Page 9 - Pneumatology - A Study of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a Person

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Introduction

Personhood is demonstrated in various ways. Even animals exhibit some forms of personhood. The ability to
communicate is a trait of a person. The emotions such as anger, joy, or depression all indicate that you are a
person and not a vegetable. People do things. They go places and plan events. They meet others and enjoy
fellowship. These activities distinguish people from the plant kingdom and, to some extent, from the animal
kingdom. A person has a mind, will, and emotions, and those components make him a unique individual who
is living and directing his life.

Today, we will see that the Bible clearly states that the Holy Spirit is a person in that He displays all of the
characteristics of a person that only a living individual displays. Some religious faiths claim He is not a
person, but a force. Nothing could be further from the truth. So, let’s see the multiple ways that
demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is truly a person.

The Lesson ...

The Holy Spirit is a Person

The Holy Spirit is described in the Scriptures as a person who demonstrates the traits and attributes of a
person.

Proving the deity of the Holy Spirit is equivalent to proving that the Holy Spirit is a person. Personality is one
of the perfections or characteristics of God. As Ryrie points out,

Not only is the Spirit a Person, but He is a unique Person, for He is God. Proofs of personality are not
necessarily proofs of Deity, but proofs of Deity are also proofs of His personality. If God is a Person, and if the
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Spirit is also God, then He is a Person also.

The Holy Spirit is identified by personal pronouns.

John 16:13-14 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all
truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will
tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and
making it known to you.

The Greek word for Spirit, pneuma, is a neuter noun. Grammatically, we would expect a neuter pronoun to
be used as a substitute for the neuter noun. However, such is not the case. Rather, the masculine, ekeinos
(He) is used. The purposeful change in grammar emphasizes the personality of the Holy Spirit. There would

6 Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 334.
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