What is the Holy Spirit?

1. What is the Holy Spirit? • In a humanitarian sense, the Holy Spirit is an agency of goodness, which empowers human beings to bring about and do good in their lives. • According to mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost, is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance of God. • The spirit is considered to act in concert with, or share an essential nature with God the Father and God the Son or Jesus Christ. • There is a great theological diversity among Christian understandings of the Spirit, more so than understandings of other issues within the gospel such as understandings of the Son of God. • The Christian theology of the Holy Spirit is known as pneumatology. • The ancient Greek word pneuma, has a variety of meanings and translations: wind, breath, ghost, spirit. • The English adjective "pneumatic" and other words that are derived from pneuma all have something to do with "air" or "spirit" or "lungs": pneumatic drills/pumps/tools (operated by air pressure); pneumatic tyres (filled with air); pneumonia (a disease of the lungs); pneumatology (the study of spiritual beings or phenomena), etc. • In this sense, the Greek translation of the word spirit links the spirit to some form of wind air or breath.

2. Background Old Testament background • The Holy Sprit is From God. This is from Genesis 1, where it is written that "the spirit of God was floating over the waters [of creation]" - indicating the Holy Spirit; and from 1 Samuel 11:6, where it is written that "the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.“ The Catechism lists the various symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible: • Water- signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism. As "by one Spirit we were all baptized", so we are also "made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13) • Anointing - The symbolism of anointing with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit. (Cf. 1 John 2:20,27; 2 Corinthians 1:21) • Fire - symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. In the form of tongues "as of fire", the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost. • Cloud and light- The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. On the mountain of Transfiguration, the Spirit in the "cloud came and overshadowed" Jesus, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John, and "a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'" (Luke 9:34-35) • The sealis a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal" on Christ and also seals us in him. (John 6:27; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:3). • The hand. It is by the Apostles' imposition of hands that the Holy Spirit is given. The Letter to the Hebrews lists the imposition of hands among the "fundamental elements" of its teaching. The Church has kept this sign of the all-powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in its sacraments. • The finger. "It is by the finger of God that [Jesus] cast out demons." If God's law was written on tablets of stone "by the finger of God", then the "letter from Christ" entrusted to the care of the apostles, is written "with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts." (Exodus 31:18; 2 Corinthians 3:3) • The dove. When Christ comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes down upon him and remains with him. (Matthew 3:16)

3. The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts Gabriel tells Mary how she will conceive Jesus: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (1:35). When Mary visits her pregnant older cousin, Elizabeth is "filled with the Holy Spirit" (1:41). After the birth of John the Baptist, his father Zechariah is "filled with the Holy Spirit" and utters a prophecy (1:67). In Jerusalem, "the Holy Spirit rested on" a righteous man named Simeon (2:25); the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah (2:26); so one day, the Spirit guides Simeon to the Temple, where he encounters the infant Jesus and his parents (2:27). • Fitzmyer calls the HS a ‘creative life’, which according to Schweizer, ‘does not bring religious satiety but hunger and thirst for the consummation...’ This is evidenced in Simeon who in the presence of the HS desires for the fulfilment of his promises. • Evans asserts that the mention of the HS in Chapter 2 prepare the way for the proclamation of praise and thanksgiving in the nuncdimmittis. • As the law and spirit are co-existent according to Luke, it is important to activate the HS in a context which is the centre of Jewish culture worship and where the Jewish rituals are completed, the temple. {Tannehill} John the Baptist distinguishes between himself and Jesus: "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (3:16). • The promise of the baptism by the HS is important in Luke-Acts. It will begin to be fulfilled at Pentecost {Acts 2:1-4} and in fulfilment of this promise, the spread of the spirit to new groups in Acts is reported. The Samaritans receive the spirit {8:15-17} and the gentiles {10:44-48} • The ‘HS and fire’ is believed to be a reference to the Pentecost where both these aspects appear {Acts 2:3,19} After Jesus is baptized, "the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove" (3:22). • The coming of the HS at Jesus’ baptism, ‘is Jesus’ consecration and empowerment for ministry.’ {Tannehill} Although he was conceived by the spirit and therefore already a holy person, this special endowment with the sprit is necessary so Jesus can begin his ministry • Jesus is depicted as receiving the spirit not because he didn’t already possess it, rather he required a refuel of his spiritual source for a new stage in his career. • In 4:14, the reference to the ‘power of the spirit,’ emphasizes the power of the spirit as a force, as supported by Acts 10:38, ‘God anointed Jesus...with the Holy Spirit and with power.’ • Indeed, the descent of the spirit was an anointing for office, and was a powerful anointing at that. • Here Luke is emphasizing the physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit, indeed as proclaimed by Evans, the HS was ‘real, not visionary.’ • Possible OT references that may explain the depiction of the HS as a dove, include, the ‘hovering’ of God’s spirit over the deep in Gen 1:2 and the ‘dove’ over the waters in Gen 8:8 at the end of the flood. • Links within Luke, relating to the dove, include: the annunciation, when the spirit came down and hovered over Mary, ‘overshadowing’ her. Perhaps in the baptism the dove is to perform the same function. • Talbert notes that symbolically the dove was a symbol of God’s love for Jesus, and so fits with the words from heaven of love for Jesus. • Fitzmyer believes that the dove represents the hopes of men and women for love, life and union with God. Because J has the HS dwelling within him, he can bring about these hopes symbolized by the dove by breaking down barriers that separate people form living fulfilling lives. • As Joel 3:1-5 indicates Gods eschatological coming to his people is characterized by an outpouring of the creative and prophetic spirit.

