Question:
What about the gender of the Holy Spirit? The Old Testament word is feminine and the New Testament word is neuter.
Answer:
Holy Spirit Dealing with the person of the Holy Spirit, Spirit of God, God’s Spirit, etc., how come in the Old Testament the Hebrew word for Spirit (Ruach) is a feminine noun and in the New Testament the Greek word for Spirit (Pneuma) is a neuter noun but is referred to as a He which is a masculine pronoun? Is this not a contradiction? This question posed to you is an argument used by Jews and some Messianic Jews to disprove the existence of the Trinity. Many Jews believe that the New testament was originally written in Hebrew and recopied by the Gentiles into Greek and at the same time changing what they wished as they did so. It is alleged that an original copy of the New Testament in Hebrew exists in the Vatican and many Jews speak of trying to obtain it or a copy to expose and correct the “Gentile Bible.” Old Testament »Strong’s Help ruwach, Hebrew 7307, Strong’s ruwach, roo’-akh; from Hebrew 7306 (ruwach); wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figurative life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extensive a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions) :- air, anger, blast, breath, × cool, courage, mind, × quarter, × side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, × vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y). 7307 ?????? { roo’-akh} from 7306; TWOT – 2131a; n f AV – Spirit or spirit 232, wind 92, breath 27, side 6, mind 5, blast 4, vain 2, air 1, anger 1, cool 1, courage 1, misc 6; 378 GK – 8120 { j’Wr septuguaint uses pneuma in Old Testament New Testament pneuma, Greek 4151, Strong’s pneuma, pnyoo’-mah; from Greek 4154 (pneo); a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figurative a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implicaiton) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, dæmon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy Spirit :- ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare Greek 5590 (psuche). Acts 1:8 pneuvmato” noun: neuter, singular, genitive The Answer? God is a Spirit. How God refers to Himself is His decision. How God refers to Himself does not change the fact that He is a Spirit. God is not male or female… God is! As Shakespeare once said, “A rose by any other name is still a rose.” The Jews of the Old Testament used the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text. This is not to say that the Septuagint is superior but the Masoretic Text by any means; however, the Septuagint uses the same exact word “pneuma” as does the New Testament writers. The ministry of the Holy Spirit transitioned from the Old Testament operation of NOT indwelling on a permanent basis to the New Testament operation changed so that He now indwells on a permanent basis. Additionally, the Holy Spirit is seen not in the Old Testament but rather for the first time in a form in Matthew 3:16. Luke 3:22 goes onto say that the Holy Spirit was in a “bodily shape.” This and perhaps many other factors could have caused a different designation is used to coincide with this new action. The Jews and some Messianic Jews and among others, Islam deny the trinity and therefore attack the trinity. They are not the first to do so. Paul of Samosata in the middle of the third century was probably the first of any importance to deny the personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit. (He also denied the Deity of Christ). He desired to explain fully every mystery of the Word and found he could only do so by watering it down to his own level. The Socians during the Reformation followed in Paul of Samosata’s footsteps. The Authorized Version of King James following the error translated the personal pronoun “autes”, “The Spirit itself” of Rom. 8:26 and Rom. 8:16. The R.V. and American Standard Version corrected this to “The Spirit Himself” as it should be. The A.V. use of “Ghost” instead of Spirit came of this error. And of the — “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:26). They slavishly followed the Greek idiom that uses the neuter of “spirit” out Bible also does of God——yet correctly translates it with the pronoun “He”, “through” and “senare” equaled to “sound” and was used of the mask through which the actor’s voice sounded as he represented a certain personage, hence the word came to indicate individuality. But not of things, elements, forces, influences; but only of beings expressing the component elements of personality. So the English “person” and “personality” is only used of living human beings not animals—except figure of speech. Thus when we seek to prove from the Scriptures the Personality of the Holy Spirit we wish to show that He has real being, possessing intelligence, emotion, and volition. What makes one being a person, and another an animal, plant, insect, or thing but not a person? Some of the greatest of thinkers have said there are two: self-consciousness and self— determination. But these are more or less modes of operation of the three primary elements that go to make up personality: a. Mind or intelligence — knowing — is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. As Rom. 8:27 “The mind of the Spirit” and I Cor. 2:l1-”Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” b. Emotions or sensibility is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. As His being vexed.. .Isa. 63:10 and grieved or made sorrowful.. .Eph. 4:30. “The love of the Spirit” – Rom. 15:30. So love is a fruit of the Spirit. c. Volition or will is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. I Cor. 12:11—— “Rut all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, cdvi— ding to every man severally as He wills.” Light times in two verses (Jn. 16:13,15) The word “will” and “shall” are used of the Holy Spirit. He shall, He will —— Here is personal, purposeful action of self—determination. In John 14-16 Jesus uses again and again the personal masculine pronoun “ekeines”. Note John 14:16, ”I will pray the Father and He shall give you another comforter that he (lit, that one) may abide with you forever.” See John 14:26; 16:7,3. See all through 16:13—15. (Ten times the strongest personal appellation in the Greek language is applied to the Holy Spirit in three verses.) From the appellation Christ gives to the Holy Spirit of “ANOTHER COMFORTER, (“ALLOS PARAKLETOS”). Under the names of the Holy Spirit later we shall see that this Greek word is one of the proper names of the Holy Spirit, and takes its full meaning there, but when Christ in the Gospel of John 14:16 calls Him ANOTHER Comforter, there is much that is involved which demands that the Holy Spirit be a person. The same name Parakletos is used of Christ in I Jn. 2:1,2 rendered “Advocate.” It carried personal activities, and our word lawyer today is close to the idea “One who takes my case and pleads for me.” You wouldn’t leave your case to an impersonal force. But the primary implication is in the word, “ANOTHER” by which Christ differentiates the Holy Spirit from Himself, yet designated Him as of the same kind of helper. Finally, PERSONAL ACT’S ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. These are only performed by persons. None of these could be accomplished by a substance, an “it,” or a “thing.” These will find enlargement under the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I will list but a few of the actions of a person… The Holy Spirit (1) He speaks-—I Tim. 4:1. (poetic language alone allows inanimate objects to talk) (Jn. 16:1:3,15) (hundreds of times) (2) He comforts, helps —— John 14:16,17. (3) He testifies —— John 15:26. And bears witness with our spirits —— Rom. 8:16 (Hen. 10:15). (4) He teaches —— John 14:26. (And stirs up memory) (I Cor. 2:13) (5) He guides —— John 16:13. (6) He searches —— I Cor. 2:10. (7) He leads —— Rom. 8:14. (Neh. 9:20) (8) He commands and forbids —— Acts 16:6,7. (Here He forbids and suffers them not.) (9) He calls to service and appoints the places —— Acts 13:2; 20:28) (10) He reproves or convicts —— John 16:8.