Original Research - Special Collection: Society

Finding guidelines on social change in the two-tiered narrative and diakonia in the Gospel of John

Gert Breed
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 71, No 2 | a2666 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v71i2.2666 | © 2015 Gert Breed | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 24 March 2014 | Published: 30 April 2015

About the author(s)

Gert Breed, School of Ministers’ Training, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa

Abstract

It is shown in this article that the Gospel of John describes a battle between darkness and light, life and death, chaos and God’s new order. Although the certainty is given right at the beginning of the Gospel that the darkness will not overcome the light, God does not take the possibility of darkness away. Darkness in John is darkness of the mind, not seeing the light, not comprehending, not accepting and not believing the Word. The battle between light and darkness is described at two levels – the visible level that you can see with your eyes and the invisible level that only those who have been regenerated by the Spirit can see. Although it may seem that the contrary is true, God is in control of both levels. Jesus made the invisible visible with his words and deeds and, eventually, with his resurrection. The diakonoi (servants) of Jesus are called to follow him in his task to honour the father by speaking the words of the father and doing the work of the father. In doing this, they will make the invisible God visible by their diakonia (service). Real social change will take place in God’s time, and he will use the diakonia of his children to bring order in the chaos, like he did in the beginning when he created the heavens and the earth. The results of the research are used to suggest guidelines on social change in South Africa.

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Crossref Citations

1. Reconstructing communities and individuals after conflict and violence: An avant-garde quest for a forgiveness process that includes koinonia and diakonia
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