WHAT IS THE SPIRIT?


The word for 'spirit' in both Hebrew and Greek literally means 'a current of air', so let's start there...

- A current of air

In both Hebrew and Greek, this 'current of air' has two principle applications:

1) A breath

2) The wind

Consistently, the Word uses these two principle applications to distinguish the two principle operations of the 'spirit', both literal and figurative.

A BREATH ---> the vital life giving element ---> that which energises the mind and sustains the body ---> sentiments which change one's attitude and direction

THE WIND ---> the invisible power of God ----> an unseen force or being ---> an invisibly energised body (Spirit body)


In both instances the extension of thought is from the natural to the spiritual, from a physical example to a spiritual application. A breath and the wind are both natural.

A breath is a life giving element, just as those sentiments which are 'the spirit of God' or 'the spirit of Christ' are life giving elements.

The wind is an invisible power, just as the Holy Spirit power of God is an invisible power, the wind is an unseen force just as the Holy Spirit power is, and the wind is an invisible source of power, just as the Holy Spirit power of God is.

Using these two fundamental principles, we are able to discern the two principle applications of the 'spirit' in Scripture. Every instance in Scripture will follow one of these two principles, having one of these two applications.

Once we have clear these definitions, principles, and applications of the 'spirit', we are able to use them to interpret the use of the word and concept in different passages.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES


- The word 'spirit' is used in a variety of ways in Scripture.

- The Holy Spirit is used in only one sense, and always refers to God's personal spirit, which, being a part of Him, and being the means by which He operates, is a power. It has no identity apart from Him.

- The word 'spirit' used elsewhere refers to 'breath', 'life', or 'a mental disposition'.

- It is the mental disposition which is spoken of as both the 'spirit of God' and the 'spirit of Christ'.

- We do not ever read of 'the Holy Spirit of Christ', in the sense that God has a Holy Spirit, and Christ has another Holy Spirit.

- It is the mental disposition which is the 'spirit' which dwells within us.
This mental disposition is developed within us (like any other mental disposition), according to what we put in our heads.

- Whilst the 'wind' analogy is the expression of God's power (a spirit force), and an expression of His nature (a spirit body), it is not this spirit force which saves us. Let's be clear about this - no one was ever 'saved by the Holy Spirit'. It's a complete impossibility.

- If you put into your head the thoughts of the flesh, then that's the disposition which you will develop.

- If you put into your head the thoughts of God, then that's the disposition which you will develop.

- The mental disposition which dwells in us is not a part of God, nor is it a part of Christ, nor is it the physical presence of God, nor is it the physical presence of Christ.

- We are made of flesh (carnal bodies), and think like the flesh (carnal mind).

- We cannot change our flesh (carnal bodies), but we can change our thinking (carnal mind).

- If we change our thinking (carnal mind), so that it reflects God's thinking (spiritual mind, or mind of the spirit), then it is God who will change our flesh (carnal bodies), so that we might be like Him (partakers of the Divine nature), Christ (like unto his glorious body), and the angels (like unto the angels), a spirit body.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS AN ACTIVE FORCE - THE SPOKEN WORD FULFILLING HIS WILL


This is God in action - and it is so intimately identified as God Himself that it is spoken of as His breath:

* In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2.

* By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:6.

* The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him. Isaiah 11:2.

* I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power. Jeremiah 27:5.

* The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Luke 1:5.

* The Holy Spirit fell upon them which heard the word. Acts 10:44.

* Made partakers of the Holy Spirit, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. Hebrews 6:4-5.

As we can see, the Holy Spirit as an active force (the wind, in our twofold analogy), is the power by which God performs His will and purpose. But again, this is not what saves us.
It is this power which will ultimately change us (if so be that we are found worthy at the Seat of Judgment), but this force does not act upon us directly in order to secure our salvation. God neither beams down pre-cooked enlightenment into our heads, nor zaps us with a special 'salvation ray'.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE SCRIPTURES - THE WRITTEN WORD FULFILLING HIS WILL

It is for this reason that he found fragrance in the reverence of Yahweh, because he was a living expression of the character, will, and purpose of God.
This is precisely the process we are intended to follow. The same should be said of us.

EFFICACY OF THE WORD OF GOD


People think the Holy Spirit can do anything for them - but it can't.
When the emphasis is wrongly placed on the Holy Spirit, people forget the power of the gospel unto salvation.

So what is the Word of God good for?

