Ghost is a soul without a body. Soul is the spiritual aspect of the body which most believe gives life to a person. Hence, ghosts are associated with those dead. If personhood is defined as body, mind and spirit, then it would seem that the mind travels with the spirit after separation from the body. Therefore, a ghost has intelligence and dead bodies don't!
Some people are terrified of graveyards. That's called "coimetophobia". That's one phobia that I don't have because cemeteries to me are a beautiful thing! The angels told the disciple women who came to visit Jesus' tomb:
Luke 24:5b "Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6a He is not here, but is risen!"There is nothing "alive" among the dead, certainly not ghosts! But you say "Samuel was a ghost for the witch of Endor conjured him." Not so! The witch conjured a dark angel masquerading as a ghost. How do I know? Contact with the dead, God said, is wrong is reason one (1 Samuel 28). Secondly, "Samuel"was wearing a robe. Even if there were ghosts, clothing don't have ghosts! (For more on this see a previous Herrin commentary: Why Ghosts Have Clothes) .
Therefore, my contention is that when people see ghosts or even make contact with the spiritual world, it is NOT of God and IS NOT loved ones. It's evil spirits using deception! Beware of ghosts! Be afraid of those proclaiming to be ghosts! Am I saying that dead people don't have ghosts? No, but there is a chasm between the spiritual world and the natural (Luke 16:26), as well as between heaven and hell. Ghosts are real, but not here, with one exception!
The Holy Spirit is the Ghost of Jesus. It's a portion of his Spirit which still resides on earth to comfort and guide Christians. What's strange is although the "Holy Spirit" doesn't frighten people they seem to be "Afraid of Ghosts"! A "spirit" is the supernatural immaterial aspect of a person. Hence, spirit and ghost, in essence, are both the realm where one aspect of the person goes after death. It's an immaterial world, beyond the natural, where life continues on!
The King James Version of the Holy Bible has 89 references to the "Holy Ghost". None are in the Old Testament. Almost half (41) are in the Book of Acts! Since people are afraid of ghosts they steer clear of Acts. Because Pentecostals focus on Acts, non-Pentecostals steer clear of Acts so others won't think they're Pentecostals! Are Christians really afraid of ghosts or is it Pentecostals which they fear?
I submit that preachers, including baptists, seldom preach on on the Book of Acts because they are afraid of charismatics! However, Acts is scripture and is the inspired word of God regardless of who uses or abuses it. Baptists who seek truth can find truth in Acts. Have no fear. He's the Ghost of Jesus who is Holy!
Scripture uses also the term "Holy Spirit". NT "spirit" from the Greek is pneuma. From the Aramaic it's transliterated in the OT as ruwach. In the NT he is always pneuma. Hence, what is rendered "ghost" and "spirit" throughout scripture is the same thing! Why do traditional churches say "Holy Spirit" and Pentecostals say "Holy Ghost"? Is it because traditional churches are "Afraid of Ghosts" or does the fear lie in charismatics? I suggest that traditional churches are afraid of "ghosts" which caused people to speak in tongues!
For the record it's not "UNKNOWN tongues" it's just "tongues". The "unknown" adjective is not in the original Greek. (See Herrin commentary; God Decrypting What He Had Encrypted). People are afraid of what ghosts represent, yet they don't feat evil spirits who masquerade as ghosts! They love the gentle grandmother who comes back after life with a message, but hate the Ghost which came with fire! The grandmother is evil incarnate, while the Holy Ghost is love in Spirit.... oops! Ghost!
It's difficult to comprehend, but the Hagios Pneuma is the "Holy Ghost"! He's not merely "the Spirit of God", but since Jesus is God, he's "the Spirit of Jesus" as well. It's the same Spirit who "flows" from each. The "Holy Spirit" is "the Ghost of Jesus"! It's the "Life" of one who had died; a person who is now in the supernatural realm. He's God With Us (Jesus)! There is one "ghost" and that's the Holy Ghost. All other "ghosts" are confined to another realm. Jesus has the power not given to others yet. Walls cannot contain him as we've seen from his resurrection! Time cannot contain him. He appears as he wants to appear to men, as we have seen many times after his death and resurrection!
Resurrection results in glorified bodies! I contend that just as Jesus has a real Ghost, when we are glorified (given perfect bodies) are own ghosts will be freed from it's prison. No longer will there be a gulf between the dead and living!
The only ghost there is IS Jesus' Ghost. Don't be "Afraid of Ghosts" because that Ghost is one who loves you! (And please don't think of 'Caspar, the friendly ghost), because this Ghost is no Caspar, he's God!
Why am I doing a daily commentary on Acts? Because I'm not afraid of Ghosts! I'm not afraid of Pentecostals! It's because I feel safe with the Ghost of Jesus!
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