The Advocate (Counselor)
The Advocate (Counselor) is a translation of the Greek word παράκλητος (parakletos).[1] The term refers to Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit, which was used four times by Apostle John in the Bible.
Meaning of Parakletos
The Greek parakletos[2] is derived from a verb that combines “para” [παρά][3] meaning “beside, next to, near” and “kaleo” [καλέω][4] meaning “call, invite.” Parakletos means a person who is called in to help someone. Specifically, it refers to a person called by a judge to speak in defense of the accused in court. In other words, they are an advocate[5]. There are synonyms such as helper, comforter, and counselor. According to other versions of the Bible, it is translated as counselor, helper, or comforter.
| Bible | John 14:26 |
|---|---|
| NIV | “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” |
| GNT | “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.” |
| NKJV | “But the Helper (fn.Comforter, Gr. Parakletos), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” |
Jesus Christ, the Advocate (Counselor)
Apostle John wrote that Jesus Christ is the Counselor.
But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate [παράκλητος] with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
It is written in the book of 1 John that Jesus is the advocate. In some versions of the Bible, helper replaces advocate. It is because the Greek word for helper and advocate is parakletos. While Jesus was on earth in the flesh as Parakletos, He taught the truth to the saints so that they could go to heaven. Even in heaven, He also defends them as Parakletos.
Another Counselor
Jesus mentioned “another Counselor” the night before He passed away on the cross.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.”
Through the words “another Counselor,” Jesus first revealed that He was the Counselor who was with His disciples in the flesh. He said another Counselor would appear in the future, referring to Him as the Holy Spirit.[6]
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
In the following words, He taught us that another Counselor, that is the Holy Spirit, would appear in the future as Jesus who is to come a second time.
“I [Jesus] will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. . . . You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ ”
Jesus said, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will come and teach all things,” and then “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” In other words, the Holy Spirit refers to Jesus who comes a second time. He meant that Jesus, the Counselor, would come again as another Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches all the truths to the saints and helps them enter the kingdom of heaven.[7] As the Counselor, He is always with the saints until the end, taking the role of an advocate.[8][9][10]
See also
References
- ↑ "Paraclete". BibleGateway.
- ↑ παράκλητος, Glosbe
- ↑ 3844. para, Bible Hub
- ↑ 2564. kaleó, Bible Hub
- ↑ "Advocate," Bible Hub
- ↑ "John 15:26".
- ↑ "John 16:13".
- ↑ "Matthew 28:20".
- ↑ "John 2:1".
- ↑ "John 14:16".