Translated excerpt from Dutch Reformed Theologian Franciscus Gomarus’ Opera Theologica Omnia Maximam; section John 17.
The first part, on account of the remarkable dignity of the matter and its usefulness for establishing sincere love, grace, and the doctrine of Christ’s office, we have undertaken (God willing) to examine somewhat more closely. It is contained in these words: “I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”
In these words Christ’s petition is indicated, and then the reason for the petition. The petition itself is first expressed; then its excellence is demonstrated by a certain opposition.
The former is: “I pray for them”—namely, for the Apostles, because he had previously spoken of them by a certain periphrasis. The following words make this clearer, especially verse 18: “As you have sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world,” etc., where their calling to the Apostolic office is described. Then verse 20 shows the same thing: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” To this also belongs verse 13: “But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” By this Christ shows that he is speaking this prayer on earth, so that the Apostles, his hearers, might be refreshed by it against the fear conceived from his departure and might rejoice.
In the same way he had earlier used a clear thanksgiving to God the Father for the same purpose (as he indicates), that the present crowd might believe in him (John 11:41–42).
Therefore, it is clear from this that when he says, “I pray for them,” it is to be understood “for the Apostles,” that is, for their good—namely, their salvation—as is afterward distinctly declared in verses 11, 15, and 17.
This concerns the general expression of the petition. To it is joined a demonstration of its excellence by a certain opposition, in these words: “I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me.”
In these words, he places the Apostles in opposition to the world. The first portion of the opposition he expresses by a certain negation (for whom he does not pray); the second by the contrary affirmation (for whom he does pray). In this way he shows that this benefit of the prayer pertains to the Apostles, and not to the world.
Now, that the former may be more conveniently understood, the ambiguity of the word “world” must be distinguished by a certain distinction, for the illustration of this and other passages of Holy Scripture—especially so that the sum of the whole prayer of Christ may be made clearer. For this prayer comprehends almost all the significations of the word “world” in a peculiar and admirable manner, which is not unworthy of observation.
The “world” has many applications which need explaining.
“World” first denotes the universality of created things, or (as Aristotle defines it at the beginning of his book On the World to Alexander) the structure of heaven and earth and of all things contained within their compass. It is used in this sense in verse 5: “before the world existed,” and in verse 24: “before the foundation of the world.”
Second, it signifies a part of that universe—either the earth (as in v. 11: “I am no longer in the world,” and similarly in vv. 12, 13, 15, 18), or the men who are on earth. And this in two ways: either the universality of them, or the human race (as in v. 6: “those whom you have given me out of the world”), or a part of that race—either generally the unbelievers of the world (as in v. 14: “the world has hated them, because they are not of the world”; likewise in v. 15), or specifically certain ones among them, with their own distinguishing characteristics. For it signifies either the elect or the reprobate.
The elect, as in v. 21: “that the world may believe that you have sent me,” and v. 23: “that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” In these places “world” denotes only the elect, for “not all have faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:2), but only the elect (Titus 1:1; Acts 13:48). In the same way the noun “world” must necessarily be understood in John 6:33: “the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world”—for life is not given to any of the reprobate. And in 2 Corinthians 5:19: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them”—whereby “world” the elect, not the reprobate, are understood. For these two benefits belong properly to the elect and those to be saved (Romans 4:8; 8:30–33).
On the contrary, “world” is clearly taken for the reprobate elsewhere, and also in 1 Corinthians 11:32: “we are chastened so that we may not be condemned with the world” (for only the reprobate are condemned; none of the elect). So also, in this place (v. 9, which we are treating), when Christ says, “I do not pray for the world,” the reprobate are likewise denoted by this word, as the thing itself proves. For this signification is confirmed by the added negation of Christ’s prayer, and then by the opposition of the elect and the contrary adjunct.
Therefore Christ does not pray for the reprobate, nor could he pray for them, because such a prayer would have been contrary both to the will or immutable decree of God (by which he does not will to save justly those destined by just destruction) and to the conscience of Christ himself, who certainly knew and approved that will of God as revealed in his word (Matthew 11:25–27).
Hence it is not undeservedly concluded by pious theologians that Christ did not die for the reprobate. Those for whom Christ as High Priest and Mediator does not intercede by prayer, he certainly did not die for their salvation.
To it is subjoined the second part—namely, the reason for it—in these words: “because they are yours.” This, if we look at the phrase itself, can be taken in two ways.
First, generally, with respect to the universal dominion which the Father has over all creatures by right of creation. They are therefore his, that is, they belong to him. In this sense even the reprobate are his, because they were created by him and are subject (willing or unwilling) to his omnipotent dominion. But this meaning is by no means taken here, as the opposition between the Apostles and the world, and the thing itself, show. Otherwise, he would with equal right pray for the reprobate, and therefore they would be elect.
Specifically, however, with respect to saving grace, they are said to be the Father’s and to belong to him in two ways: either with respect to election unto life, or with respect to calling to faith and into the people of God. It seems to be taken in the former way in 2 Timothy 2:19: “The Lord knows those who are his,” that is, those whom he has chosen as his heirs. And so, in Acts 18:10 Christ says to Paul: “I have many people in this city,” that is, those elected to be the people of God, or who will believe.
In the latter way it is said in Romans 9:25: “I will call those who were not my people, my people.” By these words the people of God is understood with respect to the thing itself. For if we consider election, or predestination to be the people of God, whoever are called into the people of God by conversion were already previously the people of God by predestination because that calling belongs to all and only the predestined (Romans 8:28–30; Titus 1:1; Acts 13:48).
Now the Apostles, if considered absolutely apart from the circumstances of this passage, were certainly the Father’s in both ways. In the former, because they were elected to eternal life (Luke 12:32); then, because they had been called and converted to faith in Christ and to communion with Christ and the Church. But if they are considered relatively to these words of Christ, they are said to be the Father’s in the former way distinctly. For they were the Father’s before they were given to Christ, as was declared above in v. 6: “they were yours, and you gave them to me.”
The sense therefore is that Christ prays for the Apostles—that is, for their preservation, sanctification, and salvation (as the following verses show)—because they were the Father’s by peculiar grace, that is, elected by him to eternal life and given to Christ for that end, as to a subordinate cause of salvation, by the decree of predestination to salvation (John 3:16–17; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 4:9–10; Ephesians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:20).
And therefore, Christ here alleges a solid reason and shows that he prays for the salvation of the Apostles from faith, according to the will of God the Father, and to his glory. Since those whom the Father has separated from the human race by eternal love, that he might save them through Christ—for their salvation Christ rightly prays. But the Apostles were such persons; therefore, he rightly prays for them.
This is also confirmed by the preceding periphrasis of the Apostles, drawn from their adjunct, by an oblique proof, when he says: “whom you have given me.” For those whom God the Father by his predestination gave to Christ (that is, decreed to give), that he might save them, for their salvation Christ rightly willed (v. 24) and in this place prayed.
This is what concerns the examination of the words of Christ in John 17:9.
Be First to Comment