21
votes
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What is the biblical basis for the personhood of the Holy Spirit?
Here are four common defenses of this doctrine:
The masculine pronoun in Greek is applied to the Holy Spirit even when not required by Greek grammar
The Holy Spirit is shown to be in a coordinating ...
- 42.3k
12
votes
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Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?
As bradimus has indicated, this is a tricky issue, because projecting the modern debate of cessationism vs. continuationism onto church fathers is anachronistic. That said, some figures in the early ...
- 42.3k
11
votes
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In the Angelus, which is theologically correct, "conceived of" or "conceived by"?
The Angelus is composed of three versicle-response prayers, alternating with Hail Marys. The phrase in question is from the beginning. In Latin:
V: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
R: Et concepit ...
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10
votes
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How did theologians conclude that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit meant a refusal for repentance?
The task of a theologian is to bring together the many parts of scripture into a consistent whole. Passages may appear to be contradictory, at least on the surface, and so the theologian seeks an ...
- 19.7k
9
votes
Do any of the Church Fathers draw a connection between Eve and the Holy Spirit?
Perhaps not surprisingly, in light of Ephesians 5, church fathers widely connect Eve with Christ's Church. This seems to displace other interpretations, like a connection between Eve and the Holy ...
- 42.3k
9
votes
Accepted
Are there any Christian groups or denominations that believe that non-Christians have access to the power of the Holy Spirit?
Addressing some misunderstanding
Speaking from mainstream (Trinitarian) groups, your question contains several implicit misunderstandings leading to the framing of your question:
Holy Spirit is a ...
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7
votes
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In light of the list found in Isaiah 11:1-3, why are there seven gifts of Holy Spirit and not six?
According to Roman Catholicism, believers receive these gifts at baptism, which are then made more perfect by the rite of Confirmation. Consider the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1285,
&...
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7
votes
Accepted
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in Swedenborg's soteriology?
I work for the Swedenborg Foundation and can provide this answer from Rev. James. F Lawrence, D.Min., Ph.D. Dean of the Center for Swedenborgian Studies and also Assistant Professor of Spirituality ...
7
votes
Accepted
How do Eastern Christians explain Jesus "sending" the Holy Spirit in John 15:26?
In reality, John 15:26 supports both the Eastern Orthodox and the (Western) Catholic positions, because (at least as far as the Catholic Church is concerned) both positions are valid and complementary....
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7
votes
Accepted
From a LDS perspective, when does the Holy Ghost get a Physical Body?
There is nothing in LDS canon about this, as far as I can tell. There are a couple statements from Joseph Smith that indicate that he felt the Holy Ghost would eventually receive a body, which I've ...
- 967
7
votes
Do the reformed theology adherents believe that a believer should not "converse with" or "pray to" or worship the Holy Spirit?
Reformed theology maintains the full deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, so that there is no inferiority attached to the Holy Spirit that would result in the kind of subordination that the ‘...
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7
votes
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Do the reformed theology adherents believe that a believer should not "converse with" or "pray to" or worship the Holy Spirit?
Anne's answer covered the reason WHY the Holy Spirit is full Deity in accordance with the Trinitarian doctrine, thus showing that the Holy Spirit is worthy of worship, which the true Reformed ...
- 22.1k
7
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What are the drawbacks of studying/teaching the Bible in an overly erudite (overly academic) manner?
The primary danger in studying the Bible in an overly erudite, scholarly, and
academic way is the temptation to skip the all-important process of the application of Scripture to a lived life. All ...
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7
votes
Accepted
How do Christians who believe in a witness of the Holy Spirit via thoughts & feelings respond to the claim that thoughts & feelings are unreliable?
Thoughts
When I encounter the claim that thoughts are unreliable, my response is:
Do you think so?
Is that thought reliable?
Descarte's famous line cogito ergo sum is part of his argument that one ...
- 11.2k
7
votes
Jesus says, that God the Father is a Spirit AND Paul says there is one (1) Spirit. How do trinitarians understand who or what the Holy Spirit is?
