João 1
John Phillips · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 1
Phillips - At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that word, was with God, and was God, and he existed with God from the beginning. Moffatt - The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine. NLT - In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ICB - Before the world began, there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (International Children's Bible)
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Phillips: So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth.
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Phillips: And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!"
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Phillips: Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches - there is a grace in our lives because of his grace.
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Phillips: For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. I
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Phillips: it is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known.
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Phillips - John's gospel begins with a prologue (Jn 1:1-18), runs through a threefold view of the Lord Jesus-the signs (Jn 1:19-12:50), the secrets (Jn 13:1-17:26), and the sorrows (Jn 18:1-20:31) of God's Son-and ends with an epilogue (Jn 21:1-25). The basic structure is simple, but John surprises us. He says the simplest things, uses the simplest words, puts together the simplest phrases and sentences-and at once plunges us into mysterious, mystical, mind-staggering concepts. (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) D A Carson writes that John's Prologue "summarizes how the 'Word' which was with God in the very beginning came into the sphere of time, history, tangibility —in other words, how the Son of God was sent into the world to become the Jesus of history, so that the glory and grace of God might be uniquely and perfectly disclosed. The rest of the book is nothing other than an expansion of this theme. (The Gospel according to John -The Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Bolding added) Herbert Lockyer...The full prologue takes in John 1:1-18, in which we have— • Christ in Relation to God (John 1:1, 2, 14, 18). • Christ in Relation to the Material Universe (John 1:3). • Christ in Relation to Human Nature (John 1:14). • Christ in Relation to Humanity (John 1:4, 6-9, 12, 15). • Christ in Relation to the Old Testament (John 1:17). John Phillips - The prologue can be divided into three parts, revolving around three of John's favorite words. We have the divine life in essence (Jn 1:1-5), the divine light in evidence (Jn 1:6-13), and the divine love in experience (Jn 1:14-18). (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) John Phillips outline of the Prologue John 1:1-18 I. The Divine Life in Essence (Jn 1:1-5) A. The Lord's Ineffable Person (Jn 1:1-2) 1. Jesus Is Eternally God (Jn 1:1a) 2. Jesus Is Equally God (1:1b) 3. Jesus Is Essentially God (Jn 1:1c-2) B. The Lord's Infinite Power (Jn 1:3-5) 1. His Power of Creation (Jn 1:3) 2. His Power of Communication (Jn 1:4-5) II. The Divine Light in Evidence (Jn Jn 1:6-13) A. The Witness and the Light (Jn 1:6-8) 1. The Messenger (Jn 1:6) 2. The Motive (Jn 1:7) 3. The Method (Jn 1:8) B. The World and the Light (Jn 1:9-13) 1. The Light Revealed (Jn 1:9) 2. The Light Resisted (Jn 1:10-11) 3. The Light Received (Jn 1:12-13) III. The Divine Love in Experience (Jn Jn 1:14-18) A. Incarnation (Jn 1:14) B. Identification (Jn 1:15) 1. His Person (Jn 1:15a) 2. His Pre-Eminence (Jn 1:15b) 3. His Pre-Existence (Jn 1:15c) C. Imputation (Jn 1:16) D. Implementation (Jn 1:17) E. Illumination (Jn 1:18) C H Dodd - “We may regard the Prologue as giving, in the barest skeleton outline, a philosophy of life, or Weltanschauung, which is to be filled in with concrete detail out of the gospel as a whole.” MacLeod on the Prologue - An overture in an orchestral composition often forms the prelude to an oratorio or opera. In it the composer introduces the principal themes or motifs that he will develop throughout the work. Many students of John have likened his prologue to an overture in which he touched on major themes that he developed later in the Gospel. (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1-1-2) David J MacLeod points out that "Important themes in the prologue that are developed later in the Gospel include life (Jn 1:4), light and darkness (Jn 1:5, 7–9), witness (Jn 1:7–8, 15), world (Jn 1:10), belief and unbelief (Jn 1:11–12), glory (Jn 1:14), and grace and truth (Jn 1:14, 17)."… The history of philosophy and theology is the history of worldviews, in which people take some aspect of reality as they see it and deify it (the religious approach) or make it the cardinal point of an interpretive principle (the philosophical approach). John wrote his Gospel when many such worldviews were prevalent. Today, as well, a wide variety of worldviews exist, and John’s prologue is an antidote to all of them. The Gospel of John presents a true understanding of who Jesus Christ is, so that readers may have the proper framework with which to interpret life and reality—that they may know God and walk in the light of His truth… In his prologue John began with a clear allusion to Genesis 1. “In the beginning” corresponds to בְּאשִׁית (“In the beginning”) of Genesis 1:1. John referred to the Word, who was in existence at the time of Creation. John did not refer to Him as “Messiah,” “Son of Man,” or even “Son of God.”20 Instead, in seeking to draw his readers, both Gentiles and Jews, to faith in Christ, he began with a term that would spark their interest. “Word” is an inadequate rendering of λόγος, but as Bruce wrote, “it would be difficult to find one less inadequate.” The meaning of λόγος in John’s prologue has been at the center of controversy for many years. One of the writer’s teachers said that people writing about the λόγος have probably written over one hundred thousand pages on what John meant by “word.” (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1-1-2) Horner has some interesting comments on the Prologue John 1:1-18 - The Prologue of the Gospel of John is profoundly and gloriously theological, and while the suggestion may come to mind that it would be better to quickly move on to the more simple narrative chapters, especially when presenting this truth to an unbeliever or even an immature Christian, yet this temptation is to be resisted at all costs. If it be agreed that John 