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Pastoral Prayer:
We thank you, God, for the gift of life and the joy we find in living it- its good times and bad times, its sunny days and dark, all of its ups and downs. We come today with heavy load of uncertainty and confusion, sins and failures, concerns and troubles, to rest ourselves in your presence. Help us to relax and to leave our heavy loads with you, who are able to bear them all with so much more strength. Help us to turn from anxiety to thanksgiving, from insecurity to confidence, from helplessness to strength, from despair to hope, from inner turmoil to peace of mind, and from distress to joy. Forgive us for our lack of faith, which causes us so much misery and which maximizes all our difficulties. Let all our problems and doubts find their solution in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary, in his resurrection from the grave, and in the eternal joy of life in your kingdom, which shall endure forever and ever. Amen.
There are many Greek original
versions of the Bible throughout the centuries. Our English Bible versions,
which have over 2,000 different versions, interpreted the original version as
close as the original meaning. However, some Greek words cannot be translated
into English very well.
Today’s scripture lesson talks about Jesus’ promise to his disciples about His presence in his disciples’ lives with the Holy Spirit. The NIV version uses the word “Counselor” for the Holy Spirit. The NRSV uses “Advocate” while other translations used the word “helper” or “comforter.” All these different words in English are “Parakletos” in Greek. So I want to spend time different English translations from Greek word, “Parakletos” and then I will talk about how we tune our lives into the Holy Spirit. Since many of you have NIV, I am going to explain the word “counselor.” The Holy Spirit is translated as Counselor.
COUNSELOR
Who is a counselor? A counselor is the one who analyzes a situation and gives advice to one who has responsibility for making a decision.
In the Bible the word “counselor” is used as adviser. For example, Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Sometimes counselor is used as a wise man, who knows law and diplomacy. 1 Chron. 27:32-33, “Jonathan, David’s uncle, was counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe. Ahithophel was the king’s counselor to David.” Israelite kings seem to have employed counselors on a regular basis. Isaiah 1:26, “and I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning.” Micah 4:9, “Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no kin in you? Has your counselor perished?”
In the New Testament in Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50, the word probably means a member of the Jewish Sanhedrim. It is very understandable for us to know that Counselor is also a title of Christ. Isaiah 9:6, “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is names Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 16:7, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
As we Christians are seeking guidance and advice to make right decisions for pleasing God from the Holy Spirit, it is great that we interpret the Holy Spirit as Counselor. Do you seek The Counselor’s advise, or do you make decisions with your own knowledge and experience? 1 Corinthians 1:25, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” What do you want to seek? God or your own wisdom?
2. Holy Spirit is interpreted as Helper
Parakletos means “someone who is called in.” But it is the reason why the person is called in which gives the word its distinctive associations. A Parakletos might be a person called in to give witness in a law court in someone’s favor; he might be an advocate called in to plead the cause of someone under a charge which would issue in serious penalty. He might be an expert called in to give advice in some difficult situation. He might be a person called in when a company of soldiers are depressed and dispirited to put new courage into their minds and heart. A Parakletos is always someone who is called in to help in times of trouble or need.
I know all of us were under the sentence of death before we believed in Jesus Christ. But by the power of the Holy Spirit we “confess with our mouth, Jesus is the Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9)
Holy Spirit is interpreted as Advocate
Advocate is the one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him. It is a name given by Christ three times to the Holy Ghost (John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:7, where the Greek word is rendered “Comforter,”). It is applied to Christ in 1 John 2:1, where the same Greek word is rendered “Advocate,” the rendering which it should have in all the places where it occurs. Tertullus “the orator” (Acts 24:1) was a Roman advocate whom the Jews employed to accuse Paul before Felix.
Therefore, Holy Spirit as advocate is one who intercedes in behalf of another and is used to refer to Christ interceding with the Father on behalf of the sinners. Romans 8: 26-27, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Hebrews 7:25, “Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
4. Holy Spirit is interpreted as Comforter.
A Comforter is someone who has enabled a dispirited creature to be brave. Nowadays comfort has to do almost solely with sorrow; and a comforter is someone who sympathizes with us when we are sad. Beyond a doubt the Holy Spirit does that, but to limit his work to that function is sadly to belittle him. We often talk to being able to cope with things. That is precisely that work of the Holy Spirit. He takes away our inadequacies and enables us to cope with life. The Holy Spirit substitutes victorious for defeated living.
I have been talking about the Holy Spirit in English. The Holy Spirit is interpreted as a counselor, helper, ad ovate, and comforter. I believe each interpretation is great. What is more important than the interpretation of the word is what Jesus wants us to learn from it and to live within it. Jesus said to his disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned.” (John 14:18) Jesus does not leave us to struggle with the Christians life alone. Jesus, who said to his disciples, “I am with you always,” is with us in the Holy Spirit. The good news is God is with us always. Even though we pass through the waters, God is with us, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you, when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2-3)
What do we do with the Holy Spirit? Since the Holy Spirit is God, another form of God, first of all, we need to be aware of the Holy Spirit and be more sensitive to it. We have to be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. An astronomer will perceive much more in the night sky than an untrained eye. Someone trained in art will see far more in painting than another person who has never studied art. The trained musician will enjoy a symphony much more than some one who is unfamiliar with musical style or technique. What we are able to perceive in any situation depends on what we bring to the experience.
Jesus said, “the world neither sees the Holy Spirit nor knows the Holy Spirit.” We, you and I are ones, who see the Holy Spirit and who know the Holy Spirit. If you want to know the presence of the Holy Spirit, then expect it, wait for it, and be prepared for it with a strong belief. Believe in its coming. You will see it. After all, you see God’s faithfulness. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” (John 14:15) If you love Jesus Christ, then you will expect the Holy Spirit, you wait for it, and be prepared for it. Glory be the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- [17] the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. [18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. [20] On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. [21] Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
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