There is a discovery I have made that really helps me in how I relate to and interact with the Holy Spirit. As I studied the pronouns used for the Holy Spirit in the original Greek, I noticed that the Greek pronoun often used for the Holy Spirit is a gender-neutral pronoun (it is not explicitly male or female). In fact, it can be used for either male or female while describing only one person.

We do not have this type of pronoun in our English language. We have he, she, and it. It is a pronoun for an object or an animal. He refers to a male, and she refers to a female. There is no singular, gender-neutral pronoun to describe a male or female. But such a gender-neutral pronoun does exist in the Greek, and in the New Testament, you will find it used often in reference to the Holy Spirit. Again, this pronoun refers to a being, not an object.

In the Old Testament, you will find something similar. In the original Hebrew, there are many cases where the action assigned to the Holy Spirit is feminine by function (not feminine by form). The Hebrews often wrote according to function (according to what someone or something did, as opposed to who or what it was). Nowhere in Scripture is the Holy Spirit ever described as female, but some of His actions were assigned an attribute of femininity.

This is a deep topic that I do not have room to expound on here, but let me make one thing abundantly clear: I do not think the Holy Spirit is a female. In fact, let me write that again more directly: the Holy Spirit is not a female. Some people teach this doctrine, and I find it to be ungrounded and highly sensationalized. Please get that notion way out of your head. The Holy Spirit is not a goddess.

Here is what I am saying. We must remember that God was not created in our image. We were created in His image. I know that sounds elementary, but this truth is of paramount importance as we continue in this study. In Genesis 1:27 we read, “God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female” (NLT). Other translations say “God created man” or “mankind.” Personally, I think “human beings” or “mankind” is the best translation. So in Genesis we learn that God created men and women in His image. The question has to be asked, if He created both male and female in His image, then doesn’t this mean that the characteristics we might consider “feminine” must have their origin in God? Is it possible that the being of the Holy Spirit supersedes or transcends our understanding of male or female? It must be, for both men and women were created in the image of God.

I am sure you have noticed that I have referred to the Holy Spirit as “He,” “Him,” or “Himself” throughout this book, and I will continue to do so. This concept—of the Holy Spirit’s having attributes that we categorize as feminine—can be complex and confusing for English-speaking people. So why am I writing on this? I wouldn’t include this topic if I didn’t think it could improve your understanding of and relationship with the Holy Spirit.