Colossians

Outline of Colossians

I. Paul and Timothy’s Greeting to the church at Colossae. (1.1-1.2)

II. Paul and Timothy’s prayers for the church in Colossae. (1.3-1.14)

III. Paul explains who Christ is and how his death has changed our status. (1.15-1.23)

A. Who Christ is (1.15-20)

B. Who we are because of Christ’s death (1.21-1.23)

IV. Paul’s ministry in the Church (1.24-2.5)

A. Paul’s ministry (1.24-1.29)

B. Paul’s reason for describing his ministry (2.1-2.5)

V. Stand firm in your faith (2.6-2.15)

A. Don’t be taken in by smooth talk. (2.6-2.8)

B. Why you should not be taken in. (2.9-2.15)

VI. Because we have been raised we no longer have to follow the law for the laws sake. Instead set your eyes on Christ and seek after heavenly pursuits. (2.16-3.17)

A. Don’t let people tell you what to follow. (2.16-2.19)

B. Watch out for stuff that seems wise but is not. (2.20-2.23)

C. If you have been raised seek the things of substance instead of fleshly desires. (3.1-3.17) 

1. Don’t follow the old patterns. (3.5-3.11)

2. Cultivate new patterns. (3.12-17)

VII. Instruction about family and slave/master interactions. (3.18-4.1)

A. Husband, wife and child roles. (3.18-3.21)

B. Instructions to slaves and those over slaves. (3.22-4.1)

VIII. A final exhortation to the Colossians. (4.2-4.6)

IX. Introductions and greetings from fellow workers with Paul including final instructions for the use of the letter. (4.7-4.18)

A. Introduction of the fellow Jewish workers. (4.7-4.11)

B. Introduction of the fellow Gentile workers (4.12-4.15)

C. Final instructions (4.16-4.18)

 Subject of Colossians

Main Subject: Paul and Timothy, writing to the saints at Colossae, brings them encouragement that they have been buried and risen with Christ therefore should replace our earthly actions with heavenly pursuits since we are alive in Christ and not dead in our sin.

            Paul begins his letter by introducing himself and Timothy as well as addressing his letter to the “faithful brethren in Christ” (1.1-2). This helps to set the stage for the subject of the letter. By addressing it to the saints we know that the main subject of the letter is going to address issues in the church and with the saints.

            The letter begins by stating how powerful Christ is (1.15-18). By stating the power that Christ has we understand how he has the ability to forgive our sins and why we should follow him. Before stating the power with which Christ has saved us Paul states how we have been rescued from our sins (1.13-14). This points toward how we have been saved by Christ and entered into his Kingdom.

            Paul then moves into a section where he states that we are hostile but that Christ has reconciled us in his body (1.21-23). This points toward us being buried with Christ and raised with him and therefore we are different people. Paul spells this out further in the letter as he speaks of how we are in Christ (2.11-14). In these verses Paul speaks of how we as followers of Christ have had our old natures buried with him and are new creations.

            Paul then speaks of how we as Christians should act, not as ones obsessed with earthly things but as one who has there eyes set on heavenly pursuits (2.20-23). In the last verses we see Paul speaking of why we should not follow the earthly law as well as how religious legalization cannot lead to life change. Because of this Paul says that we should be looking upward and focusing our attention on heavenly issues (3:1-3). The reason for the life that we have and the orientation of our thoughts and motivations is given immediately in the following verses (3.3-5).     

            The rest of the letter fills out and continues in this idea that we have been buried with Christ therefore are now new men in Christ. As new men we should orient our minds toward the things of heaven while living our lives her on earth.  

Commentary of Colossians

Paul and Timothy’s Greeting to the church at Colossae. (1.1-1.2)

            Paul is writing this letter to the saints at Colossae, which are the Christians in that area. He also introduces that Timothy is a co-author of the letter and a brother in Christ. Paul then continues his greeting to the Christians in Colossae with his normal greeting of grace and peace to you (Gal. 1.3; 1 Thess. 1.1; 2 Thess. 1.2; 1 Tim. 1.2, 2 Tim. 1.2, Titus 1.4, 1 Cor. 1.3, 2 Cor. 2.2). This greeting is a normal one that Paul uses in the majority of his letters. Here there is a phrase that is a formal greeting that conveys a bit more then just formality. It gives the impression of our place with the Father and what the Father is give to us.

            This greeting serves to introduce Paul and his co-author as well as introduce the recipients of the letter. Paul closes his introduction with a statement that is both formal and comforting in our standing with God the Father.

Paul and Timothy’s prayers for the church in Colossae. (1.3-1.14)

            Paul and Timothy then launch into a prayer that begins with the discourse of how they heard of the believers at Colossae and all the good they are doing. Paul says they have being praying always for them since they have heard of the conversion and faith of those at Colossae.

            Paul then goes on to praise the love for the saints that those at Colossae have and stays that it is because of the hope in heaven that they have such a love. This reason is part of the gospel of truth that they had previously heard. Here Paul is affirming the faith of those at Colossae and through this affirmation he is giving them validity, as a Christian community that the gospel they have heard and their actions in response to this gospel have be correct. He then affirms the one who preached this message to them; Epaphras, Paul and Timothy call him a “fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf” (1.7b).  This would help to encourage the community of believers and let them know that they are on the correct path as well as give credibility to Epaphras.

            Paul then begins to lay out what it is that he and Timothy continually pray for the believers in Colossae. He splits it into six specific areas all of which have to do with growth in the faith. They are as follows:

1)    To be filled with the knowledge of His will in spiritual wisdom and understanding

2)    Walk in a manor worthy of Jesus

3)    Pleas Him in everything

4)    To bear fruit    

5)    Increasing in knowledge of God

6)    That they would be Strengthened with all power of his Glorious might.     

A short word on each category and why they are important and how they work together.

1) The first area deals with two aspects one is wisdom and the other is understanding. There is a distinction made between understanding and wisdom for one can have understanding but not have wisdom and vice versa. To have wisdom is to make wise and proper choices but if you don’t understand why these choices are wise then there is no depth behind the wisdom. If you have understanding and do not apply it to gain wisdom then it is useless and there is just a smart person who loves to think and understand. The believer needs both to work in tandem so that they can ascertain the will of God and make wise choices.    

2) The second area deals with walking in a manor worth of the Lord. This is one that deals with how the believers act and interact with the world around them. It is and encouragement to act in a way that will bring glory to the name of Christ. 

3) The third category is a simple one it is that in everything the believer does he should to it to please Christ. In other words the daily tasks of taking out the trash or cooking dinner should be done to please Christ. Also this has a profound impact in the arena of work. Believers should work hard at their jobs in order to pleas Christ in everything they do.   

4) The fourth category is one that covers what our working and walking produces. The believers should be producing fruit for the kingdom. The walking and pleasing God in everything they do should being about good responses by people and in their lives. they should be growing closer to Jesus as well as being able to share the gospel with those around them through their actions. Of al the categories this one looks more outward to the impact the believer has on the world as well as the impact that the gospel has on the believer.   

5) The fifth category is one that speaks of our knowledge of God increasing which comes as the believer actively participates in the gospel. Through the walking, and doing all things to pleas him the bible tends to come more alive. It makes more sense as the believer walks out the ideas with in the gospel. They come to a deeper understanding and things that might have been unclear become more clear as they continue to read and act out the gospel on a daily bases. 

6) The Sixth category is about gaining strength in order that the believer might be able to act out the walking and pleasing God with everything. Here Paul also prays that the believer would be strengthened in order that they might be steadfast, patience, and give thanks to God joyously. These issues of patience, steadfastness and thanks all point toward keeping on in the things of God. It is about staying faithful to Him and while acting out the gospel even though persecution comes.

            These six categories work together to provide a picture of how the believer should act and what they should be pursuing in life. That picture is one who is seeking God and living their lives in order to pleas him while giving thanks in all situations.

            Paul then states why these things should be done and how magnificent Christ is. He sets out a very simple gospel saying that God has rescued the believers and transplanted him from a kingdom of darkness to one of light that is ruled by his son. Here Paul is using a metaphor that is common in the bible most notably in the gospel of John where Jesus is compared to light and life while Satan and this world is compared to darkness and death. Paul then brings this idea into play and says that out of darkness the believer has been taken in therefore we should worship and thank God. He goes on to say that in the Son we have redemption which is clarified to mean the forgiveness of sins.