4. The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts Before beginning his public ministry, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness" (4:1), where he is tempted by the devil. • Evans believes this is in keeping with the ‘spirit filling theme.’ Because, not only had J been conceived by the HS {1:35}, but the spirit descended upon him at his baptism {3:22} so that he may endure the temptations and begin his ministry. • This is Luke’s characteristic way of designating the prophetic figures in the narrative, which has occurred before in 1:15, 1:41, 1:67 and Acts 2:4, 4:8 After withstanding the devil's temptations in the desert, Jesus returns to Galilee "filled with the power of the Spirit" (4:14). • Here Luke wishes to make clear that J’ ministry begins in the power of the HS, which parallels the inauguration of the apostolic preaching and teaching in Acts 2 In the synagogue at Nazareth, his hometown, Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor" (4:18); after finishing the reading, Jesus declares, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21), implying that he is indeed the Messiah, enlivened by God's Spirit. • Tannehill and Evans agree that Jesus’ anointing in 4:18 is royal not simply prophetic. It is his anointing by the HS that makes Jesus the messiah, and as a messiah, J becomes David’s successor and Israel's long-awaited King • This helps Luke to depict Jesus as a prophetic messiah. As, the citation of Isaiah, professes, ‘the spirit of the lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.’ Similarly, later at Pentecost, the spirit of the prophecy would be ‘poured on’ Jesus’ followers. • The spirit that now rests upon Jesus is for the fulfilment of God’s will and the specific goal of this spirit is now outlined in 4:16-21, to liberate those bound by Satan and to preach good news to the poor. • Fitzmyer summarizes that the purpose of the spirit is for the benefit of the physically, economically and socially unfortunate. In his public ministry, Jesus casts many "unclean spirits" and "evil spirits" out of various people (4:33, 36; 6:18; 7:21; 8:2; 8:29; 9:39, 42; 10:20; 11:24, 26; 13:11). • Just as in Luke's Gospel, the Spirit of God inspires and guides most of the action within the Acts of the Apostles.  Some scholars even suggest that this book should be named "The Acts of the Holy Spirit": • Jesus instructs the apostles "through the Holy Spirit" (1:2). • The first disciples are "baptized with the Holy Spirit" at Pentecost (1:5, 8; 2:1-4; 11:15-16). • God "will pour out" his Spirit on all people and all nations in the last days (2:17-18, 33; 10:45).

5. The interpretation of the HS by the Catechism... The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following in the first paragraph dealing with the Apostles Creed's article I believe in the Holy Spirit."No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." • God’s Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. • The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. • The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own." Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him", while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them.“ In other words, the Catechism believes that the Holy Spirit should be interpreted by modern Christians as a force which is not physically present, rather one that moves within us to help us to see the way of God and apply to our daily lives those teachings of love, humanity, faith and discipleship as taught by Jesus. • Regarding the HS’s relationship with the Church, the Catechism states: "The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit...Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity...Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body.“ In regards to the relationship between the Church and the Holy Spirit, the Catechism believes that the church does not try to add to the work of the Holy Spirit, rather it’s job is to bring out, enhance and promote the good deeds and sacraments of the Holy Spirit in modern Christian disciples.

6. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit... • Christians believe the "Fruit of the Spirit" are virtues engendered in an individual by the acceptance of the Spirit and his actions in one's life. • The Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 1832), lists 12 segments making up the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, [and] chastity." • Many Christians believe that the fruit of the Holy Spirit are enhanced over time by exposure to the written word of God and by the experience of leading a Christian life. They further believe that the Fruit of the Holy Spirit are products of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: "wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.” • The Sevenfold or Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out on a believer at baptism (accordant to Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan) are the: 1. Spirit of Wisdom; 2. Spirit of Understanding; 3. Spirit of Counsel; 4. Spirit of Strength; 5. Spirit of Knowledge; 6. Spirit of Godliness; 7. Spirit of Holy Fear • Another understanding of Gifts of the Spirit holds that different gifts are given to different people, perhaps even at different times, according to the needs of the church, to carry out God's work on earth. Saint Paul believed that all Christians should work together, each with different functions like the parts of a human body. • From this perspective, the Holy Spirit can manifest gifts of many kinds, giving: • Wisdom; • Certain knowledge that illuminates the Word of God; • Supernatural faith; • Power to perform miracles • Ability to Heal or Experience Healing; • Or it may cause the believer to: • Overwhelming sense of joy; • Be made an "apostle" (sent one, missionary); • Be called as a Pastor/Holy person; • Have the ability to teach from the Word of God; • Use one's life to help others; • Consistently open one's home in hospitality; • Love and forgive supernaturally; • Raise the dead; • Interpret different tongues; • Discern spiritual, physical and mental conditions; • See angels and demons at work

7. Common, modern Christian interpretations... In mainstream modern Christianity, most believers think the Holy Spirit leads people to faith in Jesus and gives them the ability to lead a Christian life. The majority believe: • The Holy Spirit dwells inside every Christian, each one's body being his temple {1 Corinthians 3:16} • The Holy spirit acts as a 'Counsellor' or 'Helper', guiding people in the way of the truth. • The Holy Spirit's action in one's life produces positive results, known as the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, including the charismatic gifts of prophecy, tongues, healing, and knowledge. • Christians almost universally agree that certain spiritual gifts are still in effect today, including the gifts of ministry, teaching, giving, leadership, and mercy and the modern experience of the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as being anointed • When they align themselves with God through Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit dwells inside of them. • The Holy Spirit empowers the believer for ministry in the church and world and allows him/her to commune with the Creator. The following is an example of what is generally held by evangelical Christians. • We should be able to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all Christiansand it may be witnessed by three separate movements, the conviction of sin, the holiness of character, and the power of service. • The Conviction of Sin: This is the ongoing ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. It was first spoken of by Jesus as recorded in John 16:8. The purpose of this conviction is for Christians to live lives which are in complete honour and commitment to God. It is through the conviction of sin that the Holy Spirit leads into a life that can be described as having a holiness of character. • The Holiness of Character: It is with the infusion of the HS, a force which we cannot physically feel, into the lives of Christians that we can live with a holiness of character. One who follows Jesus and is indwelled by the Spirit and submits themselves entirely to that Spirit will live a life that has the fruit of the Spirit coming out of it. Of course, such a life is not just for the benefit of the individual, it is to serve God and others. • Lastly, the movement of the HS gives Christians power for service. This is for serving the Kingdom of God, and utilizes those previously explained gifts of the spirit. The purpose of this service within the Kingdom of God is to glorify God, and to extend the purposes and ministry of the kingdom, as stated in Acts 1:8.

8. Other modern interpretations... Some minority Christian groups have specific notions of how the HS should be dealt with and interpreted. • A valid belief is that the Holy Spirit does not cause qualities of righteousness, joy, happiness, and zeal to be activated in a person, rather that it gives that person the capacity or potential to enact those qualities if they choose. This gives humans free will and allows for the proper glorification of God. • Christ, for example, who was given the Spirit without measure, could have yielded to his temptations. He still had the choice to obey or disobey (Heb. 4:15). • The scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, make it clear that man has freedom of choice. God does not seek the programmed response of automatons which are incapable of thought or independent action. Rather he seeks the obedience and love of individuals with personality and character. Unlike the Catechism which believes that the HS is an active force in humans who are faithful and receptive to it, some assert that no mortal today possesses the Holy Spirit and they have evidenced this by the fact that the Holy Spirit is not promised to Christians in scripture. • Faith is the great thing God aims to produce (Heb. 11:6). They believe the constant exhibition of His power through the HS would be "sight" - not "faith“ and a reflection on the history of the Bible shows that faith is much greater and more enduring than "sight".

