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The Holy Spirit and the Jehovah's Witnesses

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Martin Andrews, Mar 29, 2017.

  1. Martin Andrews

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    On the Holy Spirit, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that He is a “Person” as are the Father and the Son. They refer to the Holy Spirit as “it”, and would use “him” in the sense of “personification” , that is, “to represent a thing as a person”. There is no dispute that even though we read in John 4:24, that “God is Spirit”, that He is to be understood as a Personal Being, though in a different sense as we would refer to a human being. To address the reasoning of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, we must, as with all of our dealings on doctrine, refer to the Holy Bible as our final Authority. That the Holy Spirit, like God the Father, and God the Son, is Himself a Personal Being, that is, possesses or contains Himself the elements of Personal existence as contrasted with impersonal existence; is plainly show in Scripture. The Holy Spirit is referred to by Jesus Christ, using masculine pronouns “He”, “Himself” (John 15:26; 16:7,8,13,14, etc), which is further proven when Jesus says of the Spirit, that “He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, for whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak…” (ibid). Now, if the Holy Spirit were impersonal , then how is He able to guide, hear, spear? Only a personal being is capable of this. We also read in Scripture, that the Holy Spirit is capable of “loving” (Romans 15:30); being “grieved” (Ephesians 4:30), etc. Only those who are opposed to the very clear teaching of Scripture, would say that the Holy Spirit is not a Personal Being, exactly as the Father and the Son.

    Now that we have concluded without any doubt, that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person, we need to see what the Scriptures teach as to Who He really is. Since He is closely associated with both the Father and the Son, what is His relation to them?

    Like Jesus Christ, Who is many times referred to in Scripture as God, either directly, or indirectly; likewise the Holy Spirit is also seen in Scripture as Himself God. A very clear instance is found in Acts chapter five. Where we read of Peter talking to Ananis, where in verse three Peter accuses Ananis of lying “to the Holy Spirit”. In the following verse he goes to show the seriousness of this, by saying that Ananis did not “lie to men, but to God (Greek, toi theoi). It is clear that to Peter, as no doubt would have been to the other Apostles, to lie to the Holy Spirit was the same as lying to God Himself. In chapter thirteen in Acts we read of the disciples ministering “to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, separate Me Baranabas and Paul for the work whereunto I have called them…so they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit…” (verses 2,4). He we read of the disciples waiting on the Lord for guidance, and then we are told that the Holy Spirit responds to their prayers. Here the Holy Spirit is called, “Lord”. In Matthew we read, where the Holy Spirit, together with the Father and the Son, bear the same “Name”, into which we are commanded to be baptized. (28:19). If the Holy Spirit were in any way inferior to the Father and the Son, and not Himself Almighty God, then it would have been inconceivable for Jesus to have uttered these words. Jesus perfectly knew what He was saying, since the Holy Spirit, like Himself and the Father, is one in the Godhead. We also have Jesus’ reference to the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel, as “Another Comforter” (14:16). The Greek for “another” used here, is not “heteros”, which expresses a qualitative difference, and denotes another of a different sort. Jesus uses the Greek word, “allos”, to describe the Holy Spirit, which expresses a numerical difference, and denotes another of the same sort. That is, since Jesus is a Person and Almighty God; therefore the Holy Spirit also is a Person and Almighty God. There is no essential, but only numerical, difference between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
     
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  2. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    He is called an Advocate by John, correct, just as Jesus is also called?
     
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  3. AresMan

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

    If Christ was the parakletos ("one called along side") and the Holy Spirit is "another parakletos", shouldn't the replacement parakletos in Christ's absence sufficiently fill the qualities of the first One?

    Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

    If one of the comforts of Christ as parakletos was that He is personal and the Holy Spirit is not, the disciples would have reason to be upset that Christ would go away.
     
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  4. Martin Andrews

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    Very good points
     
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  5. Mr. Davis

    Mr. Davis Active Member
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    Praise God, He delivered me from being a JW in 1975!

