F6 reasoning: Deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit

Reasoning steps: Deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit

Verdicts: F6 · Deity and personhood of the Holy Spirit. Method: conventions, scoring and proximity eras. Scripture is the primary measure; fathers are weighed by era (Era I to c. 150 = 1.0, II = 0.8, III = 0.6, IV = 0.4).

F06.1: Is the Holy Spirit a divine person?

Step F06.1.1: Scripture

Acts 5:3–4 (lying to the Spirit is lying to God); 1 Cor 2:10–11 (searches the depths of God); 12:11 (‘as he wills’); John 14:16, 26 (another Paraclete who teaches); Matt 28:19 (one name).

Step F06.1.2: Patristic evidence

The 381 creed: ’the Lord and Giver-of-Life … with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified’. Gregory: ‘Is the Spirit God? Most certainly.’ Basil wrote against those who would rank the Spirit ‘under the Son and the Father’. Sources: constantinople-i-f06-s1 · gregory-nazianzen-f06-s1 · basil-f06-s1.

Step F06.1.3: Weighing decision

Explicit statements come in Era III, against the Pneumatomachi; earlier writers name the Spirit in the triadic baptismal formula and doxologies. Verdict: consensus once the question was raised.

Confidence: High.

Step F06.1.4: Source-proximity weighing

Scripture (benchmark): The Spirit acts as a person (wills, teaches, can be lied to) and is identified with God (Acts 5:3–4). (Scripture confidence: high)
Assessment: Scripture is clear; patristic explicitness is Era III, so Scripture carries the verdict.

F06.2: Does the Spirit give new life and dwell in believers?

Step F06.2.1: Scripture

John 3:5–8 (born of the Spirit); Rom 8:9–11 (the Spirit dwells in you and gives life); Titus 3:5 (renewal of the Holy Spirit); 1 Cor 6:19; Gal 5:22–25.

Step F06.2.2: Patristic evidence

Irenaeus (Era II): believers are ‘spiritual because they partake of the Spirit’. Basil (Era III): the Spirit, ‘shining upon those that are cleansed from every spot, He makes them spiritual by fellowship with Himself’. Sources: irenaeus-f06-s1 · basil-f06-s2.

Step F06.2.3: Weighing decision

Unanimous. Verdict: consensus. How the Spirit is given (baptism, faith) is S03.

Confidence: High.