John 16 Bible Study |
What did Jesus mean by their being "
put out of the synagogues" (John 16;2)?
They will be rejected religiously, socially and economically not just in one
town but everywhere (notice the plural) they go to preach the Gospel.
What else is Jesus saying will happen to them in John 16:2?
They won’t lose just their social and economic lives, but eventually their physical lives as well.
Is that what really happened to them?
Based on oral historical commentary, Andrew was crucified. Bartholomew was flayed alive. James the Greater was stabbed to death.
James the Lesser was stoned to death. Jude was clubbed to death. Matthew was burned alive.
Peter was crucified, presumably upside down, Thomas was speared to death and Simon was sawn in half.
Is it true that their killers thought that they were
offering "God service" (John 16:2)?
While we don't have records of the the mindset of their respective killers,
history is full of people who killed thinking that they were offering God
service. During the Dark Ages, the Crusaders killed untold numbers of Jews and
Arabs in the name of God. During the Middle Ages, the Catholics killed
untold numbers of Protestants and Jews in the name of God. And more recently, the
self-declared Protestants of Nazi Germany killed 6 million Jews while wearing uniforms
whose belt buckle bore the inscription, "Got Mit Uns", which means,
"God With Us".
Why?
A couple of reasons. For one, Satan kills three birds with one stone:
instigate mayhem, dishonor God's name, and make people want to have nothing
to do with what they think is the cause such mayhem. The other reason is
that the people who were instigated "have not known the Father nor
Me" (John 16:3), who is the Word of God. Had they read the Bible for themselves
instead of blindly trusting their national and/or religious leaders who
supposedly had read the Bible, they would have known that such killings go against
everything Jesus did and taught.
Why would "sorrow" have "filled" (John 16:6) the disciples' hearts?
After having told them just before that one of them will betray Him, Peter will deny Him, and that He
will leave them, which had already troubled them, Jesus was now
saying that they will be rejected everywhere they go and end up getting killed.
Who is the "Helper" (John 16:7) Jesus will send after His departure?
The Holy "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13)
By "Helper", is Jesus calling the Holy Spirit His assistant, or someone who will help the disciples?
Parakletos, the Greek word translated, "Helper" in John 16:7 means someone who
gives comfort or counsel, so Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit's role to the disciples,
not His position vis a vis Jesus. Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit as the
"Helper" is all the more appropriate now since "sorrow
has filled" the disciples' "heart" and they need to be comforted, and
that need will increase in the coming hours.
How is it to the disciples' "advantage"
(John 16:7) that Jesus goes away and the Holy Spirit comes?
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit
of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) Having God dwell
"in you" is even better than having Him next to you.
What impact will the Holy Spirit have on the world?
"He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (John 16:8)
How will the Holy Spirit have that impact?
Through Christians whom He will indwell, empower and lead.
What did Jesus mean by convicting the world "of
sin, because they do not believe in Me" (John 16:9)?
The Holy Spirit will lead Christians to preach Jesus' gift of salvation,
which delivers people from their sins (plural). When people reject that,
they will be convicted of the "sin" (singular) of not
believing that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross paid for their sins, and therefore remain guilty of them.
How about, "of righteousness, because I go to My
Father and you see Me no more" (John 16:10)?
When Jesus walked the earth, He was accused of being a lot of things,
including a deceiver: "And there was much complaining among the
people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the
contrary, He deceives the people.” (John 7:12); a blasphemer:
"The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone
You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
(John 10:33); and even demon-possessed: "And the scribes who came
down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the
demons He casts out demons." (Mark 3:22) When His resurrection and
return to the "Father" (John 16:10) in heaven is preached, the world
will be convicted that His claim of being God was true and righteous.
And convicting the world "of judgment, because the
ruler of this world is judged" (John 16:11)?
You'd expect "the ruler of this world" to be the one passing judgment. But
because Jesus crushed Satan's grip on humanity's sin on the cross, Satan is
judged as having been defeated, and that news will also be preached by
Christians led by the Holy Spirit.
