John Chapter One

In John 1, we learn that God is here. And, while Solomon asked, as he dedicated the temple if God would dwell on the earth (1 Kings 8:27), the writer John affirms that the answer is yes as he gives us snapshots of our Lord’s life on earth. And as John, the beloved disciples, writes for both the Jew and Gentile audience, Jesus is presented as the Son of God. We know that John had Gentiles in mind as well as Jews because he often interpreted Jewish words for his readers (Jn. 1:38, 41-42). And, His purpose for writing was not only to show that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophesies, but He also fulfilled the types. For example, He is the New Temple (Jn. 2:19-21) and He offers the new birth (Jn. 3:4ff). He is the serpent lifted up (Jn. 3:14) and He is the Bread of God that came down from heaven (Jn. 6:35ff). But overall, the major theme that runs throughout John’s account is: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and if you will commit yourself to Him, He will give you eternal life (Jn. 20:31).

In the First chapter, John records seven names and titles of Jesus that identifies Him as eternal God. In vs. 1-3, 14 Jesus is referred to as the Word. In much as our words reveal to others our hearts and minds, Jesus Christ is God’s Word to reveal His heart and mind to us. Thus, Jesus is the eternal, creative and incarnate Word. He was the Word made Flesh through the miracle of the virgin birth and took on Himself sinless human nature and identified with us in every aspect of life from birth to death. In essence, Jesus revealed God’s glory in His person, His works and His words and came with grace and truth (vs. 16).

In vs. 4-13, Jesus is referred to as the Light. Life is a key theme in John’s Gospel and thus Jesus is the Light of life and Light of the world (Jn. 8:12). We learn in 1:15 that God is light and how people either love the light or the darkness (Jn. 3:16-19).

In vs. 15-28, 49, John summarizes what John the Baptist had to say about Jesus Christ (vs. 15-18). First, that He is eternal (vs. 15). Second that he has the fullness of grace and truth (vs. 16-17). Third, Jesus Christ revealed God to us (vs. 18). In this last point, in essence, God is invisible, yet, Jesus Christ reveals God to us for He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15) and the express image of His person (Heb. 1:3). He is the Son of God, which is recorded for us at least nine times in the book of John.

In vs. 29-34, Jesus is called the Lamb of God and it was repeated the next day (vs. 35-36). In the First century, the sacrificial lambs were brought to men, which could not take away sin. But here is God’s Lamb by God to men which could take away sin and His Lamb would shed His blood for the whole world. Jesus would die as that sacrificial Lamb of God (Isa. 53:7; Lk. 12:50) and it would be through death, burial and resurrection that the Lamb of God would fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15).

In vs. 35-42, Jesus is called the Messiah. When John and Andrew were following Jesus, He asked them what they were seeking. And so, Jesus invited them to spend the day with Him and while with them, Jesus answered their questions. They were so impressed that they found their brothers and brought them to Jesus too. Andrew found Simon and John brought James. “We have found the Messiah!” is what Andrew said to Simon, meaning, they had found the Anointed, that is, the Christ. And, that conversation forever changed their lives.

In vs. 43-49, Jesus is called the King of Israel. When Jesus called Philip and He went to get his friend Nathaniel, Philip said, “Come and see” (vs. 39). And, when they came to Jesus, Nathaniel discovered that the Lord already knew all about Him. He told Nathaniel that he was an Israelite with no guile. And, when Jesus revealed His knowledge of Nathanael, this was enough to convince the man that Jesus was indeed the King of Israel. The King of Israel would be a title similar to Messiah or anointed One for the kings were always God’s anointed (Psa. 2:2-7). And, Jesus did present Himself as King (Jn. 12:10ff) and told Pilate that He was also born a King (Jn. 18:33-37).

The last name Jesus is called is found in vs. 50-51. He is called the Son of Man. This was one of the Lord’s favorite titles for Himself in which He is called by it 83 times in the Gospel accounts and thirteen times by John. This title speaks of both the Deity and humanity of Jesus. Being the Son of man, Jesus was showing Himself to be the living link or ladder between heaven and earth. In fact, He said, “No man comes to the Father, but by Me” (Jn. 14:6). The Jewish people also knew this phrase was a name for the Messiah (Jn. 12:34).

