A thorough understanding of the word "Spirit" is needed in order to understand the many passages in the Bible in which it is used. We will discuss what I believe are the most important and frequent uses of the word. The most difficult challenge to most people will be to discard the engraved definition of "spirit" which we have been exposed to since childhood and embrace the Jewish definition of "spirit." The Bible after all is a Jewish document, and we must always use the definitions of the people who wrote it if we are ever to understand its true meaning. Unfortunately this is not what has happened in the course of history. People have interpreted the Bible with Greek philosophical definitions, or have injected their own modern day definitions into Jewish words, which of course will lead you to an incorrect conclusion.

Let us first understand Greek philosophy’s definition of "spirit" which is the prevalent definition in our society today. This view originated with the Pythagoreans, a group that was founded by Pythagoras who was a great philosopher and mathematician in ancient Greece.

Pythagoreans - Pythagoreans believed that the soul is immortal and separable from the body. By leading a pure life, an individual might secure the release of his or her soul from all flesh.

To someone educated in Greek philosophy "soul" and "spirit" are interchangeable and mean basically the same thing, much as it does in our society today. To a Jew they are vastly different in meaning. While Greek philosophy considers the soul (i.e. spirit) immortal, the Jews believe that only God is immortal, and that immortality is a gift that only God can bestow upon an individual. We must receive immortality as a gift from God, it is not inherent in us. Titus 6:16 says it clearly:

"Whom (God) alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see."

The Pythagorean’s view was later adopted by Plato who adjusted it a little and through whom it became popular and ultimately became the standard definition of spirit.

Platonism - Believed that we must be capable of existing apart from our physical bodies. The flesh is evil. The body is a prison. It is bad for the soul

(i.e. spirit) to be in the body. Platonism suggests the immortality and pre-existence of the soul, and the soul then becoming incarnate.

The Christian hope of resurrection is a bodily resurrection not a spiritual one. However, the majority of people today believe that a person’s spirit separates from their bodies at death and goes to either heaven or hell. As you can see, this is the Greek concept of death which is in direct opposition to the Jewish concept of death. The Greek view thinks of the spirit as something similar to a ghost that you can sometimes see, as it is portrayed in the movies. This is evident even in some Bibles in which the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Holy Ghost. The word in Greek is "pneuma" which is "spirit" not "ghost." The spirit to a Greek philosopher is immortal, the Bible states that immortality belongs only to God. These Greek definitions provide fundamentally enormous consequences when injected into the Jewish Scriptures.

These are the definitions that we must discard from our memories if we are ever going to understand the Bible the way it was meant to be understood. Now let us proceed to the Jewish definitions of "spirit." In Hebrew the word "spirit" is "ruah" and in Greek it is "pneuma." Hebrew was used in the Old Testament while the New Testament is written in Greek. Their definitions are almost exactly the same. The Jews used "pneuma" in Greek in the same way that they used "ruah" in Hebrew.

A. Spirit (ruah & pneuma ) - Breath of life. The vital principle by which the body is animated.

It is the life force that God gives to people and animals which animates their bodies, which gives them life. When He takes it away they die.

Examples:

Psalms 104: 29-30: "When you take away their breath (pneuma), they perish and return to the dust from which they came. When you send forth your breath (pneuma), they are created."

Ecclesiastes 12:7: "And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath (pneuma) returns to God who gave it."

Psalms 33:6: "When his spirit (pneuma) departs he returns to his earth; on that day his plans perish."

This definition is extremely important when one interprets a verse such as Luke 23:46:

If you use the Greek philosophical definition as most people do, you will arrive at the conclusion that at that moment Jesus’ Greek type spirit went to heaven to be with God. This of course is not possible because after three days when Jesus was resurrected, he appeared to Mary of Magdala and told her:

"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (John 20:17).

If we use the intended Jewish definition of spirit it will make perfect sense. Jesus’ breath of life returned to God and he died. This is in accordance with the Scriptures and definition listed above and does not conflict with John 20:17. It is the intended Jewish meaning. A second very important meaning of "spirit" is:

Spirit (ruah) - is often used of a man’s mind-set, disposition, or temper. The word is used of one’s mind or thinking.