BLESSING: Luke 11:28, Romans 15:29

ENLIGHTENMENT AND GUIDANCE: Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130, John 8:31-32, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 4:12

ETERNAL LIFE: Luke 4:4, John 6:63, Philippians 2:16, 2 Timothy 1:10, 1 Peter 1:23-25, 1 Peter 4:6

FAITH: John 17:20, Acts 4:4, Acts 15:7, Acts 16:32-34, Romans 10:6-9, Romans 10:17

FELLOWSHIP: Luke 8:21John 5:37-38John 8:31-32John 8:43 John 12:48John 14:24 Acts 13:462 Thessalonians 3:14 Philippians 1:51 John 1:10 1 John 2:5

GRACE: Acts 14:3, Acts 20:4, Acts 20:32

HOPE: Colossians 1:5, Colossians 1:23

JOY: Acts 16:32-34, Philippians 2:16

PEACE: Acts 10:36, Romans 10:15, Ephesians 6:15

POWER: Luke 4:32Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians, 1:182 Corinthians 4:6-7

RECONCILIATION: 2 Corinthians 5:19, Colossians 1:21-23

REPENTANCE: Acts 2:37, Acts 2:41, Acts 16:32-34, Romans 10:6-9

SALVATION: Matthew 13:23, Luke 8:15, John 5:24, Acts 13:26, Acts 13:46, Acts 13:48, Romans 1:16, Romans 10:6-91, Corinthians 15:1-2, Galatians 3:8, Ephesians 2:13, Ephesians 3:6, Ephesians 6:14-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, 1 Peter 4:6, James 1:21

SANCTIFICATION: John 14:3, John 17:17-19 , Ephesians 5:25-26, 1 Timothy 4:4-5

SPIRITUAL REBIRTH: 1 Corinthians 4:15, 1 Peter 2:21-23, James 1:18

STRENGTH TO OVERCOME: Hebrews 13:22, 1 John 2:14

TRUTH: 2 Corinthians 6:7, Galatians 2:5, Galatians 2:14, Ephesians 2:13, Colossians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:15, James 1:18

WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, DISCERNMENT AND JUDGEMENT: Psalm 119:95-104, Luke 8:2, 1John 5:37-38, John 8:31-37, John 8:4, 3John 12:48, John 14:24, Acts 13:46, Colossians 3:16, 2 Thessalonians 3:14, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:9, Hebrews 2:2-4, Hebrews 5:13, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Peter 4:6, 2 Peter 1:19-21, 1 John 1:10, 1 John 2:5

Quite a lot, it would appear... Note that all of these can be peformed by the Word, but none of them can be performed by the Holy Spirit.

Oh yes, the Holy Spirit could perform miracles which would lead to faith, but it did not provide faith.
It could lead to truth, but it did not provide truth.

You could have fellowship in the Holy Spirit, but fellowship is not the Holy Spirit, and it is not necessary to have the Holy Spirit in order to have fellowship.
The Holy Spirit did give you power, but not the same power as the Word - which is a mightier power still.

Most significantly, the Holy Spirit was never part of the process of salvation.
The Word always has been.

Think about it - which is more powerful in the life of the believer?

As much as the military metaphor might appeal, and as much as the repeated metaphors and extended typology might satisfy our Christadelphian love of symbolism, there are a few aspects of this passage which we either overlook as being too awkward, or fail to appreciate because we read this passage in such a manner as isolates it from the rest of Scripture - we read it almost as if it were something Paul wrote to stick on the refrigerator, rather than as an exposition of a number of other principles and doctrines elsewhere in Scripture.

This passage is a classic case of the sort of approach we must avoid - we know what it doesn't mean, but don't spend much time on what it does mean.

We seem to spend much of our time in this passage trying to explain that the 'principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places' doesn't refer to the devil and his angels.

If we ever get past that, we seem only to think that Paul was exhorting the Ephesians with a lovely metaphor, without thinking too deeply about what it means. In fact we have a distressing tendency to separate the 'principalites, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, etc' bit from what follows.

How many of us have that simple but effective Bible insert of the 'Spiritual warrior'?
Quite a number, in Australia at least. But how many of us know exactly what Paul was speaking about?

Oh yes, we understand that the shield is faith - but where do we find that faith?

Sure, we understand that the breastplate is righteousness - but from whence is that righteousness acquired?

No doubt we understand that the helmet is salvation - but how do we secure that salvation?

In short, it appears that we can interpret the meaning of every one of the pieces of equipment carried by this warrior - but that's really not terrifically impressive, since Paul has explained
them all for us anyway.

So at the end of reading this passage, what have we actually learned?

Unless we have learned just what the relationship of this armament is to the 'principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, etc', we will be unable to use this equipment in our battle against them.

