Parakletos A. The noun parakletos (paravklhto$) has the following cognates: 1. Paraklesis (paravklhsi$) (noun), admonition, exhortation, encouragement, appeal, request, comfort, consolation. 2. Parakaleo (parakalevw) (verb), to summon, invite, ask, implore, exhort, comfort, encourage. 3. Kaleo (kalevw) (verb), to call, name, summon, invite. 4. Sumparakaleo (sumparakalevw) (verb), to comfort together with. B. Classical and LXX 1. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1313): a. Called to one s aid in a court of justice b. As substantive, legal assistant, advocate c. Summoned d. Intercessor 2. The noun parakletos is related to the verb parakaleo, to call for, encourage, comfort, exhort. 3. It has a wide range of meanings in classical Greek. 4. As a verbal adjective it had a passive sense. 5. The word as a noun is attested in secular Greek from the 4 th century B.C. where it had the sense of a person called in to help another, summoned to give another assistance. 6. Thus, it had the meaning of a helper in court. 7. When there is no reference to a representative in court, the concept is still pretty much legal in sense. 8. The word does not refer to a personal attorney, but sunegoros. 9. The assistance rendered by a parakletos was not part of the formal jurisprudence but a personal act of friendship. 10. Such acts of friendship include public testimony that emphasized the good qualities of the accused s character. 11. Thus, it referred to a character witness. 12. Others speaking for the accused would be better for the accused than simply defending his own honor. 13. The noun is also used in non-legal contexts. 14. For instance, a parakletos one who encouraged soldiers before they went into battle. 15. The word does not appear in the LXX but paraklatores does in Job 16:2 where it is used of Job s 3 friends. 16. It is used in the intertestamental period 17. Philo used the word in the sense of intercessor. 18. He wrote how the Jews in Alexandria looked for a parakletos who would plead their cause to the Roman Emperor (Behm, Kittel, 5:802). 19. Philo also wrote that Joseph told his brothers that they would not need a parakletos to plead their case because he had completely forgiven them. 20. There is a Targum of Job 33:23 where the word is used in reference to an angel or interpreter who preaches the correct way to man. C. NT 1. The noun parakletos appears only 5 times in the Greek New Testament (Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 Jn. 2:1). 2. The word is used of God the Holy Spirit in John s Gospel and is used of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 John 2:1. 3. In the Gospel of John, the noun parakletos means, mentor-teacher. 4. The Lord Jesus Christ in His Upper Room Discourse reveals to His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to replace Him as their mentor and teacher. 5. 1 John 2:20-27 bringing out the teaching aspect of the Holy Spirit s ministry to church age believers. 6. The Holy Spirit is the resident teacher or mentor whom the Father has sent through the Son to indwell every New Testament believer as God s special anointing to teach and make the truths of the Word understood and real to the heart or mind of believers (John. 14:16-20, 26; 15:26; 16:7-16; 1 Co. 2:10-16; 2 Co. 13:14; Ga. 5:5, 16-25; Eph. 3:16-19; 5:18; 1 Jo. 2:20-27). 7. John 14:16-17, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1
8. John 14:26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 9. John 15:26-27, When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 10. John 16:13-15, But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. 11. 1 John 2:15-20, Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 12. Annointing is the noun chrisma and is a synonym for the indwelling of the Spirit who provides the believer the spiritual capacity or power to understand the Word of God and apply it for the purpose of producing in the believer Christ-like character. 13. In its broadest sense chrisma refers to anything smeared onto something else such as coatings of plaster applied to walls. 14. It was used of the anointing of pots, which referred to the glaze applied to pottery before it is fired in order to give it color and finish. 15. The noun chrisma was used to denote a scented ointment, often consisting of a mixture of oil and herbs used for the purpose of anointing either persons or things. 16. This use appears often in the LXX. 17. It was used of the spiced oil of anointing used to consecrate or set apart for service both the priests in Israel and the tabernacle and its fixtures (Ex. 29:7; 30:25). 18. The word was also used to denote the state or act of being anointed. 19. In the Old Testament, kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil, which symbolized that they were empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish the appointed tasks given to them by God. 20. The word is John s terminology for what Paul calls the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit who serves as the believer s true teacher and mentor. 21. Rom 8:9, However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 22. 1 Cor 3:16, Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 23. The Holy Spirit was dispatched by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost in June of 32 A.D., which was 10 days after His ascension and session at the right hand the Father as victor in the angelic conflict. 