João 1
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 1
MacArthur - John’s reply to the delegation may also suggest that he did not understand himself to be Elijah even in the sense that Jesus affirmed he was. Leon
João 1
MacArthur - The priests were the human intermediaries between God and man, and officiated at the religious ceremonies (cf. Luke 1:8–9). They were also the theological authorities in Israel. When they were not serving in the temple for their two-week annual duty, they lived throughout the land as local experts on religion. The Levites assisted the priests in the temple rituals (cf. Nu 3:6–10; Nu 18:2–4). Since the temple police force was made up of Levites (cf. 7:32; Luke 22:4; Acts 4:1; 5:24), they likely served as a security detachment to protect the priests in the delegation. (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) To ask him, "Who are you?" - As we commonly say they pitched him a soft ball, setting the stage for fulfilling his purpose. This is an interesting question, for John could have take this opportunity to enhance his reputation, or as we say "to make something of himself." But not John! Once again we see his John 3:30+ humility come to the forefront. What an example for Christian leaders today (and for all Christians for that matter)! It is interesting that the same question was addressed to Jesus in John 8:25+. Testimony (3141)(marturia/martyria related to martureo = to witness <> martus/martys = a witness) is that which furnishes evidence or proof. A testimony is a solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact. Marturia can refer to the witness per se or the one who has first hand knowledge. And so the purpose of John the Baptist was to bear witness of Messiah (the Light) so that all might believe through Him (Jn 1:7+). Marturia can also refer to the content of what the witness speaks. And so here we see that John gives his testimony with his LIPS but later will give his testimony (martyria) with his LIFE, being martyred for his prophetic boldness. (Mt 14:8-12, Mk 6:24+) In the Gospels marturia is used 10x, more than all the other Gospels combined In John’s Gospel, there are two distinct uses of marturia -- First, a person, such as John the Baptist (John 1:7), can be identified as “a witness (martyria).” More often, the term applies to what such witnesses say: e.g., “the testimony (martyria) of John” (John 1:19). Marturia in the NT (note prevalence in John's writings) - Mk. 14:55; Mk. 14:56; Mk. 14:59; Lk. 22:71; Jn. 1:7; Jn. 1:19; Jn. 3:33; Jn. 5:31; Jn. 5:32; Jn. 5:34; Jn. 5:36; Jn. 8:13; Jn. 8:17; Jn. 21:24; Acts 22:18; 1 Tim. 3:7; Tit. 1:13; 1 Jn. 5:9; 1 Jn. 5:10; 1 Jn. 5:11; Rev. 1:2; Rev. 1:9; Rev. 6:9; Rev. 11:7; Rev. 12:11; Rev. 12:17; Rev. 19:10; Rev. 20:4 It is interesting that the first use of marturia in the NT was in the context of false testimony against Jesus the Truth (Mk 14:55-56, 59+, cf also Lk 22:71+). The first use of marturia in the OT (Septuagint = Lxx) is in the context of cutting a covenant between Jacob and Laban (Ge 31:47). It is notable that the uses of marturia in the last book written, the Revelation (Revelation was the last NT book written, most think around 90AD), clearly link martyria with true martyrdom! (Rev 6:9+, Rev 11:7+, Rev 20:4+). Related Resource - Testimony - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Jews(2453)(Ioudaios from Hebrew Yehudi = member of tribe of Judah) is an adjective refers to one who belongs to the Jewish race with focus on adherence to Mosaic tradition (Acts 10:28, 22:3, 21:39). It refers to Jews in respect to race and religion as opposed to Gentiles. Everyone in the world is either of the Jews are the Gentiles. In John's Gospel Ioudaios was used of those hostile to Jesus, especially the Jewish leaders (Jn 2:18, 5:16ff, 6:41, 7:1, 10:31ff, 19:7). This is the first use of Ioudaios in John's Gospel. Most of John's uses of Jew refer to the group of religious leaders that hated Jesus (but check context, for example Jn 2:13). This is why some versions (NET, NLT ) translate "Jews" as "Jewish leaders". Ioudaios is a key word in John's Gospel where is occurs 70x in 66v (cf 5x in Matthew, 6x in Mark, 5x in Luke) - Jn. 1:19; Jn. 2:6; Jn. 2:13; Jn. 2:18; Jn. 2:20; Jn. 3:1; Jn. 3:22; Jn. 3:25; Jn. 4:3; Jn. 4:9; Jn. 4:22; Jn. 4:47; Jn. 4:54; Jn. 5:1; Jn. 5:10; Jn. 5:15; Jn. 5:16; Jn. 5:18; Jn. 6:4; Jn. 6:41; Jn. 6:52; Jn. 7:1; Jn. 7:2; Jn. 7:3; Jn. 7:11; Jn. 7:13; Jn. 7:15; Jn. 7:35; Jn. 8:22; Jn. 8:31; Jn. 8:48; Jn. 8:52; Jn. 8:57; Jn. 9:18; Jn. 9:22; Jn. 10:19; Jn. 10:24; Jn. 10:31; Jn. 10:33; Jn. 11:7; Jn. 11:8; Jn. 11:19; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 11:33; Jn. 11:36; Jn. 11:45; Jn. 11:54; Jn. 11:55; Jn. 12:9; Jn. 12:11; Jn. 13:33; Jn. 18:12; Jn. 18:14; Jn. 18:20; Jn. 18:31; Jn. 18:33; Jn. 18:35; Jn. 18:36; Jn. 18:38; Jn. 18:39; Jn. 19:3; Jn. 19:7; Jn. 19:12; Jn. 19:14; Jn. 19:19; Jn. 19:20; Jn. 19:21; Jn. 19:31; Jn. 19:38; Jn. 19:40; Jn. 19:42; Jn. 20:19 Sent (649)(apostello from apo = from, away from + stello = to withdraw from, avoid) means to send off, forth or out, usually with the commission as one's representative or envoy. The priests and Levites were sent off with a commission from the religious hierarchy (not specifically stated but certainly implied) at Jerusalem to interrogate John as their personal representatives. Priests (2409) hiereus from hieros = sacred, holy, consecrated to God, used as a noun to mean a sacred place or temple, cp Mark 11:11; cp English derivative "hierarchy" = leadership) is a sacred or consecrated person who serves deity. Priests in the NT refer primarily to the ceremonial officials of Jesus' day, that group of men who offered Temple sacrifices and carried out the other sacred rites associated with the Jewish Temple and Jewish people (cp Heb 8:4) . Most of the uses of hiereus refer to Jewish priests, but Acts 14:13 refers to a priest of the pagan cult of Zeus (patron little g god of the city of Lystra). Jesus is our Great High Priest, which describes His primary ministry in our behalf today (Heb 7:1, 3, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23), one aspect of that ministry being His continual intercession for us (Heb 7:25, Ro 8:34). Hiereus describes the specific position and not necessarily a priest’s character (e.g., see Lk 10:31 where a priest was a "bad Samaritan" so to speak). In Revelation hiereus describes believers who will rule and reign as priests with Christ the Great Priest (Jesus - Heb 10:21 = See Christ as Priest, Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, Rev 20:6). Even though the hiereus described religious men, it did not signify necessarily that they were saved (cp Acts 6:7). Ask (question) (2065) (erotao) means to ask for, usually with implication of an underlying question. The verb does not carry the note of an authoritative command but rather that of a friend making an urgent appeal to a friend. The term suggests that those making the request stand in a position of familiarity with those being treated. Related Resources: John The Baptizer: Why Did Jesus Call Him Great? John the Baptist - Alexander Whyte's Dictionary of Bible Characters Who was John the Baptist in the Bible? Was John the Baptist really Elijah reincarnated? Did John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? In what way was John the Baptist the greatest (Matthew 11:11)? What was the meaning and importance of the baptism of John the Baptist? Why did John the Baptist refer to the Pharisees as a brood of vipers? Who were the Essenes? Was John the Baptist an Essene? Why must Elijah return before the end times (Malachi 4:5-6)? John 1:20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." NET John 1:20 He confessed– he did not deny but confessed– "I am not the Christ!" GNT John 1:20 καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι Ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός. NLT John 1:20 He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah." KJV John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. ESV John 1:20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." ASV John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. CSB John 1:20 He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: "I am not the Messiah." NIV John 1:20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ. " NKJ John 1:20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." NRS John 1:20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." YLT John 1:20 and he confessed and did not deny, and confessed -- 'I am not the Christ.' John 3:28-36 Mt 3:11,12 Mk 1:7,8 Lu 3:15-17 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: John 3:28-36+ “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. 30 “He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 “What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 “He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34“ For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” AN EMPHATIC TRUE CONFESSION! And he confessed (homologeo) and did not deny (arneomai), but confessed (homologeo), "I am not the Christ." - Not is the Greek signifying absolutely not accentuated by a "double confession." He had no "Messiah complex!" You gotta love/be challenged by John! He told these men who he was NOT. He was not seeking to focus attention on self, but on Savior and we should do the same! The Christ is synonymous with the more Jewish title "the Messiah" as so rendered by the CSB and NRS versions (see above). With 2 confessions and one absolute (negative - ou) denial, John clearly, adamantly and strongly denied in no uncertain terms that he was not the Christ. Notice that they had simply ask John "Who are you?" It does not say specifically they ask if he was the Messiah. Clearly the fact that he denies He is Messiah would indicate that this was the consideration by some of the Jews. While the text does not clearly make this statement we do see a clue in Luke's Gospel... Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (THE MESSIAH), 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Lk 3:15-17+). NET NOTE adds - A 3rd century work, the pseudo-Clementine Recognitions (1.54 and 1.60 in the Latin text; the statement is not as clear in the Syriac version) records that John's followers proclaimed him to be the Messiah. There is no clear evidence that they did so in the 1st century, however - but Luke 3:15+ indicates some wondered. D A Carson - First-century Palestine was rife with messianic expectations. Some expected a Davidic Messiah; others (as at Qumran) expected a priestly Messiah as well, not to mention the coming of 'the prophet' (1QS 9:11). But if they think he is a 'Messiah' at all, an 'Anointed One' long prophesied by the Scriptures, they are wrong. (BORROW The Gospel according to John) I am not - The Greek reads "ego ouk eimi" which reminds us of Jesus' confession "ego eimi" that "I Am," the Old Testament Name for Yahweh (Exodus 3:14+ "God said to Moses, “I AM [Lxx = "ego eimi"] WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”) So as clear as Jesus says Who He is, John just as clearly stated who he was not! William
João 1
MacArthur comments - The phrase the next day introduces a sequence of days, which continues in verses 35, 43, and 2:1. Apparently, the events from John’s interview with the delegation from Jerusalem (vv. 19–28) to the miracle at Cana (Jn 2:1–11) spanned one week. On the day after he spoke to the delegation, John saw Jesus coming to him." (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Henry Morris on the next day - This may have been about six weeks after Jesus' baptism following the forty-day testing in the wilderness (Mark 1:11-12), and shortly before Passover (John 2:13), when the people would be thinking about the coming slaying of the Passover lambs. In support that the premise of Henry Morris is correct is the fact that "The Fourth Gospel does not record, as the Synoptic Gospels do, the baptism of Jesus by John. However, the coming of Jesus mentioned in this verse was not his coming for baptism, because, as John 1:32–33 implies, John had already witnessed the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus when he had baptized him. John already knew who Jesus was," (Kruse - BORROW The Gospel According to John : An Introduction and Commentary) David Guzik on the next day - By most reckonings, this was after John baptized Jesus and after the 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Jesus came back to see John in his baptizing work. “Some weeks probably had elapsed since Jesus received baptism at John’s hands; he had been away since then, but now he is back, and John draws the crowd’s attention to him.” (F F Bruce). “Since then verse 29 must be understood as happening after the baptism, it must have happened after the Temptation also. And in this supposition there is not the slightest difficulty.” (Henry Alford) William Hendriksen seems to agree with Morris writing "Jesus returns from the desert where he has been tempted." (BNTC-John) Calvin on next day - There can be no doubt that John had already spoken about the manifestation of the Messiah; but when Christ began to appear, he wished that his announcement of him should quickly become known, and the time was now at hand when Christ would put an end to John’s ministry, as, when the sun is risen, the dawn suddenly disappears. After having testified to the priests who were sent to him, that he from whom they ought to seek the truth and power of baptism was already present, and was conversing in the midst of the people, the next day he pointed him out to the view of all. For these two acts, following each other in close succession, must have powerfully affected their minds. Godet on next day - But this detail implies simply that Jesus, after having been baptized, had, previously to this meeting, separated Himself from John for a certain time, and that after this interval He, on this very day, returned to the presence of His forerunner, hoping to find in His presence those whom God should give to Him in order to begin His work. And we know, in fact, from the Synoptical account, that Jesus, after His baptism, had withdrawn into the solitude of the desert, where He had passed several weeks; it was now the moment, therefore, when He reappeared to take up His work as Redeemer. Nothing is more natural than that, with this design, He should return to the presence of John. Was not he the one who had been sent to open the way for Him to Israel? Was it not at his hands that He could hope to receive the instruments which were indispensable to Him for the accomplishment of His task? Jesus Himself (John 10:3) designates John as the porter who opens to the Shepherd the door of the sheepfold, so that He does not have to climb over the wall of the inclosure like the robber, but can enter without violence into the sheepfold.
