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I was curious if anyone else had any thoughts on the difference in Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit in the Bible. (This is not the same issue as the capitalization of the s in spirit/Spirit.)

The popular website, Blue Letter Bible, tries to explain the difference by saying two different companies of translators simply translated the terms differently. But this is wrong since 1 Thess. uses both terms distinctly and deliberately (1:5-6 and 4:8 ). This would also mean the translators violated their own Rules to be observed in the Translation of the Bible (rules 8-12) which define multiple levels of proofreading and overlapping revision between companies before the KJB was approved and went to print.

I'm pretty sure the 7 instances of h/Holy s/Spirit emphasize the passive/possessive use of the Spirit (of God) when one of the other members of the Godhead are acting directly. There also seems to be an emphasis in the contexts on the holiness of the Spirit as a descriptive adjective rather than as part of the compound proper noun, Holy Ghost (see Matt. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14, I John 5:7).

The 7 instances of h/Holy s/Spirit are: Ps. 51:11, Isaiah 63:10-11, Luke 11:13, Eph. 1:13, 4:30 & I Thess. 4:8

Let me know what you think.

pastorpatrick

Ps 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Isa 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
Isa 63:11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
Lu 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Interestingly, the only place that has "Holy Spirit" (both words with an initial capital letter) is in Luke 11:13, where the parallel says,

Mt 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

The Holy Ghost is a person, but the way the term "Holy Spirit" is used, seems to emphasise the swag of gifts with that person.

Other usages with the lower case "holy" do appear to be more adjectives describing either the Spirit, or his operations ("spirit"). Psalm 51:11 seems to emphasise His work in the human heart.

Thanks for your post.

I hadn't closely examined the parallel with Matthew 7's "good things" before. This seems to whisper the Holy Spirit's function grammatically as the 'direct object'. (Not to diminish His personhood in any way.) The grammar of the KJB is an extremely fascinating subject and bears witness to it's perfection even in the jots and tittles (Matt. 5:18).

pastorpatrick

"Holy Spirit" is His office. "Holy Ghost" is His name.