Topical Bible: the Personality of Holy Spirit: He Can be Tempted

Bible > Topical > the Personality of Holy Spirit

◄ the Personality of Holy Spirit: He Can be Tempted ►

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

Topical Encyclopedia

The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, possesses a distinct personality characterized by attributes such as will, intellect, and emotion. One aspect of His personality is the capacity to be tempted or tested, which underscores His personal nature and relational engagement with humanity.

Biblical Evidence of the Holy Spirit Being Tempted

The concept of the Holy Spirit being tempted is primarily illustrated in the account of Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts. In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and deceitfully withheld part of the proceeds while claiming to have donated the entire amount to the apostles. Peter confronts Ananias, saying, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the land?" (Acts 5:3). This passage highlights the personal nature of the Holy Spirit, as He is directly lied to and tested by the actions of Ananias and Sapphira.

Peter further emphasizes this point when he addresses Sapphira, saying, "How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?" (Acts 5:9). The use of the word "test" (Greek: πειράζω, peirazō) indicates an attempt to deceive or challenge the Holy Spirit, treating Him as a personal being who can be engaged with in a relational manner.

Theological Implications

The ability of the Holy Spirit to be tempted or tested has significant theological implications. It affirms His personhood, distinguishing Him from an impersonal force or abstract power. The Holy Spirit's response to being tested also reveals His holiness and righteousness, as He cannot be deceived or manipulated by human actions. This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of integrity in the Christian community.

Furthermore, the narrative underscores the unity and equality within the Trinity. Just as God the Father and God the Son can be tested or tempted, so too can the Holy Spirit. This reflects the consistent biblical portrayal of the Holy Spirit as fully divine and co-equal with the Father and the Son.

Practical Considerations for Believers

Understanding that the Holy Spirit can be tempted has practical implications for believers. It calls for a heightened awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence and involvement in the life of the Church and individual believers. Christians are encouraged to cultivate honesty, transparency, and reverence in their relationship with the Holy Spirit, recognizing that He is an active participant in their spiritual journey.

Moreover, this understanding invites believers to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength in resisting temptation. As the indwelling presence of God, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live lives that are pleasing to God, marked by truth and integrity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 5:9
Then Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried your husband are at the door, and shall carry you out.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Personality of the Holy Ghost
... How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ... I think I
have fully established the point of the personality of the Holy Ghost; allow ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the personality of the holy.htm

The Personality of Power.
... expressions imply intelligence and discrimination, and therefore of course personality. ...
by far in us by His other self, the Holy Spirit, than He could in ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on power/the personality of power.htm

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit as Revealed in his Names.
... to our students in the Institute about the Personality of the ... He stands by us when
we pray (Romans 8:26, 27 ... now and for all time that the Holy Spirit is One ...
/.../torrey/the person and work of the holy spirit/chapter v the person and.htm

Guiltless and Without Sin.
... so is the Mediator conceived and born holy, harmless, undefiled ... His own personality
was not in the least ... conflict with the indivisibility of spirit, with the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xviii guiltless and without sin.htm

The Deity of the Holy Spirit.
... A further suggestion of this tri-personality of Jehovah of Hosts is ... decisive proof
of the Deity of the Holy Spirit is found in the fact that He is called ...
/.../torrey/the person and work of the holy spirit/chapter ii the deity of.htm

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
... Our Lord's temptation makes the personality of the tempter ... But in the Holy City which
is to come ... asserted his purity and might, the Spirit visibly acknowledged ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xix jesus tempted in the.htm

I am Thine, oh save me.
... to assert himself, and his own unconquerable personality; to defy ... and person, even
as He is a Holy Spirit and Person ... He can lift up himself to God who made him ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xv i.htm

Appendix
... He reveals throughout an undoubted fondness for hypostatisation ... of as if they {140}
were possessed of personality. ... in particular of the Holy Spirit, who besides ...
/.../lake/landmarks in the history of early christianity/appendix.htm

The Revelation in a Son.
... Will the great Spirit, the holy and good God, speak to a ... a truth descends from heaven
upon the prophet's spirit. ... This implies the triune personality of God. ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter i the revelation in.htm

Christ Our Mediator. --Continued.
... Through the Holy Spirit, sent as His advocate, He convicts ... not look upon men in their
own personality. ... be glorified only through Christ, He can be glorified ...
/.../x christ our mediator continued.htm