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SUBJECT: Acts 13:2
Acts 13:2
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy
Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them.
QUESTION: In this verse it seems to be saying that the
Holy Spirit is a person. Is that true? Please explain this
verse.
ANSWER:
As we will see, this verse is referring to the fact that
this revelation, to separate Barnabas and Saul (Paul),
was uttered through one of the prophets present (verse 1)
Notice the commentaries on this verse 2:
Acts 13:2-3
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them.
The utterance of the Holy Spirit came probably through a
prophet. 3. The call to this mission came from the Holy
Spirit; the church recognized and confirmed the divine call.
The laying on of hands does not constitute ordination but
separation to a special task and approval of the mission.
~from The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary
Acts 13:2
[The Holy Spirit said] A
revelation of the Divine will was made to some person then
present; probably to either Simeon, or Lucius, or Manaen,
mentioned before. ~from Adam
Clarke's Commentary
Acts 13:2
And fasted, the Holy Spirit said-said how? speaking, no
doubt, through one of the "prophets" named in Acts 13:1.
~from Jamieson, Fausset, and
Brown Commentary
Note: It is
clear that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit
imparted this revelation to one of the prophets there. It
is the same as when I tell people that as I gave the sermon,
I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to utter what I said. I
might say that the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Also notice the
verse that speaks to our being given knowledge and
revelation from God:
1 John 2:20
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things.
Note: With the
Holy Spirit we know things just like those men knew to
ordain Barnabas and Paul. Now notice these other scriptures
that show how the Spirit of God imparts knowledge direct to
the mind:
Proverbs 28:5
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the
LORD understand all things.
John 10:4-5
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from
him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father
will send in my name, it shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said
unto you.
John 16:13
Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide
you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but
whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will
shew you things to come.
Note: I changed
the “he” to the more proper “it” in the preceding two
verses. (see at bottom)
1 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he
himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that
are freely given to us of God.
Here are some other verse showing the Holy Spirit speaking
to certain people:
Acts 20:23
Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me.
Acts 21:9-11
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did
prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from
Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and
bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy
Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that
owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of
the Gentiles.
1 Timothy 4:1-3
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats,
which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of
them which believe and know the truth.
Acts 10:19
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him,
Behold, three men seek thee.
Acts 11:12
And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting.
Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered
into the man's house:
Acts 15:28
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon
you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Galatians 5:18
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Ephesians 3:5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men,
as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by
the Spirit;
1 John 5:6
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ;
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the
Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
So, we see that Acts 13:2 is not an indication of a third
person of the Godhead.
REGARDING THE PRONOUNS OF JOHN 16:13 AND 14:26.
Since the Holy Spirit is not a person, the pronoun “he” is
misapplied here. It should be “it”. Notice the definition
of the pronouns used:
Notice this from Mr. Armstrong’s booklet, “Is God a Mystery”
regarding the Greek word “he”…
The Greek Word For “He”
Many assume that the language of Christ (recorded by John in
Chapter 16) concerning the “Other Comforter” is referring to
a third person of the Godhead. Christ said, “Nevertheless I
tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and
of righteousness, and of judgment:”
“Of sin, because they believe not on me;”
“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me
no more;”
“Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
them now.”
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will show you things to come”.
“He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and
shall show it unto you.”
“All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I,
that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you”
(John 16:7-15).
God the Father is masculine, not feminine. Like the Latin
languages, the Greek has gender. In Spanish, el is
masculine, while la is feminine. Hence, el techo is
masculine, for “the roof,” and la casa is feminine for “the
house.”
The Greek word translated “he” in this lengthy passage is
from ekeinos. Of this word, the exhaustive concordance
says, “that one (or [neut.] thing); often intensified by the
art. Prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that
(same, very), x their x them, they, this, those.”
Notice carefully that ekeinos can just as easily be
translated “it” as “he.” It can also be used to indicate
“that one” or “that thing.”
“He” in any language is a reflexive third-person pronoun,
and can be applied in many, many ways. In the Greek, it is
autos, and is used in the following ways: “her, it (self),
one, the other, (mine) own, said [self], the same, ([him,
my, thy]) self, [your] selves, she, that, their (s), them
([selves]), there [at, by, in, into, of, on, with], they,
(these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.” (Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance,Greek Dictionary, No. 846).
Because one or another of these two words are used in
connection with the Holy Spirit which issues forth from the
Father, they are used in the masculine “He” in the passages
appearing in John 16.
However, notice, “For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God:”
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together” (Romans 8:15-17).
The word “itself” comes from the Greek autos, and is a
reflexive pronoun.
It is quite appropriately translated “itself” in this
passage.
Notice the awesome MEANING of these beautiful words!
When we receive the Holy Spirit of God following repentance,
accepting the shed blood of Christ, water baptism, and the
laying on of hands, we are begotten of God, the Father!
Our spiritual FATHER is the FATHER; the same Father to whom
Jesus prayed, and the Father to whom He returned!
We are NOT the “children of the Holy Spirit,” as if a third
person of a triumvirate had begotten us, but the children of
God, the Father. Christ is the first begotten of the Father,
and He is the FIRSTBORN among many brethren (1 Corinthians
15:23; Romans 8:29).
This clearly shows that being “born of God” means exactly
what it says; that we are eventually to be BORN AGAIN as a
SPIRIT being, in the Divine Family of God!
The word “adoption” should be rendered “sonship,” for it
means much more than mere legal adoption. It means becoming
the actual begotten child; the BORN child of the parent!
Paul says this is why we cry “Abba,” which means “FATHER.”
Your human father is your literal, actual, real father, not
some vague, shadowy, ghost-like “mister in between.” It was
your FATHER whose life-giving seed united with your mother
to produce YOU.
In like fashion, the life-giving HOLY SPIRIT OF THE FATHER
unites with your human spirit (erroneously called “the soul”
by most) which produces a “new creature in Christ” (2
Corinthians 5:17). Christ is now our elder Brother, for He
was the FIRST begotten of the same Father!
God’s Holy Spirit witnesses with our human spirit that we
are now the “children of God!”
There is no “third person” active in this scenario! (end
of excerpt from booklet)
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