Who is the Spirit of truth According to Scripture?
Here are some ways Scripture reveals Christ is the Spirit of truth.
John 14:16, 26; 15:26 reveals the Comforter is the Spirit of truth. Found elsewhere on this website is a great study on John 14 along with a video explanation that Christ is our Comforter. After all, in John 14:18 is one of the greatest clues when Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”
The Spirit of truth only speaks what the Father tells Him to do, and we find this is Christ that God the Father is speaking to.
The Spirit of truth is also to show us things to come, which Revelation 1:1 tells us is Jesus Christ which is once again revealed to Him (Jesus) by His Father.
Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, WHICH GOD GAVE UNTO HIM, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
Here, we see that this Revelation of Jesus, WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY GOD. Everything originates from God, as he is the source from which everything comes from.
John 14:6 says Jesus is the truth and by His Spirit He is the Spirit of truth.
“JESUS saith unto him, I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life:”
John 14:17 Jesus tells the disciples that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, nor can they see him because they don't know him. But you know him (the Spirit of truth), "for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Who was dwelling with them? JESUS! And he was telling them that he would be in them thru the Spirit of truth.
John 16:13 “Howbeit 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 SHOW YOU THINGS TO COME.”
Note that the above verse says the Spirit of truth is a “HE” and that “HE” is “Christ” Himself by His Holy Spirit. Christ is a “HE” even if it is by HIS Spirit!
Note also in John 16:13 above that the Spirit of truth (Christ) does not SPEAK OF HIMSELF but speaks what He hears from ‘someone else’. In the verses below we find that the ‘someone else’ is His FATHER.
JESUS DOES NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF but WHAT THE FATHER INSTRUCTS HIM TO SAY. And that remains the same when Christ returns as our Comforter and the Spirit of truth. Even by His Spirit, HE DOES NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF but speaks WHAT HE HEARS FROM HIS FATHER. That is what He shall speak.
John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: AS I HEAR, I JUDGE: and my judgment is just; because I SEEK NOT MINE OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHICH HAS SENT ME."
John 7:17-18 "IF ANY MAN WILL DO HIS WILL, HE SHALL KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT BE OF GOD, OR WHETHER I SPEAK OF MYSELF. v18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."
John 8:28 "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER HATH TAUGHT ME, I SPEAK THESE THINGS."
John 12:49-50 “FOR I HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF MYSELF; but the FATHER which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, EVEN AS THE FATHER SAID UNTO ME, SO I SPEAK.”
John 14:10 “The words that I speak unto you I SPEAK NOT OF MYSELF: but the FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME,”
John 14:24 “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and THE WORD WHICH YOU HEAR IS NOT MINE, but the FATHER'S which sent me.”
John 17:8 "For I HAVE GIVEN UNTO THEM THE WORDS WHICH THOU GAVEST ME; AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEM, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me."
So when Jesus was on Earth, He did not SPEAK OF HIMSELF but what the Father told Him to speak. And when Jesus returned by His Spirit as the Spirit of Truth, nothing changes.
The Spirit of truth is also to SHOW US WHAT THINGS ARE TO COME. Just as the words He speaks are from His Father, so are the things to come that He is to show us. Again we repeat:
Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, WHICH GOD GAVE UNTO HIM, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
Here we see that this Revelation of Jesus, WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY GOD, His Father.