| Summary: | 碩士 === 基督教台灣浸會神學院 === 基督教神學研究所 === 104 === The purpose of John is to introduce the gospel so that readers may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing people may have life in his name. The theme of life covers the whole book of John and Jesus has used the term ‘living water’ twice to expound the truth of life. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate the meaning of ‘living water’ in John 4:7-18 and 7:37-41.
The researcher has used the common steps of exposition, evaluating the history, cultural background, grammar and literature of the Scripture under study. After that the researcher summarized the results of exposition and analyzed their theological meaning, focused on the intent of the water of the Gospel of John in regard to the living water, and then brought out the ethic applications of these passages.
The use of ‘living water’ can be traced back its roots from the Old Testament. Therefore, readers have to know the background of Jesus' use of living water in order to know its comprehensive meaning. Based on the history of relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jesus broken the wall between races and culture, and talked to the Samarian woman. Through the symbolic meaning of living water, salvation comes to Samaritans, and the life of ‘living water' changes the old life of who believes, and help them to live with a new living style. In the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus mentioned the living water again, and the theme of living water has pointed to the Holy Spirit. The work of Holy Spirit within human is to draw out the life quality within people.
The living water is an invitation from Jesus to man, it is also a symbol of confession in Jesus. If we hope to restore our relationship with Jesus, we have to accept the living water with our faith, and enter the relationship with God. The life of Christian is a life within community; a community of Christ and also a community with Jesus. The community of Christ has to witness God and the mark on the community is the life of ‘living water’. Therefore, the bigger context of ‘living water’ is to make the church to form a community of truth based on the knowledge on God. With the knowledge of God they would not be drifted with and submerged by the world.
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