Matthew 3:16-17 – the baptism of Jesus
v16 - And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: v17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Who was present at the time of Jesus’ baptism? THREE BEINGS!
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Jesus 2. God the Father 3. John who baptized
God was present thru his own Spirit (Spirit OF God) and then He spoke (VOICE from heaven).
Making this into another ‘being’ called God the Holy Spirit is like coming up with another ‘being’ called God the Voice. The Spirit and Voice belong to the one and only true and living God. Not a God divisible by three. Anything else makes the testimony a lie.
2 Peter 1:16-18 – v16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. v17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. v18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
Now to address “THE DOVE” that everyone seems to one to make into something larger than it is.
Matthew 3:16 - "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him."
Mark 1:10 - "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him."
Luke 3:21, 22 - "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
John 1:32 - "And John bare record, saying, I saw THE SPIRIT descending from heaven like a dove, and IT ABODE UPON HIM."
A few facts we learn from these accounts are:
a. It is the Spirit of God. Not someone or anything else.
b. Its descent was like a dove.
c. Its shape was like a dove.
d. It is called an “IT” by John
Do these facts support the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is a different person separate to God? No. John certainly would not have used “it” to refer to a divine being. The Holy Spirit is actually used in possessive language to note who it’s owner is, which is God the Father (it is the “Spirit OF God”. Not “God the Spirit” or “God the Holy Spirit”).