Trying to Define the Wind

God is bigger than our boxes.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” —John 3:8 (ESV)

Photo by Oliver Hihn on Unsplash

Pneumatology is the study of the Holy Spirit. It comes from the Greek word pneuma, which means “wind” or “spirit.” Pneuma is also the root of the English word “pneumatic,” which is used to refer to something operated by air. The air-filled tires on your car are pneumatic tires. In John 3:8, Jesus uses pneuma twice.

“The wind (pneuma) blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (pneuma).”

Jesus is using a play on words to describe the Holy Spirit and the experience of being born again. The wind is mysterious and unpredictable. We cannot see the wind, nor can we control it. However, we can hear and feel it when it blows. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is beyond human control. We cannot see him or manipulate him. But we can feel his presence and see his work. We can learn about him and know him—in part. There will always be an element of mystery around the Spirit because he transcends human knowledge (he is God, after all).

We see this mystery in the field of pneumatology. When theologians try to define the Spirit’s work, it’s like watching a group of scholars trying to nail down the wind. Every time we think we have a handle on the Spirit, he does something we did not expect.

God does not fit into our boxes! He transcends them.

I have spent a few years studying pneumatology, and one example of theologians struggling to cage the wind and define the Spirit is the topic of spiritual gifts. What is a spiritual gift? You might be surprised to learn that although everyone uses this term offhandedly, as though we know exactly what it means, there is no shared definition of the phrase “spiritual gift.” In fact, I’ve found more than 13 definitions! Here are a few:

• “Special gifts endowed by God” (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary)

• ”A supernatural capacity or power” (The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia)

• “A specific gift or grace of the Holy Spirit, which directly or indirectly benefits the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).

• ”Offices in the church” (Michael Horton, Rediscovering the Holy Spirit).

• ”Special functions” (Craig Keener, Gift and Giver).

• “Tools… given to people for use in the functioning of the Body of Christ” (Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit).

In a future post, I’ll explore this issue a little further. But for now, let’s return to the idea that God cannot be manipulated, directed, controlled, defined, or forced into a box. He is infinite, eternal, wise, and powerful. He is bigger than our imagination and greater than our ability to perceive him. And this holy God, who is transcendent and beyond our knowing, has made himself known to us. He loves us. He is close to us. He lives in us when we are born again, born of the Spirit from above. Praise God that I am his and he is mine!