Who is the Holy Spirit According to the Bible

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: After learning from the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Father is the only true God, it leaves some people uncertain about the role of the Holy Spirit. Others have taught that the Holy Spirit is in fact God Himself. What does the Bible teach about the role of the Holy Spirit?

[SHOW OPEN]

The Bible: The basis of our faith in the Church Of Christ, which answers questions about proper worship, the right relationship with God, and most importantly, salvation. That’s in the Bible. 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: I’m Bob Pellien and welcome to the program, That’s in the Bible. For many, the Holy Spirit is simply the third entity of a triune God which they call the Trinity. But, from previous episodes of this program, it has been proven from the Bible that the Father is the only true God, Jesus is the son of God and the two are very different from one another. The Trinity doctrine is therefore a false doctrine. What then is the role of the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit?

Dear friends, here’s a question we have received concerning the Holy Spirit that comes all the way from Africa, Ben from Kenya asked: 

Could you talk about the Holy Spirit? Who is He? Since we now know that there is nothing like the Trinity. Yet, during the baptism of Jesus, God spoke and the Holy Spirit came down in [the] form of [a] dove. What did it represent or mean?

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: Well, thank you Ben for your question. So, as we look over the many questions and the many comments we receive concerning the Holy Spirit and the belief of many that the Holy Spirit himself is God, let’s further break it down into these four additional questions:

1. Who is the Holy Spirit according to the Bible? 
2. Is the Holy Spirit also God?
3. Where did the idea that the Holy Spirit is God originate? 
4. What can the Holy Spirit do for me, or how can I benefit from receiving it? 

[2:37] Who is the Holy Spirit? 

Let’s start with – Who is the Holy Spirit according to the Holy Bible? And for that we turn to John 14:26, which I quote: 

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 things that I said to you. 

John 14:26 New King James Version 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN:  Here dear friends our Lord Jesus Christ Himself introduces the Holy Spirit as the helper. Aren’t there times in life that we really need help? Here Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit as the helper sent from the Father. What we have learned in our past lessons is that Jesus taught in John 17 verses one and three that the Father is the only true God, and here in this verse we learned that the Father is sending the Holy Spirit as a helper. 

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And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

John 17:1, 3 New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: That dear friends presents clear evidence that God the Father and the Holy Spirit being sent by the Father are very different. Because the one sending and the one being sent, of course, are not the same. By the way, who can also send the Holy Spirit? In John 15:26 our Lord Jesus said this: 

“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.

John 15:26  New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So once again dear friends from the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ we can see that He can also send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also called here the “spirit of truth” that proceeds from the Father. Let us consider, the sender is clearly different from the one that is sent. God our Father sends the Holy Spirit to comfort and help. Our Lord Jesus Christ also sends the Holy Spirit. God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that is sent to help and comfort us are all very different from one another and have very different roles. But for those who teach that the Holy Spirit is in fact God, the reasoning they present, well, goes like this: since the Father who is God (John 17:3,1) is Spirit (John 4:24), and we all know that God the Father is Holy, so then the conclusion that they draw is that the Holy Spirit then must be God.

[GRAPHICS ON SCREEN]

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

John 17:1, 3 New King James Version

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:24 New King James Version

[5:38] Is the Holy Spirit also God? 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: But is the Holy Spirit also God? First off, if we would say that the Holy Spirit is God because being holy and being a spirit sent by God that would create an even bigger problem. What problem you may ask? You would have many gods! Why would we have many gods? How many spirits are being sent out by God the Father? We turn to Revelation 5:6 where the Bible’s answer is this, I quote: 

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Revelation 5:6   New King James Version 

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: How many spirits are being sent forth by God in this example? He sends seven spirits! So, if then anyone would insist that the Holy Spirit sent from God is also God because he is holy, and because he’s a spirit, then they would have no choice but to accept that there are many gods because God has sent seven spirits into the world. Specifically they would need to believe in nine gods because trinitarians believe that Jesus is God, the Father is God, and then the seven spirits being sent to them would also be gods, that makes nine gods. But inside the Church Of Christ we firmly place our stand on the biblical assertion that there is only one true God and that is the Father. The Holy Spirit is the comforter, the helper sent forth by God into the world. The Holy Spirit is not God. 

