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F. Calter
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
I have a question about an indefinite reference
in the Bible from John Chapter 12, verse 25:
". . . whoever hates his own life
in this world will keep it for
life eternal."
What does it refer
to in this instance — life or hate?
This could mean:
- that if you hate your life here, you will
be granted an eternal (joyful) life (Heaven).
[Where it refers to this life
on Earth].
- that if you hate your life here, you
will be granted an eternal (hateful) life
(Hell).
[Where it refers to this life
on Earth].
- that if you hate your life here, you
will be granted an eternal life full of
hate for being granted eternal life (in
Hell).
[Where it refers to hate].
- that if you hate your life here, you
will be granted an eternal life full of
hate because you hate your life here on
earth (Hell).
[Where it refers to hate].
- Most of these interpretations seem to
imply you have to hate all the good God
the Father does for you in this life, in
order to live an eternal life (of questionable
value.)
Can someone clear up what seems to be a
problem of an indefinite reference of the
article — it?
F. Calter
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How does the Church interpret John 12:25 and what does this indefinite reference mean? }
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Mike
replied:
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Dear F. Calter,
John 12:23-26 says:
| 23 And
Jesus answered them, "The
hour has come for the Son of man
to be glorified. 24 Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless a
grain of wheat falls into the
earth and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it bears much
fruit. 25 He
who loves his life loses it, and
he who hates his life in this
world will keep it for eternal
life. 26 If
any one serves me, he must follow
me; and where I am, there shall
my servant be also; if any one
serves me, the Father will honor
him. |
The Jerome Biblical Commentary says
the following on the above biblical
verses.
Verse John 12:23. Jesus answered
them: It is not necessary to think
that the Gentiles were among those
whom Jesus addressed, and the
lack of any further mention of
them suggests that they were not.
It is not yet time for the Gentile
mission (cf. Matthew 10:5ff),
though its principle is even now
being revealed.
The Evangelist writes from the
standpoint of the Church in which
the Gentiles have "seen Jesus" and
found salvation in him (cf. 6:40; 1 John 3:6). the hour has come:
Now, with the week of his passion
begun (verse 1), Jesus can at
last say that his "hour" has
come (see comments on 2:4; 4:23; 5:25). for the Son of Man to be
glorified.
Verse John 12:24. Beautifully,
Christ begins to elucidate the
mystery of his atoning death.
If it be thought strange that
he must die in order to bring
life, let it be remembered that
this paradox already exists in
nature. The grain of wheat left
to itself produces nothing; only
when it appears to have died and
has been buried does it bring
forth fruit — in far greater
abundance than itself. (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:36).
Verse John 12:25. A further illustration
of the same principle; with a
proverbial saying, it is attributed
to Jesus in Mark 8:35 par. and
again in Matthew 10:39 par. the
man who loves himself destroys
himself: It is another observable
paradox that the meaning of life
so often eludes him who thinks
he is living it to the hilt. Selfishness,
man's false love for himself
that will not permit him to sacrifice
himself, ends in destroying him.
while the man who hates himself
in this world preserves himself
for eternal life: Only by treating
his life as worthless from a this
worldly view does man gain the
only life that really counts. "Hates" is
a Semitism for "love less" (cf. Deuteronomy 21:15; etc.)
Verse John 12:26. The principle
of sacrifice—the explanation
of Christ's life—also
holds for anyone who will count
himself a true follower of Christ
(for the Syn parallel cf. Mark
8:34). my servant: The word is diakonos,
meaning one who serves, ministers
to another. Jesus gives the example
of this ministry in 13:1ff. (cf.
also Mark 9:35; 10:43-45; Luke
22:26ff). the Father will honor
anyone who serves me: Imitation
of Christ is inescapably the standard
of Christian perfection. |
The first instance you listed above is
the closest meaning to what our Lord
was talking about, but we must be
careful here. It said:
You will be granted an eternal
(joyful) life (Heaven).
[Where It refers to
this life on Earth].
We can never have an absolute assurance of eternal life with Him until we "finish
the race",
as St. Paul refers to in one of his
letters. (2 Timothy 4:7) We can have a moral assurance,
if we live by the commandments and
the teachings of the Church Our Lord
found in 33 A.D.: the Catholic Church.
The Christian should
always strive for holiness and strive
to grow in knowledge with Him through
prayer thereby bringing all mankind
under Our Blessed Lord's One Church.
Hope this helps,
Mike Humphrey
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