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Jesus said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
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This is the Gospel selection for Pentecost Sunday, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. Before this is read aloud by a priest, the First Lesson will either be from the mandatory Acts 2 reading, which says: “Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them.” That reading will be read either as the First Lesson or the New Testament. Ezekiel 37 will be the First Lesson if Acts replaces Romans 8. The Ezekiel reading states, “So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” If the Acts 2 reading replaces the Ezekiel reading, then the New Testament selection will be Romans 8, where Paul wrote, “God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Regardless, a selection from Psalm 104 will be read, which sings, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will praise my God while I have my being.”
I wrote about this reading in 2018. As the selected verses read aloud are still the same, that 2018 interpretation is still valid today. In it I address the Greek text, so it is a deep commentary that needs careful examination. I welcome those seeking to know Scripture deeper to find that article here: The spirit of truth brings sainthood.
As it is with all divine Scripture, especially a selection as long as this one [19 verses], so much can be found that was not seen before. I will now view this reading from a position that relates to my recent insight that the Easter season is when one should already know that he or she has married its soul to Yahweh, with Jesus’ soul risen within one’s being. That is the lesson of Easter Sunday. Knowing that presence is how one becomes a witness to that resurrection, as laying physical eyesight on Jesus out of the tomb was impossible then and is still impossible today. Easter is Jesus' soul rising within one’s own flesh, so one knows Jesus personally and can thereby testify to that presence. Because Pentecost is the final Sunday symbolizing receipt of this Spirit and the subsequent preparation for ministry that is required, one must learn to be comfortable as Jesus reborn, I will now view this reading from that specific perspective.
Leading up to the two verses from John 15, Jesus spoke of the hatred saints in his name would face in the world. He explained this hatred would be because of him – they will have become him – so the world will always love to hate Jesus. That hatred will be because the world is the only place where sin can exist; and, Yahweh sent Jesus to lead souls away from that prison, where Satan is the jailer. Satan hates Yahweh and His Son, because Satan is nothing without souls enslaved; and, Yahweh sent Jesus to free the slaves. Therefore, out of hatred, Satan will persecute all who attempt to escape by sacrificing their souls to Yahweh in marriage, so Jesus can be risen in each one. In Satan’s effort to destroy Jesus and Yahweh, those human forms receiving the Spirit and made Holy will likewise be persecuted by the world that Satan lords over.
The only time a universal catholic Christian will hear those words of warning is October 28th each year, attending church on the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude. Still, the warning to be prepared to face persecution in the name of Jesus, reborn as the Christ, exists; and, this is why Jesus told his drunken disciples about a “Helper” that will come. The reason a soul needs a “Paraklētos” [“(a) an advocate, intercessor, (b) a consoler, comforter, helper, (c) Paraclete.” – Strong’s Usage] is it is impossible for a soul alone to handle the hatred of the world. A soul alone will bend to the will of Satan [his lures, whispers, suggestions, and punishments] and sin.
Not as good as Jesus; but this model will help more Christians to stand and walk than will fake speaking in tongues.
Where the NRSV translates: “the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf,” one must realized that Jesus routinely said, “Verily” of “Truthfully I say.” That was because Jesus was possessed by the “Spirit” [“Pneuma”] that brought to him the “truth” [“alétheia”]. Jesus was not the source of this “truth,” as it came from the “Father” [“Patros”]. Those disciples “who come from the Father” will become Apostles [Saints, those Sacred, those Set apart by God]. They will then also speak the “truth,” as “witnesses” [“martyrēsei”] being Jesus reborn. Therefore, Jesus had the same “Helper” that will be forever sent by Yahweh to His wives – the “Spirit” that leads them to always speak the “truth.”
When Jesus then prophesied to his drunken disciples, “You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning,” that actually says, “you then bear witness” [“martyreite”], “because you then beginning” anew. At that point in time, “with me you are” [“met’ emou este”]. In that, “este” is a statement of “being” or “existence, when one is “with” [“meta” – “implying "change afterward" (i.e. what results after the activity)] the “existence” or “being” of Jesus. When “existence” is realized to be a soul – the animator of lifeless flesh – the meaning of “with” must be understood as the divine possession of two souls in one body of flesh. Jesus is not external to one’s “being,” as one’s “being” has joined with the “being” of Jesus.
