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1A JOHANNINE THEOLOGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
June 9, 2006
The subject of the Holy Spirit has caused controversy throughout the Christian dispensation. Pneumatology can be a complicated issue. This paper focuses solely on the Apostle John’s references to the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John and the epistle of I John. The use of the Spirit in Revelation and 2 and 3 John will not be addressed.
The paper will explore the function of the Spirit by an exegesis of the passages where John describes the Spirit. A special emphasis will be placed upon John’s use of the term Paraclete. At the conclusion, a synthesis of John’s view of the Spirit and how the Spirit affects the life of the believer will be presented.
But before one can examine the role of the spirit in Johannine literature, an understanding of the background information concerning the literature must be gained.
BACKGROUND OF JOHANNINE LITERATURE
Author. The traditional view concerning authorship is that John the Apostle wrote the Gospel account with his name attached and the three letters that are attributed to him. Another hypothesis is that a Johannine community wrote the Gospel of John. Furthermore, some scholars suspect that a person by the name of “elder John” wrote the epistles of John or possibly one or two of them. For the purposes of this paper, the Apostle John will be assumed as the writer.
Place and date. Early church tradition favors that the apostle John wrote this gospel in Ephesus, a city of Asia Minor. This belief is based on the testimony of Irenaeus who was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of the apostle John. This paper will also assume that John wrote from Ephesus.
Concerning the dating, this paper will assume that John wrote his Gospel and letters nearing the close of the first century. Though some scholarship has argued for a mid-second century date, this belief has been discarded because of the discovery of the Rylands Fragment, which dates from about 135AD.
Theme and purpose. John provides his readers with the purpose of his gospel account. He says in John 20: 30-31 “many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
The gospel was to encourage faith in Jesus and the content of this faith was to view Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God. As for the purpose of I John, the author again provides the overall intent of his writing in I John 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” John is countering the false teachers with a defense of the truth.
The foundation of the background information has been established and now the explanation of the Spirit in Johannine Literature can be developed.
FUNCTION OF THE SPIRIT
The Fourth Evangelist speaks of the function of the Holy Spirit in two ways. John talks about the role of the spirit in the individual’s life as well as the role of the Spirit in the corporate church’s life.
The Spirit is an agent of regeneration. Through the Spirit believers can be born again or born from above and share in God’s life. Also, the spirit manifests itself in the church. The Spirit was given to sustain the life of believers after the resurrection.
Schnackenburg gives five functions of the Spirit. (1) The Spirit will teach. (2) The Spirit will call to mind. (3) The Spirit will bear witness to Jesus. (4) The Spirit will expose and prove the unbelieving world guilty. (5) The Spirit will lead the disciples into truth.
In John’s writing the Spirit is to be delivered after the ascension of Jesus. When the Spirit comes it is to present the message of Christ to an unbelieving world. Through the Spirit the revelation of Christ will be available and the Spirit will replace Christ as God’s presence in the world.
The Spirit in Johannine thought is contrasted to the evil in the world. The spirit of truth is contrasted to a lie and the spirit is contrasted to the flesh. The life-creating function of the spirit is contrasted with the destructive power of the present world.
EXEGESIS OF PERTINENT PASSAGES
This section will highlight some of the applicable verses in John’s use of the Holy Spirit. The verses that will be covered are John 3:5-8, 14:16-17, 14:26, 15: 26-27, 16:5-15, I John 2:1, and I John 3:24 and 4:13.
John 3:5-8. In this text, Jesus is having a dialogue with a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. The topic of discussion is the new birth and this new birth ushers one into the kingdom of God. Jesus tells Nicodemus that one must be born of the water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom.
In verse 5, Jesus is referring to the regenerating activity of the Holy Spirit. Nicodemus would have understood Christ, as saying that to enter and belong to the kingdom of God one would have to go through a divine re-making by the Spirit.
Verse 6 contrasts the flesh with the Spirit. In others words Jesus is saying that the flesh can only produce flesh while the Spirit can produce the Spirit in people. Therefore to enter the kingdom, the Spirit must cause the entrances.
Verse 8 has been interpreted in various ways. Many of the interpretations hinge on the word pneuma because this word can have a variety of meanings. Pneuma can mean wind, breath, life, soul, and spirit. Many commentators take the first pneuma to mean wind and the second pneuma to mean spirit. Therefore, the spirit has a mysterious element. One does not know the origin or the destination of the wind so one cannot know the inner workings of the spirit. But like the wind which provides evidence of its existence, so does the spirit prove its existence by the transformation of the recipient of the spirit.
John 14:16-17. In the final farewell discourse, Jesus promises to ask the Father for another helper that will be given to them forever. The term Greek for “helper” is transliterated as paraclete. John is the only writer in the canon of scripture to use this term to describe the Holy Spirit.
But what does this word paraclete really mean? The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament provides four major definitions for paraclete, which are “to call to”, “to beseech”, “to exhort”, and “to comfort.” But these definitions do not evoke the depth of this word’s meaning.
