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Scripture speaks of the as a person rather than a force. Jesus calls him another Counselor whom the Father sends, and says he teaches, reminds, guides, convicts and speaks. Peter calls lying to the Holy Spirit lying to God. He is the one who gives new birth, dwells in believers, produces Christlike character, and always points to Christ rather than to himself.
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God's answer first
Jesus said more about the on the night before his death than anywhere else. Start there rather than with experience.
The passage that answers this
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Three things are given at once: the Spirit is another Counselor like Jesus himself, he is given by the Father, and he stays. The pronoun is personal throughout, and Jesus says he can be known.
Read these with it
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His aim is stated plainly. He glorifies Christ and does not speak from himself. Any teaching about the Spirit that draws attention away from Jesus has left this verse behind.
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Peter says lying to the and lying to God are the same act. You cannot lie to a force, and Scripture here treats the Spirit as God.
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Why we ask this
Many people were taught about the Father and the Son and left with a vague impression of the Spirit as an atmosphere or an energy. Scripture speaks far more definitely than that.
Others have seen the Spirit's name used to almost anything, and have become wary. Testing claims is right, and 1 John 4:1 tells us to do it.
There is a practical reason too. Christians are told to walk by the Spirit, not to grieve him, and not to quench him. Those instructions are unusable if a reader has no idea who he is.
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Historical context
- Written by
- John, recording Jesus' words in the upper room on the night of the betrayal
- Written to
- The eleven disciples, and later readers of John's Gospel
- Written because
- Jesus is preparing men who are about to lose him, and he spends most of these chapters on what the Spirit will do after he goes
John 14 to 16 is the fullest teaching on the in the Gospels, and it is given as comfort. The setting matters: this is not a lecture on doctrine but reassurance to people about to be left behind.
The Old Testament already speaks often of , moving over the waters in Genesis 1:2, filling craftsmen in Exodus 31:3, coming on judges and , and promised for all God's people in Joel 2:28-29. Jesus is not introducing someone new; he is promising a nearer and permanent presence.
Counselor translates the Greek paraklētos, which is used of one called alongside to help, and can carry the sense of advocate, comforter or helper. English needs several words for it, which is why translations differ here.
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Verse by verse
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Another implies one of the same kind, since Jesus has been their Counselor. Forever is the second word to notice. In the Old Testament the Spirit came and sometimes departed; here he stays.
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Two prepositions carry a shift: with you, and will be in you. Jesus draws a line between his present nearness and the indwelling that begins after Pentecost.
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Teach and remind are the verbs. This promise is spoken first to the apostles, which bears on how the New Testament came to be written, and it also describes how the Spirit still works with Scripture in a reader.
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Convict is a courtroom word, to expose and prove. Conviction of sin is not the same as vague guilt; verse 9 says the sin in question is unbelief in Christ.
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Notice that Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ are used for the same person in one sentence, and that having the Spirit is treated as the mark of belonging to Christ rather than as a second stage for advanced Christians.
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The Spirit's work is placed inside itself, not after it. Poured out richly is generous language, and it is tied to Christ as the one through whom he is given.
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Grief is something only a person feels. The surrounding verses list bitterness, harsh words and dishonesty, so the way to grieve him is ordinary sin against other people.
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What Scripture says
He is spoken of as a person, not an influence
He guides, hears, speaks, declares. Elsewhere he teaches, John 14:26, intercedes, Romans 8:26, decides, 1 Corinthians 12:11, can be lied to, Acts 5:3, and can be grieved, Ephesians 4:30. None of these fit a force.
He is spoken of as God
Peter moves from lied to the to lied to God without explanation. 1 Corinthians 3:16 calls believers God's because the Spirit dwells in them, and Matthew 28:19 sets his name beside the Father and the Son.
He gives new birth
Jesus told Nicodemus that no one can enter without being , and compared him to wind: real, effective, and not under our control. Titus 3:5 says the same in different words.
He lives in believers
Your body is a of the . This is why Christian ethics in Paul's letters are so often argued from the Spirit's presence rather than from rules alone.
He produces character
The list is fruit rather than achievements, and it is singular in Greek, one fruit with nine facets. If we want to test the Spirit's work in a life, Scripture points here first.
He gives gifts for others
To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. The purpose clause rules out using gifts as a measure of rank, which was precisely the Corinthians' error.
He always honours Christ
He will glorify me. This is the surest test of any claim to the Spirit's leading: does it magnify Jesus and agree with what Jesus said, or does it draw attention elsewhere.
