The Spirit Guides in Truth (Jn 16:12-15)

Introduction

Have you ever passionately looked for something only to realize you had it all along? Two rather benign examples come to mind. (1) There appear to be a lot of drama/romance movies in which someone pursues relationships hoping for companionship or satisfaction only to find that the best friend they had all along proves to be their true sole mate. (2) Let get even more benign. You look all over your house for your glasses only to find them sitting on top of your head. I have walked around my house looking for my keys, only to realize I was holding them.

We often pursue what we do not have, looking for satisfaction, only to find that what we had was perfectly fine, if not better.

Let me draw a parallel to our spiritual lives and our Bibles. Often our Bibles are like that best friend who has remained with us all along as we look for something else that we think might be more satisfying or more helpful. What a delight when we come to realize that our old and best friend proves to be the most enjoyable and satisfying. As well, our Bibles can be like the glasses or keys. We think we are missing something, and we look all over for it, only to realize that the very thing we were looking for is already in our possession.

As believers, we cherish and treasure our Bibles, at least nominally. But we can find the Bible to be elusive or vague or out of touch with our modern challenges. We respect the Bible, but when it comes to our normal lives, we consider it somewhat slow or simple-minded. How possibly could the Bible address the complicated issues of today’s modern challenges? So, we go in search of some other more helpful source. Either we look for wisdom under the sun, people’s opinions, or maybe even our own; or we hope for supernatural or inspired, Spirit granted insight or vision.

All along, failing to realize that the Scriptures we too quickly relegated to our modern-day museums offered by way of direct command or indirect principle, all the answers to every one of our spiritual daily needs.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (Jn 16:12–15).

Purpose statement. The Spirit would come and reveal to the disciples all truths concerning Christ; therefore, we are to pursue a knowledge of and depend upon that inspired revelation.

The Spirit will guide you into all the truth.

Who is the “you,” and to what does “all the truth” refer?

The Spirit will guide “you.” With little debate, we likely all agree that Jesus offers this promise to the disciples. Therefore, “you” refers to the disciples. But probably, we instantly connect the “you” to ourselves. We likely conclude that the Spirit will as well “guide me into all the truth.” In doing so, we change the meaning if not the application of the text.

To draw any conclusions about the “you,” we must first discern the meaning of “into all the truth.” Once we have drawn that conclusion, we can come back and determine any potential personal application from the “you.”

The Spirit will guide in “all the truth.” Readers understand this text in three general ways.

All truth in general for all people. William Barclay, one popular commentator whom I often read, proposes this interpretation. Barclay writes, in his commentary, “One of the mistakes which is sometimes made is to identify God’s revelation solely with the Bible. That would be to say that since about ad 120, when the latest book in the New Testament was written, God has ceased to speak.” He goes on to write;

It is quite wrong to think of it [the truth mentioned in the passage] as confined to what we might call theological truth. The theologians and the preachers are not the only people who are inspired. When a poet delivers a great message in words which defy time, that is inspiration. . . . When a scientist discovers something which will help the world’s toil and make life better for everyone, when a surgeon discovers a new technique which will save lives and ease pain, when someone discovers a new treatment which will bring life and hope to suffering humanity, that is a revelation from God.[1]

Well, yes and no. Barclay espouses the idea that “all truth is God’s truth, and the revelation of all truth is the work of the Holy Spirit.” True, all truth is God’s truth, but he goes too far in concluding (1) that any reception of truth is divinely orchestrated by the Spirit or (2) that this general idea of truth is the intent of this text.

Those who hold such a view seem to lack distinctions in a couple of areas. While I am certain Barclay acknowledges this, he does not seem to make a distinction (at least in this text) between general and special revelation or between inspiration and illumination. When a poet crafts beautiful prose under some inspired force, that inspiration is wholly distinct from the inspiration of the Spirit in the crafting of Scripture.

