Failure to recognize how a Bible word is used has been the source of much misunderstanding and false teaching. Not knowing how the word "spirit" is used in the Holy Scriptures, some misunderstand the Holy Spirit.

The First Rule of Grammar. No word is a part of speech until it first appears in context. Words are often used in different ways and have various meanings. Take the word "bear," for example. Cain said unto the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13). The angel of the Lord told Sarai, "Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son…" (Gen. 16:11). God commanded Israel, "Thou shalt not bear false witness" (Exod. 20:16). David said to Saul, "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear…" (1 Sam. 17:34). One wouldn't expect to encounter an animal every time he sees the word "bear" in the Bible. Yet, about every time some see the word "spirit" they think they have found the Holy Spirit. Some do not stop there but conclude that it is some miraculous effect or Holy Spirit baptism. By not allowing the context to determine the use and meaning of the word, some have reached erroneous conclusions concerning the Holy Spirit.

A Good Way to Study. The word "spirit" occurs over 500 times in the Bible. The word "spirit" is put to use in several, distinct ways in both the Old and New Testaments. Vine's Expository Dictionary, for example, cites eighteen different uses of the word translated "spirit" in the New Testament. I recommend that you get your Bible, a complete concordance, and a pencil and paper. Look at every text in which the word "spirit" is used, and allow the context to determine the use of the word. Once the proper use and meaning have been determined, write down on your sheet of paper the different uses of the word: the human spirit (Jas. 2:26), attitude (Rom. 8:15; 11:8; Gal. 6:1), the Holy Spirit (Heb. 2:4), etc. Beneath each heading, jot down the passages in which the word "spirit" is used that way. Once you've separated out those passages where the word "spirit" is used of the Holy Spirit, go back and again read those verses.

The Words "Holy Ghost" and "Holy Spirit." The King James uses these terms interchangeably. "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 7:39). "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The words "Holy Spirit" and "Holy Ghost" mean the same thing and refer to one and the same person.

The Word "Spirit" Used as the Cause for the Effect. A figure of speech known as Metonymy of the Cause must not be overlooked when studying the Holy Spirit. "Metonymy of the Cause is when the cause is put for the effect: i.e., when the doer is put for the thing done…" (E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, p. 538). An example is when the author is put for his writings. The eunuch "read Esaias the prophet" (Acts 8:28). Was he literally reading Isaiah the prophet? No, he was reading what Isaiah wrote – Isaiah 53:7-8. Paul talked about "when Moses is read" (2 Cor. 3:15), another case where the author is put for his writings (metonymy of the cause). Sometimes the Spirit is put for the Word which was revealed by the Spirit. We are "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6) or "born…by the word of God" (1 Pet. 1:23). Likewise, the Spirit is put for miraculous manifestations of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit did not literally and personally take up residence in the apostles when "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit was not literally and personally given "through laying on of the apostles' hands" (Acts 8:17-18; 19:6). The Spirit is named for the gifts and operations of the Spirit (cause for effect).

Use Is Not Determined by Capitalization or by the Presence or Absence of "Holy" or "The." The use of the word "spirit" is not determined by whether the word is capitalized or not. Nor is it determined by whether the word is preceded by the adjective "holy" or the article "the." In Matthew 22:43 Jesus said, "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying." Neither "the" or "holy" come before the word "spirit" and the word is not capitalized, yet the Holy Spirit is intended as Mark 12:36, a parallel passage, shows: "For David himself said by the Holy Ghost…." Thus, "David in spirit" equates with "David…by the Holy Ghost." And there are occasions where the word "Spirit" is capitalized, but the Holy Spirit is not intended according to the context. Some examples include: Romans 8:15 (Spirit of adoption), Galatians 4:6 (Spirit of His Son), and 1 John 4:13 (His Spirit). The contexts clearly show attitude or disposition is intended and not the Holy Spirit.

Let us carefully consider the context to determine what was intended by the writer of the text. Let us not just see the word "spirit" and conclude that it is talking about the Holy Spirit or some miraculous effect of the Holy Spirit.