Sunday School Lesson
February 21
Lesson 12 (KJV)
Called to Explain
Devotional Reading: Colossians 4:7–15
Background Scripture: Acts 18:1–26; Romans 16:3–4; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19
Acts 18:1–3, 18–21, 24–26
1. After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
18. And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
19. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
20. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21. But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
Romans 16:3–4
3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4. Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. List several facts about Priscilla and Aquila.
2. Explain the importance of the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila in relation to Paul’s.
3. Write a note of appreciation to a ministry partner.
HOW TO SAY IT
| Aquila | Ack-wih-luh. |
| Cenchrea | Sen-kree-uh. |
| Claudius | Claw-dee-us. |
| Ephesus | Ef-uh-sus. |
| Gamaliel | Guh-may-lih-ul or Guh-may-lee-al. |
| Hellenistic | Heh-leh-nihs-tic. |
| Peloponnesian | Peh-luh-puh-nee-shun. |
| Prisca | Pris-kuh. |
| Septuagint | Sep-too-ih-jent. |
| Thessalonica | Thess-uh-lo-nye-kuh.[2] |
Introduction
A. Power Couples
When you hear the phrase power couple, who comes to mind? Some might think of historical matches, like Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Others may consider more recent examples, such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
It’s not hard to understand that the phrase refers to those who wield great influence. It’s almost too basic to point out that the phrase requires exactly two people, usually who are married or otherwise romantically involved. Although conflict can arise in such unions, part of their power is found in common purpose. They often work together toward artistic growth, social change, or economic gain, etc. Their shared goal is not a compromise; they both believe whole-heartedly in the worthiness of their prize and work cooperatively to attain it. When that shared vision is lost, the power of the couple falters, and often the bond between the two dissolves.
Lasting and happy power couples complement each other. The strengths of one fill in the weakness of the other, and vice versa. Although they may have differing roles, neither partner is considered superior or more valuable than the other. The sum of their parts is greater than what each would be individually. And so it is with the power couple we meet in today’s lesson.
B. Lesson Context
The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome. The military and political center of the first century, Rome had a significant Jewish population. Christianity came to Rome early, likely within a few months after the resurrection of Christ. On the Day of Pentecost, visitors from Rome heard the gospel preached, and undoubtedly some of them were baptized (Acts 2:10, 41). Then they returned home to spread Christianity in the imperial city.
That spread seems to have been confined to Jews for many years. As a result, Christians of Jewish background coexisted with unbelieving Jews in tight urban spaces, jockeying for control of various synagogues. Tensions grew; violence resulted.
Rather than sort out the instigators, Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from the city, whether Christian or non-Christian, in AD 49. Jews were not readmitted to the city until the death of Claudius in AD 54.
These events form the backdrop of Paul’s meeting two Jews from Rome, Priscilla and Aquila, in Corinth in about AD 51. In the meantime, Christians of Gentile background in Rome established house churches (Romans 16:5, 10–11, 14–15), a development that caused some tension when Jewish Christians returned to the city.
I. Partners with Paul
(ACTS 18:1–3, 18–21, 24–26)
A. Making Tents (vv. 1–3)
1a. After these things Paul departed from Athens.
Paul had left his primary companions, Silas and Timothy, behind in Berea (Acts 17:13–14) while he himself traveled south. His time in Athens, while dramatic, did not result in planting a church. He was ridiculed by the philosophers for his belief in the resurrection (17:32); even so, he left behind a few new believers (17:34).
1b. And came to Corinth.
Paul proceeded about 50 miles west to Corinth. This city was the seat of Roman government for the area, the residence of the deputy Gallio (Acts 18:12). Corinth, Greece, was a commercial hub, a crossroads for trade because of the business of transporting ships across the Isthmus of Corinth (less than four miles wide) using an ancient kind of railway. This saved ships hundreds of miles of perilous sea journey around the Peloponnesian Peninsula, making it worth the expense. This positioned Corinth as a primary way station for goods and people coming to and from Rome and the eastern parts of the empire.