“The history of the word parakletos throughout the whole range of known Greek and Hellenistic usage outside of the NT presents the clear picture of a term deriving from legal activity, namely legal adviser, helper or advocate in the appropriate court.”
Though the word paraclete comes from the legal courtroom context: There is still disagreement on two points: whether the paracletos is a legal word sometimes used more generally or a word of more general meaning sometimes applied in legal proceedings; and what function a legal paracletos might have.
Grayston, after examining the historical evidence concerning the usage of paracletos, arrives at the conclusion that parakletos “was a word of general meaning which could appear in legal contexts, and when it did the parakletos was a supporter or sponsor.”
Another way to look at paraclete is through a Jewish context. The noun and verb of paraclete are used in the Septuagint to refer to a “consoling” expected during the messianic age (Is. 40:1). “J.G. Davies argued in 1953 that since parakletos in the LXX normally means “console” and it replicates much of the semantic range of parakletos, despite the passive form, it referred to an active consoler.”
Unfortunately, some have erroneously defined the paraklete as comforter. The term comforter dates back to the Wycliffe’s translation. He arrived at this term by the Latin con+fortis which means “one who strengthens.” But this is not the common use for the Greek noun, because the noun connotes an intercessory function. Notice, none of the functions of the paraclete specifically refer to comfort.
To wrap up the discussion on the meaning of the paraclete, Schnackenburg provides a refined wording of the term. He says: It means ‘the one called for’ and is used especially for ‘defending counsel’. It is very similar to the Latin advocatus, although it is not an established technical term for this forensic activity. The Paraclete, then, may be an intercessor or mediator, who intervenes for someone to help him and protect him from others….In this sense, there are many references in Judaism to ‘intercessors’ with God. The angels, the patriarchs, the prophets and certain righteous men were intercessors….
Now that the paraclete has been clearly defined, an exegesis of John 14:16-17 is possible. In verse 16 and 17, Jesus says He will ask the Father for another Helper. The term “helper” is the paraclete that was discussed in the above section. “The implication of verse 16 is that Jesus has performed the role of a paraclete during his earthly ministry, and after his departure He will ask the Father to send another paraclete to perform a like ministry for the disciples.” “The function of the paraclete in this context seems to concern the answering of prayers. In verses 13-14, Jesus is telling them that whatever they ask shall be given to them because the paraclete will be their advocate in the court of heaven. The word of the paraclete will continue forever.
In verse 17, the paraclete is also called the “spirit of truth.” Jesus says the world cannot receive the paraclete because they do not abide in Christ but the paraclete will have a personal indwelling in those who know Christ.
John 14:26. John 14:26 provides another promise from Jesus to help them in their continued journey. This promise is needed because the disciples could not remember everything Jesus did nor did they understand the ramifications of Christ’s actions on earth. Therefore, Jesus will provide the paraclete to serve as an aid to remember His teachings and a interpreter to make sense out of His actions.
John 15:26-27. This section contains the third mention of the paraclete. This promise of the coming paraclete assures the disciples of a helper in the face of persecution. The paraclete will bear witness to him and enable the disciples to speak on behalf of the Lord. “The passage about witness refers not to some timid words but to a bold counteroffensive; the ‘world’ far outnumbers believers, but believers depend on God, who can at any time overrule the purpose of the world.”
The Greek term for bearing witness is martyrein. This term has come to mean “to bear witness with one’s life.” This is where the term martyrdom has its origin.
John 16:5-15. Jesus senses the disciples’ sadness and offers another promise to them. Jesus convinces them that it is better that He go away because if He does He will send them the paraclete. Though to the Apostles Christ’s departure seems disastrous, actually it is for their profit.
In verse 8 the text becomes more complicated. The Spirit is said “to convict the world.” Many times the Spirit is to work with believers but this is the first occasion where the Spirit will do a work in the world.
There are various views on how the Spirit convicts the world. There are three hoti phrases describing what the Spirit will convict. Verses 9-11 provide a more detailed explanation of the hoti phrases. The paraclete will convict people of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Much of the debate surrounds the term elencho. Some say this term means “to expose” while others say it means “putting to shame, treating with contempt, cross-examining, accusing, bringing to the test, proving, refuting.”
To understand how the paraclete will convict the world, the background information concerning the courtroom’s image in the definition of the paraclete must be considered. It is best to look at this verse through a forensic context. In the Roman world, a Roman governor could not try a case and convict someone without an accuser offering a charge. In this text the Spirit is not content with just defending believers but also takes the role in the courtroom as accuser of the world. The paraclete now plays the roles of advocate, prosecutor, and judge, too.
In verse 9-11 the paraclete will accuse the world of the sin of unbelief, the failure to meet God’s standards of righteousness, and will declare the defeat of Satan. In verse 11 kekritai is in the perfect tense, which expresses a completed state. Therefore, Satan’s judgment is fixed and final.
Another important section from the context of John 16:5-15 is John 16:12-15. In this text Jesus provides the fifth promise of the Spirit. In verses 12-13 Jesus tells the disciples that the paraclete will do more than just help them remember but will also institute the continued revelation of Christ. The Spirit will lead them into the full comprehension of all truth. Jesus would have to give later revelation because the disciples were not spiritually aware enough to understand the teachings. The Spirit will not be speaking directly but will be a transmitter for the words of Jesus.
