What is Holy Ghost

[spirit and truth]

It seems the KJV refers to the Holy Ghost, where as many subsequent translations call it the Holy Spirit.

Any educated guesses as to why?

I do not agree with the religious commentary that I found on the internet,

My 'hunch' is that the KJV is more correct, and as such, I find that interesting to meditate on the differences of spirit and ghost.

a spirit is a spirit, but does a ghost also have a soul, thus the Holy Ghost would have both a spirit and soul, that came from God. just my thoughts.

[no physical body]

We all have a soul, which is the essense of our being.

I guess a ghost has a soul and a spirit, but no body?

[body or soul]

Then we can imagine a spirit to be a spirit, with no soul or body?

[Richard McFarland]

The American Heritage Dictionary

Holy Ghost

NOUN: Christianity The Holy Spirit.

ETYMOLOGY: Middle English holi gost, holy spirit, from Old English hlig gst (translation of Latin spritus snctus) : hlig, holy ; see holy + gst, spirit

ghost

NOUN: The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats. The center of spiritual life; the soul. A demon or spirit. A returning or haunting memory or image.

spirit

NOUN: The vital principle or animating force within living beings. Incorporeal consciousness. The soul, considered as departing from the body of a person at death. Spirit The Holy Spirit. A supernatural being, as: An angel or a demon. A being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon. A fairy or sprite.

The part of a human associated with the mind, will, and feelings: Though unable to join us today, they are with us in spirit. The essential nature of a person or group.

soul

NOUN: The animating and vital principle in humans, credited with the faculties of thought, action, and emotion and often conceived as an immaterial entity. The spiritual nature of humans, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state. The disembodied spirit of a dead human.

Holy Spirit

NOUN: Christianity The third person of the Trinity.

Columbia Encyclopedia

Holy Spirit

or Holy Ghost [ghost, i.e., spirit, a translation of Gr. pneuma=breath, air], in Christian doctrine, the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is sometimes defined as the aspect of God immanent in this world, in human beings, and in the church. Jesus' promise to his disciples of a Comforter (or Paraclete, i.e., advocate), in John 14, is considered his principal reference to the Holy Spirit, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the communication of the gift of tongues, as recounted in Acts 2, is thought to be an example of the work of the Holy Spirit in time. This incident is commemorated on Pentecost (Whitsunday). Certain Christian groups, such as the Montanists and the Society of Friends, have attributed utterances of their members to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Neither term Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit implies a body. A "ghost" in the sense that most of the world uses the term today is a soul without a home, wandering with no place to rest forever. This would imply to me a god without the power to control the spirit after death. No way to look at the Power of God as recorded in the Holy Bible.

The terms soul and spirit are interchangeable. (see above)

From the website: Another King James Bible Believer

www.geocities.com/brandplucked/HolyGhost.html

The word 'ghost' is not an archaic word. People still use that word today and know what it means. It is similar to the German word 'geist' and is still in common use in English speaking countries. People in churches who use older Bibles and hymnals use the term with no confusion whatever. My dictionary doesn't make any references to its being archaic, except to mention that it comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'gast'. Therefore, we shouldn't be deprived of a lovely, round, evocative word on the false claim that it is archaic and obsolete. But some will say, "Yes, but when modern people hear the word 'ghost' they think of ghosts and goblins, Halloween and things that go bump in the night." Well, that may be overstating it a bit. People are not as stupid as the "rennovators" constantly suppose. But even if they do, what of it? At least they are thinking of a personal being!

The term 'Holy Ghost' began to be universally replaced with 'Holy Spirit' in the Revised Version (of the Bible) of 1881. One of the members of the revision committee was, mystifyingly, a unitarian universalist by the name of Mr. Vance Smith. What such a 'cultist' was doing on the Anglican revision committee of the Holy Bible is beyond me. This anti-trinitarian false prophet, this dog in the manger, campaigned loudly for the discarding of the word 'Ghost' in favor of 'Spirit'. Why? Because the word Ghost connotes a personal being, and no self-respecting heretic wants to confess and believe that the Holy Ghost is an actual personal being; the Third Person of the Trinity. Much better in their minds to use a word that is capable of "creative, flexible interpretation." That way when they use the term 'Holy Spirit' they can sound like Christians, but mean something completely different from what Christians mean by that term.