1:19-12:50 is designed to present Jesus Christ as the personal object of saving faith, then it needs to be appreciated that John 1:1-18 intentionally qualifies, in elevated terms, the full dimensions of this same saving Person. In other words, before we reach such evangelistic overtures as John 3:16 in which the universal offer of Jesus Christ is plainly described, we need to be clear about who this Jesus Christ is in exact terms, and such a vital explanation is given in John 1:1-18. Horner on the comparison of John's introduction with Genesis 1:1-3:24 - The incorporation of the teaching of Genesis 1-3 into the commencement of John’s Gospel is probably more substantial than a casual reading might reveal. To begin with, John’s orderly description of “beginning,” Jn 1:1-2, “God,” Jn 1:1-2, “came into being,” Jn 1:3, “life,” Jn 1:4, “light,” Jn 1:4-5, 7-9, “darkness,” Jn 1:5, “man,” Jn 1:6, 9, very much parallels similar terminology in Genesis 1:1-31. Also consider that the Prologue includes the revelation of God on earth, Jn 1:14, 18, sin, Jn 1:10, and grace, Jn 1:16-17. So Genesis likewise describes God as present on earth, Ge 3:8-9, sin, Ge 3:1-7, and grace, Ge 3:15. Andreas J. Köstenberger observes a "timeline" in the Prologue in which John "shows the progression from preexistence (Jn 1:1–2) to creation (Jn 1:3), the time subsequent to creation but prior to the incarnation (Jn 1:4–5) (Ed: Not sure I agree with that division as the light shining in the darkness sure sounds like Jesus among men!), the Baptist (Jn 1:6–8), and the incarnation and its results and benefits (Jn 1:9–18)" Kostenberger adds that "the prologue doubtless represents one of the most beautiful and carefully crafted poetic portions in the entire NT. John uses a form of “staircase parallelism,” introducing a concept at the end of one line and taking it up at the beginning of the next (Culpepper 1980–81: 9–10). The pattern is broken in Jn 1:6–9, which is written in more pedestrian prose, but is resumed in Jn 1:10–11 and again in Jn 1:17 " (The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary) Arthur W. Pink on the Gospel of John - “In this book we are shown that the one who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, who walked this earth for thirty-three years, who was crucified at Calvary, who rose in triumph from the grave, and who forty days later departed from these scenes, was none other than the Lord of Glory. The evidence for this is overwhelming, the proofs almost without number, and the effect of contemplating them must be to bow our hearts in worship before ‘the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13).” (John 1:1-13 Christ the Eternal Word) Here is A W Pink's outline of the first 13 verses… How entirely different is this from the opening verses of the other Gospels! John opens by immediately presenting Christ not as the Son of David, nor as the Son of man, but as the Son of God. John takes us back to the beginning, and shows that the Lord Jesus had no beginning. John goes behind creation and shows that the Saviour was Himself the Creator. Every clause in these verses calls for our most careful and prayerful attention. I. The Relation of Christ to Time—“In the beginning,” therefore, Eternal: John 1:1. 2. The Relation of Christ to the Godhead—“With God,” therefore, One of the Holy Trinity: John 1:1. 3. The Relation of Christ to the Holy Trinity—“God was the Word”—the Revealer: John 1:1. 4. The Relation of Christ to the Universe—“All things were made by him”—the Creator: John 1:3. 5. The Relation of Christ to Men—Their “Light”: John 1:4, 5. 6. The Relation of John the Baptist to Christ—“Witness” of His Deity: John 1:6–9. 7. The Reception which Christ met here: John 1:10–13. (a) “The world knew him not”: John 1:10. (b) “His own (Israel) received him not”: John 1:11. (c) A company born of God “received him”: John 1:12, 13. (John 1:1-13 Christ the Eternal Word) THE NICENE CREED 381AD We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made Man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism (Ed: spiritual) for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. Irving Jensen - Survey of the NT - Used by permission John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: En arche en (3SIAI) o logos kai o logos he pros ton theon kai theos he o logos (NASB: Lockman) BGT Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. NET In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. CSB In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ESV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NLT In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. NRS In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NJB In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. NAB In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. YLT In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; MIT In the beginning the word intrinsic to God, identifying God, was active. TLB - Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. Phillips - At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that word, was with God, and was God, and he existed with God from the beginning. Moffatt - The Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine. NLT - In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ICB - Before the world began, there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (International Children's Bible)
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Phillips - John does not waste his time arguing with the Gnostic and other heretics. Rather, he states certain facts that he knows beyond all shadow of doubt to be true. Let them speculate; he knows. (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) This phrase in the beginning is used in… Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Lxx = en arche epoinsen o theos ton ouranon kai ten gen) Hebrews 1:10 - And, "THOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING DIDST LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) Moses confronts us with the majesty of God in creation in Genesis 1:1. John confronts us with the majesty of the eternal Deity of Jesus Christ in John 1:1. Macleod quoting Hunter says “Mark begins his story of Jesus at Jordan, Matthew and Luke start at Bethlehem. But John goes back to the very beginning of history, even beyond it, as if to say, ‘There is only one true perspective in which to see the story—you must see it in the light of eternity.’… In the first stanza of his λόγος hymn John affirmed three truths about the λόγος. First, He existed eternally before the creation of the universe. Second, He coexisted eternally with God. Third, He is Himself of the same nature as God. In His nature He is essential deity. (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1-1-2) John
