João 14
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 14
Morris points out (John [NICNT], 637), this results in a bewildering variety of possibilities. To complicate matters further, the first may be understood as a question: “Do you believe in God? Believe also in me.” Morris argues against the KJV translation which renders the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative on the grounds that for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God. But this is precisely the point that Jesus is addressing in context. He is about to undergo rejection by his own people as their Messiah. The disciples’ faith in him as Messiah and Lord would be cast into extreme doubt by these events, which the author makes clear were not at this time foreseen by the disciples. After the resurrection it is this identification between Jesus and the Father which needs to be reaffirmed (cf. John 20:24-29). Thus it seems best to take the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation “You believe in God; believe also in me.” See additional discussion by D A Carson of the possible renderings of pisteuo - Page 487 and Page 488 Believe (4100) (pisteuo from pistis; pistos; related studies the faith) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. To consider to be true. To accept the word or evidence of.
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Morris adds "He has been showing them the way in the whole body of his teaching. If they follow that way, they will come where He is." (BORROW The Gospel According to John PAGE 640) ILLUSTRATION - A pioneer missionary in Africa tells how he was taking the gospel to a new tribe, far to the north. With his bearers, he arrived at a village, a point beyond which his porters refused to go. The missionary appealed to the local chief. Was there someone in his village who could act as his guide to the distant northern tribe? The chief summoned a man, tall, battle scarred, carrying a large axe. A bargain was made and the next morning the missionary set off through the bush, following his new guide. The way became increasingly rough and the path had all but disappeared. There was an occasional mark blazed on a tree, occasionally a narrow path. Finally the missionary called a halt. He asked the guide if he was sure he knew the way. The man pulled himself up to his full height. "White man," he said, "you see this axe in my hand? You see these scars on my body? With this axe I blazed the trail to the tribal village to which we go. I came from there. These scars I received when I made the way. You ask me if I know the way? Before I came, there was no way. I am the way." (BORROW Exploring the Gospels. John PAGE 264) John 14:5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Thomas: Joh 20:25-28 we do not know: Joh 15:12 Mk 8:17,18 9:19 Lu 24:25 Heb 5:11,12 DOUBTING THOMAS SPEAKS FOR THE ELEVEN Thomas said to Him, “Lord (kurios), we (absolutely) do not know (eido) where You are going, how do we know (eido) the way?” Thomas is confused and did not understand what Jesus meant by the way, which prompts his question! They would remain puzzled until after His death and resurrection and until the coming of the Holy Spirit Who would give full understanding. They had all the information but they could not put it together. All mankind owes "doubting" Thomas a thanks because His question prompted one of the most powerful verses ever spoken about how a sinner can one day come into the present of the perfectly Holy God! William
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Morris - “Way,” “truth,” and “life” all have relevance, the triple expression emphasizing the many-sidedness of the saving work. “Way” speaks of a connection between two persons or things, and here the link between God and sinners. “Truth” reminds us of the complete reliability of Jesus in all that he does and is. And “life” stresses the fact that mere physical existence matters little. The only life worth the name is that which Jesus brings, for he is life itself. Jesus is asserting in strong terms the uniqueness and the sufficiency of his work for sinners. We should not overlook the faith involved both in the utterance and in the acceptance of those words, spoken as they were on the eve of the crucifixion. “I am the Way,” said one who would shortly hang impotent on a cross. “I am the Truth,” when the lies of evil people were about to enjoy a spectacular triumph. “I am the Life,” when within a matter of hours his corpse would be placed in a tomb. (BORROW The Gospel according to John PAGE 640) The issue...is not whether or not we like this claim, but whether or not it is true. -- Walter Kaiser Walter Kaiser adds that "The issue, then, is not whether or not we like this claim, but whether or not it is true. The usual smokescreen is to say, “What about those who have never heard of Jesus?” The response to this is twofold: (1) there is a missionary imperative in the New Testament to minimize this problem (that is why, for example, Paul dedicates his life to preaching Jesus where he has not yet been preached) and (2) how God may choose to reveal himself or deal with those who have no human messenger is his business. If we know God’s character, we can trust him to do his business well. Our problem is that we do know about Jesus and are living in a culture in which Jesus is all too well known. Furthermore, the missionary imperative falls to those of us who believe." (ED: I would add Romans 1:20 [commentary] also addresses those who never heard for Paul writes "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." See also Gotquestions - What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus? and Walter Kaiser on page 508 Is God Fair to Condemn Those Who Have Never Heard?) Note that Jesus differentiates Himself clearly from false "ways" by not saying He is "A way" which would leave open the door for the interpretation that He was one of many ways to God. He did not leave the door open for that damning teaching. Further, Jesus differentiated Himself from other false ways that are a dead end street (pun intended!) Buddha said, “I am a guide to way.” Mohammed said, “I am a teacher of the truth.” Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life.” The clear implication of Jesus' words is that Jesus is the only way and the only truth and the only life. I am the Way, without Me there is no Going I am the Truth, without Me there is no Knowing I am the Life, without Me there is no Growing. John
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Morris - “The Spirit will not dispense with the teachings of Jesus. The teaching to be recalled is His.” (BORROW The Gospel according to John page 582) Adrian Rogers - The Holy Spirit never shoves. He guides and leads. If you feel a hand between your shoulder blades, just pushing on you, that's most likely not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is gentle. I've met many people who are compulsive and driven. They're not led people. They're generally religious zealots, and usually they're quite dangerous. We, however, need to be led by the Holy Spirit. Remember the still, small voice. Yes, it's somewhat of a mystical thing, but it is the living God communicating His will to you. C H
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Morris observes, “Anyone who has tried to get a group of a dozen or so to leave a particular place at a particular time will appreciate that it usually takes more than one brief exhortation to accomplish this. There is nothing at all unlikely in an interval between the uttering of the words and the departure of the group. And if an interval, then there is no reason why Jesus should not have continued to speak during it” (BORROW Morris, p. 660). (See Holman New Testament Commentary - John - Page 271) Merrill Tenney - At this point Jesus proposed leaving the upper room. Whether chs. 15–17 were spoken en route to Gethsemane or whether he and the disciples lingered while he finished the discussion is not plain; but in either case the words conclude the open dialogue. (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition) John MacArthur is slightly more dogmatic - At this point Jesus and the disciples evidently left the upper room and began walking through Jerusalem, headed for Gethsemane. While they walked, Jesus continued His teaching. (John 18:1 does not describe the Lord and the disciples leaving the upper room, as some think. It refers to their leaving the city of Jerusalem and crossing the Kidron valley, east of the city Gethsemane lay across the valley on the slopes of the Mount of Olives.) (See John Commentary) Oswald Chambers - The initiative against dreaming Arise, let us go hence. John 14:31. Dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. After Our Lord had said those wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected that He would tell them to go away and meditate over them all; but Our Lord never allowed ‘mooning.’ When we are getting into contact with God in order to find out what He wants, dreaming is right; but when we are inclined to spend our time in dreaming over what we have been told to do, it is a bad thing and God’s blessing is never on it. God’s initiative is always in the nature of a stab against this kind of dreaming, the stab that bids us “neither sit nor stand but go.” If we are quietly waiting before God and He has said—“Come ye yourselves apart,” then that is meditation before God in order to get at the line He wants; but always beware of giving over to mere dreaming when once God has spoken. Leave Him to be the source of all your dreams and joys and delights, and go out and obey what He has said. If you are in love, you do not sit down and dream about the one you love all the time, you go and do something for him; and that is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Dreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.