Spirit (pneuma) - the Spirit is said to dwell in the minds of Christians. purpose.

Paul uses spirit and mind interchangeably as he quotes Isaiah 40:13 in the New Testament. Let's take a look at these verses.

Isaiah 40:13: "Who has directed the spirit of the LORD, or has instructed Him as His counselor?"

Romans 11:34: "Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?"

1 Corinthians 2:16: "For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel Him?"

It is clear that for Paul, the spirit of the LORD is the mind of the LORD. These definitions are crucial in order to understand many verses of the Bible. If you are one in spirit with Jesus it means that you are one in mind with Jesus. That you have the same mind-set, the same disposition, that you think the same as he does. This after all is what a Christian strives for, to try to reach the example of faith that Jesus showed us. To be able to discern the will of God as Jesus did so perfectly. We are told to have the same mind, the same attitude as Christ.

Examples:

1 Corinthians 2:16: "But we have the mind of Christ."

Philippians 2:2: "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing."

1 Peter 4:1: "Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourself with the same attitude, for whoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin, so as not to spend what remains of one’s life on human desires, but on the will of God."

Philippians 2:5: "Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus."

With these definitions we can better understand a verse like

1 Corinthians 7:17:

"But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit."

In other words, whoever unites himself with the Lord is one with him in mind, mind-set, attitude, thinking, or in purpose, which are all synonymous. Here are some other examples. Try substituting one of the given definitions where it says "spirit" and you will get a clearer meaning of the verse.

Numbers 5:14: "Or if a man is overcome by a spirit of jealousy."

Galatians 6:1: "Even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one with the spirit of gentleness."

1 Corinthians 2:12: "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God."

Deuteronomy 34:9: "Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom."

Genesis 41:8: "Next morning his spirit was agitated."

This definition of "spirit" is still very popular even among our own society. A recent article in Flying Careers magazine was about how some pilots volunteer their time for such programs as Young Eagles or Angel Flight. The title of the article was "The Spirit of Volunteering." Another way of saying the same thing is, "The mind-set of Volunteering." A paragraph in the article says, "Many organizations provide opportunities for those in the spirit." This phrase sounds like something right out of the New Testament, but as we all know, the writer is simply saying that many organizations provide opportunities for those in the right frame of mind.

With this understanding, and by comparing some other verses we can now comprehend more fully what Jesus meant when he told Nicodemus in John 3:3-5:

"No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" ...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit"

Jesus is telling Nicodemus that unless you make a commitment to God (which is demonstrated by baptism) and be born again of the mind, you will not enter the kingdom of God. Our minds have to be born again, they have to think differently than they did when they followed the flesh. Our minds have to be renewed in order to be able to discern and follow the will of God.

Romans 12:2: "Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God."

Ephesians 4:23: "And be renewed in the spirit (purpose) of your minds."

2 Corinthians 4:16: "Although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self (spirit i.e. mind) is being renewed day by day."

Colossians 3:9-10: "Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self (new mind),which is being renewed, for knowledge in the image of its creator."

Romans 7:6: "Dead to what held us captive, so that we may serve in the newness of the spirit (mind) and not under the obsolete law.

You will notice that in many of the verses that we are reading, the adjectives that are attributed to renewal are adjectives that are associated with our minds, such as knowledge, discern, etc.

The new covenant that Jesus ushered in is of the mind and not the letter. The Mosaic covenant was of the letter. The majority of the people followed it in my opinion, because of fear of the consequences and not because they truly believed that the law was good. This is why they had such hardships in the desert for forty years. They kept reverting to their pagan ways that they had adopted in Egypt. They had not truly accepted the law within their minds. Let me give you an example: I do not steal because in my mind I believe it to be wrong, and not because I fear the penalty of being caught stealing. There are people who do not steal simply because they do not want to end up in prison. Lets suppose that the government said that on a given Friday stealing will not be considered a crime. I still would not steal because God’s law is in me.

But you can be sure that there would be a lot of people who normally do not steal that on Friday would steal because God’s law is not in them. Here are a few examples:

Jeremiah 31:31-33: "The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant (Mosaic covenant) I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt... But this is the covenant (ushered in by Jesus) which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts."

Hebrews 8:10: "I will put my laws in their minds."