João 1
MacArthur - The concept of a sacrificial Lamb was a familiar one to the Jewish people. All through Israel’s history God had revealed clearly that sin and separation from Him could be removed only by blood sacrifices (cf. Lev. 17:11+). No forgiveness of sin could be granted by God apart from an acceptable substitute dying as a sacrifice. (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) For centuries the Israel had been sacrificing two lambs daily, one in the morning and a second in the evening, first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple. John would have been very familiar with this practice as his father served as one of the priests and would have taught him about the sacrificial system and how the blood of the slain animals provided atonement for sins (cf sin offering - Lev 5:5-7+). But now John sees Jesus and recognizes Him as the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world. John would have read about the OT statute in Exodus which foreshadowed and pointed to the Lamb of God... “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs (Lxx = amnos- same word John uses here in Jn 1:29) each day, continuously. 39 “The one lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; 40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb (Lxx = amnos). 41 “The other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering (minchah) and the same drink offering (necek) as in the morning, for a soothing aroma (nihoah reah - See foreshadowing of Jesus), an offering by fire (ishsheh) to the LORD. (Ex 29:38-41+) “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’ 3 “You shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs (Lxx = amnos- same word John uses here in Jn 1:29) one year old without defect (tamim cf 1 Pe 1:18-19+) as a continual burnt offering ('olah) every day (cf what Paul says we should do today - Ro 12:1-2+). 4 ‘You shall offer the one lamb (Lxx = amnos) in the morning and the other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; 5 also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6 ‘It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 7 ‘Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb (Lxx = amnos), in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8‘ The other lamb (Lxx = amnos) you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. (Numbers 28:2-8 = see in depth commentary on this daily offering as well as weekly, monthly and yearly offerings God commanded, all of which pointed to the Lamb of God proclaimed here in John 1:29, 36 by John the Baptist). Lightfoot comments that Lamb of God "alludes plainly to the lamb of the daily sacrifice. Which in shadow took away the sins of Israel. It was commanded in the law that he that offered the sacrifice should lay his hand upon the head of the sacrifice, Leviticus 1:4, 3:2, 4:4, &c.. The reason of which usage was, that he might, as it were, transfer his sins and guilt upon the head of the offering, which is more especially evident in the scapegoat, Leviticus 16:22. Hence Christ is said "himself to have borne our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Peter 2:24, as the offering upon the altar was wont to do. He was made by God a "sin for us," 2 Corinthians 5:21; that is, a sacrifice for sin.. The same rite was used about the lamb of the daily sacrifice that was offered for all Israel; "The stationary men [as they were called], or the substitutes of the people, laying their hands upon the head of the lamb." To this therefore the words of the Baptist refer: "The lamb of God, that is, the daily sacrifice, taketh away the sins of the world, as the sacrifice did for all Israel. But behold here the true Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." John
João 1
MacArthur adds that "The use of the singular term sin (hamartia) with the collective noun world (kosmos) reveals that as sin is worldwide, so Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for all people without distinction (cf. 1 John 2:2+). But though His sacrificial death is sufficient for the sins of everyone (cf. John 3:16; 4:42; 6:51; 1 Ti 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 4:14), it is efficacious only for those who savingly believe in Him (John 3:15–16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:40; 11:25–26; Jn 20:31+; Luke 8:12; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; Ro. 1:16; 3:21–24; 4:3–5; 10:9–10; 1 Cor. 1:21; Gal. 3:6–9, 22; Eph. 1:13; 1 John 5:1; 10–13). This verse does not teach universalism, the false doctrine that everyone will be saved. That such is not the case is obvious, since the Bible teaches that most people will suffer eternal punishment in hell (Mt. 25:41, 46; 2 Th 1:9+; Rev. 14:9–11; 20:11–15; cf. Ezek. 18:4, 20; Matt. 7:13–14+; Luke 13:23–24; John 8:24), and only a few will be saved (Matt. 7:13–14+)." (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments)(Bold added) S Lewis
João 1
MacArthur - John was created. Jesus’ higher rank was infinite. He was the One who created everything (John 1:1–3), including John. Though John was actually born before Jesus, Jesus existed before him. (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) John was the the "rising star," the personality that Jerusalem was going out to see (Mt 3:5+), but he says Jesus had the higher rank. Can you see the humility of John? He was content for Jesus to receive higher status. John clearly knew that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, God in the flesh. Matthew
João 1
MacArthur - Although believers are in a limited sense children of God (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 8:14, 19; Gal. 3:26; cf. John 1:12; 11:52; Rom. 8:16, 21; 9:8; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:1–2, 10), Jesus is uniquely the Son of God in that He alone shares the same nature as the Father (John 1:1; 5:16–30; 10:30–33; 14:9; 17:11; 1 John 5:20). (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Henry
João 1
MacArthur comments that "John’s third emphasis follows logically from his first two. Since the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, is here, the only proper response is to follow Him." (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Followed (190)(akoloutheo from a = expresses union with, likeness + keleuthos = a road, way) means to walk the same road (Ponder that simple definition dear believer - Am I willing to walk the same road as Jesus?) Literally to follow (like the crowds followed Jesus) and in a figurative sense to follow Jesus as a disciple. (Mt. 4:20, 22; 9:9; Mk 1:18; Jo 8:12) To follow (closely) and was used of soldiers, servants and pupils, cleaving steadfastly to one and conforming to his example. To go after someone or something (not as a true disciple however as we see with the crowds who physically followed Jesus, following however without a willingness to commit wholly to Him! cf John 6:60-65, 66) Akoloutheo is a technical term for the relationship of a disciple to his teacher. The essence of Christianity in fact lies in the words "to follow Jesus." When we walk with Him, He promised we would never walk in darkness! (Jn 8:12). He is our Lamp wherever we walk, always walking with us, His Spirit within us enabling us to "Walk by the Spirit." (Gal 5:16+) Paul expressed walking after Jesus as being His imitator (1 Cor 11:1) When He says go, I go. When He says stop, I stop. His sheep know His voice and follow Him (Jn 10:27) Sadly , some declined to follow (Mt 19:21-23). Uses of akoloutheo in John - Jn. 1:37; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:40; Jn. 1:43; Jn. 6:2; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 10:5; Jn. 10:27; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 12:26; Jn. 13:36; Jn. 13:37; Jn. 18:15; Jn. 20:6; Jn. 21:19; Jn. 21:20; Jn. 21:22; Norman Geisler - JOHN 1:37–49—Were the apostles called at this time or later? PROBLEM: John records that Jesus called Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and another disciple at this time. However, the other Gospels record their call as taking place much later (cf. Matt. 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11). When were they called? SOLUTION: The first passages indicate Jesus’ initial interview of the disciples, not their permanent call. As a result of this first contact they only stayed with Jesus “that day” (John 1:39), after which they returned to their homes and regular employment. The later passages indicate the time they left their former jobs and took up their full-time ministry as disciples of Christ. (When Critics Ask) John 1:38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" BGT John 1:38 στραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας λέγει αὐτοῖς· τί ζητεῖτε; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ῥαββί, ὃ λέγεται μεθερμηνευόμενον διδάσκαλε, ποῦ μένεις; NET John 1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, "What do you want?" So they said to him, "Rabbi" (which is translated Teacher), "where are you staying?" NLT John 1:38 Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" he asked them.They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" ESV John 1:38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" NIV John 1:38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" GNT John 1:38 στραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας λέγει αὐτοῖς, Τί ζητεῖτε; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, Ῥαββί, ὃ λέγεται μεθερμηνευόμενον Διδάσκαλε, ποῦ μένεις; KJV John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? YLT John 1:38 And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, 'What seek ye?' and they said to them, 'Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Teacher,) where remainest thou?' ASV John 1:38 And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), where abideth thou? CSB John 1:38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, He asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to Him, " Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?" NKJ John 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek? " They said to Him, "Rabbi " (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" NRS John 1:38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" NAB John 1:38 Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" NJB John 1:38 Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, 'What do you want?' They answered, 'Rabbi' -- which means Teacher -- 'where do you live?' GWN John 1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which means "teacher"), "where are you staying?" And Jesus turned and saw them following Lu 14:25 15:20 19:5 22:61 What do you seek: Joh 18:4,7 20:15,16 Lu 7:24-27 18:40,41 Ac 10:21,29 Rabbi: Joh 1:49 3:2,26 6:25 Mt 23:7,8 where are You staying: Joh 12:21 Ru 1:16 1Ki 10:8 Ps 27:4 Pr 3:18 8:34 13:20 Song 1:7,8 Lu 8:38 10:39 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS' FIRST WORDS IN GOSPEL OF JOHN And Jesus turned and saw them following - Jesus turned depicts Him suddenly turning upon hearing their steps behind Him. Jesus did not just "look" but gazed steadfastly at them as if studying them. Saw (2300) see note on theaomai speaks of beholding with attentive regard. Following (190) see note on akoloutheo and said to them, "What do you seek (zeteo in present tense)?" - These are the first recorded spoken words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, but His words in Mt 3:15+; Mk 1:15+; Lk 2:49+ were spoken before this. Compare the first recorded words of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels - Mt 3:15+; Mk 1:15+; Lk 2:49+. Note that Jesus does not say "WHO" do you seek (as in Jn 18:4, Jn 20:15) but WHAT do you seek. Note the disciples respond with a "who" response -- "Where are YOU staying?" MacDonald on What do you seek? - He knew the answer to the question; He knew all things. But He wanted them to express their desire in words. (BORROW Believer's Bible Commentary) As MacArthur points out "He did not ask that question for His benefit, since in His omniscience He already knew what the two wanted. That they were followers of John the Baptist indicated that they were convicted of their sin and seeking the forgiveness and righteousness Messiah would bring. Instead, the Lord asked the question to challenge them to consider their motives; He did not ask them whom they were seeking, but what they were seeking....Jesus knew their hearts, that they were honest, sincere seekers. They had already been drawn to Him by the Father (6:44) and convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 16:8). The honest seeker will always find Him (Deut. 4:29; 1 Chron. 28:9; 2 Chron. 15:2; Jer. 29:13) because, as He promised, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17). On the other hand, Jesus will not commit Himself to the insincere and hypocritical, no matter what their outward profession may be. Jesus never put off the sincere, Spirit-prompted seeker. He was never too busy to show compassion for lost sheep who were seeking a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). To one so desperate to see Him that he cast aside his dignity and climbed a tree Jesus said, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Ray Stedman on What do you seek? - Those are the first words of Jesus in the Gospel of John and they are very remarkable. According to this, they are also the very first words Jesus uttered in his public ministry; and they come in the form of a question. I have always been fascinated by the questions God asks of man. These four words go right to the heart of life. In them Jesus asks the most profound question in anyone's life: "What are you looking for?" Did you ever ask yourself, "Why am I here? What do I really want out of life?" That is the most penetrating question you can ask yourself. Anyone who works knows what it is to get up in the morning, eat breakfast, go to work, work all day, come home in the evening, have dinner, read the paper, listen to television, talk to the family, whatever; go to bed, get up in the morning, have breakfast, go to work, work all day, come home in the evening, have dinner, read the paper, listen to television, talk to the family, whatever, get up in the morning, etc. Have you ever asked yourself, "Why? What do I want out of this?" That is what Jesus is asking in this question. He nailed those men immediately with the profundity of it. "What do you seek?" Not, "Whom do you seek?" That would be the natural question to ask under the circumstances. No, Jesus asked What? What are you looking for? What do you really want? That is the supreme question in life: What do you want? This reminds us of that first question in the Bible, asked by God of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after the Fall: "Adam, where are you?" (Genesis 3:9b). That question was designed to make Adam ask himself, "Yes, where am I? How did I get here? What has happened to me?" Adam and Eve were hiding in bushes. I do not think Adam asked himself why until God asked the question, "Where are you? What are you doing? Why are you there?" That is the most important question to answer when you are far away from God. When you answer it, you are on your way back to the God who made you. R. C. H.
João 1
MacArthur - John does not record what they discussed that memorable evening, but the Lord undoubtedly “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45+) as “He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27+). Whatever He said was enough to persuade them that He was indeed Israel’s Messiah, as Andrew’s excited testimony to his brother Peter the next day indicates (see Jn 1:40–41). (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Henry Mahan -The place where he dwelt is not given. They ‘abode with him.’ His abiding place is theirs too – wherever that is! (John 14:3.) It is not what that we seek but whom, for salvation is a person and a living union with him! R C H
João 1
MacArthur points out, while they came to have an understanding that Jesus was the Messiah, this "does not mean, however, that they fully understood the implications of Jesus’ messiahship; the disciples’ understanding of that would grow over the years they spent with Him." (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Steven
João 1
MacArthur says "Here, as in his other two appearances in John’s gospel, Andrew brings someone to meet Christ. In Jn 6:8–9 he brought a young boy with barley loaves and fish to Him before the feeding of the 5,000, while in Jn 12:20–22 he brought some Greeks to meet Him."(SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) THOUGHT- Lord, by Your Spirit empower all of Your children to be "bringers" of souls to Jesus. Amen. Related Resources: Andrew - The Bringer by J Mike Minnix; Andrew's Witnessing Strategy - J. Bisagno; Operation Andrew - Adrian Rogers Inviting Others - Johnny Hunt Bringing People To Jesus - J M Hendley The Life Of Discipleship -The Andrew Model Bringing A Brother - David Owen
João 1
MacArthur - Unlike the first disciples (Andrew, John, Peter, and possibly James), who were introduced to Jesus by another person, Jesus took the initiative in calling Philip. In any case, whoever initiates the contact, those who come to Christ do so only because God first sought them. In John 6:44 Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him,” while in John 15:16 He added, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you.” (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) John Stevenson - We read that Jesus found Philip. If you had asked Philip about his conversion experience, he might have said that he found Jesus. We talk about finding God as though He were lost and needed to be found. That is not the case. Jesus found Philip. He has found you and He has found me, too. And He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow (akoloutheo) Me." - A Commanding Call - Ponder this a moment -- Did He say anything before He gave this command? How did Jesus know Philip? Why did He seek him out? Note that in the previous verses the men had been following Jesus, but now Jesus ups the ante so to speak for He is calling them to follow Him as His disciples. That meant they had to count the cost, for they had been disciples of the Baptist. To follow Jesus as a disciple will always cost the prospective disciple. Jesus made much clearer later when He declared (note Jesus gives 3 commands in Mk 8:34) (See The Crux of Christianity - Franklin Kirksey) (See What is the effectual calling/call?) Found (heurisko) is a key verb in this section - first they say we have found the Messiah (Jn 1:41), the next day the Messiah found Philip (Jn 1:43) and then Philip found Nathanael and told him they had found the One Who the OT prophesied to be the Messiah (Jn 1:45)! "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny (aorist imperative) himself, and take up (aorist imperative) his cross and follow (present imperative) Me. 35 “For (TERM OF EXPLANATION) whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 “For (TERM OF EXPLANATION) what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 “For (TERM OF EXPLANATION) what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38“For(TERM OF EXPLANATION) whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38+). Follow in Jn 1:43 is in the present imperative commanding them to continue to follow Him as their habitual practice. Jesus was not calling short time disciples, but life long disciples. If you are a believer, you are a disciple (contrary to what some might teach). A disciple is not a believer who is more devoted, but is a description of all believers. Follow Me - These words are found 20x in NT, 19x in the Gospels (Acts 12:8 one exception), are always spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ and are almost always spoken as a command in the present imperative = keep on following Me for the rest of your days on earth and then follow Me to Heaven and eternal bliss! -- Matt. 4:19; Matt. 8:22; Matt. 9:9; Matt. 16:24; Matt. 19:21; Mk. 1:17 (deute opiso - see note); Mk. 2:14; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 5:27; Lk. 9:23; Lk. 9:59; Lk. 18:22; Jn. 1:43; Jn. 10:27 (not a command); Jn. 12:26; Jn. 13:36 (future tense); Jn. 21:19; Jn. 21:22. Are you a FOLLOWER OF JESUS?
