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The New Testament Texts Concerning The Comforter
“The Greek word for Comforter is “parakletos”. The most familiar
translation of this Greek word is “Comforter,” but a better translation
is Counselor or Advocate, as in a legal sense. However, I will use
Comforter since it is the most familiar translation.
Below are the New Testament texts concerning the Comforter.
JOHN 14:15-17: "If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will
ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter to be with you
forever - 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."
JOHN 14:25, 26: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the
Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you."
JOHN 15:26: "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will
testify about me."
JOHN 16:7,8: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am
going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if
I go, I will send him to you. When he comes he will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...."
JOHN 16:13-15: "But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide
you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only
what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring
glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it know to you. All
that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will
take from what is mine and make it known to you."
Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Comforter and said that the
Comforter was the Holy Spirit. However, some 600 years later, Muhammad
claimed that the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians predicted that
another prophet would arise and that he (Muhammad) was that prophet. To
support Muhammad’s claim early Islamic writings state that Muhammad was
the “Comforter.” Today, despite the evidence, many Muslims obstinately
insist that Muhammad was the Comforter and labor to find material in the
Scriptures to make Muhammad's words ring true – otherwise Muhammad would
be revealed to be both a liar and false prophet. This article reviews
and discusses the evidence that the Holy Spirit, not Muhammad, is the
Comforter. It addresses some good questions poised by Muslims regarding
the Comforter, and it critiques Muslim writings asserting that Muhammad
is the Comforter".
Note: Unless stated, all Biblical quotes are taken from the New
International Version [1], and all Quranic quotes are taken from
Dawood’s translation of the Koran. [2]
EARLY ISLAMIC WRITINGS AND CLAIMS
Muhammad’s claim that the Bible foretold him is stated in the Quran,
sura (chapter) 7:157:
"... to those that shall follow the apostle - the unlettered prophet,
whom they shall find described in the Torah and the Gospel ..."
Thus, the Quran states that both the writings of the O.T. and N.T.
foretell Muhammad.
Additionally the Quran 61:6 states that Jesus foretold another apostle
to come:
"And of Jesus the son of Mary, who said to the Israelites: 'I am sent
forth to you from God to confirm the Torah already revealed, and to give
news of an apostle that will come after me whose name is Ahmad'. Yet
when he brought them clear signs, they said: 'This is plain sorcery.'"
In the Hadith collection of “Sahih Muslim,” vol 4, #5810, Muhammad is
reported to have said that his name was also Ahmad. [3]
Jubair b. Mut'im reported on the authority of his father that he heard
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I am Muhammad and I
am Ahmad, …
The translator (Abdul Hamid Siddiqi) of Sahih Muslim notes that this is
in reference to the 'Comforter' that Jesus spoke of.
In the Sirat Rasulallah, the earliest extant biography of Muhammad
written by Ibn Ishaq, a specific claim is made asserting that Muhammad
is the Comforter. On pages 103 and 104 of Guillaume's translation (The
Life of Muhammad), the alleged prediction is described. Ishaq's work mis-quotes
the New Testament and takes it out of context, and references several
non-biblical works in his support as proof. Below is part of the quote
from “The Life of Muhammad”, pages 103, 104: [4]
Among the things which have reached me about what Jesus the Son of Mary
stated in the Gospel which he received from God for the followers of the
Gospel, in applying a term to describe the apostle of God, is the
following. It is extracted from what John the Apostle set down for them
when he wrote the Gospel for them from the Testament of Jesus Son of
Mary: ...”But when the Comforter has come whom God will send to you from
the Lord’s presence, and the spirit of truth which will have gone forth
form the Lord’s presence he (shall bear) witness of me and ye also,
because ye have been with me from the beginning. I have spoken unto you
about this that ye should not be in doubt.” The Munahhemana (God bless
and preserve him!) in Syriac is Muhammad: in Greek he is the paraclete.
