John 14:15-21 The Greek word “paraclete” literally means “one who calls out for another” and could be translated as spokesman, mediator, intercessor, comforter, or a defense counselor. Here it is translated as “advocate”. For whom will the Holy Spirit be the advocate? In 1 John 2:1 Jesus is called the Advocate before the Father for any person who sins. There is not really a need for an advocate before the Father since the Father and Son are one and the Son expresses what is in the heart of the Father. The text from 1 John is more an extra assurance for Christians who forget that unity of Father and Son and tend to fall into some Old Testament concepts of an angry God.
The Holy Spirit is an Advocate in Jesus’ name for Christians, but before whom will the Holy Spirit defend us or present our case? Since there is no division within the three Persons of God, the Holy Spirit does not defend us before the Father. In verse 26 we are told that the Holy Spirit Advocate will teach and remind us of all that Jesus had done and spoken. Likewise, in John 15:26 Jesus says the Advocate testify to him. The Holy Spirit then is an Advocate for Christians as they face the “court” of the world in which they live. The Holy Spirit provides support and defense against the challenges Christians will face as they live the faith. Mark 13:11(also Matthew 10:19-20 and Luke 12:11-12) indicate that the Holy Spirit will speak for Christians and give them the words to say when they are brought before civil authorities for being followers of Christ. The Holy Spirit will not come merely for a visit but will remain forever, continuing to speak the truth of Jesus to us and through us. No moment would show so clearly the convergence of these two dynamics as the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost followed by their proclamation of Jesus to thousands of people in the streets of Jerusalem that same day.
Reading 1, Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 The emperor Augustus awarded the city of Samaria, ancient capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, to Herod the Great in 30 BC. Herod renamed the city Sebaste (the feminine form of the name Augustus in Greek) and rebuilt it into a beautiful Greek-style city with a new city wall, theater, acropolis and colonnaded main street. Luke uses the older name for the city which was also the name of the region between Galilee and Judea. When a persecution broke out in Jerusalem following the murder of Stephen, followers of the Way “scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). Acts 8:4-25 recounts the early ministry of the church in the Samaria region.
The Philip referred to here is probably the deacon, not the apostle by the same name. This seems to be borne out by the fact that the converts in Samaria had been baptized but had not yet received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 10-11the Church leaders debate the issue of whether or not Gentiles may be baptized. The fact that the conversion and baptism of the Samaritans takes place prior to that moment seems to indicate as different attitude or approach. The Samaritans considered themselves the true upholders of the Jewish religion which they believed to have been changed by the Jews returning from the Babylonian captivity. Both groups claimed to represent the true Jewish faith and so the leaders of each group forbade contact with the other. The point here is that Samaritans already practiced circumcision and followed what they believed to be the dictates of the Mosaic Law. This would explain the ease with which they were accepted for baptism as members of the church with no controversy.
Reading II, 1 Peter 3:15-18 As mentioned in a previous commentary, Peter was martyred in Rome between 64 and 67 A.D. The first letter attributed to him in the New Testament, likely written from Rome in the time leading up to Peter’s death, is addressed to Christians in regions he had evangelized and who were being affected to some extent by the same persecution under Nero who became emperor in 54 A.D. at the age of 17 and ruled until his death at the age of 31 in 68 A.D. Peter encourages Christians to be strong in the testimony of lives of love for one another and to maintain a positive hopeful attitude based on the promises of our faith. People should be drawn to ask Christians what motivates them to live in such a way. Then the verbal testimony can be shared with “gentleness and reverence”. During times of persecution, Christians will be able to give testimony by suffering unjust treatment without returning evil for evil. The truth will eventually come out and people of good heart will be drawn to faith in Jesus Christ through such testimony.
Leave a comment