apparent contradiciton

[beloved57]

Hi Guys,

Here is what some call a contradiction in the high priestly prayer of Christ in Jn 17..

In vs 9 it reads:

9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Jesus says he prays not for the world..

However in vs 21

21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

and vs 23

23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

it appears in these vs that christ wants the world to know him and believe in him

The word know in vs 23 is
ginōskō

The same word in vs 3

Jn 17:3

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

so how is this apparent contradiciton solved ?

[marcuslid]

Hi Guys,

Here is what some call a contradiction in the high priestly prayer of Christ in Jn 17..

In vs 9 it reads:

9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Jesus says he prays not for the world..

However in vs 21

21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

and vs 23

23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

it appears in these vs that christ wants the world to know him and believe in him

The word know in vs 23 is
ginōskō

The same word in vs 3

Jn 17:3

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

so how is this apparent contradiciton solved ?

Hi Darryl,
I believe that in v21 and 23, the Lord Jesus is taking about the believing world(the elect). In v9 He is talking about and this is from the Thayer Greek Definition of kosmos - the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.

[wildboar]

I don't see any contradiction. Christ is praying for his disciples (believers/church by extension) and prays that they be united. He prays that they will show this unity so that the world will believe. Strife and disunity and inconsistency cause people outside of the church to think that the church is foolish and think that the church doesn's know what she believes and so how could the church possibly tell anyone else what to believe.

[beloved57]

Hi Darryl,
I believe that in v21 and 23, the Lord Jesus is taking about the believing world(the elect). In v9 He is talking about and this is from the Thayer Greek Definition of kosmos - the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.

Your right marcus Jesus is praying specifically for the 12 save of course judas For they are the ones that were given to him out the world , the evil world of the non elect or the world of the ungodly as in 2 pet 2
5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

In the later verses 21 and 23 he is praying for the world of the elect from the nations to be converted to Him , They will believe and know him...

This is in pursuance of the abrahamic covenant whereby God will Justify the heathen through faith gal 3:14

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

gal 3 8

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.


rom 4:

13For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith


I also want to make a statement about the word may in vs 21 and 23

This word may is simialar to another word that is used that is might,

These words mean certainty , to be fullfilled , to be accomplished, by the power or might of christ..

In other words its certain the world will believe that christ was sent or its certain that the world will know that He has been sent.

This believing and knowing is salvation too..

The new covenant blessings which is an aspect of the abrahamic covenant blessings promises spiritual knowlwdge to the elect of God..heb 8:


6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

So Jesus as the mediator of this new covenant was praying with this in mind when he says that the world may believe and know that thou hast sent me..

Jesus himself said the same thing in a different way in Jn 10:

16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

So vs 21 and 23 are the other sheep he must bring into unity that is all will be one fold...

Thanks for your comments sir..