The Holy Spirit - His Deity & His Representations

The deity of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Trinity are clearly bound together. It is obviously impossible to believe in the triunity of God if one denies the deity of the Spirit. To deny His deity is to deny the Trinity, and the denial of these will also inadvertently lead to the denial of other fundamentals such as the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture.

So what evidence does the Bible present for the deity of the Holy Spirit?

(1) His attributes – Omniscience (1 Cor. 2:10-12), Omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-10; John 14:17), Omnipotence (Job 33:4), Eternity (Heb. 9:14), truth (John 14:17).

(2) His works – regeneration (John 3:5-6), creation (Ps. 104:30), intercession (Rom. 8:26), generating Christ (Matt. 1:20).

(3) His titles/names – Paul referred to the Spirit as being “God” (Acts 5:3-4), “Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11), “Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11), “Lord” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

(4) His association with the Father and the Son – (2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; Matt. 28:19).

Clearly the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is as divine as the Father and the Son. As the third Person in the Godhead, He is worthy of our praise and worship and of the glory that is the Father’s and the Son’s. His deity is relevant to our spiritual life and to His ability to carry out His ministry in our lives.

I will briefly mention the various representations of the Holy Spirit. These representations help portray His Person and work. They are categorized as representations even though they are identified as types, illustrations, emblems, or symbols.

Clothing (Luke 24:49), dove (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32), pledge ((2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14), fire (Acts 2:3), oil (Zech. 4:1-14), seal (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30), water (John 7:37-39), wind (John 3:8).