A number of years ago, a 42-foot sailboat was caught in stormy seas off the east coast of the US. Waves rose higher and higher until a giant wave flipped the boat upside down. The heavy keel righted the craft, but the damage to the vessel was significant.
A Coast Guard cutter quickly responded to the sailboat’s SOS. But when the ship located the damaged boat, the rescue was extremely difficult because of the violent seas. The cutter drew as close as possible to the smaller craft while taking the brunt of the waves and remained alongside the imperiled boat to lead her into port.
The action of the Coast Guard cutter that day is an illustration of one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to us today.
The word “Helper” (John 14:16) literally means "one called alongside to help."
There are only five times (and only by John) this Greek word is used, four of which are translated as “Helper” in reference to the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:25; 16:7) and once it is translated as “advocate” in reference to Jesus (1 John 2:1)
The word is extremely difficult to translate because there is no single English word that matches exactly the range of meaning of the Greek word.
- The KJV use of “Comforter” probably originates from Wycliffe’s translation. Today, though, it suggests something like a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral and the Holy Spirit does much more than that.
One author writes about the way the KJV translates the word: “The translation (“Comforter”) entirely misses the mark, and is responsible for untold mischief in both doctrine and experience; and yet it has prevailed from the days of the Fathers... It misrepresents the Mission of the Spirit, has led believers to think less of obligation than of comfort, and has associated Christianity with soothing consolations rather than with conflict. The need is not comfort, but power. The call is not to pampered softness, but to the hardship of service and the strain of battle. The Holy Spirit is not given to be a nursing mother to fretful children, but the captain of a mighty host full of nerve and fire." (Johnstone G. Patrick, The Promise of the Paraclete, Bibliotheca Sacra, October 1970, p.333 [quoting Samuel Chadwick, Humanity and God, pp. 185-86.] --saved in Google Docs)
- “Counselor” is adequate in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor,” but the Holy Spirit does much more than just hand out advice or give adult supervision to kids.
- “Advocate” is the the word chosen by some translations but it actually has more forensic overtones than the Greek word indicates.
- “Helper” is probably the best overall rendering as long as you don’t allow the word to suggest a subordinate rank for the Holy Spirit.
The active form of the word, though not found in the New Testament, is found in the Septuagint in Job 16:2 in the plural, and means "comforters," in the saying of Job regarding the "miserable comforters" who came to him in his distress.
“Among Jewish writers (Talmud & Targums) the word ‘Paraclete’ came to have a number of meanings. A good deed was called a paraclete or advocate, and a transgression was an accuser. Repentance and good works were called paracletes: ‘The works of benevolence and mercy done by the people of Israel in this world become agents of peace and intercessors (paracletes) between them and their Father in heaven.’ The sin offering is a paraclete; the paraclete created by each good deed is called an angel (Jewish Encyclopedia, IX, 514-15, article ‘Paraclete’).” --NETBible Notes (saved in Evernote)
There is a wide range of meaning that can be ascribed to this designation of the Holy Spirit and the context helps to settle on the best translation in a given text. Some of the breadth of meaning: to call one to aid us; to exhort or entreat; to pray or implore, as an advocate does; to comfort and console by suggesting reasons or arguments for consolation.
Why the ambiguity in this word? Perhaps to emphasize that the Holy Spirit helps us in many different ways and shouldn’t be limited to only one way.
Another way to grasp the idea of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is with an illustration. Most dads can remember helping their children learn to ride a bike. It probably started with training wheels and your steady hand on the handlebars. Then came the day that you took the training wheels off and you ran alongside the bike with one hand under the seat all the while giving instructions like: “Just relax. Keep your wheel straight. Steady! I’ve got you! You’re doing great!” Often, at the end of some of those short journeys there’d be a crash that led to you picking up your child, embracing him to assure him everything would be ok, and then encouraging him to try again.
Similarly, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, encourages us, holds us up, picks us up, dusts us off when we fall, and gets us going again. The Holy Spirit’s eternal patience and encouragement help us keep going and growing. He is pulling for us...not against us!
