God is incorporeal.

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God does not have a body or is incorporeal.

I need Church teachings on this point.

I would hope to the Catechism of the Catholic Church has one or more.

I will take them from an official documents.

Please send the answers.

Thanks.
 
Jim_Baur said:
God does not have a body or is incorporeal.

I need Church teachings on this point.

I would hope to the Catechism of the Catholic Church has one or more.

I will take them from an official documents.

Please send the answers.

Thanks.
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CCC 370 In no way is God in man’s image. He is neither man nor woman.** God is pure spirit** in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective “perfections” of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband.
 
***God is Spirit… *(John 4:24)

That’s about as official as it gets. 🙂

-Tim-
 
First, thank you!

Second, please do not laugh at the simplicity of the next question: Is there an official teaching as to what a spirit is?

Thanks, thanks, thanks…
 
I don’t know about official teaching but have meditated on the meaning of the word spirit, mostly in the context of my Evangelical friend’s dismissal of the Eucharist based on John 6:63. Don’t know if it will help…

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It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63)

It’s the classic passage used by non-Catholics to refute the Eucharist. This passage is used as proof text of Jesus spiritual meaning; that he was not talking about his literal flesh and blood.

The word spirit comes from the Latin word “Spiritus” which means breath.

***In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind **swept over the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2, NAB)

**In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God *was moving over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2, RSV)

Using both the RSV and the NAB, we see the idea behind the original Hebrew. God’s spirit is likened to a mighty wind. In the very first verse of the Bible we see the movement of air equated with God’s spirit, God’s spiritus, God’s breath. And it is the Spirit of God which gives birth to creation.

…the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

We don’t have to go much futher in the Bible to see more moving air, this time clearly God’s breath (spiritus) which gives life to man.

*I prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then he said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. (Ezekiel 37:7-9)

The prophet Ezekiel prophesies about the dry bones which are given bodies but no life. Then Ezekiel is told by God to call the Spirit from the four winds to breath life into the slain. More moving air. More Breath of God. More Spirit. More life.

Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

Jesus compares the nature of wind with the action of the Holy Spirit in man as he converses with Nicodemus the Pharisee. The context of the conversation is the strict requirement that one be “Born of water and spirit” in order to enter heaven. Catholics know this passage as a reference to the beginning of a Christian’s spiritual life through baptism. Through baptism we are adopted into new life as members of the Body of Christ. Again we have moving air and God’s spirit (spiritus/breath) giving man new life.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit." Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:20-23)

The Word of God which became flesh literally breathes the Holy Spirit into the Apostles. Note that the gift of the Holy Spirit which is given to the Apostles at this particular time allows them to forgive sins and thereby bring others back to spiritual life (to a state of sanctifying grace).

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:1-4)

Yet more wind, this time breathing life into, and giving birth to, the Church. The Church is filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the Breath of God.

*It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63)*This passage could have just as easily been written:

It is the Breath of God which gives life, while your own understanding is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are the Breath of God and life. (Tim’s Translation)

Jesus’ use of the word “Spirit” was deliberate. Go back and read the passages above and wherever you see the word “Spirit” substitute the phrase “The life giving Breath of God” and you will not be too far from the correct meaning.

And so the words Jesus spoke to us about the Eucharist are the Breath of God… and life!

-Tim-
 
Do you believe that Jesus is God?

If you do, then you have to know that his physical body ascended into heaven. That is specifically stated in the Gospels. Therefore, he is both spirit and has a physical body. If he did not, then his entire sacrifice on the cross would be without meaning, as he would not have been truly human in any sense of the word.

The Catholic Church accepts the Gospels, and they ARE the official texts that you require.
 
It occurs to me that F.J Sheed’s book “Theology for Beginners” has a few excellent chapters on the nature of the Trinity and God as a pure spirit.

Definietly worth the $12:95 retail price.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
It occurs to me that F.J Sheed’s book “Theology for Beginners” has a few excellent chapters on the nature of the Trinity and God as a pure spirit.

Definietly worth the $12:95 retail price.

-Tim-
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👍
 
Catechism of the Catholic Church on God the Son’s Incarnation
scborromeo.org/ccc/index/i.htm
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Incarnation, 461-63
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and Ascension, 661
Christ’s human will follows His divine will, 475
Christ’s Incarnation considered from a historical perspective, 423
Councils affirm Christ’s, 465-68
effects of the Son of God’s, 432, 521
faith in Christ’s, 463, 465
heresies denying Christ’s humanity, 465-68
human face of Christ “may be portrayed,” 476
human nature assumed, not absorbed, in the Son of God, 470
human soul assumed by the Son of God, 472
Jesus Christ true God and true man and not a confused mixture, 464, 499
mystery of, 359
preparation for, 522-23
significance of, 461, 464, 479, 483
Son of God does human works, 470
Son of God has human and divine knowledge, 474
unity of the Word according to the hypostasis, 466, 468, 483
Word visibly apparent in Christ’s body, 477
reasons for the Incarnation
inauguration of the new creation, 504
knowledge of the love of God, 458
man must be made partaker of the divine nature, 460
model of holiness for men, 459
sins must be taken away and salvation must be obtained, 456-57
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Yes.

Yes to the Gospels as official teaching.

Yes to God is spirit.

However, the interpretation is sometimes difficult for the average Catholic to comprehend.

Also, the explanation of a spirit is, at least for me, extremely difficult.

God is spirit and it is difficult to find a clear explanation in the Bible as to what a spirit is.

I cannot recall many clear statements, that is why I was looking for clarifications from the Church.

