If Jesus was God having a fling as a human being, why would he waste his last night praying to himself?
This question only makes sense if you take John's perspective. While some disciples credit Jesus with being "the Son of God", they don't ever quote Jesus saying "I and the Father are one." (The other gospels quote Jesus saying he is the "Son of Man.")
From John's perspective, though, I think Jesus gives a direct answer to your question: in John 17:13 . "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."
It seems to suggest that John-Gospel-Jesus expects that he will not have the same full measure of joy when he is not in the world.
I thought of an analogy; though I'm not sure if it is a good one... If I were to offer extra credit to my students for saying what a great teacher I am, I am not likely to remember later that I offered extra credit for that. But if I make a big deal out of it in that moment, perhaps I will remember later. But that dreary moment of giving extra credit points for people who really don't deserve to pass the class doesn't bring me any joy, no matter how much they say what a great teacher I am, I know that moment of being told what a great teacher I am feels great, until I realize how horribly they failed all the exams...
From John's perspective, though, I think Jesus gives a direct answer to your question: in John 17:13 . "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."
It seems to suggest that John-Gospel-Jesus expects that he will not have the same full measure of joy when he is not in the world.
I thought of an analogy; though I'm not sure if it is a good one... If I were to offer extra credit to my students for saying what a great teacher I am, I am not likely to remember later that I offered extra credit for that. But if I make a big deal out of it in that moment, perhaps I will remember later. But that dreary moment of giving extra credit points for people who really don't deserve to pass the class doesn't bring me any joy, no matter how much they say what a great teacher I am, I know that moment of being told what a great teacher I am feels great, until I realize how horribly they failed all the exams...
Shouldn't he have said, "I and the father are two thirds"? Oh well maybe he wasn't good with math. It does sound like he expects heaven to be somewhat subdued.
The question of whether Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are one entity or three is one of the issues which divides Christianity. From what I've heard, the Apocrypha really doubles-down on the idea that these are one entity, and you MUST believe that.
I, personally, don't think you can make the case for such a thing from the Bible, but there are an awful lot of people who believe it is really important to think of them as a single entity.
A short google search found this Page on auburn.edu that shows four different philosophies on the trinity. They all fit within the Christian "tent."
However, you see under the Arian philosophy there that "Pagan and Platonic philosophies have taken hold even in the Bible." They refer to 1John, 1Timothy, and 1Corinthians. I have no real problems with 1Timothy and 1Corinthians.
I personally don't think Paul's version of Christianity (Paul is generally thought to be the author of 1Timothy and 1Corinthians) was allied with John's version of Christianity. John's intention was to find traitors, label them as antichrist's and banish them from your environment. Paul's intention was to avoid people who's ideas and habits were "ungodly" like crackheads and gangbangers and abusive people.
If you can support the idea that God, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one person, from the Bible, it comes ambiguously from the writings of John, but only ambiguously, at best.
I, personally, don't think you can make the case for such a thing from the Bible, but there are an awful lot of people who believe it is really important to think of them as a single entity.
A short google search found this Page on auburn.edu that shows four different philosophies on the trinity. They all fit within the Christian "tent."
However, you see under the Arian philosophy there that "Pagan and Platonic philosophies have taken hold even in the Bible." They refer to 1John, 1Timothy, and 1Corinthians. I have no real problems with 1Timothy and 1Corinthians.
I personally don't think Paul's version of Christianity (Paul is generally thought to be the author of 1Timothy and 1Corinthians) was allied with John's version of Christianity. John's intention was to find traitors, label them as antichrist's and banish them from your environment. Paul's intention was to avoid people who's ideas and habits were "ungodly" like crackheads and gangbangers and abusive people.
If you can support the idea that God, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one person, from the Bible, it comes ambiguously from the writings of John, but only ambiguously, at best.
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