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Spirit or Ghost?

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
Icthus, you talk about us needing to read what you said. It would help if you read what I said. I didn't say that pneuma only meant spirit. I said it actually means spirit. You agreed with my conclusion. Don't pick a fight where there is none. You will know I am right if you pick up a lexicon and look at it.
 

icthus

New Member
Originally posted by Pastor Larry:
Icthus, you talk about us needing to read what you said. It would help if you read what I said. I didn't say that pneuma only meant spirit. I said it actually means spirit. You agreed with my conclusion. Don't pick a fight where there is none. You will know I am right if you pick up a lexicon and look at it.
Care to deal with my last post? Since we are on the issue of translations, this is an important verse.
 
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FrankBetz

Guest
Originally posted by Pastor Larry:
The modern translation are consistent in translating pneuma as spirit. That's remarkable since pneuma actually means spirit.
But it doesn't mean "S"pirit, now does it Larry? There is none such a thang as "Holy "s"pirit", and to rexconcile and conclude that God has dominion over opinions of mere men, "Holy Ghost" is much rather desired than man declaring that there are "ghosts", which there are NOT!!
 
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FrankBetz

Guest
Originally posted by robycop3:
[QB] Personally, I do NOT use "Holy Ghost" in ordinary conversation because of what "ghost" means to most English speakers now.
It doesn't matter what it means to most now, it matters what it means ,period!!
In Matthew 14:26 & Mark 6:49, where Jesus is walking upon the water, His disciples thought they were seeing a ghost; they didn't recognize Him. The Greek word used here is "phantasma", which appears nowhere else in Scripture. The KJV renders this as "spirit", while most MVs say "ghost". I believe therein lies the difference in the Greek between the conception of a ghost and the Holy Spirit. Hagios Pneuma has power while phantasma does not.
Again you lack discernment, the use of "spirit", (notice in the KJB the lower case letters) is perfection all over again, they thought Jesus was a "spirit" not The Holy Spirit.

From what I have learned from reading 16-17th C. British literature besides the AV 1611, it seems that they called every ethereal being a "ghost", with the special name "Holy Ghost" for the Holy Spirit. In fact, the AV is the ONLY work of that time in which I've seen Him also called "Holy Spirit".
You almost got it, the difference is all English literature ISN'T the Word of God!!

The key word is "Holy".
Exactly!

Mr. Betz, you continue to exhibit poor reading comprehension. Please cut-n-paste where I said I believe in ghosts, or admit you were wrong.(I do NOT consider the Holy Spirit to be a ghost in the modern sense, but I consider Him to be a Person of the Holy Trinity, being God along with Yahweh and Jesus.)
I offered a chance to reason, I made no accusation Mr. Roby. My reading comprehension is quite up-to-date, coupled with discernement, something you obviously haven't been praying for, or maybe you can't have your prayers answered?
 

rsr

<b> 7,000 posts club</b>
Moderator
Well, since we're going down a rabbit trail, perhaps I can introduce a subject brought up by Jay Green, editor of the Modern King James Version, about John 3:8.

He translates it this way and insists that practically every other English version (beginning with Wycliffe and including Tyndale) gets it wrong:

"The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice but you do not know from where He comes and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
Care to deal with my last post? Since we are on the issue of translations, this is an important verse.
On 1 Cor 7:1??? This thread is about Spirit or Ghost, not about marriage. If you want to talk about 1 Cor 7:1, that is fine. I won't be the one defending the NIV, though I know why they did it. But keep this post on topic.
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
But it doesn't mean "S"pirit, now does it Larry?
Surely it is not necessary to explain that there are no capital letters in the Greek autographa is it? The word "pneuma" means "spirit," and whether or not it is capitalized to refer to the third person of the Trinity is a matter of context, not capital Greek letters.

