ALLOS PARACLETOS
BIBLE READING:
GENESIS 1:2
ISAIAH 32:15
LUKE 11:13
ROMANS 8:26-27
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you Another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever." John 14:16 (Amplified Translation)
It is an Established Truth that it's impossible for any Christian believer to live a productive life void of the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Zech. 4:6) According to the above Scripture, the Lord Jesus encouraged His disciples during the Last Supper about the Imminent Coming of the Holy Spirit after His Departure. He could only do so much while limited to His Body (Acts 10:38) hence the importance of the Holy Spirit's Arrival to multiply His Efforts exponentially.
The phrase "Another Comforter" is translated from the Greek term "Allos Paracletos". The use of the term "Allos" rather than "Heteros" is very significant. The former means "another of the SAME kind or essence (much like an apple compared with another apple plucked from the same tree)" while the latter means "another of a DIFFERENT kind (much like another fruit, say an orange, being totally different from an apple)". Simply put, the Holy Spirit is an Exact Replica in Essence of both God the Father and God the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ Himself), hence the Bible declares "For in Him dwells the Fullness of the Godhead Bodily." (Col. 2:9)
The term "Paracletos" has seven different interpretations just like most Greek and Hebrew words which have compound meanings depending on the context. On this premise, there are Seven Major Roles the Holy Spirit plays in the life of every Christian believer:
(1.) Helper:
This refers to His Role as the One Who assists us. He helps only those involved in ministry. (Rom. 8:26a)
(2.) Comforter: This Role of the Holy Spirit has a Dual Application:
(a.) He comforts and consoles us in the midst of crisis, giving us a sense of calm and peace in the eye of the storm. (Jn. 14:27)
(b.) He makes us comfortable in the midst of chaos, lubricating our lives with the Oil of the Spirit wherever we experience friction in our family, ministry, relationships etc. (2Cor. 5:14a)
(3.) Advocate: This refers to His Role of pleading our case before the Father in order to obtain a favourable ruling on our behalf. (1Jn. 2:1)
(4.) Intercessor: This refers to His Role as our Go-Between i.e., a Link or Negotiator on our behalf before the Father. (Rom. 8:26b) This is possible because He is the Only Member of the Trinity Who interacts with our spirits regularly, knowing how we feel per time.
(5.) Counselor: This refers to His Role as our Guide and Teacher. (1Jn. 2:20,27) This Responsibility of the Holy Ghost is especially important when it comes to studying and understanding the Bible as well as making the right decisions in life. (Isa. 11:3b)
(6.) Strengthener: This refers to His Role as the One Who supplies us with Strength and Enabling Grace. This Strength is Multifaceted and depends on the area of weakness. (2Cor. 12:9a)
(7.) Standby: This refers to His Role as our Standby Generator Who supplies Power for us to do exploits. (Isa. 61:1) The Implication is that the Holy Ghost supplies Dunamis or Dynamic Ability to effect or cause change. The Greek term "Dunamis" is the etymological root of the words "Dynamite (an explosive)" and "Dynamo (a standby generator)." This sums up the Self-Generating yet Explosive Power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Acts 1:8)
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit to help us in more ways than one. Lord, please open our eyes to this Reality in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.
