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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XLVII, John 16:2,3 - Lesson 155
Read Verses John 16:1, for review: These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
Christ gives that which is needed for the disciples not to stumble.
His word is that which is needed.
"These things have I spoken to you" is enough to keep the disciples standing and not stumbling.
That is the principle that Christ teaches here.
His word is sufficient if obeyed by his disciples.
He forewarns them that they be forearmed with the sword of the LORD.
John 16:2,3 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Remember that Jesus Christ had said that the world would hate and persecute the disciples.
Here he describes what form that would take.
Notice that he includes those that put the disciples out of the synagogues as from the world.
Religion is of the world.
That is from where the hatred and persecution will come.
Just remember the dark ages when believers were burned by the Roman Catholic Church.
To be put out of the synagogue not only cut a man off from public worship but from society.
It was an official shunning of the man.
He became an outcast, a disgrace to his family and sometimes resulted in his death.
Ask Paul when he was Saul.
In Phil 3:6 as he recounted his religious credentials his zeal in persecuting the church was counted as worthy of honor.
Did not he participate in the death of many of those who followed Christ?
And when the LORD called him on the way to Damascus did not the very synagogues turn against him and hate him and persecute him?
By the time John wrote his Gospel the synagogues had as part of their prayers a curse on the Nazarenes.
The curse cried out: "Let Nazarenes and heretics perish as in a moment; let them be blotted out of the book of life and not be enrolled with the righteous."
Godliness will always meet opposition from those of the world because the world hates that which removes its cloak of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Proverbs 29:27, .... he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Again Jesus Christ reminds his disciples from where the hatred will come.
His enemies are his enemies because they know him not nor do they know the Father.
Spiritual ignorance results in hatred of those who are spiritual.
Because the Jews of Jesus Christ's day hated and persecuted the disciples it is proved that they did not know God the Father.
This continues to be a proof today.
If you do not love the brethren you are in the same camp as the Jews who crucified Christ and who hated and persecuted his followers. |