DOCSLIB.ORG

Divine Fellowship in the Gospel of John: a Trinitarian Spirituality

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Divine Fellowship in the Gospel of John: a Trinitarian Spirituality HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 12 Original Research Divine fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian spirituality Author: This article investigates how Trinity features are presented in the Gospel of John and how the 1 Dirk Van der Merwe early Christians experienced the Trinity in their daily lives. The immanence and ‘lived Affiliation: experiences’ of the divine are fostered by how the immanence of the divine is expounded in 1Faculty of Theology, terms of the familia Dei: God as Father, the Logos as Son of God, believers as Children of God North-West University, and the Spirit-Paraclete as the one who constitutes the family and educates the children in the Potchefstroom, South Africa family. Therefore, in this article, the familia Dei will be the facilitating hermeneutical principle Corresponding author: used to examine the divine fellowship as well as the ‘lived experiences’ and immanence of the Dirk Van der Merwe, divine in early Christian everyday living. John’s reflection on perichoresis lies embedded in a [email protected] ‘fellowship’ perspective. The divine fellowship is investigated from the four perspectives of how the divine is identified in John: life in thefamilia Dei, love in the familia Dei, unity in the Dates: Received: 06 Jan 2019 familia Dei and glorification in the familia Dei. Accepted: 22 May 2019 Published: 30 Oct. 2019 Keywords: Trinity; Divine-Fellowship; Familia Dei; Identity; Love; Life; Unity; Glorification. How to cite this article: Van der Merwe, D., 2019, Introduction ‘Divine fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian From the beginning of the early Church onwards, the early Christians embraced decisively spirituality’, HTS Teologiese exclusive monotheism and the veneration of Jesus. Both forms of Christian worship were already Studies/Theological Studies absolute when Christianity emerged from its original Jewish context (Bauckham 2008:294). Weiss 75(1), a5375. https://doi. org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5375 (1937:I, 37; quoted by Bauckham 2009:232) called the emergence of the worship of Jesus ‘the most significant step of all in the history of the origins of Christianity’. Just more than three decades Copyright: later, Aune (1972:5) made a corresponding consent: ‘[p]erhaps the single most important historical © 2019. The Authors. development within the early church was the rise of the cultic worship of the exalted Jesus within Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the the primitive Palestinian church’. For Hurtado (2003): Creative Commons The accommodation of Jesus as recipient of cultic worship with God is unparalleled and signals a major Attribution License. development in monotheistic cultic practice and belief. This variant form of monotheism appeared among circles who insisted that they maintained faithfulness to the monotheistic stance of the Jewish tradition.1 (pp. 53, 64) After this statement, Hurtado (2003:53) further concluded that ‘[a]ny theory of the origins and development of Jesus-devotion must, therefore, grant a significant role to this monotheistic concern’. Spinks (2008:31), in resonance with the above statements, extended to Jesus the sort of reverence reserved for the one God in biblical tradition. This reverence was not extended to any other figure. Indeed, the early Christians considered this reverence to Jesus as indispensable. Spinks located these views about reverence to Jesus in early Christianity as being reflected in the New Testament.2 John 5:23 is perhaps the most explicit expression of this attitude, declaring that according to God’s will the Son should be reverenced [τιμῶσι] analogously to the reverence of the Father, and that ‘[a]nyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him’ (Jn 5:23, NRSV). 