Why stop there? Why not add John 14:23 (unless,of course it, represents a monkey wrench to your point)?
23- Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him".
Its kind of hard to interpret understand the word "anyone" and being limited or restricted to the Apostles, isn't it?
Nope, no monkey wrench in my understanding :-)
Its kind of hard to interpret understand the word "anyone" and being limited or restricted to the Apostles, isn't it?
If I'm speaking to a group of 12 men, and use the word anyone to them, it could mean anyone of the 12. Anyway, John records Jesus private words to the Apostles starting in Jn. 13:1 all the way through Jn. 16:33. What we have been quoting are just a few of the verses in the greater context of this conversation between Jesus and his Apostles. That should be clear to anyone reading them, unless, of course, one has an axe to grind.
However, it is a given, because of other places in the scriptures, that Jesus also said that "anyone who loves him and obeys his teachings" he will accept. But to take this verse and use it universally when spoken strictly to a select group is to take it out of context. If one wants to use that phrase, there are other verses saying the same thing that can be used in context. Enough said. I think we have milked enough confusion out of Jesus private conversation with his Apostles. :-)