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,