Systematic Theology - Church

Unity

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Systematic Theology

Lesson: Government

Genre: Speech

Track: 27

Dictation Name: 27 Unity

Year: 1960’s – 1970’s

Let us begin with prayer.

Glory be to thee, O God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who of thy grace and mercy has made us a people in Jesus Christ, has surrounded with thy mercies and thy providential care, and hast given us such great and marvelous promises in thy word. Bless us this day that we may grow in terms of thy word and by thy Spirit. Grant, O Lord, even as the gentle rain comes and refreshes the earth, thy Spirit may fall upon thy people throughout the length and breadth of this land, and give us showers of blessing. Renew and strengthen thy people, and make them bold unto victory in the day of battle. Grant us this in Jesus name. Amen.

Our scripture today is from John 17, and our subject is Unity. John 17. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that 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 the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I 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.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

To interpret scripture is a very serious thing, for to misinterpret scripture is to ascribe a false word to God. Thus, in any interpretation of scripture, we must exercise caution. This is especially needed with regard to John 17, in a critical passage in particular.

This has been called the high priestly prayer of our Lord. Before the prayer, our Lord says that his disciples will soon scatter in fear as men come to arrest their Lord. However, in the face of this fact, he summons them to peace, and gives them the assurance of victory. He declares, in the verses which immediately precede chapter 17, “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 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 17 is a prayer. It is also a profession, and a revelation. Christ looks to the perfection of his work, and to the consecration of humanity to God through his work. Our concern with this chapter is especially with the doctrine of the church.

First of all, our Lord declares in verse 2 that he has been given all power, or authority, over all flesh, all living things, all humanity, because he is the Lord. He is the sovereign over all creation. His power and his influence, his work, is cosmic. He will enter into the fullness of this, he makes clear, with his ascension. His glory is from all eternity. In the incarnation, he assumes all its fullness again with his triumph over sin and death as he makes clear in verses 4 and 5.

Then second, we read that the purpose of Christ’s coming is that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. It is important that we do not misinterpret this passage. Too many people interpret “eternal life” as meaning heaven, but our Lord makes it clear that eternal life begins here and now when we believe in him, that heaven is simply the culmination of it. In fact, in verse 15, he says, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil,” so that our Lord is emphatic that they are not to be taken out of the world, that in giving them eternal life, he does not say they go to heaven immediately. On the contrary, eternal life is something we have here and now when we believe in Jesus Christ. Eternal life, our Lord goes on to say, means knowing the triune God, and Jesus Christ, “whom thou hast sent.”

Moreover, in John 7:17, our Lord says, “If any man will do his will (God’s will), he shall know of the doctrine,” the didache, the teaching, so that to know God means also knowing his word, knowing the doctrine. To have eternal life is to know God, to believe in him, and to obey his every word, for man cannot live by bread alone, but must live by every word that proceeds through the mouth of God. To know God is life. It means regeneration. It means service, faithfulness, membership in the new creation.

Then third, in verse 6, our Lord says that he has manifested the name of God unto men. “I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Again, there is a reference in the name, not only in verse 26, but in verses 11-12, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.” What does this mean, to be kept in the name of Jesus, or to be kept in the name of God? In the Bible, name means a person, the person, what he is. It is a definition. Name sets forth nature, power, authority, dominion. So that names in the Bible are descriptive of the person. The name of Jesus means that God saves. The name of God, Yahweh, or Jehovah, is “I am that I am,” or “He who is.” That’s the meaning of his name. He is the eternal, the self-existent one. So, to be kept in the name of God means to be kept in his power, in his authority, in his jurisdiction, in his righteousness and goodness, and this is a very great promise, and our Lord says it is a promise to us as individuals and a promise to the church. It means to be kept in faithfulness, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

True love means faithfulness. To be in the name of God means to know him, to be faithful to him, and to love him. Jesus Christ came in the Father’s name. We are sent out in the name of the Trinity into all nations, to go in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and we are nothing apart from him, and we know his nature because we are told in John 3:16 that, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In this, God manifests his name, his nature.

Then fourth, our Lord says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,” and “for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” To sanctify means “to set apart, to consecrate, to dedicate.” Our Lord declares, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” There is no reality apart from the triune God. If we try to live outside of God, we are dead. If we try to think outside of God, as his reality, we are thinking in terms of fantasy, illusion. To be sanctified is to be in God, and therefore, in the ultimate reality, in his righteousness, in his power, and in his truth. God is the reality and he sets us apart unto reality to himself. Even as Christ says, he sanctifies himself, sets himself apart for our sakes, as the priest, and as the sacrifice.

Then fifth, our Lord prays that the church be one, even as the Trinity is. Here we come to the most startling part of this prayer. In verses 11, 20, and 23, we read, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” Then, in verse 20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that 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 the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” This is an amazing statement. The unity of the church must be like the unity of the Trinity. It must be a unity, moreover, in the Trinity, one in us, our Lord says. What is the meaning of this?

This is a very, very important verse, and therefore, it is important that we understand it clearly. When we look at the Trinity, theologians have pointed out that we can look at it two ways: ontologically and economically. Now, those are theological words for very simple facts. What does the ontological view of the Trinity mean? It means to see the Trinity in terms of its own being. In terms of that, we have to say they are one God. They have one being, so that there is a perfect and full equality between the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, all equally one God. On the other hand, when we look at the Trinity from the economic perspective, it means in terms of their function, and it terms of function, there can be an economical subordination. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Spirit from the Father and the Son. This does not mean that in their being, the Son and the Spirit are inferior to the Father. Simply, that in their functioning, they assume varying roles.

