John Chapter 1 - VS 43 - 51 By Kathy Kearney

Jesus finds Phillip after purposing to go to Galilee.  “Follow me!” he commands.  Phillip was from the same area as Andrew and Peter.  He goes after Nathanael and says, “We’ve found the One that Moses, the Law and the prophets spoke about.

Ref: J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton
The Fourfold Gospel (1914)

Philip finds Nathanael [Nathanael is commonly identified with Bartholomew for the following reasons:

1. The name Bartholomew is only a patronymic (meaning son of), and hence its bearer would be likely to have an additional name. (Compare Matt. 16: 17; Acts 4: 36.)
2. John never mentions Bartholomew, and the Synoptic Gospels never mention Nathanael, though John mentions him among apostles at the beginning and at the close of Christ's ministry.
3. The Synoptic Gospels, in their list of apostles, invariably place Philip next to Bartholomew, and show a tendency to place brothers and friends together.
4. All the other disciples mentioned in this chapter become apostles, and none are so highly commended as Nathanael.
5. Bartholomew is connected with Matthew in the list at Acts 1:13, and the names Matthew and Nathanael both mean the same, and are equal to the Greek name Theodore, which means "gift of God." But even so the identification is not perfect],

Ray Stedman points out how each man responded: John and Andrew are slow and thoughtful men.  Jesus invites them to come and see, ask questions, take their time.  But when convinced they immediately go to work.  Andrew brings Peter.

Then Jesus calls Phillip who follows and goes and gets Nathanael.

Philip bases his appeal to Nathanael on the Scriptures: “this is the one of whom Moses and all the prophets spoke, the Messiah.” Then he identifies him in a local context, “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” That was too much for Nathanael, because he came from Cana of Galilee, a little village just over the hill from Nazareth, about two miles away (where, by the way, the next scene in this gospel takes place, the changing of water to wine).

Cana today is a tiny village, just a little off the beaten track, but in those days it was the center of commerce, whereas Nazareth is now a large city, having become famous as the home town of Jesus. It is the site of a large church dedicated to the annunciation of Mary, and a fairly large city has grown up all around it and filled the hillsides. Cana today is a small village, while Nazareth was a dusty little village with a bad reputation.

Nathanael is speaking with some degree of scorn: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip’s answer is very wise: “Come and see. The One whom I am talking about will stand on his own feet. It doesn’t matter where he comes from. If he is the Messiah, you’ll find it out when you talk to him. Come and see.”

Nathanael is referred to by Jesus as a man without guile.  This is in contrast to Jacob in the OT who was full of guile until the Lord cleansed him.  Jesus promises that just like Jacob, Nathanael will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of Man. Genesis 28:12 and Acts 7:51, the story of the stoning of Stephen.

We see from these passages that Jesus knew intimately the people he called before he ever physically met them.  How do we explain that?  Well, he created them, and he created them with traits that would, if dedicated to him, would bring glory to his name and bear fruit in the lives of others.  Each man is different.  John and Andrew are questioners, Andrew sees a problem and deals with it.  He was the one who found the boy with the loaves and fishes while the others wondered how they could humanly feed the multitude.  He’s the kind of person who sees the problem, and takes it to the one who can solve it.  Kind of a background person. Peter, impetuous, determined and bold, Phillip, quiet and assured, the kind of man people take for granted, the kind of man who invites but doesn’t pressure.  He is convinced of Jesus’ identity and tells Nathanael without hesitation whom he has found.  Nathanael meditative and responsive to proven truth.

THREE PARTS OF BIBLE STUDY LEADERSHIP by Kathy Kearney

For teacher training I taught teachers to TEACH not lead discussion groups. I discovered early on as a Christian, that discussion groups pooled ignorance and promoted pet theories by the most outspoken in the class. Result: a muzzy knowledge of Scripture, and hefty indoctrination by the strongest in the class. Not a good thing! But we did follow each lesson with a question and discussion time. When a good premise of biblical teaching is emphasized, discussions naturally fell into the groove of the lesson.

