for your benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away the helper will by no means come to you; but if I go my way, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)
"And I will request the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, the spirit of truth…" (John 14:16-17)
Note: Another helper or Comforter. No comparison would be possible between Christ (a person) and an abstract influence.
6) OTHER TEXTS/ARGUMENTS WHICH PROVE THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
"Go therefore and make disciples of people of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
Note: How can you be baptised into the name (singular) of two persons
and an abstract principle or influence? Same argument can be given
concerning the benediction given in 2 Corinthians 13:14 "The undeserved
kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the sharing
of the holy spirit be with all of you." Two persons and an influence?
"After being baptised Jesus immediately came up from the water; and
look! The heavens opened up and he saw descending like a dove God's
spirit coming upon him. Look! Also there was a voice from the heavens
that said: This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved." (Matthew
3:16-17)
Note: The presence of the Holy Spirit is represented by visible
symbols, a thing which is never done for a mere abstraction elsewhere
in Scripture. Indeed such would be logically absurd. The propriety of
the material symbol depends wholly on some metaphysical resemblance
between the qualities of the matter and the attributes of the Being
symbolised; e.g. Shekinah represents God. Its brightness represents His
glory, its purity represents His holiness; its fierce heat represents
His jealousy etc., If the dove (Matthew 3:16) and the fiery tongue
(Acts 2:3) symbolise the Holy Spirit and He is an abstraction, the n
the analogy has to be sought between the qualities of the dove and the
fire and the attributes of an abstraction. In Matthew 3:16 all three
persons attest to their presence at once - the Father in His voice from
heaven, the Son in His human person and the Spirit in the ascending
dove. The dove here cannot present an abstract attribute of either the
Father or the Son as this would be to personate them as possessing that
attribute while they had their distinct personal representations at
that very moment.
7) WATCHTOWER'S OWN HERMENEUTIC PRINCIPLES PROVE THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
In the Awake! magazine
(8-12-1973) in the section "What is the Bible view?" and under the
title, "Satan the Devil Personification or Person?" the Watchtower
rightly teaches that Satan is a person. Part of the proof for this view
runs like this:
"Can an intelligent 'force' carry on
a conversation with a person? Also the Bible calls Satan a man slayer,
a liar, a father (in a spiritual sense) and a ruler (John 8;44/14:30)
Only an intelligent person could fit all those descriptions. Therefore
McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia states: 'All the forms of personal
agency are made use of by the sacred writers in setting forth the
character and conduct of Satan…Every quality, every action,
which can indicate personality, is attributed to him in language which
cannot be explained away.'"
The same article also quotes Bible scholar, Louis Matthew Sweet, as saying: "Not
only is the Bible free from the extravagances of popular Satanology,
which is full of absurd stories concerning the appearances, tricks and
transformations of Satan among men, but it exhibits a dependable
accuracy and consistency of statement which is reassuring."
The question is: Will the Watchtower meet this dependable accuracy and consistency of statement which is reassuring
and confess the Personality of the Spirit of God? We are using the same
fundamental principles of argument to prove that the Holy Spirit is not
a force but person as the Watchtower are using to prove the personality
of Satan.
8) WATCHTOWER'S OBJECTIONS ANSWERED:
[i] It is claimed that since people can be filled with or baptised with or anointed with the Spirit of God, none of these expressions are appropriate if the Holy Spirit is a person.
Answer: Obviously such terms mean that we should be so influenced by
the Holy Spirit - feeling His power upon us etc., Do the following
expressions cast doubt upon the personality of the Lord Jesus when we
are told to "put on the Lord Jesus" (Romans 14:13) and again: "For all of you who have been baptised into Christ have put on the Lord Jesus." (Galatians 3:27) How can you be baptised into and put on a person? Yet we all accept the personality of Christ.
[ii] Similar question: How can a person be said to be "poured out" as the Spirit of God is said to be in the last days? (Acts 2:17)
Answer: In 2 Timothy 4:6 the Apostle Paul (a person) could write: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering…" so the argument does not stand.
[iii] Since wisdom is personified - said to have children in Luke 7:35 - and death and sin are said to reign in Romans 5:21, surely the personifying of the Holy Spirit is a similar teaching device?