            This section is connected by the idea that here Paul prays for how the believer should be and then gives us the reasons why they should give thanks that God has graciously allowed us to be saved. Paul links the idea of growing closer to God with the idea of thankfulness and shows why we need to be thankful because God has saved us therefore we should act accordingly.

Paul explains who Christ is and how his death has changed our status. (1.15-1.23)

            At he end of his prayer he transitions into talking about the Son of God and he continues this discussion by stating who Christ is and then moving into who the believer is because of his death and subsequent resurrection.

            First Paul deals with who Christ is. He uses many ideas and each of these ideas help us to understand that Christ is the head of everything. There is nothing that Christ is not in charge of. Paul says that, “By Him all things were created…” (1.16). This points to the fact that He has always been around. He created all things therefore He is above all of his creation. He is the head of all things here on earth. This is important as it sets up how incredible the next section is.

            In the next section Paul tells those at Colossae that it was through Christ that God reconciled us to him. He tells the believers that formerly they were not with Christ and alienated from him. This is true one two different levels. While as unbelievers the Christians at Colossae were alienated from God they also were not Jewish so they had no hope of being saved before the coming of Jesus and the spread of the Gospel. Here Paul is using the idea of being outsiders to the faith which they must have felt from the Jews in the area to make a point of what a great work God has done in the reconciliation. Paul then continues to say that as unbelievers we are “hostile in mind” and “engaged in evil deeds” (1.21). This further points us toward the idea that unbelievers are unable to find peace although that is what every human seems to be striving for.

            Paul then moves from the idea of the fallen person into the description of what Christ has done for the believer. He says that Christ has offered up his body and that through Christ’s death we have been reconciled to God. This then has the result of us being holy and blameless before him. This speaks to the price that Christ paid on our behalf and how believers have not place to boast before the almighty God.

            Paul adds one caveat to this previous statement. He says that the believer must continue in the faith and remain in the steadfast hope of the gospel. This means that the believer must continue in the ways of God in essence they must continue to grow in the six previous categories. Here Paul is connecting what he prays everyday for the believer with what Christ has done for us in reconciling us with the Father.

Paul’s ministry in the Church (1.24-2.5)

            Paul then launches into a six verse statement of what his role in the church is followed by a five verse explanation as to why he has included a statement about his own ministry. This section of the text is here to show us how Paul has labored in the effort to bring the mystery of the gospel to those who have not seen his face. This struggle is a testimony that is meant to be of encouragement to all those who read and hear it. It is a sort of mini testimony in order to encourage the saints at Colossae.

            Paul begins the section by describing his ministry. He speaks of his suffering and he says that he does it for the church. Then Paul goes on to state what is his specific place in the ministry of the gospel. His place is preaching the mystery that God revealed to him in the scripture and gave him to preach. This mystery has been that the gospel is for all men not just the Jews like previously thought. It is the fact that even all through the Old Testament the idea that God was going to provide a way for all men to be saved. This idea permeates Paul’s ministry and is the focal point of his entire ministry. He fights for the gentiles to be accepted by the Jewish church as well as brings the message of the gospel to them.    

            Paul then answers the anticipated question of well why do we are Colossae care about how awesome your ministry is. Paul says that he has told them of these things so that they may be encouraged knowing how great a struggle he has had on their behalf and on behalf of those at Laodicea.  It is through this struggle that the hearts of the people have been knit together through love. He also says that he adds this bit about his ministry so that no one may delude them about his struggles and his ministry. He wants them to know exactly what he preaches and his role in the Church. He does not want others to come and attempt to dissuade to saints of his, Paul’s, true intentions.

            This ties into the previous sections by helping to solidify Paul’s position and authority to describing the previous events in Christ and the believers lives as well as give weight to his prayer and the actions described with in it. 

Stand firm in your faith (2.6-2.15)

            This next section flows right out of the previous one. Just as Paul mentions not being dissuaded by those of good speech and also standing firm in our faith the launches into a section specifically targeted at standing in your faith. Paul splits the section into two parts the first dealing with the basic fact— don’t be taken it by smooth talkers. The second section tells the reader why smooth talkers should not take them in.  

            Paul spends the first few verses exhorting the believers to stand strong in their faith. He states that because they have received Christ Jesus they should walk in him. Standing firm in their faith now that they are built up in Him. Directly after telling them to stand firm he address one particular area of stumbling. Paul speaks of philosophy, empty deception and the elementary principals of the world. He warns the believers not to be taken in by these deceptions but that they should stand firm in the faith that they have received through Christ Jesus.

            In this next small section Paul tells the believer what Christ has done for us. Therefore why they should stand firm in their faith. He points to how the believer has been buried and raised with Christ through the work of baptism. This leads to a further description of Christ work on the believer’s behalf. Paul says that while the sinner was still dead in sin he had been made alive through the work of Christ. Paul goes onto say that our transgression have been nailed to the cross and no longer hold power over us along with canceling out our debt of sin. This is the reason we should stand firm because we have been ransomed and saved by Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the reason that we will not be taken in by philosophy and empty deception rather we will stand in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Because we have been raised we no longer have to follow the law for the laws sake. Instead set your eyes on Christ and seek after heavenly pursuits. (2.16-3.17)

            In this section Paul is speaking of not following the law for the laws sake using the ideas of food and beverage as well as not following after false teachers who tout there own ideas and visions. This section flows nicely out of the exhortation to stand firm in your faith here Paul is giving practical examples and situations where it is necessary to stand firm and hold onto Christ. 

            This larger section splits up into three sub-sections that deal with different aspects of standing firm and reaching out for things of a heavenly nature while rejecting things of a fleshly nature.      

Sub-Section 1: Don’t let people tell you what to follow. (2.16-2.19)

            In this section Paul places the emphasis on following what Christ has said and rejecting what laws and regulations others might want to place on the believer. He is adamant about food and drink, festival days, and even the Sabbath day. He calls them “mere shadow” of what is to come and the substance of all of these things is Christ. What Paul is saying is that it is not what you eat and drink or even when you celebrate the Sabbath what is more important is that you recognize that the substance the reason you do these things is because of Christ. It understands that Christ is the center of these things, which is more important then the activity itself.

            He then goes into a bit more detail about those with smooth talk. He specifically deals with the idea that those who worship angles and preaching vision that they have had in their own fleshly minds. Paul calls them out and exhorts the believer to not let them defraud them any longer and to hold fast to Christ. 

Sub-Section 2: Watch out for stuff that seems wise but is not. (2.20-2.23)  

            In this small section Paul takes aim at the religious regulations of the day and calls them out as fleshly. Paul says that if the believer has died with Christ to the world then why do they even submit themselves to the decrees of the world as if they were part of the world. He is seeing this act as one of complete stupidity. He feels that if we have died with Christ then there is no need to follow the religious regulations set up by the world. He sees them as seeming to be wise but ultimately having not power over our fleshly indulgences.

This sub-section further clarifies some of the statements made in the previous section as well as expands the idea that believers need to follow the religious codes of the day for Christ has overcome. This section also gives us a concrete reason for not following the religious laws of the day as well as gives us a warning about ideas and regulations that might seem wise but rather do the believer no good.

Sub-Section 3: If you have been raised seek the things of substance instead of fleshly desires. (3.1-3.17) 

            This larger subsection splits neatly into two parts the first part dealing with who we once where without Christ and the things that we should change. The second part deals with who we are in Christ and exhorts us to create new patterns of life now that we have Christ. This section fits with the rest for it furthers the idea that we are not of this world but rather need to fix our thoughts on the things above. We are a people that have been redeemed and should focus of heavenly pursuits and lifestyles rather then earthly and fleshly lifestyles.

            The first of the two sections deals with who we were as sinful people. Here Paul frames everything as a result of our being raised with Christ (3.1). This reasoning is important for it is not the believer on his own accord who is able to do these things but rather it is the new creation that Christ has empowered to act in such a way. Paul then exhorts them to continue to seek the things of heaven where Christ is seated. Paul then reemphasizes the fact that the believers have died with Christ and left the old and embraced the new.

