NAMES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT
The phrase "God the Holy..." is exclusively a trinitarian phrase not found in the KJV or in Ellen White's writings. However, the following phrases are all found in the KJV:
"Holy Ghost" 84 times
"Holy Spirit" 7 times
"Spirit of God" 24 times
"Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11)
More references to God's Spirit
5 times (Dan4:8; Jn3:34; 2Cor3:3; 1Thes4:8; 1Pet4:14)
"My spirit"
14 times (gen 6:3; prov 1:23; Is 42:1; Ez 36:27;37:14;39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Hag 2:5; zech 4:6;6:8; mt 12:18; acts 2:17-18)
"Spirit of the Lord" 29 times
More references to the LORD's Spirit
4 times (Is30:1;42:5;59:21; 2Thes2:8)
"the Spirit of Christ" 2 times (Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11)
"the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:19)
"Spirit of Truth" 4 times
"His Spirit"
12 times (ex35:21; num11:29; job26:13; is34:16;48:16; zech7:12; mk2:8;8:12; rom8:11; 1cor2:10; eph3:16; 1jn4:13)
"Spirit of wisdom" 4 times
"... the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;"(Isaiah 11:2)
"... Christ, who through the eternal Spirit... purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14)
"... the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45)
"God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts..." (Galatians 4:6)
"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
For the Bible to be true, without contradiction, wouldn't all of these texts need to be true?
HOW MANY SPIRITS GIVE US ACCESS TO GOD?
Ephesians 2:18 For through him[Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 1 Corinthians 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.
"They have one God and one Saviour; and
one Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks." -Ellen White,
9T 189.3
Answer: There is only one Spirit that gives us access to God
FROM WHOM DOES THAT ONE SPIRIT COME FROM?
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. -Paul
According to Paul, who is "the Lord"? 1 Corinthians 8:6 "But to us there is but... one Lord Jesus Christ...."
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?... 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Here, we saw Peter equate the "Holy Ghost" with the "Spirit of the Lord".
Matthew 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but
the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. -Jesus
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. -Paul
Here, we saw Paul equate the "Spirit of God" with the "Spirit of Christ"
1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 Peter 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.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
John 3:34 For he(Christ) whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him(Christ).
Answer: That one Spirit originates from Christ's Father("the only true God"-Jn17:3), given to His Son, without measure, commonly called the Holy Spirit - the shared omnipresence of the Father and Son.
“Finally, we know the Divine unity of the Father and the Son from the fact that both have the same Spirit. Paul, after saying that they that are in the flesh cannot please God, continues: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Rom. 8:9. Here we find that the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness, p. 23, 1890)
John 14:6 "Jesus saith...
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(not by any other being).
CHRIST IN YOU TEXTS
WHO IS THE COMFORTER?
"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." "and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." -Jesus (
John 14:18; Heb 13:5; Mt 28:20)
The Greek word parakletos, translated “Comforter,” is used five times in the Bible. Four times the word is translated “Comforter” and the other time it is translated “Advocate” in 1 John 2:1 => “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [parakletos = Comforter] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Here we see that the apostle John revealed that Jesus Christ is our Comforter/Advocate, our parakletos.
“Christ walks unseen through our streets. With messages of mercy He comes to our homes.” — (Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 107).
“How few realize that Jesus, unseen, is walking by their side! How ashamed many would be to hear His voice speaking to them, and to know that He heard all their foolish, common talk!” — (Ellen G. White, 14MR 125.3).
“Remember that Jesus is beside you wherever you go, noting your actions and listening to your words. Would you be ashamed to hear his voice speaking to you, and to know that he hears your conversation?” — (Ellen G. White, The Youth's Instructor, February 4, 1897).
The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Christ has all power in heaven and in earth, and He can strengthen the wavering, and set right the erring. He can inspire with confidence, with hope in God; and confidence in God always results in creating confidence in one another. -Ellen White (RC 21)
Christ is to be known by the blessed name of Comforter. “The Comforter,” said Christ to His disciples, “which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name. He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [John 14:26, 27.] -
Ms7-1902.10
Let them study the seventeenth of John and learn how to pray and how to live the prayer of
Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their hearts, making their joy full. His words will be to them as the bread of life, and in the strength thus gained they will be enabled to develop characters that will be an honor to God. -
Ms1-1903.13
Christ declared that after His ascension, He would send to His church, as His crowning gift,
the Comforter, who was to take His place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit—the soul of His life, the efficacy of His church, the light and life of the world.
With His Spirit, Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power to take away sin. -
Lt155-1902.15
The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be... -
Ms20-1892.6
There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart. -
RH, October 26, 1897, par. 15
Comforter=Christ=Holy Ghost
WHO IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH?
