Catechism Corner — Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed

Catechism Corner

Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.

On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

This is most certainly true.

Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost?

The best translation for the Greek New Testament of pneuma hagion is “Holy Spirit.” So why do we confess “The Holy Ghost” in our liturgy and yet in our Small Catechisms we confess “The Holy Spirit?” The answer is primarily one of history and the changing of language over time. During the 16th century when the Bible was first being translated into many different languages, the English word “ghost” referred to a spiritual entity or life force, whether divine or not. The 1611 KJV thus translated pneuma as “ghost.”

Overtime the meaning of ghost “shifted” to mean disembodied souls or beings and “spirit” has taken up the meaning of divine or spiritual forces. Modern translations therefore translate pneuma as “spirit.” Thus, even though the word pneuma hasn’t changed, the translation has changed because our language has changed.

~Rev. Schultz