Think about it. We use the term 'spirit' in all kinds of impersonal ways. We talk of the 'American spirit', or, 'school spirit', by which we mean certain attitudes or dispositions. In an age that frequently thinks of God as "The Force", an impersonal influence or power, the term 'Holy Spirit' is easily misunderstood. The term 'Holy Ghost' is not. When we consider that unitarian universalists, liberal rationalists, Jehovah's Witnesses, New Agers, and other heretics are pleased with the term 'Holy Spirit' because they can interpret it according to their heresies in which the "holy spirit" is an impersonal power or influence, isn't it a shame that the Christian Church of the 20th century has played right into their hands?

Holy Ghost, is found in the King James Bible ninety ( 90 ) times and all are in the New Testament. In the King James Holy Bible the term the holy Spirit (small 'h') is found six times while the Holy Spirit (capital 'H') is found once.

Fruit of the Spirit would imply good works produced by our own spirit as produced in the life of Jesus Christ. In modern references to the term Ghost if transferred to this passage in Galatians 5 (Fruit of the Spirit) would refer to Fruit of a dead person and hardly likely.

So the terms ghost and spirit lead us in endless circles with no explanation of meaning other than modern usage but each term prefaced with Holy makes either acceptable before God.

The American Heritage Dictionary

holy

ADJECTIVE: Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred. Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered: a holy book. Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly: a holy person.

I prefer to follow the King James Bible because this is what I grew up with and what is accepted in our way. We all must concern ourselves with keeping the terminology with which we refer to our Lord Holy and with the respect and reverence He desires and deserves. Our God is awesome and majestic and merciful to those who are ready and willing to do His will through His Holy Son Jesus Christ.

All Holy Mysteries will come from man's attempt to rationalize, translate, interpret and discover things that were not meant for us while here on earth.

spirit and truth, this was a wonderful post which spurred me to seek knowledge in a place I had never considered before. I do not have answers, just an opinion. Thank you.

In the Holy Spirit,

Richard

[ozelaine]

Thank you Richard for a very thought provoking post.

I like to think of the Holy Spirit as "God with us". When we are born again His Spirit comes to live in us, works in us to do His will and not ours.

We can't produce Spiritual fruit of ourselves, it's the Holy Spirit who does that in us. Like a glove which without the hand is powerless and of itself cannot "do" anything. Jesus said this too. Of himself (his human part) he could do nothing. Everything He did was because the Father did it through him.

I read this somewhere which explains the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

"The Father elected His people unto righteousness, the Holy Spirit regenerates those people to receive that righteousness and Christ has actually produced that righteousness which is imputed to them."

Blessings, Elaine.

[Joe]

ozelaine said:

I read this somewhere which explains the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

"The Father elected His people unto righteousness, the Holy Spirit regenerates those people to receive that righteousness and Christ has actually produced that righteousness which is imputed to them."

Is this what you were thinking of Ozelaine?

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

[ozelaine]

That verse sums it up very well Joe. Thank you.

[nancye]

I wanted to say: Wow, think of all THAT! after reading the verse
you and Joe are referring to.
I'm thinking I really need to meditate upon that verse....
Pardon the "Wow"!

[selah]

That is an exceptionally wonderful verse! I agree! Full of Spirit and Truth!!

Blessings,
Linda

[fire]

Who is the Holy Ghost



His names

God - Acts 5

Lord - 2 Corinthians 3

Spirit - 1 Corinthians 2

Spirit of God - 1 Corinthians 3

Spirit of Truth - John 15

Eternal Spirit - Hebrews 9



Attributes of the Holy Spirit

Eternal - Hebrews 9

Omnipotent - Luke 1

Omnipresent - Psalm 139

Speaks - Acts 8 and Acts 13

Loves - Romans 15



Sins against the Holy Spirit

Blasphemy - Matthew 12

Resist in unbelief - Acts 7

Insult - Hebrews 10

Lied to - Acts 5

Grieved - Ephesians 4

Quench - 1 Thessalonians 5



The Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus

Conceived of - Matthew 1

Baptized - Matthew 3

Led by - Luke 4

Filled with power - Luke 4

Witness of Jesus - John 15

Raised Jesus - Romans 8