João 1
MacArthur notes that "Jesus “finds”… Philip (Jn 1:43). Philip in turn “finds” Nathanael and reports to Nathanael, “We have found” him (Jn 1:45).… But it is intriguing to ask the very simple question concerning these stories: Who really finds whom? Christians have frequently been known to say that they found Christ or found faith as Andrew and Philip reported, but maybe Jesus’ perspective in these stories could profitably alter such a self-centered view of salvation. It was not Jesus who was lost!" (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph - See note below on this designation Jesus of Nazareth. Philip is not saying Jesus was born in Nazareth. Likewise, Philip is not denying the virgin birth, for in his day people were usually identified by the village name in which they currently lived and by their father's name. And so Luke records "When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli." (Lk 3:23+) Swindoll on the son of Joseph - Jesus was not the physical son of Joseph, and the gospel writer knew this. Philip either spoke in ignorance, or he meant “a member of the Joseph household.” Surnames were uncommon in the ancient world. People were most commonly identified by their family association (true even for slaves) and their place of origin. Jesus was from Nazareth and reared in the household of Joseph. (SEE Insights on John ) Related Resource: Why is the order of Jesus’ calling His disciples different in some of the gospels? | GotQuestions.org Henry Mahan -Here we find again the effect that a revelation of Christ has upon a true believer. He cannot remain silent nor indifferent. He must tell others of the Redeemer. Note the emphasis in the witness of Andrew and Phillip–‘we have found the Messiah; we have the Christ of whom Moses and the prophets did write.’ None of this ‘do you want to go to heaven?’ or emotional soul-winning pleas – simply the good news that the Christ, the Redeemer promised and prophesied in the scriptures, had come; and they had seen him and believed on him! Question: Why is Jesus often referred to as Jesus of Nazareth? Answer: Jesus was referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” for several reasons. For one thing, in Bible times people were often identified by their native area or place of residence. The man who carried Jesus’ cross when He was no longer able to, for example, was called Simon of Cyrene, noting his name and his place of residence (Luke 23:26). This distinguishes him from all other Simons and from all other residents of Cyrene who were not named Simon. Although Bethlehem was the place of Jesus’ birth, Nazareth was the place where Jesus had lived until He began His public ministry, and therefore He is said to be “of Nazareth.” Matthew 2:23 tells us that Joseph settled his family in Nazareth—after returning from Egypt where he had fled to protect Jesus from Herod—in order to fulfill “what was said through the prophets: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’” The words here are not found in any of the books of the Old Testament, and there has been much difficulty in ascertaining the meaning of this passage. Most commentators agree that the prophecies respecting the coming Messiah were that He was to be of humble origin and would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22) and that the phrase “he shall be called” means the same as “He shall be.” When Matthew says, therefore, that the prophecies were “fulfilled,” his meaning is that the predictions of the prophets that the Messiah would be of a low and despised condition and would be rejected, were fully accomplished in His being an inhabitant of Nazareth. The phrase “Jesus of Nazareth” is first used in the Bible by Phillip who, after being called by Jesus to follow Him, told Nathanael, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45). By calling Him Jesus of Nazareth, Phillip may also have been making a statement about the lowliness of His birth. The character of the people of Nazareth was such that they were despised and condemned. Nathanael’s response, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46) would seem to indicate such. To come from Nazareth, therefore, or to be a Nazarene, was the same as to be despised, or to be esteemed of low birth. The Messiah who would come to save His people would be “a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness” (Isaiah 53:2). He would be “despised and rejected of men” from whom men hid their faces and “esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus of Nazareth was born and grew up in humble circumstances, but His impact on the world has been greater than anyone ever born before or since. He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), a feat that could be accomplished by none other than God incarnate.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Did Nazareth exist during the life of Jesus? | GotQuestions.org What prophecy is Matthew 2:23 referring to regarding Jesus being a Nazarene? | GotQuestions.org Question: Who was Bartholomew in the Bible? Answer: Bartholomew is listed as one of the twelve disciples of Jesus in each of the four references to the group (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). In the Gospel of John, however, he is always referred to as Nathanael (John 1:45–49; 21:2). Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning “son of Tolmai.” So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei. In each of the listings of the disciples, the names of Philip and Bartholomew are linked, which could mean they were good friends or even related. What we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael comes primarily from the account of his call by Jesus (John 1:45–49). After Jesus called Philip to follow Him, Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (verse 45). This would seem to indicate Philip and Nathanael were students of the Law and the Prophets and that Philip recognized from their study that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for. We see from Bartholomew’s next statement, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) that he held the town of Nazareth in the same regard as many Jews of that day. Nazareth, and all of the area around Galilee, was seen as a low and wicked place. Even Bartholomew/Nathanael, himself a Galilean, was doubtful that anything good, let alone God’s Messiah, could come from such a place. The next verse gives us true insight into the character of Bartholomew. When Jesus saw him coming, He said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” The Greek word for “false” means “deceitful, crafty, or full of guile.” Jesus knew Nathanael’s heart, just as He knows what is in every heart. Jesus’ assessment of Bartholomew was that he was a “true” son of Abraham, that is, a man who worshiped the true and living God without any of the deceit or hypocrisy that characterized the religious leaders of that day. What follows is a declaration of Jesus’ divine nature and power. Bartholomew/Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew him, and Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you” (John 1:48). Jesus wasn’t present when Philip called Nathanael, yet He had seen and heard their conversation, evidence of His omniscience. He knew not only Nathanael’s words but his heart and sincere character as well. Nathanael (Bartholomew) saw the attributes of divine omniscience and the ability to discern hearts in the Man who stood before him. Nathanael’s familiarity with Old Testament prophecies caused him to recognize Jesus for who He was, the promised Messiah, Son of God and King of Israel (verse 49). This is all we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael from Scripture. As an apostle, Bartholomew saw the risen Lord Jesus (John 21:2) and was present at the Ascension (Acts 1:1–11). Tradition indicates that Bartholomew was a minister of the gospel in Persia and India. There is no biblical record of his death, but one tradition has it that he was tied up in a sack and dropped into the sea. Another tradition claims that he was crucified. All traditions agree that he died a martyr’s death, as did all the apostles except for John. GotQuestions.org Question: Who was Nathanael in the Bible? Answer: Nathanael, whose name is spelled Nathaniel in popular modern usage, was one of the disciples called by Jesus (John 1:43). Nathanael was from Cana in Galilee (John 21:2) and was brought to Jesus by his friend, Philip, who also became one of Jesus’ disciples. Nathanael was one of the first to express belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 1:49). His name means “God has given” in Hebrew. Interestingly, Nathanael is only mentioned in the Gospel of John; the other three gospels identify him as “Bartholomew.” The call of Philip and Nathanael to discipleship is recorded in the first chapter of John, beginning in verse 43. Jesus went to Galilee and found Philip first, who then went to Nathanael, his friend. Philip told Nathanael that he had found “the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Nathanael was skeptical and said, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (verse 46). This skepticism was understandable; at that time Nazareth was an obscure little hill town, remote and of no consequence. It was not sophisticated or glamorous, quite the opposite—it was not a place that anyone expected the Messiah to come from. Despite his skepticism, Nathanael followed Philip to meet Jesus. When the Lord saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit” (verse 47). Nathanael accepted this description as true and wondered how Jesus knew his character, having never met him before. Jesus explained: “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you” (verse 48). Nathanael then immediately recognized Jesus as the Christ, calling him the “Son of God” and the “king of Israel” (verse 49). It has been speculated that there was something in Nathanael’s mind or actions under the fig tree that caused Jesus to refer to him as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” This would help explain Nathanael’s amazement, as simply having seen Nathanael under the fig tree does not necessarily denote spiritual foresight or anything miraculous. It is obvious that Jesus’ mention of “no deceit” triggered amazement in Nathanael; it points to the fact that Jesus knew his thoughts. Jesus responds to Nathanael ’s statement of faith with a prophecy: “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that” (John 1:50). Then Jesus prophesies that Nathanael will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (verse 51). This is a reference to the story of Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28. But instead of ascending and descending on a ladder as they did in Jacob’s dream, the angels will ascend and descend on the Son of Man—meaning that Jesus Himself will be the final, efficacious connection between God and humanity (see Hebrews 9:12; 10:10). | GotQuestions.org John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." BGT John 1:46 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ [ὁ] Φίλιππος· ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. NET John 1:46 Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and see." NLT John 1:46 "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied. ESV John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." NIV John 1:46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. GNT John 1:46 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ, Ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ [ὁ] Φίλιππος, Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. KJV John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. YLT John 1:46 and Nathanael said to him, 'Out of Nazareth is any good thing able to be?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' ASV John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. CSB John 1:46 "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. "Come and see," Philip answered. NKJ John 1:46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." NRS John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." NAB John 1:46 But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." NJB John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, 'From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place?' Philip replied, 'Come and see.' GWN John 1:46 Nathanael said to Philip, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip told him, "Come and see!" Can any good thing come out of Nazareth: Joh 7:41,42,52 Lu 4:28,29 Come and see: Jn 4:29 Lu 12:57 1Th 5:21 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Jesus' Hometown-Nazareth NATHANAEL'S INITIAL SKEPTICISM Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" - Literally, “Out of Nazareth can anything good be.” "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? may be a local proverb expressing jealousy among the towns." (NET) This question expresses skepticism on his part that the Messiah could come from such an out of the way village. In this sense, he reminds us of "doubting Thomas" John descring in Jn 20:24-25. John MacArthur - Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, the Midrash, or any contemporary Gentile writings. It also shows his disdain for the town itself; just as the Judeans looked down on Galileans in general (cf. 7:52; Acts 2:7), so also did the rest of the Galileans look down on the inhabitants of Nazareth. (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) A T
João 1
MacArthur - The point of this statement is that Jesus is the link between heaven and earth, the revealer of heavenly truth to men (Jn 1:17; 14:6; Eph. 4:21), the “one mediator … between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5), and the mediator of a new (Heb. 9:14; 12:24) and better (Heb. 8:6) covenant. In John 3:13 He declared to Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man” (cf. Jn 6:33, 38, 41–42, 50–51, 58, 62; 13:3; 16:28; 17:8). That truth would become increasingly clear to Nathanael and the rest of the disciples as they observed Jesus’ life and ministry. (SEE John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Robertson on heavens opened - The opened heaven as the symbol of free intercourse between God and man (Isa. 64:1) and as it was later illustrated in the death of Stephen (Acts 7:56+). There is a quotation from Gen. 28:12f., Jacob’s vision at Bethel. That was a dream to Jacob, but Christ is himself the bond of fellowship between heaven and earth, between God and man, for Jesus is both “the Son of God” as Nathanael said and “the Son of Man” (epi ton huion tou anthrōpou) as Jesus here calls himself. God and man meet in Christ. He is the true Jacob’s Ladder. “I am the Way,” Jesus will say. He is more than King of Israel, he is the Son of Man (the race). So quickly has this Gospel brought out in the witness of the Baptist, the faith of the first disciples, the claims of Jesus Christ, the fully developed picture of the Logos who is both God and man, moving among men and winning them to his service. At the close of the ministry Christ will tell Caiaphas that he will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven (Mk 14:62). Here at the start Jesus is conscious of the final culmination and in apocalyptic eschatological language that we do not fully understand he sets forth the dignity and majesty of his Person. (John 1 Word Pictures in the NT)
João 1:1
MacArthur- Well Done Gospel of John - J
João 1:1
MacArthur adds that this "opening section of John’s gospel expresses the most profound truth in the universe in the clearest terms. Though easily understood by a child, John’s Spirit-inspired words convey a truth beyond the ability of the greatest minds in human history to fathom: the eternal, infinite God became a man in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The glorious, incontrovertible truth that in Jesus the divine “Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14) is the theme of John’s gospel." (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Sidlow Baxter on the Gospel of John - Is there anywhere a more exquisite compound of infinite profundity and lingual simplicity? Was there ever a sublimer subject more ingenuously interpreted? But its priceless preciousness, of course, lies in its Divine revealings and spiritual values. Gleaming over its portal is the inscription: "No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." (Jn 1:18) The Greek verb-form here translated as "declared" is exegesato (exegeomai), from which comes our English word "exegesis." It means that in the visible Jesus the invisible God is brought forth to view. The incomprehensible concept, "GOD," is objectively elucidated before us. The very heart of the Eternal is livingly "exegeted," for the only begotten Son comes even from "the bosom of the Father." (Explore the Book) Rob Salvato - Misconception : The gospel of John is for New believers A) Now is True that Most Churches do recommend John – to New believers – Why is that ? Two reasons 1) Of all the gospels John’s was written to solidify our faith. 2) So they just keep reading right thru the NT B) But John is anything but easy: John was a bit of a mystic – his writing style is sometimes in the abstract 1)He says something and you have to look at it 2 or 3 times to catch the full impact of what is being said. - I like what Alan Redpath says about this Book, “he says that the Gospel of John is shallow enough for a child to wade in, and deep enough for an elephant to swim in.” C) Interesting to note that John only uses about 600 words in his vocabulary. 1) Which is the Vocabulary of a seven or eight year old D) They say that you can learn about 100 words per year those first few years. Only 600 words He is the simplest in regards to Vocabulary – but he is the most sublime in regards to truth. A) The early Church Fathers considered John – not Paul the great theologian of their day – because of his ability to communicate truth B) There is more theology in the Gospel of John then there is in any other Gospel. (Sermon) James Montgomery
João 1:1
MacArthur on arche - can mean “source,” or “origin” (cf. Col. 1:18; Rev. 3:14);or “rule,” “authority,” “ruler,” or “one in authority” (cf. Luke 12:11; 20:20; Ro 8:38; 1Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10, 15; Titus 3:1). Both of those connotations are true of Christ, who is both the Creator of the universe (Jn 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2) and its ruler (Col. 2:10; Eph. 1:20–22; Phil. 2:9–11). But archē refers here to the beginning of the universe depicted in Genesis 1:1. Arche is definitely a favorite word of John (8x in the Gospel, 10x in his epistles, 3x in Revelation). Arche is found a total of 55x in 54 verses in the NT. - Mt 19:4, 8; 24:8, 21; Mk 1:1; 10:6; 13:8, 19; Luke 1:2; 12:11; 20:20; John 1:1-2; 2:11; 6:64; 8:25, 44; 15:27; 16:4; Acts 10:11; 11:5, 15; 26:4; Ro 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Phil 4:15; Col 1:16, 18; 2:10, 15; Titus 3:1; Heb 1:10; 2:3; 3:14; 5:12; 6:1; 7:3; 2Pet 3:4; 1John 1:1; 2:7, 13-14, 24 (twice); 1Jn 3:8, 11; 2 John 1:5-6; Jude 1:6; Rev 3:14; 21:6; 22:13 As Morris goes on to add "There never was a time when the Word was not. There never was a thing that did not depend on Him (the Word) for its existence (cf Col 1:17)." Since the Word (Jesus) had no beginning, a genealogy (as in Matthew and Luke) would be out of place in this Gospel. It is interesting that Mark begins his gospel with "The beginning (arche) of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mk 1:1) D A Carson has an intriguing comment on the use of "beginning" in both Gospels writing "Since Mark begins his Gospel with the same word, ‘The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ’, it is also possible that John is making an allusion to his colleague’s work, saying in effect, ‘Mark has told you about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry; I want to show you that the starting point of the gospel can be traced farther back than that, before the beginning of the entire universe.’" Notice the difference between John and the other Gospel writers - The other Gospel writers begin with Bethlehem, but John begins with “the bosom of the Father.” Luke dates his narrative by Roman emperors and Jewish high-priests, but John dates his in the timeless past “in the beginning.” Alpha, Omega—our God we proclaim, Eternal, unchanging, always the same; He's the beginning and He is the end, He is our Savior, our Lord, and our Friend. —Fitzhugh Was the Word - John begins without hesitation, without genealogy, without apology, without doubt by describing our Lord's "ineffable Person!" In three sweeping statements John presents the Word as fully God. The verb was (ēn) is in the imperfect tense which depicts continual existence, a continuous state, not a completed past. As
João 1:1
MacArthur on Logos - John borrowed the use of the term “Word” not only from the vocabulary of the OT but also from Gr. philosophy, in which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational principle of “divine reason,” “mind,” or even “wisdom.” John, however, imbued the term entirely with OT and Christian meaning (e.g., Ge 1:3 where God’s Word brought the world into being; Pss 33:6; 107:20; Pr 8:27 where God’s Word is His powerful self-expression in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not the exclusive background of John’s thought. Strategically, the term “Word” serves as a bridge-word to reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. John chose this concept because both Jews and Greeks were familiar with it. Robert Lightner in his commentary on First John (specifically "the Word of Life" in 1Jn 1:1-note) has a helpful note on "Logos" as it relates to Jesus "The designation Word (Logos) attracts our attention. What does it mean? What picture does it convey of the Lord Jesus? Let me illustrate: I might have all kinds of ideas, thoughts, suggestions in my mind, all kinds of emotions in my heart, but unless there was some way, some means by which I could convey them to others, they would not know them. This is where words derive their value. Words are vehicles for conveying thoughts to others, and if it is true that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" then my words will be vehicles for conveying to others what I am. The Lord Jesus is the Word, the conveyor to men not only of the thoughts of God and the wisdom of God, but the conveyor of what God is. He is the vehicle to reveal God to men, thus "no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father (who has His being in the bosom of the Father), he hath declared him" (John 1:18). As the "Word" our Lord Jesus revealed God in His power in the creation (John 1:3) and upholding of the world (Heb. 1:1-3). He has revealed Him through incarnation (John 1:14) and redemption to the guilty sons of men. Did He not say: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9)? William Hendriksen gives an interesting background on the Logos - John and the heretics both spoke of the Word (o logos); but though the term was the same, the meaning was different. John’s doctrine is not dependent on that of heretics nor on that of speculative philosophers like Philo, a prominent Alexandrian who flourished in the first century A.D. One never knows what to make of Philo’s Logos. He employs the term no fewer than thirteen hundred times! but the meaning is never very definite. It is described now as a divine attribute, then again as a bridge between God and the world, identical with neither but partaking of the nature of both. Philo allegorized, which makes it difficult to grasp his meaning. Thus, in his comments on Gen. 3:24 he discusses the Cherubim, equipped with flaming sword, who are placed at Eden’s gates to prevent access to the tree of life. As Philo sees it, these Cherubim are two divine potencies: God’s loving-kindness and his sovereignty. The sword is the Logos or Reason which unites the two. Balaam, the foolish prophet, had no sword (Reason), for he said to the ass: “If I had a sword, I would have pierced thee” (On the Cherubim, XXXII). Surely, the term as employed by the evangelist cannot derive its meaning from such allegorization. It is rooted not in Greek but in Semitic thought. Already in the Old Testament the Word of God is represented as a Person. Note especially Ps. 33:6: “By the Word of Jehovah (Lxx: to logo to kuriou) were the heavens made.” What is probably the best commentary on John 1:1 is found in Pr. 8:27-30 "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, When He set for the sea its boundary, So that the water should not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him." (New Testament Commentary Exposition of the Gospel According to John) Fortner - A word is an expression, a means of manifestation, communication and revelation. Christ manifests the invisible God, communicates the love, mercy and grace of God, and reveals the attributes and perfections of God. The Word of God, then, is Deity expressing itself. Therefore Christ is called the Word of God (Hebrews 1:1-3). Christ is the Word in and by whom the triune God makes himself know to men, the personal enunciation of Jehovah (John 1:18)… (In the beginning was the Word) is a statement so full of meaning that I have no hope of expounding it. · Christ is called the Word because he is the Wisdom of God. · He is called the word because he is the Person spoken of in all the Old Testament prophecies and the sum of all the promises. · Our Redeemer is called the Word because he is the Speaker, the Revealer and the Interpreter of the Father’s will. · And he is called the Word because he is the Image of the invisible God, the Offspring of the Father’s mind, the Express Image of his Person, just as our words (if honestly spoken) are the express image of our minds. (Sermon on Jn 1:1) Herbert Lockyer - Christ is co-equal with God in the duration of His existence. The six initial words, "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1), are a peculiar form of expression, and probably convey "the most exact and historical thought of Eternity found in the Bible." It is a phrase that has no reference to either date or epoch. In the opening of his first epistle, John has the phrase, "From the beginning" (1 John 1:1), but this refers to a specific event—the appearance of Christ as the God-Man to take away sin. Genesis has the majestic opening, "In the beginning God" (Genesis 1:1), which is linked on to His creative work for man. But John elevates the three words, "In the beginning" from any reference to time, which began for man at the Creation, and directs us to Christ's absolute preexistence before the Creation which John mentions in the third verse. It is interesting to contrast the phrases "In the beginning" and "From the beginning." The latter is common to John's writings and has in it no thought of eternal preexistence. See John 8:44; 1John 2:7, 24; 3:8. Was (past tense) indicates that Christ was already preexistent. He gave Himself the title, "I am the beginning (Revelation 1.8), and He is the Beginning who had no beginning. Moses, in his grand opening of Scripture, "In the beginning God," strikes the chord to descend the stream of time. John strikes it to look out on the expanse of eternity lying beyond created things but which in the Word was already existing. Christ came as The King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible." Further evidence of His preexistence can be found in statements like, "All things were made by him" (John 1:3), and "He is before all things" (Colossians 1:17). If all things were made by Him, He must have been before them. Christ is associated with Creation. In Genesis Creation is undoubtedly ascribed to God—"God said," "God made," "God created" (Genesis 1:3, 7, 21), but John ascribes the calling of a world from nought to the Word of God, that is, to Christ. To have attributed the work of God to Him would have been blasphemy had Christ not been one with God. Thus, His relation to the mutual universe is a proof of His preexistence and Deity. But He had an existence prior to any created thing, and was therefore, the Beginning of the beginning of Genesis 1:1. As Milligan and Moulton express it— "In Genesis 1:1 the sacred historian starts from the beginning and comes downward, thus keeping us in the course of time. Here (John 1:1) John starts from the same point, but goes upward, thus taking us into the Eternity preceding time." Other books of the Bible may begin in time, John begins in eternity, and directs our gaze to the equality of the Son with the Eternal Father. Our finite mind staggers at the revelation of the expanse of an eternity lying beyond created things, and all that we can do is to humbly accept by faith the preexistence of the Word, and worship and adore Him as the Eternal One. See John 17:5; Ephesians 1:4. We now come to an understanding of preexistent Christ as the Word—one of the most picturesque names used of Him in Scripture. As the spoken word reveals our invisible thought, so Christ, as the Living Word, reveals the invisible God. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18).
