Board index ‹ The Holy Spirit

[Tony Chan]

Berean Study Bible John 14:

15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate [G3875 paraklétos] to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

G3875 occurs 5 times in the New Testament, all in the writings of John. Four instances are in the Gospel and one in the First Epistle.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon:

STRONGS NT 3875: παράκλητος

The word for "Paraclete" is passive in form: summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid;

1. one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate, an attorney
2. universally, one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor
3. in the widest sense, a helper, succorer, aider, assistant

The Paraclete is the indwelling Spirit. He is our anointing and guarantee, 2 Corinthians 1:

21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

The Paraclete serves a special function of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in our human spirit, Ephesians 2:

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 13:

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?

The Paraclete represents Jesus Christ.

[jimwalton]

Yes, the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.

Jn. 14.26: "Another" ( ἄλλον) is distinct, but of like kind, being of the same character as the previous. Therefore, this “Comforter” (Paraclete) will be similar to Jesus himself, but a distinct entity. J.I. Packer writes, "Jesus was their original comforter. The Spirit’s task was to continue this aspect of His ministry."

Leon Morris: "The Spirit is another counselor like Christ, but not identical to him. Jesus is not the Paraclete. Nor is the Holy Spirit just another spirit like the one we already have—our human spirit. This Spirit is beyond our spirit. He is like ours, but He is also different."

Robertson and Tenney both write, "The Christian has Christ as his paraclete with the Father, and the Holy Spirit as the Father’s paraclete with us. Jn. 14.16, 26; 15.26; 16.7; 1 Jn. 2.1."

And James Sweeney: "The Paraclete is best understood as the functional equivalent to Jesus. He serves as the presence of Jesus while Jesus is away. To have the Spirit is to have Jesus (and the Father) dwelling within (Jn. 14.23; 1 Jn. 4.12-16)."

[Snow Goo]

Can you share the book chapter and verse that says that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity?

[jimwalton]

Sure. No problem.

• John 14.7. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force or mere influence.
• Matthew 28.19-20 puts all three on an equal level
• In John 14.15-18, Jesus equates Himself with the Spirit and the Spirit with Himself. The Holy Spirit is God's continual abiding presence with us. He is the functional equivalent of Jesus.
• To have the Spirit is to have Jesus (and the Father), and to have Jesus is to have the Spirit (Jn. 16.8 with Jn. 14.18; cf. also Jn. 14.23; 1 Jn. 4.12-16).
• 1 Corinthians 12.4-6 mentions all three as equals.
• 1 Peter 1.2 shows the three as cooperative deity
• Acts 1.1-8 mentions what has been expressed in the places: The Father and the Son share divine authority (Mt. 28.19-20), and the Son and the Spirit are one and same who come back to earth (Acts 1.8; Jn. 14.15-18). So the Father and the Son are one and the same, and the Son and the Spirit are one and the same, and these 3 are all brought together in Acts 1, especially vv. 7-8.
• Hebrews 10.5-18 puts all three on the same plain of authority and truth.
• Jesus' baptism scene in the Synoptic Gospels is a place where Father, Son, and Spirit all function as a unity.
• In 1 Cor. 12.1-3; Gal. 4.4; Rom. 1.3-4; 8.11 Paul sees the Spirit's identity as defined by how the Father and Christ have sent him, and likewise the identities of the Father and Christ as "in part" determined by the Spirit.
• Ephesians 2.18 shows that Jesus gives us access to the Father by means of the Spirit. So Jesus' blood is them means of access, but the Spirit is also the means of access
• For that matter, all throughout Paul's writings God and Christ and Spirit are mutually defining and reciprocally implicating. That is, God's identity is defined in/through/by his relationship to Christ/Son, and vice versa, and also with regard to the Spirit, as listed above.
• Romans 8 is infused with Father, Son, and Spirit working as equals and with equal authority, power, and presence. They are one undivided divine essence with different actions appropriate to their persons.
• Titus 3.3-8. All three Persons of the Trinity are present and cooperating in the act of grace. Each Person has His function in the salvation of our soul.
• There are also plenty of the places where the Father is equated with the Son, and the Son is equated with the Spirit. So if the principle holds that if A1 = A2 & A2 = A3, then A1 also equals A3.
• Just as the Bible begins with all 3 (Gn. 1.1-2; Jn. 1.3), so it ends with all 3 (Rev. 22.1, 17).