Paul after making clear that the believer should seek the things above moves into a practical application of this thought. He lists several actions that believers should be dead to just as our earthly body and fleshly selves have died to. He then says that these things are what will bring about God’s wrath upon those that do not believe. Paul then tells the believers that they once walked in those fleshly things but they have put them aside. He then has another list of things to which the believer is no longer beholden two and because of their death with Christ should no longer walk in. Paul then reiterates the reason for such radical action on the part of the believer. He says that we have put off the old self and its evil practices (died with Christ) and have put on the new self (been resurrected with Christ). Paul then says that the believer is being renewed in Christ and that in Christ all are the same there is no difference between any people, races, or classes but that Christ is all and in all (3.10-11).

The second section deals with the attributes and patterns of life that believers should cultivate in their lives. This section is the logical conclusion to the previous section as we have gotten ride of all of our previous habits and patterns of life the believer not needs to fill them with new and righteous patterns of life. Paul says that the believer needs to place on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (3.12). This list seems to the opposite of everything said in the previous section and is meant to replace those actions and patterns of living with ones that are more holy and Christ like. Then Paul moves on to say that the most important part of all things that the believer needs to “put on” is love. Paul says this is more important because it brings unity and unity in the body seems to be the most important issue. He then moves on to what this unity looks like. He points toward the idea that as believers they should submerse themselves in scripture as well as with each other teaching, encouraging, and singing together. He ends this section but telling believers that they should do all things in the name of Jesus and that they should continually give thanks.       

This ties in with a section previously in the book that deals with the idea that the believer needs to walk in Christ and that they need to continually thank God. This reference back to the beginning is a kind of inclusion that sets this section apart and opens the way for Paul to move from the believer to the next thing he wants to talk about, the relationships between people. Instruction about family and slave/master interactions. (3.18-4.1)

This next section of the texts deals with the interactions in the family and for the slave master relationship. The first half of the section deals with the family interactions while the second half deals with the slave/master interactions. This fits as Paul is moving from the individual and how they have been changed by Christ to the out working of this changed person. Here we are seeing a practical application on how believers should treat one another in normal every day interactions. 

The family comes first and here unity with in the family is key. What Paul does is take each member of the family and then tells them basically to submit to one another this is especially seen in the husband and wife relationship. While the father/son relationship is mentioned the father is not expected to submit to the son but rather he is asked not to ride him to hard but allow him room to grow. Here what Paul seems to be getting at is that unity with in the body of believers should extended even into the home and that as believers are striving for heavenly pursuits their home life should reflect that pursuit. 

            The second small section here is dealing with the relationships between the slave and the master. The majority of this small section is addressed to the slaves with only one verse dealing with the masters. This is probably due to the fact that the slaves have a few more objections to what Paul is going to say then those of the masters.

            The slaves are exhorted to obey the masters on earth with their whole heart. Paul says outward service is not enough but you need to serve with “sincerity of heart.” This seems counter intuitive but the whole point is that it is not the earthy master that you serve but rather the heavenly one. Paul states that everything the salve does should be done as if for the Lord. This takes the idea of doing everything for the Lord and shows how it applies to the slave’s specific environment and situation. By serving in this way the slave witnesses the love and transforming power of Christ to their master and could bring them into the kingdom through their service. This is just a byproduct of following Christ and his mandates.

            Paul then takes one verse and basically warns the masters to treat their slaves right as there is one greater in heaven who is their master. This boils down to the fact that Paul is saying that the masters are in reality salves themselves to Christ and should treat their slaves in a manor that they themselves want to be treated. If they do not treat their slaves well it is unlikely that Christ will do the same for them.

A final exhortation to the Colossians. (4.2-4.6)

            After speaking to the families and slaves/masters Paul moves to wrap up his letter with a final exhortation. Paul makes it clear that the things which he has expounded on in the letter are how the saints at Colossae are to act.

            Paul tells the saints to pray. More specifically he tells them to “devote” themselves to prayer. The idea of devoting yourself to prayer is holds more weight then just praying once an a while. The idea of being devoted to something is the idea that you hold onto it with both hands and don’t let go. One who is devoted to something will never cease to do that thing. Being devoted to prayer means that you should make prayer a life style and an activity that should be intentional and done everyday.

            Paul then harps on the idea of thankfulness and continuing in an attitude of thankfulness. Which brings us back to the beginning of the letter where Paul brought the idea of thankfulness up and compared it with growing closer to Christ. Here those that are devoted in prayer also should be moving and living in an attitude of thankfulness.

            Then Paul asks for them to pray for him in prison. That he would have the words to speak as well as that they themselves would have opportunities to speak the word of the Lord to people. He then ends his exhortation with a encouragement to allow your speech to have “salt” or be helpful and building up those that they come in contact with. This could be everything from speaking the gospel to a person or just being their as a friend in order to be able to share the loving word of God with them in the future. The final line makes this very clear that we need to know how to “respond to each person” weather that means preaching the gospel or just being that shoulder to cry on.

Introductions and greetings from fellow workers with Paul including final instructions for the use of the letter. (4.7-4.18)

            Paul then launches into a section where he introduces several people both Jew and Gentile. He provides an introduction for these people so that when they show up those in Colossae will welcome them in and listen to what they have to say. It is in essence a letter of introduction so that the saints at Colossae will know they come from a credible source.

            Paul then gives instructions on what to do with the letter after it has been read in Colossae. He tells them to pass it on to Laodicea and to read the letter that is coming from Laodicea. In other words he tells them to swap letters with the church from Laodicea. Then he ends his letter by telling them to remember he is in prison and that grace and peace be with them. 

Theology in Colossians

Christology

            Paul starts his letter with a treatise on Christology. Paul states that Christ is the image of God and firstborn of all creation (1.15). This sets Christ up as the head of creation. It places him as the ultimate power the head of all of creation. He is the one that is in charge of the world and therefore in charge of humanity.

            Paul then goes on to state that Jesus is eternal. He existed before all things (1.17) this speaks to the divinity of Christ. Because he existed before all things he has to be divine and the second half of the verse states that he holds all things together. This second half also speaks to Jesus’ divinity as he is holding the universe together. This is a profound statement one that blows the mind when pondering it. The understanding that he is divine and holding the world together is very important to Paul as it is this fact that allows Jesus to atone for our sins.

The thrust of Paul’s argument is that Christ is the first of everything (1.18-19). This is key for as the head he has the right to speak authoritatively to the Church. This speaks more to his divinity as well as he is the head of everything. It is key for Paul that he is the firstborn and the head for Jesus is the second Adam through which humanity receives its righteousness.    Paul comes back to the idea that Christ is fully deity in bodily form in chapter 2. Here Paul is emphasizing the fact that Christ was the first and that we follow in his footsteps. Paul in his Christology is once again emphasizing the deity of Christ. He wants those at Colossae to really understand that Christ is God and the head of all things.          

            Paul also speaks of the atoning work of Christ on the cross (2.14). Paul is telling those at Colossae that no longer do they have to live in sin for Christ atoned for our sin on the cross. Paul is placing before the Colossians a Christ that is God yet he also died for our sins to save us. Paul is painting a full picture of Christ for the Colossian all of his Christological ideas up until this point had been about Christ being the head and now we see that that head died for them.

 Anthropology

            Paul spends time discussing the issues resulting in humanity once they have accepted Christ and been baptized. He lays out the facts on who we are in Christ and how our lives are different. In 2.12-13 Paul says that in our baptism we have been buried with Christ. This speaks to the fact that as sinners our sin has been taken car of through the work of Christ. Paul says in verse 13 that we are dead in our transgressions and have no hope of salvation within ourselves. For it is only through Christ’s work are we able to be saved. Paul says that we owed a debt but that Christ paid for it with his death. This merges a bit with Christology but the fact that we owe something pushes this into the realm of anthropology.

            Paul also speak of how we should act now that we are redeemed and a part of the kingdom of God that is here on earth. He says that we should put off the old desires and start walking with our transcendent mentality in mind. We need to be placing our minds on the things above the heavenly realities that can be mirrored here in this world. We should be peace loving individuals who are being renewed. Our sanctification is very important to Paul. He spends the majority of chapter 3 dealing with the idea of our old self dying with Christ and walking in our new self.     

