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I had a conversation with someone who didn't believe in the Trinity. Part of his argument was that God was a spirit, based on John 4:24. I looked at the Greek of the passage and replied that I thought the verse was possibly mistranslated. I suggested a better translation could be "The Spirit is God."

He then argued that there would be no translation of the Bible that would agree. I told him he was probably right, but I still did some research. Ironically I was wrong, and there was one translation of the Bible that agreed.

But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship The Father in The Spirit and in The Truth, for The Father also is seeking such worshippers as these. For The Spirit is God, and it is fitting that those who worship him worship in The Spirit and in The Truth. (John 4:23-24, Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

In Greek, the verse starts with the phrase Πνεῦμα ["Spirit", Pneuma, Nominative] [Nominative definite article] Θεός ["God", Theos, Nominative], which is simple apposition, and therefore could be translated "The Spirit is God," "God is Spirit," or "God the Spirit." The Old Testament contains an excellent parallel to this passage.

Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah the name of her younger sister. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 23:4, NET)

The Greek Septuagint (LXX) contains the following two phrases Σαμάρεια ἡ Ὀολά (Oholah is Samaria) and Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἡ Ὀόλιβα (Oholibah is Jerusalem). These Greek phrases are also simple apposition. A potential argument against this translation is that Πνεῦμα (Pneuma, "Spirit") is not a proper name. However, if that is so, then the Holy Spirit has no name. Hashtag is not a proper name; however, someone named their child hashtag, so in that instance, it is now.

In scripture, we find further supporting evidence for this translation.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, ESV)

Jesus proclaims that the Holy Spirit is the Living Water and that those who drink of this water will never die. This isn't the first time John records Jesus talking about "Living Water." Going back to John chapter four, Jesus speaks to the Samaritan women at the well and asks for a drink. Jesus goes on to talk about this Living Water.

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14, ESV)

We know from chapter seven that the "Living Water" Jesus speaks of is the Holy Spirit and is, therefore, the context of the conversation. Jesus then goes on to state:

But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24 NET)

In verses 23-24, the Aramaic Bible seems to be making an illusion of the Godhead. Jesus speaks of The Father, The Spirit, and the Truth. In John 14:6, Jesus claims to be "the truth," thus, the entire Trinity is apparently mentioned.

John also calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth (τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13; 1 John 4:6). First John 5:6 is another passage that deals with the Trinity, and again it speaks of the Spirit of Truth. John is making an illusion of the oneness of the Son and the Spirit and highlighting the reality of the Trinity.

Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood--not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth [τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια]. (1 John 5:6, NET)




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