Is the holy spirit Almighty God?

The holy spirit is poured out onto and inside Christ's and Jehovah's followers.It impregnated Mary and appeared as a dove and a flame.It is repeatedly said to be "of God" (Gen. 1:2)and "of Christ" so obviously it is something they can own or that we can own in whatever measure God allows or permits.(Heb. 2:4)In other words,all these facts would be inconsistent with calling the holy spirit Almighty God.It IS however consistent with claiming that it is an active force,an exercised power,that Jehovah uses to accomplish his every will,from creation to blessing,from helping followers recall scripture to displaying fruits in the lives of Christians.It is what makes God omniscient in that his holy spirit can be anywhere all at once and in whatever measure accomplishing anything because it is controlled by it's possessor Jehovah.For example,if Jehovah wanted to heal someone of something,he could send forth HIS holy spirit and it could be done automatically.Not because the holy spirit IS Jehovah,unless you're willing to believe God takes the form of doves(then we have a dove god on our hands)and enters us(God possession?)..It is never given a personal name,because it isn't a person.IT is personified on occasion with "he" and "speaks" grieves" etc because sometimes in scripture things or aspects etc. are personified (also because it IS "of God",HIS and therefore sometimes rightfully personified in relation TO him)..Here are a few examples of non-people being personified(it's not uncommon):

**Luke 7:35-Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

**Romans 7:8:But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

**Rom 5:14,21-death reigned from Adam to Moses21just as sin ruled by bringing death, so also grace might rule by bringing justification that results in eternal life through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

**1 John 5:6-8- water and blood bear witness too

**I Cor. 12:15,16-If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body.... And if the ear shall say, because I am not of the body .

**Psa. 96:11,12-Let the heaven rejoice, and let the earth be glad. …let the field be joyful . . then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

**Isa. 55:12-the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees shall clap their hands

There are many more examples than that,just making a point.

When angels would speak Jah's messages as his messengers..they didn't enter or possess people..thay appeared before them.They can be SEEN AS ANGELS..When has the holy spirit ever been seen as a person or given a personal name?By trinitarian standards,wisdom,knowledge,trees,etc would all be people because they are sometimes ,even though inanimate, given personification in a poetic way.This isn't to say however that something as extraordinary as Yah's very spirit isn't personal.It is his VERY personal outreach!

So what is the holy spirit exactly?

*Genesis 1:2- Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

*John 14:17-Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

*God anointed [Jesus] with holy spirit and power(Acts 10:38)

**Romans 8: 9-You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

**Romans 8:14-because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God

*John 3:8-The wind blows where it lists, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell whence it comes, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit<--wind felt not seen

compare to:

*Job 33:4-The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life

*1 Corinthians 12:3-3:Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

**Luke 11:20-But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.compare to:

*Matthew 12:28-But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you

The holy spirit is called the finger of God..Jesus is called the arm of God(figuratively),not that either (Jesus or the spirit)is a literal finger or arm,but this proves to me that Jehovah possesses(owns) them both(Jesus AND the spirit) and uses them to get his will done,or rather works by means of them.The difference is,Jesus has a personal name and an obvious identity as God's most beloved son.(Matthew 3:17)

So when the spirit IS seen is it ever seen as a person?And isn't it therefore a figurative or symbolic vision?Don't you think it is peculiar and precarious to assume it is a person without a name and form(where is he in heaven when Jehovah and Jesus are clearly pictured,repeatedly)?

Why when the apostles talked about Jesus and Jehovah in all those verses is the holy spirit RARELY mentioned in the same texts?(Acts 7:55,56)Wouldn't that be blasphemous and unheard of if the holy spirit is an equal almighty God?Why when Jehovah and Jesus are pictured in heaven(always distinct mind you) is there never a literal person of another equal Supreme being with them in the whole what should be a "trinity" setting??Even in most of the supposed trinity "proof" texts,the holy spirit is conspicuously absent.Where's the holy spirit in this equation?:

**I Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Ultimately it is Jehovah ,by means of his holy spirit,speaking through his messengers and servants..what do you think Jesus meant when he said his words were not his own?Remember the dove descending upon him?God spoke THROUGH him BY MEANS of his spirit.(John 12:49)Therefore Jesus possesses it as well,more of it than any other servant of Jehovah!(John 3:34)Hence,as mediator,Jesus dispenses the spirit of God to true Christians and sincere seeekers as is seen fit.(Acts 10:45 )