            Paul tells us how we need to live here now that we are new a creation. Paul tells us that we need to be rooted in Christ (2.7). Also as a new man we need to walk in Christ (2.6). These ideas are how we as Christians should act now that we have been renewed in Christ.

            Paul also tells us how as humans we need to interact with each other. Paul stresses the fact that we need to be in unity and submission with each other (3.18-21). This is a picture of how the trinity interacts with each other. And is how God wants us to treat each other in the church. Being unified and of one mind seeking after Christ and being in subject to each other.      

            Paul in the letter to the Colossians focuses on two major areas of Christology and Anthropology. He speaks of Christ’s work on the cross for our sins and also how we as humans need to responded to that action. He also speaks to the concepts of how as a fallen creation we need a savior. Paul speaks of how we are unable to save ourselves and it is only through Jesus that we can be redeemed. This gives us an understanding of who we are and our place in the world. It is through this that we have been given the understanding that we are fallen and in need of a savior. Also he speaks of how as redeemed individuals we need to change our ways of operating in the world. Paul’s Christology and Anthropology in this book speak toward a totally sovereign God that is over all things and loves humanity very much. 

1st John

1 John

Purpose:

To exhort believers to be secure in their faith and knowledge of the truth (1.4, 2.12-14, 5.3).

Argument Structure:

Arranged in order to assure the people he was talking to that they were indeed given eternal life, and that their knowledge about what was taught to them in the beginning was true.

We are sinners

1:8-10 - “IF we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves.” “If we confess our sins, he is faithful.... to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

2:1 - “and if anyone sins”

2:4-5 - By this we know we abide in him “The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner he walked”

2:12 “Writing you little children because your sins are forgiven for his names sake.”

2:15 “Do not love the world”

2:28-29 “Abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame” “If you know that he is righteous you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of him”

3:1 “See how great a love the father has bestowed upon us”

4:8 – The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

5:20 “in order that we might know him who is true, and we are are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God and eternal life.”

Line of Argument → We are sinners but God is the propitiation for our sins. We know that we are abiding in him because we follow his commands and because we love him and others. Because we know these things to be true, we can be confident in our eternal life with him.

This seems to be an argument, possibly against false teachers, not to teach them something, but rather to encourage them in what they already knew. As such it seems to be a series of reinforcing statements.

Theological Themes

Light/Darkness

•    God is light and in him there is no darkness (1:5)

•    But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all (1:7)

•    If one does not live the light, he is dead  (3:14)

•    The light keeps us away from sin and even when we sin, Christ forgives (2:1)

•    We know him by obeying his commands (2:4-6)

•    His anointing teaches us to walk in him (2:26-27)

•    Righteousness is found in the light (3:8)

•    God is light and His light brings life to the Christian (1:7). The light dispels the darkness (1.5) in God there is no darkness only light (1.5).

Love

3:1- “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that bit did not know him.”

4:9-11- “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

5:3- “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

4:16- “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

The theme of Love in 1 John moves down a logical path as pictured above. It begins with God stating that he loves us and showed this love through Jesus his Son. John builds on this by stating that because God has loved us we ought to love one another and keep his commandments. John then states that those who live in love live in God and have God living with them.    

Faith and belief

•    If one believes in Christ he is born of God (5:1) -- Carry on his commands

•    Only one who believes overcomes the world (5:5)

•    Unity of unifying for believers: spirit, water and blood 5:6-9

•    Those who don't believe call God a liar (5:10)

•    God's testimony brings about belief through the Son (10-12)

•    Having confidence in God: when we ask anything, (13-15) we must believe that he hears and answers us.

•    Know God as the truth and keep away from idols (Anti-Christ spirit, the world, hatred, and unbelief), which separate us from the love of God.

Abiding:

3:24 – And we Know by this that he abides in us, by the spirit whom he has given us

2:14 – I have written you young men because you are strong and the word of god abides in you. (earlier overcoming the evil one.

1:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commands.

            The concept of abiding is by its very nature purely relational. And because of this it seems that a cliché easy answer for this is not really possible. All of these principals seem to go hand in hand, and mean probably almost the same thing. Abiding with god is more then just one thing, it is something that permeates our entire existence.

Truth:

1:8 - “we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us”

2:4 - “...and does not keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”

4:6 - “he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error”

5:7 “and it is the spirit who bears witness because the spirit is the truth”

            The Spirit of god is heavily equated with truth and the witness of the truth in 1st John, and it is often used in reference as being “in” us much the way the spirit of God is. This is also the entire point about testing the spirits, to know if people are speaking from the truth, or if they are speaking from lies.

Life

1:1-2- “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us”

2:25- “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”

3:14- “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.”

5:11- “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

5:20- “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”

            Life in 1 John begins as the person of Jesus in 1:1-2 and moves to become an eschatological reality as well as a present relationship that we have with God. The basic flow is Jesus is life and those that are in relationship with Jesus then receive the eternal life that is Jesus. The way we know that we are in Jesus is through the expression of love that we have for the brothers. This love is the expression of our life (relationship) with Christ. John ends his book by telling us that Jesus is the true God and eternal life thereby reinforcing what he has stated previously at the beginning of the book.

Universal Principles and application

1) Love is a verb (3.16)

2) Test the spirits (4.1).

3) Do not love the world (2.15).

4) Loving God brings obedience (1.7, 2.5-6).    

Biblical Theology of John

Biblical Theology of John

Main Idea: “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”[1]

Outline:

I)              Introduction to the book. (1.1-18)

II)            John the Baptist ministry and witness about Jesus. 1.19-34

a.     Ministry 1.19-28

b.     Witness to Jesus and who He is. 1.29-34

III)          Jesus chooses disciples. 1.35-51

a.     Andrew, Peter, and one other. 1.35-42

b.     Nathaniel and Philip. 1.43-51

IV)          First miracle 2.1-12

V)            First Passover in Jerusalem. 2.13-25

a.     Clearing the temple 2.13-22

b.     Jesus and the heart of men. 2.23-25

c.     Jesus and Nicodemus 3.1-21

VI)          Jesus heads in to Judean countryside and begins baptizing. 3.22-36

a.     Discussion between Jesus and Johns disciples. 3.22-26

b.     John praises Jesus. 3.27-36

VII)        Jesus, a well, and a Samaritan woman. 4.1-42

a.     Jesus and the woman 4.1-26

b.     Jesus, the woman, and the town. 4.25-42

VIII)      Jesus heads back to Galilee and does sign. 4.43-54

a.     Jesus travels back. 4.43-46

b.     Jesus heals an officer’s son. 4.47-54

IX)          Jesus in Jerusalem for a feast. 5.1-47

a.     Heals people on the Sabbath day. 5.1-17

b.     First time the Jews seek to kill Jesus. 5.18

c.     Jesus’ relationship to his father. 5.19-29

d.     Witness about Jesus. 5.30-47

                                               i.     John5.30-35

                                             ii.     Jesus own testimony. 5.36

                                            iii.     The Father 5.37-38

                                            iv.     The scripture 5.39-47

X)            Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias, second Passover. 6.1-71

a.     Feeds and teaches the 5000. 6.1-15

b.     Jesus walks on Water. 6.16-21.

c.      