2 Corinthians 3:5-6: "Rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of spirit" (of the mind).

Romans 2:28: "One is not a Jew (follower of God in this context) outwardly. True circumcision is not outward, in the flesh. Rather, one is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not the letter."

Romans 7:25: "Therefore, I myself, with my mind, serve the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin."

Christianity is a war in fought in our minds. The war is between good and evil. We strive to follow the will of God over the will of our flesh.

Romans 7:22-23: "For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self (mind), but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."

Romans 7:25: "I myself, with my mind serve the law of God but, with my flesh, the law of sin."

This understanding of spirit in relation to the mind is essential if one is going to understand what Paul meant when he said in Romans 8:9:

What does Paul mean when he says "Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him?" Are we suppose to have a Greek-type spirit of Jesus living inside of us along with God’s Spirit? Are we like a shell housing all these different spirits, our own spirit, God’s Spirit, and Jesus’ spirit? Of course not. What Paul is saying is that whoever does not have the mind-set or mind of Christ does not belong to him. Remember earlier how it was shown that we are to have the mind of Christ. If we believe his word, his teachings on the kingdom of God we will have the same mind-set as he does, we will be of one mind. This is how Christ is in us. His word, his teachings are in us. When we have Christ in us we have the knowledge of God’s plan of salvation (the gospel) for us, our hope for glory. Christ dwells in us through our faith in his words.

John 15:7: "If you remain in me (Jesus) and my words remain in you."

Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."

Ephesians 3:17: "And that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

2 Corinthians 11:10: "By the truth of Christ (his words) that is in me."

Colossians 1:17: "It is Christ in you, the hope for glory."

Ephesians 4:21: "assuming that you have heard of him (Jesus) and were taught in him, as truth is in him."

Colossians 2:6: "So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught."

This is the Jewish meaning of Christ dwelling in us. It is vastly different from the Greek philosophical point of view.

 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BAPTISM AND OR GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT

Many people confuse the indwelling of the Spirit of God in us with the way that the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and the first Christians. These are two completely different things. God gave the Apostles and the first Christians gifts in order to confirm the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah. That was their purpose, to confirm their teachings. We today have the greatest proof of God’s plan for our salvation through the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is proved by the lives of the Apostles (see Proving the Resurrection). All the persecution that they went through without any human reward can only be explained if what they said about the risen Jesus is true. But none of the Apostles had this proof. Imagine, if Paul came into your town and said that the Messiah had come, and that his name is Jesus, and that the proof is that God raised him from the dead. The first words out of your mouth would be, "Can you prove it?" How do I know that you are telling me the truth? Besides his testimony that you could not verify, he would have no solid proof. This is why God gave them signs (the gifts of the Spirit). We today do not need to confirm the gospel, that confirmation has already been given by the resurrection of Jesus Christ through the lives of the Apostles.

The gifts of the Spirit that the early Christians received when the Apostles laid hands on them (AKA baptism of the Holy Spirit), were for those early days when the church was spreading for the reasons given above. There was as of yet no New Testament that a new church could read and learn the will of God as taught by Jesus, thus the need for supernatural revelation through prophesying and tongues. Peter states that these gifts are for two generations only, which would agree with the time frame of when the writings of the New Testament were starting to circulate. Paul says that when the church reaches maturity, that these gifts will end. Let’s take a look at both of those verses.

Acts 2:38-39: "Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord will call."

Peter tells them to repent and be baptized and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He tells them that the promise is for them and their children (two generations) and those far off. "Those far off" is a reference not to Jews who were geographically far away, or to believers in the future, but to Gentiles. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be far off from God and His covenant with the Jews. This can be verified by Paul in Ephesians 2:11-13:

So the promise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is then for those generations of Jews and Gentiles and their children. The generations after this time period have confirmation of the gospel by the greatest sign of all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ which can be proven by the lives of the Apostles. These first generations did not have that proof. 1 Corinthians 13:8 -12 tells us when these gifts will end:

"Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know partially and we prophesy partially; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to my childish ways (NSRV)."

