When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
Parallel translations
- WEB “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.
- KJV But 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:
- NKJV “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
- NASB “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me,
- NLT “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus will send the Counselor, the Spirit of truth from the Father, who will testify about Him. The Spirit bears witness to Christ.
Overview
Amid the theme of persecution, Jesus renews the promise of the Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son. The Spirit's role is to testify concerning Jesus, strengthening and empowering the disciples' witness in a hostile world. This verse has long informed the church's reflection on the Spirit's relation to the Father and the Son within the Trinity.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- John 14:26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- John 14:16–17And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—
- John 16:13–15However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
- Acts 5:32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
- Acts 2:32–33God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
- Acts 15:8And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
- 1 Jn 5:6–10This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth.
- Luke 24:49And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
- Rev 22:1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- John 16:7But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
- 1 Cor 1:6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
- Heb 2:4and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
- John 8:42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 15:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.
How traditions read this
The East–West split over the Nicene Creed.
The Spirit proceeds from the Father AND the Son (the "filioque"). The Son sends the Spirit and the Spirit is "of the Son," so the West confesses a double procession.
Key points · "Whom I will send to you from the Father"; the Spirit called the Spirit of the Son (Gal 4:6).
Catechism §246; the Western form of the Nicene Creed
The Spirit proceeds from the Father ALONE (working through the Son in mission, but eternally from the Father). The East rejects the filioque as an unauthorized addition that blurs the persons.
Key points · "The Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father"; the unaltered Creed of 381.
Photius; the Cappadocian Fathers · Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381)
Most Protestants inherited and kept the Western filioque, confessing the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son — while many today seek reconciliation with the East over the wording.
Key points · Continuity with the Western creed; the Son''s sending of the Spirit.
Westminster Confession ch. 2
Each view is stated as that tradition would put it, with representative sources. Limitless Word presents them side by side and endorses none — see the methodology.