What Is A Paraclete?
(Comments on 1 Cor. 1:10-13)
By Jonathan Mitchell
10. Now I am constantly performing as a paraclete, calling you alongside to aid, comfort and encourage you, brothers (= fellow members), through the Name of our Lord - Jesus Christ - to the end that you can (should; may; would) all keep on speaking the very same thing, and there may not continue being tearing splits-effects (divisions; schisms; rifts) among you folks, but you should (or: would) progressively be folks having been mended, knit together and restored so as to be adjusted down, attuned on the same level, fitly and completely united within the very same mind and in union with the very same result of knowing (consensus of intent; opinion of purpose; effect of personal insightful-knowing [gómé]).
We first want to point out the Greek word that I translated "performing as a paraclete." This term has been brought into the English language, specifically in reference to the Holy Spirit, based upon Jn. 14:16-17a,
"I Myself will continue asking (making a request of) the Father, and He will proceed to be giving another Helper (One called alongside to give assistance, relief, comfort and encouragement; Paraclete), of like kind, to you folks - to the end that He (or: It) can continue being [other MSS: would be constantly remaining and dwelling] with you folks on into the midst of the Age - the Spirit of the Truth (or: the spirit and breath of reality; the Breath-effect and Attitude which is this Reality)..."
The noun form is only used in Jn. 1416, 25; 15:26; 16:7, and in 1 Jn. 2:1,
"And if anyone should at some point fail (or: suddenly commit sin, make a mistake or deviate), we constantly have One called alongside to help, give relief and guide us toward the Father (or: we continuously possess a Paraclete, face to face with the Father): Jesus Christ, [the] One in accord with the Way pointed out (or: a Just One; [the] Righteous One; [the] Fair One who is in right relationship with all; a Rightwised One; [the] right one; a Person that is turned in the right direction)."
Now John also identifies the
"Spirit of the Truth/Reality" (Jn. 14:17a),
as
"the Holy Spirit/Breath-effect,"
in Jn. 14:26,
"Now the Helper (the One called alongside to aid, comfort, encourage and bring relief; the Paraclete), the set-apart Spirit (or: the Sacred Breath; the holy Breath-effect; the holy attitude), which the Father will proceed sending within, and in union with, My Name, that One will be progressively teaching you all things (everything) and will continue reminding you of (calling to your mind and causing you to think about) everything (all things) which I, Myself, said to you."
Yet with all this, notice that Paul states (vs. 10, here) that he is constantly performing as a paraclete - by calling them alongside to aid, comfort and encourage them. This is the work of both Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, i.e., "the Spirit and breath of reality." Dan Kaplan reminded us of the first Adam, and how God said that it is "not ideal for the human to continue existing, being alone. We should at some point form (make; produce; construct) help in him, on the level of him (or: help by or with him, corresponding to him; or: a helper for him that accords with him)" (Gen. 2:18, LXX; JM). She was taken from Adam's side to be a "paraclete" for him.
Next, let us observe that Paul is functioning this way
"through the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ."
First of all, "the Name" represents the Person. Paul was now associated with, and commissioned by, Jesus Christ (vs. 1, above) and had been called into a common existence with God's Son (vs. 9), he operated in the Lord's name, and thus, in Christ's authority. In representing the Lord, he possessed the power that was invested in "the Name," and therefore was able to bring God's help to these Corinthians. This all had a specific purpose. It was,
"to the end that you can (should; may; would) all keep on speaking the very same thing, and there may not continue being tearing splits-effects (divisions; schisms; rifts) among you folks."
Observe that if they would
"speak the very same thing"
then there should be no "split-effects" or "divisions" among them. The unity of a "common existence" (vs. 9) should produce the peace from "the joining." This should be their situation, because they
"should (or: would) progressively be folks having been mended, knit together and restored so as to be adjusted down, attuned on the same level, fitly and completely united."The verb of this clause, "progressively be," is a present subjunctive of the verb "to be; to exist." What follows the verb is a description of WHAT they should and would be, in the form of a perfect participle (indicating action that was completed in the past). In other words, a past action (by God) would determine what they WOULD progressively BE. They would, and should, be "folks having been mended." This indicates a repairing of what had been torn, or worn out. On offer, following "mended," is a conflation of the semantic range of the participle:
"knit together; restored so as to be adjusted down; attuned on the same level; fitly and completely united."