24. He was dispatched by the Lord in order to fulfill His promise that He made in John 7:37-39 and in His Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17. 25. John 7:37-39, Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 26. The Holy Spirit s purpose during the church is to indwell every believer in order to provide a temple for the indwelling of the Shekinah Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, which serves as the principle of victory over the indwelling old sin nature and provides the believer the spiritual capacity to understand the Word of God since the Spirit serves as the believer s true teacher and mentor in place of the absent Christ. 27. 1 John 2:20, But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 28. Corrected translation of 1 John 2:20 from the original language: 1 John 2:20 All of you without exception possess permanently spiritual power (chrisma) from the Holy One (Lord Jesus Christ) so that all of you comprehend everything (pertaining to the doctrines of Christ). 29. In 1 John 2:20 and 27 this anointing from the Holy One refers to the permanent indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit who has been given to the believer by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is referred to here as the Holy One. 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2
30. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit provides the believer the spiritual capacity or power to understand and apply spiritual phenomena, i.e. the Word of God, Bible doctrine. 31. The Gnostic teachers whose teachings John s readers were being exposed to taught that they were the sole source of truth, and that they exclusively possessed the capacity to understand spiritual phenomena but the indwelling of the Spirit and His mentorship give every believer the spiritual capacity or power to understand and apply truth. 32. The Gnostic teachers proclaimed superior knowledge because they had received a ritual anointing that gave them gnosis, knowledge. 33. The apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is refuting the claims of the Gnostic teachers and clearly sets forth the spiritual truth that every believer in the church age without exception has received at the moment of salvation the indwelling of the Spirit who provides the believer with the spiritual capacity to understand and apply the truth, i.e. the Word of God, which is spiritual phenomena. 34. 2 Cor 1:21-22, Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and empowered (chrio) us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 35. 1 John 2:21-27, I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you, which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise, which He Himself made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the spiritual power which you received from Him (Christ) abides in you (indwelling presence of the Spirit), and you have no need for anyone to teach you; yes, because this same spiritual power (from the indwelling of the Spirit) teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. 36. The Holy Spirit is not only the believer s teacher but also mentor. 37. A mentor is a wise and trusted counselor or advisor. 38. The Holy Spirit would be the disciple s wise and trusted counselor and advisor while the Lord Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father. 39. The Holy Spirit would do for the disciples all that the Lord Jesus Christ had done for them while He was with them. 40. Thus, the disciples would never be left alone since the Spirit would permanently indwell them (Rm. 8:11; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27). 41. This permanently indwelling of the disciples of the Lord Jesus would be true of all church age believers. 42. The word in 1 John 2:1 means, advocate. 43. In this passage, the word describes the Lord Jesus Christ as the believer s advocate or defense attorney to defend the believer from the accusations of Satan against the believer. 44. It has a legal connotation here in 1 John 2:1. 45. A comparison of Scripture with Scripture further substantiates this interpretation. 46. Revelation 12:10, Job 1 and Zechariah 3:1-2 teaches that Satan accuses believers day and night before the Supreme Court of Heaven. 47. Rev 12:10, Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 48. Job 1, There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, From where do you 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3
come? Then Satan answered the LORD and said, From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it. The LORD said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil. Then Satan answered the LORD, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face. Then the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him. So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said, The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. 49. Zech 3:1-5, Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, Remove the filthy garments from him. Again he said to him, See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes. Then I said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by. 50. The Greek New Testament terms Satanas, Satan and diabolos, devil are legal terms. 51. The term Satanas means adversary, and diabolos means slanderer, false accuser. 