The Ghost of God is Our Paraclete
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Paraclete. Huh?
Paraclete. Huh?
This is a Greek word used in John’s writings to describe the Holy Ghost.
In Greek, the word appears as paraklētos, which is used by Jesus in the Gospel of John 4 times, all in the teachings between the Last Supper in the upper room and the prayers of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
John uses the word once more, in 1 John 2:1 which i will share in a minute.
One translation into English, the Douay-Rheims 1899 American version, a translation with the imprimatur of the Roman Catholic church, simply doesn’t translate it but gives us the transliteration in my title.
A transliteration is when a word in another language or alphabet is written, character for character, in English characters.
So paraklētos becomes paraclete, for purposes of interpretation, and is written, usually, with a capital letter to signify that it represents the Holy Spirit of God.
American English speakers are usually pretty lazy about trying to pronounce other languages, so we just give up and say a word as if it were written down just for us.
So, instead of paraklētos we just say Paraclete, or from the Hebrew transliteration, Paraklit.
According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, “There is no single English equivalent to the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklētos)” which leads to several English words being used to translate it.
16 και εγω ερωτησω τον πατερα και αλλον παρακλητον δωσει υμιν ινα μενη μεθ υμων εις τον αιωνα
Depending on the translation, you will read it as “Helper” “Advocate” “Counselor” or “Comforter”.
Advocate: Counselor
Advocate: Counselor
Advocate is the word used most often in the NIV translation, and Comforter in the King James version, and Helper in most others.
Why so many choices?
In Greek, the word literally means “the voice next to you”.
In a legal sense, it could be said that is our public defender. So “Advocate” is used.
In the same sense, “Counselor” is used, like you’ve heard the Judge call Perry Mason in the courtroom.
Helper
Helper
In a practical sense, the paraklētos is our Helper as the voice of God’s Spirit through the days of our lives. That meaning shows up a lot in the scripture.
Comforter
Comforter
The Holy Ghost is emotionally our Comforter, as the Holy Ghost of God eases our hearts and minds.
Jesus, Our Paraclete
Jesus, Our Paraclete
Jesus came to us as our first Paraclete:
1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.
But the real key to what we want to share is this: The Paraclete is:
The Holy Ghost In the Room
The Holy Ghost In the Room
Abiding Within
Abiding Within
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.
17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
The Ghost in the Room is the
Presence of Christ
Presence of Christ
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
The Reality of Christ In Us
The Reality of Christ In Us
19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too.
20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.
21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The Teacher
The Teacher
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
The Witness
The Witness
26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.
The Convictor
The Convictor
7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.
8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
The Ghost in the Room is
The Holy Ghost In Us
The Holy Ghost In Us
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”