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my words SCRIPTURE, or Scriptural perspective WT view / quotes / info PERSONALITY concept EMPHASIS
WT Point "F" ~ Personification

"Personification does not prove personality - It is true that Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a 'helper' & spoke of such helper as 'teaching,' 'bearing witness,' 'giving evidence,' 'guiding,' 'speaking,' 'hearing,' & 'receiving.' In so doing, the original Greek shows Jesus at times applying the personal pronoun 'he' to that 'helper' (paraclete). (Compare John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15.)
However, it is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personalized or personified
that is not actually a person.
"
[Insight p.1019, & Aid p.1543]

It's true that the Hebrew & Greek Scriptures occasionally personify things (e.g. wisdom, sin, & death).

A Figure of Speech (Hyperbole; Irony; Metaphor; Metonymy; Personification; Simile)
is the use of words in certain conventional patterns of thought & expression.
Click HERE for 180 Figures of Speech.


  • The Author of Scripture only personified concepts that had ZERO IMPLICATIONS even if thought of as actual "persons".
  • Only a few concepts such as: wisdom, discernment, sin, death, & undeserved kindness are personified.
  • The Author of Scripture also personified a city: Jerusalem (to speak to, & about, His people).
  • I looked for an article titled "Personification" (in Aid to Bible Understanding) & there was none. There is a sub-article on p.1543 under "Spirit".
    WT list of Scripture personification = Prov.1:20-33; 8:1-36; Mt.11:19; Lk.7:35; Rom.5:14, 17, 21; 6:12, 7:8-11. THAT'S IT!?!?!
    Compare the
    WT LIST to the LISTS in LINK D1, E1, E2, F1, & F2 at the end of this page. Note the quantity & the CONTEXT !
  • THE SPIRIT THE HOLY is shown to be a PERSON throughout the Scriptures.
  • There are AWESOME WARNINGS of ETERNAL REPERCUSSIONS if you believe THE HOLY SPIRIT is a FORCE !!!
  • For clear, direct, massive, Scriptural evidence that totally refutes the personification theory, click on the links at the bottom of this page.
     
  • Ref. Personification Scripture
    Pr.1:20-30 Wisdom TRUE WISDOM itself keeps CRYING aloud in the very street. In the public squares IT keeps giving forth ITS VOICE. At the upper end of the noisy streets IT CALLS OUT. At the entrances of the gates into the city IT SAYS ITS OWN SAYING: "How long... will you stupid ones keep hating knowledge? Turn back at MY REPROVE. Then to you I WILL CAUSE MY SPIRIT to BUBBLE FORTH; I WILL MAKE MY WORDS known to you. Because I HAVE CALLED OUT but you keep refusing. I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HAND but there is no one paying attention. & you keep neglecting ALL MY COUNSEL, & MY REPROVE you have not accepted, I also for MY PART, SHALL LAUGH at your own disaster, I SHALL MOCK when what you dread comes just like a storm.... At that time they will keep CALLING ME, but I SHALL NOT ANSWER; & they will keep looking for ME, but they will not find ME, for the reason that they hated knowledge, & the fear of Jehovah they did not choose. They did not consent to MY COUNSEL; they disrespected all MY REPROOF.
    Pr.8:1 Wisdom & Discernment Does not WISDOM keep CALLING OUT, & DISCERNMENT keep giving forth ITS VOICE? (See the rest of Proverbs 8 for more personification of Wisdom.)
    WISDOM is also PERSONIFIED at Matthew 11:19 & Luke 7:35, & is there depicted as having both 'works' & 'children'. [Aid p.1543]
    Mt.11:19 Wisdom All the same, WISDOM is proved righteous by all ITS WORKS.
    Lk.7:35 Wisdom All the same, WISDOM is proved righteous by all ITS CHILDREN.
    The apostle Paul PERSONALIZED SIN & DEATH & also UNDESERVED KINDNESS as 'KINGS'
    (Rom. 5:14, 17, 21; 6:12)
    .
    [Aid p.1543]
    Rom.5:14 Death Nevertheless, DEATH RULED as KING from Adam down to Moses...
    Rom.5:17 Death For if by the trespass of the one [man] DEATH RULED as KING through that one, much more will THOSE WHO RECEIVE the abundance of the undeserved kindness & of the free gift of righteousness RULE as KINGS in life through the one [person], Jesus Christ.
    Rom.5:21 Sin & Undeserved Kindness That just as SIN RULED as KING with DEATH, likewise also UNDESERVED KINDNESS might RULE as KING through righteousness with everlasting life in view through Jesus Christ our Lord.
    Rom.6:12-14 Sin Therefore do not let SIN continue to RULE as KING in your mortal bodies that you should obey their desires. Neither go on presenting your members TO SIN as weapons of unrighteousness. For SIN must not be MASTER OVER YOU...
    He speaks of sin as 'receiving an inducement,' 'working out covetousness,' 'seducing,' & 'killing.' (Rom. 7:8-11)
    Yet it is OBVIOUS that Paul did not mean that SIN was ACTUALLY a PERSON.
    [Aid p.1543]
    Rom.7:8-11 Sin But SIN, RECEIVING AN INDUCEMENT through the commandment, WORKED out in me covetousness of every sort, for apart from the law SIN WAS DEAD. In fact, I was once alive apart from law; but when the commandment arrived, SIN CAME TO LIFE again, but I died. For SIN, RECEIVING AN INDUCEMENT through the commandment, SEDUCED ME & KILLED ME through it.
    Suppose that wisdom, discernment, sin, death, & undeserved kindness are actual BEINGS.

