in Hebrew, רוח, in Greek, ϖνεῦμα, and in Latin, _spiritus_, is
in the Scriptures sometimes taken for the Holy Ghost, the third person
of the Holy Trinity. The word signifies also the reasonable soul which
animates us, and continues in existence even after the death of the
body: that spiritual, thinking and reasoning substance, which is capable
of eternal happiness, Num. xvi, 22; Acts vii, 59. The term spirit is
also often used for an angel, a demon, and a ghost, or soul separate
from the body. It is said, in Acts xxiii, 8, that the Sadducees denied
the existence of angels and spirits. Jesus Christ appearing to his
disciples, said to them, Luke xxiv, 39, “Handle me and see, for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” And St. Paul calls the
good angels “ministering spirits,” Heb. i, 14. In 1 Sam. xvi, 14; xviii,
10; xix 9, it is said that an evil spirit from the Lord troubled Saul:
and we have also the expression unclean spirits. Add to this, spirit is
sometimes put for the disposition of the heart or mind: see Num. v, 14;
Zech. xii, 10; Luke xiii, 11; Isa. xi, 2. Discerning of spirits, or the
secret character and thoughts of men, was a gift of God, and placed
among the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii, 10; 1 John iv,
1.
in the Scriptures sometimes taken for the Holy Ghost, the third person
of the Holy Trinity. The word signifies also the reasonable soul which
animates us, and continues in existence even after the death of the
body: that spiritual, thinking and reasoning substance, which is capable
of eternal happiness, Num. xvi, 22; Acts vii, 59. The term spirit is
also often used for an angel, a demon, and a ghost, or soul separate
from the body. It is said, in Acts xxiii, 8, that the Sadducees denied
the existence of angels and spirits. Jesus Christ appearing to his
disciples, said to them, Luke xxiv, 39, “Handle me and see, for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” And St. Paul calls the
good angels “ministering spirits,” Heb. i, 14. In 1 Sam. xvi, 14; xviii,
10; xix 9, it is said that an evil spirit from the Lord troubled Saul:
and we have also the expression unclean spirits. Add to this, spirit is
sometimes put for the disposition of the heart or mind: see Num. v, 14;
Zech. xii, 10; Luke xiii, 11; Isa. xi, 2. Discerning of spirits, or the
secret character and thoughts of men, was a gift of God, and placed
among the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii, 10; 1 John iv,
1.