We used one method of teaching: inductive, rather than deductive. Inductive starts with no presuppositions, going straight to Scripture to see what it says on a certain topic. It works nicely for new believers, providing a good immersion into the Bible. (Works great for old dogs like me too!)

I taught a class for new believers, and it was the most exciting class I ever taught. They were so hungry I couldn’t shovel the lesson in fast enough, and their insightful questions and comments gave me a ton of food for thought. And while they were open, they weren’t going to swallow anything without it being proved to them from Scripture. They really kept me on my toes.

Deductive Bible teaching takes a point of belief and enlarges upon it from the Bible. I never felt comfortable with it because in the wrong hands it can be used to expound wrong doctrine, or adopt endless theorizing rather than accountability and action.

Inductive teaching promotes deeper delving into Scripture, is more confrontive, and arrives at definite and applicable conclusions for our lives.

I also taught the usage of commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries, atlases and lexicons. We also employed various types of study: topical, Bible book (chapter by chapter, verse by verse), word studies, character studies, devotional and expository. No two teachers teach alike, so I wanted to offer as wide a range as possible for their talents.

The following (which I didn’t write. I think it came from a Wycliffe Bible missionary.) represents the method we used:

I. Personal Preparation

Recognize your complete dependence on God. If you feel inadequate, that’s all right, because your trust is in Him, not yourself.

A. How to start - prayer of faith

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Ps. 119: 1 Remember, the aim is to hear and respond.

You are not studying to merely accumulate facts and knowledge. You are studying that you might “see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, (as it is reflected), in the face of Jesus Christ.” (II Cor. 4:6)

B. Basic Materials

Have a Bible (several translations), dictionary, paper and pen.

Use commentaries only after you have completed all your own study.

C. Initial Reading

Read the passage several times in several versions. Use your imagination to make the passage live. Put yourself in the place of the person to whom the epistles were written. Become one of the characters in narrated stories.

D. Beginning

Your object is to understand the author’s main point. Do this by finding out what he’s talking about, how he put paragraphs together, etc. Look for:

1. Subject of sentence: Whom is paragraph talking about? Who is performing the action?

2. Object of verb: Upon whom is the action being centered?

3. Verbs: How emphatic or picturesque are the verbs? What is the action described?

4. Define words: What is the dictionary definition of key words? Does the author define them in the paragraph? Do not take any words for granted. Get in the habit of putting into your own words familiar terms such as: grace, justification, holiness, etc.

5. Emphasis: To find emphasis look for repetition - words, phrases, ideas

contrasts or similarities

cause and effect - words like therefore, if - then

6. What does this teach me: about God, Jesus Christ, the

Holy Spirit, myself, sin, purpose in life, love, freedom, etc.

7. Check what you have learned. Summarize in a simple sentence or paraphrase.

E. Interpretation What is the point of this paragraph, what does it mean. List any difficult questions. Why did the author write this? What general principle is he teaching? What is the challenge?

F. Application: A Bible study is not complete unless it has an application. The purpose of Bible study is to change us, and make us like Jesus Christ. When you have found the facts and think you know why the author wrote this, ask yourself — so what? How does the main point or general principle make a difference in the way I am going to live my life today?

1. Is there a command to obey?

2. Is there a sin to forsake?

3. Is there a promise to claim?

a. If so, what are its conditions?

4. Is there an example to follow?

5. What new truth does this teach me about God’s will for

my life?

II. Formulating Questions

Good questions lead the group into discovering for themselves what the passage teaches. A good question is a key which unlocks the meaning, and is a tool to with which to dig into the passage.

Three basic types of questions:

1. Observation - fact. What does it say?

2. Interpretation - meaning. What does it mean?

3. Application - to my life. What it means to me.

A. Questions of fact. These start with who, what, describe, find, list.

1. Make sure the facts are discovered before launching into an interpretation. When Bible studies go off on tangents, often it is at this point. We start interpreting before we have the facts. It may take several observation questions to get all the facts.

