God's Special Agent
The Holy Spirit is God Himself, a Person with whom you can enjoy a personal relationship.
He is not merely an impersonal force or power or essence within the universe, but He is rather a Person who can speak to you and to whom you can speak.
He is a Person who can guide you, who can help you, who can strengthen you, who can teach you the truth of God.
The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom God works today in the world, within the church and in individual believers.
The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom God works today in the world, within the church and in individual believers.
That is why we need to become well acquainted with the Holy Spirit, for He is the One whom the Lord has placed over the church to guide, direct, and empower its activities.
When Jesus told His disciples, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16), He was encouraging His men to prepare for a new way in which God would thereafter be relating to them.
When Jesus told His disciples, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16), He was encouraging His men to prepare for a new way in which God would thereafter be relating to them.
A new way, but not a totally foreign way.
In Greek, the word another in the phrase "another Comforter" is allos, which means "of the same kind or equal quality; another of the same order."
In Greek, the word another in the phrase "another Comforter" is allos, which means "of the same kind or equal quality; another of the same order."
A second Greek word, heteros, can also be translated "another," but it means "of a different quality."
For example, suppose you were going to rent a car from Hertz.
When you approach the counter, they say, "We're sorry, sir. You reserved a little compact Geo, but we happen to be out of that model right now. We can give you another car, a Lincoln Town Car, for the same price. Would that be acceptable?"
That another in Greek would be the term heteros.
When you approach the counter, they say, "We're sorry, sir. You reserved a little compact Geo, but we happen to be out of that model right now. We can give you another car, a Lincoln Town Car, for the same price. Would that be acceptable?"
That another in Greek would be the term heteros.
It isn't the same or of the same quality.
On the other hand, suppose you had reserved the Town Car and they said, "I'm sorry, we can't give you the Town Car, but we'll give you a Cadillac instead."
That would be another vehicle of more or less the same quality as the one you reserved (allos).
So when Jesus says the Holy Spirit is of the same quality as Himself, He means the Spirit possesses the same essential qualities that He Himself does, especially those of divinity and personality.
So when Jesus says the Holy Spirit is of the same quality as Himself, He means the Spirit possesses the same essential qualities that He Himself does, especially those of divinity and personality.
In essence He tells His men, "I have been with you, but now I am going away. But I will not leave you alone. I will ask the Father to give you another Comforter - allos, of the same quality, the same kind, as Myself.
Just as I was with you and took care of every situation for you, so now the Holy Spirit will be with you and will take care of every situation for you."
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