Thus, at the close of that day, Jesus had six believing men who were His disciples and eventually forsook all to follow Him. They had trusted in Christ and experienced His power. And in the next three years, they would grow in their faith; learn more about Him and one day take His place in seeking and saving the lost. Truly, Jesus of Nazareth is God come in the Flesh.

Posted in Robert Notgrass | Tagged , , | Comments Off on John Chapter One

Bible Translation

Which Bible Translation Should I Use?

Often, as a gospel preacher, I am asked which Bible translation I would recommend. I always recommend the King James Version, the American Standard Version (1901) or the New King James version and personally prefer the King James.  There are several considerations that I have taken into account when deciding upon these particular translations. Mainly I look at the method that was used by the translators and look to see whether there is an overall theological bias to it.

First, I always look to use a translation that uses the “Form Equivalency” (FE) method of translation, where an attempt is made to render a literal “word-for-word” translation instead of one that uses the “Dynamic Equivalency” (DE) method which is more of a “thought-for-thought” translation. You could say that FE is at one end of the spectrum and DE at the other. The many English translations out there fall somewhere along this line. It could be said, for instance, that the American Standard Version of 1901 would be at the extreme FE end of the spectrum and perhaps the New Living Translation or the Message Bible at the extreme opposite end.  The King James, New King James, New American Standard Bible and English Standard versions are each much closer to the FE end of the spectrum than they are to the DE end. The New International Version and perhaps the New Revised Version are much closer to the DE end than they are to the FE end of the spectrum.

Second, I then look for theological bias. For instance one such theological bias is found in Galatians 5 in the New International Version  where the Greek word sarx is translated “sinful nature…, “ rather than simply “flesh…” Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV 1984) “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want…” For comparison’s sake notice this same passage in the ASV of 1901, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would..”  Thayer’s defines sarx as, “flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts.” The word,  simply defined, nowhere implies anything sinful! This particular fallacy is the result of those who have approached Biblical translation with the theological bias of Calvinism, where man’s very nature is thought to be fallen because of original sin, a man-made doctrine that the Bible does not support! The NIV, in its current version, has changed that particular wording but still maintains it in a footnote.

Another instance of theological bias is found in the English Standard Version in Romans 10:10, where it alters the language to point where a false doctrine on salvation is taught. Other passages in the ESV are well translated, but Romans 10:10 clearly show a theological bias.  The ESV translates it as follows, “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved…” For the sake of comparison, the NKJV version renders it, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…” The ESV in Romans 10:10 translates the Greek word eis as “is.” “With the heart one believes and is (eis) justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is (eis) saved…”  Is this an accurate rendering of the Greek word eis? Thayer’s defines eis as follows: “into, unto, to, towards, for, among..” Note that the Greek word eis is not a verb, rather it is a preposition and therefore  it should never be translated by the English word “is.” The ESV in Rom 10:10, also translates the Greek NOUNS “dikaiosune” and “soterian” as VERBS , rendering them “justified…” and “saved…” respectively. The ESV claims to be a “word-for-word” translation, yet here they replaced nouns with verbs and a preposition with a state of being.

To my mind, “believeth unto righteousness…” (KJV) is not the same thing as “believes and is justified…” (ESV) Neither is “confession is made unto salvation…” (KJV) the same thing as “confesses and is saved…” (ESV) The English word “is” implies a state of being. The ESV would have us believe and be justified; confess and be saved. Yet, the Greek indicates that belief leads untorighteousness and confession leads unto salvation – but it does not equate belief with the state of being justified, or confession with the state of being saved. Theological bias at play here?  I think so.

Because of this fairly obvious theological bias, I personally cannot recommend this translation for serious Bible study. It has many good qualities about it, but I do not think it is a worthy replacement for the KJV, the NKJV or the ASV 1901. For those who may argue from the standpoint of readability, I do not believe the language used in the ESV is any easier  to read than what is used in the NKJV for instance. In reality,  with a little bit of familiarity, the KJV and ASV are not at all hard to understand even for small children.

