Posts Tagged ‘John’
Eternal Existence
by James Sanders via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 The Words of John 1:1 Nothing shatters—nothing startles like the sound of thunder. Its voice is unmistakable. And nothing seizes our attention like thunder. Whatever we may be doing when the crash of thunder interrupts, we stop immediately and listen. Thunder cannot be…
Read MoreWhy Does John Mention that Jesus Wept?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Why-Does-John-Mention-that-Jesus-Wept.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 by Phil Gardner and he asked an interesting question, “Why does John show us a weeping Jesus?” 1. Not,…
Read MoreA Short Course in Jesus Christ
by David Gibson No chapter in the Bible probably includes more names and titles for Jesus than the first chapter of the Gospel of John. He is called the Word, God, the Light, the Lord, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Messiah/Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Rabbi, the King of Israel, and the…
Read MoreIn Spirit and in Truth
by Jon W. Quinn I cast a shadow if I were walking down the street and the sun was shining. Its size and shape mimic my own to some degree. It is a lot shorter than I really am at midday. It is a lot taller than I am when the sun is low on…
Read MoreA Thought Exercise on John 3:8
by Perry Hall John 3 is commonly known for teaching about being born again. One segment has always baffled me, so we have this Thought Exercise: That segment is John 3:8, “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.…
Read MoreWhen the Guests are Drunk?
by Terry Wane Benton Does John 2:10 say and mean “when the guests are drunk” as the NET so renders, or does the verse have a different connotation? My Interlinear renders this “have well drunk,” which is a far different meaning than “are drunk.” The interlinear rendering means only that they had a lot of…
Read MoreReading 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)…
Read MoreReasoning
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…
Read MoreJesus 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…
Read MoreWas 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…
Read MoreChrist, 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…
Read MoreWhat 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…
Read MoreDid 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…
Read MoreJohn, 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…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom?
Question: In John 3:3-5 Jesus first answered Nicodemus by saying no one could not see the kingdom unless being born in John 3:4. In John 3:5 Jesus said one could not enter the kingdom unless being born again. I understand what “enter the kingdom” means. I do not understand what “see the kingdom” means. How…
Read MoreExplaining “Born of Water and Spirit” to Charismatics
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Explaining-Born-of-Water-and-Spirit-to-Charismatics.mp3 by Darrell M. Hamilton
Read MoreHandling the Scriptures Aright
by Terry Wane Benton Audience 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 are writing to. We are reading these documents second-hand.…
Read MoreTo 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
Read MoreThe 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,…
Read MoreJohn 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…
Read MoreThings a Blind Man Saw
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ThingsABlindManSaw.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDoes 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreWhat does it mean that Jesus hid himself?
Question: John 8:59 speaks about Jesus being hidden, what does this mean? Answer: Most likely that he blended in with the crowd and prevented people from noticing him.
Read MoreYour 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…
Read MoreIs 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…
Read MoreHe 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…
Read MoreDoesn’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…
Read MoreWhere did you find that the duties of the ruler of the wedding feast included discouraging drunkenness?
Question: I have a study this evening with another young man about drinking. I was going over your answers to questions about social drinking and came across What is wrong with drinking, so long as it is done in moderation? In this question, you referenced that the governor had the duty of trying to discourage drunkenness by…
Read MoreWas 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…
Read MoreYour notes on the “Sons of Thunder” were particularly poignant for me today
Question: This morning, I read your notes on the sermon entitled “Sons of Thunder”. Thank you for posting them, as they are particularly poignant for me today. Answer: I’m glad it is helping you in your studies.
Read MoreShould 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreWhere 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…
Read MoreIn 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…
Read MoreCould 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.…
Read MoreI 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,” which got me searching on Google, and I think your website was the first one that came up. Now, you never know what one might get when…
Read MorePlease 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:…
Read MoreDoesn’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…
Read MoreYe 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 encircled him, ready to…
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