John 16:14-15 14That one will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and disclose it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; on account of this, I said that he will take what is mine and disclose it to you.
Not only will the Spirit reveal the truth of Jesus (verses 12-13), but he will also bring glory to Jesus. Just as Jesus brought glory to the Father (7:18; 17:4), so also the Spirit would bring glory to the Son. All that Jesus did in word and deed would be available to the disciples through the ministry of the Spirit. The Spirit would lead the disciples to Jesus and the truth found in him. What Jesus taught points to the Father. The sequence of truth is Father => Son => Spirit => disciples. The Father fully revealed his will to Jesus. Jesus is the one who would send the Spirit to the disciples as their guide and teacher. The unity within the Trinity is clearly proclaimed in these verses. The emphasis is not on the subordination of any one of the persons, but on the experience of God that the disciples would have. The truth of God was experienced through the Spirit and would be consistent with the truth revealed in the Son. The various revelations of God as Son and Spirit are one and consistent, unified in will, purpose, and experience. The Spirit would point to the Son and show that the Son is the true revelation of the Father. To glorify the Son would also glorify the Father.
As the full and perfect revelation of the Father, Jesus revealed the Father to the disciples. There was something special about this gathered group that is unique to all of history. The disciples had been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry and had heard all that he had said and taught (15:27). They had a special authority that no other persons have ever had. They would be the foundation of the church and given the responsibility of ensuring that the church started off and remained true to Jesus’ teachings. Believers who came later, including us today, inherit the message and must not change it. We have the testimony of the earliest Christians recorded in the New Testament. Any so-called new revelation after the writings of the New Testament must be measured against it, and if these writings are not consistent with the message of the apostles and early witnesses, they must be rejected as false or inferior and not be accepted as canon or a measure for the truth.
The Holy Spirit still speaks today, but what is spoken is to affirm and apply what is found in the Bible. The Spirit points to Jesus by convicting people of sin and drawing them through grace to repent and believe in Jesus. Unless people read the testimony of the early apostles found in the New Testament, their understanding and faith will be weak and heavily influenced by human thinking. The truth of Jesus must be clearly proclaimed by the church and not compromised in any way.
For older posts, click here.
