The Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma both mean to breath or blow. They are often, but not always translated as spirit. Sometimes depending upon the context of these original words they can be translated as breath, breeze, wind ... in a basic sense the Bible's use of the Hebrew and Greek words which are translated as spirit has a meaning of any invisible active force. We breathe which gives us life, but we can't see the air we breathe. The wind blows the leaves around but we can't really see the wind.
The Greek word pneuma is where we get our English pneumatic and pneumonia.
An extended meaning of the word spirit is also used, both in the Bible and in modern day thinking. The spirit of the horse was broken, the spirit of the crowd is merry, he is a mean spirited person. These are used in a similar sense as wind or breathe ... there is some invisible force which produces some result. You can't see it, but it has an effect. A mental inclination, for example.
In many cases throughout both the Hebrew and Greek texts the same words are applied to both God and spirit creatures. Jehovah God and his angels are, in a sense at least to us mortals, an invisible active force.
The Holy Spirit
The holy spirit was not originally thought to be a person and part of the "Godhead" until the fourth century C.E., the early church fathers didn't believe or teach the personification of the holy spirit. Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an 'influence or mode of operation of the Deity' and Hippolytus ascribed no personality to the holy spirit. Up until the apostate church adopted the much older trinity doctrine there was no confusion that the holy spirit was simply Jehovah God's active force.
Spiritism And The Pagan Spirit
The Greek word for "spiritism" is pharmakia, from which comes the English word pharmacy. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says:
"(Eng., pharmacy etc.) primarily signified the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then, poisoning; then, sorcery. In sorcery, the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer."
In both ancient pagan as well as modern day primitive cultures spiritism was practiced with the use of drugs being used in order to contact the dead or gain access to the 'spirit' world. Since the Bible teaches that the dead are conscious of nothing, that the life force, or spirit, returns to God upon death, and that the attempt to contact the dead is an abomination - the modern day Christian teachings ... having been heavily influenced by Pagan teachings on the spirit is in contrast to the Bible and spiritually dangerous.
The Greek word pneuma is where we get our English pneumatic and pneumonia.
An extended meaning of the word spirit is also used, both in the Bible and in modern day thinking. The spirit of the horse was broken, the spirit of the crowd is merry, he is a mean spirited person. These are used in a similar sense as wind or breathe ... there is some invisible force which produces some result. You can't see it, but it has an effect. A mental inclination, for example.
In many cases throughout both the Hebrew and Greek texts the same words are applied to both God and spirit creatures. Jehovah God and his angels are, in a sense at least to us mortals, an invisible active force.
The Holy Spirit
The holy spirit was not originally thought to be a person and part of the "Godhead" until the fourth century C.E., the early church fathers didn't believe or teach the personification of the holy spirit. Justin Martyr of the second century C.E. taught that the holy spirit was an 'influence or mode of operation of the Deity' and Hippolytus ascribed no personality to the holy spirit. Up until the apostate church adopted the much older trinity doctrine there was no confusion that the holy spirit was simply Jehovah God's active force.
Spiritism And The Pagan Spirit
The Greek word for "spiritism" is pharmakia, from which comes the English word pharmacy. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says:
"(Eng., pharmacy etc.) primarily signified the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then, poisoning; then, sorcery. In sorcery, the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer."
In both ancient pagan as well as modern day primitive cultures spiritism was practiced with the use of drugs being used in order to contact the dead or gain access to the 'spirit' world. Since the Bible teaches that the dead are conscious of nothing, that the life force, or spirit, returns to God upon death, and that the attempt to contact the dead is an abomination - the modern day Christian teachings ... having been heavily influenced by Pagan teachings on the spirit is in contrast to the Bible and spiritually dangerous.
