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The Advocate

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(calling to). In N. T., helper, intercessor, or comforter. Jews did not have advocates, or attorneys, till after the Roman conquest (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:17¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)
²⁶But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)
¹⁷Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? (John 16:17); Acts 24:1¹And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul. (Acts 24:1)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

This word signifies one who takes up the cause of another, 1 John 2:1¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1). The same Greek word is translated “Comforter” in John 14:16,26¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)
²⁶But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26); John 15:26²⁶But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26); John 16:7⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7). From this we learn that the word applies both to the Lord Jesus and to the Holy Spirit. “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” This applies to Christ in the glory. He is not an advocate for the unconverted, but for the Christian if he should sin; and it is with the Father, for the one who sins is a son. Sin breaks the communion, and the advocacy of Christ is to restore it. He is the Paraclete in heaven, who takes up the cause of the saint, and the Holy Spirit is the same on earth to secure the spiritual welfare of God’s people. See HOLY SPIRIT.

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