The Holy Spirit is God as much as the Father and the Son are God (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), he indeed lied to God (Acts 5:4). The Holy Spirit was there in the beginning of creation (Gen. 1:2) The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit using personal pronouns, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16:13, 14; cf. Jn. 14:26). The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph. 4:30); this statement would be nonsense if the Holy Spirit was merely energy or power but is entirely understandable since He is a person.

The Holy Spirit has worked in revealing the truth through inspired men and providing miraculous confirmation (2 Pet. 1:20-21; Heb. 2:1-4). David wrote, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). The psalms David wrote came about by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1, He prefaced it by saying, “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool,’” (Mk. 12:36). The Spirit inspired prophets like Elijah and Elisha who did not write books of the Old Testament, but nevertheless spoke to Israel to turn from their idolatry (1 Kings 17:1; 18:21, 22; 2 Kings 2:15). The Spirit also gave Samson miraculous strength to deliver Israel from their enemies (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).

The Old Testament came about through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Likewise, the New Testament is what the Holy Spirit revealed through the apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:5). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to engage in miraculous activity which we do not see in the Old Testament. For example, speaking in other languages (Acts 2:6, 8, 11; 1 Cor. 14) and casting out demons (Mt. 10:8; Lk. 10:17) were abilities provided by the Holy Spirit in New Testament times, which we have no account of in the Old Testament (Mk. 16:17) —though the Holy Spirit did give an indication through Isaiah that speaking in other tongues was coming (Isa. 28:11; 1 Cor. 14:21).

The Holy Spirit has been the great revealer of divine truth throughout time. The Bible, the completed revelation of God to us, is a result of the Spirit’s work. The Spirit confirmed the word through accompanying miraculous signs (Mk. 16:17-20). God has not asked us to believe someone is speaking for Him without proof. The miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit serve as authentication. We must then beware of any who claim to be a spokesperson for God when miraculous confirmation is lacking, and the content of the teaching contradicts the Bible (Rev. 2:20). The Spirit’s work today will not oppose what He has revealed in the Scriptures.