Studying Scripture is so sweet and educational. Here am I…

Studying Scripture is so sweet and educational. Here am I studying Matthew 13 devotionally (in Greek and English) but it has just taught me a solid insight about God’s nature (The Trinity). There’s a repeated Greek constructional phrase in the first section of this passage “άλλην παραβολην” (“another parable” – vs. 24, 31, and 33). This phrase is in the feminine declension (both noun and adjective), hence it’s written as such. The Greek adjective άλλος generally means “another” but connotes “of the same kind.” So essentially, these parables fall under the category or nature of parables (another of the same kind) but they are conveying or expressing differentness with respect to what Jesus spoke about thereafter. In order words, every subsequent parable was a parable (allos) but they were not ALL about the Seed and the Shower and the same things being repeated about it. They conveyed a differentness, message, thought, truth, etc., despite being parables (same kind). Are you still with me? ? You are about to see what solid theological truth this taught me.

Now, this same phrastic construction is found somewhere else, John 14:16. The only difference there is that it is in the masculine declension and therefore it’s declined as such. But it’s the exact, same construction. In that text we see the phrase “άλλον παρακλητον” (“another Comforter, Consoler, Intercessor, Advocate”). And in this context, Jesus is assuring the disciples that He’ll not leave them as orphans but will send them “another (of the same kind) Comforter, Consoler, Intercessor, Advocate.” And He identified this Comforter as the Holy Spirit (vs.17).

This word (parakleton) is used five times in the NT. In 1 John 2:1 it identifies Jesus as our παρακλητον. And in the remaining four places, it identifies the Holy Spirit as “another” parakleton whom Jesus will send the disciples, and by extension believers (John 14:16, 26; 15:26 and 16:7). This parakleton is “another” (of the same kind), which means that He is of the same nature and essence that Jesus, our parakleton, is. He’s in the same category that Jesus is in. And just like the parables of Matt. 13, there is differentness to Him. He’s a different person FROM JESUS just as the parable of the Seed and Sower was different from the Wheat and Tares (vs. 24), the Mustard Seed (vs. 31), and the Leaven (vs. 33). Nonetheless, they all fit within the category and nature of parables. They were of the same kind, but there’s a differentness about them.

In closing, what this airtight Greek phrastic construction is telling ME is that the Holy Spirit is not and cannot be an impersonal, insentient “active force.” He cannot be one and the same JESUS (modalism). He’s “another (of the same kind)” that Jesus IS (nature, essence, category, sentient being, DEITY) that Jesus THE PARAKLETON has sent to be ANOTHER parakleton, just as He was/is to His people.

Considering this, you should be able to see then that Christians who espouse faith in the Triune nature of God do not do so because of tradition, Catholicism, theological conspiracies, ignorance, etc., but because of BIBLICAL, contextual, linguistical, and hermeneutical principles such as these. As I close, to argue that this is NOT what John 14:16 is saying about the Holy Spirit, one must do the same with the parabolic Greek phraseology and construction of Matt. 13. Whatever one DOES with and conclude of allon parakleton of John 14:16, one must do and conclude the same with Matt. 13’s allen parabolen. ?️

Mi ago mi bed now. ??