When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

 

 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.  But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  

 

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  

 

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

 

- John 16:1–15 

 

 This week we have been reading through Christ's Farewell Discourse, which was given to the disciples at the Last Supper.  Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, which tell of the manner in which the Eucharist was instituted, John's Gospel gives us the meaning behind Christ's ministry and the institution of the Eucharist, the substance of communion.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer to I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.  If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out  of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'   But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning." 

 

  "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart."  Here Christ elaborates on His warnings to the disciples of what is to come when He is no longer with them in the flesh, as Incarnate Jesus.  My study Bible explains that sorrow, in Christ's use here, means "extreme grief leading to despondency or despair," which is a sinful passion.  It quotes St. John Chrysostom, who comments, "Great is the tyranny of despondency."  Moreover, it adds that this sin is constantly referred to in the writings of the Desert Fathers.  When the world persecutes the believer or when God seems to be absent, Christians are called to fight against this despondency, taking comfort from the presence of the Holy Spirit (the theme of verses 5-15).  

 

 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  "Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."  Once again, we recall that the word in Greek translated here as Helper is Παρακλητος/Parakletos, sometimes rendered in English as Paraclete.  It literally indicates one who comes by one's side when called, as in participating in one's defense at trial.  This title also means "Comforter," "Counselor," and "Advocate."  My study Bible notes on this passage that through the illumination brought by the Holy Spirit, the world will be convicted; that is, it will be proven wrong.  It will be convicted concerning first of all its sin, of which the ultimate is denying Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, of righteousness, which it failed to accept from Christ with faith and thanksgiving.  And finally judgment, for all who reject Christ, according to my study Bible, will receive the same penalty that Satan, the ruler of this world, has already received (see Matthew 25:41).

 

 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He  will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."  My study Bible explains that because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and because this Spirit abides in the Church, the Church is the guardian of all truth.  

 

 My study Bible comments that because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and because this Spirit abides in the Church, the Church is the guardian of all truth.  While over the centuries, the Church has contended with many heresies, many sects, and many divisions, this comment may make some wonder how it is that the Church can be the guardian of all truth.  But the Church exists as the institution founded by Christ and built, in a particular respect, by the Holy Spirit.  The Church also contains within it the whole of the "great cloud of witnesses" referred to by St. Paul (Hebrews 12:1).  That is, all the saints and the angels, those who have come before us, and in the sense in which the Church is an eternal spiritual construction, those who will come afterwards.  The Church is also a kind of divine-human construction.  While the Spirit is active in the Church, the Church also relies upon human beings in its ranks.  That is true at every level, from the highest to the lowest in authority, from parishioners to priests and pastors and bishops and hierarchs.  In other words, in this divine-human effort, we are also fallible human beings who are capable of making errors and mistaking the ways in which we come to know and understand the truth of the Spirit.  Nonetheless, despite this and our own capacity for problems, the Church remains the repository of truth; as my study Bible puts it, the guardian of all truth.  For everything is there that we need to find when we seek Christ, and desire to come to know God and our place in God's salvific plan for creation.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus begins speaking in parables about the kingdom of heaven, He gives three that are particularly pertinent to this topic (Matthew 13:44-52).  First He speaks of the kingdom of heaven as being like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and for joy he sells all that he has and buys the field.  Second, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  Finally, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea.  Here we come close to our understanding of the Church and the working of the Holy Spirit in it, for this dragnet is cast out and gathers some of "every kind."  But when it was full, the good was gathered into vessels and the bad thrown away.  This is a parable of judgment at the end of the age -- that which Christ speaks of in today's reading when He reveals the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, and the Spirits active and ongoing mission, which convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, and at the same time guides the faithful into all truth, and glorifies Christ.  Finally, Jesus ends this teaching in parables by saying, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  And this treasure out of which every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven brings out things new and old is the Church.  This is the image of the repository of the Church as guardian of all truth -- a treasure to be cherished, upheld, lived, and grown into so that by its fruit it glorifies Father, Son, and Spirit.  Those who wish simply to use that treasure for their own gain or purpose will incur judgment, as will those who refuse to honor or receive its value.  That includes, as Jesus says in today's reading, "the ruler of this world," also called the father of lies (John 8:44).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you

 

 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father or Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

"But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  

 

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

 

- John 16:1–15 

 

We are currently reading Jesus' Farewell Discourse to the disciples, which He began at the Last Supper.  Now Jesus and the disciples have moved to another location, where His final teachings to them continue.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than that, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.  If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'  But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning." 

