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. Equal worship with the Father and the Son is F06.3.

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.

Step F06.2.4: Source-proximity weighing

Scripture (benchmark): New birth and indwelling are the Spirit’s work (John 3:5–8; Rom 8:9–11). (Scripture confidence: high)
Assessment: Scripture and Era II agree; all nine confess it.

F06.3: Is the Holy Spirit to be worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son?

Step F06.3.1: Scripture

Matt 28:19 (one ’name’ of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in baptism); Acts 5:3–4 (lying to the Spirit is lying to God); 2 Cor 13:14 (the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit). Scripture places the Spirit in the same divine honour as the Father and the Son.

Step F06.3.2: Patristic evidence

The Creed of Constantinople (381): the Spirit ‘who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified’ (σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον). Basil, On the Holy Spirit 10.26: keep ’the Spirit undivided from the Father and the Son, preserving, both in the confession of faith and in the doxology, the doctrine taught them at their baptism’. Sources: constantinople-i-f06-s1 · basil-f06-s3.

Step F06.3.3: Weighing decision

Reading A (Pneumatomachi): the Spirit may be holy but must not be ranked or glorified with the Father and the Son. Reading B: he is worshipped and glorified with them. B is chosen. Matt 28:19 and the 381 creed settle it; Basil wrote specifically against subordinating the Spirit in the doxology. Distinct from F06.1 (that he is a divine person) by focusing on equal liturgical honour.

Confidence: High.