    They have some strange and extremely unBiblical doctines. No less than what they teach about God the Holy Spirit.

    They claim that the Holy Spirit is an "it," an invisible active force, because they can't find the pronoun "he", referring to the H.S., in the text of the NT. (There is a neuter form in the Greek,
    ---I am certainly no scholar!---and it can refer to people; remember the H.S. is a person.)

    The poster that connected Advocate to both Christ and the Holy Spirit was right on target. Another, described the Ananias and Saphira incident. They both lied to God! That Christ and the Holy Spirit are one and the same is shown in the scripture in Romans where He, the Holy Spirit, is said to have shed His blood for the Church.
     
  6. reformed_baptist

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    I am trinitarian (of course) so I fully hold to the understanding of the divine and personal nature of the Holy Spirit. Yet when i pick up my KJV I see him referred to on occasion in an impersonal way, eg Rom 8:26, and I am also aware that sadly, there are some Christians that seem to be practical unitarian monotheists who all but neglect the Spirit in their Christianity. I am not surprised the JWs get it so wrong, when Christians seem to as well - this is all to say, we need a strong doctrine of the Spirit ourselves if we are to be properly armed to defend the bible's teaching :)
     
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  7. Mr. Davis

    Mr. Davis Active Member
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    William Snell, author of the book, "30 years a Watchtower Slave," mentioned that many Christians are not firmly grounded in the doctrines of the Christian faith. They are "easy-pickins"
    for the Witnesses, and of course, when they persuade the unwary that Christ is not God, they replace Him with their own authority. They carefully dismantle the Trinity by claiming that it is of pagan origin. All a knowledgeable Christian has to do is go to Genesis 1:1 and use a concordance or lexicon to prove the triune nature of God.
     
  8. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Never knew a force thatcould speak/lead/guide/empower/ and teach doctrines!
     
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  9. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    The problem is that the only version other than their JW bible believe 4 times calls Him an "IT" The Kjv
     
  10. Martin Marprelate

    Martin Marprelate Well-Known Member
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    'Now if.....you had been asked to name those qualities which evidence personal existence, you would have been quite content to answer: Show me that which has mind and affection and will, which can act and speak and direct; and that sentient, loving, determining agent, speaker and ruler must possess personality, or personality cannot exist.
    But we read in Scripture of:

    The mind of the Spirit. 'He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind [or intention] of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession' (Romans 8:27).
    The infinite comprehension of the Spirit. 'The things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit of God' (1 Cor. 2:11).
    The foreknowledge of the Spirit. 'He will show you things to come' (John 16:13).
    The power of the Spirit. 'That ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost' (Romans 15:13).
    The love of the Spirit. 'I beseech you for the love of the Spirit' (Romans 15:30).
    The self-determining will of the Spirit. 'Dividing to every man severally as He will' (1 Cor. 15:11).
    He creates and gives life. 'The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life' (Job 33:4).
    He strives with the ungodly (Genesis 6:3).
    He convinces of sin righteousness and judgement (John 16:8).
    He new-creates the soul. 'Born of the Spirit'
    He commands and forbids. 'The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near"' (Acts 8:29). 'The Spirit bade me go with them' (Acts 11:12). 'The Holy Spirit said, "Separate me Barnabus and Saul. (Acts 13:2).
    He appoints ministers in the Church. 'The flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you ministers' (Acts 20:28).
    He speaks expressly of events 'in the latter times' (1 Timothy 4:1).
    He testifies with personal witnesses. 'He shall testify and you also testify (John 15:26-27). 'We are witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost' (Acts 5:32).
    He approves with others (Acts 15:28).
    He invites with personal messengers (Revelation 22:17).'

    From The Trinity by Edward Bickersteth (19th Century Bishop of Exeter). One of the very best books on the subject.
     
  11. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    If the Holy Spirit is not God, than not one of us are saved, as only God can indwell all of us here and yet be elsewhere at same time!
     
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