2. The questions should be simple, but not so simple they insult intelligence.

B. Questions of Interpretation These may start with such phrases as, “What does it mean, why, how, explain.” Keep the group to the text. We are not bringing OUR ideas to the Scripture, but are letting Scripture speak to us.

C. Questions of Application What does it mean to me, here and now? What must I do? Questions of application are often neglected. They are the hardest to formulate, but they are the link between Bible study and daily living. You have to live with the passage, asking God to help you see where it applies.

D. Tests to apply to your questions Never ask a question that can be answered with a yes or no. It doesn’t promote discussion.

1. Is it brief and clear?

2. Does it have a definite answer from the passage or simply promote speculation?

3. Does it stimulate thought?

4. Does it make a point worth considering?

5. Do the questions build one upon the other to a logical, correct conclusion?

III. Conducting Discussions

Aim to create an atmosphere where people feel free to participate. Ask God to help you relax. If the leader is relaxed, the group will be also.

1. Do not be afraid of silences. Sometimes it’s necessary to rephrase a question. Never, never answer your own question.

2. Always ask, “Does anyone else wish to add anything?” to a question. Don’t be satisfied with the first answer. Try to get the group to interact with each other’s questions.

3. Be grateful for every answer. Genuinely appreciate each contribution. What someone discovers for himself will remain with him far longer than anything you tell him.

4. If you receive a wild answer, ask, “What do the rest of you think?” If the lesson has been well taught, the rest of the group will tend to produce corrective answer to off-the-wall answers. If you set the pace, by being gracious to all responses, the group will generally reflect your attitude, and the person will not feel put down or ridiculed.

5. If it’s an honest question, and you can’t answer it, say so. Promise to look up the answer for the next time, or ask others to search the Scriptures and bring their answers back to class.

6. If a question goes off on a tangent, firmly bring it back to the text.

7. As the leader, be prepared to summarize, and move on. A bible study that doesn’t move along at a good pace tends to get dull.

8. Be flexible. Skip any of your prepared questions that do not fit in as the study progresses. And whatever you do, don’t ask trick questions. They make people feel foolish, and they may not return for further studies. Trick questions are the sorry weapons of arrogant teachers protecting their egos. Don’t do it! It isn’t smart, and it’s certainly not Christ like.

9. Be prepared to learn from the group.

CONCLUSION:

These are principles of Bible study and good discussion. But keep in mind that they are merely tools. Technique is not the final word. If we meet God in our own study and are excited about what He has taught us, this will come across even if our methods are not pedagogically perfect.

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IS IT REALLY JUSTICE? By Kathy Kearney

“When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11) This verse passed repeatedly through my mind as I listened to the news coverage and watched the pro and anti-capital punishment groups rally outside the prison the night of William Bonin’s execution. Is this one reason why America’s death row cells are filled to capacity?

Numerous appeals allowed Bonin to remain alive fourteen years after he murdered his victims. In his final moments, here was a man, (some would say a monster), gobbling pizza and ice cream, and guzzling soft drinks with an evident lack of remorse for those young men he killed during unbelievable acts of torture.

Then I read “Greetings From Death Row” (Accent, March 15) excerpts from the journal of a convicted murderer, Dean Phillip Carter who was sent to San Quentin’s death row in 1990 for the murder of four women. (All the physical evidence in the case led straight to Carter.) Seems that Dean Carter has found a voice through Allen Bennet, a San Francisco radio personality, who posts the journalizing on a World Wide Web page, “Dead Man Talkin’.” for any who wish to hear Carter’s unrepentant whining about his awful life on death row.

“Dead Man Talkin’?” He’s alive and well. Sadly, those four victims will never be talkin’ again. Mr. Carter saw to that when he killed them. Sadder still that he can make a mockery of their deaths by drawing in listeners on the Internet to hear him mewl about how scary life is on death row. I wonder just how scared his victims were before he killed them.

Those who oppose the death penalty claim that it’s not a societal deterrent for murder. How do they know that? Has some survey been taken? And if one was, would they be surprised by the answers?

The obvious deterrent and principal aim, is that the executed murderer will murder no more. But any deterrent impact for society is drastically lessened by the passage of time invested in numerous appeals.

