First Century Jewish Views of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

The concept of “the” holy Spirit” (Ruah ha-Kodesh) is not uncommon in the Talmud, Targums, Midrash, the DSS[1] and other first century Jewish writings;[2] the OT only has two examples of the concept (Pss 51:11, Isa 63:10) and an article is not used (Ruah Kodesh). The LXX, however, does carry the article in these instances, where we have “the Spirit the holy”. While it is conventional to express the concept substantively as “the holy Spirit”, the Hebrew and Greek could also be read attributively as the “Spirit of Holiness”. In terms of the OT, Pss 51:11 is naturally read in an attributive way, while Isa 63:10 is naturally read substantively. The substantive and attribute use of Ruah ha-Kodesh is found in Jewish writings. In this article we will examine what is implied in a “substantive” view of the Spirit.

The Nature of the Spirit

Unlike Wisdom, scholars generally do not ascribe to the Jews of the first century a hypostatic view of the Spirit. James D. G. Dunn comments; “The cosmic speculation which gave such prominence to Wisdom and Logos hardly touched the Spirit. In talk of the divine-human relationship Wisdom is the wholly dominant figure, with ‘spirit’ as we have seen not much more than a way of defining Wisdom (Wisd 1.6f; 7.22-5;9.17), and even prophecy is attributed to Wisdom rather than to the Spirit (Wisd 7.27; Sir 24.33). Philo still thinks of the Spirit as the Spirit of prophecy (‘the prophetic Spirit’ —e.g. Fug. 186, Mos. I.277), but while in his treatment of creation the divine Spirit has a place, the dominant category is still the divine Logos.” [3] Dunn concludes that, “of the Spirit as an entity in any sense independent of God, of Spirit as a divine hypostasis, there is nothing”.

In studies of Jewish cosmology, the category of a hypostasis is important, but the conceptual category is vexed.[4] The foundational study on the topic is that of W. Bousset, Die Religion des Judentums im späthellenistischen Zeitalter.[5] His views were attacked by G. F. Moore,[6] and Helmer Ringgren[7] has also contributed to the debate. More recently, Larry Hurtado has argued that proposals in this area are “neither very clear nor compelling”.[8] Max Turner argues that, “however close Judaism may have drawn to hypostatizing an angelic being or a divine attribute, at no point does a hypostatization of God’s Spirit come into question”.[9] Such a factor tells against the doctrine of the Trinity.

An attributive hypostatization is one where the attributes of the deity are regarded as having independent existence.[10] A linguistic hypostatization is “the figural translation of any non-corporeal quantity into a physical, corporeal one”.[11] Dunn offers a definition of literary hypostatization as, “a habit of language which by use and wont develops what is only an apparent distinction between Yahweh and one of these words and phrases…a literary or verbal device to speak of God’s action without becoming involved in a more complicated description of how the transcendent God can intervene on earth”.[12] Thus, for example, the rabbinical literature employs a formula—“the Holy Spirit cries”,[13] but this is just a literary hypostatization. The problem with this approach is that it does not fit the data in the NT; here it is better to talk of a personification of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit and Wisdom

Although it seems that the holy Spirit (in contrast with Wisdom/Logos theology) plays a comparatively limited role in the Old Testament, this is largely due to a failure to recognize the interchangeability and overlap between these terms. Whereas in Genesis the creative power is the Spirit (Gen 1:2), in Proverbs 8 it becomes Wisdom. In the Apocrypha the creative Spirit-breath of God becomes the creative Wisdom-breath of Elyon:

Wisdom sings her own praises, before her own people she proclaims her glory; In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, in the presence of his hosts she declares her worth: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High and covered the earth like a mist. I dwelt in high places and my throne was in a pillar of cloud. Alone I made the circuit of the vault of heaven and have walked in the depth of the abyss. (Sir 24.1-6)

Wisdom and the Holy Spirit are equated in Wisd 9.17:

And who shall know thy thought, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above. (Wisd 9:17, cf. Prov. 8.15 -16)

Wisdom is once again linked with the Spirit of God and the creation motif at the construction of the tabernacle (the new heavens and earth):

See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah (Exod 31: 2)…and filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in all manner of knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship… (Exod 35: 30-36:2)

Not only is the wisdom/spirit terminology largely interchangeable but personification did not transgress the strict sense of Jewish monotheism.[14]

Luke employs the same spirit/wisdom categories when he describes the ministry of the seven in Acts 6,

It is not fit that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables, wherefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (Acts 6:2b, 3)

Stephen is specifically said to have Wisdom and Spirit, for when he was arrested and put on trial by the Sanhedrin (seventy), they were not able to resist “the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake”.

It is obvious that Luke is drawing on Proverbs 8 and 9 and combining this with the outpouring of the Spirit in Numbers 11:

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. (Prov 9.1, 2)

In Numbers 11, the seventy were jealous of the two who prophesied away from tabernacle, and who, apparently, had also received the Spirit.  It is clear then that primitive Christianity associated the covenant meal/vision and the outpouring of the Spirit on the seventy with “Wisdom furnishing her table”: thus, for Luke the holy Spirit in action at that time was the same as Wisdom at work creating a new creation in Christ.

Jesus “stood and cried” concerning the dispensing of the Spirit to believers,

In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7.37-39

Jesus, (who had the Spirit without measure) speaks with the authority of the Spirit and becomes in this sense a personification of the Holy Spirit (in the same way as the wilderness Angel). This may seem unusual until we realise that elsewhere in the NT, Jesus is presented as the personification of the “Wisdom of God.”

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send unto them prophets and apostles; and some of them they shall kill and persecute; that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation Luke 11:49 (ASV)

Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city Matt 23:34 (ASV)

Hence, Paul also equates Jesus with Wisdom, “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 ASV)

Conclusion

New Testament usage of the “holy Spirit” is consistent with the Old Testament. Although it is sometimes personified, and often linked with these same terms, it was in no means regarded as a hypostatization by first century Jews and Christians.

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