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Joh_14:16-17. The καί is in both instances consecutive. On the concession of thoughts, see Joh_14:21.
ἐγώ ] Emphatically introducing, after what He had required of the disciples, what He on His part will do as the Mediator of the divine love. The ἐρωτήσω does not conflict with Joh_16:26-27, where there is a different relation of time. ἐρωτᾶν is in John the standing word in the mouth of Jesus, when He addresses the Father in prayer, Joh_16:26, Joh_17:9; Joh_17:15; Joh_17:20. But there is no difference of meaning from αἰτεῖν , see 1Jn_5:16.
ἄλλον παράκλητον ] another Advocate (instead of myself), another, who will as counsellor assist you. The word is found in the N. T. only in John, namely, also in Joh_14:26, Joh_16:7, 1Jn_2:1, and the signification given holds good in Dem. 343. 10, Diog. Laert. iv. 50, Dion. Hal. xi. 37, and passages from Philo in Loesner, p. 496 f., both in the proper judicial sense (Advocate), and also in general as here (so also Philo, de opif. m. p. 4 E, and Letter of the Church of Vienne in Eusebius, v. 2). With this agrees also the Talmudic ôÌÀøÇ÷ÀìÄéè . See Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. p. 1843, and generally Wetstein in loc.; Düsterdieck on 1Jn_2:1, p. 147 ff. Rightly, after Tertullian and Augustine, Melanchthon, Calvin, Beza, Grotius, Wolf, Lampe, and several others, have most of the moderns so interpreted it (see especially Knapp, I. p. 115 ff.). See also Hahn, Theol. d. N. T. I. p. 225. The equally ancient explanation: Comforter (Origen, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, Jerome, Erasmus, Castalio, Luther, Maldonatus, Jansen, Lightfoot, and several others, including van Hengel, Annott. p. 40 ff.), rests on a confusion with παρακλήτωρ (LXX. Job_16:2) in Aquila and Theodotion, Job_16:2, which, on account of the passive form, is on that ground contrary to usage.[148] Equally incorrect is the rendering Teacher in Theodore of Mopsuestia, Ernesti, Opusc. p. 215, Luthardt, Hofmann, Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 17.
Observe on ἄλλον , that in 1Jn_2:1 Christ Himself might also be designated as παράκλητος , without implying any difference of doctrine (Baur, Schwegler, Hilgenfeld). Nonnus aptly says: ΧΡΙΣΤῷ ΣΎΓΓΟΝΟΝ ἌΛΛΟΝ .
ἽΝΑ ᾞ ΜΕΘʼ ὙΜ . ΕἸς Τ . ΑἸῶΝΑ ] in order that He may; not as I now, again be taken from you, but be with you (i.e. may stand at your side protecting, helping, strengthening you against all hostile powers; comp. Mat_28:20) for ever. Comp. 2Jn_1:2. In the Paraclete, however, Christ Himself is present with His own (Mat_28:20); for in the mission of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ (Rom_8:9; Gal_4:6), the self-communication of the exalted Christ takes place (Rom_8:10; Gal_2:20), without, however, the Paraclete ceasing to be an ἄλλος , a different—although dependent on the Son—subject than He;[149] the obscure idea that the Paraclete is “the Christ transfigured to Spirit” (Tholuck) is un-Johannean and unbiblical generally. Comp. on 2Co_3:17. See also, against the mingling together of the idea of the Logos with that of the Spirit, in Reuss; Godet, II. p. 480.
τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ] the Spirit of Truth, i.e. the Holy Spirit, who is Possessor, Bearer, and Administrator of the divine ἀλήθεια . He is the divine principle of revelation, by whose activity in human hearts the redemptive truth given by God in Christ, i.e. the truth κατʼ ἐξοχήν , is transformed into knowledge, made to be vitally appropriated, and brought to powerful moral expression. Nonnus: ἈΤΡΕΚΊΗς ὈΧΕΤΗΓΌΝ . Comp. Joh_15:26, Joh_16:13. The opposite: ΤῸ ΠΝΕῦΜΑ Τῆς ΠΛΆΝΗς , 1Jn_4:6.
Ὁ ΚΌΣΜΟς ] The unbelieving, as opposed to Christ and His work. These are unsusceptible to the Spirit, because the capacity of inward vision (of experimental perception) of the Spirit is wanting to them, and He is to them something unknown and strange, so that they have thus no subjective point of attachment at all for the reception of the Spirit. Comp. 1Co_2:14.
ὑμεῖς δὲ , κ . τ . λ .] The presents ΓΙΝΏΣΚΕΤΕ and ΜΈΝΕΙ (not manebit, as the Vulgate has, and as Ewald also proposes μενεῖ ) are as little to be taken as future as the presents in the first clause of the verse. They denote the characteristic relation of the disciples to the Spirit without reference to any definite time. They are absolute presents: but you know Him, since He has Sis abiding amongst you (not far from you, but in your midst, in the Christian community), and (the discourse now first enters the point of view of definite time) will be in you (in your own hearts). This being the specific character of His relationship to you, how should He be an unknown something to you? Let the gradation be observed: παρʼ ὑμῖν … ἐν ὑμῖν . On the latter, Nonnus: ὉΜΌΣΤΟΛΟΝ ἜΣΤΑΙ ὙΜῖΝ , ΠΆΝΤΑς ἜΧΟΝ ΝΟΕΡῸΝ ΔΌΜΟΝ .
Note, generally, the Trinitarian relation here and Joh_14:26, and particularly (against B. Crusius and Tholuck) the definitely expressed personality of the Paraclete. See Köstlin, p. 109; Hofmann, I. p. 192 f.; Melanchthon, in loc. But in passages, again, like Joh_1:33, Joh_20:22, the presupposition of the personality, whose life and powers are communicated, is by no means excluded.
[148] Certainly it is obvious that the interpreter could not be responsible for this confusion which is opposed to the language; but for this he is responsible, that he should not thrust it upon John, if another use of the word, grammatically correct, is undoubtedly before us. This in answer to Hofmann’s too readily adopted observation in his Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 16.—Luther has correctly explained the word itself by advocate, but inconsistently translated it Comforter. The Vulgate has paracletum, the Codd. of It. in some cases the same, in others advocatum. Goth. has paraklêtu.—Were the word not Advocatus, but the active form, it must have been, not παράκλητος , but παρακλητικός (Plato, Rep. p. 524 D). Comp. ἑπικλητικός , ἀνακλητικός , and others.—The usual designation of counsel in the Greek writers is, moreover, σύνδικος or συνήγορος . On παράκλητος , comp. Hermann, Staatsalterth. § 142. 16.
[149] Comp. Wörner, d. Verhältn. d. Geistes zum Sohne, p. 93.