Fruits of Spirit 

（ Galatians 5: 22-23）

(This is Bread-Light website post )

(Christian Bible Study)

( Chinese post: 8 / 8 / 2025 )

 ( English translation: 9 / 1 / 2025 ）

（ 中文貼文是 首先直接撰寫；

英文翻譯是 以文字直譯 從中文貼文 ）

(English translation is literally 

translated from Chinese post)

 Spirits: in ancient culture

Holy Spirit:

Biblical, theological

Trinity:

God, Christ, Holy Spirit

 Love, joy, peace, patience 

Kindness, goodness, faithfulness 

Gentleness, self-control 

Click the following audio and listen to the light music on "Fruits of Spirit". 

點擊下列聲錄，聽輕音樂 “聖靈的果子”。

.

( Picture: in Old Testaments, the spirit of God (God’s angel) manifest in the form of burning bush (Exodus 3:2). In New Testaments, Holy Spirit appear as tongues of flame in Pentecost gathering. During Jesus baptism Holy Spirit descend like a dove in peaceful way.)

Introduction to this post:

In this post, we will describe Holy Spirit, and how to understand it:

-from cultural perspectives;

-from Biblical & theological views;

-from true God’s attributes.

We begin with brief introduction of Holy Spirit, then further elucidation, and finally conclude with “interpretation of Trinity” via the belief in true God’s omnipotence.

Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit is the spirit of true God; is one hypostasis of “Triune God”. There is one only true God in the universe.  True God manifest via three hypotheses: true God, Christ, Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, who appeared on earth two thousands years ago, is existing in term of ontology. The true God, in ontology (or metaphysics), is in “special metaphysics” discussion category. As for Holy Spirit, may firstly be analogized by getting to know the spirits in ancient culture; may be described clearly in Biblical theology; may be studied in systematic theology; and may be interpreted via the concept of “omnipotent one only true God”.

The essence of spirit:

What is spirit? First, get to know it via culture. Ancient people generally believed that, apart from concrete existing body, humans must have some “abstract existing essence”, to sustain the activity of body and thought. In various eras, regions, languages, cultures, its multiple names were exemplified largely as follows:

-breath-wind-pneuma:

abstract, not concrete oxygen gas.

-anima-soul-atman:

abstract, not psychological.

-spirit:

abstract, often represents life itself.

(in which, pneuma is Greek; anima is Latin; atman is Sanskrit “self”)

Throughout ages, names could be modified or changed, yet meanings remained. Among these names along with their synonyms, the two words “soul” & “spirit”, had broadly been mentioned in ancient cultural writings & were often synonymous and exchangeable.

That 3  kinds of synonyms mentioned above all denote the abstract essence, which is non-concrete, shapeless, imperishable. Even if modern science may be explaining human activity & mind, as the result of food nutrients & oxygen proceeding bio-chemical & other reactions, yet that is still not enough for explaining the mystery and complexity of life. Various unknown factors had made ancient people believe in the existence of spirit (or by other synonyms) and search for its characteristic.

Natural spirits:

Ancient people thought of human concrete body and human spirit, and believed that certain spirits may exist in natural things, such as:

-sun, moon, stars, mountains, seas, rivers, deserts, sky, underground, storms, animals, plants, among natural concrete objects;

-light, darkness, flame🔥, thunder-lightning⚡️, out of non-concrete yet detectable natural phenomena;

-wisdom, good, evil, love, malice, and other abstract natural forms.

These natural things, according to ancient people, also had spirits (or named deities in some polytheisms). Their powers were believed to be quite limited.

Supernatural spirits:

As for supernatural phenomena, ancient people considered them as activities of spirits which owned supernatural powers. Ancient near eastern people occasionally could see, on the surfaces of seas, lakes, roads, or desert grounds, various scenes of “mirage, animal illusion”. From the viewpoints of modern science, that is related to “dynamic optical images”, one of real natural phenomena. But the ancient desert people, who yet had no knowledge of modern science, considered those dynamic optical scenes as the acts of supernatural spirits (e.g., “jinn” in ancient Arabian mythology).

Across the progression of eras, ancient people’s early views, on the limited power of spirits (or deities), had been gradually transformed. The advanced views were: more powers, even supernatural powers.

Meanwhile, during certain era’s proceeding period some ancient people might have acquired brand new perceptions, which led them to accept new spirit (deity). Some new spirit could own brand new power including supernatural power.

Items helping civilization progress:

Tools undoubtedly have helped humans achieve their goals. But tools are invented & made by people,thus short of mystery. On the other hand, fire-flame🔥seems mysterious.

When fire appeared in front of early ancient humans, it came through astonishing source, like thunder-lightning⚡️or volcano. Fortunately, humans eventually controlled & kept fire for cooking and lighting. Thereafter it functioned beyond simply as physical sources of heat and light, it also functioned as a symbol of spirituality.