Jesus promises his disciples that the Spirit will come and “guide them into all truth.” Jesus does not mean scientific or philosophical truth about earthly and natural things, “not the things humans can learn on their own by rational inquiry or observation. Rather, as Jesus will quickly point out, it is his truth.”[2]

Additionally, this view fails to connect with the primary audience. Jesus was clearly speaking directly to his disciples, and arguably the implication or application extends to all following believers, but to conclude that the Spirit will guide all people in any truth they ascertain misses the picture and seems to misunderstand the Spirit’s role in the conviction of the world as well. The Spirit’s role within the world is not offering them benign inspiration but instead offering them conviction of their sinfulness.

Therefore, the primary recipients are minimally the disciples and potentially all believers, and the truth spoken of is narrower than all general truth or “inspired” work throughout the world.

All biblical truth to all disciples. The proponents of the second view, a much more popular view, consider “all truth” to refer to divine revelation of some kind and the recipients to believers of all time. Keener writes, “The idea is thus more ‘the whole truth,’ the full revelation of God’s character in Christ (14:6), than ‘all possible knowledge on any subject.’”[3]

The disciples serve as representatives of those who would believe. Jesus promises the coming of the Spirit and his guidance into all divine or spiritual truth. This interpretation is much more plausible than the first. However, this position as well includes various opinions as to the extent of “all truth.” While “all truth” is narrowed to divine truth (in contrast to all general truths), this divine truth is not limited to divine inspiration but may as well include ongoing Spirit imparted, extra-biblical truths. Keener writes in his commentary, “Other conservative scholars, while agreeing that inspired records of the apostolic witness to Christ are included in the promise, see a broader intention in this text (e.g., Ladd, Theology, 220, 268, 296; Boice, Witness, 143–44; Horton, Spirit, 120–21).”[4]

All NT doctrine/inspiration specifically to the disciples. The third and final interpretation narrows even a bit more. The sole recipients are Jesus’ disciples (those present with him at the time) and the referent “all truth” is limited to the inspired New Testament Scriptures (e.g., Godet, Gospel, 182; cf. Bruce, Parchments, 105).

I rest somewhere between the second and third interpretation. Primarily, the content of “all truth” is Christocentric. Let me offer a few reasons. (1) The Spirit will declare all that is to come. While some consider this as a declaration to future prophetic revelation (ie. the book of Revelation), more likely this declaration of things to come encompasses the significance of Jesus impending death, resurrection, and ascension.[5] Likely that which the disciples could not handle at the time was the significance of Jesus’ death. Jesus knew they were struggling grabbing hold of the reality of his departure and death. He knew better than attempt to explain to them at that point the substitutionary atonement or the full redemption accomplished in this death or the defeat of death through his sufficient sacrifice. There was no need for him to explain at that time. The Spirit would come and reveal the significance of these upcoming events afterward. [6] (2) Additionally, the Spirit intended, through this revelation, to glorify Christ. Jesus states, in verse 14, “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:14). Clearly the content of the Spirit’s revelation was Christocentric.

Let me offer two additional reasons that do not flow directly from the text. (3) Jesus has already established that he is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). Therefore, consistent with John’s gospel, The Truth involves the person of Jesus Christ. (4) One final consideration. The addition of the article (the) preceding truth offers evidence that something more specific than a general understanding of truth is intended.

These four reasons lead me to believe that the content of “all truth” consists of information about Jesus, specifically the ramifications of Jesus death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Therefore, “all truth” primarily consists of that which may be found in the New Testament writings.

However, on a couple of occasions, John discusses this idea of the transference of truth and in both contexts, the average believer serves as the recipient. In John’s first epistle he writes, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge” (1 Jn 2:20). And a bit more clearly, he writes later in that chapter, “but the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him” (1 Jn 2:27).

Therefore, the primary recipient of John 16:12-15 remains the disciples present with the believers and “all truth” refers to the Spirit’s work of inspiring them in the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. However, the Spirit’s work did not end with those disciples (and Paul). He continues his work in the life of believers throughout the ages. His work, however, is different. He inspired these initial disciples in the writings of the New Testament. He continues His work by illuminating the truths of these written Scriptures in the minds of believers.[7]

Conclusion

God’s character. God continually displays his grace in that he does not reveal more than people can handle. We quickly skimmed over verse 12. Let us take a moment and go back. In verse 12, Jesus says, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn 16:12).

