Print Page | Add To Favorites | Close Window | Send To A Friend | Save This Page
FAQ # 211
QUESTION 211 : Why did Jesus use the plural
in speaking of the believer's union with God (John 17:21-23), as his union
with God, if he is God (i.e. father)?
This
was before his ascension, thus before the mystery of his Godhood was revealed.
So he said it "that they may be one, just as We are one" (John
17:21-23). When his Godhood was revealed upon his ascension, they knew
that Jesus was the Father yet came as the son, so perfect was it that
not even the devil could have seen it. That is how he want us to be in
unity, that no distinction can even be seen amongst us whatsoever – not
in doctrine, love, possessions or anything – one body. The unbelievers
looking on shouldn’t see an ounce of difference, but all things co-coordinated
by God, we being members of his body (1 Corinthians 12).
One person exclaimed, “Is the author aware that in
John 17:21 Jesus also prayed, for His apostles, ‘that they all may be
one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one
in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.’ Are we to believe
that Jesus was praying for his apostles to become one being? If not, Jesus
and the Father are not one being” (bible.ca).
This erroneous view can be applied everywhere to what
Jesus frequently used, analogies (resemblance). For instance, the bible
said that we are to love our wives even as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25).
Are we going to break up the analogy and see pass the point and say, "Christ
sacrificed himself on the cross for us so that means I should set up a
cross and arose some folk to come sacrifice me, so my wife might have
life." Or, "since many of us are in the body of believers that
Christ loves, I should have a company of different wives called my body
just like Christ." This is exactly what this person is doing to John
17:21 about God being not one being if we are not one being.
An analogy is a resemblance of a something used to
describe another thing, not necessary meant to be exact. As seen above,
Christ used his identity of being the father while enfleshed as Jesus
as an analogy to our unity, because in it no one could tell at first his
identity, no distinction was seen. Similarly, in true unity there is no
distinction.
Go to top of Page | Get the Book | Buy it here or here or here or here | More FAQ's