A Tour Through John, Lesson 28

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/tour-john-lesson-28/" target="_blank"><strong>website.</strong></a></p><p>Jesus has been preparing his apostles for the persecution to come (15:18 into chapter 16).</p><ul><li>Persecuting Christians will come to be seen as service to God (v.2). John's gospel was penned in a time when Jewish-Christian relations were suffering significant deterioration. Eviction from the synagogues is probably happening to many readers of this gospel.</li><li>Saul of Tarsus is another obvious example of this turn of events.</li><li>After the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, Christians no longer enjoyed imperial protection under the umbrella of Judaism. Whereas earlier they were welcome to visit and even speak in the synagogues -- as in the book of Acts -- things would change for the worse.</li></ul><p>16:1 “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.</p><ul><li><i>Note:</i> Stumbling (v.1) -- from <i>skándalon</i>, stumbling block. Not the same word as falling away, as it is often mistranslated in some Bible versions.</li><li><i>Note:</i> A Jewish writing, <i>NuR </i>21 (191a, based on Numbers 25:13), may be the basis for the notion that killing heretics is an act of worship.</li></ul><p>“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocatewill not come to you; but if I go