But even that's really pointless if we don't know where to find this armament.
Just how is it that we are to arm ourselves in this way?

I venture to suggest that if I were to ask Christadelphians just exactly how we put on this 'whole armour of God', and from whence we might take to ourselves each individual item of the panoply (the Greek word for the 'complete armour' of a soldier), not a few of us would be stumped - I know because I've tried it.

Let's start where we should, with the 'principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world' etc.

Are they devils and demons? No. Can we prove it? Yes - but we shouldn't stop there. We have to ask ourselves if the Ephesians were likely to be vulnerable to demonic attack, or whether they were likely to be endangered by persecution. Certainly the latter seems more probable.

In any case, every one of the words here referred to (principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, etc), is a term used of the reigning powers and their associated legislative and executive arms. Not very exciting, I know, but that's what they refer to. These are very simple and straightforward references to established socio-politcal organisations and structures.

In fact it's almost a disappointment that the impressive warrior later described is to be wasted on such mundane foes. It would be far more impressive if he were actually wrestling with literal demons. But perhaps we underestimate the power and the danger of these institutions in the era in which the Ephesians live - perhaps also we underestimate the power and danger of these institutions in the era in which we live...

Just reflect on the governmental and societal attitudes to immoral practices, and the pressure this places on our community...

In fact, it's typically the Evangelical who wants to appeal to those words for evidence of demons and devils - and more importantly to introduce the only means for dealing with them...
Yes, you guessed it - the Holy Spirit! You don't have a hope of dealing with them unless you have the Holy Spirit, says the Evangelical.

For many Evangelicals, the warrior of Ephesians 6 is armed with the Holy Spirit, the various weapons simply manifestations of what the Holy Spirit brings. You see, the Holy Spirit makes
you have faith, it teaches you truth, it empowers you to preach the gospel, it imputes you with righteousness, and secures your salvation. It's good like that. The Swiss Army knife of mainstream Christianity.

But closer examination is very revealing...

Far from supporting the Evangelical position, the panoply spoken of by Paul actually leads us in another direction entirely.

(Helmet of salvation found in the Word of God)

Oh, we missed the sword of the spirit - that must be the Holy Spirit!

Alas, no! We are told categorically that it also is the Word of God.

I find it telling that it is the Word of God which is the means of overcoming all, and not the Holy Spirit.

Now we may return to those principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, etc, and confront the Evangelical with the simple fact that regardless of whatever he may think they may be (and at this point we can tell him we really don't care), the simple fact of the matter is that Paul tells us the Word of God is more than capable of dealing with all of them.
The Holy Spirit doesn't even get a look in.

THE HOLY SPIRIT - THE BREATH OF LIFE


What is the life of a man?

It is his breath:

The true import of these verses is not to prove that there is no immortal soul, but to impress upon us that the extension of our lives, hour by hour, breath by breath, is utterly dependent on our God (a fact which incidentally leaves no room for any form of underived or unconditional immortality in any case).

The very fact that our breath, our life, is so utterly dependent of God to maintain it completely ruins the doctrine of the immortal for the simple reason that the doctrine of the immortal soul actually makes the creation independent of the Creator - possessing underived immortality, man's breath is now within him permanently, and without any dependence on the Creator.

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is not simply wrong because we do not have an immortal soul, it is wrong because it challenges the complete and utter dependence of the creation on the Creator. It makes man an ever-living being independent of his God.

THE BREATH WITHIN US SUSTAINS OUR LIVES


Thus far we have determined that it is the breath within a man which give him life, and that this breath is dependent on God. The principle has been established that the extension of our lives is dependent on the breath or spirit given us by God. This is the only means by which our lives are prolonged.

So, how are our lives to be prolonged? What 'breath' is it within us that may be given us to prolong our lives? Ultimately, of course, our bodies will be made like unto Christ's glorious body, and we as immortal spirit beings will possess the same immortality of God, Christ, and the angels.

But Scripture doesn't merely tell us to wait for this time - it predicates the receipt of immortality *then* on the possession of an eternal breath now...

Do I have your attention yet? Yes, this sounds very much like the immortal soul!
In fact, in John's gospel it sounds even more like the immortal soul:

The use of the present tense here is almost unnerving. What does he mean?

In fact, he means exactly what he says...

THE BREATH OF LIFE


We have already considered that our lives are sustained by the spirit of God - we are, in fact, in a sense filled with the Spirit of God. But the operation of that Spirit in this sense is simply the maintenance of our lives. It provides no more than that.

