WALKING IN THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 2

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied (Acts 9:31).

In English, the verb comfort means, “to soothe in time of affliction or distress,” and as a noun, it means “a condition of pleasurable ease or well-being.” The state of being comfortless, then, means being with no relief from discomfort and no escape from grief and afflictions. In speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans” (fatherless/comfortless) (John 14:18).  He had just said to them, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. . . .” (John 14:16) The word He used for another was allos which means “another of the same sort.” He did not use heteros, which means “different.” So the Father was sending One Who would comfort in the same manner that Jesus did.

Yes, the Holy Spirit brings everything that the English definition denotes, but to obtain a fuller understanding of the meaning, let us examine the Greek word for comfort. Composed of para meaning beside, and kaleo meaning to call, paraklesis means “a calling to one’s side.” In 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17,  comfort means not only relief from grief but it means to bring encouragement as well: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father . . . comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”

Another Greek derivative is the word paramuthia, used in 1 Corinthians 14:3. Composed of para (near) and muthos (speech), it indicates speaking closely to someone with a great degree of tenderness. “But he who prophesies speaks . . .comfort. . . . ” Yet another form of the word comfort in the Greek, paragoros, is the word for medicines which calm irritation. 

We can gain an understanding from this brief study that the comfort of the Holy Spirit is His tender touch that brings with it relief and consolation, strength and encouragement, and the allaying of those irritations and annoyances that can wear away at one’s soul. Today, may you fully experience His comfort.