There is none such a thang as "Holy "s"pirit",
I think the "spirits of just men made perfect" in Heb 12 certainly qualifies as a holy spirit.

and to rexconcile and conclude that God has dominion over opinions of mere men, "Holy Ghost" is much rather desired than man declaring that there are "ghosts", which there are NOT!!
Due the modern usage of "ghost," it is not preferable to use in respect to the Holy Spirit. God inspired "pneuma" and we should use hte word that most naturally flows from that, "Spirit." The idea that God has dominion and authority over the opinions of mere men doesn't h hang on using "ghost" in the Bible. The KJV translators didn't even do it consistently. They used both.
 

carlaimpinge

New Member
Originally posted by rsr:
Well, since we're going down a rabbit trail, perhaps I can introduce a subject brought up by Jay Green, editor of the Modern King James Version, about John 3:8.

He translates it this way and insists that practically every other English version (beginning with Wycliffe and including Tyndale) gets it wrong:

"The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice but you do not know from where He comes and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
The poor man appears to be as ignorant of the statements of the Lord Jesus as Nicodemas, the master of Israel. He can't find the crossreferences in the Holy Scriptures either AS Nicky-bob. The Lord gave an explanation and comparison of his doctrinal teaching, then an illustration. They come from ECCLESIASTES. (Note that WIND is in the context of BOTH, along with BIRTH, and SPIRIT. See chapter 11.) The Lord caps off the interpretation with asking him about being a MASTER OF ISRAEL. Hey, isn't that what Solomon the Preacher spoke about? (The Masters of assemblies! Ecc.12, and WORDS OF TRUTH.)

The Lord COMPARED the WIND with the SPIRIT. The word of comparison was SO. (How did ole Jay miss that fact?)His correction of the King James produced more darkness, as ANY correction does.

But back to the truth. Ghost (a bodily shape) is explanative of the PERSON of the Holy Spirit who INDWELLS every Christian AFTER THE IMAGE. (Rom.8, 1 Cor.2, Col.1-3)

Once you "lose" GHOST, you lose the sense of the Scriptures. (Nehemiah 8, 1 Cor.2)
 
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FrankBetz

Guest
All I see offered, except maybe for icthus, is a tangle of words.

If one uses some discernement, (not likely on BB
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)one also can "see" that when Jesus "gives up the ghost", He is releasing that life giving breath and commending His Spirit into the hands of the Father.

I have to agree with icthus, Larry's staement demanding that pnuema only means spirit is very misleading, opinionated, and thus irrational at best.

Carlaiminge, I just read your post, I also agree with you, but I cannot limit my understanding to any other person's limited view of Greek or God's Word.
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
I have to agree with icthus, Larry's staement demanding that pnuema only means spirit is very misleading, opinionated, and thus irrational at best.
Then you, like Icthus, would be guilty of attributing something to me that I did not say. If you (and he) would actually read what I said, you would be able to be more accurate with it. Statements such as Icthus made and you agreed with are completely out of line because they are not truthful. When you quote someone, quote what they actually said, not what you wish they had said.

There is a lot of discerment on the BB (though not spread around to all). It is interesting that you say "one also can "see" that when Jesus "gives up the ghost", He is releasing that life giving breath and commending His Spirit into the hands of the Father." In your statement, you proved my point, by interchanging "Spirit" for "Ghost." The point is that the "ghost" he gave up was his spirit, and that is exactly what I said. And knowing that doesn't even take discernment. YOu just have to be able to read.
 
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FrankBetz

Guest
Your statement is misleading. It is subjective, but I am glad you cleared that up. So? You agree there is nothing misleading or even archaic about the use of Holy Ghost? Especially since we all are using the word in question, it is therefore in use and not archaic!!
laugh.gif
 

Gold Dragon

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Pastor Larry:
Surely it is not necessary to explain that there are no capital letters in the Greek autographa is it?
This is a nitpick and I may be wrong but I believe our oldest manuscripts and likely the autographs had no lower case Greek letters.
 

HankD

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
I feel comfortable with the usage of the "Holy Ghost" because I have a background in both the Douay-Rheims and KJV and have been cloistered in the schools/churches which used these translations of the 16-17th century period English.

However, "ghost" has taken on at least one popular nuance (occult) that is significantly different than the biblical word "spirit-pneuma" and is more akin now to the meaning of "apparition".