[7:42] Where did the idea that the Holy Spirit is God originate? 

Well, where did the idea that the Holy Spirit is God originate? In a book written by the Roman Catholic Church, I quote page 206 it’s the book entitled Discourses on the Apostles Creed by Clement H. Crock. He wrote here on page 206 the following: 

In 381, at the Council of Constantinople, it was defined that it is an article of faith that the Holy Ghost is God.

Discourses on the Apostles Creed; Clement H. Crock; pg 206

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: It is therefore a doctrine made up by man, specifically the authorities within the Roman Catholic Church that gathered in their council in the city of Constantinople in the year 381 AD. It was then that they defined the doctrine that the holy ghost or the Holy Spirit is God. It is not a biblically founded doctrine but rather a man-made doctrine. They also make the mistake of declaring that the Holy Spirit is equally God and part of a three person God. Here’s what they wrote in a book entitled 1000 Questions and Answers on Catholicism by Philip O’Reilly. Here on page 103:

The Catholic definition of the Holy trinity,… declares that there are three Divine persons in one Divine nature. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are equally God, equally omnipotent, and equally eternal.

1000 Questions and Answers on Catholicism; Philip O’Reilly; pg 103

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So dear friends the Catholic Church has established in their own writings, not from the writings in the Holy Bible, that the Holy Spirit is God and equally God along with the Father and the Son, thereby establishing the root of the Trinity doctrine. 

[10:05] What can the Holy Spirit do for me?                                                                                

Since we in the Church Of Christ do not believe in the Trinity, does that mean we do not give importance to the Holy Spirit? How will we benefit from receiving the true Holy Spirit sent? Some might ask, what can the Holy Spirit do for me? We read earlier in John 15:26, I quote it: 

“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.

John 15:26   New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So when the Lord Jesus sends the Holy Spirit it will be a great helper to those to whom it is sent. In the King James version of John 14:26 the Holy Spirit is described as a comforter.  

[ON SCREEN GRAPHICS]

But the Comforter, 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.

John 14:26 King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: A great comforter to those in distress from the hardships of life. The spirit of Truth that Jesus will send from the Father will enable a person to learn the truth and discern what is truly good, bad, right and wrong in the eyes of God and that will lead them to Salvation.

[ON SCREEN GRAPHICS]

“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.

John 15:26   New King James Version

BROTHER BOB PELLIEN: So dear friends, let’s review the questions that we began with and see what the Bible has revealed to us. We asked:

1. Who is the Holy Spirit according to the Bible? 

   We learned that our Lord Jesus Christ introduced the Holy Spirit as the Spirit sent by the Father, and will also be sent by the Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Is the Holy Spirit also God?No, we learned that God sends seven spirits! If then anyone would insist that the Holy Spirit sent from God is also God because he is holy, and because he’s a spirit, then they would have no choice but to accept that there are many gods because God has sent seven spirits into the world.
3. Where did the idea that the Holy Spirit is God originate? 

   The authorities within the Roman Catholic Church that gathered in their council in the city of Constantinople in the year 381 AD. It was then that they defined the doctrine that the holy ghost or the Holy Spirit is God. It is not a biblically founded doctrine but rather a man-made doctrine.

4. What can the Holy Spirit do for me? How can I benefit from receiving it?The Holy Spirit is sent as the great comforter for those in distress from the hardships of life.

This is why we invite you to come and know who the true God is, who we serve inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ. 

We’d like you to continue learning about the teachings of the Bible taught here inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ. And to do so, please visit us online and browse the different topics or set up an appointment to meet with a minister of the gospel. And if you have any questions about the Bible or salvation, please email them to us. I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching. See you next time on That’s in the Bible!