The Holy Spirit
Classical Protestant churches confess the Holy Spirit as fully divine. Anglican Article V and many Western Protestant creeds say the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, but Protestant churches do not share one binding account of the Filioque.
Key points
- The Spirit is confessed as God, not an impersonal force.
- Anglican Article V is a historic Protestant witness, not a definition for every Protestant church.
Scripture
- John 15:26 — Jesus speaks of the Spirit who proceeds from the Father.
- Acts 2:1-4 — The Spirit is poured out at Pentecost.
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 — Paul attributes diverse gifts to the one Spirit, who distributes them as he wills.
Primary sources
The creed names the Spirit as:
The creed associated with Constantinople I confesses the Spirit's procession and equal worship with Father and Son.
the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified
Passage context and translation
The council confesses the Spirit's divine lordship and the Father's monarchy in the Creed received by the Church.
Before the excerpt
And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost,
After the excerpt
who spoke by the prophets.
Basil writes:
Basil gathers scriptural names that speak of the Spirit personally.
It is called “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father,” “right Spirit,” “a leading Spirit.”
Passage context and translation
Basil gathers the Spirit's scriptural names while explaining the Spirit's divine dignity and sanctifying work.
Before the excerpt
First of all we ask, who on hearing the titles of the Spirit is not lifted up in soul, who does not raise his conception to the supreme nature?
After the excerpt
Its proper and peculiar title is Holy Spirit; which is a name specially appropriate to everything that is incorporeal, purely immaterial, and indivisible.