Spirit?

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DPMartin

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what is the actual substances of spirit, we know God is a Spirit, Jesus says so. and I do believe scripture states that God is the Father of spirits.

but what is spirit and the substances thereof? and also, just how powerful is spirit in comparison to the physical part of creation? which is greater, bla bla bla.

I'm not sure Christians as a whole really understand just what spirit is.
 

justbyfaith

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If you understand it, by all means give us your teaching on the subject.
 

lforrest

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John 4:24

This says God is spirit, it does not say he is a spirit in many translations. Is there a distinction to be made there?
 
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marks

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John 4:24

This says God is spirit, it does not say he is a spirit in many translations. Is there a distinction to be made there?
That's a good point! :)

It reminds me . . . "God is love", not "God has love", or, "God loves", not that I think those untrue, but the Scripture is, "God is love".

And as I think about it, this kind of phraseology is used in a number of places, wisdom, righteousness, so on.

I'm not sure what that means to this OP though!

Much love!
 

justbyfaith

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John 4:24

This says God is spirit, it does not say he is a spirit in many translations. Is there a distinction to be made there?
Clearly the correct translation is that God the Father is "a" Spirit.

For we see from Ephesians 4:4 that there is one Spirit.

For those of us who hold the kjv to be inspired and inerrant, there is only one conclusion.

Others may go to other translations to tell them what their itching ears want to hear.
 
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DPMartin

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If you understand it, by all means give us your teaching on the subject.

yes and no

there's the spirit of fear for instance and we know devils and the like are spirit so on and so forth. but in the case of God one could ponder what does God look like seeing He is a Spirit. thing is just what is the substances of spirit? its something we might be wise to understand clearly.

for example a sporting event were the home crowed has spirit and its manifest when the home team does well.
 

101G

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one thing we must keep in mind, abstract and concrete are from our point of view. but please understand that we live in a created world, and not the real world, whom is God. for we have our being and movement in HIM. so God is more real than we, for all of this is nothing but a creation, a shadow of the REAL WORLD.

PICJAG.
 
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lforrest

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Clearly the correct translation is that God the Father is "a" Spirit.

For we see from Ephesians 4:4 that there is one Spirit.

For those of us who hold the kjv to be inspired and inerrant, there is only one conclusion.

Others may go to other translations to tell them what their itching ears want to hear.

That is a very scholarly determination, While God is Spirit implies God is "a" Spirit there is a depth of meaning lost by translating it as such.

Ephesians 4:4 refers to the one Holy Spirit who is in believers unifying them with Christ and one-another.

Which version of the KJV do you consider to be inspired and inerrant, the 1611? with or without apocrypha?

I didn't know there were other translations of John 4:24 until I clicked it and it showed something unfamiliar.
 

VictoryinJesus

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what is the actual substances of spirit,


Makes me think of Luke 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

good questions concerning spirit. Bondage. Or Liberty. 1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Wouldn’t God be the Spirit of truth.

Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report. [3] Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Romans 8:14-15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 2 Timothy 1:7

1 Kings 22:21-23 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. [22] And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. [23] Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
 

VictoryinJesus

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Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Wouldn’t God be the Spirit of truth.

Sobering verses on lying and error:
1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
 
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Heart2Soul

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I would think that He has a form but not flesh....I can imagine Him as pure light....pure energy....and having the ability to appear to our physical eyes and carnal mind as He sees fit.
Consider this verse:
2 Kings 6:17
“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
What he saw was there all along but couldn't be seen by the physical eyes....God opened his eyes to see spiritually....so they have form....but it isn't flesh like ours.
 
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justbyfaith

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That is a very scholarly determination, While God is Spirit implies God is "a" Spirit there is a depth of meaning lost by translating it as such.

Ephesians 4:4 refers to the one Holy Spirit who is in believers unifying them with Christ and one-another.

Which version of the KJV do you consider to be inspired and inerrant, the 1611? with or without apocrypha?

