Paraklesis and and Paraclete (פרקליט) in Prophecy

Sometimes the New Testament writers are accused of getting various facts wrong due to being removed in time or culture from the Aramaic-speaking Galilean eyewitnesses (if indeed the higher criticism allows belief in such eyewitnesses).  Because of much of the history falling to Gentiles or Hellenized Jews outside of Palestine, some mistakes don't seem unlikely.

However, the apparent error about the epithet of Barnabas might not be a simple error of fact, but something instead that illuminates something about the early group of Jesus followers.

One of many 1st century Jews with the name Joseph, bar-Navya seems to be the nickname of Paul's colleague (or at least that is the best guess as to the Aramaic origin of "Barnabas"), which would mean "son of the prophet."  More likely it was bar-Navua, or some Aramaic equivalent for נְבוּאָה] נְבוּאָה] or "prophecy." However, the Greek-speaking author of Acts of the Apostles translates his name as 'son of παράκλησις' which is often rendered 'son of encouragement' in English.

For the Aramaic speakers of Antioch, בוּאָה [navua] likely became a synonym for παράκλησις [paraklēsis], and vice versa.   Paul tried to communicate to the Corinthian believers the sensibilities of the Antioch school of prophecy from which he and Joseph bar-Navua hailed, for which prophecy was all about "exhortation and comfort."  One of the two other men at Antioch rising up in prophetic gifts with Paul and Barnabbas, one is named Menachem which also means 'Comforter.'

The word παράκλησις is often translated encouragement or consolation as in the Acts 4:36 explanation for υἱός παρακλήσεως [huios paraklēseōs] generally as "son of consolation" or "son of encouragement."  Ity is also translated "exhortation."  It has the sense of "refreshment" as what gives one the strength to go on, of "consolation" and "comfort."  

The Ruach ha-Qodesh or Holy Spirit is famously called the παράκλητος [paráklētos] in the gospel of the Beloved Disciple.  There is a similar array of translations for παράκλητος as for παράκλησις, the most famous being "Comforter," followed by "Advocate," "Counselor," "Helper," and "Encourager."  "Helper" is the only one that covers all the senses of parakletos but is kind of a weak translation; some get around this by translating the word more or less directly by calling the Spirit the "Paraclete" in some translations.  

The use of παράκλητος was much more common in Jewish writings of the time than the Hellenistic world, and it survives in modern Hebrew as פְּרַקְלִיט, a word for an attorney.  "Praklit" (פרקליט) found its way into rabbinical usage as someone (or something) that speaks good things on one's behalf, as an advocate or an intercessor.  The writer of the epistle of 1 John has this in mind when he says that "if anyone does sin, we have a παράκλητος with the Father."  When the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews states that the blood of Jesus speaks more positive things than the blood of Abel, the blood of Jesus is acting as paraklētos on our behalf.  If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our hearts in the knowledge of love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Paraclete: because the inward paraklēsis of the Spirit releases us from the yoke and torment of fear so that we can be bold and without fear in "the day of reckoning."  The word παράκλησις [paraklēsis] has itself a sense of "conciliatory" speech, as would be expected with its connection to advocacy.

In Acts 15, the episode of the church leadership convening to decide whether or not the Gentiles should be compelled to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses, tells how Simon the Rock (Peter) recount the Gentiles being baptized in the Spirit, and how he says "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the disciples that neither we nor our forefathers have been able to bear?"  After James the Just decides that it doesn't make sense to make the Gentiles follow the laws of Moses, the Gentile Christians respond as though an unbearable yoke has been lifted from them.  They rejoice because the paraklēsis in the letter from Jerusalem encourages them.  Then after receiving the initial paraklēsis in the letter, "Judas and Silas being themselves prophets, did with many words encourage [paraklēsis] and strengthen the brothers."

Being called as prophets, Judas and Silas spoke many words of paraklēsis.  Being prophets they did παρακαλέω [parakaleō] the brothers. As prophets, they spoke words which released the burden, refreshed their souls, and ministered grace.  In Acts chapter 20, the author speaks in the first person plural about the events leading up the resurrection of the young man Eutychus.  When he is brought back from the dead, the boy's parents were greatly comforted [parakaleō]. Comfort. Relief.

Another word in the Antioch vocabulary for prophecy, one that illuminates the role of παράκλησις for Jesus' ekklesia (church), is the word that is almost always translated "edification," from "edifice" a word for a large building.  Paul tells the Corinthians that the charisma of prophecy is for building, for paraklēsis, for consolation.  There is some obvious parallelism with refreshment and consolation, but what of 'building'?

Building/edification almost always has the sense of the Petrine revelation of the Jesus' church as a building ("upon this stone I will build my church"), to which Peter likens us to "living stones," built on Jesus as the chief cornerstone.  The Pauline revelation is more organic: we are parts of the Body of the Anointed, under the direction of Jesus as the head.  Paul combines both metaphors in his letter to the Ephesians: "... speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even the Anointed, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up [edification] of itself in love."

In Ephesians 4, for the building up of the Body, Paul discusses avoiding things that "grieve the Holy Spirit": bitterness, unforgiveness, strife, malice . . . in general, "un-grace."  As Jesus and his brother James do, Paul pays special attention to the un-grace that comes out of our mouths.   He says that our speech needs to be motivated with grace, always seasoned with grace.  Where James warns against our tongues being set on fire from hell, Paul exhorts that our mouths be sources of grace.

As a prophetic priesthood, the Body of the Anointed are meant to παρακαλέω with grace.  Always with grace: encouraging, entreating, motivating, interceding, prophesying.   The following gem from the Johannine community – "The spirit of prophecy is that which bears witness of Jesus" – makes more sense in terms of the essence and motive of prophecy is what reveals the character of Jesus.  As "ministers of reconciliation" those born of the Spirit are ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven as though God is παρακαλέω-ing the world through us.

One final thought here on the building up of the ekklesia Acts 9:31:  If the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," maybe the παράκλησις of the Spirit of Consecration is the perfection of wisdom.  The Ruach ha-Qodesh reveals to us how Jesus has become our righteousness before the Father.  He speaks of good things of us, advocating for us and encouraging us, bearing the testimony of the blood of Jesus in our hearts.