João 1:1
MacArthur addresses the cults like Jehovah's Witnesses misinterpret this passage noting that "heretical groups almost from the moment John penned these words have twisted their meaning to support their false doctrines concerning the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. Noting that theos (God) is anarthrous (not preceded by the definite article), some argue that it is an indefinite noun and mistranslate the phrase, “the Word was divine” (i.e., merely possessing some of the qualities of God) or, even more appalling, “the Word was a god.” The absence of the article before theos, however, does not make it indefinite. Logos (Word) has the definite article to show that it is the subject of the sentence (since it is in the same case as theos). Thus the rendering “God was the Word” is invalid, because “the Word,” not “God,” is the subject. It would also be theologically incorrect, because it would equate the Father (“God” whom the Word was with in the preceding clause) with the Word, thus denying that the two are separate persons. The predicate nominative (God) describes the nature of the Word, showing that He is of the same essence as the Father (cf. H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament [Toronto: MacMillan, 1957], 139–40; A. T. Robertson, The Minister and His Greek New Testament [Reprint: Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978], 67–68). According to the rules of Greek grammar, when the predicate nominative (God in this clause) precedes the verb, it cannot be considered indefinite (and thus translated “a god” instead of God) merely because it does not have the article. That the term God is definite and refers to the true God is obvious for several reasons. First, theos appears without the definite article four other times in the immediate context (Jn 1:6, 12, 13, 18; cf. Jn 3:2, 21; 9:16; Matt. 5:9). Not even the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ distorted translation of the Bible renders the anarthrous theos “a god” in those verses. Second, if John’s meaning was that the Word was divine, or a god, there were ways he could have phrased it to make that unmistakably clear. For example, if he meant to say that the Word was merely in some sense divine, he could have used the adjective theios (cf. 2Peter 1:4-note). It must be remembered that, as Robert L. Reymond notes, “No standard Greek lexicon offers ‘divine’ as one of the meanings of theos, nor does the noun become an adjective when it ‘sheds’ its article” (Jesus, Divine Messiah [Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presb. & Ref., 1990], 303). Or if he had wanted to say that the Word was a god, he could have written ho logos ēn theos. If John had written ho theos ēn ho logos, the two nouns (theos and logos) would be interchangeable, and God and the Word would be identical. That would have meant that the Father was the Word, which, as noted above, would deny the Trinity. But as Leon
João 1:3
MacArthur concludes that John 12:41 "is a reference to Isaiah 6:1-note. John unambiguously ties Jesus to God or Yahweh of the OT (see John 8:58). Therefore, since John 12:41 refers to Jesus, it makes Him the Author of the judicial hardening of Israel. That fits His role as Judge (see John 5:22, 23, 27, 30; 9:39). (The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word) (Bolding added) James Montgomery
João 1:3
MacArthur - That Jesus Christ created everything (cf. Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2) offers two further proofs of His deity. First, the Creator of all things must Himself be uncreated, and only the eternal God is uncreated....That Jesus is the Creator also verifies His deity, because God is portrayed throughout the Bible as the Creator (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 102:25; Isa. 40:28; 42:5; 45:18; Mark 13:19; Rom. 1:25; Eph. 3:9; Rev. 4:11). (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) See also MacArthur - Genesis 1:1; John 1:3 Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit ("Out of Nothing, Nothing Comes") MacLeod - the biblical doctrine of creation in verse 3 suggests that this is God’s world. Rather that being detached from it and having nothing to do with it, God is intimately involved with it. Barclay tells of a little girl from the inner city who was taken on a day trip into the country. She was in awe of the trees and the beautiful bluebell flowers. She asked, “Do you think God would mind if I picked some of His flowers?” This is God’s world. (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1:1-2) Bruce Milne - Creation ‘out of nothing’ means exactly what it says. The universe came to be, not out of some pre-existing material ‘something’, but out of ‘nothing’, non-existence, void. This truth implies the unqualifiable dependence of all things upon the Word of God; i.e. the Word is the sustaining and upholding principle of an irreducibly contingent universe. It also means that the universe, while utterly dependent on God, is also fundamentally distinct from him. This is a crucial truth today. Much of New Age thought,5 influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism, obliterates the distinction between God and the world, leading to the deifying of nature and the claim that God can be experienced directly through nature. This experience of God is not of course in terms of a personal relationship with him, since God has no personal existence apart from the world. By contrast, biblical creation ‘out of nothing’ means that God is distinct from the world. Vincent on came into being - Expressing the passage from nothingness into being, and the unfolding of a divine order. Compare. Jn 1:14, 17. (John 1 Commentary - Vincent's Word Studies) Came into being (were made) (1096)(ginomai in the aorist tense = at a point in time in the past) means the universe came into existence at a point in time not over a long time as evolutionists claim. A T
João 1:3
MacArthur says "Just to compare a couple things that were most fascinating, do you remember the vision that Isaiah had in the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the LORD high lifted up and His train filled the temple." The word "LORD." all through here is "Jehovah". You can always tell the word ."LORD" is "Jehovah." It is capitalized (Ed: In the NASB, not ESV) in Isa 6:3 ‑ "Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts." Now here Isaiah is having a vision of Jehovah, God. Now I want you to notice John 12:39. "Here according form Isaiah is our Lord. Therefore, they could not believe because Isaiah said he blinded their eyes, hardened their hearts, they should not see with their eyes, understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them." These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spoke of Him. Of whom? Of Christ. Notice, the antecedent to "His" and the antecedent to "Him" in Jn 12:41 is Christ. Now what does that say? The passage Isaiah 6, "I saw Jehovah," is referred to Christ in John 12:39-41. Jesus is Jehovah. In Isaiah 40:1-3, you have amazing prediction regarding the work of John the Baptist. I want to show you just this illustration. Isaiah 40:1-3 ‑ "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people," saith your God. "Speak tender to Jerusalem. Cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Her inequity is pardoned. She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the LORD (Jehovah). Make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Prepare ye the way of the LORD (Jehovah). Capital letters again, "Jehovah." Prepare ye the way of Jehovah. Matthew 3:3, here came John fulfilling the prophecy preaching...."For this is He." He's preaching about Christ. "This is He that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord.'" Who is the Lord that is the Jehovah of Isaiah 40? It is the Jesus of the gospels. Jesus is Jehovah. Leviticus 19:3 ‑ "Keep my Sabbaths. I am Jehovah, your God." Matthew 12:8 ‑ Jesus said, "For the son of man is Jehovah of the Sabbath.." He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Joel 2:32 ‑ "It shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD (Jehovah) shall be saved - "on the name of Jehovah." (Romans 10:13) Paul points to Jesus and says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." He applies that passage to Jesus. (The Paradox of Christmas) (30) Phil Johnson on a page dedicated to refutation of the Jehovah Witness false teaching that Jesus is not God refutes their heresy by proving that Scripture refers to Jesus as Jehovah. Here are two of Johnson's points... 2. Jesus is called Jehovah At this point the well-trained Jehovah's Witness would want to make a distinction between the word Adonai, which is translated "Lord" in most English Bibles, and the Word Jehovah (or Yahweh), also translated "Lord" in most English Bibles. If you want to tell the difference between the words in most translations, when the original is Adonai, the word "Lord" will appear in capital and lowercase letters; when the Hebrew word is Jehovah, the word "LORD" will appear in capital and small capital letters. Let's suppose our hypothetical Jehovah's Witness points out that in all the verses I have cited so far, the word Adonai has been employed, not Jehovah. Since the Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jehovah is the one true name of God, any passages that apply the term Jehovah to Christ would conclusively destroy their entire theology. Are there any such verses? There certainly are. Psalm 23:1, for example, says, "Jehovah is my shepherd." Jesus very clearly applied this passage to Himself in John 10:11, 14 when He said, "I am the good shepherd." And the writer of Hebrews also applied this passage to Christ in Hebrews 13:20, when he wrote, "The God of peace . . . brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord"— Jesus our Jehovah. In Isaiah 6:5, when Isaiah saw his vision of heaven, with the Lord high and lifted up, he said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord [Jehovah] of hosts." Yet the apostle John, referring to this same incident, writes that Isaiah saw Christ's glory, "and he spoke of Him" (Jn. 12:41). In the famous prophecy of John the Baptist found in Isaiah 40:3, Jesus is called Jehovah: "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for [Jehovah] in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God." And in Jeremiah 23:5-6, a very crucial text for the doctrine of justification by faith. This verse introduces a new name for God, Jehovah Tsidkenu, "Jehovah our righteousness." Notice to whom it is applied: "Behold, the days are coming," declares [Jehovah], "When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. [This is very clearly a messianic prophecy.] In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, '[Jehovah] our righteousness'" (Jer. 23:5-6). Here's a very familiar passage, Joel 2:32: "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of [Jehovah] Will be [saved]." Both Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 quote that passage, applying the title Jehovah to Christ. The simple fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses do not witness to the true Jehovah of Scripture. They reject His own witness and the witness of His Word that Christ Himself is Jehovah who came to earth in human flesh. 3. Titles reserved for Jehovah are applied to Christ In Isaiah 10:20, we find the expression, "Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel." The Holy one is said to be no less than Jehovah Himself. And in Acts 3:13-4, Peter tells the men of Jerusalem, "You delivered up [Jesus], and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One." In Isaiah 44:6 we read, "Thus says [Jehovah], the King of Israel and his Redeemer, [Jehovah Sabaoth]: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me." That verse in and of itself offers strong proof for the Trinity, because it differentiates between Jehovah and His Redeemer Jehovah. But it also reserves for Jehovah God this expression "the first and the last." That title surfaces again in Revelation 1:8, where it is again applied to Jehovah: "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." No question about who owns that title. Notice, too that it is a title that can hardly be shared with any created being: the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the One who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty. Yet at the end of the book of Revelation we read these words again, this time spoken by Jesus Christ: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 22:13). In Isaiah 43:11, God speaks: "I, even I, am Jehovah; and there is no savior besides Me." Did you realize the title "Savior" is reserved in Scripture for God? This verse says so in the plainest possible terms. "I am Jehovah; and there is no savior besides Me." That is why Paul, writing to Titus, did not shrink from applying the name God and the word Savior both to Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13 says this: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. Zechariah 12:10 includes a most interesting prophecy. In context, this is Jehovah speaking. Verse 4 tells us so. Then verse 10 says, "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first- born." Who was the One who was pierced? It was Christ. And John 19:37 specifically applies this text to Christ. Deuteronomy 10:17 says, "[Jehovah] your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God." Yet Revelation 17:14 applies the title "Lord of Lords" to the lamb, Jesus Christ: "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Who Is Jehovah? Who Is Jesus?) CAVEATS REGARDING THE NAME JEHOVAH Two notes of caution - Before these are discussed it must be understood that not every use of Jehovah in the OT can be identified as the Pre-existent Christ. One needs to carefully examine the context to see if a particular reference can be interpreted as referring to Christ. Many of the uses of LORD cannot be identified as Messiah, and some references would even suggest that Jesus can never be called Jehovah. Thus John Weldon in his book "The Mormon Deception" makes the statement "Biblically, it is impossible that Jesus could have been the Jehovah of the Old Testament." If that is true then how could one interpret John 12:41 (see interpretations above from numerous conservative commentators who see in John 12:41 a reference to Jesus as Jehovah). So it seems Weldon paints with a broad brush stroke when he says Jesus is not Jehovah in the OT. On the other hand, he is certainly correct in referencing passages like Psalm 2:7 “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD [Jehovah]: He [Jehovah] said to me [Jesus], ‘You [Jesus] are my Son; today I [Jehovah] have become your Father.’” Clearly the context of this passage Jehovah has to be God the Father not Jesus. In summary, I think Weldon's statement cannot be Biblically substantiated and it probably a reaction to the fact that Mormons refer to Jesus as Jehovah. Please be aware that the fact that Jesus appeared as Jehovah in the OT in no way impugns the integrity of the Trinity of the Godhead. God is Triune. Jesus is NOT the Father and the Father is NOT Jesus (John 1:1 clearly establishes two distinct members of the Godhead - "the Word was with God." - see discussion). There are two cultic teachings to be aware of... 1) Beware of the very subtle, dangerous (because it is so subtle) false teaching of Oneness Pentecostal theology (Jesus only theology). 2) Beware of one other danger when speaking of Jesus as Jehovah in the OT. Reed and Farkas explain the false teaching of the Mormon Church in the area of Jesus and Jehovah... Unlike many pseudo-Christian cults that deny the deity of Christ, the Mormon Church teaches that Jesus Christ is Jehovah (the Lord) of the Old Testament. Mormons may even properly associate Old Testament verses with New Testament verses to show that Jesus is Jehovah: Deuteronomy 1:32, 33 with 1Corinthians 10:1–4; Isaiah 43:3, 11 with Luke 2:11; and Isaiah 48:17 with Romans 3:24. If the discussion goes only this far, a Christian may think that "on the surface" his Mormon acquaintance agrees with him theologically. But that is not actually the case. While the Christian understands Jehovah to be one of the Hebrew names of the triune deity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Mormon believes quite differently. The Mormon church’s Bible Dictionary (Salt Lake City, 1990 printing, p. 681) explains it this way: When one speaks of God, it is generally the Father who is referred to; that is, Elohim. All mankind are his children (Ed: This is heresy - only those who receive Jesus are in God's family - see John 1:12-note, 1Jn 3:1-note). The personage known as Jehovah in Old Testament times, and who is usually identified in the Old Testament as Lord (in capital letters), is the Son, known as Jesus Christ, and who is also a God … he being the eldest of the spirit children of Elohim.… The Holy Ghost is also a God. The Mormon sees the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three Gods who are merely “unified in purpose.” While Christians understand Elohim and Jehovah to be names belonging to the one true God of the Bible, Mormons believe that each of these names designates a different God. This view, however, that Elohim and Jehovah are distinct individuals can be maintained only when reading a Bible that substitutes the less specific words God and Lord. Examination of the Hebrew text immediately shows that Elohim and Jehovah are one and the same. For example, throughout Genesis chapter 2 wherever “the Lord God” is spoken of, this is “Jehovah Elohim” in Hebrew. When Jacob says to Isaac, “Because the Lord thy God brought it to me,” the literal reading is, “Because Jehovah thy Elohim brought it to me” (Gen. 27:20). When the Lord (Jehovah) speaks to Moses at the burning bush, he introduces himself by saying, “I am the God [Elohim in Hebrew] of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.… And the Lord [Jehovah in Hebrew] said … ” (Ex. 3:6, 7). (Reed, D. A., & Farkas, J., R. Mormons: Answered Verse by Verse. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.) (Bolding added) Related Resource - What is Mormonism? What do Mormons believe? WILLIAM BARCLAY DISCUSSION OF GNOSTICISM See - GotQuestions for Articles on Gnosticism IT may seem strange to us that John so stresses the way in which the world was created; and it may seem strange that he so definitely connects Jesus with the work of creation. But he had to do this because of a certain tendency in the thought of his day. In the time of John there was a kind of heresy called Gnosticism. Its characteristic was that it was an intellectual and philosophical approach to Christianity. To the Gnostics the simple beliefs of the ordinary Christian were not enough. They tried to construct a philosophic system out of Christianity. They were troubled about the existence of sin and evil and sorrow and suffering in this world, so they worked out a theory to explain it. The theory was this. In the beginning two things existed—the one was God and the other was matter. Matter was always there and was the raw material out of which the world was made. The Gnostics held that this original matter was flawed and imperfect. We might put it that the world got off to a bad start. It was made of material which had the seeds of corruption in it. The Gnostics went further. God, they said, is pure spirit, and pure spirit can never touch matter at all, still less matter which is imperfect. Therefore it was not possible for God to carry out the work of creation himself. So he put out from himself a series of emanations. Each emanation was further and further away from God and as the emanations got further and further away from him, they knew less and less about him. About halfway down the series there was an emanation which knew nothing at all about God. Beyond that stage the emanations began to be not only ignorant of but actually hostile to God. Finally in the series there was an emanation which was so distant from God that it was totally ignorant of him and totally hostile to him—and that emanation was the power which created the world, because it was so distant from God that it was possible for it to touch this flawed and evil matter. The creator god was utterly divorced from and utterly at enmity with the real God. The Gnostics took one step further. They identified the creator god with the God of the Old Testament; and they held that the God of the Old Testament was quite different from, quite ignorant of and quite hostile to the God and Father of Jesus Christ. In the time of John this kind of belief was widespread. Men believed that the world was evil and that an evil God had created it. It is to combat this teaching that John here lays down two basic Christian truths. In point of fact the connection of Jesus with creation is repeatedly laid down in the New Testament, just because of this background of thought which divorced God from the world in which we live. In Colossians 1:16 Paul writes: “For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth … all things were created through him and for him.” In 1 Corinthians 8:6 he writes of the Lord Jesus Christ “through whom are all things.” The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the one who was the Son, “through whom also God created the world” (Hebrews 1:2). John and the other New Testament writers who spoke like this were stressing two great truths. (John Commentary- Daily Study Bible)
