D. Scott Meadows
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself (Jn 7.17).
ἐάν τις θέλῃ τὸ θέληµα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν, γνώσεται περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς, πότερον ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ἢ ἐγὼ ἀπʼ ἐµαυτοῦ λαλῶ.
The text above is from the mouth of Jesus (John 7.16), originally, during the Feast of Tabernacles (v. 2) in Judea (v. 3). Back in Galilee, His siblings had challenged Him to show Himself openly as the Messiah by His testimony and miracles (v. 4). They themselves did not believe in Him (v. 5). After an initial delay (vv. 6–9), the Lord Jesus did go up to Jerusalem for the feast (v. 10), where many sought Him and debated among themselves about His character and spiritual identity (vv. 11–13). Finally, Jesus appeared publicly at the Temple (v. 14), teaching. His hearers were amazed by His knowledge because He had no formal training (v. 15). To explain this, Jesus credited His doctrine to God who sent Him into the world (v. 16; cf. 3.17, 19). This sets up a colossal confrontation. Would they believe Him or not? Will you?
Some say, “If I could know for sure whether Jesus’ teaching really comes from God, then I would believe Jesus.” That is understandable, but Jesus turns that idea on its head by saying, in effect, “If you really desire to believe Me, then you will know for sure that My teaching is from God.” The Lord implies that we must believe Him as God wills us to do in order to know with certainty, not vice versa. This exposes the depravity and incorrigible stubbornness driving skeptics of Jesus Christ. Their problem is not insufficient knowledge but arrogant souls in rebellion against God, because they reject the testimony that He has given concerning His Son. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3.19).
“If any man will do His will” (v. 17a) is a “conditional subordinate clause . . . used to express a condition under which the main verbal action occurs” (Lexham SGNT Glossary). Here, the main verbal action is, “he shall know of the doctrine.” The first instance of “will” in the first clause is not looking forward to a future time but stating a present condition upon which one shall know the truth about Jesus and His doctrine. The Greek verb θέλω (thelo) means “to desire: to feel or have a desire for; want strongly” (LBSL). “If you really want to obey God” (CEV, emphasis mine). Lenski says the Greek grammatical form “indicates more than a single volition; it denotes a durative and lasting course” (commentary, in loc.). Jesus’ skeptics persistently lack desire to obey God, despite their pretenses to spiritual sincerity, while real Christians persist in this desire.
John’s Gospel emphasizes the fact that “God’s will” is, first and foremost, that we should believe in Jesus Christ. “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (6.29). Again, this powerfully implies that only liars say they really want to have faith in Christ but are struggling to know for sure whether He speaks the truth.
“He shall know of the doctrine” (v. 17b) pertains to the doctrine Jesus teaches which has God as its origin and Christ as its channel, as He fills the role of a true prophet with divine authority. It is not the content of the doctrine which is especially in view but its character as the truth from God. The last phrase makes this plain. “Whether it be of [that is, from] God, or whether I speak of [or, from] myself” (v. 17c), that is, with or without God as the source of My message. The quintessential trait of a false prophet is a bogus claim to speak for God. Of such, the LORD says, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied” (Jer 23.21), and, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart” (Jer 14.14). They substitute their own words for God’s.
As uncomfortable as this makes many feel, Jesus’ claim to speak for God leaves only two logical possibilities. Either He does or He does not. If He does, then it is a sin of cosmic proportions to disbelieve Him. Unbelievers impugn the character of God and insult His holiness. If Jesus does not speak for God, then He is the liar of all liars, the most wicked deceiver who has ever lived, Satan Incarnate. There is no rational middle ground. The condescending tribute of multitudes who ascribe to Jesus moral goodness and a measure of credibility as wisdom teacher and yet refuse to worship Him as Lord of all hide their godless autonomy behind a thin veneer of insufficient praise. Not only theological liberals but nominal Christians, some very conservative, are guilty of this (Matt 7.22, 23).
We gather from all this that faith is the eye of the soul, while unbelief is spiritual blindness and a moral defect for which we are most culpable. Religious agnosticism and skepticism are to be severely censured, not just pitied. Any denunciations of preachers today are harbingers of Christ’s fiery condemnation on Judgment Day; they pale in comparison. “You did not believe in Me” heads the list of all the filthy sins for which the ungodly will be consigned to the lake of fire on the Last Day by the Righteous Judge upon His regal throne. Truly, it is a mercy to warn unbelievers now of their peril that they may escape through God’s grace. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3.36). We must urge everyone, in keeping with the holy tradition of prophets and apostles in Scripture, to “repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1.15; cf. Acts 20.21).
These thoughts arising from our text also show the way to deeper spiritual conviction and fuller assurance of salvation for those who already believe in Christ. Persist with strong and sincere desires to please God by your implicit faith in Christ and your devotion to Him and His way as genuine followers. “Fides quaerens intellectum” (Latin, faith seeking understanding) is the classic slogan of Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1100 AD) about the search for deeper truth by a committed believer. We believe in order to understand. As Bob Jones, Sr. quaintly said, “If you will give God your heart, He will comb the kinks out of your head” (Fundamentalisms and Society, p. 498). “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (2 Tim 2.7). Ω