The ESV has grown in popularity in part because a certain well-known gospel preacher  wrote an article, just after the ESV became available on the market in 2002, stating that he thought it may in time prove to be an excellent translation. Notice what he said, “Though the ESV is not without some weakness, generally speaking, it appears to be an accurate, literal translation, rendered in beautiful English. It is a version, we believe, that will serve the English-speaking world with distinction. It is our hope that this new version will not become a point of contention within the body of Christ.” (Wayne Jackson, Article: The English Standard Version, www.christiancourier.com). In this article, Brother Jackson simply gave his preliminary findings on the ESV, admittedly without a thorough investigation of the translation: “I have not gone through the entire volume. I’ve only checked random passages; nonetheless, I am impressed with this new version. It may turn out to be one the best modern alternative to the King James translation, although I still prefer the meticulous precision of the American Standard Version (1901).” (IBID) As the ESV has come under more and more scrutiny, more and more instances of theological bias are being noted.

All translations have their issues. One mistranslation every English version since the Bishop’s Bible (1568) has made is to not translate the Greek verb baptizo as “immerse,” (which is what it literally means) but rather to transliterate it as simply “baptize…”  This was done so that those who were practicing sprinkling and pouring for “baptism” would find it more acceptable. Every English version has its particular flaws the NKJV and ESV, for instance, poorly define the Greek word porneia as “sexual immorality” rather than adultery or fornication, which is a more precise definition. The King James Version has some problems as well, such as the insertion of the word “easter…” in Romans 12:4 and its imprecise use of the word “hell…” in places where the Greek word hades is used.  The NKJV more accurately transliterates it as “hades…” The ASV (1901) is considered by many scholars to be the most outstanding English translation, but many find it harder to follow than even the KJV.

To quote an older preacher, “The real problem with Bible translations is not in which one we use, but rather that we do not use the one we have…!”

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth…” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

 

Posted in Jack McNiel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Bible Translation

Do You Not Understand?

Understand: Thou Shalt Get a Clue

A comedian once said that all people are clueless once in a while, but some make a career out of it.  To illustrate his point he told the story of three fellows who went off a bridge in a pick-up truck.  The one that was driving rolled down the window and swam out, but the two sitting in the back drowned because they couldn’t get the tailgate down.

While such a story may amuse us, being spiritually “clueless” is not a laughing matter.  Its one thing to be naïve about something; it’s an entirely different matter to be intentionally ignorant or unwilling to learn or unwilling to accept the truth.  The Pharisees were like this; so much so that Jesus called them “fools and blind” (Matt. 23:17, 19; cf. Jn. 9:39-41).  Yet, one does not have to be like the Pharisees to be spiritually clueless.  One can almost hear the frustration in Jesus’ voice after He would give careful instruction to His disciples, only to realize that they didn’t have a clue what He was saying.  He would say things like, “Are you still without understanding?  Do you not understand…?” (Matt. 15:16-17) “How is it you do not understand…?” (16:11)  Jesus was not belittling them; He was trying to get them to open their eyes and understand what the will of the Lord is.  And that’s just what He’s still trying to do through His word today (cf. Matt. 7:21-27; 13:14-15; Jas. 1:21).

Friends, we are able to “read and understand” (2 Cor. 1:13).  We are able to understand the truth (2 Tim. 3:15-16), therefore, there is no excuse for spiritual blindness. “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).

Posted in Aaron Veyon | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Do You Not Understand?

Leaven Can Be Dangerous

Health Alert!  Leaven Can Be Dangerous!

The Bible uses the word “leaven” twenty-four times. It is used in the Old Testament eleven times. Five of these times it gives instruction about the observance of the Passover (Ex. 12:15, 19; 13:7; 34:25; Deut. 16:4). Four times it is used to forbid the use of leaven with a grain offering (Lev. 2:11; 6:17; 10:12). Amos mentions it being offered with sacrifices as an illustration of how far the Jews had drifted from honoring God (Amos 4:5). The other time it is mentioned is where God commanded using leaven with the bread offered at Pentecost (Lev. 16:27). It is always used in a literal way in the Old Testament.

However, when one comes to the New Testament, the picture is entirely different. Every reference to it has a spiritual, figurative application. Look at the following usages.

