||
                 ||||||||
                    ||                       How beautiful on the mountains
                    ||                       are the feet of those ... who
                    ||                       proclaim salvation, who say to
                                             Zion, "Your God reigns!"
          Pastor RALPH & GENE ANN WOOD                  --Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
          E-mail:  randg.wood@encode.com
          BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS, 18/11/1997 ................. JOHN 13:34-35
          1)   One of the last things Jesus said to His disciples, was to
          give them this New Commandment.  It is notable, of course, that
          this demonstrates His divinity-- only God can give commandments!
          Yet it does also raise an interesting question:  why would Jesus
          have to -command- Christians to "love one another"?  Now, in the
          Greek, this word, AGAPATE, means "love" one another with the kind
          of love God loves with-- a high standard to reach!  But even so,
          as Christians, shouldn't this just come to us naturally?
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          2)  But more, Jesus continued, "Just as I loved you, love one
          another".  This could mean, "love one another since I loved you",
          or it could mean, "love one another to the degree that I loved
          you".  Calvin, and other commentators, see it as holding out His
          own example, not to overwhelm us, but to motivate and inspire us.
          Which do you think Jesus wants us to do, "Love one another, with
          my example to motivate you", or, "Love one another, to the degree
          that I loved you"?
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          3)  Then in conclusion, Jesus exhorts us, "By this, all will know
          you are my disciples, if you have love among one another".  This
          then is the one sign by which everyone will know we are disciples
          of Jesus!  That suggests this love is made manifest in ways even
          outsiders and non-Christians can see, and acknowledge.  What do
          you think some of these might be, that people could see among us?
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
          .................................................................
--- QScan/PCB v1.17b / 01-0313
---------------