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ME: Acts 5:3-4. Aninias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit (implies personhood)... they have lied to God. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person.
YOU: The holy spirit is the spirit of God. Correct.
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ME: Ephesians 4:30 "The Holy Spirit by whom (masculine) you were sealed." Paul uses a masculine pronoun here when normal grammar would expect neuter since pneuma (Spirit)is neuter. Makes sense if the Holy Spirit is a person.
YOU: Cite other passages, that we can discuss, but never address this significant grammatical issue.
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ME: Matthew 28:19-20 "baptizing them into the name (singluar) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Three viewed as one name. Very interesting. How can this be two persons and something else and then be one name?
YOU: This verse isn't attempting to describe the nature of God, it's attempting to show the formula used for baptism. Matthew 28:19 presumes that, before being baptized, believers will learn of God the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. At baptism, they enter into a personal relationship with God the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit.
ME: Yet in the paragraph immediately above this reference you say, "the Holy Spirit is not a distinct entity, but God’s divine power." If you believe this my point still remains. Why list the three if the Holy Spirit is not a distinct entity?
I really have to run for now but if you desire to answer the last post I will respond ASAP, hopefully tomorrow.
You inserted an editorial comment (implies personhood), and the asserted that it's a divine person.
Act 5:3 Peter asked, "Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You've held back some of the money you received for the land.
The Holy Spirit is God! It's God's spirit working in flesh and blood people, in this case Ananias. Ananias had God's holy spirit but chose to disregard it and lie.
Act 5:4 While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn't lie to people but to God!"
The apostle confirms that he didn't lie to people, he lied to God!
What I said stands, I just don't accept your interpetation that stretches this verse to mean that the Holy Spirit is a seperate person residing in heaven. :-). I'll get to the rest tomorrow night....I've got get up early and then have a looonggg day.
Enjoy!