Some Thoughts on the Use of the Term the Holy Ghost

 

Some Thoughts on the Use of the Term the Holy Ghost

Webster’s Dictionary

GHOST, n. 1. Spirit; the soul of man.

2. The soul of a deceased person; the soul or spirit separate from the body; an apparition.

To "give up the ghost", is to die; to yield up the breath or spirit; to expire.

The Holy Ghost, is the third person in the adorable Trinity.

The Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

The term, the Holy Ghost, is found in the Authorized King James Bible ninety ( 90 ) times and all are in the New Testament. In the King James Holy Bible the term the holy Spirit (small 'h') is found six times while the Holy Spirit (capital 'H') is found only once. I believe there is great spiritual significance to these numbers.

Not only does the King James Bible use the term the Holy Ghost, but all earlier English Bibles did as well. The Holy Ghost is found in Wycliffe's translation 1395, Tyndale’s New Testament 1525, Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, Mace N.T. 1729, Wesley's N.T. 1755, Douay-Rheims version, , and in more modern times it is also found in Montgomery’s New Testament, the Revised Version, the Catholic Douay version 1950, the KJV 21st Century version and the Third Millenium Bible.

The word ghost means the soul of a man. The phrase “give up the ghost” means to die. The idea being that the soul of man continues to go on living after his body has died. Physical death is not the end. Man’s soul or ghost will exist forever.

It is ironic that the NKJV, NIV, NASB, RSV and many other modern versions have tossed out the term Holy Ghost, yet they have introduced the totally false idea of human ghosts. There are no “ghosts” in the sense of the departed spirit of a man roaming about after he has died. He is either in the presence of the Lord or in hell; he is not haunting the land of the living on this earth.

The expression “to give up the ghost” is found in the KJB, the ASV, RV, Darby’s, Douay, Tyndale, Geneva Bible, KJV 21, and the TMB. It is used many times in both the Old and New testaments.

This is not an archaic expression. In fact, one dictionary I consulted used the example of My television gave up the ghost. In John 19:30 we read that Jesus said “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”. Here the Greek says kai paredoke to pneuma, and he gave up the spirit or ghost.

The Holy Ghost is the same as the Spirit.

Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”

John 1:32 “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”

What then is the special significance of the term the Holy Ghost being used exactly 90 times and all exclusively in the New Testament?

Let’s look at the very first time this blessed name is used. Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

This was not a natural conception but a miraculous birth. It concerns a promised Seed Who would bring life out of death, establish the New Covenant of grace and be the Firstborn of many brethren.

The number 90 is also associated with another miraculous birth that typifies the new covenant of grace, life out of death, and the bringing forth of the promised seed. Events in the lives of Abraham and his wife Sarah picture for us the two covenants.

Galatians 4:22-28

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants: the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Law and the energy of the flesh are pictured by Ishmael; grace and the promise of the Spirit are typified by Isaac.

Romans 9: 7-9

“Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isasc shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, And Sara shall have a son.

When was this promise given to Abraham and Sarah? In Genesis 17: 15-19 God told Abraham concerning Sarah: “I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, THAT IS NINETY YEARS OLD, bear?”

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed: and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”

Sarah, who typifies the mother of us all, was 90 years old when the promise was given. She was past the age for bearing a child; her womb was dead. Her promised seed was Isaac, ( our father- Romans 9:10 ); and we, as Isaac, are the children of promise. We receive life out of death. We are not under the law of the Old covenant but under the grace of the New.

The Holy Ghost likewise appears only in the New Testament. He takes part in another miraculous birth that brings forth the promised Seed who ushers in the New Covenant and heads up the family of God.

This is one reason why I believe the number 90 is highly significant. Nine is the number of fruit, see Galatians 5:22,23 and Leviticus 25:20-22; and one of the meanings of 10 is testing or trial. The spiritual significance of 90 is bringing forth fruit under testing or trial.

Likewise I think the term “holy Spirit” being used 6 times has spiritual significance. The emphasis is on the holiness of “ the holy Spirit” in His relationship to man. Man’s number is 6. Compare Psalms 51:11 where David has sinned so grievously and asks God to renew a right spirit in him and “take not thy holy spirit from me”. See also Isaiah 63:10, 11 and in the New Testament Ephesians 1:13; 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 4:8 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.” He is with us to make us holy.