Corinth was also a religious city, with people of pagan beliefs and Jewish faith living there. Unsurprisingly, then, it had a synagogue (Acts 18:4). Paul’s habit on visiting a city was to find the synagogue in order to teach fellow Jews the gospel of Jesus Christ (example: 17:1–4).
2a. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla.
Despite Aquila being a Latin name (“eagle”), the man was Jewish. He hailed from the Greek region on the south shores of the Black Sea known as Pontus, an area where many Jewish merchants lived (see Acts 2:9). Aquila had made his way to Italy at some point. Priscilla is an affectionate nickname for a woman named Prisca (see 2 Timothy 4:19). We do not know if she came from a Jewish family, although that is likely. Nor do we know if she was from Rome or moved there at another time.
2b. (Because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
See the Lesson Context.
3. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
Paul joined this couple in a way we have not seen of him to this point in Acts: working at a trade for a living. (First Thessalonians 2:9 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7–10, portions of two letters Paul wrote while in Corinth, indicate that he had worked to support himself previously while in Thessalonica.) All three were tentmakers, a new piece of personal information about Paul. He was trained to be a rabbi by the famous Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), and all rabbis of this period had a professional skill—carpentry, baking, etc.
A tentmaker of this era worked with heavy material such as leather or woven goat hair. The tents being sold in Corinth were durable products used in semi-permanent situations. Construction of such tents required arduous handwork, using palm guards and hefty needles as pieces were stitched together with leather straps. It was a skilled profession with a ready market, thus allowing Paul to earn a living.
The importance of Paul’s willingness to support himself in this manner is seen when he wrote to the church in Corinth several years later (see 1 Corinthians 4:12; 9:1–18; compare Acts 20:34). The accommodations that Paul shared with Aquila and Priscilla may have served as personal lodging, tent factory, and sales shop concurrently. Skilled craftsmen were in demand in a commercial center like Corinth, and Paul probably was able to make these arrangements quickly.
In the language of the church, this verse is the origin of the tradition of “tentmaking”—bivocational ministry in which church workers receive all or part of their income from employment outside the ministry. In the case of Priscilla, Aquila, and Paul, having an income-producing skill allowed them to be self-supporting as necessary. This gave them the freedom to relocate quickly as circumstances required. In the case of the tentmaking couple, they followed Paul to Ephesus (see Acts 18:19, below) and eventually returned to Rome (see Romans 16:3, below), doing ministry at both places in addition to Corinth.
B. Making Disciples (vv. 18–21)
18a. And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila.
Paul stayed in Corinth for about 18 months (Acts 18:11), but eventually decided to return to Syria. Initially, Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him, leaving their business in Corinth. No other married couple in the New Testament is like Priscilla and Aquila. They worked together as a team par excellence. It is hard for us to think of one without the other, as it must have been in the first-century church. Luke presents this couple as companions in business and in ministry. Although Luke does not say they were already Christians when Paul met them, this seems to have been the case.
What Do You Think?
What action can you take to identify and better support ministries that are especially suited to a teamwork of married couples?
Digging Deeper
What do the further mentions of this husband and wife team in Romans 16:3 (below); 1 Corinthians 16:19; and 2 Timothy 4:19 indicate to you in this regard?
18b. Having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
Cenchrea, as Corinth’s port town on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth, was the natural place for the trio’s departure. The vow Paul made was likely some form of the Nazarite vow, outlined in Numbers 6:1–21. The vow would have included letting his hair grow. Cutting his hair now suggests that the vow was at an end, though it is possible he would shave his head to initiate a vow too. Taking this sort of vow was not compulsory but was a physical sign of a time of spiritual reflection and renewal. Though he was willing to accommodate his lifestyle to relate to people he encountered in ministry (1 Corinthians 9:19–23), Paul continued His Jewish practices (Acts 21:26; etc.).
What Do You Think?
What things are important enough for you to take a vow for? Why?
Digging Deeper
Should texts such as Numbers 30:2; Matthew 5:33–37; 23:16–22; and James 5:12 apply? Why, or why not?
19. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
Ephesus (which means “desirable”) was located on the southwest coast of present-day Turkey. This city served as the capital of the Roman province Asia Minor and was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire. At the time of Paul’s arrival, Ephesus had a large Jewish population with a well-established synagogue.
Paul set off a riot in Ephesus in the process of establishing one of the most noteworthy churches in biblical times (Acts 19). On his third missionary journey, Paul would spend the better part of three years in the city (20:31). The church in Ephesus was one of seven to receive a special message from Christ (Revelation 2:1–7).
20–21. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Although Paul received a favorable reception in Ephesus, he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem and fulfill his vow. This feast likely refers to Passover, the most important annual observance for Jewish people. This would put Paul on a specific timeline, adding urgency in returning to Jerusalem on time. Passover took on new significance for Christian Jews because of its association with the death and resurrection of Jesus (Mark 14:1–16:8). Apparently God did will Paul to return to Ephesus (see Acts 19:1).
What Do You Think?
How will you respond when you hear others refer to “God’s will” in improper ways?
Digging Deeper
What are examples of passages that refer to the will of God as (1) His desire and His decision, (2) His desire and human decision, and (3) human decision and His permission?
C. Making a Preacher (vv. 24–26)
24. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
While Ephesus had a large Jewish population, Alexandria, Egypt, was arguably the world center of Greek-thinking (Hellenistic) Judaism. The Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, was translated in Alexandria—appropriate, given the city’s reputation as a center of knowledge.
Apollos was probably educated in systematic interpretation of Scriptures, using methods drawn from Greek philosophers. Apollos’s being eloquent is evidence of this education, which would include learning to speak clearly and reasonably. He had far more than a casual acquaintance with the scriptures.
25. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
Apollos’s knowledge of the way of the Lord indicates that the Christian message had spread to the great city of Alexandria. It had made inroads into its famous Jewish schools, producing students like Apollos. The result was to be passionate and fervent when he taught the things of the Lord. This reminds us of Paul’s synagogue discussions and foreshadows what Apollos did after relocating to Corinth (Acts 18:28).
Though Apollos’s teaching was done diligently, he did not yet know the full gospel. The baptism of John was a ritual cleansing on the basis of repentance (Acts 13:24). It did not include the gift or baptism of the Holy Spirit, something that began at Pentecost (1:5; 2:38; compare 19:1–7). It is one thing to argue academically and know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures’ prophesying a coming Messiah. It is a much deeper, transformative experience to receive His gift of the Holy Spirit and live in His power.
26. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
The Ephesian synagogue had not yet divided on the basis of belief or nonbelief in Jesus (see Acts 19:9). Aquila and Priscilla likely were active in that synagogue when they heard Apollos’s teaching. Realizing that his understanding of the Christian message was missing an important component, they met with Apollos privately to bring him to a better understanding of the whole gospel message.
We should note the gravity of this misunderstanding. A message that does not include the Holy Spirit is hardly a full measure of the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The first-century church recognized important connections among preaching about Jesus, baptizing, and the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 4:4–6; etc.).
To his credit, Apollos accepted this instruction readily and became one of the most influential preachers of the first century. The prominence of Apollos in the writings of Luke and Paul (examples: 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:5–6; 4:6) speaks also of the importance of Apollos’s instruction by Aquila and Priscilla.
What Do You Think?
Under what circumstances would you correct someone’s inadequate knowledge of Scripture versus “just letting it go”? Why?
Digging Deeper
What texts in addition to Romans 14:5–6 and 1 Corinthians 8 help you decide?
CHAOS OR COOPERATION
A couple lived quietly on their farm. Day in, day out they repeated the same chores. He fed pigs and cows, raked hay, cut wood, repaired worn-out tools, and spruced up weathered farm buildings. She cooked, cleaned, fed chickens and collected eggs, washed clothes, and weeded the garden.
One evening the husband became convinced that his wife’s work was preferable to his. So he persuaded her to switch chores. When they did, one mishap followed another—wandering cows and pigs, burned bread, broken eggs, an overturned washtub, etc. Without knowing how to do the other’s job, the day became chaos.
