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.
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.