A death penalty justly carried out by government is upheld in the Bible. “. . .But if you do evil, be afraid, for it (the government) does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.” (Romans 13:4)

There is a vast difference between murder: the taking of innocent life by another, and capital punishment: a legal and just execution carried out by government. The commandment, “You shall not murder,” addresses the wanton taking of innocent life, not a legal system’s just dispensation of capital punishment for murder.

But I see still another rarely considered deterrent. The death penalty serves as an awesome admonishment to parents to raise children with a godly regard for human life, teaching them that if that regard is trampled upon by the act of murder, then the government will and should remove them from society.

A murderer’s execution should be cause for mourning. We need to grieve over the fact that the awesome, terrible event of capital punishment has had to be enacted. The sight of people clapping, cheering, and drinking champagne after the execution of William Bonnin was repugnant. In Ezekiel 33:11, God who begs the wicked to repent or die says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. . ..” Nor should we.

While Christ suffered on the cross for the sins of the human race–including murder, The Gospel of Matthew (27:44) records that two criminals on either side of him railed and mocked the Son of God. The gospel of Luke (23:41-42) states that one of the men had a change of heart, saying to the other, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong.” His repentance gains salvation through Christ’s death.

A murderer can walk on trembling legs to a death chamber at the end of a long, echoing corridor knowing that if he has asked forgiveness through the forgiveness of Christ his debt to God is paid; Christ paid it for him on the Cross. But the government has the obligation to discharge his debt to society through our system of justice.

What were my emotions that night? Along side a sad assurance that this man would never kill again, was the unanswered question of where and how did he exchange humaneness for monsterhood. I wonder if we will take seriously the terrible lesson of that sorrowful night by teaching our children to regard human life as does the One who created all life.

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When Death Becomes Life

by Max Lucado

You live one final breath from your own funeral.

Which, from God’s perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: “The day you die is better than the day you are born” (Eccles. 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. “He’ll be coming through any minute!” They can’t wait to see the new arrival. While we’re driving hearses and wearing black, they’re hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars. We don’t grieve when babies enter the world. The hosts of heaven don’t weep when we leave it.

Oh, but many of us weep at the thought of death. Do you? Do you dread your death? And is your dread of death robbing your joy of life?

Jesus came to “deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Heb. 2:15).

Your death may surprise you and sadden others, but heaven knows no untimely death: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Ps. 139:16).

Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home. In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed. Never. No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave. Don’t make me leave. Let me stay and eat more peanuts.” We’re willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address. Nor does this world. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Phil. 3:20).

Why don’t you do this: give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final minutes, and offer them to him. Deliberately. Regularly. “Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth.” With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth.

From the book: Come Thirsty by Max Lucado
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado

Max Lucado’s Website

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Small People

Thought for today: Small people ==================================

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.

Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain.

Eight Benefits Of Being Justified By Faith

By Kathy Kearney — A short study of just how blessed we are: From Romans 5:1-5

1. We have peace (Have been justified) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - VS 1
2. Through Christ we have gained access “by faith” into this grace VS 2
3. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God - VS 2
4. We also rejoice in our tribulations (sufferings) because we know: - VS 3
5. Sufferings bring about perseverance - VS 3
6. Perseverance brings proven character - VS 4
7. Proven character brings about hope - VS 4
8. AND hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured within our hearts through the Holy Spirit whom He has given us!

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If You Think You Are Beaten, You Are!

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

As A Man Thinks In His Heart, So Is He — Proverbs 23:7

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Gospel of John Chapter 1 - Vs 19 - 40

Bible Study by Kathy Kearney

Chapter 1 - Vs. 19 - 40

“Witness, Witness, Who’s got the witness?

Tonight my intro is a bit more personal. I think it fits in with bearing witness of the truth when we accept Christ’s explanation of God.

