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You may have noticed that the King James Version (KJV) uses both Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit. Today, we often see these terms as interchangeable. But why did the KJV use two different words? What is the difference between Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit?
The words ghost and spirit in Hebrew actually come from the same word: “ruach.” Its meaning includes wind, breath, mind, and spirit, which is why the KJV sometimes uses these different English words. There is a reason for this distinction.
The ruach is what makes us alive. In short, the spirit (ruach) is the “life force,” which can exist either in or outside of a physical body. It is invisible but active, like the wind (as the Bible often compares it). It is the consciousness—the very essence—of a person.
The same Hebrew word is also used for ghost. A ghost, then, is likewise the life force of a person—their consciousness or essence. So why does the KJV use two different terms? It uses Holy Ghost as well as Holy Spirit.
In Hebrew, one word often signifies several related concepts. In English, multiple words correspond to these meanings. To provide an accurate translation, the English word that best fits the intended meaning is chosen.
Here are the English definitions:
Spirit – 1. The nonphysical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character; the soul. 2. Those qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group, or in the thought and attitudes of a particular period. (Note: Spirit and soul are sometimes used interchangeably in English. In Hebrew, the word for soul is nephesh, which is distinct from ruach.)
Ghost – 1. The soul of a dead person; a disembodied spirit, often imagined as shadowy or wandering among the living. 2. The principle of life; soul; spirit. 3. (Sometimes capitalized) A spiritual being. (Note: Again, spirit and soul can be used interchangeably in English. Nephesh is the Hebrew word for soul, which differs from ruach.)
This is why the KJV uses both words. Spirit refers to the ruach while in a body, and ghost refers to ruach outside a body. It does not necessarily mean the ghost of a dead person—it simply signifies a spirit without a body. Either way, it is the same life force, breath, or essence of a person.
The Holy Spirit is the breath and life of God, present either within a person’s body or outside it.
The Holy Ghost is the breath and life of God only outside a person’s body.
When the Bible says someone was “filled with the Holy Ghost,” it means the Spirit of God surrounded them externally before entering their body. Once inside, it is then referred to as the Holy Spirit.
The Hebrew word nephesh refers to the soul and can mean soul, breath, spirit, mind, life, person, or creature. In other words, a living being. A body with a soul is alive; the soul animates the body. The breath of God gives life (the soul), and consciousness arises because the soul is aware.
Which word to use all depends on where the spirit is located:
- The spirit can exist either in or out of the body.
- The soul is the spirit animating the body.
- A ghost is a spirit—or soul—without a body.
A Note on Language
This explanation isn’t meant to change anything fundamental. It’s to satisfy curiosity. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you use the term Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.
Language is meant for communication. Using obscure words that no one understands misses the point. Names are no exception.
Often, people moving to a new country adopt a new name because their original name is hard to pronounce. The purpose is communication. Similarly, when we say Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit in English, we are communicating the same thought—two terms for the same Person.
You may also notice some people insist on using Yeshua instead of Jesus, believing that the Hebrew name is required. But what matters is the thought the name communicates, not the sound.
I can’t help but say it: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
A word is a sound that communicates a thought. The sound we make when we say Jesus communicates the thought of the Son of God. Those who spoke Hebrew would recognize that Yeshua communicates the same thought.
What I am saying is that it isn’t the sound of the name that matters—it’s the thought the sound is trying to communicate. If I were to use the word Yeshua when speaking with someone who doesn’t speak Hebrew or know who it represents, I would fail to communicate properly.
Acts 4:12
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 20:31
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
These are just a couple of the verses people use to argue that they must use the “actual” name of Jesus (the Hebrew name Yeshua). They mistakenly believe it is the specific sound, rather than the thought behind the sound, that matters.
This, of course, is ridiculous. If it were all about the sound, you would also have to get the pitch exactly right. Your voice may be higher or deeper than mine—it’s just nonsense.
However, since some people are led astray by this I thought it was important to address the issue.
Those who subscribe to this line of thinking are often dismayed to discover that the writers of the New Testament frequently wrote His name in Greek rather than Hebrew.
Instead of Yeshua, it is written as Iēsous. The Greek alphabet didn’t have a “J,” so the letter “I” was used to make that sound. Later, English added the letter “J,” which is how we get Jesus.
In Acts 4:10, the Greek word Iēsous is used, and Acts 4:12 declares that there is no other name by which anyone can be saved. So, if the specific Hebrew name Yeshua wasn’t used there, it is clear that God understands the name in multiple languages, not just one.
If you are confused about whether to use the name Jesus or Yeshua, Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, God or Jehovah, or any other names, here is your answer: it doesn’t really matter. What matters is the person behind the name, not the name itself.
So let’s put the nonsense of getting the name “right” in the past and move forward to learn about the person behind the name. Let’s discover the Holy Spirit in the rest of this unit.
Continut To Unit 4:2 – Seal of the Holy Spirit OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 4 – The Baptism of the Holy Spirit