WG: Advocacy and Comfort¶
Overview¶
The advocacy/comfort concept in the NT centers on the παρακαλέω (parakaleō) word family — calling alongside for help, comfort, or intercession — and the related terms for mediation and spiritual presence. The group spans legal advocacy, pastoral consolation, and divine indwelling.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3875 | παράκλητος | paraklētos | noun | 5 | The person — one called alongside as advocate/helper | G3875 |
| G3870 | παρακαλέω | parakaleō | verb | 113 | The action — to call alongside, beseech, exhort, comfort | TODO(need G3870 study) |
| G3874 | παράκλησις | paraklēsis | noun | 29 | The result — comfort, consolation, exhortation | TODO(need G3874 study) |
| G3316 | μεσίτης | mesitēs | noun | 6 | Related role — mediator standing between two parties | G3316 |
| G4151 | πνεῦμα | pneuma | noun | 350 | The identity — the Spirit, whom the paraklētos is | G4151 |
| G225 | ἀλήθεια | alētheia | noun | 99 | Key attribute — "Spirit of truth" characterizes the paraklētos | G225 |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- paraklētos (G3875), parakaleō (G3870), paraklēsis (G3874) — all from παρα- (para-, alongside) + καλέω (kaleō, to call)
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| πνεῦμα (G4151) | ἀλήθεια (G225) | 12 | "Spirit of truth" — identifies the paraklētos (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13) |
| παρακαλέω (G3870) | παράκλησις (G3874) | 6 | Verb + cognate noun together: "exhorteth, on exhortation" (Rom 12:8) |
| παράκλησις (G3874) | πνεῦμα (G4151) | 4 | "consolation of the Spirit" (Luke 2:25, Acts 9:31) |
| παρακαλέω (G3870) | πνεῦμα (G4151) | 3 | Beseeching through the Spirit (Rom 15:30) |
Multi-Word Passage¶
- 2 Cor 7:13 — παρακαλέω + παράκλησις + πνεῦμα: "Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all"
Roles in the Concept¶
- Person: paraklētos (παράκλητος) — the one called alongside: the Holy Spirit (John 14–16) or Christ (1 John 2:1)
- Action: parakaleō (παρακαλέω) — the act of calling alongside, beseeching, exhorting, comforting
- Result: paraklēsis (παράκλησις) — the comfort, consolation, or exhortation that comes from the advocate's work
- Related role: mesitēs (μεσίτης) — mediator; overlaps conceptually but stands between parties rather than alongside one
- Identity: pneuma (πνεῦμα) — the Spirit, the divine person who fulfills the paraklētos role
- Attribute: alētheia (ἀλήθεια) — truth, the defining quality of the Spirit-Paraklētos ("Spirit of truth")
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- John 14:16–17 — paraklētos + pneuma + alētheia: "another Comforter... the Spirit of truth"
- John 14:26 — paraklētos + pneuma: "the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost"
- John 15:26 — paraklētos + pneuma + alētheia: "the Comforter... the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father"
- 2 Cor 7:13 — parakaleō + paraklēsis + pneuma: "comforted in your comfort... spirit was refreshed"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py, louw_nida.db Last updated: 2026-04-13