Hi Darren,
Here is a section from the 'Trinity' article, I think it will help with your questions.
http://bible-truths.com/trinity.html -------------------
Next let’s consider who or what is the "comforter" mentioned only in John’s gospel account.
"And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you [it is not "from" the holy spirit, but "from" the Father]
another Comforter [this word does not require a capital letter],
that he [it] may abide with you for ever [Greek: for the aion--eon or age].
Even the Spirit of truth..." (John 14:16-17 KJV).
Remember that Jesus said "I am the truth." How then can this "comforter" be coming from both His Father and Himself? Is this possible? Once we understand just what this "spirit of truth," "spirit of God," "holy spirit," "holy ghost," "comforter" really is, we will see that it certainly DOES come from both the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
It is evident when checking various translations that the translators did not have a clear idea as to just what they should call this "comforter." In the Greek, the word is [parakletos BESIDE-CALLER].
~It can be "consoler" or "Entreater" in I John 2:1.
~The Moffatt translation has "...to give you another Helper..."
~The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has "...another Advocate..."
~The Revised Standard Version has "...Counselor..."
~The Monsignor Knox version has "...another to befriend you..."
~The Phillips Translation has "...some one else to stand by you..."
~And the Amplified New Testament has "...another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby)..."
It should be noted that not all translators capitalize this Greek word parakletos in their translations, nor do all translators use the pronoun "he" but rather "it."
From The Concordant Literal New Testament:
John 14:16-18,
"And I shall be asking the Father, and He will be giving you another consoler, that it, indeed, may be with you for the eon--the spirit of truth, which the world can not get, for it is not beholding it, neither is knowing it. Yet you know it, for it is remaining with you and will be in you. I will not leave you bereaved; I am COMING TO YOU."In this section of Scripture, Philip, Thomas, Peter, and Judas (and possibly all the Apostles) did not quite understand what Christ was teaching them. They especially didn’t understand how that Jesus was going away and that were He was going they could not come, but that it was necessary for Him to go away to His Father, or He could not send them the comforter or consoler.
Jesus was assuredly "the spirit of truth" of which He spoke. And as such Jesus was
with the disciples. But now He is telling them that when He leaves them to be with the Father, He will come back to them, only this time He will not just be
with them, but He will be
IN them! The spirit of truth was with the apostles in the person of Jesus Christ, but He told them that after He left to be with the Father that this same spirit of truth would be in them. This is all done by "spirit," the spirit of God.
Notice verse 26 of John 14:
"Now the consoler, THE HOLY SPIRIT, which the Father will be sending in MY NAME..." And see how this is done, verse 23:
"If anyone should be loving Me, he will be keeping My word, and My Father will be loving him, and WE shall be coming to him and making OUR abode with him. This is done through the consoler, the comforter, the spirit of truth, THE HOLY SPIRIT
of God! Jesus said He would not leave them "comfort
less" (Ver. 18), so for sure Jesus must return to His followers to "comfort" them. This He did and still does by the "spirit of God" which God gave to His son Jesus and which the Father then turns around and gives FROM that very same spirit in Christ TO US! The following Scripture make this plain:
"All things that the Father hath are mine [all things include the holy spirit]:
therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine [that is, of the spirit that His Father gave to Him],
and shall shew it UNTO YOU" (John 16:15).
Here is one more proof that the "holy ghost [spirit]" and the "spirit of God" are one and the same. Here is what Jesus told His disciples would happen when they would be brought before magistrates and powers:
"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say" (Luke 12:11-12).In the very same account of this portion of Christ’s teaching in Matthew’s gospel, we read this:
"But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.There can be no doubt from these two accounts that the "Holy Ghost [spirit]" and the "Spirit of your Father" are one and the same spirit--THE SPIRIT OF GOD!
---------------------------------------------------------
mercy, peace and love
Kat