Reasoning with Jehovah's Witnesses

2. The Personality of the Holy Spirit

 

 
Introduction 
Preface 
Part 1: The Nature of God 
1. The Deity of Christ 
2. The Personality of the Holy Spirit 
3. The Trinity 
Part 2: The Nature of Man 
4. The Spirit of Man 
5. The Soul of Man 
6. The Nature of Death 
7. Resurrection 
8. The Nature of Hell 
Part 3: God's People 
9. Israel 
10. The 144,000 
11. God's Organization 
12. The Great Crowd 
13. The Faithful and Discreet Slave 
14. Persecution 
Part 4: Man's Salvation 
15. The Gospel 
16. Being Born Again 
17. Salvation 
18. Justification 
19. Sufficiency of Christ's Redemption 
20. Relationship with Christ 
21. Christian Freedom 
22. Witnessing 
Part 5: The Last Days 
23. The Return of Christ 
24. Watchtower Chronology -- The Year 1914 
25. The Rapture 
26. The Kingdom 
27. The New Heaven and New Earth 
Bibliography 
Appendix A: Disassociation Letter 
Appendix B: The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures 
Scripture Index 
Subject Index 

2. The Personality of Holy Spirit

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that:

a. The holy spirit is God's active force, and is not a person.11

 

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Q1. Did Jesus speak of the Holy Spirit as He and Whom?

John 14:16-17-"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [that is] the Spirit of the truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."

John 14:26-"But the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He [Gr. that one] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

John 15:26-"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, [that is] the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me."

John 16:7-8-"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world..."

John 16:13-15-"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose [it] to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose [it] to you."

 

Q2. Does the Holy Spirit speak?

Matt 10:20-"it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Acts 1:16-"...the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David..."

Acts 10:19-20-the Spirit said to him..."I have sent them Myself"

Acts 20:23-"the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me."

Heb 3:7-Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says...

Heb 10:15-And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us, for after saying...

Rev 22:17-The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"

 

Q3. Does the Holy Spirit teach?

Luke 12:12-"the Holy Spirit will teach you"

John 14:26-"But the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

John 16:13-15-"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose [it] to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose [it] to you."

 

Q4. Does the Holy Spirit bear witness?

John 15:26-"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, [that is] the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me."

Rom 8:16-The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

 

Q5. Is there other Scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit is a person?

Matt 3:16, Mark 1:10, John 1:32-the Spirit of God descending as a dove

Acts 5:3-But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back [some] of the price of the land?"

Acts 5:9-Then Peter [said] to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?"

Acts 15:28-"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden..."

1 Cor 12:11-But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills

Eph 4:30-And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

 

Q6. Can a Christian have fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

John 14:16-17-"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [that is] the Spirit of the truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."

Rom 8:9-But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Rom 8:11-the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you...His Spirit who indwells you

Rom 8:14-For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Rom 8:26-the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

1 Cor 3:16-Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Cor 6:19-your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you

2 Cor 13:14-the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all

2 Ti 1:14-the Holy Spirit who dwells in us

 

Q7. What is the position of the Holy Spirit?

Gen 1:2-the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters

Gen 1:1-In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Matt 12:32-"whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"

Luke 12:10-"he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"

John 14:26-"the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name..."

Acts 1:16-"the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David"

Heb 1:1-God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways...

Acts 5:3-4-"lie to the Holy Spirit...You have not lied to men, but to God."

Acts 28:25-"The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers..." [cp. Heb 1:1]

2 Cor 13:14-the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all

Heb 10:15-17-And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds...I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more."

 

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Summary 1

The Holy Spirit:

a. He is spoken of as He and Whom by Jesus (John 14:16,17,26, 15:26, 16:7,8,13-15).

b. Has a name (Matt 28:19).

c. Is a revealer of future events (Acts 1:16).

d. Is an inspirer of prophecy (Heb 3:7).

e. Bears witness to us through Old Testament prophecy (Heb 10:15).

f. Is God (Acts 5:3,4).

g. Descended in bodily form as a dove (Matt 3:16).

h. He is sent by the Father in Jesus' name (John 14:26).

i. He is sent by Jesus (John 15:26).

j. Is a sender of persons (Acts 10:19,20).

k. Appoints overseers (Acts 20:28).

l. Is a decider of decrees (Acts 15:28).

m. He convicts the world (John 16:8).

n. The world does not behold Him or know Him (John 14:17).

o. Can be grieved (Eph 4:30).

p. Can be spoken against (Matt 12:32).

q. Can be put to the test (Acts 5:9).

r. Can be blasphemed against (Mark 3:29).

s. Can be lied to (Acts 5:3).

t. Can forbid one to speak (Acts 16:6).

u. Gives testimony to persons (Acts 20:23).

v. Bears witness with a Christian's spirit that he is a child of God (Rom 8:16).

w. Intercedes in prayer for Christians (Rom 8:26).

x. Distributes gifts to Christians (1 Cor 12:11).

y. Speaks in Christians for their defense (Matt 10:20).

z. He is a counselor (John 14:16).

aa. He teaches a Christian all things (John 14:26).

ab. He brings to a Christian's remembrance all that Jesus said (John 16:13).

ac. He guides Christians into all the truth (John 16:13).

ad. He bears witness to Jesus (John 15:26).

ae. He glorifies Jesus (John 16:14).

af. He takes of what is Jesus' and discloses it to Christians (John 16:14).

ag. He hears (John 16:13).

ah. He is a helper (John 16:7).

ai. Is one with whom to have fellowship (2 Cor 13:14).

aj. Is a comforter (Acts 9:31).

ak. Jesus' disciples know Him (John 14:17).

al. He abides with Christians (John 14:17).

am. He will be with Christians forever (John 14:16).

an. With the bride says, "Come!" (Rev 22:17)

 

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Summary 2:

a. The Holy Spirit is a Person.

b. The Holy Spirit is God with the Father and with the Son.

 

Endnotes:

11. Reasoning From the Scriptures, pp. 136-137, 361; Make Sure of All Things, p. 487

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