Question:  Hello again, Greg.  I do believe in the trinity, but would you give me scripture to prove the Holy Spirit is a person?  I was talking to someone and I was weak in expressing my view.  I would like to be able to have something to back up my belief.

            Thanks

            Ron

Answer:  Dear Ron,

            Here’s a brief answer to your question.  Let’s start with Acts 5.  In verse 3 Peter tells Ananias that he has lied to the Holy Spirit, and in verse 4 he tells him that he has not lied to men, but to God.  Conclusion?  For Peter, the Holy Spirit is God, he has personality, and he can be lied to.

            Let’s do a brief tour of the book of Acts.  In 8:29 the Holy Spirit “told Philip”; in 10:19 the Spirit spoke with Peter; in 11:12 Peter relates the story of the Spirit talking with him and says “the Spirit told me”; 13:2 says, “the Holy Spirit said”; in 20:23 Paul said that the Holy Spirit warned him; and in 21:11 a prophet named Agabus related a message from God to Paul by saying, “The Holy Spirit says. . .”.

            I would say that the onus would be on anyone who denied the deity and personality of God the Holy Spirit to explain these verses to me (and to you).

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht