The Woman at the Well (John 4)
In John 4 the Samaritan woman has been visiting with Jesus at Jacob's well about spiritual matters, and has become convinced that he is at least a prophet because he has been able to tell her things about herself which he had no way of knowing except by a supernatural way. More explanation of the chapter and actions of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in this writing. The Woman at the Well John 4 Whenever I teach on John Chapter 4, I try to bring in all the Orientalisms involved in this story of the Woman at the Well. For our purposes at this time, however, I will bring you only the last portion of the chapter, which illustrates how one person witnessed to others when finding Christ. This Samaritan woman has been visiting with Jesus at Jacob's well about spiritual matters, and has become convinced that he is at least a prophet because he has been able to tell her things about herself which he had no way of knowing except by a supernatural way. John 4:19, 20: The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Now that the Samaritan woman understands that she is talking to a man of God, she wants to straighten out a question of theology which has been bothering her. The Samaritans go up into a holy mountain to worship; the Judeans say that one must go to Jerusalem to worship. She wants to know, which is right? John 4:21-26: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called C
From this work
is used in like manner throughout the Bible to seal the deepest commitment. As a result of the salt covenant it is difficult for Hindus to convert to Christianity. When they do, their family actually conducts a funeral service to symbolize that the individual is dead to their family, the community and Hinduism. Their family will carry a portrait of the “deceased” to the cemetery and bury it. Many times Bishop spoke of his “burial day” when he was disinherited by becoming a Christian; the only Hindu willing to break that covenant of salt in his community during that time. K.C. Pillai answered God’s call and served as Bishop of North Madras in the Indian Orthodox Church. Sent on a special mission to the United States, he spent the last twenty years of his life acquainting Christians with the Orientalisms of the Bible. The interest Bishop Pillai generated in the field has led to numerous fu