Trinitarians understand God to be three persons.
Simply put, Trinitarians understand God to be three persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) with one nature. The Father is God, the Son is ...
- 1,043
7
votes
Naive question: Origin of the Holy Ghost
Origination of Holy Spirit Very important topic! But first a humble correction: the non-biblical origin of Christianity's doctrines and rituals is indeed a teaching of some scholars, but they belong ...
- 1,353
6
votes
Accepted
In LDS doctrine, what is the difference between the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ?
Short Answer
The Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ are closely related and are often used interchangeably, even in scripture. But there are a few important differences.
The Holy Ghost, in contrast ...
- 432
6
votes
What is the biblical basis for the idea that the Bible cannot be understood without aid from God?
Jesus said in Matthew 11:25, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children." By these words we ...
- 7,530
6
votes
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Do Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit still speaks specific messages or instructions to Christians today?
This is from an article in Tabletalk magazine, which is produced by Ligonier Ministries. It is written by Robert Rothwell and supposses to be the voice of Reformed Christianity on the topic of ...
- 14.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Did the Holy Spirit manifest in people before Jesus?
The salient distinction is not between different "spirits" but between different "tenures".
In the OT, the Spirit of God anointed individuals for certain tasks or offices:
The ...
- 14.6k
6
votes
What are the drawbacks of studying/teaching the Bible in an overly erudite (overly academic) manner?
There is nothing wrong with any person being erudite in any chosen field. Let's get that straight, at the outset, for to be erudite is to be able to teach or to write as a learned person who is fit to ...
- 26.8k
6
votes
Are there any Christian groups or denominations that believe that non-Christians have access to the power of the Holy Spirit?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe anyone can feel the power of the Holy Ghost.
All honest seekers of the truth can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, leading them to Jesus ...
- 8,697
6
votes
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Are there other Christian authors besides WLC who believe that all Christians have access to a direct, self-authenticating experience of God?
Here is a well known Christian author who is certainly not on the fringes of Christian thought:
If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God ...
- 14.6k
6
votes
How do Trinitarians respond to Mark 13:32 which indicates that the Holy Spirit does not know something?
What the Father knows the Spirit also knows, and the Son in his divine nature also knows.
When our Lord was speaking of the Father he was naturally including "the Spirit of the Father". The ...
- 6,674
5
votes
Is the gender of the Holy Spirit, feminine or masculine?
Catholic perspective here:
The short answer is that the Holy Spirit, like all of the Persons of the Trinity, does not have a physical sex, because God in His Divine Nature does not have a body. (See ...
- 13.2k
5
votes
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Is there a study that has been done showing the transformational power of the Holy Spirit in people's lives?
The simple answer to your question is yes, there are many such studies, and here is a good place to start looking for them:
The Nature of Spiritual Transformation - A Review of the Literature, ...
- 12.5k
5
votes
Accepted
In John 14:16, according to the Catholic Church, who is the Spirit of Truth?
The Catholic Church holds that the "Spirit of Truth" here is simply the Holy Spirit:
When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," literally, "he ...
- 42.3k
5
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If you do not believe the Holy Spirit is a person, then what is it? What do Bible verses that reference the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God mean?
When reading translations of scripture, it is important to remember that the original Greek and Hebrew text didn't use capital letters to personify the "holy spirit" expression.
It is the ...
- 8,292
5
votes
Accepted
According to LDS, do all non-LDS Christians lack the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and if so, how does this lack manifest itself in the lives of non-LDS?
Terminology
The Gift of the Holy Ghost can be a confusing topic in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not because the doctrine is especially complex, but rather because we don't have ...
- 432
5
votes
Accepted
Do other Christian denominations/groups have an equivalent to the "burning in the bosom" of Mormonism?
Please take my answer with a grain of salt, because I am not from another denomination. I have served a 2 year LDS mission and had in-depth discussions with thousands of faithful Christians of many ...
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