One of the most frequently misunderstood problems of theology is that which deals with the Holy Ghost. Denominational Christianity has for centuries attempted to explain this problem by conceiving of the Holy Ghost as a separate being, a supernatural entity or personality, which was promised by Jesus as a recompense for his departure. The authority for this belief is supposed to be found in these statements of Jesus: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever," "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you," and. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." The precise nature of this "Comforter" seems somewhat obscure; and when asked to explain it the denominational Christian is frequently unable to express himself clearly. He becomes confused, for he has accepted the belief which places "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" on a standard of personality. This foundation necessarily leads to "confusion worse confounded." for although God and all His vast creation of ideas are individual, and can never be made to lose their true sense of individuality, they are not personal, in the way of meaning "pertaining to the body."
When viewed in the light of Christian Science, the above quoted statements and others which refer to the Holy Ghost become perfectly clear and easy to understand. On page 588 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy defines the Holy Ghost as follows: "Divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love." And on page 55 of the same volume, she says: 'In the words of St. John: 'He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.' This Comforter I understand to be Divine Science." From these two statements it is clear that Mrs. Eddy conceived of the Holy Ghost as a spiritual awakening and not as a personality. Jesus made the terms Comforter and Holy Ghost interchangeable, and to teach his followers what they might expect, he also referred to the Comforter as "the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
With these enlightening guides to an understanding of the problem, it is but a step to the conclusion that the Holy Ghost is really the unfoldment of Spirit, or in other words, spiritual understanding. Thus, it was spiritual understanding which the angel promised Mary after telling her of the great fact that she was to bear a son whom she should call Jesus. Likewise, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, "was filled with the Holy Ghost," spiritual understanding, which enabled him to foretell that his son should be the forerunner of God's anointed. All these things came to pass, and those who did not understand the workings of omnipotent Mind were amazed. They did not readily accept the proofs which were being wrought before their very eyes. Christ Jesus' life was full of the proof of his perfect understanding of Spirit. He knew that Spirit could be understood, and that its healing power was ever at hand to lessen the sorrow and sickness which seem so real to mortal sense. Demonstration was necessary in the days of his ministry, and because Jesus realized this, he worked to show that every error and every wrong condition could be overcome. His mission was fulfilled only by constant turning to the truth, by that perfect unity with the Father which made his work possible even when it seemed most difficult. Jesus was the most consistent demonstrator of Spirit who ever lived on earth, and he was the one in whom at all times the Holy Ghost was most apparent.