The one time where the term Holy Spirit is used (capital 'H')is in Luke 11:13. In the context they were still under the Old Covenant but God gave assistance to those who asked Him. Jesus says: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

There is then a total of 7 times, the number of divine perfection, that the holy Spirit is mentioned in the King James Bible. There are 90 times the term the Holy Ghost is mentioned, all in the New Testament. This is also the number of the age of Sarah when God promised to bring life out of death, give the promised seed who was named before he was born, and typify the New Covenant of grace.

Clearly the use of "the Holy Ghost" and "the holy Spirit" are not errors in the KJV and the other versions that likewise employ these terms.

It seems the KJV actually has a more accurate rendering of these terms. Apparently the KJV translators were divinely guided to use the term "Holy Ghost" when it simply refers to the third Person of the blessed Trinity and His activity, thus indicating He is a Person.

The KJB likewise uses the term "holy Spirit" or "Holy Spirit" when emphasizing the aspect of His "holiness". Look carefully at all 7 times this term is used and in each case the idea of holiness is directly involved in the context.

Even in the one that at first glace does not seem to fit, upon closer examination, does. Luke 11:11-13 describes the giving of a proper gift by a father to a son. Christ says to his disciples: "If ye then, BEING EVIL, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father (the only one who is truly good and holy) give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The Holy Spirit enabled them who by nature were evil, to ask for the right things from God rather than asking for evil, selfish, or harmful things.

The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit Who is Holy and enables us to partake of His holiness.

Truly the word of God is wonderful. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Psalm 119:18

 

 

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The following is not from a King James Bible Only Pastor, but he has some very interesting comments to make about the terms "Holy Ghost" and "Holy Spirit" and the RSV.

The Disappearing Ghost by Pastor William P. Terjesen

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19 KJV)

OLD: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. NEW: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Note the extra, grating syllable at the end? Like a pimple!

The word 'ghost' is not an archaic word. People still use that word today and know what it means. It is similar to the German word 'geist' and is still in common use in English speaking countries. People in churches who use older Bibles and hymnals use the term with no confusion whatever. My dictionary doesn't make any references to its being archaic, except to mention that it comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'gast'. Therefore, we shouldn't be deprived of a lovely, round, evocative word on the false claim that it is archaic and obsolete. But some will say, "Yes, but when modern people hear the word 'ghost' they think of ghosts and goblins, Halloween and things that go bump in the night." Well, that may be overstating it a bit. People are not as stupid as the "rennovators" constantly suppose. But even if they do, what of it? At least they are thinking of a personal being!

The term 'Holy Ghost' began to be universally replaced with 'Holy Spirit' in the Revised Version (of the Bible) of 1881. One of the members of the revision committee was, mystifyingly, a unitarian universalist by the name of Mr. Vance Smith. What such a 'cultist' was doing on the Anglican revision committee of the Holy Bible is beyond comprehension. He was an anti-trinitarian false prophet, by his own admission. Vance campaigned loudly for the discarding of the word 'Ghost' in favor of 'Spirit'. Why? Because the word Ghost connotes a personal being, and no self-respecting heretic wants to confess and believe that the Holy Ghost is an actual personal being; the Third Person of the Trinity. Much better in their minds to use a word that is capable of "creative, flexible interpretation." That way when they use the term 'Holy Spirit' they can sound like Christians, but mean something completely different from what Christians mean by that term.

Think about it. We use the term 'spirit' in all kinds of impersonal ways. We talk of the 'American spirit', or, 'school spirit', by which we mean certain attitudes or dispositions. In an age that frequently thinks of God as "The Force", an impersonal influence or power, the term 'Holy Spirit' is easily misunderstood. The term 'Holy Ghost' is not. When we consider that unitarian universalists, liberal rationalists, Jehovah's Witnesses, New Agers, and other heretics are pleased with the term 'Holy Spirit' because they can interpret it according to their heresies in which the "holy spirit" is an impersonal power or influence, isn't it a shame that the Christian Church of the 20th century has played right into their hands?