João 1:6
MacArthur - The mention of Elijah was to announce the Messiah’s arrival (see Introduction: Interpretive Challenges). John the Baptist was a type of Elijah at Christ’s first advent (cf. Lk 1:17). ESV Study Bible note on Mt 11:14 - he is Elijah who is to come. Malachi had prophesied that “Elijah” would prepare the way for the Messiah (Mal. 3:1; 4:5; see Mal. 4:4-6). He did not actually imply only a literal reappearance of Elijah, and John’s earlier denial that he was Elijah (John 1:21) was probably an attempt to correct a popular belief that Elijah himself would reappear. Before John’s birth, he was designated as the one who would minister in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), thereby fulfilling Malachi’s prophecy. Charles Ryrie commenting on Mt 17:11-12 has an interesting note - The sequence of thought is as follows: (1) Elijah is coming as the restorer (Mal. 4:5); (2) he came, unrecognized, in the person of John the Baptist, and was killed; (3) the Son of Man faces a like fate. The disciples seem to grasp only the first two points. Sent (649)(apostello from apo = from, away from + stello = to withdraw from, avoid) means to send off, to send forth, to send out. To send out; to commission as a representative, an ambassador, an envoy. The idea is to send forth from one place to another. But the meaning of apostello is more than just to send because it means "to send off on a commission to do something as one’s personal representative, with credentials furnished" (Wuest) To send upon some business (Mt. 2:16; 10:5; 20:2). To send away in the sense of to dismiss (Mk 12:3, 4). To send or thrust forth as a sickle among corn (Mk 4:29). See New International Dictionary of NT Theology for - 8 page discussion including discussion of apostle Three things are true of the person sent from God. (1) He belongs to God, who has sent him out. (2) He is commissioned to be sent out. (3) He possesses all the authority and power of God, who has sent him out. (Practical Word Studies) See related study on apostolos = apostle Apostello repeatedly speaks of the Father sending the Son on mission. Indeed the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to "consider Jesus the Apostle (apostolos) and High Priest of our confession" (Heb 3:1-note), so here are just a few of over 30 passages (see complete list below) Luke 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” John 3:17; “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. John 5:36 “But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” The rabbis used the term apostello to refer to one called and sent as an official representative of another (something like our English "Ambassador" - 2Cor 5:20-note). Apostello was used by the Greeks for the personal representatives of the king, ambassadors who functioned with the king’s authority. To make light of the king’s envoys was to be in danger of insubordination. John
João 1:9
MacArthur writes "Through God's sovereign power, every man has enough light to be responsible. God has planted His knowledge in man through general revelation in creation and conscience. The result of general revelation, however, does not produce salvation but either leads to the complete light of Jesus Christ or produces condemnation in those who reject such "light" (see Ro 1:19, 20; 2:12-16). The coming of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment and embodiment of the light that God had placed inside the heart of man. (BORROW MacArthur Study Bible) Jon Courson - At the end of time, no one will be able to say that he didn't have an opportunity to know that there is a God. The Light has come, and it lights every man who comes into the world. Romans 1:19-22 tells us that creation around us is a testimony to God's reality and that our conscience within us verifies His truth. Psalm 19:1-2 states that the heavens declare the glory of God, and that there is no place on earth where their voice is not heard. Thus, whether a man looks up to the sky, around at creation, or within his own heart, he is left without excuse regarding the existence of his Creator. Every man knows innately, intuitively that there is a God. I firmly believe that if there is someone in the most remote corner of the earth who is hungering and thirsting after a saving knowledge of God, God will do whatever it takes to contact that one. He may choose to speak to him through an angel, a miracle, or through… you. If you're concerned about lost people and God's ability to reach them, don't stay here and discuss the ramifications of predestination. Go tell them Jesus died for them! You may be the very messenger the Lord uses to reach one who is waiting to hear the gospel. (SEE Jon Courson's Application Commentary) Earl Radmacher (et al) on enlightens every man - Jesus Christ gives light to every human being by being the Creator. Creation gives light to every one on the earth that there is a Creator in heaven (Ro 1:20-note). The inclusion of all people is in contrast to the exclusivism of the ancient world. (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary) Charles Simeon addresses how the true Light enlightens every man - He was the only true light previous to his incarnation—As being the Creator of all things, it was He who said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” (Ge 1:3) As the Former both of angels and men, he gave to each their intellectual and moral powers. Men, the lower order of beings, he endued with reason and conscience; distinguishing them by these faculties from the brute creation, which possess only that which we call instinct. When man had fallen, and lost, to a considerable degree, the faculties with which he had been invested, the Lord Jesus, agreeably to the covenant he had entered into with the Father, undertook to restore to man such a measure of light as his necessities required. This he did, (1) By the republication of his law—It was the Son of God (Ed: The Shekinah glory cloud was the visible representation of the true Light!) who led his people out of Egypt through the wilderness: for that people, by their murmurings, we are told, “tempted Christ [1Cor 10:9].” The law, therefore, both moral and ceremonial, we suppose to have been given by Him. At all events, we are sure that they were, each of them in its place, rays emanating from Him; “he being the end of both [Ro 10:4.],” the end to which each looked, and the end by which both were fulfilled. The moral (Law) was “a schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith [Gal 3:23-24.]:” and the ceremonial (Law) shadowed him forth, in all his offices [Col 2:17]. (2) By a long train of prophecies—It was “by the Spirit of Christ” that all the prophets spoke, from the very beginning [1Pe 1:12.]. And thus, with progressive clearness (Ed: See Progressive Revelation), was the mind of God revealed, relative to the restoration of fallen man. Whatever was made known respecting the Father and His eternal councils, it was all declared by the Lord Jesus Christ [Jn 1:18]. No information on these inscrutable subjects ever proceeded from any other quarter: all the light that was in the world emanated from Christ alone. H F Beecher - Light before Christ came - We must not suppose that all light of faith, of hope, of justice, of purity, of truth, first dawned on the world when Christ came. God has been in the world ever since there was one, and whatever there is that is noble and good proceeded from the inspiration of the Divine mind working upon the human soul, on all nations, in every age, and under the ministrations of the truth as it is in Jesus. He that brought life and immortality to light was neither supine nor slumbering, but was working everywhere before His appearance, and whatever light of truth there has been at any time has come from Him. When, however, He came in bodily form, He came to interpret what only life and conduct can interpret. Matthew
João 1:10
MacArthur - John gives it several shades of meaning: 1) the physical created universe (v. 9; cf. v. 3; 21:24, 25); 2) humanity in general (3:16; 6:33, 51; 12:19); and 3) the invisible spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan and all that it offers in opposition to God, His Word, and His people (3:19; 4:42; 7:7; 14:17, 22, 27, 30; 15:18, 19; 16:8, 20, 33; 17:6, 9, 14; cf. 1Co 1:21; 2Pe 1:4; 1Jn 5:19). The latter concept is the significant new use that the term acquires in the NT and that predominates in John. Thus, in the majority of times that John uses the word, it has decidedly negative overtones. (The MacArthur Study Bible) Kosmos - 186x in 151v with the majority of uses of kosmos by the apostle John - John 1:9-10, 29; 3:16-17, 19; 4:42; 6:14, 33, 51; 7:4, 7; 8:12, 23, 26; 9:5, 39; 10:36; 11:9, 27; 12:19, 25, 31, 46-47; 13:1; 14:17, 19, 22, 27, 30-31; 15:18-19; 16:8, 11, 20-21, 28, 33; 17:5-6, 9, 11, 13-15, 18, 21, 23-25; 18:20, 36-37; 21:25; 1Jn 2:2, 15-17; 3:1, 13, 17; 4:1, 3-5, 9, 14, 17; 5:4-5, 19; 2 John 1:7; Rev 11:15; 13:8; 17:8 Jesus said to those Jews most of whom did not know Him - "And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world." (John 8:23) John 3:19-20 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. THE WORLD DID NOT KNOW HIM Did not know - Did not get to know Him. Did not recognize Him for Who He really was. For example, Matthew records " coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?" (Mt 13:54-55) So even in His hometown they did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah!
João 1:11
MacArthur observes Isaiah's "question implied that, in spite of these (Ed: The great prophecy of the Suffering Servant = Isaiah 53:1-12) and other prophecies, only a few (Ed: of the nation of Israel, the remnant) would recognize the Servant when He appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first advent. Israel did not welcome Him at His first advent (Jn 1:9–11; Jn 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large - "However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? (Ro 10:16-note)." John used Isaiah's prophecy later in his Gospel commenting… "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” (Jn 12:37-38) (Ed: The Greek word for "report" is interesting. It is akoe which is a noun meaning that by which one perceives sounds and thus is the sound or the thing which is heard, in the context of Jn 12:38 and Romans 10:16, referring to the proclamation of the Gospel which they heard! They are without excuse!) And again the prophets cry out against the intractable unbelief of God's chosen people (excepting of course the believing remnant of Israel)… Isaiah 65:2; 3 “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people (Israel), who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; Jeremiah 7:25 “Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. John
João 1:12
MacArthur says "To receive Christ involves more than mere intellectual acknowledgment of His claims." (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) ESV Study Bible says received "implies not merely intellectual agreement with some facts about Jesus but also welcoming and submitting to him in a personal relationship." John Piper makes an excellent observation on received the right to become children of God - We need to be born. We need to have spiritual life. That is what God does according to John 1:13 without any help from us—“not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.” We are born of God by a free act of sovereign grace. He chooses us before we choose him. But when God does that, what we now have is a newborn sinner. The spiritual life is present, but so is sin, and a whole history of sin! In this condition we would have no right to take our place in the house of God—no authority, no empowerment. Except for one thing. God not only provided the regeneration by which we are born again, but also the authorization by which we can lay claim to our inheritance as children, even though we are sinners. And that is precisely where Jesus comes in. The moment you believe in Jesus, the moment you receive him for who he really is, in that moment he gives you not new birth, but the right and authority, as a sinner, to lay claim to your inheritance as a child of God—to become legally, as it were (with due authority), what you are by virtue of new birth—because you were “born of God.” (How to Become a Child of God - Desiring God) Life is uncertain, Death is sure; Sin the cause, Christ the cure. —Anon. Vine on John's selection of lambano instead of paralambano (as used in John 1:11) - lambano, a simple but spontaneous acceptance from individuals, whether Jews or Gentiles, and so a simpler verb than that used before of the Jewish nation. BELIEVERS ARE RECEIVERS Believers are receivers of the greatest gift ever offered, the gift of a "second chance," a new birth, a new life, a new destiny, now and forevermore! How tragic that so many men and women spurn this priceless, gracious gift from God! But just as sad are those who have received this gift and yet choose to live in relative ignorance of their elevated status, instead carelessly compromising with the godless world that has been conquered by their King (Jn 16:33, Gal 6:14-note)! Remember, as discussed below right refers to authority. THOUGHT - Dearly redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, do you grasp what John is saying? We who are blood bought and heaven bound have received the authority from on high to confidently claim the exalted title "Children of God!" If that doesn't make you shout "Hallelujah!" I don't know what will! He gave (1325)(didomi) means to give and is based on a decision of the will of the giver without any merit of the recipient. The clear implication in this passage is that salvation is a sovereign work of God Who gives the right to become children of God. It is a gift of God's sovereign grace. As Paul explains "by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift (doron from same root as didomi) of God not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Eph 2:8-9). Compare these other uses of didomi by John which depict God's sovereign bestowal (Jn 5:27; 10:18; 19:10-11; 17:2) All John's uses of didomi - John 1:12, 17, 22; 3:16, 27, 34-35; 4:5, 7, 10, 12, 14-15; 5:22, 26-27, 36; Jn 6:27, 31-33, 37, 39, 51-52, 65; Jn 7:19, 22; 9:24; 10:28-29; Jn 11:22, 57; 12:5, 49; Jn 13:3, 15, 26, 29, 34; 14:16, 27; 15:16; Jn 16:23; 17:2, 4, 6-8, 11-12, 14, 22, 24; Jn 18:9, 11, 22; 19:3, 9, 11; 21:13 The right - When we believed in the Word, the true Light, we in turn received the privilege of access to God's family. Paul goes a step further in Romans 5:1-2 explaining what happens when we were justified by faith (received and believed in Jesus) - "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have obtained our introduction (prosagoge) by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God." (Ro 5:1-2-note) To become (1096)(ginomai) means to come into existence, to cause to become or come into being and signifies a change of condition, state or place. Ginomai is the root of the verb gennao (used in Jn 1:13-note) which means to beget, to give birth, to produce offspring (cp our English word - "gen"-erate). Ginomai is in the aorist tense (punctiliar) which describes an instantaneous intervention, decisive and at a moment or point in time. In other words ginomai in this context refers to a historical time in the past, the moment of our new birth when God gave us the privilege to be part of His family. And so ginomai means to become something (a child of God) that one is not. As Paul said "if any man is in Christ (the result of being born of God - Jn 1:13b-note), he is a new creature (he has become a new creation - ktisis). Behold the old things have passed away. New things have come." (2Cor 5:17-note) James adds that "In the exercise of His will (boulomai - reflecting God's sovereignty in our new birth) He brought us forth (apekueo) by the word of truth, so that (term of purpose) we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures." (James 1:18-note) Right (1849)(exousia) means the power to do something and was a technical term used in the law courts, of a legal right. "Authority or right is the dominant meaning (of exousia) in the New Testament." (Vincent) Exousía refers to delegated authority and combines the idea of the "right and the might", these attributes having been granted to someone. Sinners saved by grace through faith have been given the authority, the "right and the might," to become members of God's family as His children, those of whom it can now be said they are "beloved of God", and can all God "Father." (Ro 1:7-note, "chosen of God, holy and beloved" = Col 3:12-note, "beloved by God" = 1Th 1:4-note, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed [didomi as in Jn 1:12] upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are." = 