John Chapter Fourteen
To understand a scripture in the Bible, we must first see the context in which it is presented. John 14 is one of the easier Chapters to understand because of two verses.
1. The 1st verse states; “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1
2. The 27th verse concludes with; “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27b
So, these two verses are alike in many ways, but what does that have to do with understanding these scriptures? Jesus began with "Let not your hearts be troubled," then told them of the Holy Spirits coming and other promises, then ended by reiterating "Let not your hearts be troubled."
Same subject
Notice that everything located between John 1 and John 27 is on the same basic subject: specifically, the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who belong to Jesus. Jesus was about to be crucified. He was comforting them with the good news of the Comforter [the Holy Spirit] Who was about to come.
John 14:15; ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and WILL BE IN YOU.”’
In John 14:18, He said; “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Who will come? Jesus said “I” will come.
John 14:23; “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him.”
Summing it up so far:
1. Jesus is going away.
2. He will pray the Father who will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers.
3. Jesus will come to them.
4. Jesus and the Father will come and make their abode with the followers of Jesus.
Did John, in John 14:2, write of a Mansion for all believers in Heaven, or could it be something much greater?
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I AM (there) ye may be also." John 14:2, KJV.
On the surface, the King James Version could cause us to believe that God is up in heaven building a mansion for each of us to live in. What could be greater than that? The problem is that such an interpretation is contradictory to the rest of the chapter.
God's dwelling
What if God was preparing believers to be a dwelling place for Himself to live?
Read on and let's examine some of the Greek words:
"In My Father's house (Gr. oikia: a dwelling, by implication, a family) are many mansions (Gr. mone: staying place, residence, abode). Notice that “house” and “mansions” have about the same meaning. Also, that it is not our house, but the Father's house. You will see as we continue, that God will dwell in these abodes, because they are His house. (Read 1 Cor. 3:16).
Continuing with John 14:2; "If it were not so, I would have told you." "I go to prepare (make) a place (Gr. topos: spot, the place one occupies)," in this case God will do the occupying. . . .“for you." The words rendered "for you" are translated from one single Greek word: ("Gr. humin") which, according to all Greek sources consulted, cannot be translated "for you," but must be either "in, with, to, unto or by" you. The meaning in this sentence is "in" you.
Note--In Chapters 13, 14, 15 and 16 of John, the word "humin" is used 51 times. It is only translated "for you" three times, two of the three being in John 14:2 and 3 above, and 48 times it is translated "you", or "unto you," but not "for you." All of Chapter 14 is about Jesus going away and sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers.
John 14:3; “And if I go and prepare (make) a place (Gr. topos: spot) for [in] you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” The word "there" was also inserted by the translators. It is not in the Greek text. It actually says, “where I am, you may be also.” Or where I am, you also.
Jesus said, as recorded in John 16:7; "if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Believers are members of His body, individual dwelling places in his overall dwelling the “house” of God.
I Peter 2:5, "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house (Gr. oikos: dwelling) for a holy priesthood.
"John 14:23 says: "If any love Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and WE WILL COME UNTO HIM, and MAKE "an" abode
(mone: dwelling place, residence, abode) with him."
In John 14:2 the King James Bible translated the same Greek word: "mone" to the English word “mansions,” but rendered it "abode" in John 14:23. Inconsistent rendering causes confusion. It's easy to see that believers are:
1. “Mansions,” the abodes of God (mone).
2. The body of Christ.
3. His church.
4. God’s temple.
5. God’s building (oikodome).
6. God’s city.
7. God’s husbandry.
8. Of God’s household.
9. God’s elect.
10. Heirs according to promise.
11. Fellow-citizens with the saints.
12. Christ’s house (oikos) in which the Holy Spirit (God) dwells.
II Cor. 6:16: "for ye are the temple (Gr. naos: "to dwell") of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell IN them, and walk IN them; and I will be their God and they shall be My people."
“I Cor. 3:9, "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's BUILDING (Gr. oikodome: architecture or structure).
Ephesians 2:19, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but
you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of God's household
(Gr. oikeios).
Hebrews 3:5-6, "And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after: but Christ as a son over His OWN HOUSE (Gr. oikos: dwelling) whose house are WE, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
Notice that the word for house is "oikos," the same word as the Father's HOUSE in John 14:2. The word for "building" and "household" are also from the root word "oikos."*
So we must conclude that the message of John 14 is that God would in-dwell His people, the church spoken of in Hebrews 12:22-24.
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect (complete), and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."
Materialism
To think that we have a “mansion” that Jesus is building for us to live in is a bit materialistic. The choice of words used in the KJV translation makes it very conducive to misunderstanding the true and very important meaning of the scripture. But think about it. If Jesus was about to leave and He simply promised them a “mansion” after they died, was that really much comfort?
Funeral scripture
Hardly a funeral comes along that someone doesn’t read John 14:2 to comfort the bereaved, telling them their deceased loved-one is now entering his “mansion.”
Promise is for now
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all understand that the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not for after we die, but for here and now. That is what I call comfort.
The next time you read John 14, or hear it read, I hope you will understand what it is really saying.
James B. Hartline, 2008
