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John 4:23-23 – Worship in spirit and truth or in Spirit and truth?
Commentaries and translations conclude that “spirit” in John 4:23-24 is not the Holy Spirit, but rather spirit as in spiritually. My question is, why shouldn’t it be Holy “Spirit?”
1. That there is no definite article before pneuma does not prove anything since there is no consistency is that being a rule. There is no definite article in Jn.3:5 which is Spirit; and there is a definite article in Jn.11:33 which is spirit.
2. Spirit and truth are combined 14:17; 15:26; 16:13
3. This is in many ways a parallel story to Nicodemus where it is Spirit.
4. Jesus connects the Spirit with life (3:5,8; 6:63) and life is the topic of Jn.4.
5. Jesus connects the Spirit with water (Jn.3:5; 7:38-39)
The point then would be we must worship God in the Holy Spirit because is a spirit, and we receive the Holy Spirit by drinking the water of life.
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