While “fire and lamps” helped ancient people extend normal daily activities into dark night, they did what sunlight could not achieve: empowering people overcome their fear, ignorance, and resignation in nighttime darkness. From cultural perspective, those ancient mythical views, claiming that “light / darkness owned equal power”, had become out of date. Light overpowered darkness. Humans could overcome darkness (ancient people viewed darkness as symbol of the depth & chaos). Light & fire-flame🔥would achieve victory & justice. The flame of fire would manifest power and goodness.

The flame of Holy Spirit:

Ordinary fire at burning, will ruin things in its flame. But the “flame of Holy Spirit” will not ruin things in its flame due to supernatural power. On the other hand, sun can “not” be regarded as supernatural for not causing obvious damage to things under its sunlight.

The sun is a created thing (Genesis 1), just same as ordinary fire. Both belong to natural things. But the “flame of burning bush” which didn’t ruin bush (Exodus 3:2), is supernatural. It is the flame of Holy Spirit, symbolizing the manifestation of God.

Holy Spirit in Biblical Theology:

God inspired the authors of the Bible, letting them use culturally familiar words (from languages, mythology, customs, etc.) to write the messages given by God. Terms that describe the true God in Bible, and their corresponding ancient near eastern cultural backgrounds, are exemplified as follows:

-let us: in ancient mythology, God created “helpers” to do the jobs.

-angel: in ancient mythology, God’s helper angel served as messenger; did what God asked; manifested God’s activities,

-flame: in some ancient mythology, flame symbolized god.

-Spirit of God: the phrase “ Spirit of God” implies God’s activity, power, thought, manifestation, etc. 

These terms appear several times in Old Testaments to describe the true God as well as Holy Spirit.

In New Testaments, there are more mentions of the term “Holy Spirit”, which signifies the activity, power, thought, manifestation, etc. of God.

Although no direct mention of Trinity in Bible, yet there is proper revelation that, the hypostasis of Holy Spirit is equivalent to the hypostasis of God. (Hypostasis is a term in theology for describing distinct individual basis.)

Holy Spirit in Systematic Theology:

For many centuries, theology scholars have tried to apply some philosophical arguments and other academic research methods to systematize the theology, and to find the systemic nature of theology. One of the main studies is Trinitarian theology: God, Christ, Holy Spirit, the Trinity. While their positions may vary, a view had become popular which defines Trinity as: one God existing in three coeternal, “consubstantial” divine persons, where three distinct persons (hypostases) sharing one substance (homoousion).

In the next paragraph, we are presenting our interpretation of Trinity with 3 attributes of God:

Omnibenevolence; 

Omniagape;

Omnipotence.

God's omnipotence & Trinity:

Since true God is of highest good will (Omni-benevolence), so is the Spirit of God, named as Holy Spirit. By the words “the Spirit of God”, it implies a concept in early ancient culture: individual has “concrete-abstract” essence.

For God is of highest Agape (Omni-Agape), so God sent “beloved Son” to save people, thus implying “father-son” cultural perspective. By these viewpoints, some scholars consider the theism on “God - Spirit ; Father - Son” past the tenet of “one only true God”.

However, by recognizing true God’s Omnipotence, Creativeness, and Uniqueness, anyone may imagine “what God has created”:

could be of divine nature;

could represent Himself; even 

could be Himself; and

could be Himself of any form.

Yet this isn’t saying “two-Gods or multi-Gods”, for first we have already recognized true God as one only, self-existing and omnipresent. As for how God self-exist; how God self-create, that is not what we could realize. We humans are created and belong to the nature.

Furthermore, God’s creation differs absolutely from that in pantheism / panentheism. Some ancient mythologies (as in pantheism and panentheism) held views that; God existed in every object of nature, even in the whole universe.

But Bible describes that, God created things and kept them and Himself separate. God allowed the created humans to enjoy the privileges of freedom. Yet God continues His caring for people.

As for the divinity of Christ and of Holy Spirit, we may consider their divine nature, as either the result of God’s creation or the result of God’s emanation (a theological term). Although we may not be able to know how Trinity took place, we can still be assured: due to God’s OMNIPOTENCE God can achieve that Christ and Holy Spirit are both of divine as God Himself, and still keep the fact that, there is “one only true God”.

Summary:

In this post, we applied analogy of “spirits in ancient culture” for our direct understanding on Holy Spirit. We also presented Biblical and theological views. Besides, we described how the fundamental belief in “Omnipotent one only true God” can lead to a reasonable interpretation on Trinity.

The fruits of Spirit:

( Galatians 5:22-23, ESV )

But the fruits of Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,

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