I don't believe anything of the sense of the Scripture is lost by using the word "Spirit/spirit" in place of "Ghost/ghost" if the whole counsel of God is taken into consideration.

Of the passages which Carl cites (Rom.8, 1 Cor.2, Col.1-3) the phrase "Holy Ghost" or "ghost" does not even appear one time.

Romans 8 contains "Spirit" 17 times.
1 Corinthians 2 contains "Spirit" 5 times.
Colossians 1-3 contains "Spirit" 1 time.

The narrative says it all concerning the manifestation and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives with the word "Spirit" and without the term "Holy Ghost".

The term "ghost" is related to germanic/anglo saxon "gheist", "gast", "gustr", from which we derive the word "gust" as in a "gust of wind" or a "manifestation" of the power of the wind.

So, in 16-17th century, closer to the English roots, there was cause for "ghost" as related to pneuma-wind and its power and manifestation (or His power for the divine defintion) but IMO it needs to be updated for the current generation of Bible readers especially the newly saved from the ranks of the "unchurched'.

But, I would agree with Carl in that "ghost" encapsulated into one word the nuance of the power and manifestation of the Spirit for their day and a certain beauty of the old English phrase is indeed lost.

However (again) the passages he cited, which the Holy Ghost inspired Paul to write, refrain from using the term.


HankD
 

carlaimpinge

New Member
Originally posted by HankD:
Of the passages which Carl cites (Rom.8, 1 Cor.2, Col.1-3) the phrase "Holy Ghost" or "ghost" does not even appear one time.


HankD
Bro. Hank,

The passages of reference deal with the STATEMENT which was made, not the FACT that the passages CONTAIN the term, Holy Ghost, ALTHOUGH 1 Cor.2 does indeed contain the term. The Spirit of God, the spirit which is of God, and the Holy Ghost are all used.

In Christ Jesus,
Carl
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
Originally posted by FrankBetz:
Your statement is misleading. It is subjective,
It was neither. It was objective fact, as you can tell by looking at any Greek lexicon.

You agree there is nothing misleading or even archaic about the use of Holy Ghost?
No, I disagree. The Holy Spirit is not a ghost, as the word "ghost" is typically used in modern day English. It is not "wrong," but it is certainly outdated and unnecessary. "Holy Spirit" is the best terminology to use today.
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
Originally posted by Gold Dragon:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Pastor Larry:
Surely it is not necessary to explain that there are no capital letters in the Greek autographa is it?
This is a nitpick and I may be wrong but I believe our oldest manuscripts and likely the autographs had no lower case Greek letters. </font>[/QUOTE]My point was that the capitals as we know them for delineation of proper nouns did not exist.
thumbs.gif
 

Aaron

Member
Site Supporter
FRIAR LAURENCE
God pardon sin! wast thou with Rosaline?

ROMEO
With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no;
I have forgot that name, and that name's woe.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
ACT II, Scene III
It would appear to me that "ghost" was just as good as spirit, if it's use in the contemporary literature is any indication.
 

Logos1560

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Originally posted by Aaron:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />

ROMEO
With Rosaline, my ghostly father?

Shakespeare's Romeo and JulietACT II, Scene III

It would appear to me that "ghost" was just as good as spirit, if it's use in the contemporary literature is any indication. </font>[/QUOTE]The KJV revised or corrected similar uses in some of the earlier English Bibles. The rendering "unghostly" (1 Tim. 4:7, 6:20, 2 Tim. 2:16) in Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, and Great Bibles was changed to "profane" in the KJV.
At Romans 8:5, "ghostly minded" in Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, and Great Bibles was revised to "spiritually minded" in Bishops and to
"of the Spirit" in the Geneva and KJV. The KJV has "spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14) where the old Wycliffe's Bible has "ghostly." Wycliffe's Bible has the rendering "sword of the ghost" at Ephesians 6:17. At Mark 1:10, Coverdale's has "ghost" where the KJV has "Spirit."
 

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
It would appear to me that "ghost" was just as good as spirit, if it's use in the contemporary literature is any indication.
Very true ... if you lived in contemporary times. But we don't ... and the KJV is still inconsistent in translating it one way some of the time and one way other times.
 
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