This verse has been interpreted several different ways. "When the complete comes" has been translated as when the "perfect comes" in some other bibles. Zondervan’s Greek and English Interlinear Bible has it in the original Greek as: "but when the perfect thing comes." The interpretations of this verse range in meaning. One interpretation suggests that tongues will cease "when the perfect comes." The "perfect" being a reference to Jesus. I do not think that Paul would refer to Jesus as a thing. A quick look into the meaning of the Greek word "teleioo" that is translated as "complete" or "perfect" will help us in understanding this verse.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words; teleioo - to bring to an end by completing or perfecting, is used (I) of "accomplishing" (see Finish, Fulfill); (II) of "bringing to completeness."

Strong’s Greek Dictionary; teleioo - To complete, accomplish, consummate, consecrate, finish, fulfill, (make) perfect.

With these definitions we can better understand that the word "teleioo" is not a reference to Jesus, but as we shall see, a reference to the maturity of the body of Christ (the community of believers) which starts at 1 Corinthians (12:27). Paul is comparing the early church to a child. Its knowledge is limited like a child’s. He then compares the church’s adulthood to the day when it is mature. How is the body of Christ mature? There are two possibilities. The first is that in Paul’s day people would follow the truth of Christ because of the gifts of the Spirit that the first two generations displayed (these gifts were signs to confirm the message of Christ). This is referred to as "knowing partially." People believed because of what they saw. In 1 Corinthians 12:31 he says that now he will show us an even better way to recognize the truth of Christ (an even better sign). This is the way of love (God’s love in us). Then Paul says that when it is accomplished, completed, made perfect, that the gifts will cease, "the partial will pass away." To be mature for Paul means to know fully. 1 Corinthians 13:12:

To know fully the love of God that comes with the knowledge of the message of Christ (the proclamation of the kingdom of God and His Messiah), and for people to believe this message not because of the gifts of the Spirit, but because of the love that is witnessed among Christ’s followers. Love is a greater sign of confirmation than the gifts of the Spirit that will eventually cease. John 13:34-35 states:

Matthew 5:44-48 is all about love for your neighbor and your enemies.

To be perfect like our father is to be able to love like our Father. This is how Christ was made perfect and how we are to strive for perfection. Unconditional love.

John 17:23 speaks of being made perfect by the love of God in them.

The second view is that Paul is comparing the early church to a child. Its knowledge is limited like a child’s. He then compares the body of Christ reaching maturity in the knowledge of Christ and his message. Maturity in the sense that it will possess the entire truth, the entire Bible. Remember, there was of yet no New Testament for the churches to study, hence, the need for prophesying and the other gifts. What Paul is saying is that when the churches reach adulthood (possession of the Bible), when the truth is completed, finished, accomplished, that prophesying and tongues will cease.

Vine’ Expository Dictionary has a commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:8:

Although both are possible, I think that the first interpretation is the correct one. It in agreement with the teachings of Christ, while the second one suggests that Paul knew that there would someday be a New Testament. There is no way of knowing if Paul knew that his letters and the writings of others would become the New Testament.

One trap that I hope the reader does not fall into, is to think that I am saying that God does not perform any miracles today. Miracles and the gifts of the Spirit are two entirely different things. I do believe God still does miracles today, but I think they are more on a personal level. They are not needed to confirm the gospel. That confirmation has already been given.

Before starting one thing must be said, I do believe that the Spirit of God can and still does come upon individuals to guide them, but this should also not be confused with the indwelling of the Spirit of God.

Much of the confusion about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit comes from certain passages that have been interpreted as if Jesus meant them for all Christians in the future. This is an erroneous conclusion. One such example is in John 14: 15-17:

Many people take this verse as if Jesus were speaking to all Christians. But the fact is that he is not. From John 14 to John 18 Jesus is at the last supper speaking specifically to the Apostles. What he is telling them is not meant for all of us. Take for example John 14:12:

This is very specific. The Apostles did do works as great or greater than Jesus. They raised people from the dead, healed the sick etc., just as Jesus told them they would. Have you done works greater than Jesus? I know I have not, nor do I know of anyone that has. This is because we are not suppose to. Jesus was speaking specifically to the Apostles.