From this very fact we may readily appreciate the following:

- That we have no underived immortality, such as an 'immortal soul'

- That our lives are dependent on the spirit within us (the Spirit of God, and the mere breath we take)

- That the Spirit, in this operation, contributes nothing to our relationship with God, nothing to our capacity to comprehend His Word and understand His thoughts

- That the Spirit, in this operation, contributes nothing to the eternal extension of our lives, if only because God has decreed a specific limit to the time in which this spirit will be caused to dwell in each of us, and so give us life.

In this operation, therefore, the Spirit of God contributes absolutely nothing to our salvation - nor can it.

In another operation, the Spirit of God can contribute differently:

- It can contribute to our understanding of the Word of God, as a Divinely inspired author or expositor

- It can contribute to our capacity to fulfill the will of God, as a man empowered like Samson, or sustained like Elijah or Moses

But whilst these are contributions of which the Spirit of God is capable, they are clearly operations which are no longer dispensed or available. The apostolic era saw the last such exercise of the Spirit.

Fundamentally, we are able to see therefore that there is absolutely no way in which the Spirit of God (in the sense of His Holy Spirit power), is capable of contributing to our salvation.

Nevertheless, it is true that the spirit which dwells in us is that which determines our ultimate destination - life or death. What then is that spirit?

THE SPIRIT OF MAN, THE SPIRIT OF THE BEASTS


In one of our favourite 'there-is-no-immortal-soul' passages, we read the following:

Literally, the verse reads:

'Who knows the spirit of man which ascends up, and the spirit of the beast which descends down?'

Various translations have wrestled over this verse, in an attempt to reconcile it with the doctrine of the immortal soul - it isn't actually as helpful as it appears, given the context of verse 19.
The best they can do is make it a different kind of question:

'Who knows if the spirit of a man goes up to heaven, and the spirit of a beast goes to the earth?'

Well, we know. Of course we know. Verse 19 has just told us precisely that.
In fact verse 19 has been adamant that there is a breath shared by both man and beast which ensures that both go to the earth. This can be nothing more than the breath of life, the Spirit of God which sustains all living things.

But the breath in verse 21 - what is that? It cannot be the same as that in verse 19, for there is a distinction made between the spirit of men which ascends, and the spirit of the beasts which descends.

The same word 'ruach' is used in both verses, so unfortunately we can't simply appeal to a convenient grammatical distinction - no such distinction exists.
That a distinction is made is obvious, but what is that distinction? What is this 'spirit' in verse 19?

The answer is to be found elsewhere.

THE SPIRIT OF MEN WHICH ASPIRES


Consider the following:

THE BREATH OF LIFE


In the last study, I quoted the following:

Consider this:

- Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels

- Thou has made him a little higher than the beasts

What effect does each statement have on you? What import does each statement suggest?
Why did God write the former, and not the latter?

I believe this has a direct relevance to the 'spirit of man which ascends' and the 'spirit of the beasts which descends' in Ecclesiastes 3.

If someone were to tell you that you were only a little higher than the beasts, what affect would that have on the way you thought? Would it inspire you or depress you?

If someone If someone were to tell you that you were only a little lower than the angels, what affect would that have on the way you thought?
Would it inspire you or depress you?

Those brethren and sisters on this list with children will undoubtedly appreciate to a far greater extent than myself the importance of negative and positive criticism, negative and positive reinforcement, on a child.

What are the implications of being told that you are only a little higher than a beast?

- It implies that any distinction between you and the beasts is temporary

- It implies that God sees your ultimate potential as no more than a beast

- It implies you are intended to identify with the beasts

In short, it will make you think like a beast - it will cause you to descend.

What are the implications of being told that you are only a little lower than an angel?

- It implies that any distinction between you and the angels is temporary

- It implies that God sees your ultimate potential as no less than an angel

- It implies that you are to identify with the angels

In short, it will make you think like an angel - it will cause you to ascend.

Let's read that passage in Ecclesiastes again, and see how this makes a difference:

The progression of thoughts between verses 12 and 20 now becomes obvious.
This is an extended discussion of the same principles we found in Ecclesiastes 3.
Both passages commence with the similarities between man and the beasts, and both end with a sharp distinction drawn between the potential end of man in contrast to the potential end of the beasts.

However, whereas the passage in Ecclesiastes was brief, giving us only a suggestion of how that distinction is to be made, the passage in Psalm 49 is extended, providing the answer for which we were still looking at the end of Ecclesiastes 3.

The distinction made between the man and the beast is found in the understanding which man may attain. There is a certain understanding which, if a man has within him, will cause him to ascend, and live beyond the grave.

It is this which is the true breath of life, the spirit within us which causes to ascend and which leads to immortality.