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| English: Gian Lorenzo Bernini - Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, stained glass, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: child Jesus with the virgin Mary, with the Holy Spirit (represented as a dove) and God the Father, with child john the Baptist and saint Elizabeth on the right (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Holy Spirit
depicted as a dove descending on the Holy Family, with God the Father and
angels shown atop, by Murillo,
c. 1677.
For the large
majority of Christians,
the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, from Old English gast, "spirit") is the third divine person of the Holy Trinity: the "Triune
God" manifested as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit;
each person itself being God.[1][2][3]
The New Testament includes
over 90 references to the Holy Spirit.[4] The sacredness of the Holy Spirit is
affirmed in all three Synoptic
Gospels which proclaim blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin.[5] The Holy Spirit plays a key role in
the Pauline epistles.[6] In the Johannine writings,
three separate terms, "Holy Spirit", "Spirit of Truth", and
"Paraclete" are
used.[7]
The New Testament
details a close relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus during his earthly life and ministry.[8] The Gospels of Luke and Matthew and the Nicene Creed state that
Jesus was "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary".[9] The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus
as a dove during his
Baptism, and in his Farewell Discourse
after the Last Supper
Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples after
his departure.[10][11]
The theology of the
Holy Spirit is called pneumatology.
The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Lord and Giver of Life in the Nicene Creed. The
participation of the Holy Spirit in the tripartite nature of conversion is
apparent in Jesus' final post-Resurrection
instruction to his disciples at the end of the Gospel of
Matthew (28:19):
"make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".[12] Since the first century,
Christians have also called upon God with the name "Father, Son and Holy
Spirit" in prayer, absolution and benediction.[13][14]
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