This does not make Jesus the “Advocate.” The “Advocate” is the “Spirit.” When the risen Jesus [his soul] appeared at the place where his family, followers and disciples hid in fear of the world [feeling the world’s hatred of them, for having followed Jesus] that soul spoke in unuttered speech, which John described as: “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive Spirit Holy” [“Labete Pneuma Hagion”]. (John 20:22)
There, the capitalization of three words shows the divine elevation to a soul level of hearing, where “Receive” is the marriage of a soul to Yahweh. “Spirit” is the union that is Yahweh in the physical realm, when merged with a soul. Finally, it is the union taking place in the flesh that makes one become “Set apart by God,” as one “Sanctified” by His presence, making one be a “Holy” extension of Yahweh on the material plane; and, that makes one the resurrection as His Son, one Anointed by Yahweh to serve Him.
The transition from John’s fifteenth chapter to his sixteenth can be seen as movement of the group, from one place [the Essene Quarter streets] to another [outside the Essene Gate]. As the group stumbled along drunk [all but Jesus and John], in this next location Jesus again spoke of the hatred, which was stated as the prophecy that those reborn as Jesus would be thrown out of the synagogues. This introductory conversation is omitted in the reading selection today, as the point is to skip forward when the talk of “the Advocate” returns. Still, warnings that being a true Christian are not read [and John 16:1-4a are never scheduled to be read aloud in Episcopal churches], so one can be lulled into thinking sitting in a church pew is all one needs – Salvation without ever having to admit to any of the hatred. Aaah, so nice.
When the NRSV translates, “yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ this gives the impression of indifference. What Jesus said is explained in the accompanying reading, found in Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he wrote: “not we know , on the other hand soul which Spirit makes petitions.” [Romans 8:26c] This is Jesus making a statement that the souls of his Apostles-Saints will have submitted all self-will to Yahweh, so they will not be asking questions, of any kind.
Keeping in mind Jesus was speaking to John, as the eleven disciples nearby were drunk on Seder wine and unable to focus on what Jesus was saying, it is easy to hear Jesus telling them about how he told them he would go to Jerusalem and be mistreated, killed, but after three days he would rise. For him to then tell them, “Remember when,” is not the point of his speaking words at this point. Thus, when the NRSV has Jesus telling the disciples, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,” there is a much deeper meaning to be found in those words, which the Easter season is all about.
The Greek text here states: “all’ egō tēn alētheian legō hymin , sympherei hymin hina egō apelthō .” That literally translates to say, “on the other hand ego that truth tells to you , it is profitable to you in order that ego should go away .”
Simply from replacing the “I” of Jesus with a statement about the “I” of the disciples, as the repetition of “egō,” Jesus is saying [to John], the “Spirit” of Yahweh that is the “Helper” sent by Yahweh and only speaks “truth,” when that “speaks to you” and “tells you” that “it is profitable to you that your I should go away,” Jesus just said a soul must sacrifice self in order to receive the Spirit.” Otherwise, “for if your I does not go away, the Advocate will not come to you.” Selfish disciples can be summed up in one word: Judas [as in Iscariot].
When the NRSV translates: “And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment,” that waters down what is truly written. First of all, this verse [16:8] begins with a capitalized “Kai,” which marks it as extremely important to grasp. The word most important is “elthōn,” which is the aorist active participle form of “erchomai,” stating “having come.” This then says verse eight is extremely important to realize the following, once one’s soul has married Yahweh and become one with the “Spirit.”
When that has happened, then “that one will expose that ordered system encompassing failure , kai encompassing righteousness , kai encompassing decisions :” Here, “elenxei” has been translated [NRSV] as “prove wrong,” when the word legitimately translates as “will expose.” The word “kosmon” has been translated [NRSV] as “world,” when the root “kosmos” literally means, “something ordered,” properly, an “ordered system.” (HELPS Word-studies) Thus, “sin” is “failure,” which is “encompassed” in the whole of life, opposite “righteousness” and the “decisions” [“judgment”] that one needs to make, based on one being with or without divine insight.
The failures [or sins] are all based on a lack of faith. This goes beyond a statement of “belief,” where the “Advocate” has remained a promise and not a spiritual reality. That lack means beliefs lead to sins, just as does no beliefs in God. However, when “your I” goes away, after marriage to “the Father,” then sin will be “no more.” This is because one’s soul “experiences” Jesus [“theōreite me”]. All “decisions” at that point are made by the “Spirit,” as Jesus resurrected, so the One who makes all the rules of the ordered system [Yahweh] has made the Son keep one's flesh failure-free.
When the NRSV translates verse 12 as saying, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now,” this not only was a statement that his disciples were then in an incapacitated condition, but it speaks more of them being souls alone in their bodies of flesh. They had not yet married Yahweh, in the same way that Jesus had not yet gone away, which would literally take place not long after these words were spoken. Jesus knew he would be taken away and punished till death. The "Spirit" was leading the group to Gethsemane for the arrest. His following death had to take place, in order for his soul to be released from his physical body of flesh; so, that soul would be free to resurrect within his disciples. Until all that had taken place, the disciples “could not bear” the responsibility of hearing his words [a physical sensation]; and, they were physically and spiritually incapable of living up to anything Jesus could say verbally, at that time. This lesson says, no one has that capability: not Jew, not Christian, not anyone whose only concept of God is as some unseen, external presence.
