The Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God. Without it, you cannot have true comfort. Allow the Spirit to care for you!

The Comforter is the Holy Spirit; Your Helper Forever

STM Bible Lesson

Lesson focus: John 14:16. Bible lesson background John 14:15-18: Bible Exposition Commentary – Our English word comfort comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength.” We usually think of “comfort” as soothing someone or consoling him or her, and to some extent, this is true. But true comfort strengthens us to face life bravely and keep on going. It does not rob us of responsibility or make it easy for us to give up. Some translations call the Holy Spirit “the Encourager,” and this is a good choice of words. Parakletos is translated “Advocate” in 1 John 2:1. An “advocate” is one who represents you at court and stands at your side to plead your case.

Your Helper Forever

Jesus promised another Helper that will be with us forever. That Helper (Comforter) is the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 [read John 14:15-18 (16)]

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (Comforter; the Holy Spirit) to be with you forever. (ERV)

KJV: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter^G3875, that he may abide with you for ever;

Parakletos – Comforter

Comforter – G3875 παράκλητος parakletos (par-ak’-lay-tos) n. 1. (properly) one called near (to give help) 2. an intercessor (one who entreats of behalf of another) 3. a comforter. 4. [specific to John 14:16 per Thayer’s Greek Lexicon] a helper, succorer, aider, assistant.

Parakletos – summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid. In the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, or assistant.
1. Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom—Greek lexicon based on Thayer’s and Smith’s Bible Dictionary plus others.

Think about this

Would you want to live in a world where The Comforter (the Holy Spirit) does not exist? Was there a time in your life when you did not allow the Holy Spirit to help you? Some people use drugs, alcohol, and other things to give them what The Comforter does.

Do you have true comfort or joy? Is your life a wreck? Only God’s Spirit can give us what we need when we need it. Those who hurt others need The Comforter as well. Now is the time to put your faith in the Holy Spirit—your Comforter and find true comfort.

Key Points:

1. The Father’s comfort is always with us

Like a good parent, the Father’s comfort is always with us, forever, it does not come and go. Rest in the care that the Spirit gives.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 [read 2 Thessalonians 2: (16-17)]

Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loved us. By his grace, God gave us comfort that will last forever. The hope he gave us is good. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father 17 comfort your hearts. May they make you strong in every good thing you do and say. (NIRV)

KJV: Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation^G3784 and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

^G3784 Consolation, παράκλησις paraklesis (par-ak’-lay-sis) n. 1. an imploration (begging, a call to a person or an authority for help, proof, or a decision), entreaty (urgent request (for mercy or help)) 2. an exhortation (urgent counsel, encouragement, or caution) 3. a comfort, solace, consolation. 4. That which affords comfort or refreshment a) thus of the Messianic salvation (so the Rabbis call the Messiah the consoler, the comforter).

2. Christ is the Holy Spirit

Everett’s Study Notes: Jesus promises to come back to His disciples after His resurrection and to be with them. He will do this in the form and presence of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17-18 [read John 14:15-18 (17-18)]

He is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot receive Him. It does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He lives with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you without help as children without parents. I will come to you. (NLV)

KJV: 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.

G2064 ἔρχομαι erchomai (er’-cho-mai) v. [specific to John 14:18 per Thayer’s Greek Lexicon] of Christ’s invisible return from heaven, i. e. of the power which through the Holy Spirit he will exert in the souls of his disciples.

Alford Commentary: This makes ἔρχομαι, I am coming (I will come), plain, as applying to the coming by the Spirit, who is one with Christ;—not only the ultimate personal coming, which is but the last step of the ἔρχομαι, nor only the bodily coming again to them and not to the world at the Resurrection, which was but a pledge of His lasting presence in the Spirit: see on John 14:3.

3. Spirit of God and of Christ in you

We must accept the fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the same, just God doing what we need to be reunited with Him!

Romans 8:9-11 [read Romans 8:1-11 (9-11)]

But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, then he does not belong to Christ. 10 Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made you right with God. 11 God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit is living in you, then he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is the One who raised Christ from death. And he will give life through his Spirit that lives in you. (ICB)

KJV: 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.

