João 1
John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 1:3
Piper writes that "Creation is God's poiema - Work of Art - What does He do to make Himself evident? He made the world. He created - like a potter, or a sculptor or a poet, except He created out of nothing. In Ro 1:20, when it says that God is "understood through what has been made," the words "what has been made" stand for one Greek word (which you will all recognize), the word poiema. It's the word from which we get "poem." The universe and everything in it is God's work of art. What's the point of this word? The point is that in a poem there is manifest design and intention and wisdom and power. The wind might create a letter in the sand, but not a poem. That's the point. God acted. God planned. God designed. God crafted. He created and made. And in doing that, Paul says in Ro 1:19, God made Himself evident to all mankind. The universe is a poem about God. (Displays of God Remove the Excuse for Failed Worship) The idea of poiema is that our new life in Christ is like a poem which expresses “form and pattern along with beauty. Like the underside of grandmother’s cross-stitch, the everyday of our lives may look to be knotted and hopelessly tangled. But when we turn the fabric over, we see design and beauty that was there all along but that we never foresaw.” (Gage) Perhaps you don’t feel much like a work of divine poetry, but regardless of how you feel, the truth about you as God’s workmanship, is that you are His “MASTERPIECE” (NLT), His “HANDIWORK” (NAB), His “WORK OF ART” (NJB), in fact, a work of art that is one of a kind! You are “custom designed”, “tailor-made,” by the Master’s hand. C H
João 1:7
Piper writes that "the way God uses people to promote the light is by their testimony. John was a witness. A witness is a person with some experience and knowledge that can help establish the truth of some fact that is in dispute. God had spoken to John in the wilderness about the coming Messiah, and his meeting with Jesus at the baptism gave him the experience he needed to be a bona fide witness. John 1:33-34: "I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." So God had spoken to John earlier about the One who was coming. And then he gave him a sign to let him know that Jesus was this One. From then on John bore his testimony to Jesus faithfully until he was put to death for his witness. On August 30, 1744, Jonathan Edwards preached an ordination sermon for Robert Abercrombie, and took as his text John 5:35 where Jesus says of John's witness, "He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light." Edwards developed the point that a faithful witness to the gospel burns and shines. That is, there is the warmth of zeal and the light of truth. John the Baptist had both of them, and in this he is a great example for us. (A Burning Witness to the Light) In another sermon on John 1:6-8 Dr Piper writes "“There was a man.” There was a person. There will always be a person. A person like you. John is pressing into his Gospel from the very beginning the truth that human witnesses to Christ are always necessary. Our witness is a great necessity. This is my first point. Our human witness is a great necessity. Keep going in verse 6: “There was a man sent from God.” The point of this is that the necessity of human witness does not mean God is dependent on the initiative of human will. God was involved not just in sending Jesus; he is involved in sending witnesses to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 9:38, “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” God sees to it that we pray. And he sees to it that he answers and sends. He said to his disciples in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And he said to Paul in Acts 22:21, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” God makes human witnesses necessary, but he does not leave his mission to the initiative of man. He sends. We serve a saving and sending God. He provides the foundation of our salvation in Jesus Christ, and he provides the means of our salvation in those whom he sends. Let this have an enlivening effect on you. God is at work now—today—moving his witnesses through the world, making them the means of his saving work. I hope this makes you want to look Jesus square in the face and say with Isaiah, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8)." (John Was Not the Light, but a Witness to the Light) POSB - John 1:7 Mission— Witnessing: a man with a mission. Note two points. 1. The man came to bear witness of the Light. He was sent with a very specific message, and that message was to proclaim the Light, Christ Himself. Thought 1. The message is a given message. The servant of God is not left on his own to think up a message; he is not dependent upon his own reason, thoughts, and ideas. His message is Christ, the Light of the world. (2 Cor. 2:17, 2 Cor. 4:1-2, 1 Thes. 2:13, Deut. 4:2, Deut. 12:32, Pr 30:6, Rev. 22:19). 2. The purpose of the man's witness is clearly stated: that all men, through Christ, might believe. His purpose was not... • to start a movement for God. • to organize and administer. • to minister (note that John never healed or performed a miracle nor built a program around the synagogue or temple, John 10:41). His purpose was not even to preach. His purpose was to lead men to believe in the Light. He witnessed and proclaimed the Light so that all men might believe. The man was sent to focus on people and to lead them to believe in Christ Jesus. (See Study of verb for believe pisteuo) Thought 1. The servant of God has one primary purpose: to lead men to believe in Christ Jesus, the Light of the world. The servant's purpose is not to organize, to administer, to oversee, to manage, to teach, or to preach. His purpose is as stated: to lead men to believe in Christ Jesus. Everything else is method, not purpose. Men have too often confused methods with purpose. The result has been that teeming millions are still unreached and teeming thousands are being deceived by confusing the methods of religion with the purpose of God: the salvation of men through belief in His Son. (John 3:16, John 5:24). (BORROW The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible : New Testament, King James Version ) He came (2064 - Thayer's definition) (erchomai) means simply to come and the aorist tense (past completed action - historical fact) marks John's appearance on the scene of human history in fulfillment of divine prophecy (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1-note, Malachi 4:5-note). Some say why study prophecy for it only causes confusion and incites arguments. I would respond that fulfilled prophecy is one of the great faith builders in God's Word and to ignore it is to miss or minimize that positive effect (cp Ro 10:17+). Jesus described John the Baptist as "the lamp (luchnos/lychnos) that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light." (Jn 5:35+) Jesus then contrasted His ministry with that of John the Baptist declaring "the witness (marturia/martyria) 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 (martureo) of Me, that the Father has sent (apostello) Me." (Jn 5:36+) The apostle John presents a striking contrast - John the Baptist was a temporary lamp (luchnos/lychnos) shining in the darkness, whereas Jesus is eternally the true Light (phos), the essence of Light (Jn 1:4+, Jn 1:5+), the Source of light to all in spiritual darkness. John writes "God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.".