The Holy Spirit - God's Spirit
E-book and audio series
Part 1 - The Being and Nature of the Holy Spirit
Chapter 5 - Other Names of the Holy Spirit
Summary: God's Holy Spirit is referred to by a variety of other names and titles in the Scriptures, and some are discussed in this chapter. For specific discussion on any distinction between "The Holy Spirit" and "holy spirit", please read the paper "Pneuma Hagion - with and without the definite article".
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The following is just an outline of the notes that the accompanying audio message is based on.
There is extra material and far more detail in the audio message.
It is hoped that these brief notes will be expanded upon soon; nevertheless, I hope that you find the outlines to be of some assistance - David.
There is extra material and far more detail in the audio message.
It is hoped that these brief notes will be expanded upon soon; nevertheless, I hope that you find the outlines to be of some assistance - David.
Study Notes for No.5 - Other Names of the Holy Spirit
In the last study, we looked at the Deity of the Holy Spirit, and considered how the Holy Spirit shared many of the same attributes as the One revealed as “God”. We observed three main characteristics – omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence.
Other passages spoke about the Spirit being equated with God. (eg Ananias and Sapphira lied, not to men, but to God … “you have lied to the Holy Spirit”; Israel in the wilderness were said to have grieved God – elsewhere speaking of the same thing it is said that they grieved God’s Holy Spirit. Other passages also spoke of this equation of the Holy Spirit with God.)
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In this study, we will consider other names of the Holy Spirit or God’s Spirit, as used in the Scriptures.
The word “spirit” occurs in our English Bibles many times.
over 500 times - OT: approx 236 NT: approx 287
• About 300 of these refer to God’s Holy Spirit in some way.
• the others [approx 200] are referring to the breeze, or attitude, or liveliness, or evil spirits, etc – some other intangible thing
• About a third of these occurrences referring to God’s Holy Spirit use the actual words “Holy Spirit” (95 occs)
… First, let’s read the only occurrences of the term “Holy Spirit” in the OT. These are:
READ Psalm 51:10-12 – four lines in parallel
READ Isaiah 63:9-12a (two occs)
Every other occurrence of “Holy Spirit” is in the New Testament (92 occs)
• That means two-thirds of the occurrences referring to the one we know as “the Holy Spirit”, He is not referred to as “the Holy Spirit”, but some other name or description, such as “the Spirit of God”, the Spirit of the Lord”, etc
No. of occs of “Holy Spirit” - 95 (OT: 3; NT: 92 )
No. occs of other names for God’s Spirit – approx 200+ (OT- approx 70; NT- approx 130+)
It’s some of those other names that we’re going to look at tonight in just a moment.
Holy Ghost (KJV) / Holy Spirit
“Holy Ghost” mainly only occurs in the KJV. Most modern translations use the word “spirit”.
o Not at all in the OT
o both derived from the same Greek words – synonomous
READ Matt 1:18b, 20 – she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost (KJV).
The word ghost had a broader meaning in 1611, but that usage is narrowed down these days to mean the ghostly spirit of a dead person – a usage that is never found in the Scriptures. (Only occs of “ghost” in the OT of the KJV - 11 times, always a phrase like “give up the ghost”)
Other names:
- “Spirit of God” – 26 occs (OT 14; NT 12)
READ Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:22 (same event - “Holy” Spirit)
READ Gen 1:2
- “Spirit of the Lord” – 31 (OT 26; NT 5)
READ 1 Sam 10:6 (context – Saul anointed as king by Samuel; given some instructions and told some of what would soon take place)
1 Sam 10:6 - “Spirit of the LORD”
1 Sam 10:10 – “Spirit of God”
(different names for the same Being and manifestation)
In OT, “Spirit of the LORD” was “the Spirit of Jehovah”
In NT, harder to determine, who the “Lord” is that is being referred to.
- sometimes refers to Christ, sometimes to Jehovah from OT times, sometimes as a general title of God. Context will help determine some of these.
26 occs in OT, but only 5 in NT - NT occs – very few occs of “Spirit of the Lord”
Only 5 in KJV/NKJV (only 4 occs in NIV)
READ Luke 4:17,18 (a quote from Is 61)
READ Acts 5: v.9 – agreed together to tempt “the spirit of the Lord”
v.3 “Holy Spirit”; v.4 “God” – three synonymous terms in this context
REFER Acts 8:39 – the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away (this may be the angel v.26, 29?)
REFER 2 Cor 3:17, 18.
- “My Spirit” approx - 16 or 17 (OT: 13; NT - only 3 or 4 occs)
READ Acts 2:17,18 cp. Acts 2:4
READ Zech 4:6,7 (context is opposition to rebuilding the temple after the return from exile)
- “His Spirit” – 11 (OT: 7; NT: 4)
READ Zech 7:9-12
v.12 sent by His spirit (cp. 2 Peter 1:20,21 – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”)
- “The Spirit” (not qualified, but referring to God’s Holy Spirit in my opinion. Some are not so easy to interpret)
Approx 120? (OT approx 15; NT approx 100+)
READ 1 Cor 12:4-9 (…etc) – context is v.3 “the Holy Spirit”
v.4,5,6 – three different names for the same source of the spiritual gifts (three different ways of saying the same thing – a Hebraism)
Concluding remarks:
God’s Holy Spirit is referred to about 300 times in Scripture, but less than 100 of these use the actual words “Holy Spirit” – only 3 in the OT – so tonight we’ve looked at some of the other terms.