Verses 19-20

The big dudes from the Sanhedrin arrive with one question: Who are you? You will see that back in Matthew when John first began his ministry that he came down on this group really hard. Mark 1:2-8 (Read) - Luke 3: 1-20 (Read)

Zacharias was struck dumb because of his arrogant disbelief. I’ve always thought it was stupid of him to utter this challenge because as a priest he knew the story of Abraham and Sarah. However, Mary’s question, “How can this be, for I have never been with a man?” is right and proper. It displays her godly modesty.

To be betrothed in Israel was as good as marriage. The betrothal lasted about a year, and the bride lived in her parents’ home. If unfaithfulness was found in the bride, she was given a bill of divorcement. The reason for the divorce was stated in the bill, which was publicly handed to her in the presence of witnesses. Joseph didn’t wish to bring shame to Mary’s name, but neither could he marry her and bring shame on himself or his family. First of all it would allow people to surmise that he was the father if he continued with the marriage plans. Second it would have brought Mary a lifetime of shame, although it would anyway when it became public.

I think the thing that zoomed into my thinking, is what it cost this young couple to proceed with their wedding. In man places Jesus is called a bastard. I think there may have been people in both Mary and Joseph’s families who didn’t believe the story of divine conception, but thought they had been immoral before the wedding and hatched the story to escape publish humiliation. It is not an easy thing to carry the life of Christ, and it wasn’t for this young woman to carry the baby Christ. It meant ostracism and shame from the onset.

John, not even for a moment stops to take any credit for himself. He tells them truthfully who he is not and who he is. John knew his calling, knew his place, knew his message, and knew his Messiah.

I think I would like to spend some time on John-the Baptist that is.

His birth is spoken of in Luke, so let’s turn over to Luke 1:8. John is a cousin of Christ’s. He was conceived 6 months earlier than the visitation of the Holy Spirit upon Mary. Mary was a month pregnant when she visited Elizabeth, who by this time was six months pregnant.

I don’t believe at this time, that Joseph realized that Mary was pregnant. She probably left to visit Elizabeth 4 or 5 days after the annunciation of the angel. How beautiful that God permits her condition to be verified by an older, godly woman. This confirms to Mary that she indeed was not dreaming or had imagined the meeting with Gabriel. She didn’t even know Elizabeth was pregnant when Gabriel came to her. Remember Elizabeth had withdrawn from public life the first five months.

Here in John 1: 20, when John says he is not the Christ, he knew the story of Mary and his mother. He knew the stories of his and Jesus’ conception. But he had never met Jesus for he had not yet made his appearance. Talk about faith!! Here he is, crying out to Israel to be baptized and to make their lives ready for the coming Messiah.

Even the place where he baptized has rich significance, it was the place where the Jews, under the leadership of Joshua (who is a type of Christ), marched into the Promised Land. In fact, it is called the place of passage. Isn’t that why Christ has come, to invite us to “the place of passage” into the promised land of His saving grace and ultimately heaven?

Verse 21:

Then if you’re not the Messiah are you Elijah? No, I’m not. Well then, are you The Prophet? No, I’m not.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived, and the angel had said to Zacharias in Luke 1: 17 “And is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and power of Elijah….” The angel was referring to a prophecy from Malachi 4:5, “Behold I am going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

In whose spirit and in whose power did John come? There is no case for reincarnation here. God said that John would have the same fervor, power and ministry as Elijah.

Verses 22-24:

They say , “Well then, you tell us who you are.” And he quotes the verse from Isaiah 40:3.

We talked about who a forerunner was last week. He’s the guy who races ahead of the king’s chariot and fills in the holes and smoothes the high spots so the king won’t be jostled as he cruises along. So John has been very clear in telling them, that he’s not the king (Messiah), but just a lowly servant running ahead making the road smooth for the Messiah.

OK, application time. We’re all forerunners for the Lord. We’re to help in clearing the debris from our lives that hinder Christ from showing forth.

But we’re also forerunners for others. We are to make smooth their paths as they come to Christ. When I gave Linda the Bible, I was a forerunner between her and Christ. When we obey God, we’re forerunners making the path easy to travel from Christ to the person and from the person to Christ.