1Jn 3:1-note). THOUGHT - I wonder how often we (I) ponder the profundity of this powerful truth that have been given the right to be in God's family and be called "beloved of God"? What would it do to our fight against sin if we more frequently set our minds on the things above (Col 3:2-note)? Would not the Holy Spirit enable in us a love driven motivation to "push" through those times when we are sorely vexed by afflictions or feel overwhelmed by intense inner temptations to gratify the lust of our flesh (James 1:14-15-note, 1Jn 2:15-16-note)? Vine on right says "not dunamis, power, but exousia, a right (dunamis expresses the faculty, the capacity, but the right is bestowed to those who receive Him.)" Exousia is used 6x (out of 102 NT uses) in the Gospel of John with no uses in John's epistles: (John 1:12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 5:27) and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. (John 10:18) “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” (John 17:2) even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. (John 19:10) Pilate therefore *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” (John 19:11) Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin.” Utley on the right (exousia) - This Greek term can mean (1) legal authority or (2) right or privilege (cf. Jn 5:27; 17:2; 19:10, 11). Through Jesus fallen mankind can now know God and acknowledge Him as God and Father. Westcott on the right - The word (exousia) does not describe mere ability, but legitimate, rightful authority, derived from a competent source which includes the idea of power. Comp. Jn 5:27, 10:18, 17:2, 19:10, 19:11; Rev. 2:26, etc. This right is not inherent in man, but “given” by God to him....As far as we can conceive of “this right to become children,” it lies in the potential union with the Son, whereby those who receive Him are enabled to realize their divine fellowship. They are adopted—placed, if we may so speak, in the position of sons—that so they may become children actually. Cp. 2Pet. 1:3, 1:4; Gal. 4:6. The fruit is not given at once, but the seed. It is of God to give, but man must use His gift, which faith appropriates. It is thus important to observe how throughout the passage the divine and human sides of the realization of Sonship are harmoniously united. The initial act is at once a “begetting” and a “reception”. The growth follows from the use of a gift. The issue is complete on the part of God, but man must bring it to pass by continuous exertion. (Ibid) CHILDREN OF GOD Children of God - There is a common misconception that every person born is a "child of God," but that belief is not in keeping with what Scripture teaches. The fact is that only those who believe in Jesus have the right to become God's children and call Him "Father" (and as aside can truly pray the so-called "Lord's Prayer"- "Our Father" = Mt 6:9) There are two families on earth and every human being belongs to one but not the other - the family of God or the family of the devil (cp Jn 8:44). From time to time it would be good for us to recall what we were before God made us His legitimate children! Paul says before we received Christ we were all (no exceptions) "sons of disobedience" (Eph 2:2-note, Eph 5:6-note) and "by nature children of wrath." (Eph 2:3-note) The writer of Hebrews reminds that we have been given the right to share in "so great a salvation" (Heb 2:3-note) Have you lost that sense of awe that God saved you from eternal death and made you a member of His own family? This is a truth which should continually be on our minds, serving to motivate us to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2Ti 2:22-note) In his first letter John encourages believers to "See (behold, consider) how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." (1Jn 3:1-note) Amazing thought! that God in flesh Would take my place and bear my sin; That I, a guilty, death-doomed soul, Eternal life might win! —Anon. John minces no words in his first letter writing that "By this (by what? He will tell us in the next clause) the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious (Not maybe or maybe not but "obvious!"): anyone who does not practice (present tense = as one's general practice - NB John is not describing perfection but is speaking of direction, either heavenward or hell-ward - in short our general behavior reveals our eternal destiny. But note that our behavior does not save us, but only serves to demonstrate that we are truly saved. Some twist this verse and say John is speaking only of fellowship or communion and not eternal destiny, but such teaching is deceptive and deadly, especially if it gives one confidence to live like the devil and think they are still going to heaven just because they prayed a prayer to "ask Jesus into their heart.") righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother." (1Jn 3:10-note) QUESTION - Are we all God's children, or only Christians? from Gotquestions The Bible is clear that all people are God’s creation (Colossians 1:16), and that God loves the entire world (John 3:16), but only those who are born again are children of God (John 1:12; John 11:52; Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10). In Scripture, the lost are never referred to as God’s children. Ephesians 2:3 tells us that before we were saved we were “by nature objects of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Romans 9:8 says that “it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” Instead of being born as God’s children, we are born in sin, which separates us from God and aligns us with Satan as God’s enemy (James 4:4; 1 John 3:8). Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me” (John 8:42). Then a few verses later in John 8:44, Jesus told the Pharisees that they “belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire.” The fact that those who are not saved are not children of God is also seen in 1 John 3:10: “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” We become God’s children when we are saved because we are adopted into God’s family through our relationship with Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:5-6; Ephesians 1:5). This can be clearly seen in verses like Romans 8:14-17: “…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Those who are saved are children “of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26) because God has “predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:5). QUESTION - What does it mean to be a part of the family of God? from Gotquestions The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ and the Father are One (John 1:1-4), and that He is also the only begotten Son of God (Hebrews 1:1-4). This familial term indicates God regards Jesus as a family member. Born-again believers are told that we, too, are members of this family (Romans 9:8; 1 John 3:1-2). How do we become a part of this family of God? When we hear the gospel, confess our sins, and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we are at that moment born into God’s kingdom as His children and become heirs with Him for eternity (Romans 8:14-17). While Jesus Christ is referred to as the only begotten Son of God, believers are referred to as children born into God’s family who need to grow and mature in our faith (Ephesians 4:11-16), and as sons and heirs adopted into His family (Galatians 4:4-7). God’s infinite grace and mercy are revealed in Ephesians 1:5-6, which says He redeems sinners, whom He has “adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” As children of God, what do we inherit? Nothing less than the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:34; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Hebrews 12:28)! Ephesians 1:3 tells us that believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. These spiritual blessings are infinite, eternal, and reside in Christ, and by God’s grace we are given these blessings as His children. As earthly children we eventually inherit what our parents leave behind for us after their death. But in God’s case believers are already reaping the rewards of our inheritance by having peace with Him through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. Other rewards of our inheritance include the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment we believe in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14), which empowers us to live for Him in the present, and the knowledge that our salvation is secure for eternity (Hebrews 7:24-25). Being a part of the family of God is the greatest blessing bestowed upon believers and one that should drive us to our knees in humble adoration. We can never do anything to deserve it for it is His gift of love, mercy, and grace to us, yet, we are called to become sons and daughters of the Living God (Romans 9:25-26). May we all respond in faith to His invitation! QUESTION: What does it mean that we are children of God (1 John 3:1)? It is God’s great love that takes the initiative to make us the children of God. This extravagant outpouring of our heavenly Father’s love made the apostle John marvel: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). Being children of God means we have been born into God’s family. We become God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ, which results in spiritual rebirth: “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12–13, NLT; see also Galatians 3:26; 1 John 5:1). Jesus taught that only the children of God experience new birth and the opportunity to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). When we hear the gospel message, repent and confess our sins, and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, at that moment we are born into God’s family. We become a child of God and co-heir with Christ of everything in God’s kingdom for all eternity (Ephesians 1:13–14; Romans 8:14–17). All that God has given to His Son in the kingdom belongs to us as His children, as well. Presently, we have only limited knowledge of what it means to be children of God: “We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2–3, NLT). When we see Jesus face to face, our understanding of what it means to be children of God will be expanded (2 Corinthians 3:18). Yet, John explained, even a partial grasp of our status as children of God will make us want to live pure and holy lives. John continued with a challenging teaching about sin, concluding with these statements: “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:9–10, NLT). As children of God, we have a new nature “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Contemplating who we are as the children of God will cause us to think seriously about how we live and whom we serve. Will we pursue a life of holiness and obedience to God and His Word, or will we take on a lackadaisical attitude toward sin? Will we serve our heavenly Father or our sinful nature, “which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” (verse 22)? Children of the devil (see John 8:44) make a practice of sinning, but Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of God’s children (1 John 3:8). As the children of God, we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), led by the Holy Spirit: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14, NLT). Although at times we still sin, a child of God has “an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (1 John 2:1, NLT). Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and restored us to a right relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:21). We prove ourselves to be children of God by living to please and obey our heavenly Father (practicing righteousness) and by loving our brothers and sisters in the family of God (1 John 3:10). Salvation in Christ is pictured not only as a rebirth but also as an adoption: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son” (Ephesians 1:5–6, NLT; cf. Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5). It’s difficult to fully comprehend the love of our heavenly Father—a love that delights in transforming rebellious, undeserving sinners into the children of God. At times, like John, we can only marvel at being adopted into God’s family. Our security in God’s household does not depend on our behavior or performance. We owe our position as His sons and daughters all to our Father’s gracious love that purchased our salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. Our identity as children of God is hidden in Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:3; Galatians 3:26). We are no longer orphans or slaves, but sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4–7). We have a good father who loves us and will care for us and supply our needs for all eternity. Our purpose now, as the children of God, is to develop into our full stature and unique potential by becoming like Jesus: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29NLT). ILLUSTRATION - The Glory Christian (sent to me from Arpu a follower of Christ in India) - A poor, ignorant, illiterate Hindu, who could neither read nor write heard of Christ as a Saviour. For long had he been searching for God: now he had found Him (cf Lk 19:10+). He begged for more teaching, so they began reading to him the Gospel of John. When the 12th verse (Jn 1:12+) was read, the Hindu manifested the greatest excitement. “Stop!” he cried. “If a man believes on Jesus Christ as his Saviour does he become a son of God?” “That is just what the verse teaches,” they replied. “But I believe on him: Am I indeed a son of God?” said he. “Yes— that is so.” “Well, that is the most wonderful and glorious news I have ever heard! Read no more. I cannot stay. Truly I must get back to my people and proclaim this amazing fact.” With his face radiant with the new found joy he hurried away (Gal 5:22+). Many scores of miles had to be traversed before he could reach home. But all along his way people turned to wonder at his joyous look. And to all who accosted him he cried, “I am a son of God!” “Well, you look it” many replied. “Tell us—how can we become sons of God?” And he told the story of the Saviour. His village was at length reached, and they welcomed him back. “I am a son of God!” he exclaimed. “We know something has happened,” was the answer. “Your face is radiant and your every gesture tells of joy of heart! Tell us how may we become sons of God?” I am told that this poor illiterate man won the whole village for Christ, and many hundreds from the surrounding country, because he knew he was a son of God. Others saw the glory given him and desired to have it too. (Written by An Unknown Christian) The phrase children of God is found 11x in 11v and every use describes believers - Jn 1:12; 11:52; Acts 17:29; Ro 8:16, 21; Ro 9:8; Phil 2:15; 1Jn 3:1-2, 1Jn 3:10; 1Jn 5:2 (See also sons of God - Mt 5:9, Lk 20:36, Ro 8:14, 19, Gal 3:26) Paul says that "The Spirit Himself bears witness (summartureo in the present tense = the Spirit continually bears witness) with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Ro 8:16-17-note) Donald Barnhouse explains Ro 8:16 this way - "The assurance of our salvation does not depend entirely upon the external testimony of the Holy Spirit, but there is an inward conviction which belongs to us, ourselves. We know that we have passed from death unto life; we have the inner conviction that we have become children of God. We find something within ourselves that turns outward and upward to God, so that we find ourselves crying, “Abba, Father (Ro 8:15-note, Gal 4:6).” So notice that when we are supernaturally brought into God's family as His children we also become heirs to all to which Jesus is heir! (Ro 8:17) From rags (Isa 64:6) to riches (Eph 1:3)! We move from a precarious position of being alienated from God to a privileged position of being "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph 1:7KJV). See related resource discussing Accepted in the Beloved. Bob Utley on become the children of God - The NT writers constantly use familial metaphors to describe Christianity: (1) Father; (2) Son; (3) children; (4) born again; and (5) adoption. Christianity is analogous to a family, not a product (ticket to heaven, fire insurance policy). It is also interesting that of the two Greek terms for children, one is always used of Jesus (huios) while the other (teknon, tekna) is used for believers. Christians are children of God, but they are not in the same category as the Son of God, Jesus. His relationship is unique, but analogous. The phrase children of God recalls Old Testament references to Israel as the "sons of Jehovah" (Dt 14:1), of those He said "Israel is My son (Lxx = huios), My first-born (Exodus 4:22)." John Piper on those who believe in His Name - "He gave authority to become children of God.” This means that those who reject the light are not the children of God. God is not everybody’s Father. He created everybody, and they are His. But Jesus says in John 8:42, “If God were your Father you would love me.” God is not everyone’s Father. And the test of who your Father is, is whether you love his Son....O how I want you to fix in your minds this question: “Not everyone is a child of God; am I?” Ask it to yourself right now, “Not everyone is a child of God. Am I?” The difference it makes to you is this: Jesus said in John 8:34–36, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ”In other words, if we will not be children, we will be slaves. And the slave does not remain in the house forever. The children do. What is at stake in becoming a child of God is eternal life. So we ask ourselves that question again: “Not everyone is a child of God; am I?” And now add: “Not everyone will have eternal life; will I?” (How to Become a Child of God) Children (5043)(teknon from tikto = bring forth, bear children, be born) is strictly a child produced, male or female, son or daughter. Teknon is thus a child as viewed in relation to his or her parents or family. In the plural, teknon is used generically of descendants, posterity or children. Note that another Greek word huios (5207), translated son, differs from teknon because the latter gives prominence to the fact of birth, whereas huios stresses the dignity and character of the relationship and usually speaks of one who is fully mature. Despite these distinctions, because these words often overlap in meaning and are used seemingly without discrimination, one should not press their semantic differences in every case but allow the context to rule in the interpretation (always a good rule!) Teknon was used in secular Greek writings as a form of familiar, tender or affectionate address to speak of one kindly even if they were adults referring to them as "my son" or "my child". For example Jesus speaking to the paralytic declared "Take courage, My son (teknon), your sins are forgiven." (Mt 9:2) Tenney observes that "The word children (teknon) is parallel to the Scottish bairns - 'born ones.' It emphasizes vital origin and is used as a term of endearment (cf. Luke 15:31). Believers are God's 'little ones,' related to Him by birth." Glory to our Redeemer!