1.Prior the advent of Christianity, Judaism demanded the sole worship of its God. This was exclusive among the religions of the Graeco- Roman world. Their perception of God has to be understood in terms of how they regarded the shema: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one’ (Dt 6:4). Jewish monotheism was defined by its adherence to the first two commandments. The God of Israel was the one and only God. This implies that, because he was the sole Creator and only Ruler (supreme) of the universe, only He alone might be worshipped. This fixed Jewish monotheism, which condemned all other religions as idolatrous, also made Christianity an abhorrent oddness in the Roman world. This Jewish attitude in Old Testament monotheism concerned the identity of God and not the nature of God (Bauckham 2008:316–317). 2.To some extent, about 15 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, Paul the Apostle in the first chapter of his First undisputed letter to the Thessalonians already referred explicitly to all three members of the Trinity, God, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, as being Read online: involved in the lives of the converts in Thessalonica. About two or three years later, he wrote in his undisputed First letter to the Scan this QR Corinthians, ‘Although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth – as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” – yet for code with your us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all smart phone or things and through whom we exist’ (1 Cor 8:5–6), to summarise the distinctive nature of early Christian devotion. mobile device to read online. Note: The collection entitled ‘God as One’, sub-edited by Erna Oliver (University of South Africa) and Willem Oliver (University of South Africa). http://www.hts.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 12 Original Research Each of the canonical Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and Secondly, a Trinitarian spirituality approach will look into John – portrays an idiosyncratic picture of Jesus Christ. these divine identity characteristics: life in the familia Dei, love Individually, they present distinctive discernments of who in the familia Dei, unity in the familia Dei and, finally, glorification Jesus is and what he accomplished. A comparison between in the familia Dei. The fellowship that occurs within the Trinity these four canonical gospels exhibits both unity and diversity. (deduced from Jn 17:21–23, ἐν and ἕν) should become evident Their witness concerns the same Jesus (unity) but, viewing and experiential in the Johannine community (Jn 15:1–8, him from idiosyncratic perspectives (diversity). In fact, it can μείνατε ἐν) so ‘that the world may believe’ (πιστεύῃ, Jn 17:21) be deduced that they, through their authors, express four and ‘that the world may know’ (γινώσκῃ, Jn 17:23) that the unique ‘lived experiences’ (spiritualities) of Jesus. Father has sent the Son into the world. ‘Matthew presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment Perichoresis in the familia Dei of Old Testament’ expectations (Combrink 1980:85; Strauss When reading John, the reader is presented with the concept 2007:171–211); ‘Mark portrays him as the suffering (Servant), of monotheism as early as in the prologue. The author uses Son of God, who offers himself as a sacrifice for sins’ (Strauss the singular form every time when referring to God: in John 2007:213–258; Vorster 1980:131); ‘Luke depicts Jesus as the 1:1 (‘καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν’) and John 1:18 (‘Θεὸν οὐδεὶς Savior for all people. He conveys salvation to all nations’ ἑώρακεν πώποτε’). Simultaneously, the Logos, referred to later (Du Plessis 1980:171–172; Strauss 2007:259–296); and in John, in the prologue as Jesus Christ and the one and only Son/ Jesus is the Christ, eternal Son of God, the self-revelation of God (μονογενὴς υἱός/θεός, Jn 1:18),5 is also depicted as being God the Father (Coetzee 1993:57; Strauss 2007:297–343; in a close relationship with God when he is referred to as God cf. Köstenberger 2013:23). What is important here is that (‘θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος’, Jn 1:1, 18), through the use of ‘the Word was these four perspectives (experiences) of Jesus complement with God’ (‘ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν’, Jn 1:1) and through the one another. use of ‘being in the bosom of the Father’ (‘ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς’, Jn 1:18). In John, the veneration of Jesus is distinctly evident,3 and even the divine identity of the Spirit-Paraclete is Then, at the end of the prologue, John states that ‘nobody has acknowledged. For