The Sword of the Messiah 55 Paraclete and the disciples also results in salvation or judgment, dependent on whether one accepts or rejects it (15,20; 16,8-11; 17,14- 20; cf. 4,39). Thus, Jesus hands over his “sword” to his disciples and commands them to continue his liberating mission in this world by means of their Paraclete-imbued witness to the truth (cf. 20,21-23) (62). 4. Summary According to the Fourth Gospel, people in general are “from the world”, under the rule of the devil, enslaved to sin, and hence experience primarily a spiritual oppression. The devil can also operate through human beings (Judas, Pilate), religious institutions (the Judaism of “the Jews”) or political entities (Rome) (cf. Belial and the Kittim in Qumran). In addition to, or perhaps as an expression of, this spiritual oppression, people also suffer from physical, social, political and religious oppression. Although Jesus primarily liberates from the world and the spiritual oppression of the devil, sin, judgment and death, he also provides liberation from other forms of oppression and implicitly from derivative rulers such as Rome and “the Jews”, and often these are not watertight categories. Therefore, liberation in the Fourth Gospel should be seen as holistic. Jesus liberates people from oppression primarily by means of his Spirit-imbued word of truth, which is double-edged in that it liberates and gives life to those who accept it, but it results in (immediate) judgment, continued oppression and eventually death for those who reject it. Jesus’ “sword” is aimed at the world at large to sift it and to constitute a liberated community of people who live in exclusive allegiance to him and his rule, which will inevitably clash with an allegiance to Rome or to any other regime or ideology that has its source in this world and hence ultimately belongs to the devil’s rule. Jesus’ new society transcends and subverts any “worldly” society in that it no longer belongs to the world but still operates in the world. After his departure from this world, Jesus will hand over his “sword” to his disciples, who will continue his liberating mission in this world by means of their Paraclete-imbued witness. * ** (62) For a comprehensive elaboration of the disciples’ Paraclete-empowered ministry, see BENNEMA, Power, 221-247. For the actual transference of the “sword”, see C. BENNEMA, “The Giving of the Spirit in John’s Gospel – A New Proposal?”, EvQ 74 (2002) 195-213.