Gospel of John [17:17-18]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 28. 2Ti 2; Passages of the

Title: Gospel of John [17:17-18]. The Lord's priestly prayer; part 28. 2Ti 2; Passages of the "gospel."

 

 

JOH 17:17-18

"Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

 

For this reason they are going to suffer in a world that hates the gospel, but Christ has overcome the world and the Father has heeded His prayer to sanctify them in the truth so that the evil in the world does not set up a home in their hearts and so make their witness weak and even non-existent.

 

As a depiction of practical sanctification in the truth I have chosen 2Ti 2, of which we have made it to verse 10.

 

2TI 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

 

2TI 2:2 And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

 

2TI 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

 

2TI 2:4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

 

2TI 2:5 And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.

 

2TI 2:6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

 

2TI 2:7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

 

2TI 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,

 

2TI 2:9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

 

2TI 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

 

These three verses form the conclusion of the paragraph. He presses home this part of the lesson by passing from simile to concrete example of Christ's own hardship that resulted in glory, which was then imitated by Paul in a lesser way.

 

Jesus Christ is our true example.

 

2TI 2:9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

 

2TI 2:10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

 

Paul was shackled, however, as he puts so well, the word of God could not be imprisoned. The gospel continued to go forth, saving soul after soul.

 

The importance of the word of God to the worker for the gospel cannot be emphasized enough. Without its sanctifying power the witness is severely hindered and ineffective as an ambassador for Christ. So we began to look at passages where Paul emphasizes this point. We have 14 passages and have completed 7.

 

8)

Php 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

 

"conduct" - politeu,omai[politeuomai; present middle imperative] = to conduct oneself with proper reference to one's obligations as a citizen (of heaven).

 

The noun "citizenship" is referenced by Paul in chapter three with the same call to a pattern of life, hence sanctification in the truth.

 

Php 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example [not imitation, but devotion and virtue], and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

 

Php 3:18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,

 

Php 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

 

Php 3:20 For our citizenship [politeuma] is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

 

Php 3:21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

 

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Php 1:27 Only conduct [as obligated as a citizen of heaven] yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

What Paul states is an echo of our Lord's prayer:

 

JOH 17:20-21

"I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.

 

Php 1:28 in no way alarmed by your opponents —  which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation [deliverance] for you, and that too, from God.

 

Php 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 

Php 1:30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

 

The witness will face opposition and persecution. There is a conduct of the witness and a unity of the church that makes for a firm foundation of the gospel.

 

9)

Php 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

 

Php 4:2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.

 

Php 4:3 Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

 

Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

 

Fellow witnesses share in the struggle of the cause of the gospel. Satan attempts to destroy harmony through division.

 

Satan will use our weaknesses, areas of sin and evil, our misunderstandings, our sensitivities, our presumptions, our conflicting personalities and backgrounds, whatever he can, to cause division and so destroy the harmony that should come from a body of believers who understand the importance, depth, magnitude, and power of the gospel. It's about the gospel, our Lord, and not our individual desires. That is sanctification in the truth.

 

10)

COL 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

 

COL 1:4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

 

COL 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,

 

COL 1:6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

 

COL 1:7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

 

COL 1:8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

 

Faith and love in the believer grows from the understanding of all the good news that Christ has accomplished.

 

As the believer continues to study the word of God the understanding of the grace of God increases. Grace means gifts and as we understand them more the fruit of that good news continues to increase within us. When this same increase is in a number of believers they become fellow slaves [sundoulos] of Christ and the fruit increases even more. What must be true about the fellow slaves of Christ is that they must each be sanctified in the truth of the word of God by their own choice. It is not a unity of personality type or any other worldly unity (that which brings worldly people together), and in our day, they do not have to be in the same geographical location.

 

We see this in yet another example of a faithful fellow slave of Christ, Epaphras. The unity in the work of the gospel among the faithful, which are those who understand the importance and magnitude of the gospel, continues to bear fruit. Satan has worked hard to stop it and has not been able, nor will he ever be able, for the word of God is far more alive and powerful than he.

 

2TI 2:2

And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.