    Jesus actually is The Wisdom of God (1Cor.1:24,30). No offence to spirit beings intended,
    but SO WHAT if there is an angel or spirit of sin, & death, & discernment, & kindness???

    On the other hand, there are AWESOME WARNINGS of ETERNAL REPERCUSSIONS if you speak against THE HOLY SPIRIT !!!
    (Check out the 'clickable' research at the end of this page.)


    An H2O post (226102), listed 56 entries where the city of "Jerusalem" is personified. The person who posted the above information (sarcastically) concluded: "OBVIOUSLY, Jerusalem is not a mere city, SHE is a person, a woman, a prostitute." -- The H2O poster was offering these references as "proof" that references to The Holy Spirit are ALSO just due to personification.

    Jerusalem can be talked to (e.g. Ps.122:2; 137:5; Is.36:7; Is.40:2; et.al.).
    Jerusalem can praise God (Ps.147:12).
    Jerusalem had daughters (Song of Solomon).
    Jerusalem is often referred to in pronoun (SHE).
    Jerusalem has a mighty voice (Is.40:9).
    Jerusalem could stand up & can drink (Is.51:17).
    Jerusalem could be guided (Is.51:18).
    Jerusalem has borne & brought up many children (Is.51:18).
    Jerusalem could be taken by the hand (Is.51:18).
    Jerusalem could grieve & be comforted (Is.51:19).
    Jerusalem's children would faint & have wrath (Is.51:20).
    Jerusalem wore beautiful garments (Is.52:1).
    Jerusalem had a neck (Is.52:2).
    Jerusalem had ears & can hear (Jer.2:2).
    Jerusalem was deceived (Jer.2:10).
    Jerusalem had a heart (Jer.4:14).
    Jerusalem was warned (Jer.6:8).
    Jerusalem had pride (Jer.13:9).
    Jerusalem cried out (Jer.14:2).
    Jerusalem wanted pity (Jer.15:5).
    Jerusalem gave counsel (or made plans) (Jer.19:7).
    Jerusalem lived [dwelt] (Jer.33:16).
    Jerusalem was punished (Jer.44:13).
    Jerusalem had blood (Jer.51:35).
    Jerusalem remembered "precious things" (Lam.1:7).
    Jerusalem sinned (Lam.1:8).
    Jerusalem was naked (Lam.1:8).
    Jerusalem groaned (Lam.1:8).
    Jerusalem wore skirts (Lam.1:9).
    Jerusalem did not consider her future (Lam.1:9).
    Jerusalem could see (Lam.1:10).
    Jerusalem suffered pain, had bones, feet, neck, had been a virgin, wept, had eyes, a soul, hands, children, lovers, was distressed, had a spirit & a heart (Lam.1:12-22).
    Jerusalem had a mind & could reason (Ezk.16:2).
    Jerusalem was Oholibah, the sister of Oholah the elder (Ezk.23:3,4).
    Jerusalem had breasts (Ezk.23:4).
    Jerusalem was a harlot who lusted & sent messengers to seek her lovers in Babylon (Ezk.23:11).
    Jerusalem had a bed for making love (Ezk.23:17).
    Jerusalem was disgusted (Ezk.23:17).