Luke never mentioned how Priscilla and Aquila divvied up their work, either with regard to tentmaking or to ministry. We can confidently say, though, that Priscilla and Aquila, unlike the farm couple, valued their own tasks and how each partner helped the other meet their shared goals. God used their cooperation in great ways, not just to keep their own house running but to expand the Lord’s kingdom throughout the Roman Empire! How does cooperation in your partnerships expand His kingdom today? How should it? —C. M. W.
II. Leaders with Legacy
(ROMANS 16:3–4)
A. Assisting an Apostle (v. 3)
3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus.
We finish this lesson with the “greetings section” of Romans 16. Paul returned to Corinth during his third missionary journey and wrote to the church in Rome about AD 57 (see Acts 20:2–3). Although he had never been to Rome (Romans 1:11–13), he knew many people there (see 16:5–15, not in our printed text). To refer to Priscilla and Aquila as helpers accorded them both a high level of respect among Paul’s associates (compare Romans 16:21; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philemon 24). Incidentally, the Greek word underneath the translation “helpers” is the source of our word synergy.
What Do You Think?
When should you acknowledge others by name for their help, knowing that you run the risk of irritating those whom you do not mention?
Digging Deeper
What insights do you gain here as you consider the entirety of the list in Romans 16 as well as Philippians 2:25; 4:2–3, and 21–22?
B. Rewarding Risk (v. 4)
4a. Who have for my life laid down their own necks.
In both Corinth and Ephesus, Paul had been in danger. In Corinth, his Jewish opponents hauled him before the proconsul’s judgment seat. While Paul himself avoided punishment, the synagogue leader was beaten by the crowd (Acts 18:17).
In Ephesus, Paul encountered a deadly threat in the form of a riot instigated by the silversmiths. Paul was prevented from trying to calm the Ephesian crowd by his “disciples” (Acts 19:23–30). Perhaps these included Priscilla and Aquila. They might have been involved in Paul’s escape from Corinth, at risk to themselves as well.
Also possible is some other dangerous situation that occurred during Paul’s three years in Ephesus about which no record remains.
4b. Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
From Paul’s letters, we know that the churches in both Corinth and Ephesus had Gentile members (1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Ephesians 2:1–14). These churches had reason to be thankful for Priscilla and Aquila not only because they protected Paul but also because they continued to minister to Gentiles. As Paul’s life was preserved by the couple, so were Gentiles whose eternal lives were secured through their unbiased ministry.
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE
My mother loved to encourage friends and family. She handwrote letters, cards, and notes. She talked about things she was puzzled about in the Bible, or something she heard in a sermon, or a funny thing about her pets.
At my mother’s funeral, the preacher of our home congregation read two letters from the many he had received from her. He told us those letters had a knack for arriving just when he needed encouragement the most. In times of need, he could reread a letter and be encouraged by my mother’s love.
My mother would have shrugged it off as nothing extraordinary. She considered the preacher like one of us children. Writing to him was just a way to show she cared.
Just as my mother’s preacher would reread the notes she sent, so we can reread Paul’s letters. How do his greetings to his coworkers encourage you? And how can you encourage a coworker of yours today? —C. M. W.
Conclusion
A. By Ones and Twos
We learn many things from studying the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila. We see a married couple who worked and ministered as a team. There was no competition between them, whether they were building tents or building up the people of God. We see a family willing to relocate whenever God called them, supporting themselves in the original bivocational ministry. Their obedience to God’s will made them cherished companions to Paul. We see a woman and her husband whom Paul considered to be his “helpers,” a designation of high praise.
And we have an example of a sincere and talented preacher receiving private corrective teaching from wiser believers. Apollos’s teaching had omitted a crucial Christian doctrine. The discreet yet powerful witness of this godly and faithful married couple was the right remedy at the right time. Their investment in Apollos yielded benefits when he moved to Corinth to minister among their friends in that church (see 1 Corinthians 3:6).
