Reading Past John 3:16

by Perry Hall Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19). “He gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)…

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Reasoning

by Terry Wane Benton The exercise of thought upon ideas to sort the true from the false, the stronger idea from the weaker idea. It is thinking through the available evidence to reach a conclusion. The book of John sets forth a propositional statement that says God came in human flesh, then reasons from one…

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Jesus the Divine Temple

by Doy Moyer John’s gospel begins by affirming that Jesus is the divine logos, the Word through whom all things were made. In Him is life and light. Life comes from Him, and He, the light of the world, came to this earth to overpower the darkness so that all who come to Him would…

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Was the angel at the pool of Bethesda from God or the Devil?

Question: Dear Sir, There appears to be a lot of confusion regarding whether the angel at the pool of Bethesda was from God or not. Can you give me your insight into where this “angel” came from? Some even go so far as to believe the angel was of the devil which confuses me further. Try…

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Christ, Our Shepherd

Text: John 10 We live in a fearful time. Most other people in most other times would think it strange that Americans today are as afraid as they are. After all, we live in the heart of the territory controlled by the greatest military power of all time. There has not been a war here…

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What am I supposed to get from John 1:12?

Question: Good morning. I really don’t know. What am I supposed to get from reading and studying the Bible? For instance: “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.” What should this mean to me? Answer: To understand…

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Did the Jews accuse Jesus of being born of fornication?

Question: In John 8.41, did the Jews accuse the Lord of being “born of fornication?” Answer: You are reading more into the exchange than was stated. ” “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have…

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John, Jesus, and Jehovah’s Witnesses

by Jefferson David Tant Those who are familiar with the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching about Jesus Christ are aware that they believe that Christ is not the Son of God, but that he is Michael the Archangel, a created being. Note the following quote from their writings: “the evidence indicates that the Son of God was…

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Handling the Scriptures Aright

by Terry Wane Benton Confusion is present when the scriptures are not “handled aright” (II Timothy 2:15). False teachers handle the word of God “deceitfully” (II Corinthians 4:2). There are basics to handling the scriptures carefully and correctly. Know who is writing, and who they were writing to. We are reading these documents second-hand. They…

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To the Glory of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/To-the-Glory-of-God.mp3 Dealing with John 11 by Alan Feaster

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The Sons of Thunder

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-Sons-of-Thunder.mp3 Text: Mark 3:14-19   I.         Often when we talk about the apostles, we focus on the notable Peter and Paul.             A.        There are many things we can learn from their lives, but we also can learn from the examples of the other apostles as well.             B.        Today I would like to direct your attention to two brothers,…

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John and Witnesses

by Matthew W. Bassford Most Christians probably appreciate the significance of Habakkuk 2:4 (“The righteous one will live by his faith.”) to understanding the New Testament, but the significance of Deuteronomy 19:15 often escapes us. It reads, “One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact…

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Things a Blind Man Saw

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ThingsABlindManSaw.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Does John 14:26 apply to Christians today?

Question: Hi Jeff, Does John 14:26 apply to Christians today? If not, why? Thanks. Answer: “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that…

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The Life of the Apostle John

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LifeOfTheApostleJohn.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 20:20-28   I.         Early life             A.        Matthew 4:21-22                         1.         His father’s name was Zebedee. His brother was James.                         2.         He was a fisherman by trade, working with his father and brother.             B.        Mark 1:20 – His father was prosperous enough to have hired servants             C.        Luke 5:10-11 – They were partnered with two other…

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Your site helped me better understand John 14:6

Question: Hi, I was just about to clock off to bed and decided to read a scripture verse from my Bible, which was John 14:6. Then I started to think about what Jesus had said in the verse. It was quite a powerful statement, so I asked on the Internet what was Jesus really saying…

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Why Does John Mention that Jesus Wept?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/WhyDoesJohnTellUsJesusWept.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 11:17-44   I.         Ask someone even slightly familiar with the Bible what the shortest verse is and they can tell you: “Jesus wept.” – John 11:35             A.        I was reading an article based on Tom Wright’s book John for Everyman and he asked an interesting question, “Why does John show…

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Is there no proof who really wrote the four gospels?