    Jerusalem remembered the days of her youth in Egypt (Ezk.23:19).
    Jerusalem had nose & ears (Ezk.23:25).
    Jerusalem wore jewelry (Ezk.23:26).
    Jerusalem hated (Ezk.23:28).
    Jerusalem walked the way of her sister (Ezk.23:32).
    Jerusalem drank, would get drunk, & feel sorrow (Ezk.23:33).
    Jerusalem slaughtered her own children (Ezk.23:39).
    Jerusalem bathed & wore makeup (Ezk.23:40).
    Jerusalem sat on a luxurious couch & set incense & oil on a table to tempt lovers (Ezk.23:41).
    Jerusalem wore bracelets & a crown (Ezk.23:42).
    Jerusalem's children were slain & their houses burned (Ezk.23:47).
    Jerusalem was prophesied to become holy [i.e., Holy Jerusalem] (Joel 3:17).
    Jerusalem's daughter will have a kingdom (Micah 4:8).
    Jerusalem's daughter will shout (Zech.9:9).
    Jerusalem went out to Jesus (Mt.3:5).
    Jerusalem killed prophets & stoned others (Mt.23:37).
    Jerusalem lived in a house (Mt.23:38, Lk.13:34).
    Jerusalem's daughters wept (Lk.23:28).

    Because the above was offered "seriously", I responded to the post as follows:

    I apologize for not dropping in sooner to comment on your post 226102.

    YOU WROTE:
    With reference to this post about the personage of the Holy Spirit, it seems fair to consider the characteristics that personify Jerusalem as well.

    YOU'RE KIDDING
    It is absolutely incredulous that you would seriously propose that the personification of "JERUSALEM" somehow justifies dismissing the Scriptural evidence showing the personality of "THE SPIRIT THE HOLY ONE"!

    YOUR OPENING
    So, is Jerusalem a city or a personality[?]. The Bible shows that Jerusalem has the attributes of a person. -- [So, Big Deal.]

    YOUR PROOF
    "Jerusalem" ... followed by 56 entries (to somehow try to counter & neutralize the quantity of awesome Scriptures that Mark Weise compiled, & were reposted by Lynn).

    YOUR ENDING
    From the foregoing we can see, OBVIOUSLY, Jerusalem is not a mere city, SHE is a person, a woman, a prostitute. [Your sarcastic conclusion is even below what I'd expect from "You Know" -- more on par of "Fred Hall".]

    YOUR APPLES & ORANGES
    We know that the Word of God distinguishes between the soul & spirit, & the thoughts & intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12). But here we have a case where a human cannot distinguish between THE AWESOME SPIRIT OF TRUTH HIMSELF, & a city -- JERUSALEM -- a NAME -- that God uses, to speak to (& about) His people!

    YOU'RE A FEW OBSERVATIONS SHORT OF A VALID CONCLUSION
    1. The written Word of God introduces readers to the NAME of The Father, & The Son, & THE HOLY SPIRIT (Mt. 28:19)
    [Click here for much more evidence.]

