What is the Holy Spirit?

Introduction

Everyone who has grown up in any sort of church setting has heard of the Holy Spirit. It’s one of the most recurring and important Biblical characters, especially in the New Testament. After all, isn’t one of the primary NT revelations the doctrine of the Trinity—of which the Holy Spirit is a member? While this is the traditional understanding of who the Holy Spirit is, it is not something I believe is actually taught in the NT (or anywhere in the Bible for that matter). Understanding who (or what) the Holy Spirit is is most certainly something the Biblical authors wish for us to understand, as it internally claims it was written under the inspiration of it (2 Timothy 3:15-17, cf. 2 Peter 1:21). Consequently, this article will undergo an investigation on the identity of the Holy Spirit within Scripture, and how it was viewed and understood by the earliest Jews and Christians. 

A Member of the Trinity?

The first objection a traditional Christian might have to the notion that the Biblical Holy Spirit isn’t one of the members of a Triune God-head is that this was something allegedly unanimously agreed upon by the early church. “How could God let the church get something so crucial so wrong for over a thousand years!” they might say. “Didn’t all Christians always believe in the Holy Spirit, that is, the third Person of the Trinity?” they might add. The fallacy in this logic is that it is historically incorrect, and more so, anachronistic. The early Christians did not all believe in a fully divine Person known as the Holy Spirit. For example, the 3rd century theologian, Origen believed that the Holy Spirit was the greatest creature (created being) that God the Father brought into existence through the pre-existent Son¹. Justin Martyr (c. 100 – 165 CE) and Tertullian (c. 155 – 240 CE) state that the Holy Spirit occupies the third rank behind the Father and Son² (which is completely contrary to the notion that the Spirit is homoousion and co-equal with the other members of the Trinity). Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329 – 390 CE) records that while the recently established, Orthodox view of the Son being homoousion (of one essence) with the Father was indeed more readily accepted in his time, that this same term being applied to the Spirit was not due to popular consensus on who (or what) the Holy Spirit truly was; many, in fact, did not regard it/him as a third, fully divine Person (hypostases).³ This lack of unanimous agreement on the status of the Holy Spirit within Christian theology is germane to showing the nuanced complexity of this subject. Things aren’t as black and white as some might think, and perhaps the mainstream’s resistance to acknowledging this ideational ambiguity has caused it to deviate from the Biblical portrayal of the Holy Spirit, and its role in the life of a believer. 

“The Holy Spirit” as a Title for God

The God of the Bible goes by many names and titles, all of which are supposed to depict and highlight a specific aspect of his character, being, and likeness. Listed below are numerous designations for the God of Israel, with an explanation on the emphasis they are meant to have on who God is.

• The Ancient of Days: This title is meant to demonstrate the eternality and aseity of God. (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22)

• Rock: This title is meant to demonstrate the strength, power, and unchanging nature of God. He is firm and immovable in both character and power. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18, 30–31; 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 22:2–3, 32, 47; Psalm 18:2, 31, 46; Isaiah 17:10; 44:8)

• Shield: This title is meant to highlight the steadfast lovingkindness our God shows to those who trust and abide in him. He is our strength and shield against the powers of darkness. (Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 33:29; 2 Samuel 22:3, 36; Psalm 3:3; 18:2, 30, 35; 28:7; 33:20; 84:11; Proverbs 2:7; 30:5)

• El Shaddai (God Almighty): This title evidently is meant to demonstrate the omnipotence of God. He is the highest power–there is none who can compare to his power and strength. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exodus 6:3; Ezekiel 10:5)

• Father: This title is meant to highlight the loving side of God, who cares for his creation as a “Father” does his children. While fear and reverence of God is necessary, genuine love and devotion—viewing him as your father—is equally as so. (Deuteronomy 32:6; 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13; Psalm 68:5; 89:26; 103:13; Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Jeremiah 3:4, 19; 31:9; Malachi 1:6; 2:10)

• HaShem: The title “HaShem”  is meant to serve as a substitute for the divine name “YHWH” revealed in Scripture (e.g. Exodus 6:3). Literally meaning “the name”, it is primarily used in casual conversation as a circumlocution for the avoidance of uttering God’s holy name frivolously. 

