"You Will Know The Truth and The Truth Will Set You Free" Exegesis Of John 8:31-47 and Its Application In "The Culture Of Corruption"
Date
2005
Authors
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
Every person in this world likes to be free! But how do we attain this
freedom? Jesus tells us that it is by knowing the truth and abiding in it that we
become free! Naturally. human beings are curious to know the truth about their
nature, purpose and end. as S. Rudolf puts it:
The truth of newly acquired expert knowledge might certainly be able to elevate man, but it cannot make him free from all those things which he perceives as narrowing and depressing. Man posits the question of truth not only for the sake of the mailer which he is trying to penetrate intellectually, but also for his own sake, since he can not in the same way as other things become the object of full and exact scientific investigation. He also wants to know the answer of the question as "who am I". -where did I come from and where am I going", -what is the meaning of my existence?"'
Similarly, in my own growing. I have been disturbed by the use of the word
'Truth' and 'freedom' in daily basis. The amazing circumstance is when a person
vows in front of the people that what is going to speak is true while convincingly
from his/her heart that he/she is laying. I do ask myself one basic question 'is such a
person aware of what is vowing for or it is just a drama?' Likewise in different fields
such as in politics, schools and in families, to mention few, people decide to witness
lies while they are supposed to witness the truth. I am not out of this system as a
holy one but I do question my credibility and authenticity in such circumstances.
That is why I want to convince all the readers of this essay that it is in Jesus, truth and freedom is attained. Thus my concern is for all those who hate lies and it is only
in John's pericope that the solution of the problem is addressed namely it is by
embracing the truth that we become free.
I will limit my study to the inner transformation of the nefesh (heart), that is,
the way of looking the reality in the spiritual aspect with the conviction that what is
thought by the spirit is expressed bodily in our daily actions. I will take the heart as a
driving force for all our actions. My thinking is the same as Jewish way of thinking,
where by the heart is the central point of all activities. Transformation of heart
therefore, is transformation of the whole person and hence the whole society. For
those who follow Jesus and his precept the language is easy to grasp. It is my
expectation that this presentation will be source of inspiration to me and to those
who read it. understand it and put its contents into practice.
However. I am not a pioneer of crying for truth and freedom, for lies and
slavery too are as old as humanity. My own work is to conscientize those who might
have forgotten or pretend to forget that it is only and only in Jesus that we know and
do the truth and thus we become free.
The study at stake is biblical, with exegetical approach. This approach helps
to come into contact with the truth of what Jesus through John's pericope wants to
put across. So. this approach will help us to apply Jesus' message in the last chapter.
In chapter one, we will deal with situating the pericope as a whole so as to
establish all the means possible to make is sound to readers.
Chapter two will focus on deepening our own understanding to the text in
itself, that is. the exegetical part. In this part we will scrutinize the core of the study
deeply in itself.
The last chapter will deal with the application of the pericope of John in the
culture termed as 'corruption'. The main purpose is to see how John's pericope can
help to transform our corrupted attitudes. This is done only if our hearts are
transformed since we think by our heart and we act by our bodies. In transforming
our heart we will be able to change the whole society into the better, where truth,
peace and freedom will prevail.
At the end of the entire work. we will be able to open ourselves more deeply
to the answer of the basic questions namely, what is the truth we grasp from
knowing Jesus? Does knowing Jesus really lead us to freedom? What is the nature of
freedom Jesus is talking about? And how can this truth we acquire from knowledge
transform the culture of corruption'.
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Keywords
The Culture Of Corruption, You Will Know The Truth and The Truth Will Set You Free