The Uncomfortable Man of Faith
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16 NASB
Another Helper– Shall we make an attempt to understand this verse in the context of orthodox Galilean Jewish living in the first century? Or shall we just accept the usual Christian doctrinal rendition? Is this really about the Holy Spirit, a third person in the Godhead, or is Yeshua speaking about something quite foreign to our Western reading of the text?
Let’s start by recognizing that all the capital letters are the result of theological choices. They simply are not in the text. We might also note that allon (“another”) paráklēton is a bit ambiguous. Does it mean “another one besides me,” or “one of many others”? The answer depends on your meta-exegesis, that is, the assumption you bring to the text from other sources.
We aren’t going to solve these problems today. They are embedded in paradigm issues and paradigms are particularly difficult to unpack for the simple reason that they inform the believer about what counts as evidence and what doesn’t. What I want to point out by choosing this controversial verse is what Zornberg notes in her book on Numbers:
“a certain level of mental pain . . . is essential for development of the personality.”[1]
“Since ‘at the passionate level . . . pleasure and pain are inextricably bound together,’ one has to develop the ability to tolerate the conflict.”[2]
“When a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubt, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.”[3]
In recent lectures I encountered a man who only wanted to talk about “The Truth.” He was convinced that his perspective was The Truth, and since the objective of life was to find The Truth, there was little room for discussion and no room for alternative views of the world. The Truth is exclusive, that is, it allows no competitive views. And, above all, it removes all discomfort in the struggle to understand. The Truth generates no internal mental conflict since everything else is wrong. If I have The Truth, all uncertainties, mysteries, and doubt are erased. I don’t need to worry about irritable facts because all irritable “facts” are really fiction. The Truth guarantees certainty. And since life is in short supply of certainty, once I have found it I am probably not willing to entertain any other point of view. As my friend in South Africa is wont to say, “I’m comfortable with what I believe.”
So how you answer questions that can be raised about John’s verse concerning paráklētos will probably not be determined by the text. Your answers will be determined by prior commitments to what you believe to be The Truth, and if having The Truth means you don’t need to look any further, then dialogue is over and dogma wins.
It is my observation that those who experience “a certain level of mental pain” and are willing to live with uncertainties, mysteries, and doubt are closer to the Hebraic idea of the world expressed in the Bible. But, of course, that’s part of my paradigm.
Topical Index: uncomfortable, Truth, paráklētos, John 14:16
[1]Donald Meltzer, The Apprehension of Beauty (Clunie Press, 1988), p. 20 citing Melanie Klein, “Weaning” in On Bringing Up Children, ed. John Rickman (Robert Brunner, 1952).
[2]Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers, p. 78, citing W. R. Bion.
“But I desire truth in your inmost being.” Psalm 51:6. This has been God’s measuring stick with me, this verse. It’s like Abraham being told to “go to the land I will show you.” We’re not in control of it. We have to let it unfold, And, God is the only One who knows what’s really in my heart. Even I am blind to it. He’s the one who brings it out into the light so I have to deal with it.
I think we would have so many fewer arguments with others if we just let God reveal truth to us about what’s in our hearts. He’s the “light to our path.” Which it does feel like being on a dark path at times. Thanks for letting me process out loud.
This TW reminds me of myself nearly 8 years ago. I decided to learn the Truth about God and if I couldn’t I would consider dumping Him. I wandered and wondered for about a year. I found that there is no absolute truth, just a truth “that I can be comfortable with what I believe.” I did this finally by serendipitously meeting Skip with his recommendation to read his blog which I do daily and I am comfortable. Most of the time anyway but on occasion very uncomfortably.
Thanks Skip.
Philosopher Bertrand Russell said, “One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.” While I wouldn’t go so far as labeling Christians who are confident in their beliefs and certain in their faith “stupid” (see Matthew 5:22) it is evident that some believers can be bound by the very faith they profess sets them free. On the other hand I have the sense that some “intellectuals” are too readily scornful of those who display any confidence in their beliefs or are certain in the object of their faith. It is as if doubt and indecision are virtues to be pursued and truth is either a villain or a fools errand. If they ever accidentally discovered YHWH they would be both unemployed and out of sorts. What I admire about Skip is that he walks that razors edge between the frigidity of intellectuals and the rigidity of fundamentalists in his search of He who is Truth. Thanks Skip for being long suffering as well; there once was a time when I would have been offended by this TW, but that was when I was stupid and a fundamentalist.
