8.3. The Spirit-Paraclete
Luke, Paul, and John are the three major theologians or the Holy Spirit in the NT and they all see Jesus and Holy Spirit tightly connected. In spite of that, the church today often disconnects the two. “… there are forms of Christianity where experiences of the Spirit abound yet where Jesus is little to be seen. It doesn’t matter whether these ‘Spirit-filled’ congregations are conservative or liberal. In some churches experience of the Spirit equals a sort of Christian triumphalism. In other churches experience of the Spirit is a mystical, fuzzy, warm, pea-soup-on-a-cold-day kind of thing. In still other churches, the manifestation of the Spirit is found in a loud, pompous, miraculous hysteria. But where is Jesus?”
Who or What Is the Devil? The term satan really means prosecutor. The idea that he is a fallen angel is late addition in the scripture and never really developed. Satan is not mentioned at all on the story of the fall, for example. Evil should be considered of human origin.
God, Defender for Accused. If the satan is a prosecuting attorney, who will be our defense attorney. That is precisely the role of the Holy Spirit. The word “Paraclete” is translated counselor in the NIV, a better translation than comforter in some translations.
The Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Death.
Quotes from Hardin, Michael (2013-09-26). The Jesus Driven Life: Reconnecting Humanity With Jesus, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded (Kindle Locations 7206-7210). JDL Press. Kindle Edition.