Guillaume notes that,
“The passage quoted is John 15:23ff. It is interesting to note that the
citation comes from the Palestinian Syriac Lectionary and not from the
ordinary Bible of the Syriac-speaking Churches. …The most interesting
word is that rendered “Comforter” which we find in the Palestinian
Lectionary, but all other Syriac versions render “paraclete”, following
the Greek. This word was well established in the Hebrew and Aramaic
speaking world. The menahhemana in Syriac means the lifegiver and
especially one who raises from the dead. Obviously such a meaning is out
of place here and what is meant is one who consoles and comforts people
for the loss of one dear to them. This is the meaning in the Talmud and
Targum. It ought to be pointed out that by the omission of the words
“that is written” before “in the law” quite another meaning is given to
the prophecy. The natural rendering would be “the word that concerns the
Namus must be fulfilled”.
Guillaume is stating that the Ibn Ishaq quote is corrupted, i.e.
inaccurate or tampered with. Ibn Ishaq recorded versions of history that
he heard from sources he assumed to have some degree of reliability.
However, they could have been mistaken or Ibn Ishaq could have altered
the material to fit his understanding. Additionally, Ibn Ishaq often
records conflicting versions of historical events. He would record
historical information that he himself disagreed with, or doubted, in
order to record plausible historic options.
These claims, and a few others, lead Muslims to believe that Muhammad is
the Comforter.
REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS
First, let the New Testament texts speak for themselves. They clearly
state that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. There is no ambiguity about
this. Consequently Muhammad is not the Comforter based upon what the
Bible explicitly states.
Second let us take the context of the texts into account. If you are
going to understand any passage of Scripture you must understand its
context. When Jesus spoke these words in John it was His last
ministerial time with His disciples prior to His death, crucifixion, and
resurrection. Jesus is being very intimate with them. Understand then,
when he speaks to them He is including them – these very disciples,
specifically. These are the men He knew best and loved; they were His
friends. These were His final words to them, and He wanted them to know
what was in store.
Therefore, knowing that these passages of John are being spoken
intimately between Jesus and His disciples there are several key points
we can discover concerning the Comforter and His relationship with
Jesus’ disciples.
John 14:16 — And I will ask the Father and He will give you another
Comforter to be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth.
The Comforter will be with these disciples forever. Jesus promised the
Comforter would be with these disciples forever. Muhammad could not be
the Comforter because he wasn't born until over 500 years later -
following the deaths of these disciples. He was born around 570 and died
around 632 AD.
John 14:17 — But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Comforter lives with the disciples already now and will later be
'in' them. The Holy Spirit came to the disciples and indwelt them.
Muhammad could not be the Comforter because first he wasn't around at
the time when Jesus was speaking to his disciples nor second could he
ever be in any of the disciples. The Greek word is 'en', and it means
'right inside'. Jesus is saying that the Comforter will be 'right
inside' of the disciples.
John 14:26 — The Comforter is specifically described as the Holy Spirit.
The Comforter is not a man. Muhammad could not be the Comforter because
he was never the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 — The Comforter will be sent in Jesus' name. The Holy Spirit
represented the Lord on earth. No Muslim believes that Muhammad was sent
by God in Jesus name. Muhammad did not come in Jesus' name, as the
apostle of Jesus, rather he came in his own name with his own
questionable “revelations”.
John 14:26 — But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you."
The Comforter will teach these disciples and remind them of what Christ
said to them. As the early Christians grew the Holy Spirit taught them.
Muhammad is not the Comforter because he never knew the disciples and he
didn't teach these disciples, and Muhammad never reminded the disciples
of what Christ said.
John 15:26 — When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will
testify about me.
The Comforter would be sent to these disciples. These disciples received
the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Muhammad was never sent to
these disciples.
John 16:13 — But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you
into all truth.
The Comforter will guide these disciples into all truth. These disciples
(and others) grew in the knowledge of God through the revelations from
the Holy Spirit. Muhammad never guided these disciples into any truth.
