The Greek noun paraklēsis (παράκλησις) is derived from parakaleo (to call alongside, encourage, or comfort). It encompasses the meanings of comfort in sorrow, encouragement to action, exhortation toward a goal, and solemn appeal. Paul uses it frequently — it appears about 29 times in the New Testament — both for the comfort God gives to His people and for the apostolic appeal to live worthy of the gospel.
Paraklēsis is the noun form that corresponds to the ministry of the Holy Spirit as Paraklētos (Comforter/Advocate, John 14:16). Paul opens 2 Corinthians 1:3–7 with a cascade of paraklēsis: God is 'the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (paraklēsis),' who comforts us in our troubles 'so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.' This establishes a theology of cascading comfort — divine comfort flows through suffering believers to others. Romans 12:8 lists paraklēsis as a spiritual gift, recognizing that some are specially gifted to encourage and comfort the Body of Christ.