Michael, I mirror your sentiments and appreciate your feedback. You certainly have a way with words, which is both humorously truthful and truthfully humorous.
Daniel, Your writing is swell, as well. I’ll take your compliments with at least a grain of that salt you mentioned in your subsequent post ( in my inverse universe that does not mean skeptically, but to both savor it more and retain it longer). Thank you.
MICHAEL STANLEY I found a real big Belly laugh at your end comment !! I think many of us are in the same boat… looking back into the future with certainty of what YA has done ✅ and not quite sure about where what whom when and how it will happen. Yes it is painful especially for those close to us perhaps our spouses. When it hurts bad and darkness comes in like a flood I eventually go vertical and then horizontal to TW some times TW first. Blessings (happy road) to ya all. Shalom
Ps me too stupid (arrogant) stubborn and stiff necked T W has softened me ?
Thank you Michael. Excellent.
No doubt paraklētos is ambiguous, hard to define, illustrated by the variety among English versions. But that its/his identity is the entity “the Holy Spirit” (capitalized or not) is made evident in John 14:26 (and related passages):
ho de paraklētos, to pneuma to hagion, ho pempsei ho patēr en tō̧ onomati mou
But the paraklētos, the Holy Spirit, which/whom will be sent by the Father in my name
Paraklētos and “Holy Spirit” are nominative singulars, and the only way to interpret this is that the two are in apposition, i.e., they are one and the same. There are a few text critical issues here, and resolving them forms part of the solution. Yet the diligent student, when comparing with other related texts, will find this is the best rendering. Whether one is persuaded that this entity is part of the Trinity (I am, of course) may depend on assumptions brought to the table.
I should add that the writer of John’s first epistle identifies Jesus as a paraklētos, as well (1 John 2:1). Moreover, that the one identified in John 14:15-16:16 is to replace Yeshua once He is gone is made evident in John 16:7. So, the entity described as “another paraklētos” in John 14:16 is meant to replace Jesus.
Thanks Skip- This makes me more “ comfortable “ in my uncertainty. Lately I find myself more and more with Ezekiel who when asked “ can these bones live” answered “ You know Lord” . I find rest in that
Spot on Skip!
Since the Scriptures quote Yeshua as referring to
the Holy Spirit on several occasions, one must wonder
what His paradigm was?
Skip does a masterful job of laying out a textual tablecloth and contextual place settings, while throwing his readers a few crumbs of future anticipation for a big exegetical meal. Of course, there are always those guests who simply cannot help drool all over themselves, whet their theological appetite, and begin sprinkling Christian salt on the plate before the steak is brought out. Regardless, I’m getting hungry!
Thank you Skip!
Thanks to all of you especially you Skip I’m still laughing at the way people express themselves I know this wasn’t probably meant to be humorous but I take a certain comfort in my uncertainty my life verse one of many …beginning some 39 years ago of this journey
was pointed out to me by a Close friend “not many wise not many noble brethren but God has chosen the foolish things of the world …” I don’t know that I do much confounding of the wise but I certainly fall into that camp of the foolish: I love you all!!!
So it is also interesting that the word ‘comforter’ (Menachem in Hebrew) and the word ‘another’ might have made the original audience remember someone that the casual English reader (even in search of Truth) would be missing. There was a person called Menachem the Essene, who held an advisory position in the court of Herod and whose followers believed was the Messiah. His secret mission of revolt failed and ultimately shown NOT to be the expected Messiah. But, as above, the original audience would have known that TRUTH, even though the modern reader might not, and who might reject it because it is not already known. Those little tidbits of history can change what we think we know as The Truth. As you have taught your students, Skip, we always have to be open to the idea that we don’t know everything, and that one little piece can change the world for us. The key is not to think that you know everything and be open to the revelation that God will progressively reveal. Thanks for what you do for all of us.
c
What’s even more interesting is that a man with the same name also claimed to be in the Messiah in the first century and opposed Roman rule. He was dispatched, of course.
Wow, wow and wow ! This is exactly what I am moving out of, having to have certainties and sureties ! The body of Christ that I have been involved in( past tense) promote this whole teaching of certainties and they don’t want to deal with anything that causes them any kind of stress. We wouldn’t want to have to think for ourselves would we?! Having the truth and being exclusive. How do you ever grow ?! I am considered a radical !
This is so good Skip, thank you so much !
Yep…I’m gradually becoming more comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty. But I know in whom l have believed and trust Him because I am fully persuaded that he is able to guard and keep what I have entrusted to Him—His finished work and my completion…until that day.