Now that we have established that the truth that would be revealed concerns Christ and the significance of his impending death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we better understand the challenge for the disciples in handling anymore. They struggled to process the death of Christ. They could not have handled Jesus then explaining to them the substitutionary atonement, that righteousness would be purchased through this death, that Satan would be completely defeated through the resurrection, that Jesus would be reigning at the right hand of the Father following his ascension, and on and on the significance of those moments could have gone.

He knew what they could handle, and instead of trying to shove more knowledge into their emotionally wrecked and mentally exhausted minds, Jesus promises that the Spirit will come and reveal “the truth” or the theological significance of the imminent moment.

Has not God always done this for mankind? God consistently gives the amount of information that mankind can handle. He did not sit Adam and Eve down and unfold for them the immense ramifications of their sin. They could not have handled that. He simply promised them that someone would come and fix the problem. God did not sit down with Abraham and unfold all the unpleasant and challenging history of his following generations, the people of Israel. He simply told him to follow him and that he would make of him a great nation. In all honesty, I was a bit taken back when I read in Genesis 15 as God told Abraham that his descendants would be afflicted for 400 years. That is a bit to take in. God, in his grace, offered Abraham the amount of information he knew Abraham could handle.

I can say with a great deal of certainty that Moses would not have taken up the mantel to which he was called if God had outlined everything that was going to happen in the following 40 years. God gave him the information that he needed at the time he needed it.

Time and time again, God displays this grace to mankind. And, he continues to display this same grace to you. Two things can be true. (1) We know there is more to know about God and how he works, and yet we only possess so much revelation. (2) God knows what we can handle, so let us be content with the information available. In his grace, he protects us.

Pursue the truth. Pursue both Christ and “the truth” that was so graciously revealed to the disciples and written in what we consider to be the New Testament. Christ directly gifted the disciples the inspiration of the Holy Spirit culminating in what we now consider to be the New Testament. In these Scriptures, Christ has revealed himself to us. The Scriptures are a gracious and sufficient source for our lives. Let us not abandon or neglect it, hoping for some other source of information or inspiration.

Pray for illumination, not ongoing inspiration. If we focus on illumination, we begin with the presupposition that we already are in possession of the information and simply need help understanding. If we focus on inspiration, we instead constantly hope for and look for new inspiration and potentially, if not likely, neglect or abandon “the truth” that has already and sufficiently been given.

[1] Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume 2, 2:228.

[2] Michaels, The Gospel of John, 836.

[3] Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Volumes 1 & 2, Logos Research Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 1038.

[4] Keener, 1038 footnote.

[5] Kruse, John, 327; Michaels, The Gospel of John, 837.

Kruse. This is not to be interpreted absolutely as if the Counsellor will teach them all that can be known, but rather that he will interpret to them afterwards the truth about the death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus. His role is to testify to Jesus

Michaels. Whether that phrase refers to eschatological events (such as those described in the book of Revelation), or simply to more detailed instruction about what the disciples will face in their mission to the world and how to face it, is uncertain. Possibly no distinction is intended between those two alternatives.

[6] Carson, The Gospel According to John, 541. “It is important to recognize that the disciples who will directly benefit from these ministrations of the Spirit are primarily the apostles. In two of the other Paraclete passages, explicit reference is made to reminding the disciples of what Jesus said during the days of his flesh (14:26) or to the fact that they had been with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry (15:27). Both references rule out later disciples. Here, too, the primary focus of the Spirit’s ministry is doubtless on those who could not, when Jesus spoke, bear more than he was giving them (v. 12), but who would need to be guided in all the truth of the revelation of God in Christ Jesus that they had been privileged to witness. At least part of the consequence of that unfolding is this Gospel of John.”

[7] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John: Peace in Storm (John 13-17), Logos, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Books, 2005), 1217. “Jesus is teaching that the Holy Spirit would lead the disciples into a supplementary but definitive new revelation that thereafter would be the church’s authoritative standard of doctrine.”