Whether single like Paul or part of a couple like Priscilla and Aquila, all God’s people have responsibilities to one another. We must “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering … [and] consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:23–24).
B. Prayer
Father, our churches need believers who are committed to ministries of upreach, outreach, and inreach! Grant that we may be wise and knowledgeable to encourage and correct—and to be encouraged and corrected. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Women and men, singles and couples—all are called to minister.
KID’S CORNER
Jesus Has Conquered the World
Sunday, February 21, 2021
John 16:23-33
John 16:23-33
(John 16:23) “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Jesus described “that day” in the previous verse in John 16:22, “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Jesus suffered grief when He looked ahead and knew how and when He would leave His disciples, and He acknowledged the fact that they grieved too because of what He foretold them. It is not wrong to grieve for the right reasons. For example, the Apostle Paul wrote that people (even Christians) can grieve the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4:30, Paul wrote, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” On “that day,” Jesus’ disciples would see Him again (after His crucifixion, death, and burial) when He rose from the dead. And for Jesus and His disciples, Jesus compared their suffering and pain to a woman giving birth to her child. Jesus said His resurrection appearances would give them joy that could not be taken from them and their hearts would rejoice. On “that day,” we know that Jesus rejoiced too. In Hebrews 12:2, the writer tells Christians to look “to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus rejoiced over all the benefits His death and resurrection would bring to the world and to all who would receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
Then Jesus with absolute certainty Jesus told His disciples: “ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” The disciples knew the divine, loving, holy, just, merciful, redeeming, healing character of Jesus that is summed up in His name; so, they knew that they were never to ask anything of the Father that would be inconsistent with loving and glorifying Jesus and the Father—even as Jesus glorified the Father. As James later explained and warned in James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” Jesus had taught His disciples how to pray rightly. As important as asking rightly, Jesus taught them (and all who would become His disciples through their teaching) that we can pray directly to the Father in Jesus’ name. We do not need to pray to anyone else to reach God the Father. All of Jesus’ disciples can go immediately to God who will receive them as their Father, even as Jesus showed them how God would receive any who would come to Him.
(John 16:24) “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
Before He himself prayed for His disciples in John chapter 17, Jesus taught His disciples some new truths. They had never prayed to the Father before, but now they could pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. They had not needed to pray to the Father before because Jesus was with then and Jesus met their every need. Jesus encouraged them by telling them that after He left them, they could pray directly to the Father as He had prayed to the Father. If they asked the Father righty, as they had learned how to ask Jesus rightly, they would receive directly from the Father just as they had received all they needed from Jesus. Their joy would be complete knowing that the Father loved and cared for them even as Jesus loved and cared for them. As Jesus’ disciples, they could pray to the Father in Jesus’ name, and they would soon receive the Holy Spirit to do all Jesus planned for them.
(John 16:25) “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.
Much of Jesus’ teaching was in proverbs or in figures of speech because He was revealing divine and spiritual truths to human beings whose knowledge and vocabulary was limited. Jesus taught His disciples according to their level of understanding day-by-day and with respect to what they could and needed to learn each day. Similarly, the more we read and try to practice daily what we learn from our Bible study, the more we will learn and the better we will practice what we are learning—which brings joy to God, to others, and to us. The “hour” was then. From then on, Jesus spoke plainly or literally for them to easily understand. No one should interpret Jesus’ plain speech as figurative speech. Jesus prayed plainly to His Father for them to hear His prayer. Jesus plainly revealed the Father to them as He prayed, and they learned more about how to pray to the Father from Jesus prayer for them and for all His disciples throughout the ages.
(John 16:26) “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;
Once again, Jesus emphasized that all His disciples can go spiritually into the Father’s presence and they pray in His name. They can directly ask the Father to meet their needs and help them fulfill Jesus’ plans. Jesus and the Holy Spirit help those who believe in Jesus when they pray to the Father. In Romans 8:34, Paul explained, “Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” And in Romans 8:26-27, Paul explained, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Jesus and the Holy Spirit help believers pray rightly, and they pray rightly for them too. In John 16:26, Jesus emphasized that His disciples did not need Him present with them to pray for them. They could pray to the Father when they prayed in His name. Eventually, Jesus would live within them through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who the Father and the Son would send them.
