In His farewell discourse, Jesus gives His disciples some challenges, but happily for them and for us; He also provides many promises-promises of help, comfort and hope. Even His challenges are connected to these promises. His followers will not need to bear fruit or endure persecution by their own power, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. These promises are as true for us as they were for the apostles. .
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, inferred from Scripture in totality, tells us the Spirit is a Person with all the characteristics of a Person. He is one of the Trinity, equal in attributes to Father and Son. He is Holy as they are Holy. He is the member of the Trinity who makes His home in our hearts and souls. Reformed evangelical Christians generally believe that we receive the Spirit upon receiving Jesus and that no second baptism of the Holy Spirit is required. The Spirit's works include the inspiration of Scripture, illumination in the lives of believers, empowering of believers and giving of gifts and fruit. These are great promises for those living without the presence of Jesus here on earth. .
The Spirit is ready and willing to give when we ask. In 14:16 Jesus uses an unusual term for the Holy Spirit: Paraclete. The word is unique to John and there is no exact English word which translates it. Interestingly, John also refers to Jesus with this term in 2:1. The term comes from a verbal root describing "someone called alongside". In secular Greek it often referred to a court advocate in the sense of a legal counselor (rather than an actual attorney). Therefore in some Bible versions the term is translated "Advocate", Sine translators choose to simply use the term Paraclete. The Holy Spirit isn't just the Paraclete; He is another Paraclete since Jesus was described also as our Paraclete. Equality to Jesus is implied in Jesus' promise to send another Paraclete. This means for us that when we receive Jesus we receive the Spirit.