I will gladly take more Biblical statements.

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!
 
Jim_Baur said:
Also, the explanation of a spirit is, at least for me, extremely difficult.God is spirit and it is difficult to find a clear explanation in the Bible as to what a spirit is.I cannot recall many clear statements, that is why I was looking for clarifications from the Church.

The Catechism and the Compendium are based on Sacred Scripture, the Doctors of the Church, and the Councils and are wonderful examinations of all the texts. In particular, Pope Benedict wrote the Compendium and was instrumental in the writing of the Catechism.

The Compendium of the Catechism (is rather like the yellow Cliff Note books) and is also available online at:
vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

For instance, above where I bolded the index from the Catechism, concerning the Incarnation of God the Son, these are the references cited in the creation of the paragraghs:
70 1 Jn 4:10; 4:14; 3:5.
71 St. Gregory of Nyssa, Orat. catech 15: PG 45, 48B.
72 1 Jn 4:9.
73 Jn 3:16.
74 Mt 11:29; Jn 14:6.
75 Mk 9:7; cf. Dt 6:4-5.
76 Jn 15:12.
77 Cf. Mk 8:34.
78 2 Pt 1:4.
79 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 19, 1: PG 7/1, 939.
80 St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.
81 St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc. 57, 1-4.
82 Jn 1:14.
83 Phil 2:5-8; cf. LH, Saturday, Canticle at Evening Prayer.
84 Heb 10:5-7, citing Ps 40:6-8 ([7-9] LXX).
85 1 Jn 4:2.
86 1 Tim 3:16.
87 Cf. 1 Jn 4:2-3; 2 Jn 7.
88 Council of Nicaea I (325): DS 130, 126.
89 Council of Ephesus (431): DS 250.
90 Council of Ephesus: DS 251.
91 Council of Chalcedon (451): DS 301; cf. Heb 4:15.
92 Council of Chalcedon: DS 302.
93 Council of Constantinople II (553): DS 424.
94 Council of Constantinople II (553): DS 432; cf. DS 424; Council of Ephesus, DS 255.
95 LH, 1 January, Antiphon for Morning Prayer; cf. St. Leo the Great, Sermo in nat. Dom. 1, 2; PL 54, 191-192.
96 Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Troparion “O monogenes.”
97 GS 22 § 2.
98 Cf. Jn 14:9-10.
99 GS 22 § 2.
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Jim_Baur said:
Yes.

Yes to the Gospels as official teaching.

Yes to God is spirit.

However, the interpretation is sometimes difficult for the average Catholic to comprehend.

Also, the explanation of a spirit is, at least for me, extremely difficult.

God is spirit and it is difficult to find a clear explanation in the Bible as to what a spirit is.

I cannot recall many clear statements, that is why I was looking for clarifications from the Church.

I will gladly take more Biblical statements.

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!
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Here is the definition from the Modern Catholic Dictionary:

SPIRIT. That which is positively immaterial. It is pure spirit if it has no dependence on matter either for its existence or for any of its activities. God is uncreated pure Spirit; the angels are created pure spirits. The human soul is more properly called spiritual. Although it can exist independent of the body, it nevertheless in this life depends extrinsically on the body for its operations, and in the life to come retains a natural affinity for the body, with which after the resurrection it will be reunited for all eternity. (Etym. Latin spiritus, breath, life, soul, mind, spirit, power.)
 
Jim_Baur said:
God does not have a body or is incorporeal.

I need Church teachings on this point.

I would hope to the Catechism of the Catholic Church has one or more.

I will take them from an official documents.

Please send the answers.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I know that you have already received a lot of responses, with the cites from scripture, the Catechism, and other official Church sources. I just wanted to add a philosophical footnote. A spirit is a person. You and I are spirits, embodied spirits, because we are persons. Angels are finite immaterial spirits because they are persons.

God is the Holy Trinity, three Persons, infinite. Two of the Persons do not have bodies; One (Jesus) does.

The real question becomes: how do you understand “person”. And this is where it’s gets interesting. We could say a person is a “rational substance”, a being with intellect and will. But sometimes this way of defining “person” seems to be asking “what” is a person. But “what” is not the right question. Rather, when asking about a person, we are asking “who” someone is.

More detail is on the philosophy subforum under the thread, “How can the Immaterial Soul affect the material brain”, postings 137, 141,143,144,146.
 
thistle and levinas

thanks!

How does one get the “feel” for one’s own spirit?

How does on observe one’s own spirit?

How are we conscious of our soul’s spiritual nature?

Again, thanks to all!!!
 
Any further help?

If not, thank you so much!!!

You folks are saints.
 
I found a couple resources that might be helpful in understanding the importance of the Spirit.

Frequently Asked Questions about SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Six Sins Against The Holy Spirit

From newadvent.org
Fruits of the Holy Ghost
The charity, patience, mildness, etc., of which the Apostle speaks in this passage, are not then the virtues themselves, but rather their acts or operations; for, however perfect the virtues may be, they cannot be considered as the ultimate effects of grace, being themselves intended, inasmuch as they are active principles, to produce something else, i.e. their acts.
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The way I understand the Spirit, acts and deeds that is good and functional, is of the Spirit. Something that is bad and dysfunctional it can be come sin against the Spirit. I don’t fully understand the Spirit, it seems to be the very thing that sustains all life as we know it, the anchor of all things. If you sin against the Spirit then you destroy the very thing that God breathed into you, and lose the thing that sustains your life and eternal walk with God.

Hope this helps. Writing about the Spirit for some reason felt very good. 🙂
 
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