Is the Holy Spirit a person?

IS THE HOLY GHOST A PERSON ?
 

J. W. W. asks : " Are we to understand that the Holy Ghost is a person, the same as the Father and
the Son ? Some claim that it is, others that it is not."
 

ANSWER.

—The terms " Holy Ghost," are a harsh and repulsive translation. It should be " Holy Spirit " (hagionpneuma) in every instance. This Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ ; the Spirit being the same whether it is spoken of as pertaining to God or Christ. But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the the Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally present. Christ is a person, now officiating as priest in the sanctuary in heaven; and yet he says that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst. Matt. 18 : 20. How? —Not personally, but by his Spirit.  In one of Christ's discourses (John, chapters 14, 15, and 16) this Spirit is personified as " the Comforter," and as such has the personal and relative pronouns, " he," " him," and " whom," applied to it. But usually it is spoken of in a way to show that it cannot be a person, like the Father and the Son. For instance, it is often said to be " poured out " and " shed abroad. " But we never read about God or Christ being poured out or shed abroad. If it was a person, it would be nothing strange for it to appear in bodily shape ; and yet when it has so appeared, that fact has been noted as peculiar. Thus Luke 3 : 22 says : " And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him." But the shape is not always the same ; for on the day of Pentecost it assumed the form of " cloven tongues like as of fire." Acts 2 : 3, 4. Again we read of the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Rev. 1:4 ; 3:1 ; 4:5 ; 5:6.  This is unquestionably simply a designation of the Holy Spirit, put in this form to signify its perfection and completeness. But it could hardly be so described if it was a person. We never read of the seven Gods or the seven Christs.        Uriah Smith, Review and Herald, October 28, 1890.