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Phillips says "It suggests the idea of "absolute, supra-temporal existence." Or stated another way, the verb in this tense "denotes neither a completed state nor a coming into being. It is appropriate to eternal, unchanging being. John is affirming that the Word existed before creation, which makes it clear that the Word was not created." (Morris). "The Word continually was" is the idea. This truth provides definitive proof of Christ’s deity, for only God is eternal. As Phillips says John "does not refer to a start, but to an infinite state!" (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) Was (1510) (ēn which is the imperfect form of eimi) means to be and is the usual verb for existence. In the metaphysical sense as in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word,” meaning it had been before there was any beginning or existed before the beginning of anything; John 8:50, estín, in the pres. tense indicating." (Zodhiates) Notice John does not say in the beginning CAME the Word or BEGAN the Word, but WAS the Word. This verb is in the imperfect tense which speaks of continuous action. In a word, the Word was continually existing! Watch John's masterful use of the Greek verbs and Greek tenses -- four times in Jn 1:1-2 he uses the imperfect tense (ēn) of the verb eimi to say the Word was God (all of John's statements regarding His pre-existence are in this tense), but in Jn 1:14+ he uses the verb ginomai in the aorist tense (egeneto) (punctiliar, an instantaneous intervention, decisive, at a moment or point in time - the aorist usage here refers to some historical time in the past as the beginning of the new state) He became Man. So Jesus who always was God, became Man in a moment in time, doing so without ceasing to be God! Amazing truth! John never says Christ became God but only that He was (always) God! It is notable that the verb ēn (imperfect of eimi) is used by John in every instance where he is referring to the eternal state of Jesus (see Jn 1:1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15). One exception might be John's use of ginomai in an allusion to Jesus' existence before [implying His eternal state] John (the Baptist) (Jn 1:15-note) As discussed above John uses ginomai in the aorist tense (egeneto) to refer to becoming something that one was not before in John 1:14-note where God became a Man. In addition to John 1:14, other uses of ginomai in the aorist tense (egeneto) in John's prologue are found in John 1:3-note (twice in the phrase "came into being"), John 1:6 ("There came a man, sent from God"), John 1:10-note ("the world was made through Him") and John 1:17-note ("grace and truth were realized [came] through Jesus Christ."). Note that ginomai is also used in the perfect tense in John 1:3 ("has come into being") and John 1:15-note ("He existed before me"), where the perfect tense implies a continuing existence of a new state. John Phillips commenting on John's use of the imperfect tense says "This is not nearly so arresting in English as it is in the original. In each case it sets before the reader not something past, or present, or future, but something ongoing. It refers to a mode of existence that transcends time. Time is a device to help finite beings relate to their mode of existence. The verb John uses takes us into the sphere of the timeless. In other words, the one John calls "the Word" belongs to a realm where time does not matter. The word did not have a beginning. The word will never have an ending. The word belongs to eternity… But says John, when we think of Jesus, that is where we must begin. We must go back to the dateless past, to a time before time. We must think of Jesus as never having begun at all. He is eternally God." (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) D A Carson draws our attention to John's specific choice of the verb eimi (used 3x in Jn 1:1, the first being the most theologically significant - as an aside eimi is used 35x in chapter 1.) which means "I am" and not the verb ginomai which means "to become" writing "Although the meanings of ēn ('was' - {imperfect tense of eimi}) and egeneto (from ginomai) (rendered 'were made' in Jn 1:3, 'came' in Jn 1:6 and 'became' in Jn 1:14) often overlap, John repeatedly uses the two verbs side by side to establish something of a contrast. For example, in Jn 8:58 Jesus insists, '[Before] Abraham was born [a form of the second verb {Ed - eimi in the present tense]}, I am [a form of the first verb {Ed - genesthai = ginomai in the aorist tense]}.' In other words, when John uses the two verbs (eimi and ginomai) in the same context, ēn frequently signals existence, whereas egeneto signals 'coming into being' or 'coming into use'. In the beginning, the Word was already in existence. Stretch our imagination backward as we will, we can find no point in time where we may agree with Anus, who, speaking of the Word, said, 'There was once when he was not.'" (The Gospel according to John -The Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Bolding added) William
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Phillips - BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) However, Jesus was not an impersonal source, force, principle, or emanation, but was a Person who became a Man (Jn 1:14).
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Phillips comments on the plurality of God that John introduces - The Old Testament writers caught glimpses of this. In the great Jewish credal statement found in Deuteronomy 6:4, the Hebrews expressed the unity of God: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." But the very first sentence in the Bible expressed the idea of plurality in the godhead: "In the beginning God [Elohim, a plural noun] created [a singular verb] the heaven and the earth." This usage is consistent throughout the Old Testament; God is referred to in a plural form accompanied by a singular verb. Thus, embedded in the Old Testament is the idea of the trinity: one God, three persons. Expressed mathematically this would not be 1 + 1 + 1 (which equals three), but 1 x 1 x 1 (which equals one). From both Old and New Testaments we arrive at the concept of God existing as three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Three persons, one God." (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) Related Resource - What does the Bible teach about the Trinity?
