Hermann Cremer's Biblico-theological Lexicon, Pt 3

Parakletos - he who has been or may be called to help, a pleader, proxy, or advocate

Another sample from Cremer's Lexicon, this time from a word that does not occur in the LXX. He interprets the word παράκλητος (parakletos) in a unique way as "a proxy, or advocate, one who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another." To support this interpretation, he cites Diogenes Laertius, The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (3rd century AD): 

To a chattering fellow who was soliciting [the philosopher Bion] for aid, he said, "I will do what is sufficient for you, if you will send deputies to me, and forbear to come yourself [ἐὰν παρακλήτους πέμψῃς καὶ αὐτὸς μὴ ἔλθῃς]" (iv.50) (Yonge translation - scroll down to section III, second paragraph, second sentence).

Cremer then takes this meaning "deputies" or "proxies" who speak on behalf of another as the basic meaning, and then proceeds to apply it to the five NT passages (once of Christ in 1 John 2:1 and four times of the Spirit in the Gospel of John).

1 John 2:1 says: "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (ESV). Cremer comments: "Thus Christ, in 1 John ii.1, is termed our substitutionary, intercessory advocate." Christ is our deputy or proxy or substitute who pleads "with the Father" [πρὸς τὸν πατέρα] on our behalf. This is supported by the next verse, which says that Christ is the propitiation for our sins (cited by Cremer).

So far, Cremer's interpretation produces a traditional result. However, when he moves to the four instances in the Gospel of John, he comes up with something novel. Traditionally these are translated as "Comforter" or "Helper." But Cremer takes his "proxy" interpretation and consistently applies it here, although the Spirit is not speaking on our behalf but Christ's. He writes:

Now, when Christ designates the Holy Spirit as Paraclete, John xiv.16, ἄλλος παράκλ., we might suppose that He is this in the same sense as Christ, 1 John ii.1. But a closer comparison of the two passages shows how little real resemblance there is; and if we compare John xiv.26, "he will ... bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you," xv.26, "he will bear witness about me," xvi.7, 14, "he will glorify me," etc., it will be clear that the Holy Spirit is called παράκλητος because He undertakes Christ's office to be a παράκλητος, or becomes Christ's substitute in this:  it will be evident ... that the Spirit, as the representative of Christ's office, is above all the representative of His person and cause.

Don't you like that? "The Spirit ... is above all the representative of His person and cause." Theologically, this fits well with the fact that elsewhere the Spirit is called "the Spirit of Christ" (Rom 8:9; Phil 1:19; 1 Pet 1:11; cp. Acts 2:33; 16:7; Gal 4:6). Or, as J. I. Packer said somewhere, the Holy Spirit's ministry is a spotlight ministry. Just as a spotlight illumines a beautiful building at night, so the Spirit's role is to point us to Christ.

Comments

[Baus]

Yes, I think I first heard about the "representative" view of paraclete as the 'normal' Greek translation from Ridderbos. I think that reading of the Spirit as Jesus' representative is excellent.

Sort of relates to the notion of "apostle" as not only "someone sent" but also as "someone having power-of-attorney," right?

[Lee Irons]

Exactly. I think you are referring to the Rabbinic concept of the "shaliach." Believe it or not, the word "parqlit" also occurs as a Greek loanword in Rabbinic literature with a similar meaning (Cremer mentions this briefly).