What is the Holy Spirit? · Teleios
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Why does the Bible speak of the Spirit as "he"?
1Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
Read the verses around it (Proverbs 9:1-6)
1Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: 2She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. 3She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, 4Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 5Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. 6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Read the verses around it (Romans 7:7-11)
7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Read the verses around it (Matthew 6:24)
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Our explanation
The Bible often speaks of things as if they were people. This is called personification. "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars." Wisdom is not a woman; it is described as one so we can picture what wisdom does.
Paul writes that "sin... deceived me, and by it slew me." Sin is not a person, yet it is spoken of as a master who deceives and kills. Jesus did the same with money: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," as if riches were a rival lord.
In John 14 to 16, Jesus speaks of the Spirit as "the Comforter" and "he." The Greek word pneuma (see the word card) is neuter; the word for Comforter is masculine, so "he" follows it. Our understanding: this is the same kind of personification, showing what God's power would do for the disciples, like a helper standing beside them. Compare how Proverbs 8 and 9 speak of wisdom with how John 14 and 16 speak of the Comforter.
Word cardπνεῦμαpneuma
The Greek word translated "spirit" (and "Ghost" in "Holy Ghost"). Like the Hebrew ruach, it also means wind and breath: Jesus uses the same word for "The wind bloweth where it listeth" (John 3:8). It is neuter in Greek, neither "he" nor "she," which is why the King James Version sometimes calls the Spirit "it" (Romans 8:16).
John 3:8 · John 6:63 · 1 John 2:27
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