Talk about the context of John 14:16-17.
The translation of this word as “Comforter” (KJV) possibly fits the specific context of John 14:16 where Jesus has just told His disciples that He was leaving them. His promise to them was that they would not be “orphans” (14:18). He will come to them through the person of the Holy Spirit. This was encouraging and comforting to their hearts.
No doubt Jesus also had in reference the comfort the Holy Spirit would bring in all the disciples’ future sorrows and trials, not just their sorrow at His ascension back to the Father.
Our English word “comfort” comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength.” “Comfort” is usually thought of as soothing someone, consoling him or her. But, it also (more properly) means to strengthen someone to face life bravely and keep on going.
When you think of the work of the Holy Spirit as “Helper/Comforter,” He...
1. ...soothes us in times of grief.
2. ...gives us strength in times of affliction.
3. ...encourages us to keep going and not give up.
4. ...imparts peace about what lies ahead.
5. ...inspires us with with hope and vision.
6. ...relieves our worries and anguish.
7. ...bolsters our resilience.
After Paul came to Christ and his life was dramatically changed it says, “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)
In Paul’s prayer requests for the Ephesians he asked, “...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man...” (Ephesians 3:16)
In other words, the Holy Spirit consoles us in our sorrow, makes us strong in the face of opposition, and encourages us to press forward.
Dr. Lehman Strauss tells the story of his good friend J. Sidlow Baxter. When Dr. Baxter’s wife died he was living in California and Dr. Strauss was in Florida. In an effort to express his sympathy to him and offer any assistance that might be needed, Dr. Strauss telephoned him. He said that when his friend answered the phone it was obvious that he was in deep sorrow. However, Dr. Strauss said that he would never forget what his friend told him, “Lehman, I am very lonely, but I am not alone. I am being comforted.” Dr. Strauss understood that Dr. Baxter had walked daily in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, so in his sorrow he experienced the Spirit’s comfort.
Another way the Holy Spirit helps us is in praying for us...Romans 8:26-27.
Too many Christians live like they are “bi-tarians” rather than Trinitarians. They act as if God is way up there somewhere, aloof from their daily lives. They think of Christ as being way out there...somewhere between them and the Father. And, the Holy Spirit is some kind of vague and impersonal force that they cannot know or experience personally. But, the contrary is really true because He is praying for us, lives in us, and is always with us to help us...if we’ll only allow Him.
In the late 1940's Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier in major league baseball. Sadly, he was routinely booed at the various ballparks where he played. On one occasion he was being jeered by his own hometown fans. The popular Pee Wee Reese walked over to Robinson in the field and put his arm around him and silenced the crowd. At that moment Pee Wee Reese was acting as a paraclete and that’s what the Holy Spirit does for us. He comes to our aid in our time of need to stand with us and strengthen us.
Thank God He’s promised never to leave us...never to leave us alone. People need to know that the Holy Spirit is in them, with them and there to help them as only He can do.
Someone has accurately said, “Bethlehem means “God with us”; Calvary means “God for us”; But Pentecost means “God in us.”
Action Steps:
- Be aware that He’s already in your life and wants to help you. At this place in my life I am very conscious of my own weaknesses and inadequacies, but I’m also very aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence in me and His abundant provision to help me. How about you?
- Learn to walk under the control of the Holy Spirit consistently.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to you through God’s Word.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in every circumstance of life.
I have a Facebook account, a Twitter account, a Google + account, I text, and send email messages on almost a daily basis. Truth is...I’m grateful for all of these forms of communication. However, I’m afraid that too often what happens in our world today is that we sit in the safety and security of our comfortable houses sending “messages” as an escape to keep from actually having to get involved in other people's lives. It’s easier to be a “virtual presence” than it is to be a “visible presence.” The truth is that nothing will ever replace you being there when someone is in need of strength or encouragement.
That’s the message of today’s study on “Life in the Spirit.” God didn’t just send us a letter wishing us His best. He sent us the living witness of His Spirit to be with us and in us in order that He might help us.