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth... John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. -Jesus
Christ was the Spirit of truth... -
Ms44-1897.8.
Jesus comes to you as the Spirit of truth; study the mind of the Spirit, consult your Lord... -
Ms8c-1891.14
Spirit of truth=Christ
“
Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name... I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" [John 14:16, 17].
This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter.”-Ellen White,
Letter 7, 1891—
14MR 180.4
Holy Spirit=Comforter=Holy Ghost=Spirit of truth=omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ
"The Lord is soon to come. We want that complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ. If we commune with God, we shall have strength and grace and efficiency."-Ellen White, Lt66-1894.18
Holy Spirit=Jesus Christ. But how could that be? Is Christ 2 persons? That would be weird.
Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution. His presence has healing virtue for the sinner... DA 266.1
Now
the giving of the Holy Spirit is the giving of Christ, and
the presence of the Holy Spirit is the presence of Christ in us, and
the power of the Holy Spirit is the power of Christ in us, and
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the indwelling of Christ in us.... -
GCB December 1894, p. 632.4
Parenthetical statements added in the following quote for clarity
Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His(Christ's) successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself(Christ), divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. He(Christ) would represent Himself(Christ) as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent. -Lt119-1895 (February 18, 1895) par. 18
Christ cumbered with humanity is physically present in Heaven as our Intercessor and judge. Christ divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof is omnipresent. -Sid
The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ. -Ellen G. White Review and Herald, April 5, 1906)
How does the Holy Spirit proceed from Christ? Through Christ's omnipresence. -Sid
John 3:34 For he(Christ) whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Answer: Christ's Father gave all things to His Son, including His Spirit, without measure - His omnipresence. -Sid
before his ascension,
Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands in blessing, bade them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel,” adding,
“Lo, I am with you alway” (
Mark 16:15;
Matthew 28:20); when
on the Day of Pentecost the promised Comforter descended and the power from on high was given and the souls of
the believers thrilled with the conscious presence of their ascended Lord...
GC 351
"Christ is withdrawn only from the eye of sense, but he is as truly present by his Spirit as when he was visibly present on earth. -Signs of the Times, April 7, 1890, par. 6 • Ellen G. White
"Jehovah, our Father, and His Son Jesus Christ are alone to be exalted. The knowledge of God is eternal life to those who receive it." — Ms11-1898.11
“He (Jesus) is coming to us by His Holy Spirit today. Let us recognize Him now; then we shall recognize Him when He comes in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” - Review & Herald, April 30, 1901, par. 8
Without the life of Christ in us, we cannot withstand the storms of temptation. DA 599.4
When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light....
We may be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Receiving Christ, we are clothed with power. An indwelling Saviour makes His power our property.... Christ's presence in the heart is a vitalizing power, strengthening the entire being.
Never feel that Christ is far away. He is always near. His loving presence surrounds you. FLB 62.4-7 Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
8 But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
FLB 62.4,6-7
The apostles were not sent forth to be witnesses for Christ until they had received that spiritual endowment necessary to fit them for the execution of their great commission. All professions of Christianity are but lifeless expressions of faith until
Jesus imbues the believer with his spiritual life, which is the Holy Ghost. The evangelist is not prepared to teach the truth, and to be the representative of Christ, till he has received this heavenly gift.
3SP 242.2
... When God’s people take the position that
they are the temple of the Holy Ghost, Christ Himself abiding within, they will so clearly reveal Him in spirit, words and actions, that there will be an unmistakable distinction between them and Satan’s followers. -
Ms 100, 1902 par. 24
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee[Father of Jesus Christ] the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Those who believe the truth should remember that they are God's little children, under His training. Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks. -TESTIMONIES FOR THE CHURCH REGARDING THE SPIRIT OF UNITY, PAGE 23.3 also 9T 189.3
In giving His commission to His followers,
Christ did not tell them they would be left alone. He assured them that He would be near them. He spoke of His Omnipresence in a special way. Go to all nations, He said. Go, to the farthest portion of the habitable globe, but know that
My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for
the time will never come when I shall forsake you. -Ellen White,
Ms 138, 1897 par. 21
True faith and repose in God are always accompanied by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, whose temple we are.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ; it is His representative. Here is the divine agency that carries conviction to hearts. When the power of His Spirit is revealed through the servants of God, we behold divinity flashing through humanity. When accompanied by the Holy Spirit, the presentation of truth as it is in Jesus will be of more value than all the honor or glory of the world. -Ellen White,
13MR 313.3
What saith our Saviour?