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Phillips - That is, in His essence, in what He actually is, in His nature, person, and personality, in His attributes and character, Jesus is all that God is. All the essential characteristics of deity are His. He exists in His own right, independent of all creation. Does God have the wisdom and power to create a hundred million galaxies and hold them whirling through space at enormous velocities on inconceivable paths, according to fixed laws, expending prodigious amounts of energy? So does Jesus. Such is the Lord's ineffable person. (BORROW Exploring the Gospel of John) The Jehovah's Witnesses mistranslate this verse in their 2013 revised "New World Translation" - "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a god." (Online perversion) This cult brazenly and falsely calls the Word or Jesus a god with a little "g." If Jesus was not God with a capital "G" then all of mankind is still dead in its trespasses and sins, for a little "g" god cannot effect redemption. Only the God-Man can fulfill the requirements of a Kinsman-Redeemer! (See refutation of the Jehovah Witnesses' blatant mistranslation on John 1:1) Herbert Lockyer says "What a tremendous phrase this is—The Word was God! Language has no meaning if these four words do not clearly teach that Christ is "Very God of Very God."… He was not only a divine person, but the Source and Spring of all that is divine. He is not merely of God, and with God, He is God, and His Deity is one of the great themes of John's gospel. "My Father and I are one" (John 10:30)—they were one in substance and essence, and therefore the Son is to be worshipped with the same worship as is due the Father."… It is not said that He is the God, for such an assertion would ascribe to a Son "the totality of the Divine Being, and contradict the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. And He is not said to be Divine, which would lessen the emphasis. But He is said, distinctly and emphatically, to be God—'God manifest in flesh.'"… Christ, then, came not as a Word of God, but the Word—the only revelation of God to man, and He declared all God had to say to men. In Creation, He was the expression of divine power, but in His Incarnation He became the revelation of the divine character (Matthew 11:27; John 17:26)… May He, as the Word, dwell in us richly in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16)! He is the Word, cleansing from sin, and if hid in our heart, will keep us clean (Psalm 119:9-11). 'Tis the Father's pleasure We should call Him Lord, Who from the beginning Was the Mighty Word. R Kent
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Phillips - The Greek word panta ("all things") refers to all things individually, all things separately. It is a reference to the infinite detail of creation. The scientist takes his or her telescope and focuses it on the reaches of space. Out there are distances so vast that a special unit of measure is needed with which to express those concepts. The astronomer's yardstick is a light year: the distance light travels in one year (at 186,273 miles per second-the equivalent of encircling the earth at the equator seven and a half times). In round numbers, that is about six trillion miles. Our sun, by that yardstick, is eight light minutes away. But out there in space are suns and stars believed to be billions of light years away. Nor can we count the stars or guess how many billions there are. Some stars are large beyond all thought. The star Antares, for instance, could hold sixty-four million suns the size of ours. In the constellation Hercules is a star that could contain one hundred million stars the size of Antares. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light years in diameter. It is revolving at a speed of two hundred miles an hour. It takes two million years to complete one revolution on its axis. Not only are we awed by the size of space and the prodigality with which the creator has strewn it with stars, but we are overwhelmed by the precision with which all these vast orbs pursue their appointed paths. Our planet, for instance, does not travel in a true circle. It travels in three directions at the same time. It revolves on its axis, it travels around the sun, and its path is deflected by other planets. Yet it does not lose more than one one-hundredth of a second every one hundred years. Let us turn from the world of the infinitely large to the world of the infinitely small. The building block of the universe is the atom, an entity so small that each one is less than one hundred fifty millionth of an inch in diameter. If the molecules of a single drop of water could be converted into grains of sand, there would be enough sand to build a concrete highway half a mile wide and one foot thick all the way from New York to San Francisco. That is the world of inanimate things. When we turn to living things the complexities that confront us on every hand are incredible. Each cell in a living creature contains two hundred billion molecules of atoms. The nucleus of a cell (a complex life factory) is less than four ten-thousandths of an inch in diameter. The membrane that encloses the cell's component parts is only one half of that, or one-millionth of an inch thick. Jesus made it all. "Without him," says the Holy Spirit through the inspired apostle, "was not anything made that was made." The form of the text in Greek is even more emphatic: "not even one thing." (Exploring the Gospel of John) MacLeod - Cambridge University physicist Stephen Hawking has said, “The eventual goal of science is to provide a single theory that describes the whole universe.” Hawking’s naturalism provides no answer, of course. The Bible, on the other hand, does provide the unifying element of all human knowledge. From the biblical perspective the unifying explanation of the universe is a person, the λόγος, the Son of God, who became man and walked the earth as Jesus Christ. This is the one who created the universe,17 who sustains the universe, and for whom the universe exists (John 1:3; Col. 1:16–17; Heb. 1:2–3). (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1:1-2) H A
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Phillips notes that the root verb stello was used for the furling of a sail. It suggest shrinking back. Apostello means to commission to special task and empowered with the authority of the sender, a perfect description of John the Baptist. Webster defines commission as an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts. In Acts 26:17,when Christ commissioned Saul He said "ego apostello," which literally could be read “I apostle you.” Saul was “called out of the world to be sent to the world.” The call confers on him a missionary commission to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles (Gal. 1:16; 2:7; Ro 11:13; 2Cor. 10:13-16; Eph 3:1-2), which determines both the direction of his ministry, from Jerusalem to Illyricum to Rome to Spain (Rom. 15:19, 24), and the recipients of his ministry (Gal. 2:8). See related discussion below on Let the Missionary be a Missionary. To set apart or send forth on a mission with a commission - (1) the Son sent by the Father - Mt 10:40, Mt 15:24, Mt 21:37, Mk 9:37, Mk 12:6, Lk 4:18,43, Lk 9:48, Lk 10:16, Jn 3:17, Jn 5:36,38, Jn 6:29,57, Jn 7:29, Jn 8:42, Jn 10:36,Jn 11:42, Jn 17:3,8,18, Jn 17:21,23,25, Jn 20:21, Acts 3:20 future; Acts 3:26, 1Jn 4:9,10,14) (2) the Holy Spirit by Christ (Luke 24:49, 1Pe1:12, Rev 5:6), (3) John the Baptist (Jn 1:6, 3:28), (4) the disciples and apostles of Jesus (Mt 10:16, Mk 6:7, Lk 9:2), (5) in Septuagint of God sending Moses (Ex 3:10, Acts 7:35). (6) To send officers and officials (Mark 6:27, John 7:32, Acts 16:35), (7) messengers (Acts 10:8,17,20, Acts 15:27), (8) evangelists (Ro 10:15), (9) angels (Mt 13:41, Mt 24:31, Mk 13:27, Lk 1:19,26, Heb 1:14, Rev 1:1, 22:6), (10) bad angels - demons (Mk 5:10). (11) Used of Jesus sending believers (John 17:18; 20:21) Apostello summarized - 1. send someone out, implying for a particular purpose (Mk 1:11; 1Co 1:17); 2. send a message, send word (Ac 28:28, Mt 14:35, Mt 27:19); 3. (apostellō to drepanon), begin to harvest, place the sickle (Mk 4:29) (Ed: literally "send the sickle" = begin to harvest) (Swanson) In Luke 10:1 we read "Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent (apostello) them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come." As