    2. [Click here to see that] The Author of Scripture (i.e. The Holy Spirit Himself) only personified concepts that had ZERO IMPLICATIONS even if thought of as actual "persons". Suppose that Jerusalem, wisdom, discernment, sin, death, & undeserved kindness are actual BEINGS. No offence to spirit beings intended, but SO WHAT if there is an angel or spirit of sin, & death, & discernment, & kindness??? On the other hand, there are AWESOME WARNINGS of ETERNAL REPERCUSSIONS if you believe THE HOLY SPIRIT is a FORCE !!!

    3. Jesus Himself spoke of THE SPIRIT THE TRUTH as the paraclete Helper/Advocate/Counselor. [Click here.]

    YOUR PERIL
    NO ONE is in any danger if they concluded that "JERUSALEM" is a woman. [But you went beyond that to speak against THE SPIRIT THE HOLY ONE.] Be assured that EVERYONE is in danger if they speak against & write off THE SPIRIT THE HOLY ONE.
    [Click here for WARNINGS directly from God's Word.

    YOUR CHOICE
    I totally respect that it's your life. It's your choice. So I post this for H2O readers.

    All the best. / etalk99


    RESEARCH about: " THE > SPIRIT -- THE > HOLY (ONE) "
    Is "The Holy Spirit" a FORCE, or a Sentient BEING -- or BOTH ?

    The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society's view on "The Holy Spirit"
    deviates dramatically from the over-whelming majority of Bible-believing Christians, scholars, & researchers.
    WT dictionaries contain the following very brazen & shocking statement that summarizes their view
    & executes THE SPIRIT THE HOLY ONE !!!.

    " The Scriptures themselves unite to show that
    God's HOLY SPIRIT is NOT a
    PERSON
    but is God's active FORCE

    by which he accomplishes his purpose and executes his will
    ."

    Insight p.1019, & Aid p.1543 ~ INSIGHT On The Scriptures (1988) is the updated version of AID To Bible Understanding (1971)

    WOW !!! ~ IF The Holy Spirit is just a force, then I (& any truth-seeker)
    would be compelled by intellectual honesty & integrity, to abandon belief in the Trinity & become a JW !!!
    An honest, careful, thorough comparison of WT opinion with Scriptural evidence, shows there is no need to accept WT conclusions.

    I don't view my work as a THEOLOGICAL DEBATE. There's no prize for the winner.
    This research is to help JWs think about their eternal destiny -- it's about you & God, not about me.
    If WT teaching is wrong, you are picking a fight with the most AWESOME BEING in the universe!
    The Holy Spirit has emotion (intellect & will) & can be INSULTED & OUTRAGED !!!
    Heb.10:26-31 warns:
    For if we practice sin willfully {or stubbornly, or mindlessly, or blindly, or foolishly} after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but [there is] a certain fearful expectation of judgment & [there is] a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition. 28 Any man that has disregarded the law of Moses dies without compassion, upon the testimony of two or three. 29 Of how much more severe a punishment, do YOU think, will the man be counted worthy who has trampled upon the Son of God & who has esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, & who has OUTRAGED THE SPIRIT of undeserved kindness with contempt? 30 For we know him that said: "Vengeance is mine; I will recompense"; & again: "Jehovah will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of [the] living God.
    According to WT opinion:
  • only God the Father is Jehovah
  • The (Paraclete) Holy Spirit = God's Active Force
  • Jesus is a sub-God (a.k.a Michael the archangel).
  • According to Scripture:
  • Jesus is our Paraclete (Lawyer / Advocate) ~ 1Jn.2:1
  • The Holy Spirit is also our Paraclete ~ Jn.14:16,26; 15:26; 16:27

  • (Greek allos = another of the same kind -- not different-kind-heteros).

    Therefore:
  • God The Father -- as the Active Force PARACLETE -- is same as Jesus, & must be demoted to the archangel level.


  • Or, God The (Paraclete) Son must be elevated to equality with God The Father.
  • And God The Spirit -- as same as Jesus PARACLETE -- must be promoted to equal Personhood & Godhood !!!
  • In other words, The Trinity is alive & well.
    Like the atheist who doesn't believe in God, JWs are in for a shock when they meet THE SPIRIT THE HOLY Paraclete-Lawyer-Advocate.

