In twenty pages this research paper analyzes this biblical scripture in terms of its unity with a summary of a literature review also included. Eleven sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: D0_khjohn17.rtf
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1997). The words of John 17 are part of his final words, and all final words take on intensity, becoming both more focused and passionate than ordinary discourse (Lueking, 1997).
The final words of Jesus are no exception. The disciples had never heard Jesus pray in this manner (Lueking, 1997). He prayed for unity. He prayed that his disciples (or
he may have meant the church, in general) would be as one with God, as he and the Father were one (Lueking, 1997). These verses are some of the
most passionate attributed to Jesus, and they have inspired a good deal of theological interpretation. As the following literature review on theological perspectives on John 17 will illustrate, some theologians
keep their perspective close the words as they are recorded, interpreting meaning by taking into account details from the original Greek. Others depart from the essence of the scripture and
take an overview that considers the cultural context of the time and the cultural context of the present. Nevertheless, throughout the various interpretations the theme of unity provides a common
thread on which there is a consensus. This is not surprising since the theme of unity is one that is emphasized throughout the Gospels, and no where more so then
in the Gospel according to John. Therefore, it seems appropriate, before addressing John 17 directly, to survey how the theme of unity is treated throughout the Scriptures. The theme
of unity in the Old and New Testaments Looking at unity in the Old and New Testaments, the first impression that one receives is that this topic is seen in
a completely different manner in the two sets of scripture. The Old Testament, as one sees in Joel 2:12-16, is emphatic that there should be a very public display of