Parakletos, My Helper
He is God in our hearts, living every day with us, walking alongside us through every circumstance and situation we face.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. (John 14:16)
So far, the names of God that we’ve discussed have had a similar sound. That’s because they’ve all been from the same (or similar) languages. Hebrew. Aramaic. Arabic. Today we’re going to look at a name of God that comes from a different language, Greek.
Parakletos. This Greek word means Helper, among other things depending on context. That’s one of the extraordinary elements of Bible history: How God arranged for the Greek language to be used for the New Testament.
The variation of Greek used in writing the New Testament, koine Greek, has some of the most beautiful words in it. These words don’t translate easily to languages like English. Sometimes we need an entire paragraph to express what one Greek word is trying to communicate.
Parakletos is a great example of this. And, mind you, I’m not an expert in Greek language. But from what I understand, at its very base definition, Parakletos means Helper. It’s someone who assists you, who comes alongside you and helps you accomplish things.
But it doesn’t just mean helper. It means Advocate—someone who stands up and defends you in court. It means Comforter—someone who wraps you up in a warm embrace and helps you remember it will be okay.
Parakletos encapsulates many definitions, but all of them are part of who God is. But specifically, this name of God refers to the Holy Spirit.
Most of the Names of God we have are directly speaking of God the Father. Some of them are specifically for Jesus. But this one, Parakletos, is specifically the Holy Spirit.
And we aren’t going to get into the weeds of pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit), but it’s important to understand the role He plays in the Godhead. The Holy Spirit connects us to God. He is the One who comes to live within us when we trust Jesus for our salvation. He is the One who makes us spiritually alive after we had been spiritually dead.
He is our Helper, our Advocate, our Comforter. He is God in our hearts, living every day with us, walking alongside us through every circumstance and situation we face. He shows us how to believe. He teaches us how to live. He reveals God’s Truth to us in everyday objects and through the Bible.
The Holy Spirit, Our Helper, travels with us on the journey of life and offers us help when we need it. All of us need help at some point. When was the last time you asked for it?
Questions for Reflection
What are your feelings about the Holy Spirit? (He’s the member of the Trinity people often know the least about.)
How have you seen evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life?
How would you live differently if you really believed that the Holy Spirit (God Himself) was with you at every point in your life?
Weekly Memory Verse
