Is the Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit?

[Paidion]

I think I have indicated in some of my other posts that The Holy Spirit if not a third divine person, but yet is personal—the very persons of the Father and the Son. I used the following scripture:

... If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. (John 14:23)

HOW will the Father and the Son make their dwelling with those who love Jesus and who keep His word? My answer was "by means of their Holy Spirit." The Father and the Son are so united into One ("He who has seen me has seen the Father), that they share the same Spirit. They can extend their personalities or "Spirit" anywhere in the universe, especially into the hearts of the faithful.

In the following passage, Paul refers to Jesus as "The Lord" and then states that He IS the Spirit:

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:14-18)

The second-century Christian writer, Justin Martyr affirmed in his "Apology ch. 33" (written to the Emperor Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninun Pius Augustus Cæsar) that the Spirit is none other than the Logos Himself:

It is wrong, therefore to understand the Spirit and the Power of God as anything else but the Logos, who is also the first-born of God...

That the prophets are inspired by no other than the divine Word, even you, as I fancy, will grant.

What do you think?

[darinhouston]

I think this may well be one of the primary solutions to my trinitarian quandaries. I think it's no coincidence that virtually no one debates the spirit as a person of the Trinity while so many debate the Son (though again failing most times to debate the identity of the Son with Jesus).

[jarrod]

When I first read this, Paidon, I set out a search for Scriptures to prove your questions wrong and I found myself actually opening more towards the idea you proposed. My wife was reading Revelation yesterday and some questions came up in our discussions that seemed to reinforce the belief. Thanks for your post, I'm still thinking about this.

[Jepne]

I didn't want to think about this because I have always been comfortable with the idea that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and Jesus, then I came across where the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, and the Spirit caused Mary to become pregnant with Jesus. What to do with these two - and there may be more.

So how can the Spirit of Jesus cause his mother to become pregnant with him? AND, lead him into the wilderness?

[Paidion]

Who is the Paraclete (Advocate, Encourager, Comforter)?

He who does not love Me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Paraclete, 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 have said to you. (John 14:26)

This passage clearly states that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, right? Right. Unequivocally right.

Then we have this passage to consider:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. (1 John 2:1)

This passage just as clearly states that the Paraclete is Jesus Christ. Do Jesus' words disagree with those of John? The apostle John wrote both passages, didn't he? There's no way to harmonize these passages. Or is there?

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:12-18 ESV)

Paul here indicates that through Christ the veil is removed when the Jews read Moses' writings. He says that when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. He begins to refer to Christ as “The Lord”.
Then he says twice that “The Lord is the Spirit.”

If Jesus IS the Spirit, then our problem is solved.

The Paraclete is Jesus, Jesus is the Spirit, and the Paraclete is the Spirit.

There is no difference between saying that the Paraclete is Jesus and that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit.

[Homer]

If Jesus IS the Spirit, then our problem is solved.

The Paraclete is Jesus, Jesus is the Spirit, and the Paraclete is the Spirit.

There is no difference between saying that the Paraclete is Jesus and that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit.

Very interesting Paidion, but if true wouldn't it be legitimate to refer to the Spirit as a person? And what would be different from a modalistic view?

[Paidion]

Very interesting Paidion, but if true wouldn't it be legitimate to refer to the Spirit as a person? And what would be different from a modalistic view?

Thanks for the questions, Homer.

I would say that it would be correct to refer to the Spirit as personal (being the extended personalities of the Father and of the Son), but not as a third person distinct from the Father and the Son.

The modalist view is that God is a single Person who appears in three modes. They sometimes say "Three faces". If you ask them how it was that the Son talked to the Father as to another person, they say that was God the human being talking to God in heaven. Personally, I don't find that explanation satisfying.

My view is that God the Father begat one Son and no other as His first act. That marked the beginning of time. The Son was Another exactly like the Father (Heb 1:3), and yet a different divine Individual. They are so similar that they share the same spirit. Recall that Jesus said:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him (or 'it') to you." (John 16:7)

If the Paraclete were a third divine Person, why couldn't He come to the disciples before Jesus died and was raised? But if Jesus' personality was confined to his body while He lived as a human being, then He couldn't sent that personality to the his disciples until His resurrection when He "became a life-giving Spirit" (I Cor. 15:45)

[Paidion]

Recently in reading this passage which I have read countless times before, I saw in it our Lord's teaching in a stunningly new way. I may have posted this somewhere else, but if so, surely it belongs in this thread also.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will pray the father, and he will give you another advocate (paraclete), to be with you permanently, the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you. (John 14:15-20)

Jesus says He will give his disciples another advocate. Another! Who is the first advocate which the disciples had? Was it not Jesus Himself? Did John not write in I John 2:1 that "Jesus Christ the Righteous" is our advocate with the Father, now that Jesus has been raised from death and has become a life-giving spirit (I Cor. 15:45)?

But while this advocate was on earth his personality was confined to his body, and so He had to depart before his spirit could come. (John 16:17). If the Holy Spirit were a third divine Individual, why could He not have come while Jesus was still with them bodily? But Jesus promised not to leave them desolate but to come to them again. And so He came to them after He was raised to life, breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22). And so the disciples received the Holy Spirit. Then, later, on that special day of Pentecost, they were filled with the spirit and empowered for service.
Yes, Jesus said, "... for he dwells with you, and will be in you." If the Holy Spirit is a third divine Individual, how did He dwell with them, before Jesus died? For clearly the spirit was not with them until Jesus imparated it to them after He was raised. So Jesus words "He dwells with you" must have been a reference to Himself.

[Paidion]

So how can the Spirit of Jesus cause his mother to become pregnant with him? AND, lead him into the wilderness?

It seems the Father and the Son share the same spirit. Jesus promised that He and his Father would come to the disciples and make their dwelling with them (John 14:23). How did they do that? Through the spirit they share.

While Jesus was on earth his personality was confined to his body. But the Father could still extend his spirit anywhere in the universe. So it was the spirit of God the Father who caused the pregnancy and who led Jesus into the desert to be tested.

[psimmond]

Paidion,
I know this thread's a year old, but I was just thinking about the Holy Spirit so I started going through the posts and came across this.

It seems to make a lot of sense, so I have a few follow-up questions:
1. Why did Jesus have to ascend before his spirit could leave his body? Do we have reason to believe there was a change that occurred to him after ascension?
2. Are you aware of any books that go into this in more detail?

Edit:
I just came across this site, which seems to align with the idea you are proposing: http://cgi.org/whowhat-is-god/