John 17:21
Bible verses · Also called: John 17:21, That they all may be one, As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, High Priestly Prayer
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That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
A verse from the prayer Jesus offered to the Father before his arrest, in which he asks that those who believe "all may be one" so that the world may believe. It serves as a motto of the ecumenical movement, and debate has centered on whether this unity should be understood as spiritual or as visible and institutional.
Context
John 17 records the long prayer Jesus offered with his eyes lifted to heaven after concluding the Farewell Discourse; it is commonly called the "High Priestly Prayer." Jesus prays first for himself (vv. 1–5), then for his disciples (vv. 6–19), and finally for "them also which shall believe on me through their word" (vv. 20–26). Verse 21 stands at the heart of this final section, the prayer for all who will believe in the future.
Interpretation
- The pattern of unity: The unity of believers is modeled on the unity between the Father and the Son ("as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee"). Accordingly, this unity is understood to arise from union with God before it is a matter of organization.
- Missional purpose: The purpose of unity is "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." This supports the argument that division in the church hinders its witness to the gospel.
Controversy
The twentieth-century ecumenical movement adopted this verse as its chief motto, and the World Council of Churches (WCC) set visible unity among denominations as its goal. In response, some evangelicals and conservative Presbyterians hold that this prayer speaks of spiritual unity in the truth (v. 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth") and does not call for an institutional union that glosses over doctrinal differences. Progressives counter that speaking only of spiritual unity serves to justify visible division.
In Korea, the 1959 split of the Presbyterian Church of Korea into the Tonghap and Hapdong branches, driven in part by the question of WCC membership, is closely bound up with this debate. Further details can be found in the articles Presbyterian Schism in Korea and WCC Controversy. The debate flared up again around the 2013 WCC Assembly in Busan.
The Catholic Church cites this verse as a basis for church unity and regards communion with the Bishop of Rome as the center of that unity, whereas the Orthodox Church emphasizes unity in a common faith and a shared Eucharist.
In the Korean Church
The verse is frequently read at joint interdenominational services, united Easter services, and during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and it is a favorite text for sermons reflecting on church division.
Related Passages
- John 17:20–23
- Ephesians 4:3–6
- 1 Corinthians 1:10
- John 10:16
See also 6
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