We’ve had some great questions about the Holy Spirit come through the comment cards during this series. I’ll try to address some of them here in the eNews as we work our way through. My prayer is that this helps us grow in our knowledge of God—Father, Son, and Spirit—and also grow as his followers together.
What gender is the Holy Spirit? Why do some people call the Spirit “it,” “she,” or “he”?
I recently read a theologian who consistently referred to the Holy Spirit as “it,” which made me think more about this question. It’s hard to have a relationship with an “it.” An “it” is a thing; a “he” or “she” is a person.
The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal “it,” like a kind of divine energy, but a personal divine being—one of the Trinity.
So is the Spirit a “she” or a “he”?
God is not male or female in a human sense—he is Spirit (John 4:24) and beyond human gender. God is not a biological being with human anatomy.
However, God reveals himself to us using human language and relational categories we can understand. Calling God “Father” and the Son “Son” tells us something about their relationship, not their biology.
What about feminine or motherly imagery for God?
The Bible uses lots of imagery to describe what God is like—a hen, a lion, a rock, fire, a shield. These images communicate aspects of his character (protection, care, strength, holiness), but they don’t mean God is literally a chicken or a rock.
Scripture also uses motherly images of God’s care and compassion (e.g., Isaiah 66:13; Matthew 23:37). These show that while God primarily reveals himself as Father, he embodies perfect qualities often associated with both fathers and mothers.
So why is the Spirit referred to as “he”?
This is how Jesus speaks of the Spirit in passages like John 14:16–17; 15:26; 16:7–8; and 16:13–14. Even though the Greek word for Spirit (pneuma) is grammatically neutral, Jesus deliberately uses masculine pronouns when speaking about him. This underlines the Spirit’s personhood—he teaches, guides, speaks, comforts, and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
Some people prefer “she” because the Old Testament word for Spirit (ruach) is grammatically feminine. But grammatical gender in languages is simply about word endings and agreement—it doesn’t determine personal gender. Ruach is feminine and pneuma is neuter, yet neither means the Spirit is female or an “it.”
Why does this matter?
Because how we speak about God shapes how we relate to him. If we call the Spirit “it,” we risk treating him like an impersonal power source rather than a divine person who knows, loves, and works in us. If we change God’s chosen self-revelation—Father, Son, and Spirit—we risk reshaping him into our image, rather than receiving him as he truly is.
The Spirit is not an “it” to be used, but a “he” to be worshipped, loved, and obeyed as God.
Grace & peace,
Andrew
eNews - 25th July 2025