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Phillips - John the Baptist was both a priest and a Nazarite. There are only three lifelong Nazarites mentioned in the Bible: Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist. A Nazarite had to keep from touching a dead body and from any contact with the fruit of the vine. He also had to let his hair grow long. Forbidden to touch the dead body of even his nearest and dearest relative, he proclaimed to the world that his affections were on the altar. His love for God eclipsed all lesser loves. Abstaining from wine, he proclaimed to the world that his appetites were on the altar. He kept his body in subjection. Allowing his hair to grow long, he proclaimed to the world that even in his appearance, all was on the alter. This was a high standard of consecration, much more demanding than normal devotion to the things of God. It is no wonder that in fifteen hundred years of continuous Hebrew history we read only of three who were thus set apart for God. One of them, Samson, failed dismally. The other two, Samuel and John the baptist, were Hebrew prophets-Samuel was the first of them and John the last. John was a prophet "and more than a prophet" (Luke 7:26). He was also a priest. A prophet represents God to man; a priest represents man to God. John was a priest and more than a priest-he was a Nazarite priest. A priest suggests professional consecration; a Nazarite suggests personal consecration. John the baptist is injected suddenly into the gospel narrative. John the apostle had been speaking of "life" and "light," two common denominators of a person's belief and behavior. ("Light" has to do with knowing; "life" has to do with showing.) There flashed into the apostle's mind a vision of "a man sent from God," one who on the human level epitomized both light and life. John the baptist lived a life so wholly true to his calling and conviction that he earned the Lord's commendation: "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." He was sent from God to bring to the nation of Israel fresh light on the coming of Christ after the darkness of some four hundred silent years. He cast a floodlight of truth and expectation on the times, backed by the authority of a life beyond reproach. (Exploring the Gospel of John) Gotquestions': What should we learn from the life of John the Baptist? Gotquestions' Answer: Although his name implies that he baptized people (which he did), John’s life on earth was more than just baptizing. John’s adult life was characterized by blind (Ed: I suggest it was eyes wide open) devotion and utter surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. John’s voice was a “lone voice in the wilderness” (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Savior. He was the precursor for the modern day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ (Ed: How could he have accomplished this task? There has always been but one way - "Holy Spirit Boldness" - cf even the apostle Paul's "prayer request" - Eph 6:18-20, noticing the repeated request for boldness. A good prayer request for ALL God's children! Would you stop and pray it this very moment?). He was a man filled with faith (Ed: And like Stephen, he was filled with the Spirit = controlled by, empowered by the Spirit - Acts 6:3, 5,8 Acts 7:55, Luke 1:15) and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others (Ed: Heb 6:11-12, cf 1Cor 11:1). Most everyone, believer and non-believer alike, has heard of John the Baptist. He is arguably one of the most significant and well-known figures in the Bible. While John was known as “the Baptist,” he was in fact the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years before his own birth. John’s own coming was foretold over 700 years previously by another prophet. In Isaiah 40:3-5 it states: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’" This passage illustrates God’s master (Sovereign) plan in action as God selected John to be His special ambassador to proclaim His own coming. Little is actually known of John, although we do know that John was a Levite, one of the special tribe set aside by God to take care of all of the work associated with the temple (Nu 1:50-53, Ed: In light of this truth it is interesting to compare Jesus' description of Himself as a "Temple" - Jn 2:18-22). John was the son of Zechariah, a temple priest of the lineage of Abijah (Ed: A leading priest in the days of the return from Exile = Neh 12:4, and then a priestly house Neh 12:17 to which Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, belonged Lk 1:5), while John’s mother Elizabeth was from the lineage of Aaron (Luke 1:5). John was also related to Jesus as their mothers were cousins (Luke 1:36). John lived a rugged life in the mountainous area of Judea, between the city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It is written that he wore clothes made out of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His diet was a simple one—locusts and wild honey (Mt 3:4). John lived a simple life as he focused on the kingdom work set before him. John’s ministry grew in popularity, as recounted in Matthew 3:5-6: “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” We also see that he spoke very boldly to the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, calling them a “brood of vipers” and warning them not to rely on their Jewish lineage for salvation, but to repent and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-10). People of that day simply did not address leaders, religious or otherwise, in this manner for fear of punishment. But John’s faith made him fearless in the face of opposition. While his ministry was gaining strength, John’s message was gaining popularity. In fact, it became so popular that many people may have thought that he was the Messiah. This assuredly was not his intent as he had a clear vision for what he was called to do. John 3:28 tells us, “You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.'” (Ed: cp Jn 1:20) This verse speaks of John cautioning his disciples that what they had seen and heard from him is just the beginning of the miracle that was to come in the form of Jesus Christ. John was merely a messenger sent by God to proclaim the truth. His message was simple and direct: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Mt 3:2). He knew that once Jesus appeared on the scene, John’s work would be all but finished. He willingly gave up the spotlight to Jesus saying, “He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:30-note). Perhaps there is no greater example of humility than the one demonstrated by both Jesus and John in Matthew 3:13-15 (Ed: cf Jn 1:27). Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John in the river Jordan. John rightly recognized that the sinless Son of God needed no baptism of repentance and that he was certainly not worthy to baptize his own Savior. But Jesus answered his concern by requesting baptism “to fulfill all righteousness” meaning that He was identifying Himself with sinners for whom He would ultimately sacrifice Himself, thereby securing all righteousness for them (2 Corinthians 5:21). In humility, John obeyed and consented to baptize Jesus. John’s ministry, as well as his life, came to an abrupt end at the hand of King Herod. In an act of unspeakable and violent vengeance, Herodias, Herod’s wife and the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip, plotted with her daughter to have John killed. So incensed was Herodias at John for claiming her marriage to Herod to be unlawful that she prompted her daughter to ask for the head of John on a platter as a reward for her pleasing Herod with her dancing. John had previously been arrested by Herod in attempt to silence him, and it was a simple thing to send the executioner to the prison and behead John, which is exactly what happened (Mark 6:17-28). This was a sad and ignoble end to the life of the man about whom Jesus said: “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (Luke 7:28, Mt 11:11). LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST There are several lessons we can learn from the life of John the Baptist. First, whole-heartedly believing in Jesus Christ is possible. John the Baptist could have believed in and worshipped any number of gods available to him before Jesus arrived on the scene. But at some point in his life John knew that the Messiah was coming. He believed this with his whole heart and spent his days “preparing the way” for the Lord’s coming (Matthew 11:10). But the road was not an easy one to prepare. Daily he faced doubters of various influence and popularity who did not share his enthusiasm for the coming Messiah. Under hard questioning from the Pharisees, John shared his belief: “‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie’" (John 1:26-27). John believed in the Christ and his great faith prepared him for hardships, but it kept him steadfast on his course until the time when he could say as he saw Jesus approach, “Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). As believers, we can all have this steadfast faith. Second, anyone can be a strong and serious witness for Jesus Christ. John’s life is an example to us of the seriousness with which we are to approach the Christian life and our call to ministry, whatever that may be. We pattern our lives after John’s by first examining ourselves to be sure we are truly in the faith (2Cor 13:5). Second, like John, we are to know and believe that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), so we can be fearless in the face of persecution and death (Ed: Beloved, do not attempt to "gut it out" in your own strength! This attitude can ONLY be accomplished supernaturally by the empowering of the indwelling Spirit!). John lived his life to introduce others to Jesus Christ, and knew the importance of repenting of one’s sins in order to live a holy and righteous life. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, he also was unafraid of calling out people such as Herod and the Pharisees for their sinful behavior. Third, John shows us how to stand firm in our faith no matter what the circumstances. Paul reminded Timothy that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2Ti 3:12). But for many of us who live in freedom, persecution takes on a very mild form. As he lived in an occupied country, John had to be aware that anything contrary to utter devotion to the king or emperor was asking for trouble. Yet his message was unchanging, bold and strong. It was John’s belief, his message, and his continual rebuke of King Herod that landed him in prison. While it is hard to know for sure what John was feeling as he sat in prison, we can be sure that he might have had some doubts about the Lord who tested his faith. In fact, John gets a message out to Jesus asking, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). As Christians we will all have our faith put to the test, and we will either falter in our faith or, like John, cling to Christ and stand firm in our faith to the end. See also: In what way was John the Baptist the greatest (Matthew 11:11)? What is the baptism of/by/with fire? Why did John the Baptist refer to the Pharisees as a brood of vipers? Who were the Essenes? Was John the Baptist an Essene? What was the meaning and importance of the baptism of John the Baptist? George Peters on Apostello versus Pempo The Missionary Is One Sent Forth = The word missionary is not found in our English Bible. It comes to us from the Latin word mitto—I send and this is closely related to the New Testament apostello—to send. Any reader of the Bible quickly realizes that the words sent and send occupy a prominent place in the Bible, especially in the Gospels. The Greek words apostello, and pempo, both meaning to send, occur in the New Testament 215 time—apostello 135 times, pempo 80 times. The vast majority of them appear in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles—apostello 123 and pempo 60 times. Both of the Greek words are used of Christ as well as of the apostles. There seems to be some difference in emphasis and depth. Thus, while pempo emphasizes more the act of sending, apostello also involves the idea of authoritative sending with a mission. The latter includes a definite purpose in the sending. It is significant to note that pempo is never used in relation to God in the Synoptics, nor by Paul, while apostello is not used in relation to the sending of the Holy Spirit. And even in John the two words are not absolute synonyms. A fine distinction prevails throughout the Scriptures. The common factor in both words is the fact that they point to an authority beyond the sent one. There is an Authority, a Sender, beyond the messenger. The messenger himself is not an authority. He merely represents an authority. It is readily seen that the word apostle finds its roots in apostello and thus means a person authoritatively sent forth with a message and on a mission. Christ, the Sent One. Turning back to the record of Scripture, we discover that Christ spoke of Himself on numerous occasions as the Sent One. He walked, worked, and suffered in the deep consciousness of having been sent into the world (comp. esp. John 6—John 8). He was, indeed, an apostle, One sent forth. His own words reveal clearly that He walked in blessed fellowship with the Father, fully conscious that it was the Father who had sent Him, that the Father’s authority was resting upon Him, and that the Father was sharing in His ministry. There was authorization as well as companionship in the experience of having been sent. This illumined His path and lightened the burdens of the way. In obedience and submission to and in fellowship with the Father who had sent Him He withstood all opposition, pressures, criticism and endured suffering, shame and death, triumphing in it all. The disciples, the sent ones. As we turn to the disciples, we discover very similar experiences. They, too, were sent ones—messengers, ambassadors and apostles. On several occasions Christ sent them forth into ministries. In fact, He chose them that they might be called apostles, or sent ones (Luke 6:13). Though the discipleship aspect is more dominant in the Gospels, the apostleship consciousness is not totally lacking. Nine times they are spoken of as apostles in the Gospels. In the Acts of the Apostles, the discipleship concept gives way to the apostleship. Thus they, too, walked and worked in the full consciousness of having been sent into the world for a specific purpose and with a definite message. In the sending forth of the disciples there is, however, one absolute distinction from the sending of our Lord. They are never said to have been sent by the Father. To the contrary, twice it is explicitly stated that they are being sent by Christ (John 17:18; John 20:20). Already, previous to this, Christ had sent them out in His own name (comp. Mt. 10:1ff ; Mk 3:13-19; Mk 6:6-13; Lk 9:1-6;10:1-20). Thus while Christ is the Apostle of the Father, the disciples became apostles of Jesus Christ, and Paul designates himself repeatedly as Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ. Peter does likewise. Christ became their sending authority. As the sending authority, Christ became not only their authorization but also the sharer in their ministry. He is their authority and their companion. The apostles were fully conscious of their source of authority. When Peter was asked by the rulers: By what authority, or by what name, have ye done this? (a miracle), Peter is not slow to inform them that there is only one name (comp. Acts 4:5-12). Christ’s companionship is explicitly stated in His blessed promise in Matthew 28:20b when He says: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (or consummation of the age). The same truth is reiterated in Mark 16:20 where we read: “And they [the apostles] went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” This is also beautifully reflected in the words of Christ in John 