The Personhood of the Holy Spirit in
Scripture

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Question
How can we demonstrate the personality of the Holy Spirit from Scripture?
Answer
The Bible over and over again refers to the Holy Spirit in personal terms. Like, to be a person doesn't mean you have a body; it means you have personal qualities, attributes and so on. For example, the Bible speaks so clearly that the Holy Spirit searches hearts. The Holy Spirit imparts gifts. The Holy Spirit teaches. I mean, read through the gospel of John, and over and over again Jesus is telling us what the Holy Spirit does. He's teaching. He's revealing all truth. He's guiding. He's comforting. He's leading. You know, all of those things are things that persons do. Furthermore, later in the New Testament the apostles teach us that the Holy Spirit has emotions. He is grieved, Paul says in Ephesians. In 1 Thessalonians he says, don't quench the Holy Spirit's fire, or don't put out the fire. So, all of these are things that only persons can do. The Holy Spirit is not a force. He is not an "it." He is a "he.

Answer by Rev. Mike Osborne

Rev. Mike Osborne is Associate Pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Orlando, FL