*** w68 7/1 pp. 415-416 Questions from Readers ***
Questions from Readers
? How is it possible for one to ?grieve? the holy spirit, since it is not a person??H. S., U.S.A.
In his inspired letter to the Christians in Ephesus, the apostle Paul provided this counsel as to how Christians should conduct themselves: ?Do not be grieving God?s holy spirit, with which you have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.??Eph. 4:30.
Many commentators in Christendom have explained this verse incorrectly because of believing the three-persons-in-one-god, or Trinity, doctrine. Many times in our publications we have presented Scriptural and historical proof that the Trinity is not a Biblical teaching, but, rather, is of pagan origin. (See, for example, chapter 12 of ?Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie? and chapter 3 of ?Babylon the Great Has Fallen!? God?s Kingdom Rules!) Hence, Ephesians 4:30 is not speaking about the holy spirit as a person, a god, part of a Trinity that can be grieved.
Far from teaching that the holy spirit is a person and a god equal to Jehovah, the Bible shows that it is simply the invisible active force of God. Jesus was to baptize ?with holy spirit and fire,? just as John the Baptist was baptizing with water. (Luke 3:16) A person can baptize another with water or fire by submerging or immersing that one in water or flames, but how can an individual baptize someone with another person? Water and fire are not persons, and neither is the holy spirit. On Pentecost 33 C.E. the 120 disciples were ?filled with holy spirit.? Obviously, they were not filled with a person. (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4) In heaven Jesus had received holy spirit from Jehovah and he poured it out on his followers. The holy spirit was not a person being so treated, but was the active force of God.?Acts 2:33.
Those in the first century to whom Paul wrote, ?Do not be grieving God?s holy spirit,? were anointed Christians; they had received holy spirit and had been called to heavenly life. To ones of this heavenly class Paul said: ?You received a spirit of adoption.? That spirit served as a seal or a ?token of what is to come.? (Rom. 8:15; 2 Cor. 1:22) But what did it do for them while yet on earth? It led or directed them in a life of faithfulness, toward their eventual death and resurrection to heaven. (Rom. 8:14, 17) It helped them to avoid the ?works of the flesh,? which could lead to God?s disapproval and complete loss of holy spirit. Also, it helped them to manifest the ?fruitage of the spirit? so they could go on walking orderly by spirit and have God?s approval.?Gal. 5:19-25.
A Christian who ignored the fine counsel of the Bible, which was inspired or written under the direction of holy spirit, could begin to develop attitudes or traits that could result in willful sin and the loss of divine favor. He might not be sinning at the moment, yet he might be branching off on a side road that could, in time, direct him just contrary to the leading of the spirit. He thus would be ?grieving? the holy spirit, to use Paul?s figure of speech. While not being a person, the holy spirit is expressive of God?s personality just as the Bible is. If one were to play a piece of beautiful music badly his actions might be said to be an insult to the music; it would also be an insult to the composer. Similarly, since the spirit is under God?s direction, one displeasing and ?grieving? it would be resisting or grieving Jehovah.
While those servants of God who hope to live forever on earth have not been anointed with spirit and called to heavenly life, they can have just as much of God?s spirit as those of the heavenly class. So they, too, could ?grieve? God?s spirit.
But what might a person, knowingly or unknowingly, do that would amount to ?grieving? the spirit? In the same chapter, Ephesians chapter 4, Paul spoke about avoiding tendencies toward dishonest statements, sustained wrathfulness, indolence and unfit speech. If a person who had put on the new Christian personality allowed himself to drift back toward such things, he would be going against the inspired counsel of the Bible, he would be rejecting the good influence and example of mature Christians around him, yes, he would be ?grieving? the holy spirit.
In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul goes on to offer counsel about avoiding any undue interest in fornication, shameful conduct and obscene jesting. Christians desirous of avoiding any ?grieving? of the spirit should remember this when deciding on entertainment and what to do during periods of relaxation. Why take an interest in such things by talking about them, reading about them in books and newspapers and seeing them demonstrated in motion pictures and on the stage?
Let us consider some other situations. The holy spirit is used to develop unity in the congregation and to appoint Christians to be servants. If one spread gossip, wrangled over minor matters that could be done a number of ways, or encouraged cliques, he would be working against the spirit?s leadings toward peace and unity. In a general way that would be ?grieving? the holy spirit. So, those in Corinth who brought about divisions in the congregation were opposing the operation of the spirit. (1 Cor. 1:10; 3:1-4, 16, 17) Interestingly, Paul also stressed the importance of unity to the Ephesians. (Eph. 4:1-6, 16) One who undermines respect for the spirit-appointed servants by destructive criticism would also be vexing the spirit.?Acts 20:28; 1 Thess. 5:12, 13.
Thus, each Christian can consider his conduct and attitudes in the light of what he knows to be the leadings of the spirit as reflected in the Bible and the organization of Christians today. This will aid him to cooperate with the spirit and not veer off on a tangent course that would amount to ?grieving? the spirit and that might eventually lead to God?s disapproval and the withdrawal of the spirit altogether.