João 1:13
MacArthur - Those three negative statements stress the fact that salvation is not obtainable through any racial or ethnic heritage (blood), personal desire (flesh), or man-made system (man). (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Here are passages that underscore the truth that this supernatural birth is of God, not man … Matthew 8:11-12 “And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven 12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness (Jewish heritage does not guarantee salvation); in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Luke 3:8 (cf Lk 13:28-29, Lk 16:23-31) “Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." Comment - Paul affirms in Ro 4:16 that Abraham is the father not only of the Jews, physically speaking, but of all who are justified by faith, spiritually speaking. And in Galatians 3:7 he reiterates "Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham." Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. F B
João 1:13
MacArthur comments that "the phrase but of God means that salvation, that is, receiving and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, is impossible for any sinner. God must grant the power supernaturally and with it the divine life and light to the lifeless, darkened sinner." (John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Hendriksen sums up this passage - Note the climactic arrangement of the three expressions. All three emphasize that in no sense whatever do believers derive their birth or standing from physical or biological causes. Nicodemus needed that lesson; so did most of the Jews, as is very clear from following passages: 3:6; 8:31–59; Luke 3:8; Gal. 3:11, 28. (New Testament Commentary Exposition of the Gospel According to John) God (2316)(theos) refers to the supreme being described in the OT and amplified in the NT in Jesus, the Son of God. The Supreme Being; Jehovah; the eternal and infinite spirit, the On Who is perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness Who is worshipped as the Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. "Personal Creator and Lord of the universe, the Redeemer of His people, the ultimate author and principal subject of Scripture, and the object of the church’s confession, worship, and service." (Holman) Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q.4): “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” Blood (129)(haima) (click for all 90 uses below) is literally the red fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body and thus is essential for the preservation of life. Haima gives us English words like hemorrhage (Gk - haimorragia from haimo- + rragia from regnuo - to burst) English derivatives inclue hematology (study of blood) and "leukemia" which is from leuco (white) plus haima (blood), which is fitting as leukemia is a disease that affects the white blood cells. Derivatives of haima are : haimatekchusía (130), shedding of blood; haimorroéō (131), to hemorrhage. Haima was used to describe “descent” or “family” in ancient times. “To shed blood” is to destroy life. In Matthew 27:24, 25 - When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves."25 And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" - Clearly Pilate and and the Jewish crowd use of blood as a metonymy to depict Jesus' death. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus' "sweat became like drops of blood." (Lk 22:44) See discussion of hematidrosis, a rare condition in which a human sweats blood. Blood "has great significance in the Bible. Its meanings involve profound aspects of human life and God's desire to transform human existence. Blood is intimately associated with physical life. Blood and “life” or “living being” are closely associated." (Blood - Holman Bible Dictionary) Blood Of Christ which in many contexts represents the life that He gave for our atonement - Matthew 26:28, Mk 14:24, Lk 22:20, John 6:53, 55, 56, John 19:34, Acts 20:28 Ro 5:9, Eph 2:13, Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 1:19, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:14, Revelation 12:11 Redemption through Christ's blood (Mt 26:28, Jn 6:56, 19:34, Acts 20:28, Ro 5:9, Col 1:20, Heb 9:14, 1Pe 1:18, 1:19, 1Jn 1:7, Rev 1:5, 5:9, 7:14, 12:11) It is clear that the blood of Christ is supremely significant in the NT (1Cor. 10:16; Ep 2:13), not so much His material blood, but what happened to His material blood - it was shed in violent death. Haima is used in the phrase "blood of the covenant" (Ex 24:8, Mt 26:28, Mk 14:24, Heb 9:20, 10:29). See also blood associated with covenant (Zech 9:11, Lk 22:20, 1Cor 11:25, Heb 9:18, 12:24, 13:20). In John John 6:53-56 Jesus refers to drinking His blood, which clearly is not literal and is probably best explained as entering into the new covenant in Jesus' blood (Lk 22:20) by grace through faith. John MacArthur explains it this way - "Jesus’ point was an analogy that has spiritual, rather than literal, significance: just as eating and drinking are necessary for physical life, so also is belief in His sacrificial death on the cross necessary for eternal life. The eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood metaphorically symbolize the need for accepting Jesus’ cross work." (MacArthur Study Bible). Blood and life - Blood has this special significance because ‘the life of the flesh is in the blood’ (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23). However, the Bible’s emphasis is not on blood circulating through the body, but on shed blood; not on blood’s chemical properties, but on its symbolic significance. Since blood in the body represents life, shed blood represents life poured out; that is, death. (Blood - Bridgeway Bible Dictionary) Zodhiates adds that "haima is used to denote life given up or offered as an atonement since, in the ritual of sacrifice, special emphasis is laid upon it as the material basis of the individual life. The life of the animal offered for propitiation appears in the blood separated from the flesh which the Jews were forbidden to eat (Ge. 9:4; Lev. 3:17; 17:10-14; Deut. 12:23; Heb. 9:7-13, 18-25; 11:28; 13:11). This life is, on the one hand, in the blood, presented to God; on the other hand by sprinkling, appropriated to man (Heb. 9:7, 19, 20). This blood thus becomes the blood of the covenant or testament (see diathekē) which God commanded to us (Heb. 9:20). (Complete Word Study Dictionary- New Testament) Haima is used in the expression blood money in Judas' betrayal of Jesus - Judas while not repentant was filled with remorse declaring "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Mt 27:4) "The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money (the 30 pieces of silver paid for betraying Jesus) (Mt 27:6) "Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out." And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)" (Acts 1:18-19) Haima is used in the phrase "flesh and blood" which describes physical (as opposed to spiritual) aspect of a man or woman (the natural human body) (Mt 16:17, 1 Cor 15:50, Gal 1:16, Eph 6:12, Heb 2:14) Haima often describes death by shedding of blood (Matt. 23:30, 35; 27:4, 6, 8, 24; Luke 11:50, 51; Acts 1:19; 22:20; Ro. 3:15; Heb. 12:4; Rev. 6:10; 16:6; 18:24; 19:2; Sept.: Gen. 4:10; 9:6; 37:22; 2Sa 16:7; Ezek. 18:10; 24:6, 9). TDNT - In apocalyptic (literature and contexts), blood may be used for the color red, indicating eschatological terrors such as war (Acts 2:19), hail and fire (Rev. 8:7), and judgment (Rev. 14:20). Ex. 7:17ff. underlies this use. Wine is the blood of grapes in Ge 49:11; Dt. 32:14, etc., and the wine harvest is an eschatological image in Is. 63:3; cf. Rev. 14:19-20. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. TDNT) Blood (haima) has a number of associations in both the Old and the New Testaments. Note that all of the OT passages listed have the Hebrew word dam translated in the Septuagint by haima - Blood is the life of animals (Ge 9:4; Lev 17:11,14) Sprinkled Blood (Ex 12:7, 24:8, Lev 4:6, Nu 19:4, Heb 11:28, 12:24, 1Pe 1:2). Shedding of Innocent blood (Dt 19:10, 1Sa 19:5, 1Ki 2:31, 2Ki 21:16, Ps 94:21, Isa 59:7, Lam 4:13, Joel 3:19, Mt 27:4) Eating blood is forbidden (Ge 9:4, Lev 3:17; 7:26, 17:10,12, Dt 12:16, 1Sa 14:34, Acts 15:20,29). The Jews were often guilty of eating blood (1Sa 14:32,33; Ezek 33:25). When animals were slain blood was to be poured on the earth and Covered (Lev 17:13; Dt 12:16). The shedding of human blood was forbidden (Ge 9:5), was hateful to God (Pr 6:16,17), defiled the land (Ps 106:38), defiled the person (Isa 59:3), was something Jews were often guilty of (Jer 22:17; Ezek 22:4), was something that was always punished (Ge 9:6), was descriptive of the "blood money" Judas received for betraying Jesus (Mt 27:6). Blood was vital to the sacrificial system ordained by God (Typical of the Blood of Christ) to provide atonement (Ex 30:10; Lev 17:11, Heb 9:7), protection from angel of death (Ex 12:13), purification (Heb 9:13, 22) Sacrificial blood was to be disposed as directed (Ex 29:12; Lev 4:7), was not to be offered with leaven (Ex 23:18; 34:25), was ineffectual to remove sin (referring to blood of animals) (Heb 10:4), was used by idolaters who made drink-offerings of blood (Ps 16:4). Water turned into blood was used as a sign (Ex 4:30) and the waters of Egypt turned into blood as a judgment (Ex 7:17, 19, 21) Blood applied to persons for consecration or purification (Ex 29:20, Lev 8:23, 14:14, 14:25) Figurative uses of blood (see "blood money" - Mt 27:6) Washing the feet in blood figuratively spoke of victories (Ps 58:10; 68:23). Building a city with blood depicted oppression and cruelty (Hab 2:12) Giving one over to blood (bloodshed) depicted judgment for condoning shedding of blood (Ezekiel 35:6) Blood on one's head figuratively described one's guilt (2Sal 1:16; Ezek 18:13) The figure of giving blood to drink depicted severe judgments (Ezek 16:38; Rev 16:6) Figurative use of "blood upon men" speaks of guilt (2Sa 1:16, Jer 2:34, Lk 11:50, Acts 5:28, 18:6) W E Vine on haima - Noun Masculine — haima — hah'ee-mah ) (hence Eng., prefix haem, - "hemorrhage" , etc), besides its natural meaning, stands, (a) in conjunction with sarx, "flesh," "flesh and blood," Matthew 16:17; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 1:16; the original has the opposite order, blood and flesh, in Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 2:14; this phrase signifies, by synecdoche, "man, human beings." It stresses the limitations of humanity; the two are essential elements in man's physical being; "the life of the flesh is in the blood," Leviticus 17:11; (b) for human generation, John 1:13; (c) for "blood" shed by violence, e.g., Matthew 23:35; Revelation 17:6; (d) for the "blood" of sacrificial victims, e.g., Hebrews 9:7; of the "blood" of Christ, which betokens His death by the shedding of His "blood" in expiatory sacrifice; to drink His "blood" is to appropriate the saving effects of His expiatory death, John 6:53 . As "the life of the flesh is in the blood," Leviticus 17:11 , and was forfeited by sin, life eternal can be imparted only by the expiation made, in the giving up of the life by the sinless Savior. (Blood - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words) Summary of haima - (1) human blood (Jn 19.34); by metonymy human nature, physical descent (Heb 2.14); (2) of sacrificial animals blood (Heb 9.7); (3) idiomatically - literally pour out blood, i.e. kill (Rev 16.6); menstrual flow, hemorrhage (Mk 5.25); literally fountain of blood, i.e. bleeding (Mk 5.29); (4) by metonymy, of another’s murder (Mt 23.30); of Christ’s atoning sacrifice death, the blood of Christ (Ro 3.25); (5) in apocalyptic language, the red color of blood as symbolizing disaster (Acts 2.19) (Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament- Barbara Friberg and Neva F. Mille Timothy Friberg) Semantic domains on haima—1. blood, red life-fluid in of humans and animals (Mk 5:25; Lk 22:44); 2. death (Mt 27:25); 3. killing (Mt 23:30, 35; Ro 3:15); 4. die as sacrifice (Mt 26:28); 5. vaginal bleeding (Mk 5:25, 29; Lk 8:43, 44); 6. sarx kai haima = human being, one of mankind, formally, flesh and blood (Mt 16:17; 1Co 15:50; Gal 1:16; Eph 6:12; Heb 2:14); 7. koinōneō haimatos kai sarkos = be a person, be a physical being (Heb 2:14) Colin Brown on classic uses of haima - Already in Homer haima is used physiologically as the bearer of life and the life force. It is prerequisite for the maintenance of life both of man and beast, for it is physically and organically necessary to them. In Homer haima metaphorically denotes lineage. Since blood is the seat of life, “shedding blood” was used already at an early date as a synonym for “kill” (Aesch., Eumenides 653). In secular usage haima was used for the blood of both men and beasts. It gained special importance in cultic usage, for it was the most important element in human sacrifice, and then in animal sacrifice which took its place. Greeks and Romans had blood sacrifices for the dead; originally the blood was poured over the dead, then later onto the funeral pyre, and finally into the grave and on the grave mound (Il., 23, 34; cf. Od. 11, 35 f., 50, 96). Blood guilt had to be atoned for by blood. Since Orestes had shed his mother’s blood, the Erinyes wished to drink his blood (Aesch., Eumenides, 261 ff.). But human blood could be replaced by animal blood, and Orestes was purified by the blood of a young pig (Aesch., Eumenides 28 ff.). Sacrificial blood was regarded as having strengthening and cleansing power (Heraclit., Frag. B5; Diels, I, 78). Various blood rituals involving the drinking or sprinkling of blood, often including human blood, were employed especially in magical rites to bring rain, welfare, love or harm. The drinking of blood, especially that of a killed enemy (Hdt., 4, 64, 1), brought strength and gave the gift of prophecy (Pausanias, 2, 24, 1). In a blood covenant human blood was collected in drops in a cup and drunk in wine by all participants. Haima in the Septuagint - For the OT, as in the classical world, blood was the seat of life. The “soul”, i.e. life, life force, is in the blood (Ge 9:4; Lev 17:11, 14; Dt. 12:23). God is the sole Lord of all life. He is sovereign over the blood and life of men (Ezek 18:4). Hence he avenges the shedding of innocent blood (Gen. 9:5; cf. Jer. 51:35f.). Animal blood also belongs to God. It is holy, and the consumption of blood is forbidden on pain of death (Lev 3:17; 7:26f.; 17:10, 14; Dt. 12:23; 1Sa. 14:32ff.). Lev. 17:8, 10, 13, 15 stress that these laws apply not merely to Israelites but also to “strangers”, the heathen resident aliens. In the OT the blood of the sacrificial animals is given back to God, being poured out at the base of the altar. It was used for sprinkling the altar (Ex 29:16; Lev. 3:2), the high priest (Ex 29:21), and also the temple veil (Lev. 4:6; Num. 19:4). The power of the sacrificial blood is atoning (Lev. 16:6, 15ff.), purifying (Lev 14), and sanctifying (Ex 29:30f.). It belongs to the making of the covenant (Ex 24:6ff.). Blood removed sin in sacrifices of purification, sin and guilt, especially on the great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). It purified the priests, the people and the temple, and renewed the covenant (2Chr 29:23f.). Blood put on the doorposts protected the first-born from death (Ex. 12:22f.). (New International Dictionary of NT Theology) Gilbrant on haima in classical Greek - Among classical writers, from the time of Homer on (ca. Eighth through the Sixth Centuries B.C.), haima denoted the physical “blood” of an animal or human being. With a change of context the term could indicate a relationship, like a “blood relative.” Blood was often associated with “murder” or the “shedding of blood” (Liddell-Scott). Greeks and Romans alike understood a cultic significance of blood, and it played a major role in pagan religions. Such meanings continued through the period of the Septuagint and into the New Testament era. (Complete Biblical Library) Almost without exception haima is used to translate the Hebrew word for blood which is dām. V.P. Hamilton says “blood” is “life offered up in death” (TWOT) The key role of blood in the OT is in the Levitical sacrifices for in Lev 17:11 Jehovah says "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." Israel was strictly forbidden to consume blood (Lev 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:10; Dt 12:23; 1Sa 14:32-34) The “blood” of grapes refers to their juice (Dt 32:14). Related Resources: Blood - Torrey's Topical Textbook American Tract Society Blood Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Blood Baker Evangelical Dictionary Avenger of Blood Easton's Bible Dictionary Avenger of Blood Blood Fausset Bible Dictionary Blood Holman Bible Dictionary Blood Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Blood Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Blood Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary Blood People's Dictionary of the Bible Blood Smith Bible Dictionary Blood Vines' Expository Dictionary Blood Whyte's Bible Characters The woman with the issue of blood Wilson's Bible Types Blood Watson's Theological Dictionary Blood Avenger of Blood 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Avenger of Blood Blood International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Blood Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Blood The Jewish Encyclopedia Avenger of Blood Blood Haima - Blood 97x in 90v - Translated blood (94), hemorrhage* (3). Notice that Hebrews is especially a "bloody" book which is not surprising given that it was written to Jews who were struggling with the concepts of the Old Covenant which included an emphasis on blood. Matthew 16:17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 23:30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Matthew 26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. Matthew 27:4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!" 6 The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves." 25 And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" Mark 5:25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Mark 14:24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Luke 8:43 And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Luke 11:50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.' Luke 13:1 Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. Acts 1:19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) Acts 2:19 'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. 20 'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. Acts 5:28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." Acts 18:6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Acts 20:26-note "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 21:25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." Acts 22:20 'And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.' Romans 3:15-note "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 25-note whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; Romans 5:9-note Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Comment - Selecting the word haima was hardly due to the nature of Christ’s death, for little blood is shed during a crucifixion. The reference to blood is included because of its sacrificial dimensions, recalling the bloody animal sacrifices of Leviticus. Justification, therefore, was free but not cheap. It was obtained at the cost of Christ’s blood. (Schreiner, T. R. Vol. 6: Romans. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament) 1 Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Galatians 1:16-note to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, Ephesians 1:7-note In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 2:13-note But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 6:12-note For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Colossians 1:20-note and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Hebrews 2:14-note Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, Hebrews 9:7-note but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 12-note and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13-note For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14-note how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 18-note Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19-note For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20-note saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." 21-note And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22-note And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 25-note nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Hebrews 10:4-note For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 19-note Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 29-note How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 11:28-note By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. Hebrews 12:4-note You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 24-note and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 13:11-note For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12-note Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 20-note Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 1 Peter 1:2-note according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. 19-note but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 John 1:7-note but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 5:6-note This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 8-note the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. Revelation 1:5-note and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-- Revelation 5:9-note And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Revelation 6:10-note and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Revelation 6:12-note I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; Comment - the picture of the moon becoming hōs haima, like blood, meaning “red like blood,” a further image of terrible judgment. In Joel 2:31 (quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17–21), “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” The darkening of the sun is frequent in the OT as a sign of judgment (Ex. 10:22; Isa. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7–8), and the turning of the moon bloodred deepens the image. A terrible judgment is about to fall on the earth-dwellers. (Osborne, G. R. Revelation. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament) Revelation 7:14-note I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 8:7-note The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8-note The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, Revelation 11:6-note These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. Revelation 12:11-note "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Comment - they “overcome” Satan dia to haima tou arniou, on account of the blood of the Lamb. The real basis for all spiritual victory is always the cross rather than one’s own strength. Barr (1997: 361) states that evil is conquered not by superior power but by the blood of the Lamb (5:6; 12:11) (Osborne) Revelation 14:20-note And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. Revelation 16:3-note The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. 4-note Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 6-note for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it." Comment - they have poured out the blood of the saints and prophets). This is another example of lex talionis (the law of retribution) in Revelation. The verb is the same as that describing the angels “pouring out” the bowls in 16:1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 17 and heightens the sense of divine justice. They “poured out” the blood of God’s servants, so God is “pouring out” judgment on them. (Osborne, G. R.. Revelation. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament). Revelation 17:6-note And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. Revelation 18:24-note "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." Revelation 19:2-note BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." 13-note He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Haima - 264 verses in the Septuagint - Gen 4:10f; 9:4ff; 37:22, 26, 31; 42:22; 49:11; Ex 4:9, 25f; 7:17, 19ff; 12:7, 13, 22f; 23:18; 24:6, 8; 29:12, 16, 20; 30:10; 34:25; Lev 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2, 8, 13, 17; 4:5ff, 16ff, 25, 30, 34; 5:9; 6:27, 30; 7:2, 14, 26f, 33; 8:15, 19, 23f, 30; 9:9, 12, 18; 10:18; 12:4f, 7; 14:6, 14, 17, 25, 28, 51f; 15:19, 25; 16:14f, 18f, 27; 17:4, 6, 10ff; 19:16; 20:18; Num 18:17; 19:4f; 23:24; 35:12, 19, 21, 24f, 27, 33; Deut 12:16, 23, 27; 15:23; 17:8; 19:6, 10, 12f; 21:7ff; 27:25; 32:14, 42f; Josh 20:3, 9; Jdg 9:24; 1Sa 14:32ff; 19:5; 25:26, 31, 33; 26:20; 2 Sam 1:16, 22; 3:27f; 4:11; 14:11; 16:7f; 20:12; 21:1; 23:17; 1Kgs 2:5, 9, 31ff, 35, 37; 18:28; 21:19; 22:35, 38; 2Kgs 3:22f; 9:7, 26, 33; 16:13, 15; 21:16; 24:4; 1Chr 11:19; 22:8; 28:3; 2Chr 19:10; 24:25; 29:22, 24; 30:16; 35:11; 36:5; Esther 8:12; Job 6:4; 16:18; 39:30; Ps 5:6; 9:12; 14:3; 16:4; 26:9; 30:9; 50:13; 51:14; 55:23; 58:10; 59:2; 68:23; 78:44; 79:3, 10; 94:21; 105:29; 106:38; 139:19; Pr 1:11, 16; 6:17; 21:3; 29:10; 30:33; Isa 1:11, 15; 4:4; 14:19; 15:9; 26:21; 33:15; 34:3, 6f; 49:26; 59:3, 7; 63:3, 6; 66:3; Jer 2:34; 7:6; 19:4; 22:3, 17; 26:15; 46:10; 48:10; 51:35; Lam 4:13f; Ezek 3:18, 20; 5:17; 14:19; 16:6, 9, 22, 36, 38; 18:10, 13; 21:32; 22:2ff, 6, 9, 12f, 27; 23:37, 45; 24:6ff, 14, 17; 28:23; 32:5; 33:4ff, 8; 35:6; 38:22; 39:17ff; 43:18, 20; 44:7, 15, 24; 45:19; Hos 1:4; 4:2; 12:14; Joel 2:30f; 3:19, 21; Jonah 1:14; Mic 3:10; 7:2; Nah 3:1; Hab 2:8, 12, 17; Zeph 1:17; Zech 9:7, 11 Born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. - A sculptor may take a piece of rough marble, and work from it the figure of a Madonna; but it is still nothing but marble, and lifeless. A carver may take a piece of wood, and work out of it a scene of conviviality; but it is still wood, and insensible. A watch-cleaner may take a watch, the mainspring of which is broken: he may clean every wheel, cog, pin, hand, the face, and the cases; but, the mainspring not rectified, it will be as useless for going and time-telling as before. A painter may decorate the outside of a pesthouse with the most beautiful colors; but, if he produce no change within, it is still a pesthouse. A poor man may clothe himself in the garb of a monarch; but he is still a poor man. A leper may cover all his spots with his garment; but he is still a leper. So the sinner may reform in all the externals of his life, so that he shall attain to the moral finery of Saul of Tarsus, or Nicodemus, a master in Israel, but, except he be born again FROM ABOVE, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. -- Bate John Bunyan’s Last Sermon on John 1:13 - August 25 - John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, was a mender of pots and pans who, following his conversion, became a mender of souls. In 1660 he was imprisoned in Bedford, England, for his Puritan views, and his cell became his study, his pulpit, his prayer chamber, his counseling center, and his writing studio. Following his release, Bunyan served the Baptist church in Bedford (which had elected him pastor while he was still in prison). In August, 1688, Bunyan, 60, was drenched in a rainstorm while traveling to London; but, arriving in the city, he proceeded to bring the Sunday morning sermon at a church in Whitechapel. He choose for his text John 1:13, and he ended his message saying: O do not flatter yourselves with a portion among the sons, unless you live like sons. When we see a king’s son play with a beggar, this is unbecoming; so if you be the king’s children, live like the king’s children; if you be risen with Christ, set your affections on the things above, and not on things below; when you come together, talk of what your Father promised you; you should all love your Father’s will, and be content and pleased with the exercises you meet with in the world. If you are the children of God, live together lovingly; if the world quarrel with you, it is no matter; but it is sad if you quarrel together; if this be amongst you, it is a sign of ill-breeding; it is not according to the rules you have in the Word of God. Dost thou see a soul that has the image of God in him? Love him, love him; say, This man and I must go to heaven one day; serve one another, do good for one another, if any wrong you, pray to God to right you, and love the brotherhood. Two days later, Bunyan was gripped by a high fever and put to bed in his hotel. He died twelve days after his last sermon. (From This Verse - Robert Morgan)
João 1:14-18
MacArthur - The church is the fulness or complement (pleroma) of Christ. As a head must have a body to manifest the glory of that head, so the Lord must have the church to manifest His glory (Ep 3:10). Henry Alford - Here, the simple and primary meaning is by far the best,—'the thing filled,'—'the filled up receptacle' … the meaning being, that the church being the Body of Christ, is dwelt in and filled by God: it is His pleroma in an especial manner—His fulness abides in it, and is exemplified by it" (3:87). John Eadie - "The word (pleroma), we apprehend, is rightly taken in a passive sense—that which is filled up." And then he concludes: "So the church is named pleroma, or fulness, because it holds or contains the fulness of Christ" (p. 113).
