John 15:26 tells us that the Spirit was sent from with the Father by the Son. The Greek preposition translated “from” in this verse has the sense of “from with.” The Spirit was sent by the Son not only from the Father but also with the Father. The Spirit comes from the Father and with the Father. The Father is the source. When the Spirit comes from the source, He does not leave the source. Rather, the source comes with Him.
In John 15:26 the Lord Jesus said that He would send the Spirit from with the Father. But in John 14:26 He said that the Father would send the Spirit in the Son’s name. Then who sent the Spirit-the Father or the Son? We must say that the Spirit was sent by both the Father and the Son. The Father and the Son are one. The Father’s sending is the Son’s sending, and the Son’s sending is the Father’s sending. Having been sent by both the Father and the Son, the Spirit was sent with the Father and in the name of the Son. Once again we see the Triune God. When the Spirit comes, He comes with the Father in the Son’s name. Thus, all three of the Godhead are involved.
According to John 14:26 and 15:26, there are two senders of the Spirit. These two (the Father and the Son) sent one (the Spirit) as two (the Spirit and the Son). The one sent-the Spirit-was actually sent as two because He was sent in the name of the Son and thus as the Son. In this sense the Son is both the sender and a sent one. The Father sent the Spirit in the Son’s name, and the Son sent the Spirit from with the Father. Therefore, these two senders sent one as two. When the Spirit came as the one sent, He did not come by Himself but with the Father. From this we see that eventually it was the Triune God who came as the Spirit.
In a simple word, we may say that the Triune God sent the Triune God. According to John 14:26, the first of the Trinity sent the third. But when the third was sent, He was sent as the second. Furthermore, according to John 15:26, the third was sent not only by the first but also by the second. When the third came, He came as the second and with the first. Therefore, the Triune God actually sent the Triune God. When one sent, all sent. When one came, all came.
We have seen that there are two senders of the Spirit- the Father and the Son. We have also seen that the Spirit came as two-the Spirit and the Son-and that the Spirit came with the Father. Therefore, the one sent is three. However, we still need to see that the sender, and not only the one sent, is also three. This requires that the Spirit, as well as the Father and the Son, be the sender. This matter is indicated in John 14:26.
As we study John 14:26, we need to consider what the phrase “in My name” modifies. This can be interpreted in two ways. First, it may mean that the Father in the Son’s name sent the Spirit. Second, it may mean that the Father sent the Spirit in the Son’s name. Did the Father in the Son’s name send the Spirit, or did the Father send the Spirit in the Son’s name? Was the sending one in the Son’s name or the sent one in the Son’s name? This is ambiguous not only in English but also in the Greek text. “In the Son’s name” means “as the Son.” Did the Father as the Son send the Spirit, or did the Father send the Spirit as the Son? If the Father in the Son’s name sent the Spirit, this means that the sending Father and the Son are one. If the Father sent the Spirit in the Son’s name, this means that the Spirit and the Son are one.
The Father sending the Spirit in the Son’s name indicates that the Spirit and the Son are one. Because the Spirit and the Son are one, the Spirit can be sent by the Father as the Son. This indicates strongly that the Spirit is the Son. The Father sending the Spirit in the Son’s name means that the Father sent the Spirit as the Son. This verse may also mean that when the Father was sending the Spirit, He was doing this sending as the Son. In other words, the Father, in the Son’s name, sent the Spirit. This indicates that the Son and the Father are one. Despite the ambiguity here, both interpretations are correct. John 14:26 first indicates that the Father sent the Spirit as the Son. Second, it indicates that the Father as the Son sent the Spirit. The Father sending the Spirit as the Son indicates that the Son is the Spirit. The Father as the Son sending the Spirit indicates that the Son is the Father. Therefore, the ambiguity of this verse indicates that the Son is both the Father and the Spirit. Moreover, the Son is both the sender and the sent one. Since the Spirit is one with the Son and the Son is the sender, so the Spirit is also the sender.
The phrase “in My name” in John 14:26 modifies both the Father who sent the Spirit and the Spirit who was sent. This indicates that the Son, in whose name the Father sent the Spirit and in whose name the Spirit was sent by the Father, is both the Father who sent and the Spirit who was sent. Since the Spirit as the one sent is one with the Son and the Son is the sender, the Spirit must also be the sender. This means that the sender, as well as the sent one, is three. Therefore, the Triune God sent the Triune God.
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