These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
In the upper room alone with the eleven after Judas withdrew, just before telling them of His approaching separation, Jesus told them beforehand about coming trouble, hatred and persecution so that when it came they would not stumble, lose faith or abandon Him but would remember His words and be strengthened. The trial He foretold was that they would be cast out of the synagogues and killed by professed servants of God who sincerely thought they were doing God service because they had never truly known the Father nor Christ. As His witnesses in the world but not of it, testifying against evil, they were to meet the same causeless hatred He met for obeying God, and His followers in every age must expect no less tribulation. Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, He mingled bright lines of hope with the dark to give them comfort, courage and assurance to keep them from failing in the most trying hour. That comfort was joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter to convict the world and abide with His consecrated servants, and lived out in obedience His words produce unity and love that stand unshaken in the shaking time.
Setting and Purpose
These words were spoken in the upper room to the eleven faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, just before Jesus told them of His approaching separation from them. They belong to the words of comfort, counsel, prayer and hope in chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, which the multitude could not understand as sacred truth and which even the disciples could not fully understand until after the resurrection. Before speaking of that separation He directed their thoughts first to the great object of His mission ever before Him, the glorifying of the Father's name, finding joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify that name. Remembered and repeated again and again, those words would stay sinking hearts in great disappointment and trial and would strengthen despondent believers.
The saying belongs to Christ's farewell instruction and comfort to His disciples before He was separated from them, together with John 13:31-38 and John 14-17, including let not the heart be troubled. It was part of His instruction preparing them for their future work, which would fail if they left the divine agency out of their efforts. He told them plainly about what lay ahead so they would not be left ignorant or unprepared, and so they could remember His love and be strengthened for future trials and temptations.
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended means Jesus told His followers beforehand about coming trouble, trial, disappointment, hatred and persecution so they would not stumble, fall away, lose heart, lose faith, or abandon their faith when it came, but would remember that He had told them and be strengthened. The coming trouble foretold is that they would be put out of the synagogues and killed by people who sincerely think they are doing God service, done by people who have not known the Father nor Christ, even by experimental knowledge. God's people can expect nothing less than their Master met, for as Christ was hated without cause merely for obedience to God, His people are hated without cause merely because they obey the commandments of God and do His works, and though their life is faultless and character blameless they must expect the same treatment given to Him who was pure, holy and undefiled yet treated as a criminal and condemned without evidence, including arrest and trial before councils whose standard is not God's high and holy law but oppressive human laws exalting satanic enactments while God's enactments are despised. That persecution comes not from the world who make no profession, but from those who profess to be doing God service and manifest the most bitter hatred, and followers must expect no less persecution and trial today than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego met, because tribulation will assuredly come since Satan knows Christ has purchased salvation for the whole world and is determined to wrest every possible soul out of His hand. The warning belongs to the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, in which Satan catches away truth from minds, explaining present warfare and why the gospel must yet be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the promised land is reached, and it is joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter, purchased by His death, to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
The saying also means Christ spoke beforehand so disciples would not stumble over or reject His teaching. This is illustrated when disciples were offended by His teaching that He is the bread of life and they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, which He explained are spirit and life.
Persecution Foretold
The trouble foretold is expulsion from the synagogues and death at the hands of those who sincerely believe they are serving God. This violence is done by people who have not known the Father nor Christ. When the time comes, remembrance that it was told beforehand keeps followers from stumbling, being shaken, losing heart, or abandoning faith. That warning has proved true in the experience of those loyal and true to God according to the light received.
That persecution comes not from the world who make no profession, but from those who profess to be doing God service and manifest the most bitter hatred. As witnesses who are in the world but not of the world, the disciples testify against evil in worldly plans contrary to truth and righteousness, and therefore meet difficulties, hatred, manifold afflictions, and a dark, troubled future. Their witness to what they had seen and heard carries responsibility to endure suffering and dishonor rather than abandon faith, and their recorded testimony is to be studied by thoughtful people through the ages. The apostles remembered the warning when arrested for preaching about Jesus, and were not intimidated or cast down.
He knew every phase of experience and conflict they would meet, was grieved they must pass through it, and prepared them for the time of trial and great temptation to lose faith. He knew the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers and how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried. As Christ was hated without cause merely for obedience to God, His people are hated without cause merely because they obey the commandments of God and do His works instead of working contrary to them. Though their life is faultless and character blameless, they must expect the same treatment given to Him who was pure, holy and undefiled yet treated as a criminal and condemned without evidence, including arrest and trial before councils whose standard is not God's high and holy law but oppressive human laws exalting satanic enactments while God's enactments are despised, because persecutors lack experimental knowledge of the Father and Christ.
Followers of Christ today must expect nothing less than their Master met and no less persecution and trial than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego met. As long as they follow Christ they must be His witnesses, and tribulation will assuredly come. Satan knows Christ has purchased salvation for the whole world and is determined to wrest every possible soul out of His hand. The warning belongs to the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, in which Satan catches away truth from minds, explaining present warfare and why the gospel must yet be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the promised land is reached.
