Who is the Holy Spirit?
We know from the Bible that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Below are some Bible verses about the Holy Spirit:
Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them My disciples: baptize them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)
When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness. (Acts 4:31)
God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:6)
In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit Himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26)
But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Jude 1:20)
Over time there has been a controversy about Whom the Holy Spirit proceeds from. This is known as the filioque controversy. The question is, “from whom did the Holy Spirit proceed, the Father, or the Father and the Son?” The word filioque means “and Son” in Latin. It is referred to as the “filioque clause” because the phrase “and Son” was added to the Nicene Creed, indicating that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father “and Son.” The dispute over this issue eventually led to the split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches in 1054 A.D. The Catholic Christians believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father AND the Son. The Orthodox Christians believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only.
But what is the TRUTH? To answer this question, let us look what GOD says about this in the Bible.
If you do not yet believe that the Bible is God’s word, I suggest you read my post ‘Is the Bible the Word of God?‘
So, from Whom does the Holy Spirit proceed?
In the following passages we read that the Holy Spirit is sent specifically by the Father.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)
“If you love me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17)
However, the most direct answer to the question is found in John 15:26, where it is written:
“But when the Helper comes, Whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
Clearly, the above passage does NOT state the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Therefore, the Word of God settles the matter quite clearly.
We know that God’s Word is TRUTH, as it is written in Isaiah 45:19: I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.
We know that God says EXACTLY what He means, so if God said the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, He means EXACTLY that: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the FATHER, NOT the Father and the Son!
Anyone who believes otherwise is making God out to be a liar and does not truly honor God.
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He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Now that you know the TRUTH, let the TRUTH set you FREE!
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