As a result, we must understand the kind of oneness that we are summoned to in the same way. In the church, there are no ontological differences between members. We are all creatures. Moreover, we are all creatures who have been born again, redeemed, regenerated by Jesus Christ, so we are one humanity in him. In our being, there are no differences, but in our economy, there are differences. We have differing abilities, different aptitudes, different callings and offices. So that there are degrees of authority, or subordination, and of function within the church. We cannot, because there is an equality of being in the church, undermine the economy, the functioning of the church in terms of differences, and so when our Lord prays that the church be one, even we the Trinity is one, it does not mean that differences within the church, in terms of calling and ability, are wiped out. Rather, it says, that our oneness is in the Trinity. He has remade us. He summons us to be one even as the Trinity is. All three persons of the Trinity have one function and purpose. It is one God. The church, too, should have a unity, and move in terms of that unity, which is to serve God, and so the church is summoned to have this unity of life, to be one in Christ, one with another. One in being of re-created humanity with a common head, and a common nature, but differing in functions, callings, and stations. We are one in the Trinity, not by nature but by grace. Our unity is a creation of God.

Then finally, our Lord speaks of the purpose of this unity, “that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” Unity is a way of life. It is a brotherhood, a grace, a forbearance of patience, and a mutual helpfulness. Without this, the church is dead. We must daily, as Christians, give a natural witness to a supernatural grace, in the natural every-day functioning of life, to bring a supernatural power and grace to bear upon the workings of this world. Before the church can be a valid institution in the Lord, it must be a supernatural presence, grace, and power. It must be a witness to the glory of that presence through the manifestation of God’s grace, love, authority, and kindness, for the Lord, in his lovingkindness, takes us unto himself and makes us a people, and so we, too, as a part of that unity, manifest his nature unto all nations. Let us pray.

Thou hast made us and remade us, O Lord, for thy purpose. Make us faithful thereunto in all our ways, in all our thoughts, our works, and our efforts. We give thee thanks, O Lord, that thou hast called us to be thy people, and hast given us eternal life. Give us grace, therefore, to be in the world though not of the world, to be conquerors or the world rather than to be conquered by it, and to manifest in all things thy saving power, thy sovereign majesty, and the lordship of thy kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen.

Are there any questions now about our lesson? Yes?

[Audience] May I ask, would you, as you look at the {?} would you see that perhaps as a great awareness of the {?} of unity in Christ among the real believers in all the different denominations, today, it seems to me that that’s my experience. I know you have a wider experience than I do.

[Rushdoony] I believe you have put your finger on a very, very important fact. At the top, churches are working for unity and union more than ever before, but through institutional means, and too often, without any faith. However, on the ground level, I believe there is more unity among Christians now than ever before. In so many battles that we are fighting today, Christian school battles, battles with respect to abortion, and much, much more, we are seeing Christians working together as one body, from every church, and doing so with grace and with understanding. I believe there is a remarkable unity developing. I think the church hierarchies are, all of them, behind the times. They are interested in fighting old battles, or surrendering the faith to gain an artificial unity, and meanwhile unaware of the growing unity all around them. I think we are seeing more unity among Christians now than we have for centuries. It’s a very remarkable fact, I believe it is of God, I believe that we are going to see much, much more of it in the days ahead. What will come out of it, God knows, but it will be wonderful. Any other questions or comments? Yes?

[Audience] I appreciated your comment that eternal life isn’t just {?}, but it begins now. I wanted you to comment a bit more on this. It always strikes me, I guess it’s my twentieth century mentality, when Jesus says that life eternal is that we might know God. We tend to think of knowing as purely intellectual, and yet scripture {?} knowing is the most intimate part of marriage, so there must be a different sense, and I assume that this is the kind of sense that he’s talking about.

[Rushdoony] A very good question. Eternal life is to know God, and as you pointed out, marriage is spoken of as a form of knowing. Adam knew Eve, his wife, so that you see very clearly, knowing also involves unity and union. It’s something that has to do with life. Thus, in the biblical sense, knowing is not merely intellectual. It involves the totality of our life. We know it is spring not only intellectually, but because we feel a certain lift as we see the hills turning green and the wildflowers appearing. It’s more than merely an intellectual awareness. It is also that our whole being responds to the fact of a change in the seasons. Now, that’s a very dim analogy, but this is what it means to know God, to know him with all our being. As the psalmist says, “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” To know him with all our heart, mind, and being. This is how to love God. To love him, to know him, it involves the mind, and every part of us.

One of the sad facts of the influence of Greek civilization on us is that we have separated knowing from the rest of our being, and we have made it a barren, sterile, and rationalistic thing.

Any other questions or comments? Well, if not, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Our Father, it has been good for us to be here. We give thee thanks for one another and for our oneness in Jesus Christ. We pray for those who are away and who are ill that thou wouldst be with them, to give them traveling mercies home, to heal them, and to watch over them. We thank thee that our times are in thy hands who doest all things well. And so we come to thee to commit ourselves, our loved ones, our hopes into thine omnipotent and sovereign hands. In Jesus name. Amen.

End of tape