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More Than Comfort

The Holy Spirit does more than give God’s children comfort. We must read and study the Scriptures to know the other ways the Spirit helps us. The following are examples of what the Spirit does for us:

Galatians 5:22-23 [read Galatians 5:16-26 (22-23)]

God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. (CEV)

KJV: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1. Spirit of truth teaches

The Holy Spirit teaches! So, let the Spirit of truth—the Holy Spirit teach you.

1 John 2:27 [read 1 John 2:24-27 (27)]

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he teaches you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar; and so, just as he has said, you must live in Christ, never to depart from him. (TLB)

KJV: But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

2. A source of strength and power

Acts 1:8 [read Acts 1:4-8 (8)]

But you will be given power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest places on earth. (FBV)

KJV: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Dunamis – power

G1411 δύναμις dunamis (d̮ï ’-na-mis) n. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: strength, ability, power; power of the Holy Spirit. Strong’s Concordance: (miraculous) power, might, strength.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary – comforter/comfort

Comforter defined: One who administers comfort or consolation; one who strengthens and supports the mind in distress or danger.
Comfort defined: To strengthen the mind when depressed or enfeebled; to console; to give new vigor to the spirits; to cheer, or relieve from depression, or trouble.

YourDictionary’s thesaurus ♦||♦ WordHippo – comforter

Synonyms: cheerer, consoler, pacifier, and sympathizer. ♦||♦ Holy Spirit, intercessor, paraclete, presence of God, spirit, spirit of Truth, spirit of God, and aider.

Physical or mental weakness (limitations)

2 Corinthians 12:9 [read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (9)]

But he told me, “My grace is all you need, because my power is made perfect in (your physical or mental) weakness (limitations).” So I will gladly brag all the more about how weak I am, so that Christ’s power can rest on me. (RAD)

KJV: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

3. The Spirit reveals

Do you want to know what God has for you? Look to your Comforter for the answers. The Spirit reveals what God has in store for you!

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 [read 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (10-12)]

God has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us. 11 Who can know the things about a man, except a man’s own spirit that is in him? It is the same with God. Who can understand Him except the Holy Spirit?
12 We have not received the spirit of the world. God has given us His Holy Spirit that we may know about the things given to us by Him. (NLV)

KJV: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

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The Comforter is the Holy Spirit

According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1901), The Comforter is “the name given by Christ to the Holy Spirit. The original word is Paraclete, and means first Advocate, a defender, helper, strengthener, as well as comforter.”

John 14:26 [read John 14:25-31 (26)]

and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I said to you. (YLT)

KJV: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jesus (the Son) our helper (comforter)

1 John 2:1 [read 1 John 2:1-2 (1)]

My dear children [little children; a term of endearment], I write this letter [these things] to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a helper [counselor; advocate; Romans 8:34] in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, the One who does what is right [or the Righteous One]. (EXB)

KJV: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The Holy Spirit helps us

Romans 8:26 [read Romans 8:18-30 (26)]

And in the same way, the Holy Spirit helps [us in] our weakness; for we do not know what we ought to pray for [how to pray]. But the Holy Spirit goes to God on our behalf with groanings [in our hearts] that are not expressed [in words]. (AUV)

KJV: 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.

The Comforter calms, lifts you up, and gives support. He is there in times of sorrow and hardship. Put your faith in The Comforter to remove worry and fear. That is just some of what our Comforter—the Holy Spirit—will do. Will you let The Comforter comfort you? ‘Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you‘ [excerpt from 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NWB)].

Thank you for taking the time to read this Bible lesson. I urge you to make full use of it. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺

Related studies, lessons, and snacks for further spiritual growth:

Fruit of the Spirit; Helpful Qualities Just For You! – an estimated 19-minute read.

Respect God; It is Absolutely Good Advice For Life – an estimated 13-minute read.

Born Again By The Holy Spirit; Your Spiritual Birth – an estimated 34-minute read.

You’re Never Alone; Holy Spirit Is Always With You – an estimated 5-minute read.

Do Not Give Up, God’s Spirit Is Now Within! – an estimated 16-minute read.

See the latest on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

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