20:21. Bishop Westcott, having made a rather detailed and comprehensive study of various words and tenses in the Gospel of John, makes the following remarks: “The general results of the examination of these facts seems to be that in this charge the Lord presents His own mission as the one abiding mission of the Father; this He fulfills through His church. His disciples receive no new commission, but carry out His. (Comp. Matt. 28:20; Heb. 3:1).” Thus the sending agent becomes the closest companion in the ministry. The apostles were not asked to do mission work for Christ but rather with Christ. This is, indeed, true partnership in missions, and Paul could speak with inner satisfaction of being collaborators with God. There is an identification of Christ with His sent ones that sweetens all bitterness and drives away the shadows through His blessed smile. His presence and companionship is their constant experience and abiding heritage. Their great need is to practice constantly the consciousness of His presence. The missionary, a sent one. The missionary today, too, is a sent one if he is a missionary in the Biblical sense of the word. A missionary is not one who has gone out, but one who has been sent out. It is the sending that makes all the difference. And unless he can walk in the blessed assurance that he has been sent forth, he will be unable to bear the strain and frustrations, the pressures and the disappointments of missionary life. The consciousness, however, of having been sent forth will uphold him in his trials and failures and most certainly lead him to triumph and success (Let the Missionary Be a Missionary - George W. Peters) All 132 uses of Apostolos in the NT NAS translates apostello as: puts(1), send(17), send forth(3), sending(3), sends(1), sent(104), sent… away(1), set(1). GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Matthew 2:16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Matthew 8:31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. Matthew 11:10 "This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' Matthew 13:41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 20:2 "When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matthew 21:1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 34 "When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 36 "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' Matthew 22:3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' 16 And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Matthew 23:34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Matthew 24:31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. Matthew 27:19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him." GOSPEL OF MARK Mark 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; Mark 3:14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 31 Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. Mark 4:29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." Mark 5:10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Mark 6:7 And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, Mark 8:26 And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." Mark 9:37 "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me." Mark 11:1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, 3 "If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here." Mark 12:2 "At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 "They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 "Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 "And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 "He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. Mark 13:27 "And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Mark 14:13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; GOSPEL OF LUKE Luke 1:19 The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, Luke 4:18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 43 But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." Luke 7:3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 20 When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'" 27 "This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' Luke 9:2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great." 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. Luke 10:1 Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 3 "Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 16 "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." Luke 11:49 "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Luke 14:17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' 32 "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. Luke 19:14 "But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 29 When He approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount that is called Olivet, He sent two of the disciples, 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as He had told them. Luke 20:10 "At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor. Luke 22:8 And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." 35 And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing." Luke 24:49 "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." GOSPEL OF JOHN John 1:6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. John 3:17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 28 "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.' 34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. John 4:38 "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." John 5:33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 36 "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish-- the very works that I do-- testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. 38 "You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." 57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. John 7:29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me." 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to seize Him. John 8:42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. John 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. John 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God '? John 11:3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 42 "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; John 18:24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." BOOK OF ACTS Acts 3:20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 26 "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways." Acts 5:21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. Acts 7:14 "Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. 34 'I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.' 35 "This Moses whom they disowned, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?' is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us." Acts 10:8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. 17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; 20 "But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself." 36 "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)-- Acts 11:11 "And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders. Acts 13:15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." Acts 15:27 "Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. Acts 16:35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men." 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace." Acts 19:22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. Acts 26:17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, Acts 28:28 "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen." Romans 10:15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" 1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 2 Corinthians 12:17 Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 2 Timothy 4:12 But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? 1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look. 1 John 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, Revelation 5:6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Revelation 22:6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.