(John 16:27) for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
Jesus explained to all His disciples that God the Father loves us! The Father will joyfully welcome Jesus’ disciples, because He loves us. Because the Father loves us (even as Jesus loves us), we do not need to go fearfully into the presence of God. As John explained in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.” Jesus’ disciples believe that Jesus came from God and they love Jesus. As John explained in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” If you want assurance that you have received the free gift of eternal life and that God loves you and will hear all your prayers, then all you need to do is believe Jesus came from God and love Jesus. You know you love Jesus when you truly thank Jesus and praise Him for dying on the cross and rising from the dead so God could mercifully and justly forgive all your sins, cleanse you from sin, and prepare you for life eternal with God and all who love God. For this reason, believers do not fear. The perfect love of Jesus and the Father for us has cast out our fears and has given us good reasons not to fear punishment.
(John 16:28) “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”
In these words, Jesus assured His disciples and us that He is not speaking figuratively! He is speaking literally! He is communicating reality exactly. Jesus literally, factually, and actually came from God the Father. Jesus literally, factually, and actually came into the world when He was born to the virgin Mary as Matthew and Luke described. Jesus literally, factually, and actually left the world and returned to the Father as Peter preached in Acts 2:33, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.” To deny these facts or to think Jesus was only speaking figuratively or metaphorically denies the very words of Jesus. You must literally believe Jesus came from God and you must love Jesus.
(John 16:29) His disciples *said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech.
Jesus’ disciples affirmed what Jesus expected them to understand. They affirmed that He was speaking plainly, and they understood. If someone does not believe Jesus’ plain speech, they need to ask themselves: “Do I truly believe Jesus came from God? Do I truly love Jesus?” If they truly love Jesus, they will believe His words, His teachings, His commands, and demonstrate their belief in Him by obeying Him. Remember what Jesus taught in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
(John 16:30) “Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”
More than once, Jesus demonstrated that He knew what people were thinking and what people wanted to ask Him. Remember what we studied in John 16:19, “Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”?’” As Jesus spoke plainly to them, He reaffirmed their belief that He knew all things. He knew all things because He was/is the Son of God and had come from the Father into the world. The disciples knew that no one needed to ask Jesus questions, because He knew their questions before they asked them. Sometimes, He did (and still does) answer questions before the questions are asked. Because of Jesus’ words and works (not this one word and work alone), the disciples had many reasons to believe that Jesus came from God the Father and spoke the truth. However, after learning about the prospect of suffering persecution for their faith in Jesus, they needed some reassurance that Jesus had come from God and their persecution was not because He had not come from God. Remember, in John 16:2, Jesus had foretold them, “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.” They needed reassurance from Jesus that by believing in Him and loving Him they were remaining faithful to the one true God. They would especially need this reassurance when they faced their fellow Jews who thought that whenever they killed a disciple of Jesus, they were worshiping God, as Jesus foretold.
(John 16:31) Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
Jesus knew that increasing their faith and fully revealing himself to them would take time and events they had not yet experienced. Their faith in Jesus was not yet deep enough to withstand persecution and face death. They would need to see Jesus raised from the dead to fully believe He had come from God and that He had taught them the very words of God. They would also need to receive from Jesus the presence of the Holy Spirit within them, that He had promised He would send them. When Jesus asked, “Do you now believe?” He wanted to prepare them for what they would soon face when He was arrested. Seeing, hearing, believing, and knowing Jesus’ previous works and words would not be enough to give them the courage they would need when they faced persecution. Jesus needed to remind them of what they would soon face. They believed up to their level of understanding, but to fully believe they would need to understand more.
(John 16:32) “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
Later that night, when the authorities arrested Jesus, His disciples did flee and abandon Him. Their belief in Jesus was not yet firmly established. Just as Jesus affirmed that His Father was with Him throughout His ministry; so, though abandoned by them, He was not alone. Throughout the ages, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have never and will never abandon any of Jesus’ disciples when they suffer. And when they suffer, His disciples can pray directly to the Father in Jesus’ name with the certain knowledge that Jesus and the Spirit are also praying for them and no one can take their joy and peace from them.