Interesting, though, just as a sidelight.

• There is no teaching anywhere that we should pray to the HS. It's not His role to hear prayers, but rather to facilitated them (Rom. 8.26-27). Nor are we to pray to Jesus. We are to pray to the Father in Jesus's name.
• There is no teaching anywhere that we should worship the HS. We worship the Father and Son. Again, the Spirit facilitates that worship. Christ exalts the Father; the Father exalts the Son; the Spirit exalts the Son.

[Snow Goo]

Thanks for the lengthy reply! But none of these verses say that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of a trinity. None of these verses even mention a trinity.

But just as important as this is, I’m not sure I understand your thought process here. For example, you said that it’s not the role of the Holy Spirit to hear prayers. If all 3 members of the trinity are the Almighty God, and are co-equal, how could you pray to one of them but exclude another one?

Yes or no, is it idolatry to pray to the Holy Spirit?

Lastly, the Bible says we receive the Holy Spirit as part of the new birth correct? Is it your belief that we receive only 1 of the 3 members of the trinity? When we are “Spirit filled”, do we have all 3 of the members of the trinity living inside of us? Or only 1? or only 2?
I’m asking these questions sincerely so please answer them. Thank you for your time and conversation! God bless you!!!

Here’s the questions I would like answers to:

1. can you pray to one trinity member and exclude the other 2?
2. is it idolatry to pray to the Holy Spirit? (Based on your statement that it’s not the role of the Holy Spirit to hear prayers)
3. Does a “Spirit filled believer” have all 3 of the trinity members inside of them? Or is it possible to only have 1 or 2 of the members?
4. Lastly, are there any verses that tell us plainly that the Holy Spirit is the third member of a trinity?

[jimwalton]

> But none of these verses say that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of a trinity. None of these verses even mention a trinity.

The word "trinity" doesn't appear anywhere in the Bible. It's a clear biblical theology, not a biblical term. The Bible doesn't use the word trinity, but it teaches the trinity. I listed verses for you where the Bible shows (1) The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force, (2) The Holy Spirit is considered to be equal to the Father and the Son, (3) The Holy Spirit is considered to be deity. That's what the doctrine of the trinity teaches.

> If all 3 members of the trinity are the Almighty God, and are co-equal, how could you pray to one of them but exclude another one?

Each member of the Godhead has its specific roles. The Father and the Spirit didn't die on the cross; that doesn't mean they're not God or co-equal. The Spirit lives inside of us, not the Father. That doesn't mean the Father isn't God or co-equal. While they are of one essence, they are 3 Persons of different function.

> Yes or no, is it idolatry to pray to the Holy Spirit?

No, I wouldn't call it idolatry. I'm just saying that the Bible says we should pray to the Father. Hearing prayers is His role. but it's not like you're a horrible sinner or committing idolatry to pray to the Spirit. Most likely people who pray to the Spirit just don't understand or have never learned what the Bible teaches about it.

> the Bible says we receive the Holy Spirit as part of the new birth correct?

Yes.

> Is it your belief that we receive only 1 of the 3 members of the trinity?

It is the Holy Spirit's role to be the indwelling one. But Jesus says in John 14 that when the Holy Spirit is in us, Jesus is in us also—in Spirit. Gal. 2.20 says Christ lives in me. It is via the Spirit that Jesus indwells us.

We receive Christ (Jn. 1.12). The Holy Spirit indwells. They each have their role and function.

In the Bible, the Trinity distinguishes between the principle of divine action and the subject of divine action. The principle of all divine action is the one undivided divine essence, but the subject of divine action is either Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. The Father can send the Son according to his power, and the Son can be incarnated according to his nature without dividing the divine essence.

> When we are “Spirit filled”, do we have all 3 of the members of the trinity living inside of us? Or only 1? or only 2?

The Spirit is God who indwells, but the Bible says Jesus is in us (Jn. 17.26; Gal. 2.20). The Bible never uses the terminology that the Father lives in us. That's not His role.

> can you pray to one trinity member and exclude the other 2?

The Bible instructs us to pray to the Father. But we pray in the name of Jesus, and the Spirit helps us pray.