is the holy ghost a spirit?

The short answer is yes, but let us substantiate this response by the Bible. John 7:39 reads, "(But this spake he of the SPIRIT [emphasis mine], which they that believe on him should receive: for the HOLY GHOST [emphasis mine] was not yet given." This verse substantiates that "the Holy Ghost" and "the Spirit" are the one-and-selfsame divine Personage. God is a Triune Godhead, and each Person has a distinct role in man's salvation. Many times, there are multiple roles each divine Personage fills. 

Christ is referred to as Savior, Lord, Christ, King, and many other titles. They each describe a role He fills. Ephesians 4:4 tells us, "There is ... one Spirit." In the original Greek, the same word, pneuma, is rendered as both "Ghost" in "Holy Ghost" and as "Spirit." As with most texts, the greater context must be considered to see what the appropriate corresponding English word should be. 

Though there is only "one Spirit," there are at least twenty-five different descriptive names given to Him. Some speak more to His Person and others to the different actions He performs. His proper name is "The Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Many of those twenty-five names speak to a role He performs, such as: "the spirit of judgment" (Isaiah 4:4); "the Spirit of truth" (John 16:13); "the spirit of holiness" (Romans 1:4); and "the Spirit of life" (Romans 8:2). "The Holy Ghost" is a definite, divine Personage of the Triune Godhead, but He is a spirit being.

Earl R. Borders

From the September 2024 issue of The Gospel Trumpeter