“These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.”
John 16:25
Which things did Jesus speak in proverbs? He is making reference to His discourse that starts from John 14–16, which is in one continuous prose with minor breaks where He responds to His disciples’ questions.
When Jesus Christ made this statement, the disciples marvelled and responded:
“His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.”
John 16:29
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
Proverbs 25:2
Thus, the story of the Comforter is a parable and shouldn’t be taken superficially. An allegory was used in this speech.
“12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
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.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; BUT YE SEE ME: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, HOW is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” [John 16:7]
John 14:12, 15-23, 28
Jesus was telling His disciples how He would reveal Himself to them through the agency of the Comforter. In this manner, Jesus would be visible to His disciples but not to the world. Note the emphasis added to the quoted text.
He even said explicitly in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless; I WILL COME TO YOU.”
He was the one to come back and Comfort His people.
The whole discourse of Jesus was rightly understood by Judas. He understood what Jesus would do. However, the how of it was still a mystery to him, hence his question: “Lord, HOW is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?“
Jesus Christ also added in John 14:28 “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you…”
The one who came is the same one who first left: Jesus Christ!
“7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
Ephesians 4:7-10
Secondly, It is important to note that the Greek word translated as Comforter/Helper in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 is exactly the same word translated as Advocate in 1 John 2:1.
The word Comforter (paraklētos) (Strong’s G3875) is exclusively used by the apostle John in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 John 2:1
It is evident from John 14-16 that the Comforter is Jesus Christ.
But as if that is not sufficient, the same John clarifies to us again in 1 John 2:1 and tells us explicitly who this Comforter [paraklētos] is:
“… if any man sin, we have an advocate (Comforter) [paraklētos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
1 John 2:1
Jesus had promised:
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:20
He said He would be with us, not that He would send someone else to be with us.
Jesus has been and will be with us until the end of the world.
But how, considering that He ascended bodily to His Father?
By the agency of His Spirit, the Comforter!
“18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:”
Acts 3:18-20
The refreshing times to come referred to the coming again of Jesus Christ to his saints post His ascension after His death.
“26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, *because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God*.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Romans 8:26, 27, 34
Notice, who makes intercession for the saints? Is it Christ or the Spirit?
Doesn’t the Bible say we have only one mediator, who is exclusively Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5)?
Doesn’t the Bible teach that this same Jesus is the only one qualified for this work and that “… He ever liveth to make intercession…” for us (Hebrews 7:22-26)?
Being that there is only one mediator interceding for man, this mediator can either be Christ or the Spirit… Or it may well mean that Christ is the Spirit.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now, also notice that John tells us that the antichrist is anyone who denies that Jesus is the one literally dwelling in His disciples.
The word Antichrist (Strong’s G500) is also exclusively used by one author – the same author – the apostle John, in 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3 & 2 John 1:7. No other place or author in the whole Scripture uses this word.
“1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come [present tense] in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh [present tense] is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU [In your flesh, present tense], than he that is in the world.”
1 John 4:1-4
“7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:”
2 John 1:7-10
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory:”
Colossians 1:27
“9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell IN you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be IN you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell IN you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth IN you.”
Romans 8:9-11
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