João 17
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 17
Morris comments that "Now” may be either logical or temporal, probably the latter. Jesus seems to be saying that only now, now at long last, have they come into the knowledge of which he speaks. This knowledge is not described so plainly as to be beyond any possible misunderstanding. But it appears to mean the knowledge that Jesus’ mission is divine, that he has nothing except what the Father has given him. All is of God. This is an important truth. As long as we stay with the figure of the Galilean Jesus (perhaps romanticizing over the beauty of his holiness and lowliness) so long we miss what really matters. What is central is that all that we see in him is of God. It is not so much the Man of Galilee as the eternal God on whom our attention should rest. (BORROW The Gospel according to John PAGE 722) (Bold added)
João 17
Morris adds that "The reference to the fulfilling of Scripture brings out the divine purpose. This does not mean that Judas was an automaton. He was a responsible person and acted freely. But God used that man’s evil act to bring about His own purpose. There is a combination of the human and the divine, but in this passage it is the divine aspect rather than the human that receives stress. In the end God’s will was done in the handing over of Jesus to be crucified. (BORROW The Gospel According to John, NICNT PAGE 728)
João 17
Morris - This petition assures us that the Lord was praying for everyone who would ever believe in Him, not just for the eleven who were with Him at the time. In fact, "he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Note the many assurances that He continually prays for us (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34; Romans 8:26,34; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 9:24). Thus, the wonderful requests He made in this prayer (see John 17:11) are for all true believers. NET NOTE - Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontōn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10–22). John Broadus —John 17:20–21 (from sermon “The Saviour Praying for Us,”) The third petition. I see Jesus Christ standing in that night hour with his little company of eleven. He sends his thoughts down the years to dwell on those who would believe on him, and his heart went out toward them, praying “that all of them may be one.” Jesus Christ bends now from the mediator’s throne with endless solicitude for every human heart that looks lovingly up to him, knowing them all, the sheep of his flock on earth, and praying still “that all of them may be one.” You expect me to contrast with this prayer the divisions of the Christian world. But I will not. The prayer is answered—imperfectly, certainly—and so is that other prayer, “Sanctify them.” You may deem it strange that Jesus prayed that his people might be holy, and they are so unholy, yet you do not say his prayer is not answered. So with this other prayer; Christ’s true people are one. All who truly trust in Jesus Christ are more one than they know, and in proportion as they are united to the Redeemer, they are united with each other. This prayer will be more fully answered in the same way as the previous prayer—by the truth. The more gospel truth we know and believe and live by, the more we will be one. One of the problems of our day is to know how to cling to gospel truth in kindliness toward those who differ from us as to what is gospel truth. Many people are possessed with the idea that everything must be given up to outward union. They have so liberalized the Christian faith that they say there is no assured truth; one thing is as true as another. Other people set their heads on certain views of truth until there is not anything in their view but those particular tenets that distinguish them from other Christians. Now it is a fact that people are made better only by truth and that Christians will be made more thoroughly one through truth, and it is folly to sacrifice truth for the sake of outward union. The problem is how to maintain devotion to God’s truth and yet deal in all loving-kindness and affection and cooperation with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. You say it is hard to do both of these things! Of course, it is hard to do anything well, always hard to do right and to do good, with this poor human nature of ours. HOME-LIFE IN GOD John 17:20-26. John Henry Jowett THE home-life in God is to be a life of perfect union—“I in them, and Thou in Me.” Home is only another name for union. It is the perfect fusion of life with life, the harmonizing of differences as many different notes combine to form the mystery of choral song. And so will it be in the home-land! Our manifold individualities will be retained, but we shall “fit into one another,” and in the perfect harmony we shall hear the “new song” of heaven. And we are to prepare that union by the contemplation of the glory of the Lord. “That they may behold My glory.” Yes, and we can begin to do that now. We can lift our eyes away from the ugly compromises of men and fix them upon the radiant holiness of the Lord. We can look away from the dirty Alpine village and gaze upon the virgin snow of the uplifted heights. “Looking unto Jesus!” And in that contemplation we shall most assuredly become transformed. “I have given unto them the glory which Thou gavest Me.” That is our wonderful possibility. For thee and me is this prize offered, we can “awake in His likeness.” Norman Geisler - JOHN 17:20–21—Did Jesus’ prayer “that they all may be one” intend the visible hierarchical unity expressed in the Roman Catholic Church? MISINTERPRETATION: Catholic scholars believe that the unity of faith “consists in the fact that all members of the Church inwardly believe the truths of faith proposed by the teaching office of the [Roman Catholic] Church, at least implicitly and outwardly confess them.” This unity “consists, on the one hand, in the subjection of the members of the Church to the authority of the bishops and of the Pope (unity of government or hierarchical unity); on the other hand, in the binding of the members among themselves to a social unity by participation in the same cult and in the same means of grace (unity of cult or liturgical unity)” (Ott, 1960, 303). CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: When Jesus spoke of all believers being “one” in John 17, he was not speaking about organizational unity but organic unity. Jesus was not referring to an external uniformity but to the visible manifestation of our spiritual unity, for example, in our love for one another, which Jesus said unbelievers can detect (John 13:35). That the unity was truly spiritual is evident in what was said of early Christians: “Behold, how they love one another!” Christ’s true followers are one in faith, hope, and love. But they are not one in denomination, synod, or jurisdiction. Even though the immediate discussion in Jesus’ prayer is a visible unity of the church, it is clear that Jesus did not envision this as organizational unity, such as that claimed by the Roman See. No such governmental unity is mentioned anywhere in the passage. Jesus is speaking of “all those who will believe” in him in the future too, including those who couldn’t be seen (v. 20), which is a description of the whole spiritual body of believers, not simply the organized believers on earth. The unity for which he prayed is compared to that among the persons of the Godhead (“as you, Father, are in me and I in you”), a unity that is clearly spiritual and invisible, not visible and organizational. The primary sense in which the world was to observe the manifestation of this unity was by “love” (v. 23), a spiritual tie, not an organizational one. Indeed, Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV). So clearly the kind of unity envisioned here is not a visible organization, as Catholics claim, but a true spiritual unity. (See When Cultists Ask - page 154) Word And Life [I pray] for those who will believe in Me through their word. — John 17:20 Today's Scripture : John 17:1-23 A man knew the Bible well and openly declared his faith in Christ, but he had a bad reputation for his unprincipled business practices. When confronted about the inconsistency, he replied, “God is more concerned with how I talk to others about Christ than He is with how I live.” In contrast, many Christians who never tell others about Jesus make the excuse, “I’ll let my life talk for me.” Both extremes are in error. The following poem, adapted from an old work by George Herbert, expresses the needed balance. Lord, how can we speak Your Word? We are brittle, like fragile glass. Yet, in Your service You afford us This glorious and transcendent place To be a window, through Your grace. When through this glass You reveal Your story, And make Your life to shine within these windows, Then Your light and glory more Attractive grows, more favor wins Than all this world’s alluring sins. Truth and life, colors and light, When they combine and mingle, bring A sense of awe; but speech alone Will vanish like a fleeting thing; It strikes the ear, but does not conscience ring. An effective witness not only knows his faith but shows his faith. G Campbell