22. The Paraclete Promised by ‘Issa (Jesus): Muḥammad (~)?

 In the Sura “The Rank,” ‘Issa is said to be a messenger “confirming what is before me in the Torah and announcing a messenger who will come after me whose name shall be Ahmad” (s. 61, 6). Thus, ‘Issa would have announced Mu-hammad (=Ahmad). We will note, however, that according to the very ancient version of ‘Ubayy, the middle of this verse gives rather the following to read: “and I announce to you a prophet (nabiy) whose community (umma) will be the last community and by whom God will put a seal on the prophets (nabiyun) and to messengers (rusul)” (s. 61, 6) [1].

If we hold to the habitual version of the Koran and its commentaries, the Gospel according to Saint John in Greek would have effectively announced Muḥammad (~) under the name of parakletos for, we are told, if one transcribes into the Arabic mode (without keeping account of the vowels) the Greek word parakletos, it gives brklts (read: biriklutos) and has a fortuitous value for the Arab transcription of another Greek term: periklutos. Periklutos signifies renown, thus praise. It suffices then that Muḥammad (~) signifies “the one who is praised” to let us say that ‘Issa has announced him. Evidently, only populations that speak Arabic can give credence to this clever turn; this is an “internal apologetic,” that is to say, a discourse held for Muslims only.

Yet Jesus (‘Issa) has promised a “Paraclete” that the Father would send (John 14, 16-17; 15; 26-27). What did this word signify? In the Semitic world, a paraklita is a prompt who aids in the recitation of sacred texts, and at a tribunal, he is the “counselor-defender who “whispers” to the witness his deposition that he has prepared (preferably by heart), without however speaking in his place. The new “Paraclete” of which the disciples of Jesus will have need, is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth. They will have to be witnesses, some to be martyr-witnesses of the Truth. The Spirit who inspires these disciples is the Spirit of Jesus himself, so they will continue to carry his Word and Life to the world.

We read: “The Counselor [Paraclete], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14: 25-26). When Jesus says: “He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7, 38), the evangelist explains: “This he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive” (John 7, 39)

The Gospel of John shows us that Jesus remits, that is to say, transmits the Spirit at the very moment when he dies (John 19, 30), and his tunic is not torn, a sign of the unity of his disciples. The Christians are united by the Spirit of Jesus. They are not united in the manner of soldiers united against the enemy, but are united in the manner of disciples who are become sons of the Father.

They have the experience of belonging to a new family, which Jesus (‘Issa) has confided to his mother, Maryam the very pure (John 19, 25-27).

This experience began on the feast of Pentecost and continues today.

“The fruit of the Sprit is
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”
(Galatians 5, 22-23).

The aramaic word peace “Shlama” designates interior peace, the well-being with God that Jesus gives, different from the “Shayna” which designates exterior peace.