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The words behind the question
paraklētos
The word is used of the Spirit in John 14 to 16 and of Jesus himself in 1 John 2:1, where the same term is translated advocate. That overlap is the point of another Counselor: the Spirit comes to do for the disciples what Jesus had been doing among them.
ruach
The Hebrew word covers wind, breath and spirit, which is why Genesis 1:2 and Ezekiel 37:9-14 can hold all three ideas together. Jesus draws on the same range in John 3:8. Meaning must be taken from each context rather than from the word alone.
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Cross references
The Spirit promised
Poured out on all flesh, sons and daughters, servants included.
A new heart and God's Spirit put within his people.
Wait for the promise of the Father.
The promise fulfilled at Pentecost.
The Spirit and Scripture
People spoke from God as they were carried along by the Spirit.
He will remind you of all that I said to you.
Spiritual things discerned by the Spirit.
The Spirit in the Christian life
Led by the Spirit, and assured that we are God's children.
He helps our weakness in prayer.
Walk by the Spirit; the fruit he grows.
Filled with the Spirit, and what that looks like among people.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Testing claims
Test the spirits; the test is what they say about Christ.
No one says Jesus is Lord except by the .
God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
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Common misunderstandings
The Holy Spirit is God's power or influence, not someone
This cannot be read out of the texts. A force does not teach, decide as he , intercede with groanings, get lied to or grieve. Scripture uses personal verbs of him constantly, and Acts 5:4 identifies him as God.
You can tell the Spirit is present by how a meeting feels
Feeling is not the test Scripture gives. The tests are confession of Christ as Lord, 1 Corinthians 12:3, agreement with what Jesus taught, John 16:13-14, and the fruit of Galatians 5:22-23. Strong emotion may accompany his work; it does not prove it.
Only some Christians have the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:9 says that anyone without the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him, and 1 Corinthians 12:13 says all were baptised in one Spirit. Christians differ about later fillings and about which gifts continue; they should not differ about whether every believer has the Spirit.
The Spirit gives new revelations that go beyond Scripture
Jesus said he would not speak from himself but would take what is Christ's and declare it, John 16:13-14, and that he would remind the apostles of what Jesus said. Guidance that contradicts Scripture is not from the Spirit who inspired it.
Grieving the Spirit means losing him
Ephesians 4:30 says do not grieve him, in whom you were sealed for the day of . The same verse that warns against grieving him speaks of a seal. Sin harms fellowship; the passage does not describe him leaving.
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Things most readers miss
The Spirit's coming is described as gain, not consolation
John 16:7 says it was to the disciples' advantage that Jesus go away so the Counselor could come. That is a startling sentence and worth sitting with.
Conviction of sin is defined narrowly
John 16:9 says the sin he convicts the world of is not believing in Christ. His conviction is aimed at bringing people to Jesus, not at leaving them vaguely ashamed.
The fruit list is one fruit, not nine
Galatians 5:22 has a singular noun. Scripture does not offer patience without kindness or love without self-control; they grow together in one life.
He helps with prayer when we do not know what to ask
Romans 8:26 assumes Christians often do not know how to pray. That is offered as an ordinary condition, and the Spirit's help is the answer to it.
The Old Testament already expected this
Numbers 11:29 has Moses wishing all the Lord's people were prophets with his Spirit on them. Joel 2:28-29 promises exactly that, and Acts 2:16-18 says it began.
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Someone in Scripture faced this too
Scripture shows the Spirit at work in people rather than defining him in the abstract.
The disciples on the night Jesus left
What he or she went through
They were losing the teacher they had followed for three years and were told he was going away.
How God responded
Jesus promised another Counselor who would be with them forever and would remind them of everything he had said, John 14:26.
What we learn
The Spirit was given to a frightened group facing loss. His first described work was to keep Christ's words alive in them.
How it points to Christ
The Spirit's ministry is tied to Christ's words. John 16:7 says it was to their advantage that Jesus went away, because then the Counselor would come.
The church at Corinth, arguing about gifts
What he or she went through
They were comparing spiritual gifts and using them to rank one another.
How God responded
Paul repeats the same Spirit again and again, says gifts are given for the profit of all, and that the Spirit distributes as he .
What we learn
The Spirit's gifts are not trophies. Notice the wording in verse 11: he distributes as he , which is the language of a person with a will.
Believers being changed slowly
What he or she went through
Ordinary Christians in Galatia were being pulled back into rule keeping as the way to please God.
How God responded
Paul describes fruit instead: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control.
What we learn
Fruit grows quietly and takes time. The clearest evidence of the Spirit in Scripture is character shaped like Christ, not intensity of feeling.