d.     Jesus as the bread of life teaching in Capernaum. 6.22-59

e.     Jesus teaches on the principal of eternal life. 6.60-71

XI)          Jesus stays in Galilee as they want his head in Judea. 7.1-9

XII)        Jesus goes to Jerusalem in secret and begins to teach in the temple. 7.10-10.39

a.     Jews looking for Jesus. 7.10-13

b.     Jesus teaches in the temple. 7.14-24

c.     People speculate that Jesus is the Christ. 7.25-27

d.     Jesus continues to teach in the temple. 7.28-31

e.     Jesus speaks of his death but not understood. 7.32-36

f.      Jesus speaks of the H.S. 7.37-39

g.     The people argue about who Jesus is. 7.40-52

h.     Jesus on the Mount of Olives with the adulteress woman. 8.1-11

i.      Jesus continues to teach in the temple. 8.12-59

j.      Jesus heals a blind man. 9.1-41

k.     Jesus teaches using the idea of a shepherd. 10.1-18

l.      Division among the people. 10.19-21

m.   He is one with the Father. 10.22-39

XIII)      Jesus went across the Jordan. 10.40-42

XIV)      Jesus raises Lazarus. 11.1-44

XV)        The Jews plot to kill Jesus at the Passover. 11.45-57

XVI)      Jesus come to Bethany and is anointed by Mary. 12.1-7

XVII)    A plot to kill Lazarus. 12.8-11

XVIII)  Jesus enters Jerusalem for Passover number 3. 12.12-19

XIX)     Jesus’ teaching in the week before his death. 12.20-16.33

a.     Jesus witnesses to Greeks. 12.20-26

b.     Jesus speaks of his impending death. 12.27-36a

c.     The people are still in disbelief. 12.36b-43

d.     Jesus speaks of his mission to save the world. 12.44-50

e.     Last supper. 13.1-16.33

                                               i.     Washes feet. 13.1-20

                                             ii.     Betray predicted. 3.21-30

                                            iii.     New commandments given. 13.31-35

                                            iv.     Peter’s denial predicted. 13.36-38

                                             v.     Teaching, on Jesus as the way, promise of the H.S., the vine. 14.1-15.17

                                            vi.     How the world will react. 15.18-16.4a

                                          vii.     Works of the H.S. 16.4b-15

                                         viii.     Preparing the disciples for his death.16.16-33

XX)       High Priestly Prayer. 17.1-26

XXI)     Arrest, Trial, murder, and burial of Jesus. 18.1-19.42

a.     Arrest 18.1-11

b.     Trial 18.12-40

c.     Death 19.1-37

d.     Burial 19.38-42

XXII)   Resurrection and appearances. 20.1-21.25

a.     Resurrection 20.1-10

b.     Mary Magdalene 20.11-18

c.     Disciples 20.19-23

d.     Thomas 20.24-29

e.     Purpose of writing John. 20.30-33

f.      Fishing disciples. 21.1-14

g.     Peter reinstated. 21.15-19

h.     Jesus speaks of the end times. 21.20-21

This outline shows the connections between the main idea of the book, to cause people to believe in Jesus as the Christ, and each individual section. The book begins by witnessing about who Jesus is and never lets up. There are constantly people witnessing to the fact that Jesus is the Christ along with Jesus’ miracles witnessing to the fact that he has been sent by God. Jesus is continually equating his actions and himself with God the Father and this upsets the Jews. It is through the idea and theme of witness that the book is held together.

Every time Jesus is teaching or does a miracle the ideas loop back around the fact that he is the Christ and equal with the Father. This is to show that he is the Christ and you should believe in him. John has composed his book very carefully in order to highlight this idea and bring it out into the forefront of the book.

John’s Argument:

            John argues in his gospel that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing in him you will gain eternal life. This is the purpose for writing the book and everything in his gospel weaves together to convince the reader of this idea.

            John uses a variety of themes in order to witness to the reader about Jesus the Christ. he uses these themes in order to draw out different facets of Jesus and show how they all interrelate in the person of the Christ. By doing this John is able to bring into the conversation the idea that Jesus is the Chris and that he brings life everlasting.

            John’s introduction is key in setting up the ideas of Jesus as the Christ and the motif of witness that follows through out the whole book. In the introduction John uses the ideas of light and life to talk about what Jesus’ ultimate work is in the world. All through the introduction John does not use the name of Jesus until the very end. He is setting up the idea that this light of the world is Jesus. By not using the name he draws the reader deeper into the book as they wonder who this light is that brings life to men.

            After establishing the idea that life is brought through this light John proceeds to establish the concept that people and events witness to this light. The very first person to witness to the light is John the Baptizer. He sets the stage for all the other witnesses to Christ. It is through his solid exposition of who the one to come, the light, that we then begin to equate that light with the person Jesus.      

            All through the rest of the gospel John has other witnesses popping in and out and flowing through his themes that point toward Jesus being the son of God and the Christ. Jesus’ miracles testify to his divinity. The Father testifies and witnesses that Jesus is the Son of God. Also the Holy Spirit is said to witness about Jesus to the people. Along with the Trinity other people witness to Jesus being the Son of God. A blind man whom Jesus heals worships him as God.[2]

            All of these witnesses’ points back to the fact that Jesus is the son of God and the Christ and that by believing in him you will receive eternal life.

            Jesus states over and over that he has come to bring life and to overcome the darkness. This life that he brings is for everyone and is a result of belief in Jesus Christ. This is the response to understanding that Jesus is the Christ. After it is understood that Jesus is the Son of God then the reader must believe in him so that he can receive the free gift of eternal life.          

Themes:

Light and Darkness

John uses the opposition of light and darkness to display the life giving power that Jesus has and to contrast that power and life with the sin that is in the world along with the power of Satan.

Jesus is the light of men[3] This verse ties the idea of life and light together. This verse identifies Jesus as life and that he is the source of this life then it goes on to further explain that “…the life was the light of men.” The key word in this verse is was, by using this word the author is saying that the life is not always the light of men anymore. Rather the author is saying that the light of men is not the only power in the universe anymore. Men or humanity has traded the light for darkness that now is in the world yet the light still exists. This prologue is a beautiful way of showing that Jesus is entering the world in order to overcome the darkness. The prologue sets up the death and resurrection of Jesus with the last verse, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”[4] The end of this verse gives the impression that the darkness would attempt to overcome the light. This whole imagery points toward the redemption of humanity from Satan’s power. It points toward the ultimate triumph of the light, which is the life of men, over the power of darkness, which is the death of men as it is the opposite of light.

All though the first chapter John does not use the name of Jesus rather he uses the idea of light. This further reinforces in the readers mind that light is a very important concept and further pushes the metaphor forward. John then quickly ties the idea of light being a person with the person of Jesus. In verse 9 the true light is joined with human qualities so that the transition and connection between seeing Jesus as the light can begin.   

Another major idea through out the light passages is the relationship with light and life. The beginning of John sets these two terms as synonymous by stating that the word was life and the life was light. This pairs the two terms and gives a different angle at which to approach the light passages. If light is understood to also be life and it is applied to the verse 3.19 and 3.20 what happens is that humanity has rejected the life that has come into the world in favor of the darkness. Also those that are evil hate life and this keeps them from coming to the life. This brings a fullness to John’s thought and theology. He weaves these themes in and out in order to bring a full picture of what it is that Jesus is doing the world. He is attempting to use all methods to get his point across. Another verse that the parallel really stands out is in 9.5. Here Jesus says he is the “light of the world.”  He by using the term light John is also saying he is the life of the world. So through this verse it is seen that John is both referencing the idea that Jesus has come to enlighten the world but also he is the life of the world.

Darkness is another key idea in John. The use of darkness is the total opposite of light. While light is paralleled with life, darkness is paralleled with death and destruction. This idea here is that the darkness while having some power and being in the world has not real power over the light. The light is never overcome or taken over by the darkness. There are also people picture who will embrace the darkness over the light. The types of people who do this are those who are wicked which leads the reader to infer the idea that the darkness is evil. Jesus also exhorts the disciples in verse 35 to walk while they have the light so the darkness does not overtake them. Here a picture of light and darkness is seen and how the disciples need to walk in the light while it is still with them. In their case it was learning from Jesus and walking in what he was teaching for the reader removed this principal can be best understood as soaking and seeping you life in the bible so that when difficult times come you will not succumb to the darkness.

The idea of light and darkness is often seen together in this text. There are exhortations like the one just mentioned and there are passages in which the light is spoken of positively and darkness is negative. These verse point toward the idea that darkness is what should be avoided and dispelled. This idea is seen with the picture of those who are evil and embrace the darkness having their works exposed by the light. This gives another facet to the picture of light. It exposes the evil. This idea of the light exposing the darkness is best seen in 3.20 where Jesus continues to explain that those who do wicked do not come to the light because then their evil would be exposed. This is one more aspect of the light it exposes the evil that is in the world.

