“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16 KJV).
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." NASB
AUTO as an Neuter Pronoun in the Greek. Is the Holy Spirit an "IT?"
Zerwick, Biblical Greek, 63 (§196): “The great frequency with which pronouns are used is due to what may be called the ‘analytic’ tendency of any living spontaneous popular speech, a tendency that is to express explicitly what is already contained implicitly in the expression used or in the nature of the subject matter . . . .”
From author Doug Kutilek on the KJV's use of "itself" in reference to the Holy Ghost:
"To call any person, but especially to call one of the Persons of the Trinity by the English pronoun 'it' is degrading and debasing, and is inexcusable. The correct pronoun--the ONLY correct pronoun--in such a case is 'He.'"
What does the Greek say on such matters? Does the Greek call the Spirit, an IT, or a HE? Interesting, in examing the Bible's use of the Greek pronoun AUTO, we find that the Scriptures use language that is indeed "degrading and debasing, and... inexcusable" in regards to the supposed 3rd person of the Trinity.
The following list has all instances of AUTO excluding references to the non gender-specific "them" "the same place", "together" or "this very thing."
Matthew 2:13 for Herod will seek the little child to destroy it. Darby, NWT, Diaglott
Matthew 12:11 will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out. Most Bibles
Matthew 17:19 Why could not we cast it out? Most Bibles
Matthew 18:2 And Jesus having called a little child to him , set it in their midst Darby, Diaglott, NWT, others leave AUTO untranslated (NLT, NJB,
NRSV, TEV).
Matthew 18:13 And if so be that he find it. Most Bibles
Matthew 26:29 until that day when I drink it new. Most Bibles
Matthew 26:42 except I drink it. Most Bibles
Matthew 27:59 And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. Most Bibles
Matthew 27:60 and laid it in his own new tomb. Most Bibles
Mark 4:4 and the birds came and devoured it. Most Bibles
Mark 4:7 and the thorns grew up, and choked it. Most Bibles
Mark 6:29 they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. Most Bibles
Mark 9:18 I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out. Most Bibles
Mark 9:28 How is it that we could not cast it out? Most Bibles
Mark 9:36 (2) And taking a child, He set it in their midst, and having embraced it. LITV, NRSV, MKJV, NWT, Concordant
Mark 9:50 if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Most Bibles
Mark 14:25 until that day when I drink it new. Most Bibles
Luke 1:59 and they called it after the name of his father, Zacharias. Darby, Diaglott, LITV, NWT
Luke 1:62 And they made signs to his father as to what he might wish it to be called. Darby, NWT,
Luke 2:28 also he took it into the arms of himself. Diaglott, Rotherham
Luke 2:40 and, the favour of God, was upon it. Rotherham, Diaglott
Luke 8:5 and the birds of the heaven devoured it. Most Bibles
Luke 8:7 and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. Most Bibles
Luke 9:40 And I besought thy disciples to cast it out. Most Bibles
Luke 9:45 they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it. Most Bibles
Luke 9:47 having taken a little child, placed it near himself. Diaglott, Rotherham, NWT
Luke 14:35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: men cast it out. Most Bibles
Luke 15:4 and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Most Bibles
Luke 19:23 I at my coming should have required it [money] with interest? Most Bibles
Luke 22:16 I shall not eat it. Most Bibles
Luke 23:53 he took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth. Most Bibles
John 1:5 the darkness apprehended it not. Most Bibles
John 6:39 but should raise it up at the last day. Most Bibles
John 12:7 Suffer her to keep it (this KJV) against the day of my burying. Most Bibles
John 12:14 He had found a young donkey, sat on it. Most Bibles
John 14:17 (2) because not it beholds it, nor knows it. Diaglott, NWT, Goodspeed, Rotherham's Emphasized Bible, Alfred Marshall Interlinear, Brown & Comfort Greek Eng. Interlinear, Concordant Literal Translation, 21st Century NT, The Christian Bible, Nelson's NKJV Greek/English Interlinear,
Revised Version-Improved & Corrected, Sacred Name Restored Version, Robert Young's (of the YLT) Concise Commentary, The Five Gospels by Funk & Hoover, The New Covenant by O'Conner Professor of Greek: Willis Barnstone, 2001 Translation, Sacred Scriptures, Byington's Bible in Living English and Greek Classicist's Richmond Lattimore's New Testament.