In the last study, we looked at the Deity of the Holy Spirit, and considered how the Holy Spirit shared many of the same attributes as the One revealed as “God”. We observed three main characteristics – omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence.
Other passages spoke about the Spirit being equated with God. (eg Ananias and Sapphira lied, not to men, but to God … “you have lied to the Holy Spirit”; Israel in the wilderness were said to have grieved God – elsewhere speaking of the same thing it is said that they grieved God’s Holy Spirit. Other passages also spoke of this equation of the Holy Spirit with God.)
-----------------------------------
In this study, we will consider other names of the Holy Spirit or God’s Spirit, as used in the Scriptures.
The word “spirit” occurs in our English Bibles many times.
over 500 times - OT: approx 236 NT: approx 287
• About 300 of these refer to God’s Holy Spirit in some way.
• the others [approx 200] are referring to the breeze, or attitude, or liveliness, or evil spirits, etc – some other intangible thing
• About a third of these occurrences referring to God’s Holy Spirit use the actual words “Holy Spirit” (95 occs)
… First, let’s read the only occurrences of the term “Holy Spirit” in the OT. These are:
READ Psalm 51:10-12 – four lines in parallel
READ Isaiah 63:9-12a (two occs)
Every other occurrence of “Holy Spirit” is in the New Testament (92 occs)
• That means two-thirds of the occurrences referring to the one we know as “the Holy Spirit”, He is not referred to as “the Holy Spirit”, but some other name or description, such as “the Spirit of God”, the Spirit of the Lord”, etc
No. of occs of “Holy Spirit” - 95 (OT: 3; NT: 92 )
No. occs of other names for God’s Spirit – approx 200+ (OT- approx 70; NT- approx 130+)
It’s some of those other names that we’re going to look at tonight in just a moment.
Holy Ghost (KJV) / Holy Spirit
“Holy Ghost” mainly only occurs in the KJV. Most modern translations use the word “spirit”.
o Not at all in the OT
o both derived from the same Greek words – synonomous
READ Matt 1:18b, 20 – she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost (KJV).
The word ghost had a broader meaning in 1611, but that usage is narrowed down these days to mean the ghostly spirit of a dead person – a usage that is never found in the Scriptures. (Only occs of “ghost” in the OT of the KJV - 11 times, always a phrase like “give up the ghost”)
Other names:
- “Spirit of God” – 26 occs (OT 14; NT 12)
READ Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:22 (same event - “Holy” Spirit)
READ Gen 1:2
- “Spirit of the Lord” – 31 (OT 26; NT 5)
READ 1 Sam 10:6 (context – Saul anointed as king by Samuel; given some instructions and told some of what would soon take place)
1 Sam 10:6 - “Spirit of the LORD”
1 Sam 10:10 – “Spirit of God”
(different names for the same Being and manifestation)
In OT, “Spirit of the LORD” was “the Spirit of Jehovah”
In NT, harder to determine, who the “Lord” is that is being referred to.
- sometimes refers to Christ, sometimes to Jehovah from OT times, sometimes as a general title of God. Context will help determine some of these.
26 occs in OT, but only 5 in NT - NT occs – very few occs of “Spirit of the Lord”
Only 5 in KJV/NKJV (only 4 occs in NIV)
READ Luke 4:17,18 (a quote from Is 61)
READ Acts 5: v.9 – agreed together to tempt “the spirit of the Lord”
v.3 “Holy Spirit”; v.4 “God” – three synonymous terms in this context
REFER Acts 8:39 – the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away (this may be the angel v.26, 29?)
REFER 2 Cor 3:17, 18.
- “My Spirit” approx - 16 or 17 (OT: 13; NT - only 3 or 4 occs)
READ Acts 2:17,18 cp. Acts 2:4
READ Zech 4:6,7 (context is opposition to rebuilding the temple after the return from exile)
- “His Spirit” – 11 (OT: 7; NT: 4)
READ Zech 7:9-12
v.12 sent by His spirit (cp. 2 Peter 1:20,21 – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”)
- “The Spirit” (not qualified, but referring to God’s Holy Spirit in my opinion. Some are not so easy to interpret)
Approx 120? (OT approx 15; NT approx 100+)
READ 1 Cor 12:4-9 (…etc) – context is v.3 “the Holy Spirit”
v.4,5,6 – three different names for the same source of the spiritual gifts (three different ways of saying the same thing – a Hebraism)
Concluding remarks:
God’s Holy Spirit is referred to about 300 times in Scripture, but less than 100 of these use the actual words “Holy Spirit” – only 3 in the OT – so tonight we’ve looked at some of the other terms.