Comfort and Obedience
Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, He spoke for the comfort of His disciples in words so simple that even children may understand them. He mingled bright, hopeful lines with the dark, giving encouragement and hope and courage and strength and assurance to keep believers from failing and to stand fast in the most trying hour, with strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last. He spoke beforehand because He knew how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried by the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers, and He was grieved that they must pass through difficulties, hatred, manifold afflictions and a dark, troubled future as His witnesses who are in the world but not of the world and testify against evil in worldly plans contrary to truth and righteousness. He told them plainly about what lay ahead so they would not be left ignorant or unprepared, and so they would be prepared for the time of trial and great temptation to lose faith, to maintain faith that works by love, to keep temper and patience with worldly men, to keep an untarnished Christlike reputation, and not to fail nor be discouraged nor stumble into offense. The words of comfort, counsel, prayer and hope in chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen were spoken to His faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, since the multitude could not understand those sacred truths and even the disciples could not fully understand them until after the resurrection, and the disciples repeated them again and again to stay their sinking hearts in great disappointment and trial. Remembered and shared, they strengthen despondent believers by recalling His love for future trials and temptations.
The warning is joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter, purchased by His death, to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. In that promise He gave changeless consolation and hope and courage and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit within their reach, which is of highest value for every soul consecrated to God's service.
The instruction prepared them for their future work, which would fail if they left the divine agency out of their efforts. It shows what God desires to do for the human race, given by the great Teacher to men in all ages and all times from generation to generation, for which the heavenly Father has made every provision. Obedience to that teaching would make the human race wholly different, presenting a new world bearing the impress of heaven.
The instruction in John 14-17 can be understood with new enlightenment when the mind is reshaped by the Spirit of God. Receiving the Holy Spirit as the disciples did on the day of Pentecost opens eyes now blinded, for the scales fall from them so they see what God desires to do.
The discourse is needed by all Christians and is to be presented in every home as a message from God showing how to receive Christ's grace. Its conditions must be obeyed, otherwise people will be unworthy to stand among His people when He comes in glory and unable to look upon His face.
The verse is part of God's plainly expressed will found in the sixth and thirteenth through seventeenth chapters of John for those who minister in word and doctrine who are acquainted with present truth. God means just what He says in it. Ministers need to be converted in order to understand the philosophy of genuine missionary work taught there, and it is their privilege to believe every verse in these chapters and to live them out before their fellow ministers.
It was spoken to keep followers from being offended and to cure dissension among them. Lived out in practical life, it produces unity with one another and with Christ and a love that is an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults. Those who live it become strong co-workers with Christ and will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
In the upper room alone with the eleven after Judas withdrew, just before telling them of His approaching separation, Jesus told them beforehand about coming trouble, hatred and persecution so that when it came they would not stumble, lose faith or abandon Him but would remember His words and be strengthened. The trial He foretold was that they would be cast out of the synagogues and killed by professed servants of God who sincerely thought they were doing God service because they had never truly known the Father nor Christ. As His witnesses in the world but not of it, testifying against evil, they were to meet the same causeless hatred He met for obeying God, and His followers in every age must expect no less tribulation. Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, He mingled bright lines of hope with the dark to give them comfort, courage and assurance to keep them from failing in the most trying hour. That comfort was joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter to convict the world and abide with His consecrated servants, and lived out in obedience His words produce unity and love that stand unshaken in the shaking time.
Setting and Purpose
These words were spoken in the upper room to the eleven faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, just before Jesus told them of His approaching separation from them. They belong to the words of comfort, counsel, prayer and hope in chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, which the multitude could not understand as sacred truth and which even the disciples could not fully understand until after the resurrection. Before speaking of that separation He directed their thoughts first to the great object of His mission ever before Him, the glorifying of the Father's name, finding joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify that name. Remembered and repeated again and again, those words would stay sinking hearts in great disappointment and trial and would strengthen despondent believers.
The saying belongs to Christ's farewell instruction and comfort to His disciples before He was separated from them, together with John 13:31-38 and John 14-17, including let not the heart be troubled. It was part of His instruction preparing them for their future work, which would fail if they left the divine agency out of their efforts. He told them plainly about what lay ahead so they would not be left ignorant or unprepared, and so they could remember His love and be strengthened for future trials and temptations.
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended means Jesus told His followers beforehand about coming trouble, trial, disappointment, hatred and persecution so they would not stumble, fall away, lose heart, lose faith, or abandon their faith when it came, but would remember that He had told them and be strengthened. The coming trouble foretold is that they would be put out of the synagogues and killed by people who sincerely think they are doing God service, done by people who have not known the Father nor Christ, even by experimental knowledge. God's people can expect nothing less than their Master met, for as Christ was hated without cause merely for obedience to God, His people are hated without cause merely because they obey the commandments of God and do His works, and though their life is faultless and character blameless they must expect the same treatment given to Him who was pure, holy and undefiled yet treated as a criminal and condemned without evidence, including arrest and trial before councils whose standard is not God's high and holy law but oppressive human laws exalting satanic enactments while God's enactments are despised. That persecution comes not from the world who make no profession, but from those who profess to be doing God service and manifest the most bitter hatred, and followers must expect no less persecution and trial today than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego met, because tribulation will assuredly come since Satan knows Christ has purchased salvation for the whole world and is determined to wrest every possible soul out of His hand. The warning belongs to the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, in which Satan catches away truth from minds, explaining present warfare and why the gospel must yet be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the promised land is reached, and it is joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter, purchased by His death, to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
The saying also means Christ spoke beforehand so disciples would not stumble over or reject His teaching. This is illustrated when disciples were offended by His teaching that He is the bread of life and they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, which He explained are spirit and life.
