Lord Holy Spirit?

how many times have you said that phrase?

Author

Batsirai Chada
June 14, 2024

It was such a cold winter night. my friend and I were driving a car and suddenly the engine overheated and the machine started to emit a lot of smoke. we stopped on the riverside and left. When my friend was passing by the car’s headlights, I saw this pic. Hope you enjoy :)

The Trinity has always been a mystery. We feel certain about the Father’s thoughts and our thoughts of Him. We easily call Jesus Lord and picture Him in our minds. But the Spirit is different. The Spirit is like breath, and it’s hard to visualize breath or make Him** concrete in our hearts and minds.

“But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭TPT‬‬

In Corinthians, Paul says when we turn to the Lord with an open heart, the veil of our understanding is lifted and we now see clearly. The Lord Paul is referring to is the Holy Spirit. (Wut?) Lord Holy Spirit?

This aspect of our relationship with God needs to become real to us. Not only is God the Father Lord, Jesus Lord, but the Holy Spirit is Lord too. “Where the Spirit is Lord, there is freedom.”

Where we struggle with control, disobedience, or a lack of freedom… perhaps it's because we haven’t yielded to the Holy Spirit's Lordship in our daily lives—our every waking and breathing moment.

For more on this topic, watch this series:
https://youtu.be/TGf9QuWegHY

** Holy Spirit is generally referred to with masculine pronouns

Hebrew (Old Testament):

  • In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for spirit is "ruach" (רוּחַ). "Ruach" is a feminine noun, and thus, it is sometimes associated with feminine characteristics. This is more about grammatical gender rather than implying that the Holy Spirit is feminine.

  1. Greek (New Testament):

    • In the New Testament, written in Greek, the word for spirit is "pneuma" (πνεῦμα). "Pneuma" is a neuter noun, and it does not carry a gendered implication in the way that "ruach" does in Hebrew.

While the grammar of Hebrew and Greek provides some interesting insights, theologically, the Holy Spirit is not considered to have a gender in the same way humans do. In Christian doctrine, God (including the Holy Spirit) is often seen as transcending human gender distinctions.

Biblical references:

  • Genesis 1:2: "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The word for spirit here is "ruach," which is feminine in Hebrew.

  • John 14:16-17: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." The Greek word used here is "pneuma," which is neuter.

Summary:

  • Hebrew (ruach): Feminine noun, giving some a reason to consider feminine aspects.

  • Greek (pneuma): Neuter noun, implying no gender.

Reply

or to participate.