In verses 14-15 the Spirit’s function is to glorify Christ. The Spirit’s intent is not to be noticed but to draw attention to Christ. The Spirit receives its instructions and words from the authority of Christ and ultimately God.
There has been debate concerning if John 16:12-15 can be applied to Christians today. Some in the tradition of churches of Christ have denied the continued revelation of the Spirit. This violates the exegetical principle that a text should be applied to the modern church today. An example of when the text cannot be applied is when the text says that the paraclete will call in remembrance all that Christ said (John 14:26). Individual Christians today were not there during the time of Christ, and have no first-hand memories to lose. But the continued revelation of Christ can be applied to believers in this present age.
Interpreters who refuse to apply this promise of the Spirit to the postapostolic church must then justify how they can apply other spiritual promises to the church. Who owns the promise, “I will come again and take you to myself” (John 14:3) when it was addressed to the Twelve? These promises, just like the command to “love one another,” belong both to the circle of apostles and to the later church.
When the paraclete does bring a new message to the church, the message never contradicts the historic word of Jesus and never deflects the glory away from Jesus. The Spirit can bring new revelation, allow the church to see its message or mission in a new light, and/or bring a new work for the church in the present context. For this message to be accepted, one must try the spirits to see if this message is of God or from the imagination of man.
I John 2:1. This text contains the only use of paraclete in the epistles of John. John is imploring Christians not to sin. If they do sin, though, there is help for them in heaven. In this passage, the term paraclete does not refer to the Holy Spirit as it does in the Gospels, but it refers to Jesus. Jesus is functioning as the paraclete by speaking on a Christian’s behalf in the presence of the Father. This is consistent with the courtroom connotation of paraclete.
The advocate of I John 2:1 is described as “the righteous one.” The text is saying that the one who has acted righteously is now before the throne speaking in the Christian’s defense.
I John 3:24; 4:13. These 2 verses will be evaluated together because they share a common theme. Both of these verses affirm that the Spirit of God is residing in Christians. In these texts “the Holy Spirit is considered by John a fact of experience from which the argument may be drawn.” The sign that believers have a relationship with God is the confirmation of the Spirit’s presence in the Christian’s life. Christians have been accepted by God and He has given believers a share of the spirit.
A SYNTHESIS OF JOHN’S VIEW OF THE SPIRIT
In this synthesis of John’s view of the Holy Spirit, the spirit’s status, function, and role in the life of believers and his relationship with the church will be discussed.
The status of the Spirit is as multi-faceted. The spirit is in union with both God and the Messiah. The Spirit comes from God when Jesus ascends. After the resurrection he is sent from both the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). Also, there is a sense that the Spirit is dependent on the Father and Jesus. Jesus is dependent on the Father for His message and the Spirit is dependent on Christ for His instructions (John 14:26). There is a sense that the Spirit is subordinate to Jesus. The Spirit receives His instructions from the glorified Messiah (John 16:14-15).
The Spirit’s function is that of an agent of God. The Spirit for John reflects Jesus’ identity and ministry. Though Jesus has to depart, the Spirit takes His place and continues the drawing together of heaven and earth. The Spirit is continuing Christ’s ministry on earth. Look at the parallels:
Both Jesus and the Spirit come from God into the World (John 16:28/15:26); they both remain with the disciples (15:4/14:17), teaching (7:14-17/14:26), prophesying (14:2-3/16:13-15), and witnessing (8:17-18/15:26). As the Son glorifies the Father (17:4), so the Paraclete glorifies Jesus (16:14); as believers perceive the true identity of Jesus (1:49-50), so the disciples will recognize the Paraclete (14:7); as the world rejected Christ (5:43), so it cannot receive the Paraclete (14:17).
The Spirit is Jesus’ replacement and will continue His ministry by teaching and calling to mind the words of Jesus, bearing witness to Jesus for a testimony to the unchristian world in order to convict the unbelievers, and continue the revelation of the Lord to believers. All of these ministries will be to glorify Christ.
The Spirit has a two-fold work in the life of believers. The Spirit is involved in the remaking process of a disciple. The Spirit ushers in the new birth (John 3:5). Also, the Spirit is residing in the believer and confirms that one has eternal life.
The Holy Spirit also plays a part in the development of the church. The paraclete was given to the church to continue the refreshing of the teaching of Christ. The Holy Spirit will lead the church to new truth in the coming ages (John 16:12-15) through the continued revelatory work.
CONCLUSION
The Apostle John provides a unique look into the role of the Holy Spirit with his usage of the term paraclete. The paraclete is a term which conjures up an image of a courtroom advocate. Though the paraclete cannot be characterized by any one word in the English language, the background information concerning the Roman courtroom image of an advocate and the Jewish images of an intercessor are informative.
The Holy Spirit for John is an active force in continuing Jesus’ mission on earth. The Spirit is God’s bridge from heaven to earth, which persists in remaking disciples and convicting the world.