(John 16:33) “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus Christ gave and still gives His disciples peace. In Jesus and with Jesus in them, Jesus’ disciples have peace. After Jesus appeared to His disciples and after they received the Holy Spirit, we never ever see Jesus’ disciples lacking the peace of Jesus no matter how much they suffered or how many of them were killed. No matter how much persecution Jesus’ disciples faced, they faced it faithfully and never denied their Lord. They obeyed Jesus’ command and “took courage.” The Book of Acts shows how Peter and John took courage when on trial before the religious leaders, and how Stephen took courage when giving his testimony and while some of the religious leaders stoned him to death. Jesus gave His disciples, and He has given all His disciples throughout the ages, the assurance that He has conquered the world. Because Jesus has conquered the world, in Romans 8:36-39, the Apostle Paul could write: “As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The world has no ultimate power over Jesus’ disciples. The perfect love of God has cast out their fears, and fear is one of the weapons the world uses to control people. The perfect work of Jesus, who died and rose again, has cast out the fear of death in Jesus’ disciples, and fear of death is one of the weapons the world uses to control people. The indwelling Holy Spirit helps Jesus’ disciples overcome temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil has many weapons to use against Jesus’ disciples, but because Jesus has conquered the world, His disciples have the spiritual armor that Paul described in Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Paul more fully described this armor, armor that he also wore, and its value in Ephesians 6:10-20.
To further explain this verse, I am appending the International Bible Study Lesson on John 16:33—Jesus Has Conquered the World.
“Because Jesus Christ conquered the world, His disciples believe He came from God and they love Him. When they remember that Jesus Christ conquered the world, they maintain their joy and peace in a dangerous and uncertain world. The world did its worst to Jesus, but Jesus conquered the world when He rose from the dead. After Jesus conquered the world, He ascended into heaven, and through the indwelling Holy Spirit Jesus lives within every disciple throughout the world. From their study of the Bible and daily experiences, Jesus’ disciples know that no one can take away the joy, love, and peace that the indwelling Holy Spirit gives them. Furthermore, in and through His disciples, Jesus Christ lives and reigns throughout the world; therefore, when persecuted and killed His disciples “take courage” as He commanded. Just as Jesus prophesied, many remain amazed that the world still hates Jesus and His disciples instead of forgetting about Jesus and ignoring His followers! Yet, because Jesus conquered the world, many people around the world still come to believe that Jesus came from God and they love Jesus too. They experience the complete joy and love of God the Father, the most loving, powerful, and wealthy person to exist. They understand that nothing can separate them from the love of God. If they are “killed all day long,” Paul’s words in Romans 8:36-37, encourage them: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us;” therefore, they courageously remain, “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power” (Ephesians 6:10).”
Jesus Has Conquered the World
Sunday, February 21, 2021
John 16:23-33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33—KJV).
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33—NASB).
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! (John 16:33—NRSV).
Because Jesus Christ conquered the world, His disciples believe He came from God and they love Him. When they remember that Jesus Christ conquered the world, they maintain their joy and peace in a dangerous and uncertain world. The world did its worst to Jesus, but Jesus conquered the world when He rose from the dead. After Jesus conquered the world, He ascended into heaven, and through the indwelling Holy Spirit Jesus lives within every disciple throughout the world. From their study of the Bible and daily experiences, Jesus’ disciples know that no one can take away the joy, love, and peace that the indwelling Holy Spirit gives them. Furthermore, in and through His disciples, Jesus Christ lives and reigns throughout the world; therefore, when persecuted and killed His disciples “take courage” as He commanded. Just as Jesus prophesied, many remain amazed that the world still hates Jesus and His disciples instead of forgetting about Jesus and ignoring His followers! Yet, because Jesus conquered the world, many people around the world still come to believe that Jesus came from God and they love Jesus too. They experience the complete joy and love of God the Father, the most loving, powerful, and wealthy person to exist. They understand that nothing can separate them from the love of God. If they are “killed all day long,” Paul’s words in Romans 8:36-37, encourage them: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us;” therefore, they courageously remain, “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power” (Ephesians 6:10).