As demonstrated above, HaShem’s various employed titles are meant to highlight the various traits and attributes he possesses. The authors of the Bible on many occasions refer to God as being “holy” (or the Holy One, cf. Lev. 11:44; 2 Kings 19:22; Job 6:10; Ps. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Isa. 1:4; 6:3; 29:23; Luke 1:49; John 17:11). Furthermore, they explain that he is also “spirit” (cf. John 4:24; 2 Cor. 3:17). Thus, it is logical to conclude that the conglomerate title “Holy Spirit” is one of the many designations used to refer to HaShem, specifically serving to highlight the holiness and utter transcendence of God. For instances where this title refers to God the Father himself, see below:

“20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)

3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us, but to God!” (Acts 5:3-4)

“28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials…” (Acts 15:28)

“8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing.” (Hebrews 9:8)

“32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:32)

Take note in particular of the use of pneuma hagion in Matthew 1:20, where Mary is told that the child conceived in her is from “the Holy Spirit”. If I am correct in my assertion that here, this title is in reference to God the Father. Then this would explain why Jesus is never suggested as being the “Son of the Holy Spirit” (the alleged third Person of the Trinity), but rather always as the “Son of God/the Father”. As in this context, “The Holy Spirit” and “the Father” are one and the same.

When the term “Holy Spirit” is in reference to God, I believe it proper to capitalize the “H” and “S” not only out of respect for the one to whom it refers, but also to distinguish it from the other uses of the Hebrew ruach ha’kodesh and Greek pneuma hagion (both meaning “holy spirit”). In addition to this, one should address “the Holy Spirit” using masculine pronouns (he, him, his, etc) in accordance with the typical pronouns God uses of himself.

“The holy spirit” as the presence of God

Scripture teaches explicitly in several key areas that God cannot dwell in fullness on the earth lest he consume it entirely.

“27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)

“3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up among you, or I will consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 33:3)

“20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)⁵

However, this does not mean he can’t take a type of visible form on the earth. In the creation account, it is said that the “spirit of God” hovered over the surface of the deep.

“2 And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 NASB)

The Hebrew word for “spirit” is ruakh, and it actually has several other meanings some might not be aware of. In some contexts, it can refer to “wind” (cf. Genesis 8:1; Exodus 10:13, 19; 14:21; Numbers 11:31; 1 Kings 19:11; Job 1:19; 37:9; Psalm 1:4; 78:26; 107:25; Ecclesiastes 1:6; Isaiah 7:2; Jeremiah 4:11–12; Jonah 4:8), and in others, it can refer to “breath” (cf. Genesis 2:7; 6:17; 7:15, 22; Job 12:10; 27:3; 33:4; 34:14; Psalm 104:29–30; Isaiah 42:5; Ezekiel 37:5, 9–10). Just as your “breath” is a sort of a projection from you (particularly your face), so too the ruakh of God is an extension of his transcendent being. We mustn't be anachronistic by inserting later ideas of an “eternally-proceeding” Spirit that is a distinct Person of God into the text. The Bible teaches no such thing. The spirit of Elijah which came to and rested upon Elisha was no one other than Elijah himself (2 Kings 2:9, 15). When God stirred up the spirits of the Kings of Assyria, he was stirring up no one but Pul and Tilgath-pilneser (1 Chronicles 5:26). Referring to the “spirit” of someone is a way of simply referencing them and their presence. The “holy spirit” is explicitly said to belong to the Father (cf. Num. 11:29; Isa. 30:1; 44:3; 59:21; Ezek. 36:27; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28, 29; Zech. 4:6; Matt. 12:18; Acts 2:17-18)—as it is him, his presence. 

"Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:11)

“Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

Elsewhere in Scripture, there are many emanations of God by which he makes himself known and visible that we can call his “holy spirit”. God is said to “dwell” among his people (Exodus 25:8). This has been done in the form of the pillar of fire and the cloud of smoke which he took on to lead the Jews out of Egypt (cf. Exodus 13:21–22; 14:19, 24; 33:9–10; Numbers 12:5; 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33; Nehemiah 9:12, 19; Psalm 99:7). It has also been done in the form of “the cloud of glory” (cf. Exodus 16:10; 19:9, 16; 24:15–16; 29:43; 40:34–38; Leviticus 9:6, 23; Numbers 16:42; 20:6; 1 Kings 8:10–11; 2 Chronicles 5:13–14; Ezekiel 10:4), known in Judaism as the “Shekhinah” (from the root word “shakan” meaning “to dwell”), which oftentimes filled the temple or the tent of meeting. The Shekhinah is the manifest presence of God on earth which he uses to personally be present with and rest among his people.

The term “Shekhinah” itself is grammatically feminine (just like the Hebrew term ruach, “spirit”), and is typically understood to represent the motherly aspect of God. Since both men and women are made in the image of God, God himself must necessarily possess the aspects of femininity⁶. Sometimes the Shekhinah is referred to as a Daughter, Sister, Mother⁷, Bride, or Queen⁸. In different ways, all of these are true. For example, it is said that a man must be both “male and female” so that the Shechinah always rests upon him⁹. The Shechinah is also portrayed as the mother of Israel, and the bride of HaShem.¹⁰

Concerning the Shechinah, it is said that when ten are gathered together to study Torah, the Shekhinah abides among them. This claim is a strikingly similar sentiment to the one Yeshua (Jesus) made about himself: 

“Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: ‘God stands in the congregation of God’” (Perkei Avot 3:6)

“20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20)

Similarly, it is said that when three judges get together to discern a matter, the Shekhinah is among them.¹¹ It is said that when a man falls sick, the Shekhinah rests upon him.¹² It is said when a man and woman come together in a holy union before God, the Shechinah rests upon them.¹³ When Israel was scattered and sent into exile, it is said that the Shekhinah was with them.¹⁴ It is further said of the Shechinah that it particularly rests upon those who find joy in the observance of a commandment (mitzva)¹⁵, something that is also said in regards to the spirit of God (cf. Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26-27). When one engages in prayer, namely the recitation of the Amidah (Shemoneh Esrei), they are to remember that the Shechinah dwells above them.¹⁶ As Rabbi Oshaya and Rabbi Ishmael assert, the Shechinah exists in every place encompassing the entire earth.¹⁷ In this way, the Shechinah is near to us all. But, it is close to those who find delight in Torah and the things of heaven.¹⁸ Through righteousness it draws closer, while through unrighteousness, it moves farther.¹⁹

“‘They heard the voice of the Lord God moving about in the garden with the day breeze’... Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said...The essence of the Divine Presence had been in the lower world, but when Adam the first man sinned the Divine Presence removed itself up to the first firmament; when Cain sinned, it removed itself up to the second firmament; at the generation of Enosh, to the third; at the generation of the Flood, to the fourth; at the generation of the dispersion, to the fifth; upon [the sins of] the Sodomites, to the sixth; upon [the sins of] the Egyptians in the generation of Abraham, to the seventh. Corresponding to them there arose seven righteous men, and these were: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moses. Abraham arose and brought it down to the sixth level; Isaac arose and brought it down from the sixth to the fifth; Jacob arose and brought it down from the fifth to the fourth; Levi arose and brought it down from the fourth to the third; Kehat arose and brought it down from the third to the second; Amram arose and brought it down from the second to the first; Moses arose and brought it down from above [in the first firmament] to down below [earth]. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “The righteous will inherit the earth [and dwell [veyishkenu] upon it forever…” (Psalms 37:29). And what of the wicked, will they float in the air? It means, rather, that the wicked did not allow the Divine Presence [shekhina] to rest on earth.” (Bereshit Rabbah 19:8)

To give an analogy, picture two best friends who’ve spent their entire lives living next door to each other. In terms of their bond, they are extremely close. The more and more time they spend together, the closer they get. But imagine if one of them were to move to another country. They may no longer be physically near, but in spirit, they are still as close as two can be. Likewise, the more we submit our will to God through mitzvot and love, the closer we get to his presence (Shekhinah). Regardless of how “near” he feels, he is always with us in our hearts.