John, the three divine Persons are within ever seen6 God’ (Jn 1:18; see also Jn 5:38; 6:46; 1 Jn 4:12, 20). If themselves a ‘familia Dei’ prior to any inclusion of disciples of this is so, how can humans speak about or even communicate Jesus. These three divine Persons constitute by themselves a with this (monotheistic) God? John then, influenced by the ‘family’ characterised by their ‘lived experiences’ of one Old Testament7 and the early Christian church,8 identifies another expressed as mutual ‘life, unity, love and glorification’. God with ‘Father’ (Jn 1:18), Jesus as ‘Son’ (Jn 1:18) and This is the dynamism for John’s understanding of who God believers as ‘children of God’ (Jn 1:12) to constitute the familia is, and which explains Stamatovic’s ‘perichoresis’4 (Stamatovic ́ Dei in John. To become part of the familia Dei, people have to 2016:304). be born from God (by the Spirit, Jn 1:13; cf. also Jn 3:5, 6, 8).9 These metaphors not only objectify the divine10 but also The choice of ‘divine fellowship’ in the title of the article is enable believers to talk about the divine, to communicate because of the fact that, in John, the three persons of the with the divine and to experience the divine.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Gospel of John
    <- THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” (Isa. 40:9). Click to Follow Link 1:1—28. THE FORERUNNER. 1:29—34. THE BAPTISM: WITH WATER. 1:35—4:54. THE KINGDOM. 5:1—6:71. THE KING. } PROCLAIMED. THE FOURFOLD 7:1—11:54. THE KING. MINISTRY OF } REJECTED. } 11:54—18:1. THE KINGDOM. THE LORD. 18:2—20:31 THE BAPTISM: OF SUFFERING (DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION). 21:1—25. THE SUCCESSORS. For the New Testament and the order of its Books, see Ap. 95. NOTES ON JOHN’S GOSPEL. For the Diversity of the Four Gospels, see Ap. 96. For the Unity of the Four Gospels, see Ap. 97. For the Fourfold Ministry of the Lord, see Ap. 119. For words peculiar to John’s writings, see some 84 words recorded in the notes. The Divine purpose in the Gospel by John is to present the Lord Jesus as God. This is the one great feature which constitutes the difference between this Gospel and the other three. It has already been noted that in the first three Gospels the Lord Jesus is presented respectively as Israel’s King, Jehovah’s Servant, and the ideal Man; and that those incidents, words, and works are selected, in each Gospel, which specially accord with such presentation. Thus they present the Lord on the side of His perfect humanity. It is this that links them together, and is the real reason for their being what is called “Synoptic”, and for the marked difference between them, taken together, and the fourth Gospel.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 THAT WE ALL MAY BE ONE Sermon Delivered to St. Paul's
    THAT WE ALL MAY BE ONE Sermon delivered to St. Paul’s Church 7 Easter, John 17:20-26, Year C May 12, 2013 Thack Dyson The 1999 movie Tuesday with Morrie , based on the book by the same name, is the true story of a sports writer, Mitch Albom, and his reunion with a former college professor who is dying of ALS. Albom was a multitasking workaholic, whose life is a series of hurried appointments, rushed phone calls, and last minute sprints to catch a flight. When he discovers that his former college professor and friend Morrie Schwartz, was in the last stages of ALS, he honors a long overdue promise to visit him. In these visits, Morrie teaches Mitch some important lessons about what matters most in life. Morrie soon discovers that Mitch has a tendency to be superficial and patronizing. Morrie is sometimes patient with Mitch’s superficiality, but in one scene in particular Morrie confronts Mitch with some painful truths. Morrie is very frail, and is sitting in a recliner in obvious pain. He grimaces and asks Mitch to rub his aching feet with salve. “When we’re infants,” says Morrie, “we need people to survive; when we’re dying, we need people to survive; but here’s the secret: in between we need each other even more.” Mitch nods and patronizingly responds with a quote that he has heard Morrie say many times. “We must love one another or perish.” Morrie loses his patience with Mitch. “Yeah, but do you believe that? Does it apply to you?” Mitch is stunned and defensive as he confesses that he doesn’t know what he believes.