 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father or Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you."  Jesus has just preached both that His new command for His disciples is that they "love one another" as He had loved them, and that by this love the world would know them.  Moreover, He has taught that if the world first hated Him, it will also hate them.  It is in this context that He declares He teaches these things "that you should not be made to stumble," and gives clear warning of persecutions to come.  He speaks in a sense as a loving father or guide, as He says He did not say these things in the beginning, "because I was with you."

"But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."   Jesus tells the disciples that "sorrow has filled your heart."  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom's explanation of this sorrow, who says it is "extreme grief leading to despondency or despair," which is a sinful passion.  "Great is the tyranny of despondency," writes St. Chrysostom.  My study bible adds that this sin is constantly referred to in the writings of the Desert Fathers.  When the world persecutes the believer or when God seems to be absent, it says, Christians are called to fight against this despondency, taking comfort from the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Again, Jesus speaks here of the Holy Spirit, calling Him the Helper, or Paraklete in the Greek, one who comes when called, an Advocate.  This title can also mean "Comforter" and "Counselor."

"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."  My study bible comments that through the illumination brought by  the Holy Spirit, the world will be convicted -- that is, proven wrong.  It will be convicted concerning first of all, its sin, of which the ultimate is denying Jesus Christ.  Second, of righteousness, which it failed to accept from Christ with faith and thanksgiving.   Finally, there is judgment, for all who reject Christ will receive the same penalty that Satan, the ruler of this world has already received, my study bible says (see Matthew 25:41).  

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."   My study bible says that because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and also because this Spirit abides in the Church, the Church is the guardian of all truth.

In today's reading, following up on His warnings about persecutions to come and even the hatred of the world, Jesus teaches about the essential importance of the Holy Spirit, the Helper He will send from the Father.  What is the role of the Holy Spirit?  Most frequently, it seems, many tend to think of the Holy Spirit not as a separate Person, the Third Person of the Trinity, to be exact, but as some sort of amorphous presence.  But the Holy Spirit is a Person, with a definite role and mission, although -- as the Orthodox pray -- He is "everywhere present and filling all things."    He is so much more than simply the "glue" between the First Person of the Trinity, God the Father, and the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son.  But the Holy Spirit is a distinct Person, and I use the pronoun "He" because it helps us to understand this more clearly.  Jesus defines the role of the Holy Spirit in today's reading, at least partially for us.  Jesus says, "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."  This clearly sets out for us the immense value of the Holy Spirit to the lives of all in this world.  In this language, even the loss of Christ Incarnate is tempered by the vast gift of the Holy Spirit, an immeasurable gift to all who would be disciples of Jesus.  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."  Here is the powerful role of the Spirit, set out in three dimensions:  it is the Spirit whose role is to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment -- including the judgment of the ruler of this world.  These matters of sin, righteousness, and judgment are in some sense our concern only because we are the ones who must be aware of the state of our own sin, righteousness, and the judgment we will face.  But then Jesus adds what is most pertinent for His followers, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."  It is the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth, who will speak Christ's words to us, and tell us things to come.  The Holy Spirit will relay to us whatever He hears and glorify Christ in so doing.  He will take from what is Christ's and declare it to us.  So, it would seem from the teachings of Jesus here, there is no way that we can possibly overestimate the gifts and benefits of the Holy Spirit to us.  It is easy for us to forget our Comforter, Helper, and Advocate.  In the words of the Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit, He is "Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth," who is "everywhere present and filling all things," the "Treasury of Blessings and Giver of Life."  He is the "Good One" who comes and dwells in us, who cleanses our stains and saves our souls.  Let us cherish our Gift who brings God's blessings to us.

When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

"And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you all things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

- John 16:1-15

We continue with Jesus' Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper. In yesterday's reading, He said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." Jesus went on to warn His disciples that the servant is not greater than the master -- that they would encounter hatred in the world, just as He did, in fulfillment of the Scriptures: "They hated Me without a cause." But the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, will be with us to give us true testimony, so that we may fulfill His love and bear His fruits that glorify the Father.