So whenever you see "he" in relation to the holy spirit,remember that things that are not persons are poetically personified in scripture at times.And the holy spirit,being a force of the Almighty God,owned and operated by him,would be as well.That's when it is time to weigh the evidence and reason with the bible as a whole.Don't assume it is a person because it is personified sporadically..otherwise you are assuming something the whole of the bible fails to support and also recognizing wisdom and trees etc. must be people.(which I'm sure you don't)

***NOW for some points taken from a webpage that inspired this blog..these words are from the site below.(which is NOT affiliated with the Jehovah's Witnesses)

http://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d910201.htm

**Note how Paul and the other apostles consistently referred to the authority of the ones they represented in the opening salutation to their epistles. Look at what they state. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; II Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1; II Thes. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; II Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; II Pet. 1:2).

**Note that there is no mention of the Holy Spirit whatever in the introductions to these epistles. Other apostles show the same thing. James said he was "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1) -- no mention of the Holy Spirit.
In I Corinthians 3:23 Christians are said to belong to Christ as he belongs to God — but nothing about anyone belonging to the Holy Spirit as though he were an equal personality too.

** In I Corinthians 15:28 Paul said all things would be subdued by Christ, and that Christ would in turn hand over all power to God the Father. But the Holy Spirit as a co-personality is not so much as mentioned in Paul’s account and in the figuring in of this transference of power and authority

**"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit" (Psa.139:7). It is God’s Spirit, not himself, which pervades the totality of the universe. God, as a personality and as an individual is in one place at one time and He is not (of himself as a personality) located everywhere at the same time throughout the universe That the Spirit can be everywhere at once like an electrical power that emanates from God. That is why the Spirit itself cannot be an individual or else it too would not be able to be everywhere at the same time. But if the Spirit is simply the power of God to accomplish his purposes, that Spirit can encompass at all times the totality of the universe.

**On the Day of Pentecost after Christ’s rising from the dead, the Bible says the Spirit came into all the disciples "as a rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2:2). It filled not only each of the persons in the house with spiritual power.If we understand that the Holy Spirit is simply the power of God (like some kind of electrical energy) to accomplish God’s purposes, all can become much more comprehensible and reasonable.

***NOW for a few points from "Insight on the scriptures" vol.2,a JW publication.

**Justin Martyr(2nd century ce) taught that the holy spirit "was an influence or a mode of operation of the deity".Not until the 4th century did it become church dogma.

*"In the name of the holy spirit" implies recognition of that spirit as having its source in God and as exercising its function according to the divine will.

*Further evidence against the idea of personality as regards the holy spirit is the way it is used in association with other impersonal things ,like water and fire (mt. 3:11,mark 1:9)(side note:I am no longer willing to call God's spirit "impersonal" since it is GOD's.Just because it isn't a separate person from him doesn't mean it's impersonal in that God is present with us by means of it!)

*Persons are spoken of as being "filled" with it along with such qualities as wisdom and faith(Acts 6:3,5,11:24)or joy(Acts 13:52).It is inserted in with a number of such qualities at 2 Cor 6:6

*While some texts refer to the spirit as "witnessing","speaking" or "saying" things ,other texts make it clear that it spoke THROUGH other persons having no personal voice of it's own(heb 3:7,10:15-17,ps 95:7,Jer 31:33,34,acts 19:2-6,21:4,28:25)

*Where a human craftsman would use the force of his hands and fingers to produce things,God uses his spirit.Hence that spirit is also spoken of as God's "hand" or "fingers"..(compare Ps. 8:3,19:1,Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20)

*Moses found his load of responsibility heavy so God "took away some of the spirit that was upon Moses and placed it upon 70 older men"so that they might help in carrying the load." (Numbers 1:11-17,24-30)

*It can be "poured out" fitting people for spiritual works like teaching,guiding,shepherding ,and counseling.It's fruitage is love,joy,peace,long suffering,kindness,mildness,goodness,self control and faith.(Gal 5:24-26,6:1,Acts 6:1-7,Ez 36:26,27)

And to summarize,the Insight book also points out that it is a free gift to sincere seekers,the right heart being a key factor.To disregard its leanings could be disastrous.It IS what God uses to move and direct Christians so to ignore it would essentially be to reject God.So when it is personified or when it "speaks" ect. it is obviously IN RELATION to its owner,Jehovah,THE Almighty.