“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23). Yet, such fruit must not be considered fulfilled in theological agreement, but in the practice of good works. For example, Paul told Titus to remind the brethren to learn to devote themselves to good works, in an effort to supply whatever others need, and in so doing the believer won’t be unfruitful (Titus 3:14). Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit is made manifest in good works, and walking by the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 5:25) involves abiding in and living by the Life of the Vine. Read the rest of this entry »
Jesus and his disciples were about to leave the upper room at this point (cp. John 14:31). However, before doing so Jesus had a few concluding remarks. He told his disciples that he had told them these things being yet with them. If we begin “these things” with the exit of Judas (John 13:30), then the things Jesus had in mind begin with the New Commandment he had given his disciples to love one another (John 13:31). These things would also include Jesus’ going away to the Father, but they weren’t able to go with him, but they would follow later (John 13:36). The things Jesus referred to also consisted of their being the new abiding place of God, vis-à-vis the Temple or House of God (cp. John 14:2, 23). They were its rooms! Read the rest of this entry »
In John 13:31-35 we are given a vision of the Temple of God. If we really consider what was said and done that fateful evening both during and after the meal, we would be able to see that Jesus had taken his disciples on a virtual tour of the Temple of God, with special emphasis given to the Holy of Holies. First, we are taken through the Temple’s outer courts, stopping at the Altar of Sacrifice. This is where Jesus was offered, betrayed and handed over to the priests by Judas (John 13:27). Nevertheless, that evil act deed was overruled by God and used by him to fulfill his own higher plan for mankind (John 10:17-18; 1Timothy 2:6). Read the rest of this entry »
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At this point in our study, Judas had left the upper room, and Jesus testified to all that Now, at this moment, as the betrayer was closing the deal to hand Jesus over to his enemies… NOW, the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him (John 13:31). It is as though the deed were already done and Jesus was already crucified and risen from the dead. The act had been set in motion. Nevertheless. we need to keep in mind that, according to the text, the Father had placed “all things” into the hands of Jesus. Jesus, not the betrayer, was in control. Jesus, not the Jewish authorities, was in control of what was to take place. He was to give his life a ransom for all (1Timothy 2:6); they didn’t take it from him (John 10:17-18). They made a secret, evil plan, but that plan was consumed by a higher, holy plan (viz. Exodus 7:12). We know this, because Jesus had sent Judas out to do the deed, he had conspired with the Jewish authorities to do. The deed was theirs, but Jesus set it in motion by sending Judas out into the night to fulfill his (i.e. Judas’) desire (John 13:27). Read the rest of this entry »
John said he had rejoiced when he found “of your children walking in the truth” (2John 1:4). Clearly, a word in the English is needed to clarify what is probably obvious in the Greek. A word needs to be supplied, like “certain” or “some” as was done in John 16:17. One may understand John in one of two different ways. First, all he could be saying is that he was really glad when he found some of the lady’s children walking in truth, or behaving as one would expect a child of God to behave, who had journeyed far from home and away from the eyes of those who knew them. On the other hand, John might, instead, be implying he knew that not all of the lady’s children behaved as they ought, when away from their hometown, but he was glad to see some did! Which one of these ideas is probably true? Read the rest of this entry »
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John told his readers that love has no fear (1John 4:18). I believe his statement has reference to what he said immediately prior to this in 1John 4:14-17. Becoming like Jesus, having such a thing as our goal, is challenging, but it shouldn’t be a fearful desire, i.e. not in the sense of being respectful but in the sense of being afraid. To be afraid of loving another, to be afraid of the cost in doing so (Matthew 13:46;[1] cp. 1Corinthians 6:20; 7:23), to be afraid of giving one’s life for another (cp. John 15:13) may allow for one to desire to be like Jesus, but it certainly does not allow for one’s readiness to be like him. It would be like the alcoholic who would like to quit, but doesn’t have the will to make it happen. Read the rest of this entry »
John tells his readers that no man has ever seen God at any time whatsoever (1John 4:12). What a strange thing to say! At first, John’s statement about the Lord’s invisibility seems to hang out there like a loose thread that was never sewn into the garment. How does this statement fit into John’s argument? Well, it may be significant that John mentions the word “God” only fifteen times prior to chapter four. However, in chapters four and five, he mentions God forty-nine times, twenty-nine in chapter four and twenty in chapter five. How can John speak of God and tell us what God is like, if John had never seen him? Moreover, if God is invisible, how can anyone, including the antichrists, tell us what God is like? Read the rest of this entry »