52. Therefore, the believer needs an advocate or defense attorney to defend him against the charges of Satan. 53. These charges are true because Satan wouldn t waste his time bringing a lie to God about a believer. 54. In fact, he doesn t need to lie about the believer since believers will and do sin all the time. 55. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ defends the believer by stating to the Father that He paid for the sins committed by the believer that Satan is bringing up before the Supreme Court of heaven. 56. This ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ as the defense attorney for church age believers at the right hand of the Father on behalf is directly related to the Lord Jesus Christ present session and Great High Priesthood. 57. The Session of Christ pertains to the glorification of our Lord s humanity at the right hand of God the Father when our Lord received His third royal title from God the Father as King of kings and Lord of lords... the bright morning star. 58. The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ controls history is directly related to His present session, which completes the process of promoting Him as sovereign ruler of history. 59. The Lord Jesus Christ session at the right hand of the Father points to His kingship (Rev. 4:2). 60. Our Lord acknowledged to Pilate at His 5th trial and 2nd civil trial that He was indeed a king but that His kingdom was not of this world. 61. John 18:33-37, Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus, and said to Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me? Pilate answered, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You up to me; what have You done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. Pilate therefore said to Him, So You are a king? Jesus answered, You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4
born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness (for the Prosecution in the rebuttal phase of Satan s appeal trial) to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. 62. When our Lord arrived in heaven and was seated at the right hand of God the Father He received a new royal warrant, a 3rd royal title as the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16). 63. This title has been granted to Him by the Father indicating His rulership over the Church of which He is the Head. 64. The Tribulation saints in heaven when singing the song of Moses proclaim our Lord as the King of the nations which He will assume at His 2nd Advent. 65. The session of Christ is a public affirmation that our Lord is the victor in the angelic conflict (Heb. 1:13; 2:8). 66. Colossians 2:15 states that there was a triumphal procession by our Lord in heaven declaring Him publicly as Victor in the angelic conflict. 67. Satan was publicly shown in heaven to be defeated when the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union sat down at the right hand of God the Father and was granted the power, rank and authority over the entire universe as ruler of the cosmos. 68. An impeccable human being defeated the greatest angel ever created by the hand of God. 69. The humanity of Christ was able to do so because He depended upon the divine omnipotence of the prototype spiritual life provided by God the Father. 70. Satan lost because he chose to remain independent of God thus he was defeated. 71. Although the humanity of Christ became inferior to Satan for a little while during the incarnation, our Lord still was able to defeat him and receive glory and honor as Victor in the angelic conflict (Heb. 2:9). 72. Our Lord s Great High Priesthood is directly related to both His finished work on the cross and His present mediatorial work in heaven at the right hand of the Father. 73. Romans 8:34 states that our Lord intercesses for the believer as a part of His session at the right hand of God the Father. 74. He intercedes for the believer in prayer and when Satan accuses the believer of sin (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). 75. The intercessory ministry of Christ is a part of His Priesthood (Heb. 2:17; 8:1). 76. He is our faithful High Priest (Heb. 2:17). 77. He is the believer s High Priest who intercedes for them at the right hand of the Father. 78. This could not be possible if it were not for the fact that our Lord has now been seated at the right hand of God the Father. 79. Our Lord s High Priesthood is permanent (Heb. 7:24). 80. Every Church Age believer has been made a royal priest because of their union with their High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. 81. Our Lord holds 3 offices: (1) Prophet (2) Priest (3) King. 82. His priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood in that He does not have to offer a sacrifice for Himself since He is impeccable. 83. Instead He offered Himself as a substitute and became the Mediator of a New Covenant, which was based upon His spiritual death on the cross. 84. Peter and the apostles proclaimed to the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:30-31, The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the One Whom God the Father has exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant a change of mind concerning Christ to Israel (salvation) and forgiveness of sins. 85. The session of Christ makes possible for Christ to provide salvation and the forgiveness sins. Peter again proclaims of Jesus to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:12, There is salvation in no one else (Jesus); for there is no other title under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. 