John 15:2 (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it. Most Bibles either translate AUTO here as "it" or they leave it untranslated.
John 18:11 shall I not drink it? Most Bibles either translate AUTO here as "it" or they leave it untranslated.
John 19:40 they took the body of Jesus, and bound it. Most Bibles
John 21:6 and now they were not able to haul it [the net] in. Most Bibles
Acts 27:6 having found a ship of Alexandria, sailing to Italy, did put us into it. YLT, NWT, Barclay, Many leave untranslated, some, like Darby, translate it as "her."
Romans 7:17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. Most Bibles
Romans 7:20 it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. Most Bibles
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. KJV, NWT, Goodspeed, Darby, Diaglott, Webster (see above list for John 14:17)
Romans 8:26 the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered. Darby, KJV, Diaglott, Webster, NWT, Goodspeed (see above list for John 14:17)
Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it from man. Most Bibles.
Colossians 2:14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross. Most Bibles
Colossians 4:4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Most Bibles
1 Thessalonians 4:10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren. Most Bibles use "it" or "this."
Hebrews 9:19 he took the blood of the calves and the goats...and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. Most Bibles
1 Peter 4:10 "as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves" Most Bibles
Revelation 5:3 to open the book, or to regard it. Most Bibles.
Revelation 5:4 no one had been found worthy to open the book nor to regard it. Most Bibles
Revelation 10:9 And he says to me, Take and eat it up. Most Bibles
Revelation 10:10 (2) And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth as honey, sweet; and when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter. Most Bibles
Scriptures (from the Darby Bible) using "this very thing":
Rom 9:17 "For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing (AUTO) I have raised thee up from amongst men , that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth."
Rom 13:6 "For on this account ye pay tribute also; for they are God's officers, attending continually on this very thing (AUTO)."
2Co 2:3 "And I wrote this very thing (AUTO)" ASV
2Co 5:5 "Now he that has wrought us for this very thing (AUTO) is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit."
Eph. 6:18 "and watching unto this very thing (AUTO) with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."
Eph. 6:22 "whom I have sent to you for this very thing (AUTO), that ye may know of our affairs and that he may encourage your hearts."
Phi 1:6 "having confidence of this very thing (AUTO), that he who has begun in you a good work will complete it unto Jesus Christ's day."
Other Scriptures using AUTO include "this very reason" and "this very purpose."
There are also non-AUTO references to the spirit that are not gender-specific:
John 1:32 "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and IT abode upon him." KJV, Darby, ASV, Diaglott, NET Bible, NRSV, RSV, UPDV, World English Bible, Webster, Weymouth, Goodspeed
I Peter 1:11 "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when IT testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow." KJV, ASV, NRSV, UPDV, Webster
"...it should be clear that Greek gender proves nothing as to personality. Many things are feminine or masculine. Even if the word spirit were masculine that would not prove that it refers only to persons. A beam of wood is not a person even if it is masculine gender. Yet it is a fact that very few "personalities" are found in the so-called "neuter" gender. The general trend of Greek gender is against the word spirit being used of a personality. Having given the name "neuter" to these forms, most scholars and translators insist on adding the word thing to show this, if necessary, notwithstanding the absurdities to which it leads, such as the reconciliation of all things, not persons! If our translators had been consistent in this matter, they would have insisted that every occurrence of the word spirit should be treated as neuter, and referred to as it, never as he or she. Their theological bias, however, has warped their scholarship in this instance, so that the same ones who wish to bring out the neuter elsewhere, denounce it when applied to the word spirit." pp. 66,67 "Personality" is an Unsound Word and not to be Countenanced- (A. E. Knoch Unsearchable Riches, vol.33)
See also The Trinity Doctrine & Christology - Over 320 Books on the on TWO DVDroms and Unitarianism & Universalism - 100 Books on DVDrom
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