The Spirit as Comforter Encourages the Church (15:18—16:4) - part 1 of 5

The Spirit as Comforter Encourages the Church (15:18—16:4)

First, we must understand what Jesus means by “the world,” as it is used in at least three different ways in Scripture. It can refer to the created world (“the world was made by him”—John 1:10), the world of humanity (“For God so loved the world”—John 3:16), or to society apart from God and against God. Sometimes we add the phrase “the world system” to convey this special meaning.

For instance, if you are listening to the radio news, you may hear the announcer say, "And now the news from the world of sports!" Of course, “the world of sports” is not a special country or planet where everybody who is somehow connected with sports lives.

The sports world is the set of all organizations, people, plans, activities, philosophies, etc. that are part of sports. Some of these things are visible and some are invisible, but they are all organized around one thing: sports.

The “world” from a Christian perspective includes all the people, systems, organizations, activities, philosophies, values, etc. that are of society apart from God. Some of these things may be very cultural or corrupt, but all have their roots in the heart and mind of sinful man and promote what he wants to enjoy and accomplish. Christians should not love the world (1 John 2:15-17) or be conformed to it (Rom. 12:1-2).

Jesus does not hide the serious and even dangerous situation that awaits His disciples in the world. Observe the advance of the world's opposition: hatred (John 15:18-19), persecution (John 15:20), excommunication, and finally death (John 16:2). You can trace these stages of resistance all the way through the book of Acts.

Why does the world system, and the “religious world” in particular, hate the Christian, the one who believes on Jesus Christ and desires to follow Him? Jesus had several reasons.