Word Cloud - John 14-17

Below is a word cloud that graphically illustrates the key concepts in Jesus' farewell address from the Gospel of John. If you're doing a study of this text, the graphic may help direct your study by showing the concepts that John emphasizes in this section of his gospel.

The Paraclete in John's Gospel

John is the only New Testament writer who uses the Greek word parakletos (paraclete) to designate the Holy Spirit.  The multiple uses of the term are found in Jesus' farewell address in chapters 14 -16 of the fourth gospel.  Below is a graphic that shows some of the ways paraclete has been translated into English from John's Greek text.  It also shows how John conceived the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer.

Robert Kysar, in his book John, The Maverick Gospel, points out the two-fold function of the Paraclete: 1) He communicates Christ to the believer and 2) he puts the world on trial. But what I would like to get a better handle on is how John's community understood this to happen in practice.

How did the Paraclete teach them all things about Jesus?
How did they experience revelations of the future?
How did the Spirit guide them into all truth?

Let me know what you have discovered in practice (not conceptually) about the Paraclete's workings?

The Long Goodbye - The Farewell Address of Jesus

The Gospel of John is unique in a number of ways, but one important way it differs from the Synoptic Gospels is the narration of Jesus' last supper.  Read the account of the last supper in Matthew, Mark, and Luke; each account covers only a few short verses.  In John, on the other hand, the narrative covers five chapters, including a lengthy farewell address that Jesus delivers to his disciples ("the long goodbye").  Among the distinctive features of this material (John 13-17), Jesus:

• washes the feet of the disciples
• teaches about the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit)
• gives a new commandment (love one another)
• prays at length for his disciples

And significantly missing from the text is any mention of the word's of institution of the Lord's Supper, the focal point of the synoptic narratives of the supper.

Take some time and reread these significant chapters.  What did John's account mean for those Christians who first heard/read it?  How should contemporary believers make use of his insights?  What needs to be translated into a 21st century perspective?

And lastly what does John's remembrance of the Jesus tradition tells us about how we continue to celebrate the Lord's Supper?

Who Is the Beloved Disciple in John's Gospel?

Mark Goodacre's latest podcast explores the identity of the beloved disciple in John's Gospel.  Listen to it here.

Accurate and Adequate Information

In the business world, ethical retailers give much consideration to how their Associates communicate product information.  Three terms enter into how information is provided to customers:

1. Representation - any statement verbal or written) that is made to influence a purchase decision.
2. Misrepresentation - any statement that contains inaccurate information.
3. Failure to Disclose - occurs when there is inadequate information or something important is left out or concealed. 

What if church leaders were held accountable for their representations, misrepresentations, and failures to disclose.  I am thinking particularly of sermons/adult education offerings where no use is made of scholarly research, where denominational loyalty supplants critical study, and where, under the guise of protecting the flock, outdated theological concepts and discriminatory rhetoric passes for bible study.  And perhaps worst of all, the failure to disclose differing perspectives and intentionally ignoring the advances of science, literary criticism, archaeology, etc. because it conflicts with long held prejudices or congregational dogma.

In the business world, customers would have legal recourse against firms not providing accurate and adequate information.  In the church, we just say, "good sermon/class today," no mater what the quality or the accuracy of the representations.

Faces of America

I missed this series when it initially aired on PBS, but you can view the first episode online here. Henry Lewis Gates, Jr. shows us the faces of America through the family history of 12 well known Americans.  Here's how PBS describes the program:

About the Program
What made America? What makes us? These two questions are at the heart of the new PBS series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The Harvard scholar turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans — professor and poet Elizabeth Alexander, chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, novelist Louise Erdrich, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, actress Eva Longoria, musician Yo-Yo Ma, director Mike Nichols, Her Majesty Queen Noor, television host/heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, actress Meryl Streep, and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Will Campbell's Grandma Bettye

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