Wow! What a description of what the body of Christ should be!
But wait, there is more: they would be completely united because of being,
"within the very same mind and in union with the very same result of knowing."
Notice the close association of the words "mind" and "knowing." Sounds logical, right? The SAME mind (Christ's - 2:16, below). The SAME "result" of knowing. Knowledge of, and from, God came via an unveiling of Christ. The word used here is a -ma form (signifying result or effect) of gnosis: intimate, experiential knowledge and insight. It came from the Light shining into our darkness. The mending, knitting, restoring, unifying, etc. was, in part, in the MIND. Now this calls to mind Rom. 12:2b,
"be progressively transformed (transfigured; changed in form and semblance) by the renewing (or: in the renewal; for the making-back-up-new again) of your mind [with other MSS: from The Mind; of the intellect; pertaining to the faculties of perceiving and understanding; of the mindset, disposition, inner orientation and world view] into the [situation and condition for] you folks to be habitually examining in order to be testing and, after scrutiny, distinguishing and approving what [is] God's will (design; purpose; resolve; intent): the good and well-pleasing, even perfect (finished, complete and destined)!"
This is one of Paul's many imperatives, but keep in mind that when Paul's was speaking the Logos, as Christ's representative, with the imperative also came the power to accomplish it. Paul was speaking a creative word into the Roman community. It would happen through the work of the Spirit, just as the mending, adjusting and unifying would come to be in the Corinthian community. He simply used different expressions to describe the same work of Christ with us. The last expression of 1:10b that we have been dissecting (same result of knowing) can also be rendered in the following, extended ways:
"consensus of intent; opinion of purpose; effect of personal insightful-knowing."
Opinions are often formed from personal insights or observations, using our minds to judge a matter. These can affect our counsel, resolve or disposition (cf Bultmann, TDNT 1, p 717). The readings, "result of knowing" and "effect of personal insight-knowing" give the literal, and in our opinion, best understanding of Paul in this verse. This work by the Spirit, of opening their understanding through the impartation of the mind of Christ, is the ONLY means of unity. Their different lines of thought (as seen in vs. 11, below) very likely came from their listening to the different teachers (listed in vs. 12, below), but as Conzelmann observed (ibid p 32), they still remained as a single community, even if they were not yet
"completely united within the very same mind and in union with the very same result of knowing."
11. For it was made evident and is clear (or: was declared by intelligible communication) to me about (or: concerning) you folks, my brothers (= family of believers), by those of Chloe's [people; group; household], that there continue being quarrels (situations of strife; discordant debates) among you people (or: contentious dispositions within you folks).
This is why they needed the services of Paul, in being a paraclete to them, and why he (in vs. 10) was focusing them on being in agreement (speaking the same thing and having the same mind) and in unity. Verses 12 through 16 set out examples of the division among them.
12. Now I am saying this because each of you is in the habit of saying, "I, myself, am indeed [a follower] of Paul," yet [another], "I myself belong to Apollos," and [another], "As for me, I [am] of Cephas' [group]," but [another], "I, myself, [am] of (or: from) Christ."
Some things never change. This was the beginning of the Christian denominations! There was as much bad form then as it is now. Religion and politics seem to always spawn "parties." The situation in Corinth apparently came from people making personal decisions about with whom they would identify, rather than being "led by the Spirit" (Rom. 8:14). Thus, they were NOT "united with the same mind," and differing opinions was the result. This may well have happened through each of the teachers, listed here, presented to them a different way of "knowing" or a different "personal insight." We still have this today.
For variety of expression, and since each person tends to express himself differently, the genitive/ablative cases in these phrases were rendered "of Paul;" "belong to Apollos;" and "from Christ." Teachers, or leaders became identity markers within the community. For more of Paul's thinking along these lines, see 3:21-23, below. We read of Apollos in Acts 18:24-28 where he had come to Ephesus. He was
"a native of Alexandria - an adult man of reason, thought, and a gifted speaker (or: a learned and eloquent man; a man well-trained in rhetoric) being able and powerful in the Scriptures... one having been orally instructed in the way (or: path) of the Lord and continuing boiling hot (= fervent) in (or: by; for; with) the Breath-effect (the Spirit), he kept on speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning (or: about) Jesus - versed in and acquainted with only the immersion (or: baptism) carried out by John" (vss. 24-25).