Persecution Foretold
The trouble foretold is expulsion from the synagogues and death at the hands of those who sincerely believe they are serving God. This violence is done by people who have not known the Father nor Christ. When the time comes, remembrance that it was told beforehand keeps followers from stumbling, being shaken, losing heart, or abandoning faith. That warning has proved true in the experience of those loyal and true to God according to the light received.
That persecution comes not from the world who make no profession, but from those who profess to be doing God service and manifest the most bitter hatred. As witnesses who are in the world but not of the world, the disciples testify against evil in worldly plans contrary to truth and righteousness, and therefore meet difficulties, hatred, manifold afflictions, and a dark, troubled future. Their witness to what they had seen and heard carries responsibility to endure suffering and dishonor rather than abandon faith, and their recorded testimony is to be studied by thoughtful people through the ages. The apostles remembered the warning when arrested for preaching about Jesus, and were not intimidated or cast down.
He knew every phase of experience and conflict they would meet, was grieved they must pass through it, and prepared them for the time of trial and great temptation to lose faith. He knew the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers and how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried. As Christ was hated without cause merely for obedience to God, His people are hated without cause merely because they obey the commandments of God and do His works instead of working contrary to them. Though their life is faultless and character blameless, they must expect the same treatment given to Him who was pure, holy and undefiled yet treated as a criminal and condemned without evidence, including arrest and trial before councils whose standard is not God's high and holy law but oppressive human laws exalting satanic enactments while God's enactments are despised, because persecutors lack experimental knowledge of the Father and Christ.
Followers of Christ today must expect nothing less than their Master met and no less persecution and trial than Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego met. As long as they follow Christ they must be His witnesses, and tribulation will assuredly come. Satan knows Christ has purchased salvation for the whole world and is determined to wrest every possible soul out of His hand. The warning belongs to the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, in which Satan catches away truth from minds, explaining present warfare and why the gospel must yet be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people before the promised land is reached.
Comfort and Obedience
Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, He spoke for the comfort of His disciples in words so simple that even children may understand them. He mingled bright, hopeful lines with the dark, giving encouragement and hope and courage and strength and assurance to keep believers from failing and to stand fast in the most trying hour, with strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last. He spoke beforehand because He knew how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried by the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers, and He was grieved that they must pass through difficulties, hatred, manifold afflictions and a dark, troubled future as His witnesses who are in the world but not of the world and testify against evil in worldly plans contrary to truth and righteousness. He told them plainly about what lay ahead so they would not be left ignorant or unprepared, and so they would be prepared for the time of trial and great temptation to lose faith, to maintain faith that works by love, to keep temper and patience with worldly men, to keep an untarnished Christlike reputation, and not to fail nor be discouraged nor stumble into offense. The words of comfort, counsel, prayer and hope in chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen were spoken to His faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, since the multitude could not understand those sacred truths and even the disciples could not fully understand them until after the resurrection, and the disciples repeated them again and again to stay their sinking hearts in great disappointment and trial. Remembered and shared, they strengthen despondent believers by recalling His love for future trials and temptations.
The warning is joined to the promise that He would depart to send the Comforter, purchased by His death, to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. In that promise He gave changeless consolation and hope and courage and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit within their reach, which is of highest value for every soul consecrated to God's service.
The instruction prepared them for their future work, which would fail if they left the divine agency out of their efforts. It shows what God desires to do for the human race, given by the great Teacher to men in all ages and all times from generation to generation, for which the heavenly Father has made every provision. Obedience to that teaching would make the human race wholly different, presenting a new world bearing the impress of heaven.
The instruction in John 14-17 can be understood with new enlightenment when the mind is reshaped by the Spirit of God. Receiving the Holy Spirit as the disciples did on the day of Pentecost opens eyes now blinded, for the scales fall from them so they see what God desires to do.
The discourse is needed by all Christians and is to be presented in every home as a message from God showing how to receive Christ's grace. Its conditions must be obeyed, otherwise people will be unworthy to stand among His people when He comes in glory and unable to look upon His face.
The verse is part of God's plainly expressed will found in the sixth and thirteenth through seventeenth chapters of John for those who minister in word and doctrine who are acquainted with present truth. God means just what He says in it. Ministers need to be converted in order to understand the philosophy of genuine missionary work taught there, and it is their privilege to believe every verse in these chapters and to live them out before their fellow ministers.
It was spoken to keep followers from being offended and to cure dissension among them. Lived out in practical life, it produces unity with one another and with Christ and a love that is an impregnable wall against Satan's assaults. Those who live it become strong co-workers with Christ and will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.