CHAPTER XVII. § 490. THE HOLY SPIRIT. "Be filled with the Spirit."—EPH. 5: 18. Is "the Holy Spirit of God" a person, or the power of a person?' § 491. Jesus said to his disciples: "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”2 We learn from the Bible that Christians "are kept by the power of God."3 No one will claim that " power" is a person; but it is self-evident, that there could be no power proceeding from a person, if there was no living person in existence. Christ said: "The Comforter, the Father." " the Spirit of truth, . . . proceedeth from § 492. All living beings have spiritual power. The higher their grade, the greater their spiritual power. In God it is supreme. When the serpent charms the bird or other animal, it imparts to the one it is charming a power by which it so paralyzes its victim, that it cannot escape from its deadly embrace. Among the men on the New York Central Railroad, whose duty was to examine the bridges, was Mr. Northup, who passed under a bridge to examine its condition, when he saw upon one of the abutments a large black snake charming a bird upon the opposite side. Mr. Northup stopped to gaze at the snake, standing between the snake and the bird, thus receiving the spiritual power proceeding from the snake to the bird. Mr. Northup seemed riveted to the spot, looking intently at the snake, until one of the other men saw his situation, and hastened to kill the snake, and thus relieved Mr. Northup from his perilous situation. Had he been left alone, no doubt the snake would have succeeded in charming him, and then would have crawled slowly to him, and coiled about him, and choked him to death. 1 Person: "A living, self-conscious being, as distinct from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman, or child."—Webster. 2 Luke 24: 49. 31 Pet. 1:5. 4 John 15: 26. § 493. When we rise from the animals to human beings, we find they have a remarkable spiritual power over one another, as manifested by the mesmerizer and the hypnotizer. It is certain that the mesmerizer and hypnotizer impart power and intelligence to their subjects by means of what is called "animal magnetism," which is nothing more nor less than a spiritual force, or power, existing in men and animals, as an essential attribute of living beings, with which they were endowed by the Creator. The Bible informs us that God made man in his own "likeness," therefore he should be able to exert a spiritual power over others. But this spiritual power, passing from one man to another, by which the one under control is made to see, hear, smell, taste and feel, according to the will of the operator, is not a living person coming out of the operator, and entering into the one mesmerized, or hypnotized. No one properly informed would advocate such an absurdity. The same is true of Spiritualism as of Mesmerism, with this special difference; the operator in Spiritualism is a demon, instead of a human being; but like a mesmerizer, or hypnotizer, he can impart to his mediums power and intelligence by means of his own spiritual forces, inherent in his constitution, and can cause those under his control to see mentally their dead friends, or anything else he may choose to present. The mesmerized, hypnotized, or demonized person, is in the condition of one dreaming; the only difference being, that in dreaming it is involuntary; while in Mesmerism and Spiritualism the dreaming state of mind is produced by the will of the mesmerizer or the demon. In no case does the mesmerized or demonized person ever see the real object. § 494. Leaving these we come to the highest spiritual power, which exists in the personal, "true" and "living God," who is "in heaven." Does it look reasonable, that when he made animals, men and angels capable of exerting a spiritual power over each other, that he cannot do the same thing himself? As it is a certain fact, that the spirit of the snake, the spirit of the 1 Gen. I 26. mesmerizer, and the spirit of the demon, is not a person, or living organic being that enters into those under their control, but is a spiritual power proceeding from them; why assume that "the spirit of God" which abides in the Christian is a real person?" If it were true, that when "the Spirit of God" fills a Christian, that the Spirit is a real person; then it must follow that there are as many personal Holy Spirits as there are Christians; which cannot be true, as the Bible plainly teaches that there is but "one Spirit," "which proceedeth from the Father."" It would be shocking to teach that when one is converted, a piece of a person is taken off and put into the young convert. A personal being must always exist as a whole, or entire, wherever located. 1 § 495. The Lord frequently speaks of pouring out his Spirit. It is not proper to speak of pouring out a person. "I will pour out my Spirit upon thy seed." "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." "On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."" "Put his Holy Spirit within him." When the "Holy Spirit" of God enters into men they then become "partakers of the divine nature," or "divine power.' § 496. Another important fact is worthy of notice, that nowhere in the Bible are we taught to love, honor, or worship the Holy Spirit, or to pray to it for assistance. Why not, if it is a person, like the Father and his Son? Said John: "After this. I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white. robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Again we read: "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.' If the Spirit of God" or "the Holy Spirit," is a person, why is it that the "grace" of this person is never invoked by the apostles? Hear Paul: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace 45. 9 10 66 66 to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." "Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."" Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."3 Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." We find the same in all of Paul's fourteen letters, except the one to the Hebrews, in which the whole is omitted. The question recurs again, Why is there no “grace" asked from the Holy Spirit of God, if it is a person? If there were a committee of three persons, and there was no mention of but two in all their reports, would not the third have occasion to feel very much slighted? If Paul knew of a third person, from whom "grace" might be received, why did he not ask for his favor in connection with the Father and his Son? § 497. After the church apostatized, they passed a decree in the Council at Nice, A. D. 325, that the Holy Spirit is a person. About A. D. 97, Clement wrote to the church at Corinth: “A full out-pouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you all." Referring to the day of Pentecost, it is said: "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh."" said: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." It is certain that power is not a person. It would be a strange operation to undertake to anoint Jesus with a person. The thought of such a thing is monstrous. It is said Peter of Jesus: "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Does any one believe that he breathed into them living persons? § 498. It is said "the Spirit of God" must be a person, because the masculine pronoun "he" is used to represent the Holy Spirit. This argument has no weight, when the facts are known. The Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma are the ones rendered spirit, when reference is made to "the Spirit of 4 Gal. I: 3. 1 Rom. 17. 21 Cor. I 3. 32 Cor. I 2. 8 Acts 10: 38. 9 John 20: 22. " God." When the words ruach and pneuma are used to indicate living, personal beings, as God and angels, who are called "spirits," then it is correct to employ the masculine pronoun "he" for the word "spirit; but in all other cases the neuter pronoun "it" should be used for that represented by the Greek words to pneuma rendered "the spirit" in English. If it can be proved that "the Spirit of God" is a real person as are our Savior. and heavenly Father; then, the masculine pronoun "he" should be used to represent him, otherwise, the neuter pronoun "it" should be employed. It has been assumed that because Paul says: "The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are: the children of God;" that therefore this Spirit must be a person, or it could not bear "witness;" and for this reason the new version has rendered it, "The Spirit himself beareth witness." Paul says again: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings. which cannot be uttered." In the new version "the Spirit itself" has been changed to "the Spirit himself," because it is said that the Spirit must be a person, in order to make "intercession;" and if a person, then we should use the masculine pronoun. It has been shown to be a fact that the snake can charm a bird; the mesmerizer can control his subjects, imparting power and intelligence to them by means of a spiritual force, called mesmerism, or animal magnetism; and that demons can do the same to those under their control; but no intelligent man, acquainted with the facts in the case, would claim that the spiritual power proceeding from the snake, the mesmerizer, or the demon, is a real person, from whom comes the intelligence; but the "mesmerism," " magnetism," or "spiritual force," is the medium by which the "witness," "intelligence," "power," "wisdom" or "intercession" of the living person is conveyed to another living being. Why say that God and Christ cannot in a similar manner impart wisdom, intelligence and power to the Christian heart by means of the Holy Spirit of God, "which 1 Rom. 8: 16. 2 Rom. 8: 26. |