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Christ and this question
The Spirit points away from himself
John 16:14 is the clearest statement of the Spirit's aim: he will glorify Christ, taking what is Christ's and declaring it. A ministry of the Spirit that leaves people fascinated with the Spirit has misread the passage.
He is also called the Spirit of Christ, Romans 8:9, and is given through Jesus, Titus 3:6. He was upon Jesus at his baptism, Luke 3:22, and Jesus went into and began his ministry in his power, Luke 4:1 and 4:14.
This shapes how a Christian seeks him. We do not chase experiences; we come to Christ, listen to his words, and ask the Father, who Luke 11:13 says gives the to those who ask him. The Spirit's work then shows up as Christlikeness, which is the goal all along, Romans 8:29.
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What to do with this
Read John 14 to 16 slowly, listing everything the Spirit does
Write the verbs down: teach, remind, guide, convict, glorify, declare. Let Jesus' own words form your picture before anything else does.
Test your sense of the Spirit's leading against Scripture
Ask two questions: does this honour Christ, and does it agree with what he taught. John 16:14 and 1 John 4:1-3 give you both tests.
Look for fruit rather than intensity
Take Galatians 5:22-23 and ask which one is growing and which is missing. That is a truer measure of the Spirit's work in you than how you felt on Sunday.
Ask the Father
Luke 11:13 tells us to ask, and Romans 8:26 says the Spirit helps when we do not know how to pray. Begin there rather than waiting to feel ready.
Stop grieving him in small ways
Ephesians 4:25-32 names the specifics: lying, bitterness, harsh speech, unforgiveness. in one of those areas is a real response to this study.
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Study the question further
Is the Holy Spirit a person or a power?
Scripture speaks of him as a person and treats him as God. He teaches, decides, intercedes, can be lied to and can be grieved, and Peter equates lying to him with lying to God.
Acts 5:3-4
Lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God.
1 Corinthians 12:11
He distributes gifts as he desires, which is the language of will.
Romans 8:26-27
He intercedes for believers, which is a personal act.
How to apply this today
- Do I speak and think of the Spirit as someone, or as something?
, you are not a force to be used. Teach me to know you as Scripture presents you.
How do I know if I have the Holy Spirit?
Scripture points to belonging to Christ, confessing him as Lord, and the slow growth of Christlike character, rather than to a particular experience.
What Scripture says plainly
Romans 8:9 says anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him, so every believer has him.
The evidence Scripture points to
Galatians 5:22-23 gives fruit, and Romans 8:15-16 speaks of the Spirit assuring us that we are God's children.
What is not the test
Scripture never makes one particular gift or feeling the proof. 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 asks rhetorically whether all have the same gifts, expecting the answer no.
How to apply this today
- Am I looking for assurance in the right place?
Father, assure me by your Spirit that I am yours, and grow the fruit that shows it.
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?
Ephesians 5:18 commands it in the present continuous, so it is ongoing rather than once for all, and the verses that follow describe what it looks like in ordinary life.
Ephesians 5:18-21
Filling shows itself in singing, thanksgiving and mutual submission.
Acts 4:8
Peter, already a believer, is filled again for a particular moment.
Acts 6:3
Men full of the Spirit and wisdom were chosen for practical service.
How to apply this today
- Would the people around me describe my life in the terms of Ephesians 5:19-21?
Lord, fill me again, and let it show in how I speak to the people nearest me.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Jesus speaks of it in Mark 3:22-30, where religious leaders watching his work by the Spirit called it the work of Satan. Christians hold different views on how it applies today, and the passage is a warning rather than a puzzle to solve.
The setting matters
Mark 3:30 gives the reason: they said he had an unclean spirit. The sin was a settled, knowing attribution of Christ's Spirit-empowered work to the devil.
Where interpreters differ
Some hold it was possible only in the presence of Christ's earthly ministry, others that it describes final hardened rejection. Both agree it is not a single despairing thought.
A pastoral observation from Scripture
Those who fear they have committed it are usually showing the opposite of hardness. Isaiah 55:7 and John 6:37 invite anyone who will come.
How to apply this today
- Am I reading this passage to know Christ, or to torment myself?
Lord Jesus, I come to you. You said you would not cast out anyone who comes.
Do the gifts of the Spirit still happen today?
Christians differ on this, and the difference is honest. Scripture states that the Spirit gives gifts as he ; it does not give a clear timetable for particular gifts ending.
What Scripture says clearly
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 lists gifts and says the Spirit distributes them as he wills; 1 Corinthians 14 orders their use so that everything is done decently and in order.
Where interpreters differ
Some read 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 as pointing to certain gifts ceasing; others read it as pointing to Christ's return. The text does not settle the question beyond dispute.
