Saturday 26 August 2023
- Bible Book:
- John
'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.' (v. 27)
Background
In this passage Jesus continued to prepare his disciples for his death and resurrection, when he would no longer be with them physically. He tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will be with them (v. 26). The word Jesus uses here, which is translated 'Advocate', was often used in ancient law courts. The Greek word is paraclete and it meant someone who spoke up on your behalf, if you were involved in a legal case. Some people find this association difficult and have argued that the word should be translated 'Comforter' or 'Counsellor', to give us a better image of the work of the Holy Spirit. We naturally tend to think that if this is a legal word, the Holy Spirit would act like a solicitor or barrister does today – but the ancient world did not have such a developed legal profession as we do.
Most people in the Roman Empire would have been involved in the patronage system. A patron was someone powerful and wealthy who offered you support in various aspects of life in return for various services. It was a more personal relationship than you might think – in some ways you would be regarded as being part of the patron's extended family. One of the key areas of support that a patron offered was to be your paraclete in court. So, whereas we might read paraclete as being a professional relationship, the people who originally read John's Gospel probably thought of something much more personal, which extended beyond the court situation.
The idea that the Holy Spirit will be our 'Advocate' is therefore closely linked with the opening of this passage, where Jesus says "I will not leave you orphaned". In verse 18 Jesus was using an image that others had used for those who were left behind by a teacher and it left the disciples bereft. Perhaps the power of the image gives us an insight into how difficult a transition those first disciples faced and how crucial this promise of the Holy Spirit was for them.
To Ponder:
- Advocate/ Counsellor/Comforter – which image or word for the Holy Spirit do you find most helpful and why?
- If you were one of Jesus' disciples, about to be orphaned, what would you be most worried about?
- What would you find most helpful in what Jesus says here?
Previously published in 2020.