9. Depictions of Holy Spirit in Art: often depicted as a dove, based on the account of the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove when he was baptized in the Jordan {Luke 3:21} Artist: Throne of Mercy," Albrecht Dürer, 1511 Artist: Baroque Trinity, Hendrick van Balen, 1620,

10. Depictions of Holy Spirit in Art: often symbolized by a flame of fire, based on the Acts of the Apostles, which has described the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles at Pentecost in the form of a wind and tongues of fire resting over the apostles' heads. Artist: unknown Artist: unknown Joy Lutheran Church, Ocala, FL Artist: unknown

11. Holy Spirit symbolic as a wave of wind Artist: unknown Holy Spirit as a human figure and part of the Holy Trinity Artist:FridolinLeiber(1853–1912) ‘Holy Trinity’ Holy spirit as a feminine figure Artist: unknown

12. Links between the use of the HS in Luke and the OT. • Luke’s pneumatology {use of Holy Spirit} in terms of language and motifs, is rooted in the Old Testament. • In regard to terminology which describes the Spirit of God in the Scriptures of Israel, the translators of the Septuagint used 23 different verbs.Of the nine verbs Luke employed to describe the activity of the Spirit, eight are derived from the Septuagint. Some of these are: “to fill” (Luke 1:15, and others), “to come upon” (Luke 1:35, and others), “to lead” (Luke 4:1), “to give” (Luke 13:13} • At strategic points in the advance of Israel’s history, when there is a transfer of responsibility from a leader or leaders to others, there is also a complementary transfer of the Spirit. For example, when Moses begins to share his leadership responsibilities with the 70 elders, the Lord “took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders” (Numbers 11:25). • Similarly, the transfer of the Holy Spirit from Jesus to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost echoes the earlier transfer of the Spirit from Moses to the elders (Acts 2:1} • The sign motif of the HS closely complements the transfer motif and is often, though not invariably, an outburst of prophecy. Thus, for example, when the Spirit rested upon the elders, they prophesied (Numbers 11:25). • As in Old Testament times, so in Luke-Acts, there are other signs as well—dramatic signs such as the descent of the Spirit in bodily form like a dove, and the tongues of fire and the sound of a violent wind, which (and this is Luke’s emphasis) others could see and hear (Acts 2:33; 8:18; 10:46). • The vocational motif complements the transfer and sign motifs. The call to leadership is not so much a call to authority as it is a call to service, and those whom God calls to service are equipped and/or empowered by the Spirit for that service. For example, for Bezalel, and others, it is manual skill or craftsmanship (Exodus 28:3; 31:3; 35:31; LXX). Moreover, for Joshua it is wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9) and for the judges it is military prowess (Judges 3:10, and others). These enabling gifts of the Spirit—craftsmanship, military prowess, wisdom, etc.—are appropriate to the vocation, the kind of service God’s people in Old Testament times were called upon to render. • In addition, whether Luke is writing about Jesus or the disciples, as in Old Testament times, the Spirit which is given to them empowers their service. In the power of the Spirit, Jesus, like Elijah and Elisha before Him, raises the dead (Luke 7:14), multiplies a little food into much food (Luke 9:12), heals the sick (Luke 4:14), and performs other acts of good.

13. There are various meanings of the word pneuma in the New Testament: • Something divine: • Spirit of (our) God, Spirit of the Living God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of your Father, Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead; • Spirit of His Son, Spirit of Jesus, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Jesus Christ; • Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of God, Spirit that is from God, Spirit of Truth, eternal Spirit; • seven spirits of God (only in Rev 3:). • Something demonic: • evil spirit, unclean spirit, demonic spirit, foul spirit, spirit of an unclean demon, spirit of cowardice, spirit of divination, spirit of error, spirit of slavery, spirit of the antichrist, spirit of the world, sluggish spirit. • Something human, but coming from God: • spirit of adoption, spirit of faith, spirit of gentleness, spirit of glory, spirit of grace, spirit of holiness, spirit of life, spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline, spirit of prophecy, spirit of wisdom and revelation, spirit of your minds, spirits of the prophets, spirits of the righteous, spirit of Elijah. • Something in nature: • air, wind, breath.