The church is like leaven (Matt. 13: 33; Luke 13:21). This is the only time that leaven is used in a good sense in the New Testament. Leaven placed in dough spreads throughout the dough and amazingly increases the size of the loaf. Jesus wanted His disciples to visualize the growth of the church.

False teaching is like leaven (Matt. 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15). When the Lord first spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, His disciples did not understand. Afterwards, they discovered that He was speaking of the false teachings of men and how dangerous it is in spreading to others. Paul also describes false teachers as being like leaven which will permeate the entire church (Gal. 5:9).

Hypocrisy is like leaven (Luke 12:1). It was not just the doctrine of the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked, but also the fact that what they first appeared to be was, in reality, a lie. When Christians are hypocrites, their influence leads to hypocrisy in others. This concept is also found in Paul’s uses of the phrase “the leaven of malice and wickedness” and contrasts it with sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8)

Sin left unattended in the church is like leaven (1 Cor. 5:6-7). The church at Corinth had serious problems. Paul described an immoral situation which was so vile even the pagans would not practice it. Yet, it was in the church, and instead of dealing with it, they were proud. Paul warned them that if this sin and all sins were not addressed, it would spread to all the church just like leaven. He told them to purge out that evil leaven and give that man back to Satan. Oh, that the church today would heed his words!

Leaven and you. The fact leaven is used to describe the church shows the power of righteousness. It is used to describe the power of unrighteousness. The question to be considered is, what kind of leavening influence are you having?

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Leaven Can Be Dangerous

Called to be Saints

Do a quick search of the word “ saints ” and you will find it used 62 times in the New Testament  (NKJV). The Greek word is defined generally as something “ separate from common condition  and use; dedicated” and when in context it is used to classify people refers to “members of the  first Christian communities.” This is quite appropriate since we are told that the Christians in  Corinth had been washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Corinthians 6:11).

In fact, every Christian is sanctified – set apart – for His purposes. When we obey the gospel  through repentance, confession, and baptism we are delivered from “the power of darkness”  and “conveyed [translated] into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). The  Apostle Paul said that the Christians in Rome had been “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7) as  were those in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2).

So whenever the subject of “sainthood” comes up I am amazed at how mankind and human  innovations have poisoned the beautiful relationship between God and His children. Just this  morning I received a news alert about Pope Francis clearing the way for Pope John Paul II to be  declared a saint. In an article entitled “Pope Francis Clears John Paul II, John XXIII for  Sainthood” a number of statements are made that highlight the fallacious doctrines devised by  men concerning sainthood.

Sainthood is not bestowed upon men or women by human hands! The path to sainthood is  a process in which we each individually respond in faith to God’s commands and God – through the blood of Christ – cleanses us from our sins and we are reconciled back to  God (2 Corinthians 5:18 – 20; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20). I am thankful that I do  not need the Pope to “clear the way” for my sainthood! God has already done it.

In the aforementioned article there is a discussion of the ceremonial date in which sainthood  will officially be bestowed. Some even worry that  “the process has been too quick.”  The  fact is that there is a ceremonial date in which we become saints but it is not a  predetermined date in the future, it is the day that we submit ourselves in obedience to  God. If our sainthood is not bestowed upon us until after our death it will be too late – that’s a fact!

Miraculous Confirmation. Apparently Pope John Paul II is going to get to be a saint because  a Costa Rican woman supposedly “prayed” to John Paul II (a subject for another article)  and was miraculously healed of a cerebral aneurism. However the woman in question  cannot talk about this “miraculous healing” because she has been “sworn to secrecy.”  Why? Our sainthood has been confirmed by the healing of the blood of Christ and since  I do not have the power to miraculously heal anyone nor would I want anyone praying to  me (as if anyone would) I am thankful for the sweet sacrifice of our Savior.

The Bible clearly states that saints were alive and living in a beautiful, sanctified relationship  with God here on earth (Acts 9:13, 32, 41; 26:10; Romans 12:13) and all how have who have  obeyed the gospel from that time to today have sainthood bestowed upon them. Jesus makes  intercession for saints (Romans 8:27) and we ought to be thankful that He does that for us today  and not until after we die. Thanks be to God that we have this wonderful designation!

Are you a saint? Obey Him today and be faithful!

 

Posted in Tim Dooley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Called to be Saints