We have to make sure that we pay attention to whom the Scriptures are directed at. People make assumptions that all the Scriptures were written for all the people of all the ages. This is not the case. Although we can always learn valuable lessons from all the Scriptures, we must observe to whom, and for what purpose a particular Scripture was written. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he addressed a specific problem that they were having. He did not write to them with the idea that his letter would become part of the New Testament and would be applicable to all Christians everywhere. Many parts are applicable to all Christians, such as advice on Christian living etc. But we must not take that to mean that every Scripture is meant for all people of all times.

As we shall see, the Spirit of God is in us, but not in the same way that it was in the Apostles and the first Christians. That was specific to that time period, when the church was not yet mature.

First, we must define what it means to be "spiritual," to live "in the spirit." Does that mean that we have the Holy Spirit living in us as the Apostles did, actively guiding our every move, telling us "go there," "do not go there." I do not believe so. To be "spiritual" or to "live in the spirit" means to live in accordance with the will of God. To be able to discern and follow His will. If we follow our own desires, we are "of the flesh." If we live in the flesh we are really following our own will (mind) and not the will (mind) of God. This is why our minds have to be renewed. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Romans 12:2: "Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (spirit), that you may discern what is the will of God" (being spiritual).

Romans 7:25: "Therefore I with my mind (spirit) serve the law of God (his will) but, with my flesh, the law of sin."

Ephesians 4:17: "Do not live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds (flesh); darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God (spirit)."

Galatians 5:16: "Live by the Spirit (a mind that follows the will of God) and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh" (our own desires).

1 Peter 4:2: "So as not to spend what remains of one’s life in the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God" (on spiritual things).

Romans 8:7-9: "For the concern of the flesh is hostility towards God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh (following their own will) cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit (in the will of God), if only the Spirit of God (mind, mind-set of God) dwells in you."

In other words, you are spiritual if you posses the knowledge or wisdom (of His will) that is from above (from God). Earthly wisdom is considered unspiritual. James 3:15 is an excellent example:

"Do not boast and be false to the truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come from above (from God) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic."

Paul says in the previous verse Romans 8:7-9 on page 11 that we are in the spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in us. This is a reference to the indwelling of the Spirit of God in us which we hear so much about, and which is also confused with what the Apostles and the first Christians experienced. But what does it mean to have the Spirit of God dwelling in us? Do we have God’s Holy Spirit actually living in us, or do the writers of the New Testament mean something else? What do they mean when they use the word "dwell?" Let’s look at some examples:

2 John verse 2: "Because the truth dwells in us."

Romans 7:17: "So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me."

Romans 7:18: "For I know that good does not dwell in me."

1 Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."

Do these verses imply that Greek-type spirits called truth, sin, good, and word of Christ come and live in us? Of course not. Dwelling means that it is inherent in your being, in your way of thinking. Truth dwells in you in that your mind has accepted the concept of truth and it is now a part of your belief system, in this way the truth is in you. The word of Christ dwells in you in the sense that you believe the teachings of Jesus and have incorporated them into your life. These teachings are now inherent in your way of thinking, it is in this sense that they are in you, i.e. "dwell in you."

We have God in us (dwelling in us) when we are filled with the knowledge of His will. We have God in us when we accept His teachings which Jesus revealed to us. This is how the Spirit (mind) of God is in us.

2 John verse 9: "Anyone who is so "progressive" as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son."

1 John 2:24: "Let what you heard from the beginning (the word) remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and the Father."

1 John 2:5: "But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him."

Colossians 1:9-10: "asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

The gospel which is God’s plan of salvation for us (the kingdom of God message), which is His will, is reflective of the mind of God. My mind is reflective of me. It reflects who I am as a person. The gospel is referred to many times in the New Testament as the "word of God," or just the "word." The gospel (His word) is the expression of God’s thoughts. In other words, the gospel is the mind of God. The mind of God is God. Another way of saying it is, "the gospel is God," or:

When we truly believe and accept the word (will) of God with our minds and hearts, the Spirit (mind-set) of God dwells in us. It is an integral part of our being. It is in us. We are now one in mind with God.

To some people this concept is frightening, mostly because people like to think that God is actually living inside their bodies and guiding them through this life. But in a sense He is. If we live in the spirit (His will), the Spirit (mind-set) of God dwells in us. He has not left us alone, he has given us a renewed mind, a new way of thinking that will guide us in our journey to His glorious kingdom to come.

See you at the resurrection!