What both sides should agree on
Love governs everything, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, gifts exist for others, 12:7, and claims are tested by what they say about Christ, 1 John 4:1-3.
How to apply this today
- Do I hold my view of gifts with the love of 1 Corinthians 13?
Spirit of God, keep me humble where Scripture is less clear and obedient where it is plain.
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Reflection
- Which of the Spirit's works in John 14 to 16 had I never noticed before?
- Where am I looking for a feeling when Scripture points me to fruit?
- Is there a specific way I have been grieving him, in the terms of Ephesians 4:25-32?
- Do I ask the Father for the Spirit's help, or try to manage on my own?
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Prayer
Father, thank you for sending another Counselor who stays. I confess I have often thought of him as a feeling rather than as someone who teaches and helps.
Spirit of truth, remind me of Christ's words. Guide me into what is true, and convict me honestly where I am wrong.
Grow your fruit in me, slowly if it must be slow: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.
Help me pray when I do not know what to say. And in everything, glorify Jesus, since that is what you came to do. Amen.
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Further reading
John 14:15-31
The promise of another Counselor.
John 16:5-15
His work of convicting, guiding and glorifying Christ.
Acts 2:1-41
The promise fulfilled, explained from Joel and applied to Christ.
Romans 8:1-17
Life in the Spirit and assurance as God's children.
Galatians 5:16-26
Walking by the Spirit and the fruit he grows.
1 Corinthians 12
Gifts, unity and the body.
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Explore the passage
These are questions the text can actually answer. Take one, go back to the passage with it, and read until Scripture answers rather than until you have an explanation you like. Each question names where this study, or another passage, does the answering.
What this reveals about God
Start here, because every passage of Scripture is first about God before it is about us. Read for what He does, what He says, and what He is called.
What does these passages teach about God?
Underline every verb God is the subject of. What He does tells you who He is.
What does these passages reveal about God's character?
Look for the words the text itself uses of Him: holy, merciful, faithful, jealous, patient. Take the text's own vocabulary rather than your own.
What this reveals about us
Scripture is honest about people. Read for what it says of human need, human failure, and the kind of response it calls for.
What does these passages teach about humanity?
Watch what the people in the text want, fear, and trust. Scripture rarely flatters them.
What does these passages reveal about faith?
Faith in Scripture is always faith in someone, about something specific. Ask what exactly is being believed here, and on what word.
Where this arrives in Christ
Jesus said the Scriptures testify of Him. Follow the line the Bible itself draws rather than inventing one.
What does these passages reveal about Jesus Christ?
Look for what the New Testament does with this text. A connection Scripture makes is a connection you can stand on.
What does these passages reveal about salvation?
Ask who does the saving, who is saved, from what, and by what means. Let the text answer each part.
The world behind the words
The first readers knew things we have to learn. Recovering what they knew is study, not speculation.
How would the original audience have understood these passages?
Ask what they had already been told, what they were living through, and what this would have cost them to believe.
What historical or cultural background helps explain these passages?
Look at the work, the worship, the law and the customs the text assumes you already understand.
What do these words carry in the original: paraklētos, ruach?
Take the word to its root, its first appearance, and its range of use. Then let the context choose the meaning.
How this connects to the rest of Scripture
Scripture is its own best commentary. The clearest answers usually come from another passage rather than from a scholar.
Which Old and New Testament passages help explain these passages?
Prefer passages that quote or clearly echo this text. Those links are the Bible's own, not ours.
What biblical themes are developed in these passages, and where do they begin?
Trace one theme backwards to where Scripture first raises it, then forwards to where it lands.
What this asks of you
Application is the last step, never the first, and it must come out of the passage rather than out of general advice.
What does these passages teach believers to do today?
Say it as one sentence you could obey this week, and be able to point at the verse it came from.
Where faithful readers differ
Some questions here are genuinely open. Where Bible believing Christians read this differently, the readings are set out with the passages behind each one, and what Scripture states plainly is kept separate from what is interpretation.
Which parts of these passages does Scripture state plainly, and which parts are interpretation?
Write two lists. Anything you cannot put in the first list, hold loosely and say so when you teach it.
Questions Audela will not answer
Where Scripture does not answer a question, Audela says so plainly rather than filling the silence. An honest “the Bible does not tell us” is more faithful than a confident guess, and it keeps the reader’s trust in God’s Word rather than in our reasoning.
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.
- Ask instead: What does the passage say God did, and what does that reveal about His character?
- Ask instead: What has God told us about His purpose here, in this text or elsewhere in Scripture?
- Ask instead: What does Scripture say about how God acts, and where does it say it?
- Ask instead: What happened, and what does the rest of Scripture make of it?
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