John 16:13 — He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he
hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The Comforter will speak to these disciples. These disciples grew to
know the leading of the Holy Spirit, i.e. they knew His voice. Muhammad
never spoke to these disciples.
John 16:14 — He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and
making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is
why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to
you.
The Comforter will take from Jesus and make it known to the disciples.
Muhammad never knew Jesus and never took from Jesus and made it known to
anyone.
The context of these passages shows clearly that Muhammad could not be
the Comforter. Jesus was not speaking of another person to come at a
later date. Jesus’ precious final words to His disciples were meant for
them. Jesus was not merely preaching a sermon to be analyzed and
intellectually talked about through the centuries, rather, He was giving
His the disciples with Him there His final commands, love, and
encouragement.
Here's a question for you to consider: In Islamic theology, Muhammad
rendered Jesus’ message fulfilled or ended because Muhammad brought
God’s latest message to the people. Muhammad expected that true
believers in God would accept Islam. Therefore, if Jesus was foretelling
Muhammad, wouldn’t Jesus be prophesying that his ministry will be
rendered void by the Paraclete? Read the context of the passages and
decide.
Further, to fulfill exactly what Jesus foretold concerning the Comforter
and His relationship with the disciples, the New Testament records the
fulfillment of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the disciples receiving
Him. The disciples received the Comforter - the Holy Spirit, on the day
of Pentecost in Acts 2:3, 4. The Comforter was now “in” the disciples
and He remained “in” them from then on and taught them — just as Jesus
had said He would.
THE EARLY CHURCH’S VIEW OF THE COMFORTER
The writings of the early Church Fathers also mention the Comforter, or
Paraclete. Below are some of their statements on His identity. These
early Church Fathers lived during the first 3 centuries of Christianity.
Note: Quotes are taken from “The Ante-Nicene Fathers” edited by Rev.
Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, AGES Software, Albany, Oregon©
1996, 1997 [5]
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Page 224
“What is His name, or what His Son’s name, that we may know?” And there
is also one Paraclete. For “there is also,” saith [the Scripture], “one
Spirit,” since “we have been called in one hope of our calling.” And
again, “We have drunk of one Spirit,” with what follows. And it is
manifest that all these gifts [possessed by believers] “worketh one and
the self-same Spirit.” There are not then either three Fathers, or three
Sons, or three Paracletes, but one Father, and one Son, and one
Paraclete.
FRAGMENTS OF CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS
Page 1155
The old things which were done by the prophets and escape the
observation of most, are now revealed to you by the evangelists. “For to
you,” he says, “they are manifested by the Holy Ghost, who was sent;”
that is the Paraclete, of whom the Lord said, “If I go not away, He will
not come.”
TERTULLIAN AGAINST PRAXEAS;
Page 1083
He will come to judge the quick and the dead; who sent also from heaven
from the Father, according to His own promise, the Holy Ghost, the
Paraclete, the sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the
Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost.
Page 1094
Happily the Lord Himself employs this expression of the person of the
Paraclete, so as to signify not a division or severance, but a
disposition (of mutual relations in the Godhead); for He says, “I will
pray the Father, and He shall send you another Comforter ... even the
Spirit of truth,”
ORIGEN DE PRINCIPIIS, BOOK 2, CHAPTER 7
ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is time, then, that we say a few words to the best of our ability
regarding the Holy Spirit, whom our Lord and Savior in the Gospel
according to John has named the Paraclete.
We must therefore know that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit, who
teaches truths ...
But the Paraclete, who is called the Holy Spirit, ...
In the case of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete ...
Above are the statements of 4 of the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers. They
state that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. From the time of Jesus
through the history of the early church the early Christians believed
that the Comforter was the Holy Spirit. There was no confusion or
uncertainty on their part regarding the identity of the Comforter.
QUESTIONS AND ASSERTIONS ABOUT THE COMFORTER
There exist some very good questions concerning the Comforter and these
need to be answered. Also, there are some Muslim assertions that bear a
closer examination. I will try to answer the questions, and assess the
assertions.
1) QUESTION ON WHO JESUS MEANT BY “YOU” WHEN ADDRESSING THE DISCIPLES
REGARDING THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad used to say 'you' to their followers but
really it was a general expression for those who follow their teachings.
For example, Jesus told his followers that they would see him coming
back to the earth and all of them have since died. Couldn't Jesus have
meant the disciples in general, specifically the future ones, when
speaking about the Comforter?
ANSWER:
Examine John chapters 13 through 17. This was the time when Christ was
alone with His disciples. His actions and dialog with them were very
personal. He washed their feet, predicted His betrayal, comforted them,
foretold the coming of the "Comforter", taught them about 'abiding' in
Him, foretold tribulation for them, and said a most intimate prayer
(chapter 17) for them and Himself. If you review all of this, you will
see that Jesus was not speaking in a general term of 'you', to the
possible exclusion of these men, but at the very least He was speaking
to those with Him — His disciples. And later on they experienced what
Jesus foretold — they “received” the Comforter.
I encourage all Muslims to read John chapters 13 through 17. Be sincere
in your reading, ask God to guide you. You will see that Jesus was
speaking very dearly to His disciples.
2) QUESTION ON THE GREEK WORD “PNEUMA”.
QUESTION:
The Greek word for spirit is 'pneuma'. It is of neutral gender and uses
the pronoun "it". Whereas, in almost all the verses referring to
Paraclete the pronoun used is "he". Does this imply that the Comforter
be a human male?
ANSWER:
The Greek word 'pneuma' is of neuter gender, but, the Greek pronoun for
"it", "he" and "she" is the same word used for the 3rd person singular.
The pronoun's gender is determined by the context. In most texts the
pronoun used with the word “pneuma” is translated "HE" because the Holy
Spirit is a personage not an 'it'. Simply because the Greek language
uses a neuter noun for a word does not mean the word should translate
into English using neuter pronouns. For example, the Greek word for
"heaven" is masculine, but you would not translate a phrase into English
"I am looking forward to heaven, he will be beautiful."
3) QUESTION ON WHO IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND SPIRIT OF ERROR
QUESTION:
In 1 John 4:6, the terms "the spirit of truth" and "the spirit of error"
are used for human beings. Does this imply that the Comforter, the
Spirit of Truth, be a human?
ANSWER:
This verse is not referring to human beings. Humans are humans, spirits
are spirits. For example, refer to 1 Tim. 4:1 "The Spirit clearly says
that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving
spirits and things taught by demons." There is a difference between
spirits and humans. Note also, in this verse, the Spirit is speaking and
teaching the disciples.
4) QUESTION ON THE NATURE OF THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
Since Jesus was a Comforter, shouldn't the foretold “another” Comforter
also be a man? Wouldn’t Muhammad be a better fit because he also was a
man, like Jesus?
ANSWER:
The Holy Spirit is like Jesus. Not as in a physical body, but as in
Nature. a) II Cor 3:17 states "Now the Lord is the Spirit... There is a
relationship between the Spirit and the Lord, and both are said to dwell
in the believer (see Romans 8:9-11). Galatians 2:20 says "...Christ
lives in me...". Galatians 4:6,7 states "God has sent the Spirit of His
Son into our hearts.." Acts 16:6,7 states the Holy Spirit and the Spirit
of Jesus are the same.
Finally Jesus and Muhammad didn't have much in common, outside of
physical characteristics. When it comes to character and actions, the
two men were worlds apart. Muhammad murdered people, massacred people,
tortured people, allowed female slaves to be raped, sent his men out to
kill, steal, and enslave. Muhammad changed his laws when the situation
changed As a result of Muhammad’s lack of moral integrity, the Islamic
world today bears his fruit. Take a look at the world’s Islamic nations
today. Most of them are near the bottom of the scale. They are plagued
by poverty, oppression of women, denial of basic civil rights and
freedoms, rent by civil war, killings in Islam’s name, and war with
their neighbors. Don’t blame the people or “culture”, blame the religion
that has shaped the culture. The world would have probably been a much
better place had not Muhammad come along.
