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The Giver and The Gift (Endnotes)

1. Bullinger, op. cit., Word Studies on the Holy Spirit, p. 15. Close

2. Bullinger makes the following observation: “Pneuma hagion (without Articles) is never used of the Giver (the Holy Spirit), but only and always of His gift” (E.W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, (Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1974), Appendix 101, p. 147). We feel Bullinger’s statement is too strong, because we have seen some places where pneuma hagion does not have the article and yet refers to the Giver, such as Matthew 1:18 and 20. However, Bullinger is generally correct, and if there is no article the gift of holy spirit is usually being referred to. Close

3. W.E. Vine, The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, (Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis MN, 1984), “gift,” pp. 476 and 477. Close

4. The words pneuma hagion are clearly referring to God’s gift, which is holy spirit. Because most translators are not aware of this, their versions read, the “Holy Spirit.” When we encounter a verse that reads “Holy Spirit” when it should read “holy spirit,” we will add [holy spirit] to indicate that God’s gift of holy spirit is being referred to. When the translators add the word “the,” such that their translation reads “the Holy Spirit,” we will add [No “the.” Read “holy spirit”]. Close

5. We cover more about the New Birth and how one becomes a Christian in Appendix A, “The Administration of the Sacred Secret.” Close

6. Thankfully, Bible study tools are readily available and generally quite easy to use today, so that even a non-Greek reader can see this for himself. There are many Greek Interlinear Bibles available. An interlinear has the Greek text with the English word right above (or sometimes below) the corresponding Greek word. If you want to see this point for yourself, go to a Christian bookstore and open a Greek Interlinear to Acts 2:4 (then purchase it if you do not own one, as it is a wonderful tool for Bible Study). If you do look in a good interlinear, it will say that they were “filled of spirit holy.” The Greeks say “filled of” (using the genitive case), while we English speakers say “filled with.” Close

7. The Greek word for “gifts” in this verse is doma, which is the Greek word for “gift” that places more emphasis on the concrete character of the gift than on its beneficent nature. Vine, op. cit., Expository Dictionary, “gift,” p. 477. Jesus was not referring to the gift in the Administration of the Sacred Secret (see Appendix A) but as it will be available in his future kingdom. Close

8. The Greek word “receive” is important, and points to the manifesting of holy spirit. This will be covered later in the book in Chapter 6 when we explain Acts 8:14-17. Close

9. The New International Version and other versions have the phrase “a Holy Spirit.” Someone looking at a Greek Interlinear or a Greek text may wonder why there is no “a” in the Greek. The answer is that the Greek language has no indefinite article, which is “a.” In Greek, when there is a noun, such as “horse,” it is assumed that it is “a” horse. If it is “the” horse, then a “the” will be in the Greek text. Close

10. This is also a good verse to show translating pneuma hagion as “Holy Spirit” as most versions do, cannot be right. If the Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity distinct from the Father, we would expect the verse to read that the “Father” sent the Holy Spirit, not that “God” gives “His” Holy Spirit, since in Trinitarian doctrine the Holy Spirit is “God,” and thus certainly does not belong to God. However, if the verse is referring to holy spirit, the gift of God, then it makes perfect sense that God gives it and it is called “His” holy spirit. Close

11. We use the RSV here because it properly refers to the spirit as an “it” in verse 16. The subject of the pronouns associated with holy spirit is covered in Chapter 4. Close