God is love (1John 4:8), but just as light is spirit, so is love. One cannot see light or love; one cannot hear them, touch them, taste them or smell them. Such are the five gates through which we receive our knowledge. We are unable to receive knowledge any other way, unless God performs a miracle within us by giving us his Spirit, whereby we are then able to understand his mysteries. Otherwise, as physical beings, our understanding and knowledge comes through physical means. Yet, one might say, if light and love are spiritual, how is it that physical beings are able to know what they are? Well, the reason why we are able to understand things like light and love, is we see their effects either upon our world or upon us personally. Read the rest of this entry »
John mentions the Spirit of God in 1John 4:2, but what does this mean? If God **is** Spirit (John 4:24), what is **his** Spirit or the Spirit **of** God, through which he quickens our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11), strengthens our inner man (Ephesians 3:16), and reveals his mysteries or secrets to men (1Corinthians 2:9-10)? What is the Spirit of the Spirit who is God (1John 4:2; cp. John 4:24)? Read the rest of this entry »
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John offers a kind of proof text on love in 1John 3:16, which is a parallel to John 3:16. He tells his readers “hereby we know” love: because he laid down his life for us. This is the very antithesis of 1John 3:12 wherein Cain is said to have murdered his brother, because his brother’s works were more righteous than his. In other words, Abel’s religion was more godly than Cain’s! In contrast to Cain, Christ gave up his own life for our benefit, and not ours only but also for the world’s benefit (1John 2:2), no matter what their religious beliefs and practices might be! How’s that for Love (cp. 1John 4:16)? Read the rest of this entry »
James told his readers to stop speaking evil of one another (James 4:11). The Greek is an imperative together with a negative particle, which means that he was telling them to stop doing something that was already in progress. He went on to say that he who judges his brother judges the law, but which law is that? Certainly not the Mosaic Law! James couldn’t have been referring to the Law of Moses or the 10 Commandments, which are part of the Law of Moses. That law was added to the Old Covenant because of the transgressions of Israel, in order to show what sin was. It was to serve only until the coming of Christ (Galatians 3:19). Thus, the Law served as a kind of teacher that would bring God’s people to the time when they would serve him through faith, i.e. until the time of Christ, wherein men would be justified, not by the law but through faith (Galatians 2:16; 3:11, 23-24). Read the rest of this entry »
Paul concluded his argument by showing the supremacy of the New Covenant. He did this by reminding his readers that by one offering Jesus has forever or perpetually perfected (G5048) the saints (Hebrews 10:14). This is in contrast to the perpetual (G5048) offerings, which were offered daily by the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 10:1), which couldn’t perfect anyone. Read the rest of this entry »
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According to Peter’s epistles, believers in the Roman provinces of Asia Minor—that is, the provinces of Asia (of which Ephesus was a major city) Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynta—were undergoing a season of persecution (1Peter 1:1, 6-7; cf. 5:10). Peter called upon believers to suffer the wrongdoing patiently (1Peter 2:20), which implies working against the natural tendency to retaliate in some manner. Bullying and violence promote a like response. To be reproached for the name of Christ is an honor, not something to be ashamed of (1Peter 4:14, 16), because the Spirit of God rests upon such a one who suffers for the sake of Christ’s name. Read the rest of this entry »
With the previous studies in mind, the nobleman of Luke 19:12 (Jesus) entrusted each of his servants (disciples) with a mina (G3414). A mina was a Greek coin equal to 100 drachmas, or 300 shekels under the Old Testament coinage. Its value was about three months wages. Besides collecting taxes and custom duties, a tax-collector often served as a bank, whereby he lent out money in short-term loans at a fixed rate of interest. Additionally, the publican acted as a money-changer who could exchange foreign coin for local coinage, so business could be conducted in Judea, and the reverse would be true for folks traveling away from Judea to Mesopotamia. Read the rest of this entry »
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Although Jesus was comfortable in any crowd and at any function, both he and Zacchaeus probably didn’t normally mingle with the same social crowd. Although Jesus did dine with several rich and important people, normally, we would expect to find him with the poorer classes. On the other hand, Zacchaeus would have always dined with rich Jews like himself or with gentiles who were also of the upper class. Read the rest of this entry »
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