Topical Bible: Friends: Jesus Calls his Disciples by This Term

◄ Friends: Jesus Calls his Disciples by This Term ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the New Testament, the term "friends" holds significant theological and relational importance, particularly in the context of Jesus' relationship with His disciples. This term is notably used by Jesus to describe His disciples, indicating a deep, personal, and transformative relationship that transcends mere servitude.

Biblical Context and Usage

The most explicit reference to Jesus calling His disciples "friends" is found in the Gospel of John. In John 15:13-15 , Jesus states, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you."

This passage is pivotal in understanding the nature of the relationship Jesus offers to His followers. By calling them friends, Jesus elevates their status from mere followers or servants to intimate companions who are privy to the divine will and purpose. This friendship is characterized by mutual love, obedience, and the sharing of divine knowledge.

Theological Implications

1. Intimacy and Revelation: The term "friends" implies a level of intimacy and mutual understanding. Jesus reveals the Father's will to His disciples, indicating that friendship with Him involves a deep knowledge of God's plans and purposes. This is a stark contrast to the typical master-servant relationship, where the servant is not privy to the master's intentions.

2. Love and Sacrifice: The friendship Jesus offers is rooted in sacrificial love. The ultimate expression of this love is Jesus' willingness to lay down His life for His friends. This sets a standard for Christian love and friendship, emphasizing selflessness and sacrifice.

3. Obedience and Commandments: While Jesus calls His disciples friends, He also links this friendship to obedience. "You are My friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14). This indicates that true friendship with Jesus involves a commitment to follow His teachings and commandments.

4. Equality and Honor: By calling His disciples friends, Jesus bestows upon them a sense of equality and honor. This is a radical departure from the hierarchical structures of the time, where teachers and masters were often seen as superior to their followers.

Historical and Cultural Context

In the Greco-Roman world, friendship was a valued social construct, often associated with loyalty, trust, and mutual benefit. Philosophers like Aristotle discussed friendship as a virtuous relationship based on mutual respect and shared values. Jesus' use of the term would have resonated deeply with His disciples, who understood the cultural significance of being called a friend.

Practical Application for Believers

For contemporary believers, understanding Jesus' use of the term "friends" encourages a personal and relational approach to faith. It invites Christians to view their relationship with Christ not merely as one of duty or obligation but as a dynamic and loving friendship. This perspective fosters a deeper commitment to living out the teachings of Jesus, characterized by love, obedience, and a willingness to share in His mission.

In summary, Jesus' designation of His disciples as "friends" is a profound expression of His love and the intimate relationship He offers to all who follow Him. It challenges believers to embrace a faith marked by love, obedience, and a deep understanding of God's will.

Nave's Topical Index

John 15:14,15
You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Friends of Jesus
... Mark CHAPTER 3:31-35 THE FRIENDS OF JESUS. ... Jesus reconciles all the conditions of
the problem, as pointing ... that it was cold indifference to the calls of nature ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 3 31-35 the friends of.htm

Jesus the Resurrection and Life.
... He expresses His resolve to go to His friends in Bethany ... Thou thither again?" The
answer of Jesus is significant ... go where God"ie, where duty"calls you, you ...
/.../xxiii jesus the resurrection and.htm

Jesus Makes a Preaching Tour through Galilee.
... when in the company of even our dearest friends. ... In the time of Jesus they were chiefly
inhabited ... Josephus expressly calls Gadara and Hyppos Greek cities] and ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxiii jesus makes a preaching.htm

The Society of Friends, or Quakers.
... [1648] The name 'Friends' designates a ... Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, Moses ... in the Preface to Fox's Journal, p. xiv.) calls it 'the ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 107 the society of.htm

The Call of Matthew
... He calls us to Eternal Life; He calls us to ... of the days of companionship with His
humble friends, came the ... the relations of the new word, which Jesus felt that ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the call of matthew.htm

Children Brought to Christ, and not to the Font
... to come to the Lord's Supper, he might prove it from this passage quite as clearly
as our friends can prove ... Jesus calls you, come and receive his blessing. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/children brought to christ and.htm

Third Circuit of Galilee. The Twelve Instructed and Sent Forth.
... The apostles had some few friends among the unbelievers ... [Jesus declares that all
self-seeking is self-losing ... lower carnal joys which a sinner calls "life" shall ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxi third circuit of galilee.htm

The Resurrection of Lazarus.
... which opens every grave, gives life to the sleepers, and calls them forth to ... a pious
fraud, contrived by the Bethany family and the friends of Jesus to give ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/the resurrection of lazarus.htm

The Doctrine of Jesus Christ.
... walls; but for all those whom He calls to Himself ... loved ones by these things?] Then
again, Jesus was able to vanish out of sight of His friends (Luke 24:31 ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of jesus christ.htm

On the Clause, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, with a Reading from ...
... a kind open to suspicion: for they were His friends. ... Cyril evidently regards the
Lordship of Jesus Christ as ... to Him as God, which he calls natural, according ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture x on the clause.htm