Paraclete (Hastings' Dictionary)

This is the English form of the Gr. παράκλητος, paraklétos, which occurs only in the writings of St. John. In Jn 14" 35 15” 167 it is used by Jesus to describe the Holy Spirit, pro- mised to the disciples after His own departure ; and in 1 Jn 2! it is applied by St. John to the ascended Lord Himself. In AV the word is trans- lated ‘Comforter’ in the Gospel and ‘ Advocate’ in the Epistle, without any marginal alternative.

In RV these translations are retained, but at each occurrence in the Gospel there is found the marg. note ‘ Or Advocate, or Helper, Gr. Paraclete’ ; and at 1 Jn 91 the note ‘Or Comforter, or Helper, Gr. Paraclete.’ These translations reflect the history of the interpretation of the word in NT.

In its reference to Christ the meaning of * Advocate’ has been generally acquiesced in ; but, in its references to the Holy Spirit, it has all along been disputed whether the meaning is Advocate (taken by most in the largest sense, not only Pleader or Defender, but Helper) or Comforter (in the sense of Con- soler). i. THE ETYMOLOGY AND USE OF THE WorRD. —The verb παρακαλεῖν is frequently used both in LXX and in NT (though not found in St.

John’s writings) with the meaning to comfort or console, a meaning which is rare in classical Greek. Thus Gn 3155 ‘ And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him ; but he refused to be com- forted’ (ἦλθον παρακαλέσαι αὐτόν" καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρα- καλεῖσθαι); Mt δ' ‘ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted’ (μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντετ" ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται). Moreover, the abstract subst.

παράκλησις, formed from παρακαλεῖν, often means comfort or consolation, as 2Co 1* Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort ; who comforteth us in all our aflliction, that we PARACLETE may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God’ (θεὸς πάσης παρα- κλήσεως, ὁ παρακαλῶν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ racy τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει, διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως ἧς παρακαλούμεθα αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ϑεοῦ.

But the oldest meaning of παρακαλεῖν is not to ‘comfort,’ but to ‘send for,’ ‘summon to one’s aid’ (=Lat. advocare). Thus in Xenoph. Anab, i. 6. 5, παρακαλεῖν τινα σύμβουλον, ‘to call one in as adviser’;* and this meaning is found in NT, Ac 28” διά ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν παρεκάλεσα ὑμᾶς ἰδεῖν καὶ προσλαλῆσαι, ‘For this purpose, then, have I called for you, to see and to speak with you.

’ The question, then, is whether παράκλητος, which is undoubtedly passive in form, signifies ‘one called in’ (for aid of some kind), or has assumed an active meaning (after παρακαλεῖν, to console), ‘one who comforts or consoles,” The question must be determined by an examination of the use of the word elsewhere and of its con- text in NT. 1. The Classical Use.—In classical Greek παρά- κλητος is a judicial word. It is the equivalent in use as well as etymology of the Lat. advocatus.

Both are wider in meaning than our ‘advocate,’ and approach nearer our ‘counsel.’ Asconius (ad Cic. in Q. Cecil.) says, Qui defendit alterum in judicio, aut patronus dicitur, si orator est; aut advocatus, si aut jus suggerit, aut presentiam suam commodat amico. Our ‘advocate’ is the Rom. patronus (qui orator est), the Gr. παράκλητος is the Rom. advocatus. Thus Demosth. de Falsa Leg. p. 341, 10, al τῶν παρακλήτων δεήσεις καὶ σπουδαὶ, ‘the petitions and Pere of the partisans.

’ The occurrence of the word is rare, but, where it occurs, this, or something very near this, is its meaning.t 2. The Evidence of the LXX.—The word παρά- xAnros is not found in the LXX. The adj. παρα- kAnrixés occurs in Zec 14 ‘ And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words’ (λόγους παρακλητικούς). Once also there occurs the subst. παρακλήτωρ, Job 16? ‘Miserable comforters are ye all’ (παρα- κλήτορες κακῶν wdvres).