Truth

            Truth is a theme that is interwoven as part of the character of Jesus and gives the believer the handholds to grab onto Jesus. Through the truth of Christ the believer sees and lives out the Christian life.

            The first aspect of the truth is the fact that the truth is integral to the Father. Truth is a founding aspect of who the Father is and this is passed on from the Father to the Son. This is indicative of how the believer can see the truth in the Son and have that truth passed on to him through which he can then mirror it to the rest of the world. The language used is one of the Son emulating and showing the truth of the Father to the world. That is what the believers are asked to do—emulate Christ as he emulated the Father. 

            Another facet to this theme is the idea that only God has the truth and leads us in the truth. The basic assumption with this is that the truth is good. If God is truth then it must be good for God is good. God is seen as sending his Son with the truth. The Son is the way in which the truth is seen and experienced. The believer is told that the only way to the truth is through Christ for He is “the way, and the truth and the light.”[5] Jesus goes on to say that people are unable to come to the Father except through the Son. Thus it is through the truth and light of Christ that the believer sees the Father and comes to the Father. This then leads the believer to live in the truth as it is only through Jesus, who is and displays the truth, that they can come to the Father.

            Satan does not have any truth. While Satan can distort and obviate the truth he can not speak or give any truth. In fact Jesus explicitly states that there is no truth in the devil at all. This further goes to show that the truth can only be found in God. As the truth emanates from the Father and the Son and is an integral part of their attributes it shows that they have power of Satan. By being the sole proponents of truth God shows his power over Satan. As it is only God who can provide the truth he can blast through all of Satan’s attempts to manipulate humanity through lies with the power of Truth.       

The power of God’s truth in the lives of the believer changes the believer and it is the truth in his word that sanctifies and through which truth is expressed to the readers. In 1.14 it is stated that the word is full of grace and truth. This leads to the understanding that the word of God holds power and truth. In 17.17 Jesus prays for the believers and that they sanctify them in truth. Thus it is seen that the truth that emanates from God changes the believer it sanctifies them and brings them closer to the Father.

Truth is one of the facets of God and by showing the depth of truth and the work of truth in the life of the believer John gives us more depth to who Christ is. By tying the idea that truth that sanctifies with the word he emphasizes the believers necessity to stay steeped in the word and to study and know the word of God.   

Love

            Love is seen as a motivating factor all through the gospel of John. All of what Jesus does is out of love and through the love of the father. In John Jesus is seen commanding the believers to love, as well as modeling the love that is required in interpersonal relationships with others and the Father. John also states that there are results that are directly a result of the actions of loving or rejecting Christ.

            Jesus lays out the idea that love is the central motivating factor for keeping the commandments of the law. Up until this time the prevailing ideas and emphasis had been on law keeping and doing good works. Jesus takes this idea and turns it on its head. Jesus says that if you love him then you will keep the commandments.[6] This idea is best seen in 14.15 . The order of words here is important what Jesus says, “if you love me you will keep my commandments.” What this does is make love the motivating force by placing it before keep. It’s not keep my commandments and then love me, rather Jesus is saying if you love me then keeping the commandments is easy.

The use of the word “will” adds another dimension to the idea presented here. This means that by loving Christ it is inevitable that his commandments are kept. The believer is unable to love Christ and not keep his commandments. So when the commandments are broken this leads to the idea that the believer was loving the sin more then Christ. Taking this into consideration John is saying that love is the motivation for all of humanities actions. John is saying that when sin happens it is because the sin is loved more then Christ.

Jesus models this love in his relationships with the father and humanity during his time here on earth. Through this depiction the believer is given an example to strive to hit and be like. The best depiction of this love is Jesus death on the cross. This is the greatest expression of love the fact that Jesus went to the cross and died for the sin of the world.[7] Jesus belabors the point that the believers love on another just as Christ has loved them.[8] If the greatest action and form of love is to die for another then loving one another in every other way is easy comparatively. This idea also applies to loving others through our decision to die to selfish desires and place other first. This action is also apparent in the death of Christ, as his desire was to live yet he placed that aside and died in our place. As Christians love means to place others first even to the point of death as this is the model that Jesus placed before the believer and called the believer to.

            Jesus points out that there are direct results of loving him or loving your own life. Jesus tells the believers that it is those who hate their life in this world that gain eternal life while those their life in this world will lose it.[9] This points toward the idea that those who love Christ are going to have difficult lives that are ones of pain and sorrow, so much so that they will hate their lives. This gives us the idea that there is a price for loving Christ. It is not an easy road but one that leads toward hatred from the world.[10] John also speaks of Jesus telling the believers that the Father will love those that love Him. Furthermore both Jesus and the Father will come and live with those that love him. By loving Jesus you get the benefit of the love of the Father and the honor of having them make their home with them.[11] Thus by loving Jesus the believer is given the privilege of having God come and live with him. This is a mind-blowing reality. The God of the universe will come and make his home with those that love him. That’s all it takes love.

            The idea here tie into the big picture by saying that the believer’s need to love one another as Christ loved them this leads to Christ coming and living with the believer. Love is the motivation factor for all of the believer’s actions and is the measure by which Christ evaluates us.

Belief

            The fundamental question when it come to belief is what is believed and how does it impact those who believe. In John’s gospel Jesus reflects on these ideas and provides an answer as to what is believed, the need to believe and the proper response to belief.

            The gospel is strong on the idea of belief. It is peppered with the phrase and the idea that what is demanded from reading the gospel is belief in something. John has his main purpose of the gospel is to cause belief in the reader. Over and over in the gospel Jesus is telling people that they need to believe. But what do they need to believe and how is this belief going to impact their lives?

            The first of these questions is easier to answer. What are the readers to believe? The simple answer is that Jesus is the Son of God, died and was resurrected from the dead. All through out the gospel John is stressing the idea of believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. This is what must be believed it is the idea that those who read this gospel will believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ.

            John stresses what it is that is gained by belief in Jesus as the Christ. Belief in Jesus as the Christ brings about eternal life for those who believe. This is seen all over the gospel. The best example is in 3.16 and 20.31. In these verses it is laid out that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ will receive eternal life. In 20.31 it is stated that this is the purpose of John’s writing. The idea is that the reader will believe and have eternal life. John over and over stresses the idea that the reader needs to believe in Jesus in order to receive life. In 3.16 Jesus is asked directly what it takes to have eternal life and the given response is to believe in Christ. Thus belief in Christ brings about eternal life in those who believe.

            Once the reader believes there are things that happen it changes his relationship with God. In 1.12-13 the idea of being a Son of God is posited. By doing this at the beginning of the book John is giving the reader a taste of what is to come and helps them to formulate the question of what does it mean to believe in his name. This gives the final place for those who believe and draws the reader into the story. This also gives an understanding as to what happens to those who believe—they become children of God.

            John gives us what it is that the reader needs to believe and then what happens to those who believe. He does it simply and often in order to drill it into the mind of the reader so that they will believe and come to belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

Life

                Life is a central idea in John. It is the end result of our belief in Jesus; it flows out of the relationship with God and is a fundamental element of love.

John shows that the source of life is Jesus Christ. He is the fountain of life for the believer. At the beginning of the book John states this fact. He says that in Jesus was life and that this life was the light of men.[12] Here he ties the idea of light and life together as well as tying it to the person of Jesus. This helps clear up the picture of where the life comes from; it comes from Jesus. Life emanates and flows from Jesus and thus it comes from the Father. This life brings life the humanity and is the result of belief in Jesus. This life is not overcome by the darkness, which is death. Here John is stating that life is a good thing and something that should be desired and pursued. As such it is Jesus that should be desired, pursued and loved as he is the source of the life.

Jesus gives up his life in order that the believers can have life. This is the greatest extent of love. John shows that it is through the giving up of his life that Jesus shows us the extent to which believers should love. The most cherished possession of humanity is its life. there is nothing we will fight harder to protect then our lives and this was given up by freely by Jesus in order to give us a better life eternally. It is worth noting the symmetry that by giving up his life Jesus has given to us life eternally.