    [Show full text]
  • Good Friday Is the Day When Christians Opening Spiritual Mark C
    March 29, 2013 Welcome Van English Good Invocation Van English Friday Good Friday is the day when Christians Opening Spiritual Mark C. Brown commemorate the crucifixion and death Lord, Listen To Your Children Praying of Jesus. This is an Spiritual important event in Christianity, as it represents the sacrifices and 1st Prayer - Matthew 11:25-26 Lawanna White suffering in Jesus' life. The crucifixion was the culmination of a He prayed. “I thank you, Holy Parent, God of heaven and earth, because You number of events in have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed Holy Week, including: them to infants; yes, for such was Your gracious will." the triumphal return of Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the washing of the 2nd Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 Mark C. Brown disciples' feet by Jesus; and the Last Supper on Maundy "Our Creator which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy realm to Thursday. Good come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily Friday is a day of bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not mourning. Candles are often extinguished into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine’s the dominion, and the and statues, paintings power, and the glory, forever. Amen." and crosses may be draped in black, purple or The Lord's Prayer gray cloth. by Albert Hay Malotte and Steve Wilkinson 3rd Prayer - John 11:41-42 Paul Gonzalez So they took away the burial stone (from Lazarus’ grave).
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel According to John
    THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 5 ........................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 6 ......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 7 ......................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 8 ......................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 9 ......................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 10 ....................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 11 ....................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 12 ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Gospel of John Volume 2
    Norman Smith’s The Gospel According to St. John Small Group Study Volume 2 Faith and Fellowship Ministry Holy Trinity Church San Francisco Prayer Before Study Illumine our hearts, loving Master, with the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind that we may comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed Commandments, so that having conquered sinful desires we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to you. For You Christ our God are the light of our souls and bodies and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life- giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen Prayer After Study Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. You have completed the divine plan of the Father. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Members of Our Group Name Email Phone ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 2 John 10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
    [Show full text]
  • John 17.6-12 STUDY GUIDE
    THE GOSPEL OF JOHN Small Group Discussion Guide Text: John 17:6-12 Theme/ Big Idea: Jesus prays the Father's faithfulness towards believers. Context/ Background Information: John 17 is an intimate look into Jesus' prayer with the Father. In verses 1-5, Jesus prayed the glory of God would be seen in the crucifixion of the Son, the will of God would be accomplished, and worship of God would be restored. Now, in verses 6-19, Jesus prays God's continued faithfulness towards believers. This study guide will focus on verses 6-12, which let us in on who Jesus prays for, while the next will focus on verses 13-19, which reveal more of the specific requests Jesus makes to the Father on their behalf. WHO JESUS PRAYS FOR Jesus is praying for "the people whom [the Father] gave [him] out of the world." He is praying for those who belonged to the Father, were given to the Son, and believe (John 17:2, 6, 9, 10). In short, he is praying for his disciples, specifically and believers, generally. Jesus makes it clear he is praying for believers in four different ways. First, Jesus says that he "manifested" or revealed the Father's name. Name, in this case, means "personhood, reality, or identity." As Carson notes, "God's 'name' embodies his character; to reveal God's name is to make God's character known." (1) So Jesus is saying that he revealed the nature and person of God. And the people he is praying for are those who "kept your word" (John 17:6).
    [Show full text]
  • 1St Passion Gospel John 13:31-38; 14-18:1
    1st Passion Gospel John 13:31-38; 14-18:1 The Lord said to His Disciples *, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
    [Show full text]
  • Rainbow Forest 2020 Theme “Declaring God's Glory”
    11/21/2020 Rainbow Forest 2020 Theme “Declaring God’s Glory” 1 11/21/2020 Psalm 96:2-4 & 8 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Rainbow Forest Mission Statement Connecting the Disconnected to Christ, Community and the Call Our Purpose To glorify God in everything we say and do 2 11/21/2020 Connecting Through the Word “That They May Be One” John 17 John 17:10-11; 17-26 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 3 11/21/2020 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
    [Show full text]
  • What Would Jesus Do?
