God the Holy Spirit, Mentor's Guide, MG14

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G O D T H E H O L Y S P I R I T

revelation. . . .Jesus gave this Spirit to his disciples in virtue of, and subsequent to, his death and resurrection. What follows is that the Spirit is for ever afterward marked with the character of Jesus. . . .[John 16.7 teaches that] it is the task of the Paraclete to universalize the presence of Jesus. In the days of his flesh Jesus was limited by space and time. His physical departure made possible the coming of the Spirit as Paraclete and there would be no barriers of space and time to prevent disciples from being in intimate contact with him.

~Michael Green. I Believe in the Holy Spirit . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989. pp. 47-48.

A view of the Spirit which reduces him to a metaphor for God’s power could never do justice to the New Testament view that the Spirit functions as the living presence and voice of Jesus in the hearts of God’s people.

St. Basil is concerned that intercession in prayer which is proof of the Spirit’s personhood, not be taken as an argument against his divinity. He says: [Our opponents argue] But it is said that “He maketh intercession for us.” It follows then that, as suppliant is inferior to the benefactor, so far is the Spirit inferior in dignity to God. But have you never heard concerning the Only-begotten that He “is at the right had of God, who also maketh intercession for us”? Do not, then, because the Spirit is in you . . . for this reason allow yourself to be deprived of the right and holy opinion concerning him. For to make the loving kindness of your benefactor a ground of ingratitude were indeed a very extravagance of unfairness.

13 Page 24 Outline Point II-E-3-e

~ On the Holy Spirit ( De Spiritu Sancto )

Saint Augustine gives the normal Western (Catholic and Protestant) view of John 15.26 when he writes: If, then, the Holy Spirit proceeds both from the Father and from the Son, why did the Son say, “He proceedeth from the Father?” Why, think you, except as He is wont to refer to him, that also is that which He saith, “My doctrine is not mine own, but His that sent me?” If, therefore, it is His doctrine that is here understood, which yet He

14 Page 25 Outline Point III-A-1