How John 20 Relates to Acts 2
Recently I was asked a challenging question by a friend of mine concerning how John 20:22-23 relates to Acts 2. Here's his question:
John 20: 22-23
Acts 2
How are these two separate instances of receiving and or being filled with the Holy Spirit different? Why was it necessary to "fill" those who had already "received", unless it either was a difference in yielding to the Spirit, or it was to fill the additional apostles who were not with the original crew?
I'll confess, I didn't do a lot of studying up before responding to his question. But I'd like to share with you exactly how I did respond, and then ask you what you think.
At first glance I would have to say that honestly I have no idea how to fully account for the John 20 passage. I have thought about the topic before, but not at great length. With that said, let me offer these few simple ideas (in no particular order of importance or logic):
1. Often times we err by assuming that everything Jesus said to the apostles is directly applicable to all believers. This is a dangerous assumption. Not everything recorded in Scripture that he said to them is to be understood as him talking directly to us. (This does not mean that those texts are irrelevant, but just that they should be understood in the correct sense. While certain things said to them may not be directly said to us, we can make the appropriate inferences based on those things he says.) With that said, perhaps in John 20 there is something of that kind of dynamic taking place. Jesus is "breathing" on the disciples in a way that is specific to his calling on them. In John 20 we see Jesus "breathing" on the apostles, but it is not until Acts 2 that the Holy Spirit comes to all who believe in fulfillment of the prophecies of Joel and others. That would make the breathing in John 20 a particularized event specific to the apostles. Maybe he is sealing his special commission for them to be his apostolic witness and consequently the founders of the church??? Maybe this bestowal of the Spirit is intended to "keep" them until the day of Pentecost??? Or maybe this "breathing" is not even an actual bestowal of the Spirit at all??? Which leads me to a second possibility:
2. Maybe this act in John 20 is merely an intimation of what is to come. Obviously we cannot equate what's going on in John 20 directly with what happens in Acts 2. Maybe John 20 is a symbolic "hint" of what is to come on the day of Pentecost. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit "descends" upon the apostles, IE comes in His fullness, and then on all who believe in a new way unlike any before. Maybe what happened in John 20 is a hint of this coming, or maybe it is like the coming in Acts 2 but in a lesser degree???
3. Consider the words of John Wesley concerning John 20 from his Explanatory Notes:
John 20:22 – "He breathed on them" - New life and vigour, and saith, as ye receive this breath out of my mouth, so receive ye the Spirit out of my fullness: the Holy Ghost influencing you in a peculiar manner, to fit you for your great embassy. This was an earnest of Pentecost.
Wesley is making a direct connection between John 20 and Acts 2, although he is not suggesting that the two are identical events. According to him, John 20 is a promise made by Jesus that is not fulfilled until Pentecost. Jesus says, "Receive my Spirit," but this reception does not take place until the Spirit is ready, IE according to His timing. So to Wesley, while the events are not precisely identical, they are inseparably linked together in a promise-fulfillment type relationship.
I’m sure there are other possibilities, and I am open to any thoughts anyone might have. If I were pressed I would probably go with Wesley (which no doubt surprises you to no end), but I am open to a better interpretation if someone can find one. I know there are plenty of other sources out there, I just have not taken the time to look them up.
Any ideas? Reference any sources you quote.
John 20: 22-23
Acts 2
How are these two separate instances of receiving and or being filled with the Holy Spirit different? Why was it necessary to "fill" those who had already "received", unless it either was a difference in yielding to the Spirit, or it was to fill the additional apostles who were not with the original crew?
I'll confess, I didn't do a lot of studying up before responding to his question. But I'd like to share with you exactly how I did respond, and then ask you what you think.
At first glance I would have to say that honestly I have no idea how to fully account for the John 20 passage. I have thought about the topic before, but not at great length. With that said, let me offer these few simple ideas (in no particular order of importance or logic):
1. Often times we err by assuming that everything Jesus said to the apostles is directly applicable to all believers. This is a dangerous assumption. Not everything recorded in Scripture that he said to them is to be understood as him talking directly to us. (This does not mean that those texts are irrelevant, but just that they should be understood in the correct sense. While certain things said to them may not be directly said to us, we can make the appropriate inferences based on those things he says.) With that said, perhaps in John 20 there is something of that kind of dynamic taking place. Jesus is "breathing" on the disciples in a way that is specific to his calling on them. In John 20 we see Jesus "breathing" on the apostles, but it is not until Acts 2 that the Holy Spirit comes to all who believe in fulfillment of the prophecies of Joel and others. That would make the breathing in John 20 a particularized event specific to the apostles. Maybe he is sealing his special commission for them to be his apostolic witness and consequently the founders of the church??? Maybe this bestowal of the Spirit is intended to "keep" them until the day of Pentecost??? Or maybe this "breathing" is not even an actual bestowal of the Spirit at all??? Which leads me to a second possibility:
2. Maybe this act in John 20 is merely an intimation of what is to come. Obviously we cannot equate what's going on in John 20 directly with what happens in Acts 2. Maybe John 20 is a symbolic "hint" of what is to come on the day of Pentecost. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit "descends" upon the apostles, IE comes in His fullness, and then on all who believe in a new way unlike any before. Maybe what happened in John 20 is a hint of this coming, or maybe it is like the coming in Acts 2 but in a lesser degree???
