Topical Bible: God is a Spirit

Bible > Topical > God is a Spirit

◄ God is a Spirit ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Greek • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The phrase "God is a Spirit" is derived from the words of Jesus in the New Testament, specifically in the Gospel of John. This concept is foundational to understanding the nature of God in Christian theology, emphasizing His immaterial and transcendent essence.

Biblical Reference:

John 4:24 : "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

In this passage, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well, revealing a profound truth about the nature of God. The statement underscores that God is not confined to physical form or location, distinguishing Him from the idols and deities of the ancient world, which were often represented by physical images or localized to specific temples.

Theological Implications:

1. Immaterial Nature: The declaration that God is Spirit highlights His immateriality. Unlike humans, who possess physical bodies, God exists without physical form. This immaterial nature allows God to be omnipresent, not limited by space or time.

2. Transcendence and Immanence: While God is transcendent, existing beyond the physical universe, He is also immanent, actively involved in His creation. His spiritual nature allows Him to be present with believers, guiding and sustaining them.

3. Worship in Spirit and Truth: The call to worship God "in spirit and in truth" signifies that true worship is not about external rituals or specific locations but about an internal, sincere connection with God. Worshipers are to engage with God through their spirit, aligning with His truth as revealed in Scripture.

4. Contrast with Idolatry: The spiritual nature of God stands in stark contrast to idolatry, which involves the worship of physical objects or images. The Bible consistently condemns idolatry, emphasizing that God cannot be represented by any material form (Exodus 20:4-5).

5. Relationship with Humanity: God's spiritual nature allows for a personal relationship with humanity. Through the Holy Spirit, believers experience God's presence, guidance, and comfort. This relationship is not hindered by physical limitations, as God communicates with the human spirit.

Old Testament Insights:

While the explicit phrase "God is a Spirit" is not found in the Old Testament, the concept is present. For instance, in Isaiah 31:3, a distinction is made between the spirit and the flesh: "The Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit." This highlights the superiority of God's spiritual nature over human and material limitations.

New Testament Context:

The New Testament further develops the understanding of God's spiritual nature. In 2 Corinthians 3:17 , Paul writes, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." This passage associates the Spirit with the Lord, emphasizing the liberating presence of God in the lives of believers.

Conclusion:

The declaration that "God is a Spirit" is a central tenet of Christian theology, shaping the understanding of God's nature and how believers are to relate to Him. It calls for a worship that transcends physical forms and rituals, focusing instead on a genuine, spiritual connection with the Creator.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

5603. ode -- a song, ode
... 5603 -- a . 5603 () is used in the NT of , () melodies of -- merely sung ()
God but God from a Spirit-filled heart. Spirit-inspired ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5603.htm - 7k

1783. enteuxis -- a petition, ie spec. supplication
... 1783 ("Spirit-directed ") refers to the petitions (intercessions) of believers as
they "fall ... how the one intervening should after drawing near to God and with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1783.htm - 8k

5140. treis and tria -- three
... 5140 -- ; also the number of (symbolically) showing His work -- ie as the ( being),
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Word Origin a prim. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5140.htm - 6k

4151. pneuma -- wind, spirit
... the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or
(superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4151.htm - 8k

1140. daimonion -- an evil spirit, a demon
... Word Origin from daimon Definition an evil spirit, a demon NASB Word Usage deities ...
a derivative of daimon; ad?Monic being; by extension a deity -- devil, god. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1140.htm - 7k

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... to be the knowledge of God's will toward us" (John Calvin, as quoted by R. McAfee
Brown in ). "Right faith is a thing wrought in us by the Holy Spirit" (Wm. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

4875. sunanapauomai -- to lie down to rest with, fig. to be ...
... from 4862 , "identified " and 373 , "pause completely") -- properly, , ie when people
enjoy God's which only results from first in the unity of the Spirit. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4875.htm - 7k

2473. isopsuchos -- like-minded
... equal-soul (identity)" shows believers (when led by God) will treat the moral weight
of a matter similarly, ie with the same (Spirit-produced) conviction. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2473.htm - 7k

3675. homophron -- agreeing
... in one accord ("having the "). This Spirit-produced unity (agreement) results
from receiving God's inworkings of faith ("His "). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3675.htm - 7k

4165. poimaino -- to act as a shepherd
... [4165 ("to shepherd, tend") occurs 11 times in the NT, usually with a figurative
sense of " () God's flock." This provides Spirit-directed () conjunction with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4165.htm - 8k

Library

"God is a Spirit. "
... CHARACTER, ATTRIBUTES AND PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 118. " "God is a Spirit.". 118.
CM Drennan. "God is a Spirit.". 1 The heaven of heavens ...
//christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/118 god is a.htm

"God is a Spirit, in whom You Live and Move and have Your Being...
... [Way-2-29] "God is a spirit, in whom you live and move and have your being?
"God is a spirit, in whom you live and move and have ...
/.../law/the way to divine knowledge/way-2-29 god is a spirit.htm

God the Holy Spirit the Love which Dwells in the Heart.
... Second Chapter. LOVE. XX. God the Holy Spirit the Love which Dwells in
the Heart. "It is like the precious ointment upon the head ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xx god the holy spirit.htm

Of How God and Our Spirit visit Each Other in the Unity and in the ...
... THE SECOND BOOK CHAPTER LXI. OF HOW GOD AND OUR SPIRIT VISIT EACH OTHER
IN THE UNITY AND IN THE LIKENESS. Now God sees the dwelling ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter lxi of how god.htm

The Way of God with the Spirit.
... 510. " The Way of God with the Spirit. ... 1 'Tis God the spirit leads In paths before
unknown: The work to be performed is ours; The strength is all his own. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/adams/hymns for christian devotion/510 the way of.htm

Argument. --Moreover, that when God is Called a Spirit, Brightness ...
... But when the Lord says that God is a Spirit, I think that Christ spoke thus of the
Father, as wishing that something still more should be understood than ...
/.../chapter vii argument moreover that when.htm

If Celsus, Indeed, had Understood Our Teaching Regarding the ...
... senses," [4646] while by the "spirit" that which is the object of the "understanding."
It is the same, too, with the expression, "God is a Spirit." And because ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxx if celsus indeed.htm

Of a Loving Strife Between the Spirit of God and Our Spirit
... OF A LOVING STRIFE BETWEEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND OUR SPIRIT. In this storm of love
two spirits strive together: the spirit of God and our own spirit. ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter liv of a loving.htm

Of the Inflow of the Grace of God into Our Spirit
... THE SECOND BOOK CHAPTER III. OF THE INFLOW OF THE GRACE OF GOD INTO OUR
SPIRIT. From this unity, wherein the spirit is united with ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter iii of the inflow.htm

Of the Holy Spirit and the Mystery of the Trinity.
... one single name; and that in this way no one may wonder and think it absurd that
we should call the Father God, the Son God, the Holy Spirit God, and that ...
/.../augustine/a treatise on faith and the creed /chapter 9 of the holy spirit.htm