Thinking Further
Jesus Has Conquered the World
Sunday, February 21, 2021
John 16:23-33
Name ____________________________
1. Can believers in Jesus Christ pray to the Father? Why or why not?
2. In what two ways did Jesus speak to His disciples? Did they easily understand both ways? Why or why not?
3. Why did the disciples say they believed Jesus came from God?
4. What did Jesus foretell the disciples that they would do? What did Jesus say the disciples would face in the world?
5. Why did Jesus say what He did to His disciples? What did Jesus tell His disciples to do and what reason did He give them for doing this?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. Can believers in Jesus Christ pray to the Father? Why or why not? Yes. Believers in Jesus Christ can ask anything of the Father in His name. They can because the Father loves them. Believers love Jesus and believe that Jesus came from God.
2. In what two ways did Jesus speak to His disciples? Did they easily understand both ways? Why or why not? Jesus used figures of speech (NRSV) or He spoke figuratively (NASB, NIV) or He spoke in proverbs (KJV). Jesus also spoke plainly. No. They told Jesus they could understand Him better when He spoke plainly.
3. Why did the disciples say they believed Jesus came from God? They said they believed Jesus came from God because they knew that He knew all things. Jesus did not need to have anyone question Him.
4. What did Jesus foretell the disciples that they would do? What did Jesus say the disciples would face in the world? Jesus told them that they would be scattered each to their own home. He said that they would face persecution in the world.
5. Why did Jesus say what He did to His disciples? What did Jesus tell His disciples to do and what reason did He give them for doing this? Jesus told them what to face so they would have peace in Jesus. Jesus told His disciples to take courage. He told them to take courage because He had conquered the world.
Word Search
Jesus Has Conquered the World
Sunday, February 21, 2021
John 16:23-33
Name _____________________________
T C V D X J N R A C F C O E V
B Z P M E A E P D H S H A G Z
T C W E W R N S A J C Y N E C
G D K A R K E C U W X I N X R
B E R G B S O U N S H U O D E
N V O N E U E C Q T Z K T V H
F E H U R M O C Y N B U H U T
T I R A W M A N U Y O J I Y A
R L G V P B A N M T L C N M F
U E E L S V G R K G I S G X B
L B E C P L F A I E V O B Y S
Y T Z G A Y J G U L P R N W D
E C H S M E R E C E I V E Y O
U K U T R L P D Y J M A S K M
J I C B G O T L O V E D Q J D
Nothing
Truly
Ask
Anything
Father
Name
Receive
Joy
Complete
Loved
Believed
Peace
Persecution
Courage
Conquered
True and False Test
Jesus Has Conquered the World
Sunday, February 21, 2021
John 16:23-33
Name _____________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. Jesus told His disciples that they should not ask anything of Him. True or False
2. Jesus told His disciples that they could ask anything of the Father in His name. True or False
3. Disciples of Jesus are to pray only to Jesus and not to the Father. True or False
4. When we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name and receive, our joy is complete. True or False
5. Jesus spoke in proverbs and figures of speech so people could more easily understand what He taught. True or False
6. The Father loves Jesus’ disciples because they have loved Jesus and have believed that He came from God. True or False
7. The disciples told Jesus that they could understand Him because He spoke on figures of speech instead of plainly. True or False
8. The disciples told Jesus that they believed He came from God because when people questioned Him, He told them that no one should ever ask Him questions. True or False
9. Jesus told His disciples that if they left Him and went home that He would be sad and alone. True or False
10. Jesus told His disciples to take courage because He had conquered the world. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
Prayer
Father, our churches need believers who are committed to ministries of upreach, outreach, and inreach! Grant that we may be wise and knowledgeable to encourage and correct—and to be encouraged and corrected. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.