João 1:14-18
MacArthur - Verse 14 is the most concise biblical statement of the Incarnation, and therefore one of Scripture's most significant verses. The four words with which it begins, the Word became flesh, express the reality that in the Incarnation God took on humanity; the infinite became finite; eternity entered time; the invisible became visible (cf. Col. 1:15); the Creator entered His creation. God revealed Himself to man in the creation (Rom. 1:18-21), the Old Testament Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21), and, supremely and most clearly, in Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). The record of His life and work, and its application and significance for the past, present, and future, is in the New Testament. (See MacArthur New Testament Commentary – John 1-11 scroll up and down for more comments)
João 1:14-18
MacArthur says "As a result of the Fall, man is in a sad state of incompleteness. He is spiritually incomplete because He is totally out of fellowship with God. He is morally incomplete because he lives outside of God’s will. He is mentally incomplete because he does not know ultimate truth. At salvation, believers become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4) and are made complete. Believers are spiritually complete because they have fellowship with God. They are morally complete in that they recognize the authority of God’s will. They are mentally complete because they know the truth about ultimate reality." (Colossians Commentary).
João 1:14-18
MacArthur - To be filled up to all the fulness of God therefore means to be totally dominated by Him, with nothing left of self or any part of the old man. By definition, then, to be filled with God is to be emptied of self. It is not to have much of God and little of self, but all of God and none of self. This is a recurring theme in Ephesians. Here Paul talks about the fulness of God; in 4:13 it is “the fulness of Christ”; and in 5:18 it is the fulness of the Spirit. Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Col 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, J B Lightfoot on pleroma - On the one hand, in relation to Deity, He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is not only the chief manifestation of the Divine nature: He exhausts the godhead manifested. In Him resides the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. For this totality Gnostic teachers had a technical term, the pleroma or plenitude…In contrast to their doctrine, [Paul] asserts and repeats the assertion, that the pleroma abides absolutely and wholly in Christ as the Word of God. The entire light is concentrated in Him. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (ONLINE) - The reference to fullness here is an intentional slap at the false teachers, who apparently used the same word, pleroma, to denote the totality of all the thousands of divine emanations of lesser gods. The sense is that Jesus is not one of the lesser gods of the fullness. He is the Fullness. Colossians 2:9 puts it even more explicitly: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (NIV). Fullness denotes the totality of divine power and attributes in Christ. Knowledge of this fullness is part of the gnōsis for which Paul prayed for the Colossians. Divine fullness establishes Christ’s superiority beyond doubt. And with this, his adequacy to meet every believer’s need fills his followers: “and you have been given fullness in Christ” (Col 2:10NIV). Christ can hold all the fullness of deity, believers cannot. But believers are full of his fullness. This grand motif then informs the section on practical living. Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, Salmond (Expositor's Greek Testament) - The false teachers represented the fulness of the Godhead as distributed among the angels, and thus led their victims captive. Paul’s warning against the false doctrine thus rests on the fact that it was in Christ that the whole fulness dwelt. (Commentary)
João 1:14-18
MacArthur adds that "Because in Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9), He provides for all His people’s needs (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 4:12–13; Col. 1:28; 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3). That abundant supply will never be exhausted or diminished; grace will continually follow grace in a limitless, never-ending flow (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 2:7). (See excellent commentary on John 1-11 MacArthur New Testament Commentary scroll up and down for more comments) Illustration of grace upon grace - Years ago, Amy Carmichael shared some helpful insights about the phrase, “grace for grace.” Drawing from the writings of Bishop Moule (1841-1920), she wrote that the Greek word translated “for” literally means “instead of.” He illustrated the meaning by describing a river. “Stand on its banks,” he wrote, “and contemplate the flow of waters. A minute passes, and another. Is it the same stream still? Yes. But is it the same water? No.” The old water, he explained, had been displaced by new—”water instead of water.” (See full devotional below) Upon is the preposition anti (see discussion in NIDNTT; see also Vincent's note and NET notes below) - Anti has two basic meanings - instead of or opposed to. Because of this preposition commentators have argued over the meaning of grace upon grace (discussed below), but most common people are not able to "nuance" the Greek and take God's Word with simple minds and humble hearts, which is why I favor the interpretation of grace piled upon grace, always enough no matter the need! Indeed, this is Amazing Grace! Grace (5485) (charis) in simple terms is God's unmerited favor and supernatural enablement and empowerment for salvation and for daily sanctification. Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. Grace is what every man needs, what none can earn and what God Alone can and does freely give (see Ro 8:32+ where "freely give" is charizomai [word study] from charis = a grace gift!). Grace addresses man's sin, while mercy addresses man's misery. The gift of grace makes men fit for salvation, miraculously making separated strangers into God's beloved sons. Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition of grace - unmerited love and favor of God which is the spring and source of all benefits men receive from Him, including especially His assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification. (Grace is) a virtue from God influencing man, renewing his heart and restraining him from sin. Charles Allen offers a succinct synopsis of grace noting that "In the Bible there are three distinctive meanings of grace; it means the mercy and active love of God; it means the winsome attractiveness of God; it means the strength of God to overcome." NET Note - The meaning of the phrase charin anti charitos could be: (1) love (grace) under the New Covenant in place of love (grace) under the Sinai Covenant, thus replacement; (2) grace “on top of” grace, thus accumulation; (3) grace corresponding to grace, thus correspondence. The most commonly held view is (2) in one sense or another, and this is probably the best explanation.
João 1:14-18
MacArthur - Jesus is the only one qualified to exegete or interpret God to man, since “no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27). Just as a word explains an unseen thought, so Jesus, the Word, explains the unseen God to us. Steven
João 1:16
MacArthur says "As a result of the Fall, man is in a sad state of incompleteness. He is spiritually incomplete because He is totally out of fellowship with God. He is morally incomplete because he lives outside of God’s will. He is mentally incomplete because he does not know ultimate truth. At salvation, believers become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4) and are made complete. Believers are spiritually complete because they have fellowship with God. They are morally complete in that they recognize the authority of God’s will. They are mentally complete because they know the truth about ultimate reality." (Colossians Commentary).
João 1:16
MacArthur - To be filled up to all the fulness of God therefore means to be totally dominated by Him, with nothing left of self or any part of the old man. By definition, then, to be filled with God is to be emptied of self. It is not to have much of God and little of self, but all of God and none of self. This is a recurring theme in Ephesians. Here Paul talks about the fulness of God; in 4:13 it is “the fulness of Christ”; and in 5:18 it is the fulness of the Spirit. Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Col 1:19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, J B Lightfoot on pleroma - On the one hand, in relation to Deity, He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is not only the chief manifestation of the Divine nature: He exhausts the godhead manifested. In Him resides the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. For this totality Gnostic teachers had a technical term, the pleroma or plenitude.…In contrast to their doctrine, [Paul] asserts and repeats the assertion, that the pleroma abides absolutely and wholly in Christ as the Word of God. The entire light is concentrated in Him. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery - The reference to fullness here is an intentional slap at the false teachers, who apparently used the same word, pleroma, to denote the totality of all the thousands of divine emanations of lesser gods. The sense is that Jesus is not one of the lesser gods of the fullness. He is the Fullness. Colossians 2:9 puts it even more explicitly: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (NIV). Fullness denotes the totality of divine power and attributes in Christ. Knowledge of this fullness is part of the gnōsis for which Paul prayed for the Colossians. Divine fullness establishes Christ’s superiority beyond doubt. And with this, his adequacy to meet every believer’s need fills his followers: “and you have been given fullness in Christ” (Col 2:10NIV). Christ can hold all the fullness of deity, believers cannot. But believers are full of his fullness. This grand motif then informs the section on practical living. Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, Salmond (Expositor's Greek Testament) - The false teachers represented the fulness of the Godhead as distributed among the angels, and thus led their victims captive. Paul’s warning against the false doctrine thus rests on the fact that it was in Christ that the whole fulness dwelt. (Commentary)
João 1:16
MacArthur - Because in Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9), He provides for all His people’s needs (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 4:12–13; Col. 1:28; 2:10; 2 Peter 1:3). That abundant supply will never be exhausted or diminished; grace will continually follow grace in a limitless, never-ending flow (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 2:7). Cambridge - Literally, Grace in the place of grace, one grace succeeding another and as it were taking its place. There is no reference to the New Testament displacing the Old. Possibly the anti may imply that one grace leads on to another, so that the second is, as it were, a reward for the first. Winer, p. 456. (John 1 - Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary) Expositor's Greek Testament - "ever and anon fresh grace appears over and above that already received"...“Where in the history of mankind can we find anything resembling this, that men who had eaten and drunk with their Master should glorify Him, not only as the Revealer of God, but as the Prince of Life, as the Redeemer and Judge of the world, as the living power of its existence, and that a choir of Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish, should along with them immediately confess that out of the fulness of this one man they have received grace for grace?” (John 1 - The Expositor's Greek Testament) J C
João 1:16
MacArthur - The church is the fulness or complement (pleroma) of Christ. As a head must have a body to manifest the glory of that head, so the Lord must have the church to manifest His glory (Ep 3:10). Henry Alford - Here, the simple and primary meaning is by far the best,—'the thing filled,'—'the filled up receptacle' ... the meaning being, that the church being the Body of Christ, is dwelt in and filled by God: it is His pleroma in an especial manner—His fulness abides in it, and is exemplified by it" (3:87). John Eadie - "The word (pleroma), we apprehend, is rightly taken in a passive sense—that which is filled up." And then he concludes: "So the church is named pleroma, or fulness, because it holds or contains the fulness of Christ" (p. 113).
João 1:18
MacArthur - Jesus is the only one qualified to exegete or interpret God to man, since “no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27). Explained (1834)(exegeomai from ek = out or as an intensifier + hegeomai = tell, lead means literally to lead out, then to unfold, declare by making plain, or tell the meaning of something, especially to tell it fully. To make known or thoroughly explain. Figuratively the idea is to "bring out" the meaning. To "draw out" in narrative form and so to relate (Luke 24:35; Acts 10:8; 15:12, 14; 21:19). In English relate means to give an account of. In Jn 1:18, John says that the life of Jesus provides detailed information in a systematic manner regarding the character of God. In a sense, Jesus is the "exegesis" of God! He "narrates" or "relates" the full story about God! He is the Word of God and the Word about God! "‘As Jesus gives life and is life, raises the dead and is the resurrection, gives bread and is bread, speaks truth and is the truth, so as he speaks the word he is the Word." (D A Carson quoting C H Dodd). Exegeomai is used of a man relating his dream (Jdg 7:13), of describing a miracle (2 Ki. 8:5), and of declaring the Lord’s glory among the nations (1Chr. 16:24). The closely related noun exegetes (also in Ge 41:8) is used in Pr 29:18 (see commentary) which says "Where there is no vision (no expounder, on one who leads on, no interpreter), the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law." The clear application to pastors is to "Preach (every verb in red is aorist imperative = command to do so even with a sense of urgency) the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (2Ti 4:2-note) How few pastors are exegetes and thus their sheep are not fed. Explain (Webster's definitions - Ponder Jesus' incarnation as you read these definitions! Interesting!) - To make known or clear by providing more detail, to make plain or understandable, to give the reason for or cause of, to show the logical development or relationships of, to explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known; to make (something) comprehensible, esp. by giving a clear and detailed account of the relevant structure, operation, surrounding circumstances, etc; Synonyms = clarify, clear up, define, demonstrate, describe, disclose, elucidate, explicate (formal), expound, illustrate, interpret, make clear or plain, resolve, solve, teach, unfold. Webster's 1828 = To make plain, manifest or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to illustrate by discourse, or by notes. The first business of a preacher is to explain his text. Notes and comments are intended to explain the scriptures. Relate (Webster) - to give an account of; To tell; to recite; to narrate the particulars of an event; to tell or narrate (a story, information, etc.). To tell orally or in writing the details or circumstances of a situation