I didn't know there were other translations of John 4:24 until I clicked it and it showed something unfamiliar.
I believe that there is a depth of meaning that is lost by not translating it as such.

In answer to your question, the one that I carry in my pocket. The apocrypha are not inspired; while they are useful in understanding history.
 

Taken

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what is the actual substances of spirit, we know God is a Spirit, Jesus says so. and I do believe scripture states that God is the Father of spirits.

but what is spirit and the substances thereof? and also, just how powerful is spirit in comparison to the physical part of creation? which is greater, bla bla bla.

I'm not sure Christians as a whole really understand just what spirit is.

Natural man "has" a Natural spirit.
It is the Natural man's, Natural Truth in his Heart.
(That Truth/spirit CAN and often Does Conflict with the same man's Minds, ideas, intent, deceit, actions) That results in dis-harmony within the person, causing Sorrow, guilt, depression, and a whole list of clinically defined mental illnesses.)

Substance? Human Eyes can not See a Truth.
I heard of a 3-4 yr old describing her angel friends flying over a cemetery and looked like cloud People.

Glory to God,
Taken
 

Enoch111

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what is the actual substances of spirit
Spirit is immaterial and has no substance. It is not found in the natural realm but in the supernatural. God and the Holy Spirit are Spirits, and all angels are spirit beings (but they can also take human form).
 
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Taken

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John 4:24

This says God is spirit, it does not say he is a spirit in many translations. Is there a distinction to be made there?

God is Spirit ... John 4:24
God has spirits....Rev 3:1

Once said, it is what it is.
God does not Change.
But then The Almighty has many methods to communicate with man who can not See Him.

Glory to God,
Taken
 

Heart2Soul

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I found this Blog...and thought you guys might enjoy it....
Is God Made of Energy?
Is God Made of Energy?
William Lane Craig — February 28, 2014

This is the weekly Q & A blog post by our Research Professor in Philosophy, Dr. William Lane Craig.

Question

Dr. Craig,

I read your excellent book "Creation out of Nothing" and I agree with it!

However, doesn't God need tremendous (if not infinite) energy to create something out of nothing? Is God's energy something rather than nothing? What is God's Mind made of if it is immaterial?

Obviously something must be eternal for there to be anything. And to avoid the problem of an infinite physical regression, it cannot be something physical.

Therefore is there a type of energy that is not physical that God uses to create? Or is He made up of immaterial energy?

Please let us know your thoughts about this, because many of us are not sure how this can be.

Many thanks,

In Christ,

Mark

United States

Dr. William Lane Craig’s Response

We shouldn’t think of God as literally made out of energy, Mark. For energy is a physical reality. Remember Einstein’s famous equation e = mc2? It tells us that energy and matter are basically interchangeable. Matter can be converted into energy and vice versa. As such, energy and matter are part of the created world. God created all the matter and energy in the universe.

So to say that God needed a tremendous amount of energy in order to create something out of nothing gets things backwards. He created the matter and energy out of nothing, that is to say, He created the matter and energy, period. What you really want to say, I think, is that God must be extraordinarily powerful, if not infinitely powerful, in order to create something from nothing. That claim is literally true. Indeed, the medieval theologian John Duns Scotus argued for divine omnipotence precisely because in order to bridge the chasm between being and non-being God would need to be infinitely powerful. Be that as it may, classical theism does affirm that God is omnipotent or maximally powerful.

Since God just is an infinite Mind, the question, “What is God’s Mind made of?” is no different than the question, “What is God made of?” The answer is that God is not made out of anything, anymore than your mind is made out of something. Philosophers routinely talk about realities that are not made out of anything, like minds, time, and mathematical objects. Unfortunately, we are so schooled in materialism that we find it difficult to free ourselves from its assumption.