Question: What evidence do we have that the four gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? I hear a lot of people saying they were anonymous, and we have no proof they were written by the people whose names are given to them. Answer: To claim there is no evidence would require setting terms on…

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He That is Without Sin Among You

by Bob Waldron One time the Pharisees brought a woman who had been taken in adultery to Jesus and asked Him what to do about her. Should she be stoned as the law said? They were not really interested in the law, nor right and wrong, nor the woman. They were trying Jesus “that they…

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Doesn’t John 6:65 teach predestination?

Question: I am still struggling a bit with the topic of predestination and, at least from the NIV translation I am reading, John 6:65 seems to point toward predestination. What do you think it means? Answer: “And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has…

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Was John ever put in a boiling pot of oil and came out still preaching?

Question: Was John ever put in a boiling pot of oil and came out still preaching? Answer: Tertullian in A.D. 200 wrote, “at Rome, the Apostle John, having been immersed in hot oil, suffered no harm at all from it” (The Prescription against Heretics, chapter 36). The claim is that because John wasn’t killed that…

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Should John 1:18 have “Son” or “God”?

Question: Hello! I’ve been studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses hoping to be a light and share the truth.  As I am sure you know, the biggest obstacle is the deity of Christ.  One thing in my research is John 1:18 – the Greek that I have references to the word translated as son is theos, not huios as you had…

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The Other Sheep of John 10:16

by Matt Allen via The Jackson Drive Reporter, Sept. 6, 2009. John 10:16 has served as a major claim for the legitimacy of Mormon teaching for many years. Upon reading the passage of Scripture — by itself — it first appears that they (Mormons) could have a point. “And other sheep I have which are not…

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Where does it say that Salome was James and John’s mother?

Question: Where does it say that Salome was James and John’s mother? Answer: “And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (Matthew 27:55-56). “There were also women looking…

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In John 3:36, should it be “does not obey” or “does not believe”?

Question: I was linking one of my web sites to “How does obedience relate to saving faith?” which has some excellent info. “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” (John 3:36 NASB). I am wondering about this Scripture…

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Could Matthew and John not be eyewitness accounts?

Question: My friend sent me this critique on the gospels of Matthew and John not being eyewitness accounts. He said, according to the majority viewpoint, this gospel is unlikely to have been written by an eyewitness. While Papias reported that Matthew had written the Logia this can hardly be a reference to the Gospel of Matthew.…

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I was pleased to read your outline on the sons of thunder

Question: I am a member of the church of Christ. We studied John and James briefly tonight during the invitation. I remembered them being the “sons of thunder”, that got me searching in Google and I think your website was the first one that came up. Now, you never know what one might get when…

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Please explain John 8:34-55 to me

Question: Please give me the best-detailed description of John 8:34-55. Who is there, what, who is speaking to whom, and its meaning. Also, who is Mount Seir? Who are perpetual haters? Who is   Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated? Who is Esau today? Who is Edom? Who are those who martyred the saints? Answer:…

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Doesn’t more than one translation says “‘the Word was a god?”

Question: Regarding your statement on in “Jesus is God”: “To get what Jehovah’s Witnesses wish to claim, that Jesus was just a god in the sense that some men are “gods” in that they are God’s representatives you would need “and the Word was God” (καὶ θεός ?ν ὁ λόγος) in the Greek. This is why…

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Ye Are Gods

by Joe R. Price via Guardian of Truth XL: 3 p. 6-7, February 1, 1996 In the last year of Jesus’ life during the Feast of Dedication (present-day Hanukkah), unbelieving individuals confronted him and demanded of him a plain declaration that he was the Christ (John 10:22-24). Like ravenous wolves the Jewish rulers had encircled him, ready…

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Who was the younger disciple, Mark or John?

Question: Who was the younger disciple, Mark or John? Answer: There isn’t enough information in the Bible to say. John was old enough to be working as a fisherman with his brother and father (Matthew 4:21). Some suspect, though it cannot be proven, that Mark mentions himself in his account (Mark 14:51). But the word…

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John 6:26-59

by Dale Smelser There are several keys to understanding this passage. One is John 6:48 where Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Then John 6:50, “This is the bread of life which comes down out of heaven that a man might eat and live.” As we will note, the consideration of actual baked…

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Did the folded napkin in John 20:7 mean Jesus was coming back?

Question: I received the following in regard to John 20:7. Is this true? Why did Jesus fold the napkin? This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating in the e-mails. Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this……. John 20:7 tells us that the…

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