What does EGW write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Which passages make statements about the Holy Spirit that view the Holy Spirit differently than as a person?"
Answer
The Holy Spirit is often described in the Scriptures as the “breath of spiritual life” or as a “divine power” and an “influence” of Jesus Christ, which goes beyond a purely human notion of personality. While Christ, through his humanity, was spatially limited, the Spirit enables His universal presence with all believers at the same time. Ultimately it is emphasized that the exact nature of the Holy Spirit remains an unfathomable mystery, about which human silence is often more appropriate than speculative definitions.
The Holy Spirit as the Breath and Life of Christ
The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The communication of the Spirit is the communication of Christ’s life. He fills the recipient with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are taught by God in this way, who possess the inner working of the Spirit and in whose lives the Christ‑life is manifested, should stand as representative men to serve in the name of the congregation.
Independence from Human Personality
The Holy Spirit is the representative of Christ, but stripped of human personality and independent of it. Burdened with humanity, Christ could not be personally present everywhere. Therefore, it was in His interest that He should go to the Father and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. ... Through the Spirit the Savior would be accessible to all.
The Nature of the Spirit as a Mystery
The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Humans cannot explain it because the Lord has not revealed it to them. People with fanciful views may gather passages and give them a human interpretation, but adopting these views will not strengthen the congregation. Regarding such mysteries that are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden.
The Spirit as Divine Influence and Power
Christ explained that the divine influence of the Spirit should be with His followers until the end of time. But the promise is not valued as it should be... the divine power necessary for the growth and flourishing of the congregation... is lacking, even though it is offered in its infinite abundance.
Biblical Word Meaning: Breath and Wind
The word spirit is translated in the Old Testament from two Hebrew words, n'shah-mah and ruach. ... Ruach occurs 442 times and is translated in 16 ways; namely spirit, 282 times; wind, 97 times; breath, 28 times; mind, 6 times; etc. ... This teaches that “a man has no advantage over the cattle” in death; for they are all made of dust... and all have a breath [spirit].
- Nature of the Holy Spirit mystery
- Holy Spirit breath of life
- Christ’s representative without humanity
Original Sources (English)
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