The use of this word, which has a proper active form and meaning, is on the whole to be regarded as evidence against the sense of ‘comforter’ for παράκλητος. The one being already in existence, taken directly from παρακαλεῖν in the sense of ‘console,’ it is improb- able that the other would have come (against its assive form) to be used for the same meaning. t is true that Aq. and Theod. use παράκλητος in this passage ; but they may have felt the influence of the word as used in St.

John’s Gospel, which at the time they wrote (c. 120-150 A.D.) was prob- ably interpreted ‘Comforter.’ Symm. uses παρηγο- ροῦντες. 3. The Use of the Word by Philo. — Philo employs παράκλητος several times in the sense of ‘intercessor’ or ‘advocate’ (in its classical mean- ing). In de Joseph. c.

40, Joseph, after discovering himself to his brethren, is made to say, ἀμνηστίαν ἁπάντων παρέχω τῶν els ἐμὲ πεπραγμένων" μηδενὸς ἑτέρου δεῖσθε παρακλήτου, ‘I grant forgiveness for all that you have done against me; you need no one else as intercessor.” And in Vit. Mos. iii.

14, the reason why the high priest on enterin the Holy of Holies should wear the symbo of the gos, is given in the words, ἀναγκαῖον yap ἣν τὸν ἱερωμένον τῷ τοῦ κόσμου πατρὶ παρακλήτῳ χρῆσθαι τελειοτάτῳ τὴν ἀρετὴν υἱῷ πρὸς τε ἀμνηστείαν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ χορηγίαν ἀφθονωτάτων ἀγαθῶν, ‘It * Of sch. 6. Ctesiph. § 200, τ΄ δῶ σε Δημοσθίνην ταρακαλιῖν; t Of. Diog. Laert. Vita Bionts, iv. 50, τὸ ἱκανόν eos ποιήσω, ἰὰν ren karert (‘a deputation’ is Field’s trans.)

σίμψης, καὶ μὴ PARACLETE was indispensable that he who was consecrated to the Father of the world should employ as his Advocate the Son, most perfect in virtue, for both the forgiveness of sins and the supply of unlimited blessings.’ It has been claimed that Philo uses παράκλητος once in the direct active sense of παρακαλεῖν, to comfort, viz. in de Opif. Mund. c. 6; but there also the meaning is passive and general, ‘one called to help’—ovdevt δὲ wapa- κλήτῳ.

τίς yap ἣν ἕτερος, μόνῳ δὲ ἑαυτῷ χρησάμενος ὁ θεὸς ἔγνω δεῖν εὐεργετεῖν... τὴν . . φύσιν, ‘employing no helper (for who else was there ἢ) but τὴς Hine did God think good to bless the world.’ 4. In the zone and Talmud.—The Gr. word appears in the Targ. and Talm. in the form δ 05 or ΚΡ 15, and always in the sense of helper, inter- cessor, or advocate, t.e. always as a passive. Thus the Targ.

at Job 16” ‘ My péraklits are my friends’ (AV and RV ‘ My friends scorn me’); and at 33% the péraklit is placed in antithesis to ‘9p, Gr. κατήγορος (in Rev 12” κατήγωρ), ‘accuser.’ At Job 16%, however, where the Lxx has παρακλήτωρ and the meaning is ‘comforter,’ the Targ. does not use péraklit. The passages from the Talm. have been collected by Buxtorf, s.v. Perhaps the most pertinent example is found in Pirke Aboth, iv. 15 (see Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers?, p.

69): ‘Rabbi Li‘ezer ben Jacob said, He who performs one precept has gotten to himself one advocate (915); and he who commits one trans- gression has gotten to himself one accuser (“25 })}.᾿ 5. The Earliest Christian Writers.—We find the same passive sense—called to one’s side, as advo- cate or intercessor—even in the os Christian writers, when they are using the word independ- ently and not interpreting the NT use. Take II Ep. of Clement, vi. (Lightfoot, Apost.

Fathers, ᾿ 46)—‘ Who shall be our advocate, unless we be ound having holy and righteous works ?’ (rls ἡμῶν παράκλητος ἔσται, ἐὰν μὴ εὑρεθῶμεν ἔργα ἔχοντες ὅσια καὶ δίκαια); and Ep. of Barnabas, xx. (Apost, Fathers, p. 274)—‘ advocates of the wealthy, un- just judges of the poor, sinful in all things’ (πλουσίων παράκλητοι, πενήτων ἄνομοι κριταί, πενθαμ- ἀρτητοι). ii. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE NT WorD.

— It seems, then, that παράκλητος, wherever it is used outside and independently of the NT, yaa with its etymology. passive iciple in form, it follows the passive voice of the verb παρακαλεῖν in the meaning of ‘called to one’s side’ for help, and especially against an accuser or judge. But the interpretation of the word as found in St. John’s Gospel has not followed its etymology and usage. It has there been often understood to mean ‘comforter’ or ‘consoler’ (=6 παρακαλῶν).

This is the prevailing interpretation in the Fathers and in the Versions, and it is still upheld by some modern expositors. 1. The Greek and Latin Fathers.—ORIGEN (as quoted in Latin by Ruflinus, de Princ. U. vii. 4) says, ‘The Holy Spirit is called Paracletus from consolation. For in Latin παράκλησις is called con- solatio. . But in 1 Jn paracletus is used of the Saviour in the sense of intercessor.

For in Greek παράκλητος signifies both intercessor and consoler (deprecatorem et consolatorem).’ Thus Origen gives to παράκλητος a double meaning, ‘consoler’ in the Gospel, ‘intercessor’ in the Epistle. But even ‘intercessor’ he takes from the active voice of παρακαλεῖν in the sense of ‘request,’ " plead’ (as in Mt 8° προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἑκατόνταρχος παρακαλῶν αὐτόν, ‘There came to him ἃ centurion Dees Εῖπεὴν for in his Com. on St. John, i. 33 [38] (Brooke’s ed. 1896, vol. i. p.

45), he says, ‘ But none of the names mentioned above expresses His representation of us with the Father, as He intercedes for the nature PARACLETE of men and atones for it, as the intercessor and ropietcn and the atonement’ (παρακαλοῦντος πὲρ τῆς ἀνθρώπων φύσεως καὶ ἱλασκομένου, ὡς ὁ παρά- κλητος καὶ ἱλασμὸς καὶ τὸ ἱλαστήριον. CHRYSOSTOM in his Com. on Jn 1415 cote ‘He calls the Spirit παράκλητος because of the afflictions that then beset them’; but in his Hom. in Joh. |\xxv.

, ‘Concern- ing the Spirit He said . . παράκλητος in order that they might not be disheartened in thinking there would be none to be their patron and helper.’ Cyri gives the meaning ‘consoler’—Catech. xvi. 20, ‘The Holy Spirit is called παράκλητος because He comforts and consoles and helps our infirmities’ (διὰ τὸ παρακαλεῖν καὶ παραμυθεῖσθαι καὶ συναντιλαμ- βάνεσθαι τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν). With this the most of the Gr. Fathers agree. On the other hand, the Lat.

Fathers (influenced probably by the early Lat. versions) generally use Advocatus (esp. in 1 Jn, very often Paracletus in the Gospel) as the trans., and seem to od ta as Advocate or Helper. But, as Pearson (On the Creed, p. 500, Bohn’s ed.) has pointed out, it is probable that the Lat.

writers when using advocatus mean consolator, ‘for in the ancient Christian Latin, advocare signifieth ‘‘ to comfort,” and advocatio “consolation,” as being the bare interpretations of παρακαλεῖν and παρά- κλησις, Cf. Ronsch, Jt. wu. Vulg. 348. Thus Tert. translates παρακαλέσαι πενθοῦντας (Is 61) advocare languentes (adv. Marc. iv. 14). And both Hilary (Sumus nune tence consolati, quia Dominus ait, *Mittet nobis Pater et alium Consolatorem’—Znar. in Ps, 125) and Aug.

(Consolabuntur Spiritu Sancto, i maxime propterea Paracletus nominatur, id est, onsolator—de Serm. Dom. in Monte, i. 2) as well as others, use consolator as the tr. of παράκλητος. 2. Ancient and Modern Versions.—(1) The Old Latin has Advocatus in the i in all copies; in the Gospel there is variation between Advocatus (Pal. at 15% 167; Pal. Vere. Colb. at 14") and Paracletus or Paraclitus* (Pal. Vere. Ver. Colb. Corb. in the other passages).

(2) The Syriac ver- sions seem to have retained the original word ‘Paraclete’ everywhere. So at least in all extant poms (Coreacies in Jn 14"; Pesh. in all places; in. in the Gospel). (3) The Arabic, Ethiopic, and Memphitic versions also retain ‘Paraclete.’ The Thebaic has ‘ Paraclete’ in the Gosp., but in the Ep. ‘One that pete for us’ (Lightfoot, Fresh Rev.261). (4) The Vulg. has Paracletus (or Paraclitus) in the Gosp. and Advocatus in the Ep. (5) Wyclif and Purvey translated the Vulg.

Para- clitus into ‘Comforter’ in the Gosp., and retained ‘ Advocate’ from advocatus in the Ep. (1382 ‘we han ayoket anentis the fadir’; 1388 [Purvey] ‘we han an advocat anentis the fadir’), Luther likewise has ‘ Tréster’ in Jn and ‘ Fiirsprecher’ in 1Jn. Then Tindale also adopted ‘Comforter’ in the Gosp. and ‘Advocate’ in the Ep., and these translations have come down through all the Eng. versions, except the Rhemish, which in the Gosp. has taken ‘ Paraclete’ + directly from the Vulgate.

It must be remembered that in the yp tens of the English versions ‘to comfort’ is not always to console as it is in the English of the present day, and ‘comfort’ is not always consola- tion. Its first meaning, like the Latin con-fortare (from con intensive prefix, and fortis ne) is to strengthen. Thus Wyclif’s translation (1382) of Is 417 is ‘he coumfortide hym with nailes, that it shulde not be moued’ (1388, ‘he fastenede hym with nailis’).

Coverdale translates 28 27‘ Let youre hande now ‘let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant’; RV ‘let your hands be strong’). And AV gives in Job 10%. 21 ‘Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before 1 go whence I shall not return, therefore be comforted, and be ye orig "(A *On the spelling paraclitus see Hare’s note in Mission of the Comforter, ii. 522, note Ja (in later ed. note K). ¢ The Rhem. version has the foll. marg.

note to Jn 1416, * Paraclete by interpretation is either a comforter or an advo- cate ; and therefore to translate it by any one of them only is perhaps to abridge the sense of this place.’ There is no note on the tr. at 1Jn 31, where the Vulg. ‘advocatus’ is given as advocate,’ with the Gr. ταϑάκλητον in the margin. PARACLETE 8 translation which RV retains, though the same Hebrew word is translated ‘recover strength’ in Ps 3918 by both versions.

We next find the meaning exhort or exhortation, as Wyclif's translation of He 125 ‘And ye han forgete the comforte that spekith to you as to sones.’ And then encouragement (not necessarily to goodness), as in Wyclif’s Select Works, iii. 328, * Not to coumforte hem in here synne’ ; and in Cranmer’s Works, i. 209, ‘By your comfort the vulgar people conceiveth hatred oo such things as by the prince's commandment are set rth.

But when Wyclif chose the word ‘Comforter’ to express the Latin Paracletus (he may have coined the word, since the earliest examples of ‘comforter’ yet discovered are in his writings), it is probable that the sense he desired to convey was ‘one who consoles.’ His translation (1382) of Job 16? is ‘Alle yee ben hevye coumfortoures’; and this was the meaning which was attached to the Greek word rapaxAnres and the Latin racletus in the Church in his day. Any other sense, indeed, is somewhat rare.

Lord Berners’ /roissart (ch. ccci. Globe ed, . 229) may be quoted for the meaning ‘aider’ or ‘abettor’: Who durst begin such a riot as to enterprise to slay the earl’s baily holding the earl’s banner in his hands, doing his office, without some bolsterer or comforter in their deed? iii. How has it come to pass that παράκλητος, which nowhere else has the meaning of ‘ consoler,’ has been so peunrally taken in that sense in St. John’s Gospel? The explanation must be found in the context.

Our Lord, in promising the Paraclete, spoke of His own impending epee ture. The disciples’ hearts were filled with sorrow. It is natural to understand that the Paraclete the Holy Ghost was promised to the disciples to console them for the loss of their Lord. And when that meaning was found in the context, it was easy to give it to the word itself.

The same thing happened to advocatus in Latin; the sense of ‘consoler’ is equally unknown to that word outside ecclesiastical usage; Tertullian must have given it that meaning because he found it in his version as the designation of Him who was sent to console the disciples. But the Paraclete was not sent to console the disciples. They did not really need consolation. If they had understood, no sorrow at Christ’s departure would ever have filled their hearts.

As soon as they did understand, the sorrow left them. Before the Paraclete came they ‘returned to Jerusalem with great Joy (Lk 24°), As soon, indeed, as they re the fact of Christ’s resur- rection their sorrow was turned into joy. Even the women ‘departed bran from the tomb with fear and great joy’ (Mt 28°). But it was then that the battle with unbelief had to begin—the unbelief of their own hearts in ae but chiefly the unbelief of the world.

And the Paraclete was sent to aid them in that strife. In Jn 1415: 39 15% the reference seems to be to the unbelief or half-belief of the disciples’ own hearts. The Paraclete as the Spirit of truth guides them into all the truth. He brings to their remembrance the things the Master had said to them ; in the light of events He interprets these things; they understand that ‘all is of God that is and is to be, and all is good.

’ He witnesses for Christ in their hearts; and then when they know that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and Saviour of the world, they are ready to be witnesses themselves (Jn 15%: 7), In Jn 167 the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete of the disciples in their witness before the world. Just like the παράκλητος and advocatus of the ancients (but not quite as the advocate of our day), He comes to the disciples. ‘I will send him unto you’ (Jn 167).

He is their personal unofficial “riend; His services are at their disposal. In their debate with the world He is at their right hand that they may not be moved. Through them He convicts the world concerning sin, con cerning righteousness, and concerning judgment— a conviction which means their acquittal and the world’s condemnation. In 1 Jn 2! it is Jesus Himself that is the Para- clete: ‘If any man (i.e.

here ‘any believer’) sin, we have a Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ PARACLETE the righteous.’ So the believer has a conflict in heaven as well as on the earth. The conflict upon the ea.th is with the sin of the world ; the conflict in heaven is with his own sin. Through faith he wins the battle upon the earth, for ‘this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith’ (1 Jn δ). Through repentance he wins the victory in heaven.

In both cases it is not he but his Paraclete that wins. Both victories are of ace, lest any man should boast. But why two aracletes? Because the Holy Spirit has to do, not with the sin of man, but with his holiness. In so far as the believer does not sin, the Holy Spirit is his Paraclete. When he sins it is Jesus Christ that becomes his Paraclete. For Jesus has always to do with his sin, and Jesus only. iv. The question remains, Which is the best translation? 1.

COMFORTER is false to the etymology of the Greek word and to its usage, and it misses the meaning. The arguments used in its favour are these: (1) That it agrees with the Hellenistic usage of παρακαλεῖν ‘to comfort’ and παράκλησις ‘comfort.’ Ra swiick M‘Clellan replies that this usage justifies the sense of ‘comforter’ for παρα- κλήτωρ but not for παράκλητος, which would rather be one comforted.

