Why is the Holy Spirit a fire?

Answer 1

Fire has long been associated with God's presence, from the time when Moses stood beside the burning bush, and when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, guiding them with a fiery pillar at night.

The Holy Spirit only came to man with Pentecost, after Christ was taken up into Heaven. The Holy Spirit was the "helper" that Christ promised would come when He himself was no longer with thedisciplesin earthly presence. The story of Pentecost is recounted in Acts 2:2-4 where, with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, it states that:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Thus, since that time, fire has come to signify the Holy Spirit.

Answer 2

AnswerPresumably if God is all-powerful, the Holy Spirit could have come down invisibly to the apostles. But the notion of tongues of fire lights up the imagination and creates a vivid image that readers of the book will remember.

Answer 3

A:The same Hebrew was used for both wind and spirit. Translators had to choose when reading the Old Testament whether to use the English word 'breath', 'wind' or 'spirit, depending on how they understood the context.

This concept of the Holy Spirit as wind or breath is carried forward into the New Testament, for example at John 20:22, when Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." However, this undramatic passage is often overlooked in favour of Acts 2:2-3. Here, there was the sound of a rushing mighty wind, but also tongues of fire that alighted on each of the disciples. We remember this episode at Pentecost vividly because fire is such a potent symbol. Representing the Holy Spirit as fire creates drama more fully than any other image.