inspiration

How is the Holy Spirit related to God’s breath and to inspiration? In the Gospel According to Matthew 10:20 (NABRE), Jesus says, “For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” The Greek word pneuma translated here as “breath” has a wide range of meanings and is an important concept in ancient languages.

Pneuma is roughly equivalent to the Hebrew word ruach. Its root meaning seems to be a blast of air or wind. From there, pneuma also came to mean breath. Due to the fact that people who are breathing tend to be alive and people who aren’t tend to be dead, pneuma also came to be associated with life as an animating force.

In the verse from the Gospel According to Matthew, the idea of inspiration or of God breathing into us recalls the book of Genesis 2:7 (NABRE) in which God breathes life into clay to create Adam. This leads to the understanding that the life that exists within humanity is God’s. From this point of view, the idea of God having voice in us seems quite natural. We can speak only because of God’s breath in us.

Have you experienced a time in your life when you felt that God was speaking through you? What do you suppose prevents God from speaking through us all of the time?

related topics: Advocate; holy; order & chaos; Paraclete; spirit; wind & spirit

you also may like our study of the Letter to the Hebrews (digital only)
Many Christians struggle to understand one of the central mysteries of our faith: how Jesus can be both human and divine at the same time. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, an 18-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, offers an in-depth look at the way in which Jesus’ dual nature allows for the salvation of humanity. The Letter to the Hebrews is designed to provide information that will encourage Christians to remain faithful. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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