The Personality or Personhood of the Holy Spirit

I. All distinctive characteristics of personality are ascribed to the Holy Spirit:

Knowledge

Will

Mind

Emotions:

Love

Romans 15:30 "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,....."

Jealousy

James 4:5 "Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'?" (NASB)

Intelligence

Nehemiah 9:20 "And Thou didst give Thy good Spirit to instruct them, Thy manna Thou didst not withhold from their mouth and Thou didst give them water for their thirst."

Speech or language

I Corinthians 2:13 "Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

Grief

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

II. Many acts are ascribed to the Holy Spirit which only a person can perform:

The Holy Spirit speaks

Revelations 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."

Acts 8:29 "And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot'."

Acts 13:2 "And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'"

Acts 10:19 "And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Behold, three men are looking for you."

Luke 2:26 "And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

Galatians 4:6 "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"

The Holy Spirit intercedes

Romans 8:26 "And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;...."

Glory to God, we have two persons praying for us.

Hebrews 7:25 "Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous;...."

The Holy Spirit testifies

John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me."

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

1 Corinthians 2:10 "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God."

The Holy Spirit calls missionaries, appoints leaders to oversee churches, teaches, leads, directs

Acts 13:2 "And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

Nehemiah 9:20 "And Thou didst give Thy good Spirit to instruct them,......"

Romans 8:14 "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

Acts 16:6,7 "And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;..."

1 John 2:20,27 "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. ------ And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

John 16:12-14 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you."

The Holy Spirit restrains, convicts or reproves

2 Thessalonians 2:7 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He Who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way."

John 16:8 "And He when He comes will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment";

Genesis 6:3 "the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because in his going astray he is flesh; nevertheless, his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'"

Scripture distinguishes the Holy Spirit in His person from His gifts

III. The office has been ascribed to the Holy Spirit which can only be predicated of a person:

COMFORTER: (chief office)

John 14:16,17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because He abides with you, and will be in you."

John 16:7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."

AUTHOR:

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;...."

TEACHER & GUIDE:

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

WITNESS TO CHRIST:

John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me,..."

CREATOR:

Psalm 104:30 "Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit, they are created; and Thou dost renew the face of the ground."

IV. A treatment is predicated of the Holy Spirit that can only be predicated of a person:

GRIEVED:

Isaiah 63:10 "But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them."

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

INSULTED:

Hebrews 10:29 "How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?"

WAS LIED TO:

Acts 5:3 "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?"

SPOKEN AGAINST AND BLASPHEMED:

Matthew 12:31,32 "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

TEMPTED:

Acts 5:9 "The Peter said to her, 'Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?......."

RESISTED:

Acts 7:51 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did."

INVOKED:

Then He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on those slain, that they come to life."

The Holy Spirit is referred to by personal pronouns:

Whenever possible a masculine pronoun is used in reference to the Holy Spirit.

John 16:14 "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you."

In John 16 the masculine pronoun ekeinos in used 12 times in reference to the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 "That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."

VI. The Holy Spirit is identified with other personalities:

Placed on equal status with the Father and the Son:

Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit;......."

2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Each person of the Trinity of God has a part in the matter of redemption:

1 Peter 1:2 "According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:........."

Each person of the Trinity of God has an involvement in the bestowing of gifts:

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

The Holy Spirit is identified with believers in making personal choices and decisions:

Acts 15:28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:..."

Acts 10:19 "And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you."

1 Corinthians 2:4 "And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,...."

Acts 10:38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him."

Luke 4:14 "And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; ........"

VII. The Holy Spirit is to us in the world now what Jesus was to the disciples when He was walking on the earth among men:

John 14:16,17 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because he abides with you, and will be in you."

2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace f the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

VIII. The act of the personal Holy Spirit in His relationship to the believer is called "The communion of the Holy Spirit."

2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship (communion) of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

If He is merely an influence, our constant aim will be, "How can I obtain more of this influence?" But if He is a Divine person, our consistent attitude will be, "How can He have more of me?" J. Oswald Sanders, The Holy Spirit of Promise (London: Marshal, Morgan and Scott, 1940), page 22.
I believe from this that we can conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person and not merely a force or power of some sort. I believe that we can also conclude from these verses that the Holy Spirit is a person separate from the Father and the Son, but equal in every way. I believe this will be demonstrated even further as we go into the study of the Deity of The Holy Spirit.

Suggested reading:

I'm sure there are many more good books on the Holy Spirit, but these are just a few that I would recommend reading.