PARAKLETOS

John 14:16 – I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever;

This announcement by Jesus on the night before His death is historic. There would be permanent and drastic changes in store for the followers of the Lord that would ultimately impact their world as well as the world to come. The supernatural life and ministry of Jesus was about to become the ministry for everyone, the coming of the Holy Spirit could not be over estimated. The world at the time of Christ’s death was in a precarious state. Rome was dominating the world and Israel was in total bondage politically and spiritually. They needed help in a big way and that is exactly what Jesus was promising. The Holy Spirit would be their Helper to change the world. Maybe that’s exactly where we are today, our world needs dramatic change and we don’t have the ability to do that. Here is what Barclay said about this passage.

“But Jesus does not leave us to struggle with the Christian life alone. He would send us another Helper. The Greek word is paraklētos, which is really untranslatable. The Authorized Version renders it Comforter, which, although hallowed by time and usage, is not a good translation. Moffatt translates it as Helper. It is only when we examine this word paraklētos in detail that we catch something of the riches of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It really means someone who is called in; but it is the reason why the person is called in which gives the word its distinctive associations. The Greeks used the word in a wide variety of ways. A paraklētos might be a person called in to give witness in a law court in someone’s favor, or an advocate called in to plead the cause of someone under a charge which would issue in a serious penalty; an expert called in to give advice in some difficult situation, or a person called in when, for example, a company of soldiers were depressed and dispirited to put new courage into their minds and hearts. Always a paraklētos is someone called in to help in time of trouble or need.”

Our world has experienced a cultural upheaval in my generation. The mores and structures of the Bible have been discarded and treated as antiquated and the claims of the Bible are treated as old fashioned and irrelevant. It is impossible to change what our world thinks without divine intervention. We need the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin and convince the world that Jesus is the only Savior. It’s time for the Helper to invade not only our churches but our society itself.

John 14:16 – I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever;

This announcement by Jesus on the night before His death is historic. There would be permanent and drastic changes in store for the followers of the Lord that would ultimately impact their world as well as the world to come. The supernatural life and ministry of Jesus was about to become the ministry for everyone, the coming of the Holy Spirit could not be over estimated. The world at the time of Christ’s death was in a precarious state. Rome was dominating the world and Israel was in total bondage politically and spiritually. They needed help in a big way and that is exactly what Jesus was promising. The Holy Spirit would be their Helper to change the world. Maybe that’s exactly where we are today, our world needs dramatic change and we don’t have the ability to do that. Here is what Barclay said about this passage.

“But Jesus does not leave us to struggle with the Christian life alone. He would send us another Helper. The Greek word is paraklētos, which is really untranslatable. The Authorized Version renders it Comforter, which, although hallowed by time and usage, is not a good translation. Moffatt translates it as Helper. It is only when we examine this word paraklētos in detail that we catch something of the riches of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It really means someone who is called in; but it is the reason why the person is called in which gives the word its distinctive associations. The Greeks used the word in a wide variety of ways. A paraklētos might be a person called in to give witness in a law court in someone’s favor, or an advocate called in to plead the cause of someone under a charge which would issue in a serious penalty; an expert called in to give advice in some difficult situation, or a person called in when, for example, a company of soldiers were depressed and dispirited to put new courage into their minds and hearts. Always a paraklētos is someone called in to help in time of trouble or need.”

Our world has experienced a cultural upheaval in my generation. The mores and structures of the Bible have been discarded and treated as antiquated and the claims of the Bible are treated as old fashioned and irrelevant. It is impossible to change what our world thinks without divine intervention. We need the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin and convince the world that Jesus is the only Savior. It’s time for the Helper to invade not only our churches but our society itself.