Stephen J. Patterson (The Lost Way, How Two forgotten Gospels Are Rewriting the Story of Christian Origins. HarperOne, 2014) suggests that since he had been educated in the wisdom schools of Alexandria, and knew only the teaching, baptism and wisdom from John the baptist's teaching about Jesus, that Paul may have been referring to him in his comment about
"not in cleverness of word (within [wisdom] of a message or an idea; not in skillfulness of rhetoric),"
in vs. 17, below. This may have been prior to his meeting with
"Priscilla and Aquila [who] took him to themselves and more accurately exposed (or: expounded; set out from the midst) God's Way (or: path)" (Acts 18:26).
It was during this period that Gnosticism had been growing in some streams of Judaism, especially in Alexandria (the general area where the Gnostic writings of the Nag Hammadi Library was found). If Gnostic influence, which did not speak of the death and resurrection of Christ, was a part of what was causing division in Corinth, we may better understand Paul's re-emphasis on "Christ crucified" (2:2, below). John had preached a baptism, but not the crucifixion. Paul joins both concepts...
13. Christ has been parted and remains divided into fragments! (or, as a question: Has Christ been fragmented and portioned out into divided parts?)
Paul was not crucified (suspended from a pole; executed on a stake) over (on behalf of; [other MSS: concerning]) you folks! Or were you baptized (immersed) into the name of Paul?
My first rendering follows the lead of the Concordant Literal NT by making this a statement, rather than as a question, as the parenthetical rendering offers. The body of Christ IS, in fact, Christ, and in Corinth, at that time, Paul observed that Christ's body was divided. Keep in mind that the oldest MSS did not have punctuation marks. But most scholars cannot imagine "Christ" being divided, and so prefer this as a question, as if to imply that Paul means, "By no means! - so why are you folks divided?" Either reading makes sense; it depends upon our perspectives.
As can be deduced from vss. 14-16, below, apparently there was considered to be a connection between the person who immersed (baptized) folks and those who were immersed. But Paul makes a more serious association with the name to whom people claimed connection. Neither he nor these other teachers were crucified over, or on behalf of, humanity. These teachers were not the Savior! And for those who claimed association with Paul, he affirms that they were not baptized into his name. And this last statement instructs us as to the importance of "the Name."
Some scholars have read the last statement of vs. 12 as Paul saying that he, himself, was of, or from, Christ - as were they all - and thus they should not be considering themselves to be a part of some human teacher, or group, nor a follower of his or that group's teaching. Other scholars have considered the "of Christ" identification as a reference to Gnostics within the community who identified themselves only with the realm of "spirit" - i.e., viewing themselves as being the superior, "spiritual" members of the community. If this was the case, then most likely their view of "baptism" was that it was spiritual, not physical (cf Mat. 3:11b; Tit. 3:5) - and thus there could be continuity from this verse to the next. Kugelman makes the following observation:
"Although Paul never again expressly mentions a Christ party, and Clement of Rome (ca AD 95) in his letter to Corinth omits a Christ party in his enumeration of the factions that disturbed the community in Paul's day (1 Clem. 48), the phrase does suggest a group whose members boasted of a special relationship to Christ not shared by other Christians. H. Lietzmann and E.-B. Allo see the Christ party as mystics who rejected all human teachers and pretended to be guided by revelations received directly from Christ through the charismatic gifts" (ibid p 256).
Note the phrase,
"into the name."
Conzelmann suggests that this indicated the ideas of ownership, subjection and protection (ibid p 35-36). But a deeper level is seen by what Paul says in Gal. 27,
"For you see (or: It follows that) as many of you folks as were immersed into Christ, at once clothed yourselves with Christ (or: were plunged into so as to be enveloped by then saturated and permeated with Anointing - or, the Anointed One - instantly entered within and put on [the/an] Anointing)!" Cf Rom. 6:3ff.
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