Answer: While the Scripture uses such teaching devices, they are very
few and hardly used more than once or twice concerning any matter, lest
we start to believe in the personality of that thing. If we to apply
this argument to Satan (see above) then we would deny (as do the
Christadelphian cult) the personality of Satan. We can answer this
argument by relating how many times Satan appears in the Bible, and
surely he is not an abstract principle on each occasion. He appears in
a literal scene (temptation of Christ) and addressing Christ and
receiving a reply back again etc., Likewise the Holy Spirit is
mentioned so many times and also appears in a literal scene (baptism of
Jesus) with literal persons i.e. the Father and the Son. We need to be
careful lest we begin explaining these things away.
[iv] While we are told in Romans 8:16 and Hebrews 10:15 that the Spirit
bears witness, we are also told it again in 1 John 5:7-8 with the
additional information that the water and the blood also bear witness.
Why do we not also personalise the water and the blood?
Answer: It is evident that the water and the blood cannot be
personified. Here we have a mixture of evidence between a Person (Holy
Spirit) and "things" (Water and blood) What could bear witness to the
fact that something had happened to Joseph in Genesis 37? The ruined
coat, covered in blood, along with the brethren who both bore witness -
albeit false witness, but witness nevertheless.
Again, in John 5:36-37 both Jesus and the Father are called witnesses
along with the works which Jesus did: "But I have a witness greater
than that of John, for the very works which the Father assigned me to
accomplish, the works themselves that I am doing bear witness about me
that the Father dispatched me. Also the Father who sent me has borne
witness about me…" Here we have a Person and "things" both in
the same verse bearing testimony together. So it is in 1 John 5:7-8
[v] There is no personal name given to the Holy Spirit, but both the Father (Jehovah) and the Son (Jesus) have personal names.
Answer: Even if this was so, it would not disprove the personality of
the Holy Spirit. If He had only revealed Himself by the designation of
the "Holy Spirit" this would suffice us. However, the name "Jehovah"
covers all the Persons in the One Godhead. (I recognise that it is
outside the scope of this article to prove the Trinity or even the
Deity of the Holy Spirit. If these propositions are true, then it would
render another proof for the Personality of the Holy Spirit)
[vi] In Acts 7:55-56 Stephen "gazed into heaven and caught sight of
God's glory and of Jesus standing at the God's right hand, and he said,
Look! I see the heavens opened up and the Son of man standing at God's
right hand." Why did He not see the Spirit of God? Implication: The
Spirit is not a person.
Answer: Why did Stephen not see the Father but only a manifestation of
His glory? He saw Jesus because Jesus has a glorified body. The Spirit
of God does not have a body and therefore was not seen. Thus far, the
Holy Spirit has revealed Himself to us:
A/ In the pages of the Scripture which ought to be sufficient for us
i.e. "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will
they be persuaded if…" (Luke 16:31)
B/ By His power and dealings. John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wants
to, and you do hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes
from and where it is going…" It was not given to Stephen in his
martyrdom to see somehow a manifestation of the Spirit's person or, at
least, he never spoke of it.
[vii] The Bible reveals the Holy Spirit as "God's active force" rather than a person.
Answer: Such then makes a mockery of those verses where we read of the
power of the Holy Spirit e.g. Acts 10:38 would then read: "…Jesus who was from Nazareth, how God anointed him with power and power…" or 1 Corinthians 2:4 would have to read "…my speech and what I believed were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of power and power" This is clearly absurd.
[viii] If the Holy Spirit is a Person, is He then the Father of Jesus (Luke 1:35)?
Answer: Even as an ordinary conception is full of marvels yet to be
understood (Psalm 139:13-16) how much more this supernatural conception
of the Lord Jesus. A full explanation was not given to Mary nor to us.
Mary was asked to believe, not to explain - so too with us. The One who
claimed Christ as His Son is distinct from the Spirit of God as Matthew
3:16-17/2 Corinthians 13:14 makes clear. The miracle of the Virgin
Birth must be understood by the strict terms of Galatians 4:4 "But when the full limit of time arrived, God sent forth His Son, who came out of a woman and who came to be under law."
This explains the Spirit's work in Luke 1:35. It would be theologically
incorrect to say that the Holy Spirit is the Father of Christ's
humanity. Galatians 4:4 makes it clear that Christ's humanity was made
entirely of the substance of the Virgin Mary. Protestant orthodoxy has
always made sought to be clear on the fact that the Holy Spirit did not
become the substitute of a human father i.e. He did not implant a
paternal seed to fertilise an ovum in Mary. Had He done so, Christ
would not have had our humanity. The answer then to the question above
is "NO"
THE END
Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland