EXPLAINING JESUS AS THE “ANOTHER COMFORTER”

EXPLAINING JESUS AS THE “ANOTHER COMFORTER”

Question: How is Jesus the Holy Spirit if he told his disciples in John 14:16 that he will go in other to send "another" comforter which is the Holy Spirit?

Answer: Acts 20:28

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

First put this in mind!

Paul said the Holy Ghost made some ppl overseers to feed the church of God and he further said that, that same Holy Spirit purchased that Church of God by His Own blood.

And we know very well that Jesus is the one who died for sins and purchased us with his own blood.

Heb. 10:10

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Heb. 9

11 But CHRIST being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by HIS OWN BLOOD he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Also, let us drop down to verse 18&19

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

Salvation was done by the offering of Jesus' blood for sin.

Remember John the Baptist word at River Jordan in John 1:29,

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

So we were bought by Jesus' blood.

Now see John the beloved in one of his Epistles.

1John 2:1-2

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the PROPITIATION for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

John used the word 'parakletos' as advocate in the Greek and it means comforter or consoler.

Let's see how John used the word again in another place, funny enough he used it again in John 14:26

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send IN MY NAME, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Please note that "in my name"

It's a phrase often use for Christ glorification.

Name in the Greek is 'onoma' and it means authority, reputation, office, etc, it's used to explain an accomplishment.

So Jesus saying "in my name" will mean “based on my accomplishment or based on my reputation as the Saviour then the comforter will be sent.”

And it was Jesus talking there, see what Jesus said:

Comforter there is also ‘parakletos’ and it was used for Holy Spirit by Jesus, the same word John used for Jesus in 1John 2:1.

That means the Holy Spirit is still Jesus.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you ANOTHER Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

They don't mean different entities; Jesus didn't mean another entity aside him.

Wait...hear Jesus in the previous verses of John 14

The word another is in the Greek 'allos' it's a primary word; else that is different (in many applications), that is more one.

It's used in many applications.

It means different.

Different what?

Context will help us understand what Jesus meant by another comforter since he himself knows that he's the comforter and John testified to us.

Did Jesus mean another personality different from him?

Let's see verse 17

17b says "for he dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN you."

Quick question, who is the one that dwelleth with them?

Jesus!
Who is the one that shall be in them?

Comforter or Holy Spirit.

So what is the difference between Jesus and Holy Spirit, or comforter?

Their mode of existence.

The same person existing in two different mode or form.

Jesus is with them in the flesh but Jesus will soon be in them as the Holy Spirit.

The ‘another comforter’ is Jesus explaining how he show or present himself to them in two modes.

As flesh, with them

As Spirit, in them.

See Jesus' last statement when he was about to disappear from their sight after resurrection and 40days of Teaching in Matt. 28:20

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

‘Lo’ is in the Greek 'idou' which means to see closely, to behold (2Cor. 5:17) to look intensely and more consciously.

It means Jesus is not saying they should look around them to find him in the flesh but that they should look within them that they now have the Holy Spirit.

That's his message to them

And that's why he could say in Acts 1:8 that they shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon them.

The Holy Spirit is Jesus in the believer.

It's not two different entities.

Jesus is God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I love how amplified version puts Col. 2:9-10

AMP: For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. 10 And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].

See also Phl. 2:6

AMP: Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained,

Do you see that the Apostles in their Epistles were not wavering or doubting that Jesus is God and also the Holy Spirit?

Even Jesus does not doubt that, he wants us to understand that he is God.

There is no controversy about it.

Jesus Christ is the name that has God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit in Him.

Colossians 1:18-20

[18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. [19] For it pleased the Father that IN HIM SHOULD ALL FULNESS DWELL; [20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

He's the head of the church, it's related to Acts 20:28 we quoted earlier.

Also it's with his own blood on the cross he reconciled us unto Himself.

Can you see that the Apostles used them interchangeably? They were so sure of that fact that Jesus is the Father and the Holy Spirit.

See Paul using the word reconciliation in another place, 2Cor. 5:18a & 19a

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,... 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto HIMSELF,...

Going back to Verse 19 of Col.1, it pleased the Father that IN CHRIST, All fullness should dwell in Him.

That's why the apostles used them interchangeably, they knew it well.

In Christ, we find the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

JESUS CHRIST IS STILL THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I hope this is clear to some extent?

Thanks for your time sir.

I call you blessed!

Awotiku Akinlayo David

© March 2021