SPECIAL TOPIC: PARACLĒTŌS

The term "another helper" (from John 14:16) translates a Greek term (allos) that means "another of the same kind." The Holy Spirit has been called "the other Jesus" by G. Campbell Morgan.
SPECIAL TOPIC: JESUS ANDTHE SPIRIT

The second term, the Greek term "paraklētos", comes from the PREPOSITION "para" ("beside") and a VERB ("call"). This compound is used

  1. of Jesus in 1 John 2:1 (as intercessor, cf. Rom. 8:27,34; Heb. 7:25; 9:24)
  2. of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-17, 26 and 16:7-14; Rom. 8:26
    Its etymology is "one called alongside to help," in a legal sense. Therefore, the term "Advocate" accurately translates this word.
  3. A form of this same Greek root, "comfort" (parakalēo, see SPECIAL TOPIC: COMFORT), is used as a title of the Father (i.e., "the God of all comfort" in 2 Cor. 1:3-6 (root used 9 times).

The translation of the NOUN "advocate" (paraklētos) comes from the Roman legal system. The translation "Comforter" was first used by Wycliffe and reflects the use of the VERB form (parakaleō) in the Septuagint (i.e., 2 Sam. 10:4; 1 Chr. 19:3; Job 16:2; Ps. 69:20; Eccl. 4:1; Isa. 35:4). It may be the ANTONYM of Satan (the accuser).

Both Philo and Josephus used the word in the sense of "intercessor" or "adviser."

SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONHOOD OF THE SPIRIT

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