Verse 25:

Next question: If you are none of these people why are you baptizing? In other words, who gave you authority to do this? This was not a usual thing in Israel. Baptizing of people was not done. There were ceremonial washings, but the person performed this on himself, and Jewish converts washed themselves before they entered Judaism’s ranks.

Verses 26-28:

John says I baptize with water. In the original language the emphasis is on the word I, not water. John makes a vast separation of ministries and personages here when he makes this statement. He was saying that he dealt with externals, but the one whose way he was making straight would deal with internals, and in a completely different way. He would do it by the power of the Holy Spirit bringing rebirth and regeneration to a new life. II Corinthians 5 says if any man is in Christ he is a new creation.

He also adds that there is One among you. Not an interloper, not a stranger, but One among you, or from you. Remember in the first part of John where it says that He came to His own and they didn’t know Him?

The thong of whose sandal . .. This was the picture of the lowliest slave’s task, to untie his master’s shoe lace. John is saying, I am not as good as the lowest of slaves, I am less than worthy and unfit to even touch this man’s shoe lace. John gives no impression of being a competitor of Christ’s. We think we’re hot stuff when we work with certain people or know certain people who are powerful, or famous, or whatever. We talk about it almost as if their accomplishments are ours. No such attitude from John. He is the lowly forerunner of the Creator of the universe and all things therein.

Yet, later we observe the disciples squabbling over who is most worthy to sit at Christ’s right and left hand. Pride can make fools of us all.

Verse 29:

“Behold the Lamb of God”. I don’t think this is what the leaders of Israel wanted. They didn’t want a Lamb, they wanted a warrior who would deliver them from the bondage of Rome, set up a mighty kingdom, in which they would, of course hold mighty positions. Lambs don’t rule, lambs get sacrificed. Kings cannot take away sin, only the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God could do that.

“Who takes away the sin of the world”. They couldn’t see that anyone can be a warrior, but only one could pay for their sin.

Verses 30-34:

John acknowledges the higher rank than Jesus and the fact that he is eternal. “He existed before me”. Remember, John is six months older than Jesus. It is apparent from this that either the boys had never met, or had not seen each other in years since their childhood. Or that he didn’t realize when they played together as boys (if they did) that Jesus was Messiah. I find that hard to believe knowing that the families would certainly have told both the boys (as if Jesus needed to be told) the truth of their births.

The baptism of Christ: Matthew 3 (Read)

In Jewish culture a Jewish boy underwent a rite of adoption that we need to understand here. Jesus never did because he was always supposed to be illegitimate and he really wasn’t Joseph’s son. The little Jewish boys went to the synagogue school, but Jesus didn’t. No bastards could attend. Then the rite followed naming them as men and as their father’s son.

Also Jesus was baptized to show that this rite was blessed by him, it was a picture of his death and resurrection as it is to us when we are baptized as dead to the world, but alive in Christ. I think it put an affirmation on John’s message and work. It also heralded the beginning of Christ’s ministry. After his baptism, he won the battle against temptation in the wilderness. Jesus wasn’t baptized for the forgiveness of sin, because He is sinless.

So John is bearing witness of what the Father said about His beloved Son. And he passes this information on to these Jewish leaders.

Verse 35:

Happens again when he’s standing with two of his disciples. They leave him and follow Jesus. That was the way it was to happen, and Jesus said of John that he was the greatest in the Kingdom of God, yet he doesn’t hog any glory for himself, but points even his own followers to Christ. How different from the Jewish religious echelon who hated Jesus and John and forbade their members to follow Christ.

They leave John and follow Christ, they ask where He lives and he invites them to come and see. It is thought that one of the disciples is John himself, because he never reveals himself in the first person, but always in the third person. And some teachers point out that beyond this point, the gospel becomes more personal in its narration.

One of the primary identifier of a cult, is the leader refusing to let go of followers. Even churches can do this. They try to control every aspect of their members’ lives. No, no, you have to hold people with a lose hand. You may hold them in your heart, but not in your will. They belong to God. I learned that in drama. People would come and say, “Kathy, I’m being led into this ministry or that.” I always sent them on their way with my blessing. They weren’t mine, they were God’s.

