What do you think Holy Spirit is ?

Robert, I'm a priest and I am unable to adequately put into words a description of the Holy Spirit that is simple and succinct. Theology regarding the Holy Spirit is said to be a leading cause in the greatest schism in Church history – the Great Schism between the churches of the East and West.

I personally believe that it is impossible for us, finite beings to fully comprehend the mystery that is God, the infinite creator of the universe.

Three persons, three manifestations, but one God – an impossible mystery for anyone but God.

Defining the Holy Spirit is impossible apart from the other two sides of the Triune Godhead, the Father and Son. The seminal description of the Trinity as offered by the Church is found in the Nicene Creed:

(I believe) in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets.

Peace, prayers, and hugs,

Fr. Michael Callahan

"The Holy Scriptures tell us the personal name of the Father-Jehovah. They inform us that the Son is Jesus Christ. But nowhere in the Scriptures is a personal name applied to the holy spirit."

This quotation from the Watchtower is correct that the Holy Spirit does not have a personal name recorded in Scripture. However, this does not mean that He is not a person. If this were a valid argument, then one could suppose that a newborn child is not a person until he/she is named. In addition, Scripture does not record personal names for most of the demons it mentions, who are, nevertheless, personal.

A name does not imply personality or impersonality. Therefore, the lack of a name for the Holy Spirit does not prove impersonality. The Watchtower admits that the Greek word for spirit (pneuma) is used of the demons. Why would these nameless beings called "spirits" be persons, and the nameless Holy Spirit not be a person? The Watchtower argument is flawed.

"Nowhere do we read of Jehovah God and Jesus as being referred to by neuter pronouns, which is the case in regard to the holy spirit. 'It is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot obtain that Spirit, because it does not see it or recognize it; you recognize it because it stays with you and is within you.' (John 14:16, 17, AT; Acts 2:33).4 This is further borne out by the frequent lack of the definite article before holy spirit, such as at Acts 2:4 (NW): 'And they all became filled with holy spirit.'"

Sometimes, as here, the Watchtower will refer to the Greek text to prove their point. Since very few people know Greek, they are unable to know if the arguments are true or not.

In Greek and English, words are either masculine, feminine or neuter. The Watchtower states that since the Bible uses neuter pronouns to describe the Holy Spirit, He must be an it and not a He. They would be correct to say that Spirit (pneuma) in Greek is a neuter form. However, the neuter in Greek does not imply personhood or non-personhood. For example, the word in Greek translated "demon" (daimonion) is also neuter. Demons are persons, though the Greek word is neuter. Also, the Greek word for child is neuter. In Greek, the personal pronoun must match the gender of the object it is referring to. Therefore, the Holy Spirit has neuter pronouns. However, scholars translate the Greek neuter pronouns as the English masculine pronoun "He" in the above verses to keep with the rules of English.

God bless!

God is holy and a Spirit. God is the Holy Spirit. God also exists as the man Jesus Christ. So you can say Jesus is the Spirit too.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The Comforter.....the Helper.

All the words in the Bible will not help us if we don't first have the Holy Spirit to inspire us & teach us what the Bible means.

The Holy Spirit also speaks through annointed vessels, such as the teaching authority of the Church.

The Holy Spirit also makes it possible for the Church to be in Holy Communion with Christ at the Eucharist.

The Holy Spirit is the power in all of the Sacraments.

God the Father, God the Son send the Holy Spirit to help us understand the things God has said in the Bible.

The Holy Spirit lives in us as Christ were living in us.

We have God with us.

John 14:23

"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. "

I think you need to look at the post a couple before this that askes Jehovah's to look at scripture talking about the Holy spirit.

The Holy Spirit is nothing but our memory of God. When we remember what it's like to be in Heaven with God, the Holy Spirit will no longer exist.

it is 1 in 3 in 1.

Important question.

And the answer hinges on the location of the Kingdom. "The Kingdom is within you."

When you say "personally" coming to this earth, the reference would be to someone outside of myself. In terms of the Holy Spirit... that is something you find within yourself. See the difference?

More on the Holy Spirit and the light of God is in my biography.

This is a brilliant question. Thanks.

God is God, the Holy Spirit is God's right arm, and Jesus is God's right hand. All of this is stated in scripture.

When Jesus died for our sins and had to leave this earth He told us He would leave us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Teacher.