86. God the Father forgives us sin because of His Son Jesus Christ Who sits at His right hand intercessing for us (1 John 1:9). 87. Confession of sin is possible because of our Lord s session with the Father. 88. Our sins are forgiven because of Jesus Who sits at the right hand of God the Father intercessing for us. 89. He is our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). 90. The Lord performs His intercessory ministry for the believer in the Holy of Holies in heaven (Heb. 8:2). 91. Our Lord s high priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:9-10; 6:20). Our Lord is a high priest forever. 92. He entered into the veil in heaven as High Priest (Heb. 6:20). 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5
93. His ministry is superior to the Levitical high priests on earth during the dispensation of Israel since He did not have to offer sacrifices for Himself since He was impeccable (Heb. 7:26). 94. In fact, He offered Himself up as a substitute for the entire human race as our High Priest (Heb. 7:28). 95. As our High Priest He is a mediator of a superior covenant for the 1st covenant with Israel under the Law has been abolished and He has replaced it with a new and superior one. 96. The Levitical conducted their ministry under the Law whereas our Lord s High Priesthood is conducted under the policy of grace, which is superior to the Law in every respect. 97. Our Lord as High Priest fulfilled the Mosaic Law in every detail during His incarnation. 98. Our Lord put away sin with His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross thus laying the foundation for the dispensation of grace called the Church Age (Heb. 9:26). 99. The Church is a kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:6, 9) of which Christ is the High Priest. 100. The chief source of the priestly conception of Our Lord is the Epistle to the Hebrews where Christ is declared to have by Himself purged our sins (Heb 1:3); to taste of death for every man (Heb 2:9); that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest to make reconciliation for the sins of the people (Heb 2:17); compare (He 3:1); the community of sacrifice (Heb 3:14); our great High Priest has passed into the heavens (He 4:14); His compassion (4:15); the authority and power of Christ's priesthood fully set forth (Heb 5). 101. Christ was made a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:6). 102. The priesthood of Christ being of the order of Melchizedek is more excellent than the Aaronic priesthood (Heb 7). 103. Christ's priesthood being eternal that of the Aaronic is abolished (Heb 8). 104. Christ's high priesthood is made effectual by His own blood; and He entered once for all into the holy place, and has become the Mediator of a New Covenant (He 9:11-15). 105. Christ is forever the representative of man in heaven (Heb 9:24-28). 106. Christ by the sacrifice of Himself forever takes away sin, and has consecrated the new and living way to God (Heb 10). 107. He is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb 12:24). 108. The entire Epistle is steeped in the conception of Christ's priesthood. 109. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, parakletos, lit., "called to one's side," i. e., to one's aid, is primarily a verbal adjective, and suggests the capability or adaptability for giving aid. It was used in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant, counsel for the defense, an advocate; then, generally, one who pleads another's cause, an intercessor, advocate, as in 1 John 2:1, of the Lord Jesus. In the widest sense, it signifies a "succorer, comforter." Christ was this to His disciples, by the implication of His word "another (allos, "another of the same sort," not heteros, "different") Comforter," when speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 14:16. In 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 He calls Him "the Comforter." "Comforter" or "Consoler" corresponds to the name "Menahem," given by the Hebrews to the Messiah. 110. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (pages 303-304): a. One called or sent for to assist another b. An advocate, one who pleads the cause of another c. One present to render various beneficial services and thus the Paraklete, whose influence and operation were to compensate for the departure of Christ Himself. 111. The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon (page 483): a. Summoned, called to one s side b. One who pleads another s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate c. A helper, succorer, aider, assistant 112. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, One who appears in another s behalf, mediator, intercessor, helper (page 618). 113. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 3, pages 28-29): a. Legal advisor b. Advocate c. Counselor d. Helper 114. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): a. One who helps, by consoling, encouraging, or mediating on behalf of Helper, Encourager, Mediator (page 142). 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6
b. To call upon to provide help, one who may be called upon to provide help or assistance helper (page 460). 2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7