The Holy Spirit - God's Spirit
E-book and Audio series
PART 2 - The Roles and Activities of the Holy Spirit
Chapter 36 - The Spirit Today - a Paraclete
Summary: The first of a collection of studies that constitute the final studies in this series. Here we take a general look at how the Holy Spirit operates in the life of the believer today, focussing on the broad aspects encompassed by the term "Paraclete".
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Study notes for this audio:
(Note: This is just a summary of the points covered. There is greater detail in the audio message).
No.36 The Holy Spirit Today - a Paraclete
We begin a collection of studies that will make up the final few studies of this series. We’ve covered a lot of ground in the series so far - first considering various aspects of the deity of the Holy Spirit, and then reading about many of the Spirit’s activities during the Old Testament times, the Gospel Period and, more recently, the Acts Period.
I feel it’s now time to turn our attention to the part that the Holy Spirit plays, specifically, in our own lives today. We’ve already touched on this to some extent, as we’ve occasionally found ourselves looking at the later epistles of Paul for some guidance about the Spirit’s work today. You may not believe it, but there’s actually quite a number of aspects about the Spirit’s activities during each of those earlier dispensations that we haven’t discussed, and probably won’t, to any great extent, unless they come up in the course of our discussions, or in a separate study some time down the track.
Let’s now try to better understand some of the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives today. This study is really a general overview of the Spirit’s role in the life of the believer today.
READ John 14:16,17
A reminder that the Spirit’s activities vary from age to age. Just because we read of the Spirit enabling someone in a particular way at one time, this does not necessarily mean that the Spirit operates the same way today.
I mention this because God’s Spirit dwells with the believer permanently today, just as God’s Spirit dwelt with the believers of the Acts Period. Hence, over the next few studies, we’re going to be reading from passages written both during and after the Acts Period. (This passage in John 14 was spoken during the Gospel Period, but pertained mostly to the Acts Period). In reading from passages of earlier periods, we will need to take some care to avoid applying ourselves some instructions and teachings that applied only in the Acts Period but not to us today. Some aspects of the Spirit’s work will be the same now as it was in those times, but some will be different. The best way to distinguish which is which – what teaching about the Spirit applied then and what applies now – is to compare what was written during Acts, with what was written after Acts. Some of the teaching about the Holy Spirit will be the same, and some will be different. I will be more specific about these things as we get to them, issue by issue.
The Holy Spirit - A Paraclete
Re John 14:16 ….. Shortly before the Lord’s death, He told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit. This was written specifically to the disciples. The Spirit would work in them in ways that do not happen in our lives today. Nevertheless, several principles are the same.
v.16 – parakletos - he will give you another …
Depending on which Bible version you are reading from, the word "Helper" nor "Comforter" or "Counsellor" or "Advocate" is a translation of the Greek word parakletos (noun).
Parakletos is a word and a role that encompasses a broad range of meanings. Note the various English translations:
KJV, ASV– Comforter
NKJV – Helper
RSV, NIV 1984 – Counsellor
NIV 2011 – Advocate (in a legal sense)
Amplified Bible – adds a few extra words - Intercessor, Strengthener
“Parakletos” includes all those ideas of a comforter, a helper, an advocate, an intercessor (one who speaks on another person’s behalf), a counsellor (one who offers counsel, or advice), also includes ideas of being an advisor, an encourager.
John 14:16 tells us the Lord was to send “another” paraclete. This is because Christ Himself also fulfilled these roles whilst He was with the disciples. (1 John 2:1)
Parakletos is the noun, parakaleo is the related verb = to call to one’s side
kaleo =call, para = beside
There are not many occurrences of parakletos, but quite a few of the verb form parakaleo, and I think that a look at this word in the New Testament will help us understand some of the Holy Spirit’s dealings with us today.
READ Acts 16:39,40 – parakaleo occurs twice, with different shades of meaning
v.39 pleaded (KJV – besought; NIV appeased – not a good translation here)
v.40 encouraged (KJV “comforted”)
two aspects – same Greek word
Let’s look at another passage to see a similar idea
READ Ephesians 4:1 beseech (NIV urge)
Idea of pleading, but also of encouraging a person. In this instance, Paul is encouraging his readers to live a life worthy of the God’s calling.
READ Ephesians 6:21,22
v.22 – Same word in the same epistle, a different shade of meaning
- encourage (KJV “comfort”)
Similar throughout the NT – parakaleo has ideas of pleading, but also encouragement and comfort.
READ Colossians 2:1-3
v.2 encouraged (KJV comforted), but then links it with the ideas of “understanding” and “knowledge” (epignosis)
So this “comfort/ encouragement” is not just a cheering up, but is more to do, I think, with the more varied work of the Holy Spirit – encouragement (sometimes rebuke) but also instruction.
(Note – The "mystery" is not really the mystery regarding Jewish and Gentile believers being made into the Church which is His body (Ephesians 3:6; 2:16), but more in a general sense related to deeper knowledge of the things of Christ and God Himself. The Holy Spirit is a Revealer of Truth. More about this aspect in another study – for the moment we are considering the Spirit’s role today in a general sense.
