What was Jesus trying to say when he introduced the idea of the Sacred Phantome?

Question

Why did he bring it up near the end of his preaching career? And why did he refer to it as a comforter that would make them feel better? Did it really make them feel better, or just give them the willies?

Did this concept have anything to do with Paganism?

Replies from Biblical scholars appreciated.

Answer 1

More a divine wind i think. It stresses the spiritual nature of God, something intangible but yet real and with visible effects. He had already said:

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24 ).

And to a religious teacher named Nicodemus, he said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:3-8).

Answer 2

The Holy Spirit had always been active throughout Scripture. He was not a "new concept." In the Old Testament, the Father was the emphasis, in the New Testament Gospels Jesus was God in Flesh, but at the day of Pentecost when the Church was birthed, the Holy Ghost dispensation was ushered in. The Holy Spirit magnifies Christ and His completed work of Calvary, provides the power of God in our lives to live a life of victory, brings His wisdom, knowledge to us through His gifts both personal and corporate, and He brings the Word of God alive into the memory and life of the Christian like nothing else is able to do. He teaches, guides and comforts. Jesus returned to heaven and the Holy Spirit came to pick up the work of saving, sanctifying and preparing the Church for her future role in eternity. There are two separate aspects of the Holy Spirit, one at salvation where we have a measure of the Spirit and one at the baptism in the Holy Spirit where we receive Him without measure. The experiences are different and the purposes are different. Paganism has nothing to do with the Truth and reality of God.

Answer 3

Explain Sacred Phantome.

Answer 4

It's all a misunderstanding.

A comforter, in the US, is a form of bed linen - two sheets with insulation such as down stuffed between them. Jesus mean that you should cover yourself with a sheet and try to scare the non-believers into believing. This is why the holy comforter is also called the holy ghost. Unfortunately it didn't work which is why John made up hellfire and damnation.

Answer 5

John's Gospel was written well after the Synoptics, well after the fall of Jerusalem when the center of the church stopped being Jerusalem and shifted to other sites like Ephesus and Rome. It displays a well developed Christology and Pneumatology (Holy Spirit references) not found in the Synoptics other than the mention of the Holy Spirit in annunciation account in Matthew chapter 1 which we do not find in Mark. Other than John 14:16 and 1 John 2:1 I don't recall παρακλητον "comforter" being used elsewhere in the NT.

I think when the Synoptics were written Jesus' return was believed to be imminent, i.e any day. By the time John's Gospel is written Jesus has been dead for 60 or so years, the first generation of disciples and apostles are dead (with the traditional exception of John) and still no Jesus. We already see in Paul's letters written 30 years beofre that some had stopped believing in the parousia at all, or thought it had already come which he addresses:

1 Thessalonians 5: 1 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

We see Peter address the same issue:

2 Peter3: 3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." ....8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Of course, by the time John writes his Gospel, both Peter and Paul have been executed, doubtless creating still more anxiety over the parousia, especially when Christians in Ephesus are being forced to worship the Emperor Domitian in his temple there or suffer the consequences (which John addresses in the Apocalypse).

So my theory is this. People are waiting for the parousia and it's not coming (they are still waiting and expecting it any day). Christians are being pressured to participate in the state religion of emperor worship and will suffer if they don't and they don't see Jesus riding to the rescue. John meets this need with a Gospel that assures them that Jesus is in fact coming quickly, but in the meantime the Holy Spirit is already there to comfort them and supply the miracle working power they expected Jesus to return and supply to conquer his foes and theirs, which is like the Holy Spirit power introduced at Pentecost in Luke/Acts even though the comforter aspect is not addressed by Luke. John's Apocalypse is the second part of this effort to buck up the believers who are under oppression.

Moslems here will imediately start to claim Jesus was referring to Mohamed as the παρακλητον (the paraklete). If the παρακλητον was supposed to comfort those the epistles and Gospel were written to it would be quite strange for Jesus to wait seven centuries to send him along I think.

Answer 6

the Holy Spirit is the foundation of true Christianity ... it doesnt exist without it so its not just an "idea" ...