In verse 40 we see that one of the disciples is Andrew the brother of Simon. The pronouncement that “you shall be called Cephas. Peter is Greek, and Cephas is Hebrew, and stone is English. The implication is that Peter will earn the name or connotation “Rock.” He isn’t that yet, he’s just head-strong, impetuous, talking when he should be silent, giving opinions when none are wanted, loud when everything around him calls for quietness. Peter is not the man he will become, but Christ saw his potential. He looks at us that way, we see our failures, he sees our hearts that want only to please him. We can’t even judge ourselves.

Only redemption through Christ, the Lamb of God, makes us into what God had in mind when he created us. All of life is discovering and uncovering that person that God designed to best reveal Christ to the world around us.

Gospel of John - Chapter 1 VS 1-18

Bible study By: Kathy Kearney

When the apostle John wrote this, he was an old man. Yet as we read it there is a freshness about it that gives the impression of being written as these events unfold. This is the kind of lasting impression Jesus made on John. But it’s deeper than that. I’ve known people all my life, some of them intimately, yet there are also many things that I’ve forgotten, even in my own marriage. The sort of “aliveness” we’re seeing here could only come from a reborn experience, where the person of Jesus Christ has actually taken up residence in John’s life. And of course, we also know that he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John knows the Word and this is his account of those experiences and teachings from Christ.

Verse 1-3:

In the beginning, these are the same words that introduce the first chapter of Genesis, and I believe that is exactly why John uses them. (Read Genesis 1) was the Word. This is not in conflict with the account of creation, rather it broadens the explanation of what took place. The expansion is that the Word was with God, and that the Word was God.

God is in three persons, and we will see that unfold throughout this chapter. The trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.

He was in the beginning with God. God created all things through Christ. Colossians 1: 15-17. All things came into being. This does away with the big bang theory, the idea the man started from a one celled slug crawling out of the ooze. This speaks of thought, intent, and action. We were created, we didn’t happen. The only thing chaos gives is chaos. This is orderliness of the highest degree.

There is nothing outside God’s realm. God does not dwell in anything, all things dwell in Him. When Paul spoke to the Greeks at Mars Hill, he said that we moved and lived and had our being in God. God didn’t just wind us up and turn us loose. He operates every breath you draw. You are His creation. No accidents, no coincidences.

That is why Christians oppose abortion. There are no such things as accidents of birth. I know people whose parents tell them continually that they weren’t wanted that the pregnancy was an accident. That is not true. God loves every baby conceived, He has a plan for every one of them, and Heaven help anyone who takes that life away and calls it nothing.

Verse 4:

In Him was life and this life is the light of all men. Let’s go back to Genesis. What were the first words that God spoke. “Let there be light.” But he wasn’t speaking of sun, moon and stars; they didn’t come until verse 14. He was speaking of a light that brings life. Without this light there is no life, and the light spoken of is Christ. So this light is physical, but it is also spiritually enlightening. II Cor. 4: 6

So we see that Scripture gives ample proof that God and Christ are one because they are both light, and they are both the Word.

Verse 5:

Light shines in darkness and the darkness does not overwhelm it or overpower it. Darkness is the absence of light, but light is not the absence of darkness. Light overwhelms the dark. Light switch. Without light we grope, people who are denied light become depressed. We have a friend who lives in Sacramento where it rains a lot in the winter time, she gets depressed. Life giving food will not grow in darkness. We are so dependent upon the light, both physically and spiritually. Spiritual darkness kills too.

Verses 6-9:

Speaking of John the Baptist. Matthew 3:1. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. He was born six months before Christ. You can read that story in Luke 1: 39-44. Imagine substituting the word “fetus” for baby in these passages. Another proof that God creates life and owns it.

John was sent as a forerunner. Now a forerunner is a man who runs ahead of the king’s chariot and fills in all the potholes so the king has a smooth ride. John was paving the way for Christ. He was helping people prepare their hearts for Christ. But he never claimed to be Christ. He came only to bear witness of the Light. Incidentally Jesus refers to himself later in John as the Light of the world.