‘It would be just as reasonable to contend that in harmony with the use of καλεῖν to ‘‘call,” the word xAnrés called” (Ro 1°? ete.) signifies a caller; or that in harmony with the use of parere to “bring forth,” parens signifies ‘‘a child.”’ (2) That the Eng. word ‘comforter’ really means ‘strengthener’ (so esp. Hare and Trench). It does not mean so now, however; and it has been shown that in the Eng. versions it probably never meant so.

(3) That it is better to retain ‘Comforter’ ‘on the ground of prescription and long familiarity.’ So Field, who recalls Schaff’s remark (Companion to Gr. Test. and Eng. Versions, p. 446) that ‘after long deliberation the Revisers retained the dear old word.’ Field does not blame the Revisers; but if it is to be retained he would derive it, not from παρακαλεῖν ‘to console,’ but from παρα- καλεῖν ‘to send for.

’ ‘We send for a confidential friend on various occasions; and according to the particular service which we require from him he is our Counsellor in difficulties, or Advocate in danger, or our Comforter in distress.’ But he warns against the apparent countenance given to the old favourite by the mistranslation of ὀρφανούς in Jn 1418, AV ‘comfortless’; RVm rightly ‘orphans.’ 2. ADVOCATE. This is the word approved of by most modern commentators. It has also no little ‘prescription’ in its favour.

It is etymologically identical with παράκλητος. And it accounts for the assive form. The objection to ‘ Advocate’ is that it does not in modern use correspond closely enough with either the Lat. advocatus or the Gr. παρά- κλητος, It answers fairly well to the Paraclete of 1 Jn, but in the Gosp. the Holy Spirit does not plead for but in or throngh the disciples. 3. INTERCESSOR. Pearson (On the Creed, pp. 499, 501) urges the adoption of ‘ Intercessor,’ and others agree.

Its fitness to express the Paraclete of 1 Jn is evident. And it is clear from certain pence (ef. the words already quoted from emosth., τῶν παρακλήτων τούτων δεήσεις) that en- treaty or intercession was at least part of the work of the Paraclete in the ancient law courts. But the word is somewhat restricted in meaning to cover all that is said of the Holy Spirit as Paraclete. 4. PARACLETE.

It is perhaps best to transcribe the word, as has been done in so many versions, including the very oldest, and as the Eng. versions have unanimously done with ‘Christ,’ ‘apostle,’ ‘deacon,’ and other words.

The objection to this is, not that it ser sa the word of all meaning (M‘Clellan), for ὁ at is better than putting a PARADISE wrong meaning into it, and it would gather ita meaning for itself ;* but that it might come to be applied as almost a ere name to the Holy Spirit, who is after all only ‘another Paraclete’ (Jn 14%), If this danger were avoided, it is the best word, for there is no English word in existence that covers the original both in the Gosp. and the Ep.

and covers it exactly; and Paraclete, says Westcott (Lessons of RV, p. 94), ‘is now almost naturalized among us.’ LrreraTurs.—Besides the Comm. (esp. Meyer on Jn 1416 and Disterdieck on 1Jn 21), Buxtorf, Lex. eas p. 1843 (ed. Fischer, p. 916); Grimm-Thayer, V7’ 5 Oremer, Bibl.-Theol. Lez.'s.v. Also Knapp, Scripta Var. Argum. p. 124 ff.; Pearson, On the Creed, ff.; Hare, Mission of κ᾽ 499 ff. ; the Comforter, ii. 521 ff., note Ja da later ed. note K); Trench, On the AV of NT, p. 28f.

; Lightfoot, On a Fresh Kevision? p. 65 ff. ; M‘Clellan, The Four Gospels, . 887 (on Jn 1416), an p. 783ff.; Westcott, Speaker’s Com. fida: Note on Jn 1416) p. 211 ff. ; Watkins, Com. for Eng. Readers (Add. Note on Jn 1418), p. 661ff.; Hatch, Essays in Bibl. Greek, p. 82; Field, Notes on Trans. of NT (Otium Norv. 1.2), on Jn ἌΣ 102 1.; Robson in Expos. Times, v. (1894) 820ff., and The Holy Spirit the Paraclete, p. 1ff. J. HASTINGS.