5) QUESTION ON THE CORRUPTION OF THE GREEK TEXTS
QUESTION:
Could the term “Holy” in John in today's text have come from a later
addition made quite deliberately.
ANSWER:
There are hundreds of Greek manuscripts that pre-date Islam, and all of
the earliest, most important Greek texts with this passage have “Holy”
in them.
6) QUESTION ON THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT ON EARTH AND WITHIN PEOPLE
WELL BEFORE JESUS MENTIONED THE COMFORTER
QUESTION:
The Spirit was present on earth before Christ’s birth and people were
filled with the Spirit (Elizabeth in Luke 1:41 and Zechariah in Luke
1:67), so, if the Holy Spirit were already present on Earth, even during
Jesus time, then how could the Comforter be the Holy Spirit? Remember,
Jesus said that He needed to depart before the Comforter could come.
ANSWER:
The receiving of the Comforter by the disciples eclipsed the previous
“filling” or “moving” others before them had experienced. The ministry
of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Comforter within and without these
disciples would be taking on a deeper, more intimate function, and the
disciples would continue to know their Lord Jesus through the Holy
Spirit. The disciples were going to have the Holy Spirit bond with them:
He was going to “dwell” with them, be “in” them, “live” in them. This
was more than what previous people had experienced. Their experience
would be a greater revealing to man of the Holy Spirit’s role, and they
would continue to know and experience Jesus.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states: [6]
14:16-17
The Spirit’s function is to represent God to the believer as Jesus did
in his incarnate state. “Another” (allon) means another of the same
kind, not of a different kind. The concept of the Holy Spirit was not
new, for the Spirit of God was the active agent in creation (Gen 1:2)
and in remonstrating with men who were sinning against God (Gen 6:3). He
called and empowered men to do unusual deeds Judges 3:10; 13:24-25;
14:6, 19; 15:14) and to prophesy (Zech 7:12). John the Baptist had
predicted that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11; Mark
1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). In his discussion of the new birth, Jesus
had already spoken to Nicodemus of the work of the Holy Spirit (John
3:5). The ministry of the Spirit, however, would be directed primarily
to the disciples. He would direct their decisions, counsel them
continually, and remain with them forever. He would be invisible to all
and un-apprehended by the world at large since the world would not
recognize him. To use a modern metaphor, he would not operate on the
world’s wavelength. His presence was already with the disciples insofar
as they were under his influence. Later, he would indwell them, when
Jesus himself had departed. This distinction marks the difference
between the Old Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the
post-Pentecostal experience of the church. The individual indwelling of
the Spirit is the specific privilege of the Christian believer (see John
7:39).
16:7
Jesus told the disciples that his separation from them was in their best
interest. As long as he was with them in person, his work was localized;
and it would be impossible to communicate with them equally at all times
and in all places. The coming of the “Counselor” would equip them for a
wider and more potent ministry.
7) QUESTION ON WHY JESUS HAD TO LEAVE IN ORDER FOR THE COMFORTER TO
COME
QUESTION:
IF THE COMFORTER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO LEAVE IN
ORDER FOR HIM TO COME? AFTER ALL, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS ALREADY PRESENT IN
MEN’S LIVES DURING CHRIST’S TIME.
The New International Commentary on the New Testament [7] answers this
precisely:
He can come only when Jesus goes away (16:7). This appears to mean that
the work of the Spirit in the believer is a consequence of the saving
work of Christ and not something separate from it. The same truth may be
implied in the statement that the Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus
(14:26). It is only because Christ has died for us and put away our sin
that the Holy Spirit can be found at work within our hearts.
Because the receiving of the Comforter is really about the new birth,
i.e. being born of the Spirit, then it was necessary for Christ to
fulfill His mission, (His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of
sins) in order for men to be cleansed from their sinful nature and
become a new creation by receiving the Comforter.