When the NRSV translates verse 13 as saying, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come,” this again speaks of the “Spirit” and the “truth” that will come from Yahweh.
The “truth” is the guide that always keeps one from failure [sin]. The aspect of “not speaking on his own” comes from the Greek that literally translates to say, “not indeed it will speak for oneself,” where all references to “self” refer to the “soul.” That means Yahweh will not send His “Spirit” for the benefit of “oneself.” No one filled with the “Spirit” that speaks the “truth” of Yahweh will be able to run out and tell the world, “Look at me! I am special. I know what Jesus would say!” The converse means Yahweh sends His “Spirit” to souls that are submissive to His Will and thereby the “Spirit” will listen to Yahweh, as to where the “Spirit” is needed; and, that will be where “oneself” goes, to help others in need.
Verse 14 is translated by the NRSV to state: “He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” In that, “the Greek literally translates to say, “that one [the Spirit] me [Jesus] will honor,” meaning Jesus will be represented in the flesh by the presence of Yahweh’s “Spirit.” This then leads to s segment of words that literally say, “because from out of which mine he will receive.” That says the soul of Jesus will be received within the soul of a wife married spiritually to Yahweh. Then, following a marker of importance [“kai”], the one reborn as Jesus “will announce to you,” meaning one will speak the “truth,” just as did Jesus.
Verse 15 then says [NRSV]: “All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” In this, the first segment of words literally translate to say, “all how much possesses this Father,” which is a statement that there is no limit to “how much” or “how many” [“hosa”] can be resurrections of Jesus’ soul. “All” will be divinely in “possession” of the “Father,” through holy matrimony. All who are so “possessed” become reborn as Jesus [“mine are,” where “are” is a statement of “being”]. It will then be “because of these” [“dia touto”], Jesus will speak as the Lord of that body of flesh [“eipon” as “I command”], but only in those who Yahweh has sent His “Spirit.”
Because Acts 2 tells of the twelve newly risen Apostles entering into ministry, one must see how Jesus foretold it would be him speaking through those, as they had been selected by the Father for marriage. The soul of Jesus entered one hundred twenty family, followers, and disciples on Easter Sunday. The forty days Jesus spent within each of those who had “Received Spirit” and were made “Set apart by God,” they spent forty days becoming acquainted to their newly submissive selves, becoming comfortable being led by Jesus within.
It is important to see, during this last official day of the Easter season, that everything Jesus prophesied came true on Pentecost Sunday. Still, it is more important to see how the same prophecy extends endlessly, to all times thereafter. Christians today must consider themselves just as drunk as were the disciples, for having lived a life thinking, “I am Christian because I believe Jesus was-is-will be the Christ.” That drunkenness denies Jesus, as did Peter. Without Jesus reborn within one's soul, fear of the world's hatred always sends one running to hide. Not being reborn by the "Spirit" means sinning whenever the world wants to persecute Christians [the message covered over by the Episcopal lectionary, like a cat covering poo in a liter box], as John 15 tells of “The Hatred of the World” [BibleHub section heading] or “The World’s Hatred” [NRSV heading].
This prophecy of Jesus says being divinely filled with the “Spirit of truth” – the “Advocate” or “Helper” – means Jesus will be reborn within one’s soul, leading one’s body of flesh to live righteously, avoiding all possibilities of failures the world might present. With Jesus at the helm of one’s being, all decisions will be the approved judgments of Yahweh. Without, there can be no ministry, no Christianity, because belief is denying faith as a witness.
The gross negligence of Christianity today is the childish idea that one can do as one pleases, with Jesus always nearby, alongside God. The error of reasoning is thinking God loves everyone and Jesus loves me most of all. With such flimsy reasoning, no one does anything to marry Yahweh and become Jesus resurrected. Everyone wants to do as one pleases and always feel heaven is just waiting for one’s soul to get there … always forgiven for those countless sins, which regular tithing to a church organization wins some kind words at a funeral or memorial service. Nothing in Scripture says church priests are any different than the failures that constantly befell Israel and Judah, or the synagogues that kicked Jesus out.
The Easter season is the time to lose all that nonsense of thought and start practicing being Jesus in the flesh, without being able to tell anyone that. All work and no play might make Jack a dull boy, but it does wonders for allowing one’s soul the comfort of knowing heaven is well worth working for.