The Spirit as Teacher Guides the Church (16:12-15)
Our Lord was always careful to give His disciples the right amount of truth at the best time. This is always the mark of a great teacher. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher today, and He follows that same principle: He teaches us the truths we need to know, when we need them, and when we are ready to receive them.
When you compare John 14:26 with 16:13, you see the wonderful way that God arranged for the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. The Spirit would remind them of what Jesus had taught them; this gives us the four gospels. The Spirit would also “guide” them into all truth, and this would result in the Epistles. “He will show you things to come” refers to the prophetic Scriptures, especially the book of Revelation.
It is essential that we see that the work of the Spirit of God is never divorced from Jesus Christ or the Word of God. “He shall testify of me” (John 15:26); “He shall glorify me” (John 16:14). People who claim that the Spirit of God led them to do things contrary to the example of Christ or the teaching of the Word are mistaken and are being led astray by Satan. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), and the Word is truth (John 17:17), and the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth.” Where the Holy Spirit is at work, there must be truth.
The phrase “He [the Spirit] shall not speak of himself” (John 16:13) does not mean that the Spirit never refers to Himself, for when He wrote the Bible, the Spirit often mentioned Himself. Rather, it means that He does not speak apart from the Father and the Son; He does not “manufacture” a different message. You have the entire Godhead mentioned in John 16:13, because the Spirit of God does not ignore either the Father or the Son. They work harmoniously together.
The teaching of the Spirit through the apostles was not different from the teaching of the Spirit through Jesus Christ. Some theologians like to contrast the “Christianity of Christ” with the “Christianity of Paul.” They claim that Paul “ruined” Christianity by making it so theological and complicating the “simple message” of Jesus Christ. What a sad interpretation this is. What Jesus said in John 14:26 and 16:13 completely refutes this false teaching. The same Holy Spirit communicated the truths found in the four gospels, the Epistles, and the book of Revelation, and He also wrote the history and doctrine found in Acts.
It is the ministry of the Spirit to enrich us with the treasures of God’s truth. He enlightens us with God’s truth and enriches us with God’s treasures. The Word of God is a rich mine of gold, silver, and precious jewels (Prov. 3:13-15; 8:10-21). What a joy it is to have the Spirit illumine His Word.
We do not study the Word of God in order to “argue religion” with people, or to show off our grasp of spiritual things. We study the Word to see Jesus Christ, to know God better, and to glorify Him in our lives. As we witness in this hostile world, the Spirit uses the Word He has taught us, and we share Jesus Christ with the lost. It is our job to witness; it is the Spirit’s job to convict.
Perhaps some of us need to quit acting like prosecuting attorneys–or judges–so that the Spirit can use us as faithful witnesses.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
- How does the world make it hard for us to be Christians?
- Read John 15:18–16:16. What did Jesus mean by the term the world and what didn’t He mean?
- When have you seen the world pressure people to conform?
- When have you seen the world be blind to its own sin?
- How does understanding this term (the world) help you deal with the world better?
- Why is having the Holy Spirit more important than having the physical Jesus with us?
- How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of the sin of unbelief?
- How does the Holy Spirit teach believers?
- How can we evaluate current teachings about and manifestations of the Holy Spirit?
- How will you let the Holy Spirit guide you this week?