EXAMPLES OF CURRENT ISLAMIC WRITINGS
Let us examine some Islamic writings from Muslim spokesmen found on
their webpages or books concerning the Comforter. Let us test the logic,
honesty, and soundness of their work.
1) AKBARALLY MEHERALLY AND THE ANCHOR BIBLE
Frequently various Muslims quote from Appendix 5 of the Anchor Bible,
[8] written by Dr. Ray Brown, because they find a quote or two that
seems to support their contention that the Comforter is a man. Because
of the detailed nature of Brown’s work, most Muslims will not put forth
the effort to actually comprehend what they read. For example, take a
look at this webpage from Akbarally Meherally:
http://www.mostmerciful.com/paraclete.htm [9]
MEHERALLY’S PRESENTATION AND MY COMMENTS
Here are some quotes from the beginning of his article.
“This presentation should revolutionize the present day Christian
concept for the coming of "PARACLETE" that was foretold by JESUS
Presentation is based upon exhaustive studies carried out by the
reputable biblical scholars of our era and published in the famous
ANCHOR BIBLE.” (see Meherally's INDEX page)
“Please read the following exhaustive study done by the biblical
scholars of international and interfaith scope to know the real truth
about this misunderstood personality of "The Paraclete" who was to come
after Jesus. Was this Paraclete once regarded as an independent salvific
male figure like Jesus and later confused with the Holy Spirit?” (near
the beginning of the article)
His lead-in sounds exciting for a Muslim claim doesn’t it? Meherally
implies that he has found some Christian scholarship that is going to
“revolutionize” Christian thinking on the Holy Spirit, and point us
toward the Comforter being a man, namely Muhammad.
If you examine Meherally’s presentation you find a number of the Anchor
Bible pages scanned and posted. It is a very busy post, filled with
underlining and shading. It certainly looks like Meherally was finding
juicy bits of information to support his claim that Muhammad was the
real Paraclete. Let us examine the Anchor Bible in detail and find out
its true position on the identity of the Comforter.
In the beginning of Appendix 5 in the Anchor Bible, Vol 29A, Brown
states exactly what he intends to do. Here is his opening paragraph.
“The word Parakletos is peculiar in the NT to the Johannine literature
(the writings of John in the New Testament). In 1 John ii 1 Jesus is a
parakletos (not a title), serving as a heavenly intercessor with the
Father. In five passages in John (xiv 15-17, 26; xv 26-27; xvi 7 – 11,
12-14) the title parakletos is given to someone who is not Jesus, nor an
intercessor, nor in heaven. Christian tradition has identified this
figure as the Holy Spirit, but scholars like Spitta, Delafosse, Windisch,
Bultmann, and Betz have doubted whether this identification is true to
the original picture and have suggested that the Paraclete was once an
independent salvific figure, later confused with the Holy Spirit. To
test this claim we shall begin by isolating under four headings the
information that John gives in the Paraclete passages, keeping the
resultant picture distinct from what is said in the NT about the Holy
Spirit.”
Brown clear states that he is going to examine the Scriptures and
background material and determine whether the liberal scholar’s claim of
the “Paraclete” being a male person is valid. He is going to analyze the
Comforter passages on their own merit and not fold in other Scriptures
on the Holy Spirit from the New Testament. It is a long examination by
Dr. Brown, and needs to be read slowly. If you try to read it too
quickly, as we all do from time to time, you will miss important
details.
Here are some of the key points that are established by Dr. Brown:
1) On page 1136
“Thus the basic functions of the Paraclete are twofold: he comes to the
disciples and dwells within them, guiding and teaching them about Jesus;
but he is hostile to the world and puts the world on trial.”
2) On page 1137
“The Paraclete is a witness in defense of Jesus and a spokesman for him
in the context of his trial by his enemies; the Paraclete is a consoler
of the disciples for he takes Jesus’ place among them; the Paraclete is
a teacher and guide of the disciples and thus their helper.