Life and eternal life in John is a relational expression. Eternal life is life in the presence of God and in relationship with God. Be believing we receive life which is a reconciliation of relationship between humanity and God. This reconciliation is at the center of John’s ideas about life. It is relationship that is important. In order to have eternal life believers must be in right relationship with God.    

            Life in John is synoptic with the kingdom of God in the synoptic gospels. It holds similar properties as a here and not here and a now and not yet reality. In John life is seen as both a present reality and one that permeates the end times. Here in on earth Jesus gives us life in the restoration of relationship between humanity and God. By restoration of relationship we are only talking of those that believe in his name. In the age to come life will permeate it and bring enteral life to a fulfillment for humanity. Life will last forever and be in everything in the new earth as Christ has stated several times that eternal life is the result of believe in him.  

The Holy Spirit

            The Holy Spirit[13] in John is described as a member of the trinity active in salvation that comes from Christ and brings with him a renewal of life. The H.S. is the member of the trinity that Jesus says he will send to humanity. The act of sending the H.S. has a two-fold purpose. First it establishes the fact that the H.S. is a part of the trinity. Second it establishes the way in which humanity will interact with God in the future.

            The H.S. is a distinct member of the trinity being in perfect union with the Father and the Son. This is seen throughout John’s gospel, as there are parallels between the Son and the Holy Spirit just as there are parallels between he Son and the Father. In 15.26 Jesus says that the Helper, H.S., is going to be sent by Him, Jesus, from the Father. This points toward the H.S. having similar qualities as that of the Son and Father. Just as Jesus came from the Father and is God so the H.S. is coming from the Father and is God. In 14.23 Jesus speaks of coming and making a home in the believers. Directly after this he speaks of leaving and the H.S. coming to help and teach those still left on earth.[14] Thus it must be the H.S. that makes his home in the believer. With this understanding Jesus is placing the H.S. on par with Himself and the Father. Therefore the H.S. must be a member of the trinity as He is being used interchangeably with the Father and the Son.

             In John the H.S. is seen as doing three distinct things the first of which is witnessing about Jesus, the second is bringing new life, and the third is teaching and guiding the believers. He is to help witness to those around about Jesus and his ministry.[15] Here we see that once the H.S. is sent the work of the Son will have been accomplished and the goal and point of his coming is to witness about the work of the Son. This is seen in the fact that the H.S. will come after the Son has left[16] and he will witness about the Son as seen in 15.26.  

            The H.S. also brings a renewal of life to the believer. The H.S. is active in the new life of the believer and brings them into a closer relationship with God. In 6.63 Jesus places all the responsibility on the brining  of new life on he shoulders of the H.S. Here he says that the flesh is of help in this area and that it is only through the H.S. that we have life. Thus it is through the Spirit that new life comes and that the believer receives life.   

            The H.S. teaches and guides the believer in their walk. This is best seen in 16.13 where Jesus sets up the expectations for the H.S. Here Jesus says that the H.S. will guide people into all truth and reveal the things to come. This is the mission of what the H.S. was sent to earth to do he is to guide the believers in to truth. In guiding them into truth what the H.S. is doing is witnessing about Jesus and his work in order that those that hear and see might believe.

            The H.S. is also seen as very active in the process of salvation. It is through the actions of the H.S. that one is saved. In 3.5 the necessity to be born of the H.S. in order to receive eternal life is laid out by Jesus for Nicodemus. This example means that the H.S. has an active role in the regeneration of the believer. In order to have life everlasting, which is what belief brings, the believer must be born of the H.S. Thus by believing in the Son the believer becomes born of the H.S. and the H.S. is given to them to help them walk in truth.

            In John the H.S. is seen as a presence to come after the Son, Jesus, has left. He is the member of the trinity that has the most interaction with the believers after Christ’s ascension. For it is the H.S. that brings life, and guides the believers in the ways of God.

Humanity of Jesus

            John stresses the fact that Jesus was a human. He places a lot of weight behind the fact that he was fully human and fully God. In John’s gospel he is portrayed as a human who has great emotional range, he has physical needs and wants that are not metaphorical, and participates in the culture of the day.

            Jesus has a great emotional range in the gospel of John. He weeps, he is troubled in his spirit. He has great compassion for those around him. He feels their pain in 11.33 he sees Mary weeping over Lazerus’ death and he is “deeply moved”[17] and troubled. Mary’s distress touched him and in his humanity he grieved for her. It is a very human emotion grief and he experienced it. When discussing who would betray him Jesus was troubled in his spirit. The text presents the discourse as if as a human he received a troubling word from God and then imparted the knowledge to his disciples.[18] This interaction between Jesus and the disciples gives us the understanding that he was fully human. He received a revelation from God that troubled him. It caused his humanity to feel pain and trouble. Jesus felt.

            Jesus also had bodily needs that need to be fulfilled. He got thirst, hungry and tired. A prime example of this is in 4.6-7. Here Jesus had been traveling and is tired, beat, and has sore feet (probably). So he rests and asks for a drink of water. This is not some big metaphorical / allegorical reality that needs to be interpreted to say that we all in our walks of life get tired and need a rest. But it is a fact Jesus was tired. He was human he got tired and need to rest.

In 19.8 he was dying on the cross and was thirsty. This is a common reality when someone dies they get thirst they want water. How many times in war movies does a fatality shot solider ask his comrades from one last drink? Nearly every time it is how we know that he is going to pass away. Jesus in his humanity was experiencing the same reality he was dying and need one last drink.

Jesus also participated with the activities of the day. He went to weddings, feasts, and temple obligations. Jesus spent a good amount of time among the people participating in the culture and interacting with humanity in his humanity. In 2.1-11 he is at a wedding and provides wine as his first miracle in John. This seems to serves as no redeeming purpose for the couple and comes off as a bit of a parlor trick. Yet it speaks to Jesus’ humanity and shows that he was a part of the culture. This helps to show his humanity as he is interacting with the customs of the day and adding his own spin to them by creating better wine then what had been provided before.

Jesus also participated in the festivals of the day. He observed Passover and made sure to celebrate this day in the Jewish calendar. If Jesus was not fully human these observances and interactions with culture have little value. They would have no meaning. But as a human he is able to connect and interact with the culture around him allowing him to feel as we feel.

John goes out of his way to show Jesus as a human. This is done so that no one can say he is purely divine. The redemption of humanity does not work unless Jesus is both fully human and fully God. In order to make this clear John pushes the idea of Jesus’ humanity right alongside his divinity. Jesus was a man.

The Deity of Jesus

              As much as John pushes the humanity of Christ he equally pushes the deity of Christ. Jesus is seen as eternally being in communion with the Father, involved in the creation of the world and having authority given to him by the Father.

            Jesus is seen as being an eternal being. There are two key verses in John that attest to this fact the first being 1.1-3 and the second 8.58. In 1.1-3 it is seen that the word was with God in the beginning. In John Jesus is synonymous with “the word” and for him to be with God in the beginning means he has to be at least a very old being if not an eternal being. Directly after this it is said that all things were created through him and nothing was created that was not created through him. This puts to rest the idea that he was a created being and therefore must be eternal. For if he made everything he could not have made himself. Therefore Jesus is an eternal being who has lived for all time in perfect relationship with the Father and who created the world and everything in it. The second verse reference is 8.58 this one is a bit simpler. Here Jesus is telling the Pharisees that he existed before Abraham and he ends the verse this way, “before Abraham was, I am.” Here Jesus does two things, one he shows that he is eternal— for he existed before the great patriarch of the Jewish faith Abraham, and he uses the name that God gave himself in the burning bush, I am. This pushes forward the idea that he is God as he is showing that he is eternal and equating himself with God the Father.   

            Jesus through his relationship with the Father demonstrates his deity. In 1.18 the fact that Jesus is God is spelled out. “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Fathers’ side, he has made him known.” This is an allusion to Jesus for he is God and John says so right at the start of his gospel. In the verse previously he has just finished stating that truth came through Jesus Christ so it is only logical that this verse is referring back to Jesus. Here John emphatically states that Jesus is God and is at the Fathers’ side. This is a clear cut reference to the fact that John sees Jesus as God.