Paul also wrote some epistles to his co-workers Timothy and Titus who were both leaders of Christian assemblies. In those epistles, there are instructions about being a good leader in the church (pastoral epistles – like the picture of a shepherd guiding their flock).
Some of the instructions about what Christian leaders should do are very similar to roles of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s read some.
READ 1 Timothy 5:1 - Do not …etc
... but “exhort” him as if he were your father. (KJV “intreat”)
i.e. firm but fair … and always with love.
Cp next phrase “Treat younger men as brothers”.
i.e. don’t treat them harshly either if they need rebuking. – here we have a picture of how God deals with us through the Holy Spirit.
We have a similar picture of rebuke, encouragement and instruction in Titus
READ Titus 1:9 – the role of an elder - “encourage” = parakaleo
This is not the Holy Spirit here, but the role is similar.
Notice the link between encouragement, rebuke, and sound doctrine (not dissimilar to what we read in Colossians about knowledge. An idea of instruction – the Holy Spirit being a Revealer of Truth. )
An elder is a guide, a physical human guide – sometimes encouraging, sometimes needing to correct.
The Holy Spirit is the God-ordained spiritual equivalent, carrying out a similar role in our lives.
There is a strong link in these later epistles between the teaching of the Scriptures, and the Spirit’s work in us today.
READ 2 Timothy 3:16,17 “God breathed” Scriptures (i.e. the Holy Spirit – “holy men of old were moved by the Holy Spirit to write down the words of God as they were spoken to them - 2 Peter 1:21)
The "God-breathed" Scriptures guide us in doctrine (teaching), reproof (rebuke), correcting, training in righteousness.
… so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Earlier we read Ephesians 4:1 - "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech (parakaleo) you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called".
How do we know what are the good works in 2 Timothy 3:17? Read the Scriptures.
(They tell us, for example in Ephesians 4:2, that our Christian walk should be “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, etc.)
Essentially, the message is this: Get to know God’s Word, become immersed in it, become familiar with it. God’s Spirit that dwells in us will encourage us, even plead with us, to abide by the teaching of the Scriptures, and rebuke us when we stray from them. (We’ll look at how this might happen, in more detail in a future study.)
Concluding Thoughts
Don’t have time to read the Bible? Make time for the important things in life.
There are lots of opportunities and ways for us to read the Scriptures, or even listen to the Scriptures (or Bible study material).
Set aside time to read … or listen in the car, travelling, make time at home. CDs, MP3s, stick Bible verses on your fridge, etc.
Just do something about making the God-inspired word a regular part of your routine.
More about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, in the next study.
(Note: This is just a summary of the points covered. There is greater detail in the audio message).
No.36 The Holy Spirit Today - a Paraclete
We begin a collection of studies that will make up the final few studies of this series. We’ve covered a lot of ground in the series so far - first considering various aspects of the deity of the Holy Spirit, and then reading about many of the Spirit’s activities during the Old Testament times, the Gospel Period and, more recently, the Acts Period.
I feel it’s now time to turn our attention to the part that the Holy Spirit plays, specifically, in our own lives today. We’ve already touched on this to some extent, as we’ve occasionally found ourselves looking at the later epistles of Paul for some guidance about the Spirit’s work today. You may not believe it, but there’s actually quite a number of aspects about the Spirit’s activities during each of those earlier dispensations that we haven’t discussed, and probably won’t, to any great extent, unless they come up in the course of our discussions, or in a separate study some time down the track.
Let’s now try to better understand some of the workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives today. This study is really a general overview of the Spirit’s role in the life of the believer today.
READ John 14:16,17
A reminder that the Spirit’s activities vary from age to age. Just because we read of the Spirit enabling someone in a particular way at one time, this does not necessarily mean that the Spirit operates the same way today.
I mention this because God’s Spirit dwells with the believer permanently today, just as God’s Spirit dwelt with the believers of the Acts Period. Hence, over the next few studies, we’re going to be reading from passages written both during and after the Acts Period. (This passage in John 14 was spoken during the Gospel Period, but pertained mostly to the Acts Period). In reading from passages of earlier periods, we will need to take some care to avoid applying ourselves some instructions and teachings that applied only in the Acts Period but not to us today. Some aspects of the Spirit’s work will be the same now as it was in those times, but some will be different. The best way to distinguish which is which – what teaching about the Spirit applied then and what applies now – is to compare what was written during Acts, with what was written after Acts. Some of the teaching about the Holy Spirit will be the same, and some will be different. I will be more specific about these things as we get to them, issue by issue.
The Holy Spirit - A Paraclete
Re John 14:16 ….. Shortly before the Lord’s death, He told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit. This was written specifically to the disciples. The Spirit would work in them in ways that do not happen in our lives today. Nevertheless, several principles are the same.
v.16 – parakletos - he will give you another …
Depending on which Bible version you are reading from, the word "Helper" nor "Comforter" or "Counsellor" or "Advocate" is a translation of the Greek word parakletos (noun).