"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them." Jesus faces His persecution, and warns His disciples of the persecutions to come that they will undergo. We see a chain of relationship here: to know the Father is to know Christ, and vice versa. Hatred comes of those who have not known and cannot understand this love, and we too may perhaps encounter this in our lives.

"And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart." My study bible has a lengthy and informative note about this word, sorrow. "The word sorrow means extreme grief, leading to a state of severe depression,' which is a sinful passion. Thus, St. John Chrysostom writes, 'Great is the tyranny of despondency.' This sin is also constantly referred to in the writings of the Desert Fathers. Even when the world hates true Christians, they must not become despondent, but take comfort from the Holy Spirit. The disciples are troubled not only because Jesus is leaving them, but also because of the ongoing struggle between light and darkness, between Jesus and the prince of this world." This word used here in the Greek is commonly used to express grief and condolences for others on any form of loss. As a person who has experienced sorrow and sadness in my life, I believe what the note in my study bible is leading us toward in its note is describing as "sin" a sense of total despair--instead it is teaching that we find comfort in our Comforter. As Christians, when we experience this hatred and loss, when we are severely disappointed, it's not enough to simply rest in what the world would hand us. This is a form of spiritual blindness to who we truly are. Instead we must find our way through our relationship, and seek the Comforter for the way forward. It is in this love and relationship that we take our perspective on the world, with all of its disappointments.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." Here Christ illustrates the point. The disciples are losing the greatest gift of all, God Incarnate, their Teacher, the Christ, Jesus who has loved them not as the world loves. But, just as He illustrated before when He spoke of the grain of wheat that falls to the ground, He is assuring them that it is a far greater gift that He now brings: the Helper, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit -- that this is what must come into the world for those who will follow in the future. On Jesus' departure, He will send the Holy Spirit to them. And this is "to their advantage." It is a kind of exchange -- not as the world gives, but as God gives us.

"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." We return to the language of the courts, of judgment and testimony. What do we take from this language? To convict, as translated here, is really to offer solid evidence, to convince. So, in effect, by the response of the world to this Spirit, it gives testimony and evidence as to the character of all, of each. How do we respond to the Spirit? For myself, I believe this has to do with the depth in all of us, and how we go through our lives. At every juncture, we seem to be offered a choice -- to turn to the Helper, or not. And, just as Jesus admonishes the disciples that it is to their advantage that they are sent the Comforter, so we are offered this gift as well. Do we take it? Can we fulfill the potentials it opens up for us in ourselves? We have a lifetime of choices to make. How we respond to that which knocks at the door of our hearts makes a convincing testimony about who we are. I believe this happens at such a depth that we cannot with certainty judge others as the knower of hearts can, but we must instead come to know and choose to be aware of it at work within ourselves, and that is the great crux -- for me -- of this teaching. Do we accept this gift? What we can know, however, is that "the ruler of this world is judged," that we have a Helper who is never going to abandon us, and that we have a way to go forward in life and must seek it. And we turn to the Spirit for discernment in our lives.

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you all things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." And here is the great fullness of this gift: that God gives us all things, in effect, all truth that Christ wishes for us. The fullness of that reality is ours in this great Comforter, the Spirit of truth that Jesus will send. And so, once again, how is it that we can refuse so great a gift? In this, it seems to me, is judgment. Which perspective do we choose -- the things that are of God and the fullness of "all things that (even) the Father has," or the perspective of the world whose ruler is judged?

So how can we refuse this gift? The answer to that is, in my opinion, quite simple. We can turn to the selfishness of our hearts, we can refuse to seek this Comforter, we can live in a "worldly" perspective that accepts casually all the things that harm others and bring them this sorrow and pain and sadness without comfort. Or we can seek the Comforter and find His words of "all things" that belong to God, to Christ, even to the Father. What we believe we need, we seek. To whom do you turn in your sorrow and despair, and what do you find there? In my experience, there is only one place that has the answers for me, and "the world" can't teach me properly how I have needed to respond to pain and loss. What's your choice? It's up to you.