            John also records other witnesses to Jesus as witnessing that he was God. Martha tells Jesus at here brothers grave that she believes him to be the Christ.[19] The blind man whom Jesus healed worshiped him as God.[20] Thomas exclaims that Jesus is the Lord after seeing him resurrected.[21] These are three witnesses who of their own accorded recognized that Jesus was the Son of God and treated him as such. This bears witness to the fact that it was not just Jesus walking around spouting the fact that he was divine but that others saw it in his work.

            John witnesses to Jesus’ divinity for it is only through a fully divine and fully human man that the reconciliation of humanity could take place. John wants there to be no confusion but that Jesus the man was also fully divine.

The Father

            The idea of the Father is all over John. There are 123 references in 100 verses to the Father. It is impossible to read through John without picking up on this major idea that Jesus and the Father are intimately connected. This speaks to the idea of the trinity. In John everything Jesus does comes from the Father, the Father is pictured as leading the Son, and Jesus on multiple occasions speaks of the Father and Son being one. All of these concepts help to draw a picture of the trinity.

            Jesus states that everything he does is from the Father and comes from him. In 5.19 Jesus states that he only does what he sees the Father doing. This gives a glimpse into how the trinity is functioning at this time. Here the Father is showing the Son how to proceed. It is the Father leading and giving authority to the Son. It speaks toward the Son being equal to the Father as they are both acting in unity. This is further reinforced by many other similar verses.[22] All of this goes to reinforce the idea that Jesus has been sent from the Father and that all of his actions are according to the unity that the Son and Father have.

            Jesus and the Father are seen as one. John makes several references over and over to the fact that they are one. Jesus is constantly hammering the fact that if one has seen him then they also have seen the Father. In John 15.23 this is made clear through a negative statement. Here Jesus says that those that hate him also hate his Father. Thus there is a coralation between the Father and the Son. One that is strong enough for the attitude toward one member the Son to be representative of the attitude toward the other, the Father. Jesus says the he and the Father are one explicitly in 10.30. The oneness of the Father and Son bears witness to the unity of the Father and Son with in the trinity. For if one is seen then the other has also been seen they are able to demonstrate each other perfectly.

Witness

            The big idea and reason that John is written is in order to bear witness to Jesus Christ and his life giving work. As such the culminating theme in John is that of witness. All the themes in John act as a witness toward the person and work of Christ in order that the reader might believe in Jesus and receive eternal life. Through out the gospel John reinforces the idea of witness by using John the Baptist, the trinity and others to attest to Jesus’ life giving work.

            John begins his gospel by stating that God had sent a witness called John to speak of the Messiah. His job was to be a witness to the coming Christ. John is already focusing in on the idea of witness and setting up the fact that the book is going to be a witness to Christ. By using the word idea of witnessing right up in front John is setting the stage for things to come. He is priming the pump for other witnesses. John the Baptist is seen as the first witness and testimony for the Christ. He is the preparer and it is his witness that sets up the book as one giant witness to the Christ.

            The trinity is seen as witnessing about itself all through the book. In 5.36 Jesus says that his works bears witness to the fact that he is from God. In 8.18 Jesus says that the Father bears witness about him. In 15.26 Jesus says that the H.S. bears witness to him. In John it is seen that all three members of the trinity bear witness to Jesus and his work. All three are mentioned separately and as having impact on showing who Jesus is.

            Others also bore witness to the fact that Jesus was the Christ. In 9.8-11 there is a blind man who is healed who witnesses about the great miracle that Jesus did for him. The blind man ends up worshiping Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. This is a witness to the authority and majesty of Jesus. Also the book of John is a witness from the Apostle John to the world as a means for people to believe. His whole purpose in writing the gospel was so that people would believe in Jesus and his reconciliation and become witnesses to his good news.

            John’s gospel is a witness and it is the big idea that ties all the themes together. They are all pointing toward Jesus as the answer for the world and the source of eternal life. All of the themes are facets to who Jesus is and are witnesses toward his great and mighty work of reconciliation between humanity and God. The whole point of this gospel is to bring people into right relationship with God.     

Interaction with Commentaries:

Interpretation: a bible-commentary for teaching and preaching; John[23]

            Sloyan makes and interesting observation and argument from setting that helps to reinforce the case for Christ’s divinity. Sloyan states, “Yet there is a sense in which Jesus’ proper homeland (patris) is Judea (see 4:44). It can be argued from the way John uses the proverb about no prophet’s being esteemed in ‘his own country’ that Judea is meant.”[24]  This is an interesting idea as the temple is in Judea and as God he dwells in the temple. Yet he is not welcome there. This speaks to the attitude of the Jewish people during the time period and is a subtle way of reinforcing the fact that he is divine, as he belongs in the temple.

            This was lost on me I had not thought of it in this way instead I glossed over this and applied it to Galilee. Yet he was welcome in Galilee and spent a large portion of his time there in the gospel of John. It makes much more since that this applies to Judea in John and show the fact that the Jewish people were not welcoming of his message or his mission. It helps to show the ideas created and pushed forward by the Jewish leaders of the time. Having Judea as his home land in which Jesus is unwelcome gives us a fuller understanding of the attitude of the nation as a whole. They were rejecting their Davidic king—Jesus.  

Exposition of the Gospel of John[25]

             Pink in his explanation of the meaning of John places a huge amount of emphasis on the fact that Christ is seen as deity. 

“The theme of John’s Gospel is the Deity of the Saviour. Here, as nowhere else in scripture so fully, the Godhood of Christ is presented to our view. That which is outstanding in this fourth Gospel is the Divine Sonship of the Lord Jesus.”[26]

While this is a worthwhile theme and one that takes up a huge chunk of the gospel of John I find it a bit troubling if we make it the exclusive focus of our study. The gospel of John is such a rich and deep text that there are so many more themes that John weaves together in a patter to produce a picture of Jesus as fully human and fully divine in an effort to get the reader to believe in him.

            This is not to say that looking at John with the lenses of Jesus’ divinity is unhelpful but rather to say that I do not think this lenses goes far enough. I find that looking at the gospel through multiple lenses gives a much richer and clearer picture of what John was attempting to get at. By focusing on one aspect of the gospel too much we lose sight of the whole picture that John is painting for us.  
Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries[27]

Calvin speaks more to the feeling and tone of the gospel of John and in it he realtes the gospel of John as to showing the soul of Jesus. this idea is one that I resonate with. I like the idea of John showing the heart and soul of Jesus. This gospel more then the others gives meat to the person of Christ. Walking away from this gospel you understand more of the feeling of Jesus.

The Gospel of John is the gospel that according to Calvin is the key to understanding the synoptics. It is through John that we see Jesus as the divine and human and get a peek into his soul. This helps us connect the ideas and see things in the synoptics that otherwise we would over look.  

Bibliography

Calvin, John. The Gospel According to St. John. Trans. T.H.L. Parker. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.    B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959. Print.

Pink, Arthur W. Exposition of the Gospel of John. Swengl, PA: I. C. Herendeen, 1945. Print.

Sloyan, Gerard. Interpretation abible commentary for teaching and preaching: John. Atlanta,        GA: John Knox Press, 1988. Print

---

[1] 20.31 ESV (all references are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.)

[2] Ch. 9

[3] Jn. 1.4

[4] Jn. 1.5

[5] 14.6

[6] 14.15, 23 15.10

[7] 15.13

[8] 13.34, 15.12, 17

[9] 12.25

[10] 15.19

[11] 14.23, 21, 16.27

[12] 1.4

[13] From here on Holy Spirit will be represented as H.S.

[14] 14.25-26

[15] 15.26

[16] 14.25

[17] 11.33 emphases added.

[18] After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified. 13.21

[19] 11.27

[20] 9.38

[21] 20.28

[22] 3.35, 7.16-17, 8.28, 10.29, 12.49

[23] Sloyan, Gerard. Interpretation abible commentary for teaching and preaching: John. Atlanta,    GA: John Knox Press, 1988. Print

[24] Sloyan p.6

[25] Pink, Arthur W. Exposition of the Gospel of John. Swengl, PA: I. C. Herendeen, 1945. Print.

[26] Pink p.10

[27] John, Calvin. The Gospel According to St. John. Trans. T.H.L. Parker. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.            B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959. Print.