    What Would Jesus Do? Wiehan ReferenceBrown (If required) (John 17:1) Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify your Son, in order that your Son may glorify you (John 17:2) just as you have given him authority over all flesh, in orderUNDERSTANDINGTHE that he would give eternal life to them — everyone whomNEW you have TESTAMENT given him. (John 17:3) Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John Doe (John 17:4) I have glorified you on earth by completing the work that you have given me ⌊to do. (John 17:5) And now, Father, you glorify me at your side with the glory that I had at your side before the world existed. UNDERSTANDINGTHE (John 17:6) “INEW have revealed TESTAMENT your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your word. John Doe (John 17:7) Now they understand that all the things that you have given me are from you, (John 17:8) because the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they received them and know truly that I have comeUNDERSTANDINGTHE from you, and they have believed that you have sent me. NEW TESTAMENT (John 17:9) I am asking on behalf of them. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you have given me, because they are yours, John Doe (John 17:10) and all my things are yours, and your things are mine, and I have been glorified in them.
    [Show full text]
  • That They May Be One in Us
    to the law of sin which is in my mem- bers” (Romans 7:21–23). That They May Be Nephi expressed similar feelings: “Notwithstanding the great good- ness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart One in Us exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON of my flesh; my soul grieveth because Of the Seventy of mine iniquities. “I am encompassed about, because We will not be one with God and Christ until we make of the temptations and the sins which Their will and interest our greatest desire. do so easily beset me” (2 Nephi 4:17–18). But then, remembering the Savior, Nephi stated this hopeful conclusion: “Nevertheless, I know in whom I have world may believe that thou hast trusted” (2 Nephi 4:19). What did he sent me. mean? “And the glory which thou gavest Jesus was also a being of flesh and me I have given them; that they may spirit, but He yielded not to tempta- be one, even as we are one: tion (see Mosiah 15:5). We can turn to “I in them, and thou in me, that Him as we seek unity and peace they may be made perfect in one” within, because He understands. He (John 17:20–23). understands the struggle, and He also How glorious it is to contemplate understands how to win the struggle. that we have been invited into that As Paul said, “We have not an high perfect unity that exists with the priest which cannot be touched with Father and the Son.
    [Show full text]
  • Changeable Portions for Matins of Holy Friday
    Changeable portions for Matins of Holy Friday (After the “Alleluia” verses) Troparion Tone 8 When the glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of their feet before the supper, then the impious Judas was darkened, ailing with avarice, and to the lawless judges he betrays You, the Righteous Judge. Behold, O lover of money, this man who because of money hanged himself. Flee from the greedy soul which dared such things against the Master. O Lord Who are good towards all mankind, glory to You! Reader: Lord, have mercy. (3x) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. The First Gospel Sr. Rdr.: The reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John. (13:31-18:1) The appointed Gospel lesson is read in a normal voice by the Senior Reader. The Lord said to His disciples: “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You 1 going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
    [Show full text]
  • John 17:18-‐26
    John 17:18-26 John 17:18-19 “(18) As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (19) And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” A. As God the Father sent Christ into the world (John 5:30 and John 12:49), Jesus is sending the disciples into the world (John 20:21). 1. As Jesus came into the world teaching the lost (Matthew 4:12-17 and Matthew 9:35), the disciples were given the same task (Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:44-49, John 15:16, and II Corinthians 4:3-5). 2. Taking the word of God into the world is a dangerous work (Matthew 23:34 and Acts 5:40-42). 3. Yet, just as Jesus was not alone (John 8:29), the disciples will not be alone (Matthew 28:18-20 and John 14:26; cf. Matthew 10:16-20). B. Jesus sanctified Himself for the sake of the disciples (Hebrews 2:9-11). 1. Think about this, how much did Jesus do for His own benefit (Matthew 20:28, II Corinthians 8:9, and Philippians 2:4-8)? 2. As we discussed in this chapter, it is the truth that sanctifies [makes holy] (John 17:17). John 17:20-23 “(20) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (21) That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
    [Show full text]