Today we are going to examine the next ‘Sound but Unsavoury Doctrine’ in the Titus 3 passage that we are slowly working through across the last few weeks of this school term. And the topic is…The Holy Spirit. Here’s something to prompt your thinking from Billy Graham:
“The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus never referred to ‘it’ when He was talking about the Holy Spirit. In John 14,15 and 16 for example, He spoke of the Holy Spirit as ‘He’ because He is not a force or a thing but a person. Whoever speaks of the Holy Spirit as ‘it’ is uninstructed, or perhaps even undiscerning. In Romans 8:16 the King James Version refers to the Holy Spirit as ‘itself’. This is a mistranslation. Nearly all of the newer translations have changed ‘itself’ to ‘himself’. We see from the Bible that the Holy Spirit has intellect, emotions, and will. In addition to this the Bible also ascribes to Him the acts we would expect of someone who was not just a force, but a real person. He speaks (Rev. 2:7; Acts 13:2). He intercedes (Rom. 8:26). He testifies (John 15:26). He leads (Acts 8:29; Rom. 8:14). He commands (Acts 16:6,7). He guides (John 16:13). He appoints (Acts 20:28). He can be lied to (Acts 5:3,4). He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30). Each of the emotions and acts we have listed are characteristics of a person. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, like gravity or magnetism. He is a Person, but not only a Person; He is divine as well.”
Well said Billy!
-Pastor Paul