Parakletos is a word and a role that encompasses a broad range of meanings. Note the various English translations:
KJV, ASV– Comforter
NKJV – Helper
RSV, NIV 1984 – Counsellor
NIV 2011 – Advocate (in a legal sense)
Amplified Bible – adds a few extra words - Intercessor, Strengthener
“Parakletos” includes all those ideas of a comforter, a helper, an advocate, an intercessor (one who speaks on another person’s behalf), a counsellor (one who offers counsel, or advice), also includes ideas of being an advisor, an encourager.
John 14:16 tells us the Lord was to send “another” paraclete. This is because Christ Himself also fulfilled these roles whilst He was with the disciples. (1 John 2:1)
Parakletos is the noun, parakaleo is the related verb = to call to one’s side
kaleo =call, para = beside
There are not many occurrences of parakletos, but quite a few of the verb form parakaleo, and I think that a look at this word in the New Testament will help us understand some of the Holy Spirit’s dealings with us today.
READ Acts 16:39,40 – parakaleo occurs twice, with different shades of meaning
v.39 pleaded (KJV – besought; NIV appeased – not a good translation here)
v.40 encouraged (KJV “comforted”)
two aspects – same Greek word
Let’s look at another passage to see a similar idea
READ Ephesians 4:1 beseech (NIV urge)
Idea of pleading, but also of encouraging a person. In this instance, Paul is encouraging his readers to live a life worthy of the God’s calling.
READ Ephesians 6:21,22
v.22 – Same word in the same epistle, a different shade of meaning
- encourage (KJV “comfort”)
Similar throughout the NT – parakaleo has ideas of pleading, but also encouragement and comfort.
READ Colossians 2:1-3
v.2 encouraged (KJV comforted), but then links it with the ideas of “understanding” and “knowledge” (epignosis)
So this “comfort/ encouragement” is not just a cheering up, but is more to do, I think, with the more varied work of the Holy Spirit – encouragement (sometimes rebuke) but also instruction.
(Note – The "mystery" is not really the mystery regarding Jewish and Gentile believers being made into the Church which is His body (Ephesians 3:6; 2:16), but more in a general sense related to deeper knowledge of the things of Christ and God Himself. The Holy Spirit is a Revealer of Truth. More about this aspect in another study – for the moment we are considering the Spirit’s role today in a general sense.
Paul also wrote some epistles to his co-workers Timothy and Titus who were both leaders of Christian assemblies. In those epistles, there are instructions about being a good leader in the church (pastoral epistles – like the picture of a shepherd guiding their flock).
Some of the instructions about what Christian leaders should do are very similar to roles of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s read some.
READ 1 Timothy 5:1 - Do not …etc
... but “exhort” him as if he were your father. (KJV “intreat”)
i.e. firm but fair … and always with love.
Cp next phrase “Treat younger men as brothers”.
i.e. don’t treat them harshly either if they need rebuking. – here we have a picture of how God deals with us through the Holy Spirit.
We have a similar picture of rebuke, encouragement and instruction in Titus
READ Titus 1:9 – the role of an elder - “encourage” = parakaleo
This is not the Holy Spirit here, but the role is similar.
Notice the link between encouragement, rebuke, and sound doctrine (not dissimilar to what we read in Colossians about knowledge. An idea of instruction – the Holy Spirit being a Revealer of Truth. )
An elder is a guide, a physical human guide – sometimes encouraging, sometimes needing to correct.
The Holy Spirit is the God-ordained spiritual equivalent, carrying out a similar role in our lives.
There is a strong link in these later epistles between the teaching of the Scriptures, and the Spirit’s work in us today.
READ 2 Timothy 3:16,17 “God breathed” Scriptures (i.e. the Holy Spirit – “holy men of old were moved by the Holy Spirit to write down the words of God as they were spoken to them - 2 Peter 1:21)
The "God-breathed" Scriptures guide us in doctrine (teaching), reproof (rebuke), correcting, training in righteousness.
… so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Earlier we read Ephesians 4:1 - "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech (parakaleo) you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called".
How do we know what are the good works in 2 Timothy 3:17? Read the Scriptures.
(They tell us, for example in Ephesians 4:2, that our Christian walk should be “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, etc.)
Essentially, the message is this: Get to know God’s Word, become immersed in it, become familiar with it. God’s Spirit that dwells in us will encourage us, even plead with us, to abide by the teaching of the Scriptures, and rebuke us when we stray from them. (We’ll look at how this might happen, in more detail in a future study.)
Concluding Thoughts
Don’t have time to read the Bible? Make time for the important things in life.
There are lots of opportunities and ways for us to read the Scriptures, or even listen to the Scriptures (or Bible study material).
Set aside time to read … or listen in the car, travelling, make time at home. CDs, MP3s, stick Bible verses on your fridge, etc.
Just do something about making the God-inspired word a regular part of your routine.
More about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, in the next study.