From an Email: The doctrine of theTrinity is also significant in terms of the truth of revelation. In 1 Cor. 2, Paul tells us that the hidden things of God have been revealed to us by God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit. In verse 11 Paul writes, "For who among men know the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him. Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." Paul's logic is hard to fault. Who would better know what you are thinking than you? Similarly, who would better know the truths of God than God's own Spirit? But what if the HS does not share the divine essence but is a lesser one (even a none divine one)? Then, according to Paul's logic, the HS would not necesarrily be in the best position to know the truths of God, and if that is so, we are in deep trouble in relation to Scripture. Scripture clearly teaches that revelation of God's truth comes through the Spirit and that the Spirit inspired Scripture (1 Cor 2:9-13). Believing this to be so and believing the Spirit to be coequally God so thathe really knows the truth of God, evangelicals take the Bible to be God's Word and understand it as a true revelation from God about himself, ourselves, etc. As Paul says, who would better know what someone is thinking than that person himself? If the HS doesn't share the divine essence withthe Father and the Son, he is not in a position to know. The implicationsfor our knowledge of God are staggering!Reply: You quoted verse 11, ""For who among men know the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him. Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God."
I would say that the phrase "spirit of the man" helps us to understand "the Spirit of God," much like the "spirit of error" tells us how to view the "spirit of truth" at 1 John 4:6.
"The spirit of man bears the same relation to man as the spirit of God bears to God (1 Cor. 2:11). As the spirit of man is not another person distinct from himself, but his human consciousness or mind by which he is able to be self-aware and contemplate things peculiar to himself, so the spirit of God is not another person distinct from God. It is that consciousness and intelligence that is essential and peculiar to Him whereby He manifests amd reveals Himself to man. As the spirit of man means the man himself (the essence of a man is his mind), so the spirit of God means God Himself. The parallel usage of mind and spirit is seen in the Apostle Paul's citation of Isaiah 40:13 ('Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has instructed him?') and in Romans 11:34 and 1 Corinthians 2:16 where 'spirit' is rendered 'mind.'
If the 'spirit of truth' in John 14:17 is a person, then 'the spirit of error' in 1 John 4:6 must also be a person, since the two are directly contrasted. The fact is, that each 'spirit' represents an influence or a power under which a person acts, but neither is a person in itself." p. 597, One God & One Lord by Graeser, Lynn and Schoenheit.
Let us look at some other examples of "the spirit of" in the Bible:
"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life" Gen 7:22 ASV
"the spirit of their father Jacob revived" NJB "he recovered from the shock" TEV Gen 45:27
"whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom" ASV "whom I have endowed with skill" NJB Ex 28:3
"and have filled him with the spirit of God" NJB "I have filled him with my power" TEV Ex 31:3
"have filled him with the spirit of God" NJB "God has filled him with his power" TEV Ex 35:31
"this spirit of suspicion comes over him" NJB "a husband becomes suspicious of his wife" TEV Numbers 5:14
"Joshua, son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom" NJB "Joshua, son of Nun was filled with wisdom" TEV Deut 34:9
"and the spirit of Yahweh began to stir him" NJB "the LORD's power began to strengthen him" TEV Judges 13:25
"the spirit of Elijah has come to rest on Elisha" NJB "the power of Elijah is on Elisha" TEV 2 Kings 2:15
"the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul" ASV "the God of Israel roused the hostility of Pul" NJB 1 Chron 5:26
"the spirit of the Philistines" ASV "the hostility of the Philistines" NJB 2 Chron 21:16
More examples can be allowed, but I think you get the gist of it here. The Spirit of God is God's power, his breath, it is God Himself. There is no difficulty here, it is simply not another person within a triune Godhead.
"After being exalted to the right hand of God and receiving the sacred breath as promised from the Father, he poured out all this you see and hear." Acts 2:33 Unvarnished NT
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