3. Consider the words of John Wesley concerning John 20 from his Explanatory Notes:
John 20:22 – "He breathed on them" - New life and vigour, and saith, as ye receive this breath out of my mouth, so receive ye the Spirit out of my fullness: the Holy Ghost influencing you in a peculiar manner, to fit you for your great embassy. This was an earnest of Pentecost.
Wesley is making a direct connection between John 20 and Acts 2, although he is not suggesting that the two are identical events. According to him, John 20 is a promise made by Jesus that is not fulfilled until Pentecost. Jesus says, "Receive my Spirit," but this reception does not take place until the Spirit is ready, IE according to His timing. So to Wesley, while the events are not precisely identical, they are inseparably linked together in a promise-fulfillment type relationship.
I’m sure there are other possibilities, and I am open to any thoughts anyone might have. If I were pressed I would probably go with Wesley (which no doubt surprises you to no end), but I am open to a better interpretation if someone can find one. I know there are plenty of other sources out there, I just have not taken the time to look them up.
Any ideas? Reference any sources you quote.
Labels: theology
8 Comments:
I think both of your points fit nicely with Wesley's commentary. These are obviously two separate, but related events. I would only note that there is nothing in John 20 that indicates the apostles "recieved the Spirit" at this time. It seems a preparatory promise or prophetic moment. One other passage from John that might relate (one of my favorite passages of scripture!) is
John 7:37-39 "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Of course John chapters 14-16 each containing promises of the Spirit are very relevant to this discussion too.
Thanks, Doug. I'm glad you mentioned John 7. It really emphasizes the timing of the coming of the Spirit as it relates to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That just reaffirms to me even more that the "breathing" in John 20 is merely and intimation of the "coming" in Acts 2, and, as Wesley put it, they relate to one another in a promise/fulfillment sort of way.
I don't think you want to say that JOhn 20 is "merely" or "only" an intimation of Pentecost. Instead, it could well be seen as the "new birth" of the disciples. Until that time they have not been born of water and the Spirit. Also, John 20 is making it very clear that Jesus is the one through whome the HOly Spirit will come. Remember the prophecy of John the Baptizer. so, I think that Wesley is wrong. Rather, it is in initiation/fulness that the distinction resides. Also, Pentecost is about the community of faith, not the individual disciples.
Thanks for the comment.
I guess I see where you are coming from, although I am not sure if I am making the same connections as you. Is there enough evidence from the text in John 20 that would support the suggestion that this was their new birth? It sounds like a very plausible idea, but I guess I'm not seeing that in the text. It seems that the context has more to do with the commission of Jesus for the ministry the disciples would be engaging in. "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." (v. 21) The emphasis in John 20 seems to be just as much an emphasis on community as in Acts 2. In fact, the commission in John 20 does not come to fruition until Acts 2, so I feel much more comfortable with promise/fulfillment than I do with initiation/fullness. I am most likely wrong, but wouldn't suggesting the new birth idea be dropping some theological baggage into the text? Please, correct me, I'm sure I need it.
Without it being initiation, then the disciples never have a new birth experience. Isn't that theologically odd?
Does this particular passage in John have to be describing their new birth experience? I fully believe in a new birth experience, and I believe the disciples all had one. I'm just not sure that this is what John 20 is necessarily describing. Are you suggesting that if John 20 is not describing their new birth experience then they never had one? Because certainly they could have experienced the new birth at another time that wasn't necessarily recorded in any particular passage. Once again, I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, I'm just trying to struggle through my understanding of this text.
Does a text have to come right out and make a claim in concrete clarity in order to be interpreted rightly in a particular way? consider, in John 3, Jesus says unless a man is born again (of water and the Spirit) he cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, if there is no other way to discuss the new birth experience of the disciples (there was no sinner's prayer in those days), I think JOhn 20 is best understood as the fulfillment of the promise and warning given in JOhn 3.
Further, John 6 is viewed by many modern interpreters now as being highly eucharistic. HOwever, a number of commentators of earlier evangelical generations did not see the sacramental overtones in John 6 and since there is no institution of the Lord's supper in John thought that John's theology was asacramental if not anti-sacramental. AGain, they fell prey, I think, to the limited exegetical practice of wanting to have a text concretely declare something to be the case.
Oh, BTW, don't feel that you have to apologize for arguing with me on this.
BTW of course JOhn 20 doesn't HAVE to be describing the new birth or inisitiation of the disciples into the life of the Spirit.
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