Dr Paul Allen

James 4:5 is a notoriously difficult passage to understand. Here's the ESV:  Do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? NASB:  Do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? KJV:  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? There are three basic problems in understanding this verse, and they are all connected to the second half of the verse, which the most translations put in quotes (“He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”).  Here they are, in reverse order:  What spirit is James talking about? Is he saying that the Holy Spirit has been made to dwell in believers (the NASB way), or is he referencing the spirit that God breathed in man at creation what the ESV is going for)? Even a third option is possible: James cou...

The fact that the Holy Spirit is a person is seen in a multitude of ways in Scripture. One of the primary evidences is that the Bible repeatedly and consistently uses personal pronouns to refer to Him. He is called “He,” “Him,” and so on, not “it.” Also, He does things that we associate with personality. He teaches, He inspires, He guides, He leads, He grieves, He convicts us of sin, and more. Impersonal objects do not behave in this manner. Only a person can do these things. But the Holy Spirit is seen in Scripture not merely as personal but also as fully divine. We see this in a curious story from the book of Acts: But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? Whil...