“I will not leave thee comfortless; I will come unto you.”[
John 14:18] “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” When trials overshadow the soul,
remember the words of Christ, remember that He is an unseen presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, and He will be the peace and comfort given you, manifesting to you that
He is with you, the Sun of Righteousness, chasing away your darkness. “If a man loves me,” Christ said, “he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” [John 14:18, 21, 23.] Be of good cheer; light will come, and your soul will rejoice greatly in the Lord. -Ellen White,
Lt 124, 1897 (March 7, 1897) par. 10
While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church. (Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 166) "But it is the leaven of the spirit of Jesus Christ, which is sent down from heaven, called the Holy Ghost, and that Spirit affects the heart and the character."-Ellen White, Ms 36, 1891 (September 19, 1891) par. 42 )
Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due." (E.White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p.36)
What we want is the spirit of Jesus. When we have this, we shall love one another. Here are the credentials that we are to bear: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” [John 13:35.] We need to pray more; and when we have Christ abiding in the soul, his spirit in me will harmonize with his spirit in you; and he who controls our minds, controls also the heavenly intelligences, and they co-operate with us. Then in every council you will have the presence of One mighty in counsel. Jesus will be there. There will be no contention, no strife, no stirring up of the worst passions of the heart. What we want is to find refuge in Jesus. What we want is to be converted; and O, how I have longed for the converting power of God to go through our assemblies! { Ms 36, 1891 (September 19, 1891) par. 42}
"And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ's ascension. Not until this was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church, Christ breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished. The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.” – Ellen White, Desire of Ages, page 805
“That Christ should manifest Himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to the disciples. They could not understand the words of Christ in their spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet He be unseen by the world. They did not understand the meaning of a spiritual manifestation.” - Ellen White, The Southern Review, Sept. 13, 1898 par. 2; Manuscript 44, May 13, 1897, par. 3 Notice that date: 1897!
The Father's presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and "all things" that are permitted "work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28. -Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing 71:2
Jesus often referred to Himself in the 3rd-person. Examples: John 3:16, Matthew 13:41, 17:22-23, 19:28, 24:27,30; John 5:19,25-27, 17:1-3 -- well over 70 times. Ellen also gave an example where “... Christ referred to Himself as though He were another person.” (DA 800.1) . Also understand that Ellen said, "The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class that Jesus declared, “Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God.” [Mark 12:24.] The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise, “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” [John 7:17.]" (GC 1888, p.598).
With all this in mind, who does Jesus say is the "Spirit of truth"/Comforter/"Holy Ghost"? In John 14 Jesus said: I am the ... truth ... (v6).
"The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works"(v10).
The Father would give another Comforter, which is the Spirit of truth (v16-17). If Jesus is "truth"(v6), then who/what is the Spirit of truth?
The disciples already knew the Spirit of truth because He was living with them then (v17). Who was living with the disciples when Jesus said this
The Spirit of truth would live in them after Jesus left (v17).
"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (v18). Who will bring them/us comfort in the future?
"Ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (v20) Who just promised to be in you?
Whoever loves Jesus, by keeping His commandments is loved of Jesus and His Father. And Jesus will manifest himself to them (v21). Who will manifest Himself to you?
He and His Father "will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (v23) Who wants to make their abode with you?
"The Comforter, ... is the Holy Ghost." (v26)
"I go away, and come again unto you" (v28)
Comforter=Spirit of truth=Holy Ghost (v16,17,18,26)
So, if I'm putting all of this together properly, Jesus said that He is the Spirit of truth(v6,16,17), the Comforter(v18), and the Holy Ghost(v26). Maybe that's how Jesus can live with & in us today (v17,18,20,21,23,28).
“The terms “Holy Ghost”, are a harsh and repulsive translation. It should be “Holy Spirit” (hagion pneuma) in every instance. This Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ; the Spirit being the same whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present. Christ is a person, now officiating as priest in the sanctuary in heaven; and yet he says that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst. Mt. 18:20. How? Not personally, but by his Spirit. In one of Christ’s discoursed (John 14-16) this Spirit is personified as “the Comforter,” and as such has the personal and relative pronouns, “he,” “him,” and “whom,” applied to it. But usually it is spoken of in a way to show that it cannot be a person, like the Father and the Son. For instance, it is often said to be “poured out” and “shed abroad.” But we never read about God or Christ being poured out or shed abroad. If it was a person, it would be nothing strange for it to appear in bodily shape; and yet when it has so appeared, that fact has been noted as peculiar. Thus Luke 3:22 says: “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him.” But the shape is not always the same; for on the day of Pentecost it assumed the form of “cloven tongues like as of fire.” Acts 2:3, 4. Again we read of “the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. This is unquestionably simply a designation of the Holy Spirit, put in this form to signify its perfection and completeness. But it could hardly be so described if it was a person. We never read of the seven Gods or the seven Christs.” — (Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, October 28, 1890)