    Because of deliberate, consistent, repeated, systematic emphasis, programming & reinforcement
    (a.k.a. re-education, conditioning, mind control, thought reform, brain washing),
    JWs automatically equate & substitute the Bible expression
    "The Holy Spirit" with the WT's phrase "Active Force",
    e
    ven though
    the "Active Force" phrase is a MISTRANSLATION & found only ONCE in their own Bible!!! See the NWT at Gen.1:2.

    Click here for more detail, & the WT's 28 Meanings / Senses / Interpretation-opinions for "ruach" & "pneuma" ( spirit ).


    SCRIPTURE distinguishes between:
  • The Awesome PERSON & the awesome POWER of The Holy Spirit (throughout Scripture)

  • The GIVER & the GIFT -- in Acts 2:4 for example:
    "...they all became filled with HOLY SPIRIT & started to speak with different tongues,
    just as
    THE SPIRIT
    was GRANTING them to make utterance".
    So obviously "pneuma" is not POWER-only or PERSON-only.
    The truth is that HE is an Awesome PERSON
    AND demonstrates HIS Awesome POWER.

  •  

    WT Basis for "FORCE" Concept

    My Response

     

    Scripture Basis for "PERSON" Concept

    A Absent Greek Definite Article 'the' Fact, BUT... A1 Comparison Chart: - DEMON pneuma (spirit)
    A2 Demon-Pneuma-Spirits are Sentient Beings
    A3 ABSENT Greek 'the' = Awesome POWER
    A4 PRESENT Greek 'the' = Awesome PERSON
    B Pneuma = Neuter Gender noun Fact, BUT... B1 Greek Nouns & Pronouns prove Awesome Person
    C holy spirit Associated with Impersonal Things Fact, BUT... C1 EMOTION = Personality
    C2 INTELLECT = Personality
    C3 WILL = Personality
    D The Holy Spirit has NO Personal Voice F A L S E D1 SPEAKS DIRECTLY & via Humans & Scripture
    E The Holy Spirit has NO Personal Name Unknown,
    but so what?
    E1 Names / Titles of The Holy Spirit
    E2 Testimony of Jesus (GOD-THE-WORD)
    F A 'Person' only because of Personification WT's FAULTY
    conclusion CONTRADICTS
    a host of
    "inconvenient" Scriptures
    F1 Testimony of the Whole NT
    F2 Comparison Chart: - PARACLETE (Advocate)
    F3 Awesome Scriptural Warnings
    F4 Greek Facts / Scholarship
    F5 Does the WT Misquote Scholars ?
    F6 Convincing Evidence (& "Michael")
    Click here for Kingdom Interlinear ~ Definite Article chart to see the various spellings of the neuter gender "the".

    Click here to Search a Greek Interlinear NT
    (Good info in "Tips".)
    Under "Online Bible Search" enter "spirit" beside "Search For ".
    Under "Version(s) " scroll down to "Greek Texts" & click on the next entry.
    Go back to "Search For:" box & click "Search:".

    You will be able to see (in the Greek text) when the definite article "the" is Absent (A3) or Present (A4) before or after "pneuma".
    For verses with TWO definite articles see Acts 1:16; 5:3,32; 7:51; 13:2; 20:23,28; 21:11; Heb.3:7; 9:8.
    (For more verses with double articles, click A1 above & see box 5 in all 3 columns.)

    Click here to Search a Greek NT. ~ Enter "pneuma" beside "Search" & click "GO" (top right).
    Click here for MULTIPLE Greek (& other) Bible CHOICES.

    Chart of interesting LINKS & other RESEARCH

    © 1999 - 2009 ~ All rights reserved. But non-commercial use is OK with me ~ etalk99@hotmail.com

    Email me if you feel I've made any errors, or misrepresented Watchtower theology in any way.
    I will make corrections immediately.
    P.S. There are no unanswered emails, so be assured that what I've written is fair, accurate, truthful, correct (& seemingly irrefutable).