Holy Spirit in Christianity
Third Person of the Trinity, giver of life and divine helper.
In mainstream Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, alongside God the Father and God the Son. Christians who reject the Trinity, known as nontrinitarians, hold significantly different views on the Holy Spirit. The theological study of the Holy Spirit is called pneumatology. Because Christianity grew out of Judaism, theologians often link the Holy Spirit to the Jewish concept of Ruach Hakodesh, as well as to the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) and Ruach YHWH (Spirit of Yahweh), with the idea that Jesus expanded on these Jewish ideas. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Truth, and the Paraclete (meaning helper).
The New Testament describes a close connection between the Holy Spirit and Jesus during his life and ministry. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the Nicene Creed, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. In his Farewell Discourse after the Last Supper, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after he left. The Nicene Creed calls the Holy Spirit “the Lord, the Giver of Life,” summarizing key beliefs held by many Christian denominations. The Holy Spirit’s role in conversion appears in Jesus’ final instruction in Matthew: “Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Since the first century, Christians have used the trinitarian formula “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” in prayer, absolution, and benediction. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit arrives fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, an event celebrated as Pentecost.
The Koine Greek word *pneuma* appears about 385 times in the New Testament, with minor variation among scholars. It occurs 105 times in the four gospels, 69 times in Acts, 161 times in Paul’s letters, and 50 times elsewhere. Of these, 133 uses refer to “spirit,” 153 to “spiritual,” and about 93 refer specifically to the Holy Spirit—sometimes as *pneuma* and sometimes as *pneuma to Hagion*. In a few cases, it means wind or life. The Latin Vulgate translated it as *Spiritus* or *Spiritus Sanctus*. The English terms “Holy Ghost” and “Holy Spirit” are synonyms: “Ghost” comes from Old English *gast*, and “Spirit” from Latin *spiritus*. Both refer to brea
- field
- Christian theology (pneumatology)
- known_for
- Third Person of the Trinity; giver of life; involved in Jesus' conception, baptism, and post-resurrection instruction; promised as Paraclete; central to Pentecost
- scriptural_references
- Over 90 times in the New Testament; 55 references in Acts of the Apostles; 385 occurrences of pneuma in the New Testament
- key_titles
- Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Truth, Paraclete
- feast
- Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection of the Christ)
Lore & Background
The Holy Spirit is described in the New Testament as closely involved with Jesus during his earthly life and ministry. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well as the Nicene Creed, state that Jesus was 'conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.' The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove during his baptism, and in his Farewell Discourse after the Last Supper, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after his departure. The Holy Spirit is referred to as 'the Lord, the Giver of Life' in the Nicene Creed. The participation of the Holy Spirit in the tripartite nature of conversion is apparent in Jesus' final post-resurrection instruction: 'Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.'
Reader's Guide
The Holy Spirit holds a central role in Christian theology and practice. In the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit is confessed as 'the Lord, the Giver of Life,' summarizing key beliefs held by many Christian denominations. The Holy Spirit is invoked in the trinitarian formula 'Father, Son and Holy Spirit' in prayer, absolution, and benediction since the first century. The arrival of the Holy Spirit fifty days after the resurrection of Christ is celebrated as Pentecost. The Acts of the Apostles presents the Holy Spirit as the 'life principle' of the early Church, with five separate instances of its outpouring on believers. The Holy Spirit is also associated with the gift of prophecy and the power to act and speak through disciples. The term 'Holy Spirit' appears at least 90 times in the New Testament, and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is proclaimed in the Synoptic Gospels as the unforgivable sin. The English terms 'Holy Ghost' and 'Holy Spirit' are complete synonyms, with 'Holy Ghost' deriving from Old English and 'Holy Spirit' from Latin; since the 20th century, translations overwhelmingly prefer 'Holy Spirit.'
Did You Know?
- The Koine Greek word pneuma appears around 385 times in the New Testament, with around 93 references to the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit is identified with the Ruach Hakodesh in Jewish scripture, as well as with the Ruach Elohim and Ruach YHWH.
- The Acts of the Apostles has sometimes been called the 'Book of the Holy Spirit' or the 'Acts of the Holy Spirit.'
- The English term 'Holy Ghost' is older than 'Holy Spirit' and is used in the King James Bible; 'Holy Spirit' became preferred in the 20th century.
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