Theme · theological
Holy Spirit
The Spirit hovers over the waters at creation and empowers individuals for specific tasks in the Old Testament — artisans, judges, kings, and prophets. Joel promises a day when God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, not just select leaders. Jesus is conceived by the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit at baptism, and driven by the Spirit into the wilderness. He promises another Comforter who will guide believers into all truth. At Pentecost, the Spirit falls on the church and transforms fearful disciples into bold witnesses. Paul describes the Spirit as the one who indwells, sanctifies, gifts, and seals believers for the day of redemption.
Related doctrines
Passages expressing this theme
- 1Chr 12:18 — Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy
- 1Cor 2:4 — And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
- 1Cor 2:10 — But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
- 1Cor 2:12 — Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
- 1Cor 3:16 — Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
- 1Cor 6:19 — What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
- 1Cor 12:3 — Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
- 1Cor 12:4 — Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- 1Cor 12:7 — But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
- 1Cor 12:8 — For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
- 1Cor 12:10 — To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
- 1Cor 12:11 — But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
- 1Cor 12:13 — For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
- 1John 2:20 — But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
- 1John 2:27 — But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as i
- 1John 3:24 — And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
- 1John 5:7 — For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
- 1Pet 1:11 — Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
- 1Pet 1:12 — Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent d
- 1Pet 1:22 — Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
- 1Sam 10:6 — And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
- 1Sam 16:13 — Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
- 1Thess 1:5 — For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
- 1Thess 1:6 — And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
- 1Thess 4:8 — He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
The Church Fathers on Holy Spirit
This is the Spirit that at the beginning "moved upon the thee of the waters; " by whom the world moves; by whom creation consists, and all things have life; who also wrought mightily in the prophets, and descended in flight upon Christ. This is the Spirit that was given to the apostles in the form of fiery tongues.…
Only the Spirit can adequately glorify the Lord. "He will glorify me," not as a creature, but as the Spirit of truth, since he himself is truth shining brightly. He is the Spirit of wisdom, revealing Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, in his own greatness. As the Paraclete he reflects the goodness of…
The Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will give, namely another Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, etc. He describes this Spirit with respect to his effect, whence he calls him the Spirit of truth, because he teaches true things, just as the spirit of error teaches false things: below in the sixteenth…
The Holy Spirit importunes the divine ears on our behalf "with sighs too deep for words," thereby discharging his duties as advocate and rendering his services in our defense. He has been given to dwell in our bodies and to bring about our sanctification.
He promises them that they will understand his teachings through the Holy Spirit, who will give himself to them; he says, the Paraclete... will teach you all things. He does three things concerning the Holy Spirit: he describes him, mentions his mission and his effect. He describes the Holy Spirit in several ways:…
Isaiah the Prophet, enumerating the divine gifts which he foretold would rest with the sevenfold Spirit upon the flower of the root of Jesse, shows that the fullness of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit exists in the humanity of the Savior, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and in whom the…