The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 220

gcncrnl iilea of the consto.nt 11.nd oontinuoua in LXX. Philo uses it in the same sense, ,rnrk of grace in humo.n hoorts, and tho and the rnbbinio writers adopt tho Greek ep<>rial manifestntion in persono.l glory rmd word o•~p,D, in opposition to • acousor.' Divine 11.oth-ity of the Holy Ghost on The apostolic Fnthcra use the word in Pentecol!l this sense, but tho pntristio writors, Origen, Vere. 16-21.-(e) The groo.test Gift-the Cyril, Grogory of Nyesn, use H for • Com- otJ,er Adoooale. forter,' In l John ii. 1 no other word is Vore. 16, 17.-Conscqnent on this obedient satisfnctory but • Advooote,• and the sug- love, conditionatcd by it, is the Lord's gestion is that the only meaning hero thnt nssumnce: And I will ask the l!'&ther- is adequate is tho t of one who plonds, •p~-ri/v ie used or an nsking which is ho.sod oonvincoe, convicts in n groat oontroversy, on close nnu intimate fellowship; it is the who strengU1ens on the one hand, and do- word which implies the presentation of fends on the other. Christ, ns tho Advocate, wish or a desire from an equnl to au equnl, pleads the believer's cause with the Father while alT,w reprcsonte tho prayer or seek- against tlte accuser (1 John ii. 1; Rom. viii. ing which risee from e.n inferior to a 26; Rev. xii. 10). Tho Holy Spirit, 11e the ~upcrior (!!CC note, eh. xvi. 26, and other Advooate, plel\ds the cause of the believer uso.ge of the same words, eh. :i::vii. 9, 15, 20) against the world (eh. xvi. 8), and plende --and he will give-make a Divine and free Christ's co.use with the believer (eh. xiv. manifestation or himself by his Spirit, give 26; :i::v. 26; xvi.14)." Archdeacon Watkins to you ns your innlienable possession- has presented n large portion of the Tal- another Paraolete, that he may be I with mudio evidence to the so.me effect. ThUll you for evermore. GrC'o.t defcrenoo is due from the 'Pirke Aboth,' iv. 11, "·He thnt to the Greek e:i::positore, beginning with kecpeth one commo.ndment obtains for Chrysostom, who translate thid word "Com- himself one f!"raldit, bnt he who com- forter," and who point back to the LXX. mitteth one sin obtains for himself one orapa.,ca>..eiT< (Isa. xl. l), e.nd beenuse ,rap11,- kaUegor (1eaT~"(opos)." The word was in- 1e1'.-l,uu verv oft.en, if not always, moons corporated into the Syrian language, as .. consolation;" but the word is passive in seen in the Peshito Syriao transle.tion, both form, and denotes "one called in," er of the Gospel aud the First Epistle of John. " called to the side of another," for the The Ad\"oce.te who is to be with the dis- purpose of helping him in any we.y, but ciples for ever, arguing down opposition especially in legal proceedings and criminal and silencing cavil, is the Spirit of truth. charges, so that tile word " Advocnte," The abundant proof of this great function Pleader for us and in us, is the trausb.tion of the Holy Spirit is not wanting. There that most geuernlly is accepted by almost is Christ's promise (~Iatt. x. 19, 20: l\Iark all modern expositors. "Another" implies :i::iii. 9-11). Thon iu Acts iv. 8 and 13, that Christ hnd alrca.dy stood in this posi- whate"l"er Christ had been to the twelve, tion while present with them, helping with that would the other Advocate, Mediotor of tender care their met efforts to stand or Divine grace, be to the whole Church when serve. John (1 Epist. ii. 1) distinctly su.ys, the Lord's earthly manifestation should "We have now a Pe.raclete with the Father, terminate. The genitivo after" Spirit" some- Jesus Christ the Righteous," etc. And times denotes its great characteristio ( ef. in this pl.e.ce (ver. 17) the coming of the Rom. i. 4, "the Spirit of holiness:" Rom. Pamclete wns his own trne return to his viii. 15, "Spirit of bondage" and "of adop- disciples. The following is the substanco tion;" but in the same context we have of Westcott's "additione.l not.a" on this "Spil"it of God," "the Spirit;" Eph. i. '\\"Ord : " The two renderings of Paraclete ns 17, "Spirit of wisdom end revelotion; of, •Comforter' in the Gospel, and' Advocate' in also Rom. viii. 9, "Spirit of Christ:" 1 Pet. the Epistle, e.re found in the English versions, iv. 14, "the Spirit of glory"); and the idea with exception of Rhenish, from Wickliffe is that this other Auvocnte, even the Spirit to Authorized Version and Revised Version. of truth, sholl reveal truth to the. disciples, In the ancient versions, with the exception convince them of truth, e.s Christ had done. of Thebaic, the original word Para.cletUB Whom the world oannot reoeive. There aro is preserved. Its passive form by all nna_lo- antipathies between "the world" (ns con- goW! "ords will not justify here e.n active ceived by St. John) and "truth," whioh or trawri ti ve sense, bnt means ' one called will ren<ler the world strangely u11suscep- to the side of another' with the seconde.ry tible of Divine teaching. Still, sinoe the sense of helping, consoling, counselling, or whole process of conviction is tho distinct nidiDg him. The cl1LcSica.l W!e is 'advo- cd'ect of the Holy Spirit upo11 the world (see cate,' eo used in Demosthenea, not found oh. xvi.), tho 11.&./3rn1 must not lllenn thnt the world cannot accept its convincing power, 1 ti is the true text, tt, B, L, Q, Italic, bnt cannot exert its power of con vinoing. Coptic, Syrie.c, R.T., cic. TLrougl1 apostles, who are LIS orgallll and en. XIV, 1-31.] TllE GOSPEL .ACCOnDING TO ST. JOHN'. 227