 In this manner, the personal manifested presence of God through which he dwells with man is known as his “holy spirit”.

“The holy spirit” as the power and gift of God

Similar to the holy spirit being a term referring to the presence of God, it can also be used to describe the power of God.

“35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35)

“The Spirit should not be thought of in terms of later trinitarian thought. Rather should it be equated with the creative power of God." Compare the parallelism of Lk 1.35: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you'” ²⁰

“But as for me, I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.” (‭‭Micah‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬) ‭

This use of the literary device “parallelism" (saying the same thing twice using different language) is a deliberate attempt by these authors to equate the power of God with his spirit. When God is in action on the earth demonstrating his power, he is operating via his “holy spirit”. 

Neither Hebrew nor Greek possess the ability to express capital or lowercase letters. Any English translation which features them is an interpretation by the translator on which words should be capitalized or not. In an instance where ruakh ha’qodesh or pneuma hagion are in reference to the power of God, I believe it should be rendered using a lowercase “h” and “s”. It’s an impersonal concept, a “force”. 

There are many instances in which “holy spirit” is in reference to the power of God (particularly when it is at work in or through people, cf. Num. 11:17-29; Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 1 Sam. 10:6, 10; 16:13; 1 Chron. 12:18; 2 Chron. 15:1; Mic. 3:8; Luke 1:41-42, 67; 2:25-27). When God allows his spirit to dwell upon humans, it equips them with all sorts of spiritual powers and prerogatives that a typical human cannot perform, such as prophecy, miracles, enhanced wisdom, understanding, knowledge, or judgement. When God appointed the judges of Israel to discern all matters of Torah observance, he poured out his spirit upon them (Num. 11:17-29). When Jesus casted out demons on the earth, Luke says he did so by “the finger of God”, while Mathew says he did so by “the spirit of God” (Luke 11:20; Matt. 12:28). After Jesus’ baptism, it is recorded that the spirit of God descended upon him (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:9-10; Luke 3:21-22). It is believed that the holy spirit was imparted on all of the prophets to varying degrees based on their mission, whereas the Messiah was given “the spirit without measure”.

“Rabbi Aha said: Even the Divine Spirit that rests upon the prophets, rests only with calibration. Some prophesy one book, and some two...” Leviticus Rabbah 15:2

He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” (‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭34‬)

There is only one spirit (Eph. 4:4). However, depending on the function the spirit is meant to serve for the person to whom it is given, it can take on several names and titles:

• “spirit of wisdom” (Ex. 28:3; Deut. 34:9; Eph. 1:17) when associated with the giving of wisdom

• “spirit of grace” (Zech.12:10; Heb. 10:29) when associated with God’s grace

• “spirit of glory” (1 Pet. 4:14) when associated with glory

• “spirit of adoption” (Rom. 8:15) when associated with our salvation 

• “the spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 16:13) when associated with truth

• “the spirit of Christ” (1 Peter 1:11) when associated with revelation of the coming Messiah

• “the spirit of the Son/Jesus/Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:7; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:19) when the emphasis is on the role the Son plays in giving us the holy spirit from the Father

• “the Helper/Advocate” (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7) when the emphasis is on how the holy spirit helps us in our walk with God

In the OT, God’s spirit merely “rested upon” or “came upon” individuals when God saw fit (e.g. Judges 3:10). However, this completely changed after Jesus ascended into heaven. Now, it is born in believers. This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that pneuma hagion is not a third fully divine Person of the Trinity. For that to be the case, the Person of the Holy Spirit would have to eternally exist. The problem with this is that Jesus clearly asserts that at the time of his ministry, “there was no Spirit”.

“Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit because Jesus was not yet glorified.” ‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭39‬ 

This is not to say that God wasn’t at work through people prior to this, but it does suggest that the degree in which God’s spirit dwells in believers would be completely new and different—far greater. In Acts chapter 2, it is recorded that on the day of Pentecost, there was an outpouring of the holy spirit on the early Christians in fulfillment of several OT prophecies.²¹ The holy spirit is said to be “a gift” that Christians are given after being born again (Acts 2:38; 8;20; 10:45; 11:17), making them “partakes of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), “sealed by the promised spirit” (Eph. 1:13), “baptized by the holy spirit” (Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5), and “anointed with the spirit” (Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; 1 John 2:27). The origin of this gift is God, but after Jesus’ exaltation to where he now possesses “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), he is also qualified to give the gift to us just as he received it from the Father (John 15:26; 16:7; Acts 2:33; Titus 3:6).

Personification of the Spirit

In section one of this article I explained the first usage of “Holy Spirit” in which it’s a title referring to God the Father, where I believe masculine pronouns (he, him, his) should be used. However, I also argued in section two that when “holy spirit” refers to the power of God, it is an impersonal concept. Thus, I believe neuter pronouns (it, its, etc) should be used when referencing the gift that has been given to all believers. Now, I know what many reading this may be thinking to themselves. “Jesus called the Holy Spirit a ‘He’ and clearly attributes personality to it!”. This is an understandable assumption that isn’t even the fault of the average Christian. Let’s take a closer look at one of the texts in which masculine pronouns are typically applied to the holy spirit.

“16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (John 14:16-17 NRSVUE)

On the face of it, it appears that Jesus believes the spirit is a “whom”, a “he”. However, the Greek word for “spirit” (pneuma) is grammatically neuter, and is used with the neuter pronoun auto.

“17 This is the Spirit (pneuma, neuter noun) of truth, whom (auto, neuter pronoun) the world cannot receive because it neither sees him (auto, neuter pronoun) nor knows him (auto, neuter pronoun). You know him (auto, neuter pronoun) because he (implied, not in Greek text) abides with you…” (John 14:17 NRSVUE)

The reason most translations choose to render the neuter pronouns as “he” or “him” is because they are operating under the assumption that the spirit is a person. However, since it is not, we should render the neuter pronoun as an “it”, and not a “he”. Now, Jesus also refers to the holy spirit as “the Advocate” (parekletos), which is a masculine Greek noun, and thus necessarily must be paired with a grammatically masculine pronoun, such as ekeinos.

“26 But the Helper (parekletos, also rendered “Advocate”, grammatically masculine noun), the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He (ekeinos, masculine pronoun) will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (John 14:26 NASB)

This is the typical lexical convention for languages (such as Spanish, French, and Greek) in which words possess gender (something English does not feature). For example, “table” in Spanish is mesa, a grammatically feminine word which would be paired with the feminine object pronoun la. A literal rendering of a Spanish sentence in which you say “I like the table, it is brown” would be “I like the table, she is brown”. However, no translator would render it this way—they understand that while mesa is grammatically feminine, the noun to which it refers, table, is an impersonal neuter object. In and of itself, it does not have a gender. This is true as well for Greek. For example, in Matthew 5 Jesus states:

“15 People do not light a lamp (luchnos, masculine noun) and put it (auton, masculine pronoun) under the bushel basket; rather, they put it (auton, masculine pronoun) on the lampstand...” (Matthew 5:15)

The Greek word for lamp is luchnos, which is a masculine noun, and thus must grammatically have masculine pronouns. However, no translation would render this verse as “People do not light a lamp and put him under the bushel basket”. A lamp is not now somehow a person (a “he”) because it’s referred to using a masculine pronoun. A lamp is impersonal, and translations are correct in referring to it as an “it”.²²

Thus, even when the holy spirit is referred to as “the Advocate” (parekletos, a masculine noun), English translations should still render any referential pronouns as “it”, as the noun “holy spirit” itself is impersonal, being that it is the power and gift of God. 

