Spirit of Truth is Jesus’ name for the Helper He asked the Father to send.
I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Helper,
to be with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on His own authority.
He will glorify Me.
Truth has a Spirit,
and that Spirit will not sell you another Jesus.
The night before the cross, the disciples were about to lose the visible Teacher. He promised they would not be orphans. Another Helper—Paraclete, Counselor, Advocate—would come and remain. His title is Spirit of truth because the Son is the truth and the Spirit will not freelance. He teaches all things and brings to remembrance what Jesus said. He convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. He guides into all the truth—not into novelty that leaves the words of the Son behind.
John later says we know the Spirit of God this way: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Anointing from the Holy One teaches. Test the spirits anyway. The world cannot receive Him because it does not know Him. The church receives Him and still must weigh speech by the Book and by the confession of the incarnate Son. He is not a mood. He is the Spirit of the God who cannot lie, sent in the Son’s name.
- Another Helper means the first Counselor did not abandon the flock.
- Of truth is His nature and His work. He will not midwife a lie.
- The world cannot receive Him. Do not expect the age to vote Him in.
- Guide into all the truth is unfolding and applying—not rewriting the gospel.
- He glorifies Jesus. Speech that shrinks the Son is not His accent.
- Spirit of truth and spirit of error are known by the confession of Christ come in the flesh.
- Remembrance of what Jesus said keeps guidance tied to words already given.
- Another Helper – Sent by the Father in the Son’s name; with you forever.
- Not Received by the World – Unseen, unknown, refused.
- Teacher – All things; remembrance of Jesus’ words.
- Guide – Into all the truth; not on His own authority.
- Convictor – Sin, righteousness, judgment.
- Glorifier of the Son – He will take what is Mine and declare it.
- Opposed to Error – Confession of the flesh of Jesus; tested spirits.
- John 14:16-17 – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
- John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
- John 15:26 – “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
- John 16:7-11 – If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you… He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
- John 16:13-14 – “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
- 1 John 4:1-6 – Test the spirits… every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God… By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
- 1 John 2:20, 27 – You have been anointed by the Holy One… His anointing teaches you about everything and is true, and is no lie.
- John 4:23-24 – True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.
- John 8:31-32 – If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
- John 14:6 – I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 – The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God… The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.
- Ephesians 1:13 – When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 – The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits.
- Revelation 19:10 – The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot receive Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will glorify Me.
He will bear witness about Me. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Test the spirits. Confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
Do not chase a spirit that will not honor the Son or remember His words. Receive the Helper. Stay in the truth. He guides. He convicts. He glorifies Jesus. That is how you know His voice.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.