Learn about the Holy Spirit.

Pneumatology:

is the branch of Christian theology concerned with the Holy Spirit. Pneumatic (πνεῦμα) in Greek means “breath”. Pneumatology is a combination of two words – Pneuma and logos. In other words, Word of God or theology about the Holy Spirit

Pneumatology includes:

the study of the person of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Person of the Holy Spirit

We will study the person of the Holy Spirit first and then we will learn the work of the Holy Spirit.

This study is essential because due to the absence the true understanding of this topic, there is a lot of confusion in this area of the Christian Theology.

Know this, the Holy Spirit is not just a force  or power (energy), but Holy Spirit is a person. He has spirit body – but not the physical body.

 

Personality possesses three things and they are Intellect, Emotion, and Will.

 

And based on all these personality traits present in the person of the Holy Spirit, we can not mention Holy Spirit ‘it’. ‘It’ doesn’t have personality traits.

He (Holy Spirit) is not an ‘it’ – Holy Spirit is always referred by ‘He’, ‘His’, ‘Him’ in the Bible. For a personhood, all these three elements should be present:

Intellect means – thinking, knowing and reasoning ability

Emotion – sad, glad or in other words -feelings

Will – the ability to choose, determine, able to decide yes or no.

These elements make a human personality.

Bible proves Holy Spirit is a person by His personality trait- Intellect.

Intellect – Romans 8:27 “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”

He searches the hearts, knows what is there and intercedes for saints- this needs intellect.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 says, ” these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except for their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.]”

The point of the passage is this:

Holy Spirit knows the things of God- by searching all things even the depths of God. Now because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we know the things of God not by words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit.

Did you notice the words- Holy Spirit knows all things of God? And we know things of God because the Holy Spirit teaches us. Holy Spirit has intellect because He knows all things of God and He is a teacher to believers in Christ. The law of teaching is that the teachers must search, know and understand what he is teaching. In other words, we cannot teach what we do not know. The Holy Spirit is our perfect teacher, right? For Him to do this ministry of teaching, He should possess the intellect to understand all things of God.

Bible proves Holy Spirit is a person by His personality trait of – Emotion.

Ephesians 4:30-32, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The passage admonishes us to get rid of certain sinful practices in our life mentioned above because when we practice these things, it grieves the Holy Spirit of God indwelling in you. In other words, these things hurt or grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

Why? When you trusted in Christ as your savior, in love, He (Holy Spirit) sealed you for the future day of redemption. (Ephesians 1:4 and 13). Verses 4-5 says God loved you that much that He chosen and predestined you even before the foundation of the world and sealed you with the Holy Spirit of promise for future redemption and eternity. Holy Spirit hates the sin but loves you and He is grieved when you sin- bitterness, rage, anger, slander, not forgiving etc.

Hebrews 10:29 “How much severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace.”

Now can you insult someone who doesn’t have feelings or emotion?

Holy Spirit has feelings and emotions and He can be insulted by despising the covenant of blood by which you are sanctified.

Bible proves Holy Spirit is a person by His personality trait- Will.

1 Cor 12:11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He will” What is this means? Regardless of what spiritual gift each person has, It is the Holy Spirit who sovereignly distributes them individually as He wills for the common good of the Church. So each gift is very important for the proper function of the Church. We Should never despise another person’s gift. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts of the Holy Spirit just as He will.

Therefore, Bible instructs us Holy Spirit is a person, not just a force or power. He possesses all three attributes of personality – Intellect, emotion, and will. Holy Spirit is not an “it”. Holy Spirit is ‘He’ – A person (Third person of the Triune God)

Holy Spirit is a person because Bible always uses personal pronouns to describe Him.

John 14-16 and other places where Holy Spirit is introduced, you will see ‘He, Him, whom’ etc. – always used personal pronouns when Holy Spirit is mentioned.

Holy Spirit is a person because He does things only a person can do.

He teaches (John 14:26) He reminds )John 14:26), guides (John 16:13), disclose or tell you (John 16:13), commands (Acts 8:29, 13:2, 16:7).