Read John 16 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
Joh 15:26-16:29 Chiastic Structure:
First, the structure. The A.2 pair does not seem to match, so why has it fallen out the way it has? The Greek Testament structures are more difficult to map than the Hebrew Testament structures. In the Hebrew Testament, we have the Hebrew Paragraph Divisions which act as markers for the boundaries of sections, which we do not have in the Greek Testament. In the Greek Testament, I look for unmistakable pairings, and then build the structure out from that. The unmistakable pairing in this case, is the coming of the Comforter (A.1 pair).
How do I know that 2A.1 runs from 6:5-24, and does not have for its boundary something else? It is because John 16:5-24 itself makes a sub-structure. This is the second test for mapping Greek Testament structures: for the boundaries of a larger section to be accurate, that section must make a sub-structure. And I have all the sub-structures for John mapped in my notes, as a check for myself, that I have the boundaries marked accurately. John 16:25-29 also makes a sub-structure.
So, we are left with a matching pair that does not seem to match, at first glance. We have seen this happen more than a few times with Hebrew Testament structures (here, for example). The puzzle of how they match leads us to do some asking, seeking, and knocking. When the Spirit of truth answers, it is often with amazing revelation which testifies of and glorifies Jesus (Joh 15:26 and 16:14, matching pairs in the John 16 structure).
What is the amazing revelation in this case? When we ask the Father for something in the name of Jesus, like healing the sick, raising the dead, multiplying food, or wisdom which confounds the world-the works which He did, which we also will do-, and He does it (2A.2), it bears witness of Jesus (1A.2), that He came forth from the Father, and returned to the Father, His body not being in the grave, but raised from the dead.
Let us be bold to believe these words of Jesus, which are not from Him, but from the Father, and ask!
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