A final objection to this one could argue is that “person-hood”, or at least “personality” is given to the holy spirit. Paul says that the spirit “intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26), “searches all things” (1 Cor. 2:10), and urges us not to "grieve the holy spirit” (Ephesians 4:30). Jesus says the spirit will “speak” and “guide” us into truth (John 16:13). These are things that sound (rightfully so) like actions performed by an individual or an entity. But as with any good Biblical interpretation, we should interpret the fewer and more difficult texts with the many and more clear texts. Scripture is clear that the holy spirit is an “it”, “the power of God”. Thus, I am arguing that the handful of texts that apply personality to the spirit are using the literary device of personification. 

This would be very similar to the passages in which God’s wisdom (chochmah or sophia) is personified as a female character. Wisdom says she “calls out to men” in hopes of them taking heed to her wise sayings. She says she “dwells with prudence”, “loves those who love her”, “walks in the way of righteousness”, “was there when God established the heavens”, “rejoices in the world”, “builds a house”, and “prepares food and wine” for the righteous.²³ These are all things which are normally said of humans or selves, yet they are all said of personified wisdom as if she were literally a woman. Attributes or aspects of God being personified is a well known literary theme in Scripture. Thus, I find it very reasonable to conclude that when the spirit and power of God is spoken about as if it were a person, personification is the author’s intent. No author actually believed the spirit of God was a distinct self in addition to the Father, nor anything other than the impersonal “power” of the Almighty.

Conclusion

After a thorough analysis of the various uses of the terms “holy spirit” or “spirit of God”, I believe Scripture is rather plain on the identity of the pneuma hagion. In one context, it can refer to God the Father himself, he is the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, this term can also be in reference to God’s presence, power, or gift he gives to the body of Christ—the holy spirit. The holy spirit guides us into all truth, empowers us to walk in obedience under God, and grants us the ability to perform all sorts of signs and wonders when HaShem sees fit. It is one of the greatest blessings we receive when we put our faith in the Master, and we should thank him for it. 

“4 B‭ut when the kindness and benevolence of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous works that we ourselves did, but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of a new beginning and renewal by the holy spirit, 6 which he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, since we have been declared righteous by his grace, we became heirs with the hope of life in the age to come.” (Titus 3:4-7 REV)

Citations and References

[1] Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.75, trans. Ronald E. Heine (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1989), 114

[2] Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch. 13, 60; Tertullian, Against Praxeas, ch. 3

[3] Gregory of Nazianzus, Fifth Theological Oration (Oration 31)

[4] All Scriptural citations will be from the NRSVUE unless otherwise noted

[5] Unless you have seen someone's “face”, you have not truly seen them in their fullness. God has appeared in various forms on the earth in both the Old and New Testament, he has not however ever appeared in the totality of his being due to the earth being unable to contain him. In this way, no one has ever seen his “face” —that is, his fullness.

[6] Tikkunei Zohar 23a:5

[7] Yahel Ohr on Zohar 2:100b

[8] Sha'arei Kedusha, Part 1 3:7

[9] Zohar, Bereshit 83:223-225

[10] Tikkunei Zohar 27a; Ba'al Shem Tov, Noach 93:1; Kav HaYashar 72:2

[11] b.Berachot 6a

[12] b.Shabbat 12b

[13] b.Sotah 17a:15

[14] b.Megillah 29a

[15] b.Shabbat 30b

[16] Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 98:1; b.Sanhedrin 22a:7

[17] b.Bava Batra 25a:8-10

[18] Perkei Avot 3:2; b.Nedarim 38a:7

[19] b.Sotah 3b:12, Rav Hisda believed the Shekhinah once dwelled among each and every Jew, but withdrew itself after they had sinned.

[20] Davies, W. D., and Dale C. Allison. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: Vol. 1, Introduction and Commentary on Matthew I–VII. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1988, pp. 200

[21] Isa. 44:3; Eze. 11:19-20, 36:26-27; Joel 2:28-29; Zech. 12:10

[22] For more examples of this, see John 14:17, REV Bible Commentary (https://revbible.com/comm/John/14/17)

[23] Proverbs 8-9