Why couldn't they "bear" the "many
things" that Jesus still had "to say" to them (John 16:12)?
They were devastated by what Jesus had already told them, and their
understanding won't be fully opened until the Holy Spirit comes upon them
What will the Holy Spirit tell the disciples?
What He hears from Jesus: "He will not speak on His own authority,
but whatever He hears He will speak... He will take of what is Mine and
declare it to you." (John 16:13-14)
What will Jesus tell the Holy Spirit?
What He hears from God the Father: "All things that the Father has
are Mine." (John 16:15) Therefore, there is complete unity and consistency
in the message from God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Whom will the Holy Spirit glorify?
He will glorify Jesus: "He will glorify Me." (John 16:14)
Will Jesus glorify the Holy Spirit?
No, Jesus glorifies the Father, and the Father glories Jesus, but neither
the Father nor Jesus nor the Holy Spirit glorifies the Holy Spirit. This is important to bear in
mind when we encounter people who attribute supernatural things to the Holy
Spirit. In those situations, ask if those things glorify Jesus or anyone
else. If anyone else, it may be a spirit, but not the Holy Spirit.
Until when did the Holy Spirit spirit speak the "many
things" (John 16:12) that Jesus wanted to tell the disciples?
Until the end of the first century AD when Revelation, the last book of the
Bible was written and closed with a stern warning: "For I testify to
everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to
these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from
the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19
Does the Holy Spirit still speak today?
Yes, but far less frequently than is claimed by people. Whenever someone
claims to have heard from the Holy Spirit, what they claim to have heard
must be tested against the Bible. If it contradicts, "adds to"
or "takes away from" the Bible, it isn't from the Holy Spirit
What did Jesus mean in John 16:16?
His impending death and resurrection.
What will the disciples do upon His death?
They will "weep and lament, and... be sorrowful." (John 16:20)
What will happen upon His resurrection?
Their "sorrow will be turned into joy." (John 16:20) and
their hearts "will rejoice." (John 16:22)
A woman's labor results in birth to a new life. What does Jesus’ death on the cross accomplish?
Eternal life to billions of people.
Why does Jesus refer to the "sorrow" (John 16:21) of a woman in labor?
The translated Greek word is lupe, which can mean either "pain" or "sorrow".
What doesn't Jesus mention?
The far greater pain that He will suffer in the coming hours.
Why?
He will talk to God the Father about that in private shortly. Here, He is
using this analogy is to give them hope of what lies beyond their sorrow.
Why do Christians pray in Jesus' name?
Because He said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the
Father in My name He will give you." (John 16:23) Of course, this is
conditional on their request being in God's will.
When will Jesus "no longer speak to" them
"in figurative language, but... plainly" (John 16:25)?
When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in them 53 days later (50 days after Jesus' resurrection), He will help them
understand all things, so there will be no need for figurative language to help them understand.
What is Jesus saying about prayer in John 16:26-27?
That it is to be directed at God "the Father".
Is the right to pray directly to God the Father given only
to the 11 disciples or Christian leaders today?
No, it's given to all Christians. The right to pray directly to God the
Father isn't vested in a human being or their status but in the name of
Jesus. Everyone who loves and believes that Jesus "came forth from
God... the Father" (John 16:28) is to pray directly to God the Father in Jesus' name.
What about praying to dead Christians or biblical figures
and asking them to pray to God for us?
Praying to anyone else besides God - even to likeable dead Christians and
biblical figures - is idolatry. It contradicts what Jesus said above
and elsewhere in the Bible, and is strictly forbidden.
What do the disciples really believe at this point?
Their actions in the next few hours will prove them not to have understood all that much.
Doesn't Jesus say in John 16:31 that they do believe?
Actually He questions it, and them tells them that they are about to scatter and desert Him.
What does "the world" (John 16:33) have in store for Christians?
"Tribulation." (John 16:33)
How are Christians to deal with it?
Seek "peace" (John 16:33) in Jesus, taking heart in the fact that He
overcame Satan on the cross, and what that means for life in eternity.