In the term 'Holy Ghost' we have a euphonic, clear, understandable and accurate designation that forces us to think in terms of personal being, and thus steers us away from thinking in ways that are heretical. Let's use it and enjoy it. I am not suggesting that we should use only the term 'Holy Ghost'; there are times when it is appropriate and acceptable to use the term 'Holy Spirit'. Even the Authorized Version uses 'Holy Spirit' occasionally. Nor am I castigating anyone who has in good faith preferred the more modern term. What I am suggesting is that in this day of manifold heresies, we reclaim a perfectly good, accurate and useful word, 'ghost', and thus in our prayers and Bible readings make clear to a dark world precisely what we mean when we confess that we "believe in the Holy Ghost...", that we are unabashedly orthodox Trinitarians.

http://www.ourredeemerlcms.org/ghost.htm

 

Holy Ghost - holy Spirit in the Holy Bible

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For those who object to this article

I understand that If I object to this article, that I need to take certain steps:

1. I need to clearly understand for myself what is the specific basis of my objection

2. I need to remember that other people cannot read my mind and may not understand what I have a problem with, and I will need to be patient in explaining my objection. 

3. I need to examine my own motives and decide what is pushing me or motivating me to respond about this article. If there is an issue of lack of accuracy, then I do need to bring this up.

But if the issue is that the article is accurate, then I need to understand how I should be responding to the parts that I already know and understand are true. 

4. I need to be wise, so that I do not use my own lack of knowledge, as the basis for objecting too fast. There are many questions and much documentation that can be provided to those who may object. If I have a problem I can ask for this documentation, but I need to be sure and ask myself just what I am placing my SECURITY in, as a fellow Christian.  

5. does the article upset me because it may be TRUE, and I am disturbed because I am finding that I have put my security in a Version of the Bible that either is NOT accurate or that was NOT accurately translated ?

6. does this mean that I may be in spiritual danger, and that I need to do much more research personally, for myself, and stop taking the word of some Pastors or leaders who are simply telling me NOT to worry about these issues, but to be warm and filled and go back to sleep ?

7. Do I need to undertand that even though some of these Pastors who "bless" all versions may have good intentions, that they may not have the gift of Biblical Discernment, and therefore they may not understand either their own need to do a great deal of personal research on this matter, so that they do not endanger the Congregation and individual Church members that they have been entrusted with ?

8. Is the church that I am going to either part of a denomination that now is Liberal or has turned its back on God or historic Christianity, or part of a group that is endorsing Unbliblical or Anti-Historic Practices such as Word of Faith or selling the Gospel by Trends such as using Church Consultants that are far more committed to Church NUMBER growth, and NOT the individual Spiritual Maturity of the Christians that are ALREADY there ?

 

 

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The Real Question is what are you going to do with the information that was presented in this article.

 

Is the Information True ?

Is the Information Accurate ?

Is the Information documented ?

Do I - before God - have a responsibility if I am a Christian to accept and act on the information in this article ?

Am I comfortable in the knowledge, that some leaders under the guise of clarifying the text of the Bible, are actually changing that text, and changing MY understanding of what God wants to share with me through His Holy Word, the Old Testament and the New Testament ?

Do I understand that these "small" changes number from the hundreds to the THOUSANDS depending on which Modern Versions I use, and that these changes serve to cut away the clarity and the specific understanding found in the Greek New Testament, that these new modern versions are preventing me from understanding ?

Do I understand that most of these new Modern Versions were not developed because there was a genuine need, but because the teams of Bible Translators were Hired by PUBLISHING companies who are eager to make a profit on the Word of God, which remains the Number ONE bestseller every week of every year, and that these Publishers decided to cash in ?

Do I understand that the problem was that if these Bible Adjusters and Correctors did NOT make the changes that they chose to, that they would not be able to claim copyright protection, and therefore they would not be able to make a financial Profit from their new versions ?

Do I understand that there are Spiritual Forces that want to prevent me from having GREATER spiritual understanding about God, but that God himself is always in MORE of a hurry than I am, for Me to get to know HIM ?

Do I realize what my personal state of preparation will be, within me, when Islam becomes the Dominant Religion in the United States, as it is already in Europe, and how I will personally be required to defend my Faith, by argument and persuasion, using knowledge of the Bible and of History and of Christianity, and that God will rightly hold me accountable because I am claiming to be His Child and a personal follower of Jesus Christ ?

In view of these facts, should I try to set aside more time for the study of the Word of God, and more time for the study of History and the true history of the Christian Church, and to learn about how other Christians in the past, actually learned to have and to gain GREAT spiritual strength ?

If no one reaches out to help prepare me for the coming challenges, whose job is it STILL for me to be prepared to answer these challenges and questions ?

 

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I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
 

II Timothy 2: 15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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