(1Jn 1:5+). In Mt 5:15+ (Mk 4:21+, Lk 8:16+, Lk 11:33+) the light of the lamp is compared to the light of one's life, which is to shine forth so that the spiritually dark world can see the Light of the world in us, "Christ in (us) the hope of glory" (Col 1:27+). In the same way believers today are to be "lamps" reflecting the glory of the Son, even as the moon reflects the glory of the sun! Are you obeying Jesus' command to "Let your light shine before men in such a way (key qualifier - do men laud you or laud the Lord?) that they may see your good works (we have the incredible privilege of bearing good [supernatural] fruit that functions like light for the lost to see spiritual truth), and glorify (doxazo = to give a proper opinion of) our Father Who is in heaven (You are on earth. The Father is in heaven. No one has seen or can see the Father, but you have the privilege of living a supernatural quality of life so that it points or directs the lost to see the certainty that there is an invisible God). (Mt 5:16+), cf a parallel command in Lk 12:35+ from the Captain of the hosts to "Be [present imperative = make it your habitual practice to be] dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit."
João 1:7
Piper says "Believing in the light happens through a witness to the light. There is no other way. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word” (Romans 10:17)....Without a witness no one believes." (John Was Not the Light, but a Witness to the Light) Westcott commenting on John's two uses of hina in one verse says "This combination of successive and related ends under one form of construction, is characteristic of St John’s style: comp. Jn 20:31, Jn 15:16, Jn 17:21, Jn 17:23." (The Gospel According to St John) Westcott on all - The prophets had prepared the way for the extension of the divine call beyond Israel (comp. Isa 49:6). The Baptist at last delivered a message which in its essence was universal. As the last prophet, the last interpreter of the Law, he carried the preparatory discipline to its final application. He spoke to men as men; outward descent, national privileges, disappeared from their place in the divine order from the time of his preaching. The basis of his preaching was repentance (Mt 3:2, 4:17)—inner self-renunciation—the end was faith (Mk 1:14). In this connection it is to be noticed that the conception of faith is sharpened by being left in an absolute form: that all men might believe (contrast Jn 1:12) through him (John). There can be but one adequate object of faith, even God made known in the Son. Believe is used similarly Jn 1:51, 5:44, 11:15, 14:29, etc., Jn 4:41-42, 4:53, 19:35, 20:29, 20:31.(The Gospel According to St John) All might believe through him - In a cursory reading this might sound like John is teaching "Universalism" (all will be saved regardless of their belief). Clearly that is a heretical interpretation refuted by many other passages including the clear warning of Jesus calling for every reader to "Enter (aorist imperative = command to do this now! It is urgent! Don't delay!) by the narrow gate; for (term of explanation) the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction (apoleia = not annihilation or end of existence but total ruin of everything that makes human existence worthwhile. So not loss of being, but of well-being and that eternally! Tragedy upon tragedy!) , and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. (Mt 7:13-14) Note the qualifying adjectives, respectively, many and few! Jesus could not have more clearly refuted the false doctrine of universalism. Kostenberger quoting R. Brown - Through the Word, “all things” were created; now it is God’s purpose that “all people” might believe through John’s testimony. That ALL might believe - This is God's heart! ALL! John is not saying that ALL will believe, but that ALL might believe or might be saved! Our great, gracious God "desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1Ti 2:4) Peter adds that God is patient "not wishing for ANY to perish but for ALL to come to repentance." (2Pe 3:9-note). Notice that Peter clearly associates with repentance with salvation, a vital, dynamic doctrine that the modern church seems to have largely forgotten. BELIEVE - A KEY WORD IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN Believe (4100)(pisteuo [click detailed discussion of what it means to genuinely believe in Jesus] from pistis; pistos; related studies the faith, the obedience of faith) means to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust. To accept as true, genuine, or real. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something or someone. Pisteuo means to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence. To believe in with the implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. While obviously belief must first have some intellectual apprehension of the truth, "intellectual belief" is absolutely not genuine, soul saving belief! Leon
João 1:12
Piper says "Receiving Jesus means that when Jesus offers Himself to you, you welcome Him into your life for what He is. • If he comes to you as Savior, you welcome his salvation. • If he comes to you as Leader, you welcome his leadership. • If he comes to you as Provider, you welcome his provision. • If he comes to you as Counselor, you welcome his counsel. • If he comes to you as Protector, you welcome his protection. • If he comes to you as Authority, you welcome his authority. • If he comes to you as King, you welcome his rule. Receiving Jesus means taking Jesus into your life for what He is. It does not mean a kind of peaceful co-existence with a Christ Who makes no claims—as though He can stay in the house as long as he doesn’t play his music so loud. As Leon