So the only way to speak truthfully of God’s having great energy is metaphorical, not literal. But given the New Age talk of energy in a quasi-religious, impersonal, pantheistic sense, I think we would be well-advised to stay away from such misleading language. Better to talk literally and truthfully of God’s omnipotence and in corporeality.
 
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Heart2Soul

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This is really awesome as well!
How is God Described in the Bible? | 7 Qualities of God
The 7 Special Qualities of God
Many people wonder, ‘how is God described in the bible?”, and while we may not know everything about the nature of God, there are some things we can know about who God is. Throughout Scripture, God is defined as Spirit, a person, life, self-existent, unchanging, unlimited by time and space, and a unity. To understand God better, it is important to understand these seven aspects of His nature.

God is a Spirit
Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Even though the King James Version uses the article “a” with Spirit, God should not be referred to as a Spirit, which means “one of many.” The original languages should be interpreted to read “God is spirit,” which describes his nature.

As Spirit, God is not limited by a physical body. “Spirit” means incorporeal being. God is a real Being who does not exist in or through a physical body (Luke 24:39). Although God is said to have hands (Isa. 65:2), feet (Ps. 8:6), eyes (1 Kings 8:29) and fingers (Exod. 8:19), he is not to be understood as having a physical body. God attributes human form and personality to himself in order to relate to humanity in terms meaningful to us. In some passages God is also said to have wings (Ps. 17:8; 36:7) and feathers (Ps. 91:4), but this figurative language, depicting God as a protecting mother bird, does not imply that God has a physical body.

A spirit is also invisible. Though God was in the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness, he was never visible to the nation (Deut. 4:15). There are some passages in Scripture where it seems that men actually saw God (Gen. 32:30; Exod. 3:6; 34:9, 10; Num. 12:6-8; Deut. 34:10; Isa. 6:1). Actually, it would be more correct to say these men saw a reflection of God, but did not see him directly. The only ones who have seen God are those who saw Christ, “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Because God is invisible Spirit, no one has ever seen him (John 1:18; 1 Tim. 1:17).

The second commandment is a ban on the making of idols. It prevents the use of idols in religious service. God prohibits idols for many reasons but one of them was because God is Spirit.

When we acknowledge that God is Spirit (John 4:24), we recognize that God is not limited by a physical body. The word “spirit” means “incorporeal being.” God is sometimes described by metaphors of a physical body (hands, Isa. 65:2; feet, Ps. 8:6; eyes, 1 Kings 8:29; and fingers, Ex. 8:19). These expressions describe aspects of God such as His strength, steadfastness or insight rather than providing a physical description of God’s “body.” Other biblical metaphors describe God as having wings (Ps. 17:8) and feathers (Ps. 91:4), but that does not mean God is a bird. These expressions describe God’s care for us comparing it to a hen’s care for her chicks.

The rest of this article is really good as well....
 

quietthinker

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what is the actual substances of spirit, we know God is a Spirit, Jesus says so. and I do believe scripture states that God is the Father of spirits.

but what is spirit and the substances thereof? and also, just how powerful is spirit in comparison to the physical part of creation? which is greater, bla bla bla.

I'm not sure Christians as a whole really understand just what spirit is.
I think the question you are asking is not revealed to man. To probe further therein results only in speculation and ignorant mumbo jumbo.
 

VictoryinJesus

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Spirit is immaterial and has no substance.

Faith has no substance? What of the fruit of the Spirit which are by Christ? Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

how can that which has no substance and is immaterial endure all things even until the end and remain when tried? (imo) that is like saying the word of God has no substance and is immaterial? Or 2 Corinthians 4:11 has no substance ‘For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest (seen)in our mortal flesh.’

John 14:7-10 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. [8] Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Hebrews 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; [25] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; [26] Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. [27] By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Spirit is immaterial and has no substance? How then is the Spirit of God which is immaterial and has no substance ...made manifest and seen? I’m sorry but (imo)it seems backwards and instead it is that which is temporal which has no substance except what God gives it in displaying or revealing Him and His Mercy.