Why Holy Ghost?

The words ‘spirit, Spirit and Ghost’ are all translations of the same Greek word ‘pneuma’. The KJV uses Ghost 90 times. Many have wondered why they used Ghost instead of spirit. Today the word ‘ghost’ connotes a disembodied spirit. However, in the time of the translation it did not have reference to a disembodied spirit.

Originally ghost came from the word ghuest, meaning a guest. (Ghuest itself was derived from the old English ‘gast’, the Old Saxon ‘gest’, and the Old High German ‘geist’.) In passage of time usage changed ghuest to ghost. However, it still retained the meaning of a guest when the KJV was translated. By using ghost in reference to the Holy Spirit, the translators emphasised that the Spirit is a guest. What then is the Holy Ghost? He is the Holy Guest, the one who makes His abode in the heart of the believer. Did not our Lord say that He would not leave us without a Comforter? As host to such a wondrous Guest, we ought not to grieve Him, but cultivate fellowship with the Holy Ghost or Holy Guest.

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