3) On page 1139
“It is our contention that John presents the Paraclete as the Holy
Spirit in a special role, ...
Appendix 5 of the Anchor Bible discusses the characteristics of the
Comforter. It notes that several liberal 'scholars' thought that the
Comforter could have been a man, not the Holy Spirit. Note that these
scholars, like Bultmann, denied the miracles of Jesus. Even the Quran
acknowledges Christ's miracles.
The Anchor Bible details who the Comforter is (the Holy Spirit), and
what His ministry, or function is going to be (dwelling in the disciples
and teaching them). In spite of Meherally’s efforts to show that the
Anchor Bible supports the contention that the Comforter is a man, it is
clear by reading the Anchor Bible that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit.
Here are some quotes below.
1) Page 644 of vol 29A - "The OT theme of "God with us" (the Immanuel of
Isa 7:14) is now to be realized in the Paraclete/Spirit who remains with
the disciples forever.
2) Page 1136 - "Thus the basic functions of the Paraclete are twofold:
he comes to the disciples and dwells within them, guiding and teaching
them about Jesus; but he is hostile to the world and puts the world on
trial."
3) Page 1137 - [this is where the Anchor Bible discredits Bultmann's
theory that the Comforter is a man]
"Earlier in this century the attempt of the History of Religious School,
especially W. Bauer, Windisch, and Bultmann, to find the origins of the
Paraclete in proto-Mandean Gnosticism enjoyed a certain vogue.
Bultmann’s thesis is that the Paraclete is an adaptation of the Mandean
Yawar.......Michaelis and Behm have subjected this theory to penetrating
criticism, and it has few followers today.
4) Page 1139 - "It is our contention that John presents the Paraclete as
the Holy Spirit in a special role, namely, as the personal presence of
Jesus in the Christian while Jesus is with the Father."
5) Page 1140 - "Nevertheless, we would stress that the identification of
the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit in 14:26 is not an editorial mistake,
for the similarities between the Paraclete and the Spirit are found in
all the Paraclete passages."
6) Page 1141 - "Thus, the one whom John calls "another Paraclete" is
another Jesus. Since the Paraclete can come only when Jesus departs, the
Paraclete is the presence of Jesus when Jesus is absent. Jesus' promises
to dwell within his disciples are fulfilled in the Paraclete."
CONCLUSION ON THE “COMFORTER” FROM THE ANCHOR BIBLE
The Anchor Bible concludes with an examination of the life of the early
church and the relation of the “Comforter” to the Christians. Brown
starts off by asking the question:
What brought the Johannine tradition to put emphasis in the Last
Discourse on the Spirit as the Paraclete, that is, as the continued
post-resurrectional presence of Jesus with his disciples, teaching them
and proving to them that Jesus was victorious and the world was wrong?
We suggest that the portrait of the Paraclete / Spirit answered two
problems prominent at the time of the of the final composition of the
Fourth Gospel……
The first problem was the confusion caused by the death of the apostolic
eyewitnesses who were the living chain between the Church and Jesus of
Nazareth. …
The concept of the Paraclete / Spirit is an answer to this problem. If
the eyewitnesses had guided the Church and if the Beloved Disciple had
borne witness to Jesus in the Johannine community, it was not primarily
because of their own recollection of Jesus. …. Only the post-resurrectional
gift of the Spirit taught them the meaning of what they had seen (ii 22,
xii 16). Their witness was the witness of the Paraclete speaking through
them…The later Christian is no further removed from the ministry of
Jesus than was the earlier Christian, for the Paraclete dwells within
him as he dwelt with the eyewitnesses. And by recalling and giving new
meaning to what Jesus said, the Paraclete guides every generation in
facing new situation; he declares the things to come (xvi 13).
Finally, the Anchor Bible concludes here with:
"The Christian need not live with his eyes constantly straining toward
the heavens from which the Son of Man is to come; for, as the Paraclete,
Jesus is present within all believers." (page 1143).”
http://answering-islam.org.uk/Silas/comforter.htm
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