Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit

Leafrivermac · 12-08-2007, 07:34 AM

The term "œHoly Ghost" and "œHoly Spirit" are interchangeable, meaning identically the same. These two terms in the KJV are translated from the one Greek word pneuma;[/i] therefore, there is absolutely no distinction between the terms. Either is perfectly acceptable since both mean the same.

The Holy Spirit is simply God. God is Holy (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16). In fact, He alone is holy in Himself. God is also a Spirit (John 4:24), and there is only one Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:4). Therefore, "œHoly Spirit" is another term for the one God.

That the Holy Ghost is God is evident from a comparison of Acts 5:3 with 5:41 Corinthians 3:16 with 6:19 and from a comparison of . These passages identify the Holy Ghost with God Himself.

We cannot limit the terms "œHoly Ghost," "œHoly Spirit," or "œSpirit of God" to the New Testament, nor can we so limit the role or manifestation of God they describe. We find the Spirit mentioned throughout the Old Testament beginning with Genesis 1:2. Peter tells us that the prophets of old were moved by the Holy Ghost (2Peter 1:21).

If the Holy Ghost is simply God, why is there a need for this term? The reason is that it emphasizes that He who is holy, omnipresent, and invisible Spirit works among all people everywhere and can fill the hearts of people. When we speak of the Holy Spirit, we are reminding ourselves of God"™s invisible work among humans and of His ability to anoint, baptize, fill, and dwell in human lives. The term speaks of God in activity: "œAnd the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). It refers to God working among humans to regenerate their fallen nature and enable them to do the supernatural will of God in the world. We note that the Spirit is the agent in the new birth (John 3:5; Titus 3:5)

Since the Holy Spirit is God Himself, we properly use the pronouns He[/i] and Him[/i] to refer to the Spirit. We often use "œHoly Ghost" and "œHoly Spirit" as abbreviated forms of "œthe baptism (or gift) of the Holy Ghost," and in such case it is proper to use the pronoun it[/i] as a substitute. When we do this, however, we should always remember that the Holy Ghost is God and not merely an unintelligent force or fluid. The following verses of Scripture reveal that the Holy Ghost is not an unintelligent force but is in fact God: Acts 5:3-4, 9; 20:23, 28; 21:11.

The Spirit is revealed and received through the name Jesus. He is not a different person with a different identity who comes in another name. Jesus said, "œThe Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name . ." (John 14:26). So the Holy Ghost comes in the name of Jesus.

The Rev · 12-08-2007, 08:48 AM

I used to go to a church that when "Holy Ghost" was mentioned in the bible the preacher would say Holy Spirit. He was so afraid he was going to sound Pentecostal..

Leafrivermac · 12-08-2007, 08:54 AM

Now thats funny

Rebel Hog · 12-08-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Leafrivermac

Now thats funny

Hey bro, I know him real good, he really means Holy Roller!

The Rev · 12-08-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Rebel Hog

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Leafrivermac

Now thats funny

Hey bro, I know him real good, he really means Holy Roller!

Hey, when I first got Holy Ghost, I came to church with a skate board!

Kosherboy · 12-08-2007, 02:55 PM

Four words"”two Hebrew and two Greek"”are translated "spirit" in the Bible. Of these four, two are used only twice: the Hebrew word neshamah, which means "breath," and the Greek word phantasma, which means "phantom" or "apparition." The other two words are the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma, each used several hundred times. Understanding these words is crucial to understanding the Holy Spirit.
Ruach means "breath, air; strength; wind; breeze; spirit; courage; temper; Spirit" (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985, p. 240). Of the 378 times it is used in the King James Version, it is translated "Spirit" or "spirit" 272 times, "wind" 92 times, "breath" 27 times and in other ways 27 times. Ruach is used similarly in most other Bible versions.
The concepts of "wind," "breath" and "spirit" were all related in biblical thought and language. We see these intertwined in the use of ruach in Ezekiel 37, which describes a great multitude of people being resurrected and restored to physical life to understand God's truth. In this fascinating account, what is even more extraordinary is the way ruach expresses the connection of these ideas. To illustrate, ruach is inserted wherever it appears in this passage.
"The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit [ruach] of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones ... He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, "O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath [ruach] to enter into you, and you shall live'...
"So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath [ruach] in them. Also He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath [ruach], prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath [ruach], "Thus says the Lord God: 'Come from the four winds [ruach], O breath [ruach], and breathe on these slain, that they may live.'" So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath [ruach] came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
"Then He said to me, ... "Prophesy and say to them, ... 'I will put My Spirit [ruach] in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,' says the Lord" (Ezekiel 37:1, 4-5, 7-11, 14).
Here we see ruach translated three ways in one chapter: Spirit (referring to God's Spirit), breath and wind.
'Spirit' in Greek
What is the meaning of pneuma? This word "primarily denotes 'the wind' (akin to pneo, 'to breathe, blow'); also 'breath'; then, especially 'the spirit,' which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial and powerful" (ibid., p. 593). It is used 385 times in the King James Version and is usually translated "Spirit" or "spirit."
Look at pneuma. We can see that Greek root in several modern English words such as pneumonia, which is an acute infection of the human respiratory system; pneumatic, referring to something powered by air pressure; and the science of pneumatics, which studies the properties of air and other gases. All of these have to do with air, breathing, wind or being powered by air. When you breathe, what is your body doing? It is creating wind going into and out of the body; breathing is simply creating wind on a small scale.
Pneuma is the equivalent of the Hebrew ruach. In Luke 4:18, where Christ read from Isaiah 61:1, the account substitutes pneuma for the Hebrew ruach in referring to "the Spirit [ruach/pneuma] of the Lord." The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (known commonly as the Old Testament) prepared in the third and second century B.C. and used in the time of the early Church, translated ruach as pneuma (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, 1992, p. 1185).