Verses 9-11

Jesus comes to the world he created, and did everyone rush forth to greet him with love and welcome. No, he’s vilified, plotted against, mocked and finally crucified. People need the light, but so very often people don’t want the light. The world didn’t acknowledge him at all. In fact, in Luke we read that Herod tried to destroy him when he came into the world.

Then it narrows the rejection. He came to his own people, the Jews, and they didn’t want Him either. He was the fulfillment of all prophecy, and you would think they would be waiting with avid anticipation, but they weren’t. His very own people from whom he was born physically renounced him.

Verses 12-13:

But some opened their hearts and lives and believed in His name, and he gave them eternal life, and they were born into his kingdom becoming children of God. But born not of human conception, but through the power of God.

Verse 14:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Philippians 2: 5-11. This was something that God decided to do, to be born. You and I didn’t decided to be born, we just were, by God’s choice not ours.

We beheld his Glory, writes John. He still remembers. But there was one time in particular that this might be referring to. Matthew 16: 28 to 17: 1-2. The transfiguration on the mount. There are other times as well, his healings, his messages, his miracles, his death, his resurrection. John saw it all, and it’s just as fresh in his mind as the day he saw it, and maybe more so because he’s matured in his faith and knowledge of Christ, these times mean more now, explain more, bring more knowledge of the grace, power, glory and love of Christ.

Verse 15:

John bore witness of this, nothing else, just this. “He came before me”. Remember, John was 6 months older than the Lord was, but he is acknowledging his deity by saying that he existed before him for Christ is eternal.

Verse 16:

For of his fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. When you accept Christ into your heart as Savior, you get it all. It’s hard to believe, I know, but that’s exactly what happens. When a baby is born male or female, everything is there for that gender. As the child grows he doesn’t become more male or more female, he matures. So when a person accepts Christ, he doesn’t have all knowledge, or all understanding, he has to mature into what is there. This speaks of the Godhead that takes up residence in our lives. When I came to Christ, all his deity came to rest in my heart. I can’t become more Christian, but I can grow and behave as a more mature Christian.

Verse 17:

Moses was entrusted with the Law, but no one could ever keep it. We break several commandments a day, even if only in our thoughts. All the law did was show how holy God is and how rotten we are. (Paul-Romans 7)

Verse 18:

All Moses could do was bring the Ten Commandments down from the mountain top and say, ” Here’s what God wants you to do.” But Jesus came down from heaven and said, “Here’s what God is like. He’s me! And I love you and want to be your Savior.” If you want to know what God is like, study Jesus.

I have always loved this passage about Jesus explaining God. If Christ can explain God, then He can explain everything and every one else in my life. Will he? Back to Philippians 2. Have this mind in you, which was in Christ Jesus. I can think as God thinks about a situation or a person. Sure stops my big old mouth from getting me into such trouble.

Principles of Bible Interpretation

Featuring the original Bible studies by Kathy Kearney Some of the study posts will be by other teachers like the first one by Dr. Bernard Ramm. We will also post teaching materials by the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Max Lucado and others. Whenever possible we will provide a link to their site as well.

BY: Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation

1. Always interpret a verse in agreement with its context (its surrounding verses or chapters). That is, the meaning of the part must be consistent with the whole.

2. Interpret a passage in the light of its probable meaning to the persons for whom it was originally written.

3. When interpreting a passage, consider the customs and events taking place when it was written.

4. Do not use an obscure passage to disprove one with a clear and obvious meaning.

5. Interpret a passage in the light of all other scripture. In other words let Scripture interpret Scripture.

6. Interpret a passage according to the best use of the original language.

7. Interpret a social teaching in line with doctrinal teaching.

8. If there is a principle set forth in the passage, do not interpret or apply the passage in such a manner as to deny or reverse the principle.

9. Interpret the unknown in accordance with the known.

10. Do not interpret a passage in such a way as to make it deny what we know to be true of God from other scripture.

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