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:
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
- John 14:16–17And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
- John 16:13–15Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
- Acts 5:32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
- Acts 2:32–33This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- Acts 15:8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
- 1 Jn 5:6–10This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
- Luke 24:49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
- Rev 22:1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
- John 16:7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
- 1 Cor 1:6Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
- Heb 2:4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
- John 8:42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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.