João 1:10
Phillips says "It suggests the idea of "absolute, supra-temporal existence." Or stated another way, the verb ēn in the imperfect tense "denotes neither a completed state nor a coming into being. It is appropriate to eternal, unchanging being.
João 1:10
Phillips says John "does not refer to a start, but to an infinite state!"
João 1:10
Phillips commenting on John's use of the imperfect tense adds that "This is not nearly so arresting in English as it is in the original. In each case it sets before the reader not something past, or present, or future, but something ongoing. It refers to a mode of existence that transcends time. Time is a device to help finite beings relate to their mode of existence. The verb John uses takes us into the sphere of the timeless. In other words, the one John calls "the Word" belongs to a realm where time does not matter. The word did not have a beginning. The word will never have an ending. The word belongs to eternity....But says John, when we think of Jesus, that is where we must begin. We must go back to the dateless past, to a time before time. We must think of Jesus as never having begun at all. He is eternally God." (Exploring the Gospel of John) HE MADE THE WORLD The world was made through Him - John repeats the truth of John 1:3 (note) that Jesus is Creator - "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Jesus is the One through Whom the world (physical) was created, but tragically the One the world (humanity) did not know (as Savior, Redeemer, Lord). Natural (General) Revelation is a perfect "commentary" on this passage! The Creator's creation bears clear testimony to the Creator! Read Romans 1:18-22 so that all men are without excuse! And yet God did not only give general revelation, but in this passage we see He, the Creator, entered the very creation He had created to give us "special" revelation in His incarnation. Now we are really without excuse!!! Related Resource - Can a person be saved through general or natural revelation? Other passages affirm the role of Jesus in Creation... Heb 11:3-note By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Col 1:16-note Col 1:17-note - For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Beloved, this includes your life, even when it seems to be falling apart! The Greek word "all" means ALL without exception! Run to the One Who created the world when your world seems to be falling apart!). F B
João 1:11
Phillips - The apostle John now recalls the ministry of John the Baptist and marvels at the speed with which Israel's rejection of the announced messiah developed. It will be one of his major concerns in this gospel to show belief and unbelief developing side by side. His prologue gives us an initial glimpse of this. (Exploring the Gospel of John)
João 1:12
Phillips comment on this contrast - "Oh, those revealing buts of the Bible. They are small hinges on which great truths and destinies swing." Always pause to ponder whenever you encounter one of these little "hinges." You never know what great truth your Teacher the Holy Spirit might illumine as you read the text in context! In this context, we are grateful that John 1:11 was not the end of the story! Revelation did bring rejection, but praise God that through His Spirit it also wrought reception! And so while the majority of Jews rejected their Messiah, there was (as there had always been throughout the Old Testament) a Remnant, a small group who entered through the small gate and trod the narrow way (Mt 7:14-note), by grace through faith, into the Kingdom of God and eternal life with their King! And as discussed below the phase "as many as" opened the "small gate" so that the Gentiles might enter the Kingdom by belief in Messiah's Name! This truth of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles caused Paul to pause one of the most beautiful doxologies in Scripture... For just as you (Gentile believers) once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their (Israel's) disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you (Gentiles) they (the believing Jewish Remnant) also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. (Jews and Gentiles) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:30-36-note)
João 1:13
Phillips says "No amount of wishful thinking makes me a child of God. I might wish I were the child of a millionaire but that does not make me one. I may even live in a fantasy world where I convince myself that I am the son of a millionaire, but to do so is folly."
João 1:14
Phillips: So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth.
João 1:14-18
Phillips: For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. I
João 1:14-18
Phillips: it is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known.
João 1:14-18
Phillips: Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches - there is a grace in our lives because of his grace.
João 1:14-18
Phillips: So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth.
João 1:14-18
Phillips: And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!"
João 1:14-18
Phillips explained the fullness of the Holy Spirit in another way: "Every time we say, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit,' we mean that we believe that there is a living God, able and willing to enter human personality and change it." Speaking of the entire church of Jesus Christ, British preacher and writer John Stott said: "Before Christ sent the church into the world, He sent the Spirit into the church. The same order must be observed today." (BORROW New Testament Words in Today's Language) QUESTION - What is the Pleroma? ANSWER - Pleroma is a Greek word that has to do with filling or being full, or completing or being complete. The word in various conjugations is common in the New Testament and is used in a variety of contexts. In Matthew 1:22 it is translated “to fulfill (prophecy),” and in Matthew 13:48 it is used to describe a full net of fish. In Acts 2:2 the sound of the rushing wind “filled” the house, and in Acts 2:28 Peter quotes David as being “full” of gladness. In non-biblical usage there are examples of pleroma being used of a “full” ship or even a “fully manned” ship. It is simply a normal Greek word without any inherent theological content. The reason pleroma has become an issue is Paul’s use of it in Colossians 1:9 to speak of being “filled” with the knowledge of God’s will; in Colossians 1:25 to say that he is “fully” carrying out his ministry; in Colossians 2:10 to tell the believers they are “complete” in Christ; and in Colossians 4:17 to encourage someone to “complete” his ministry. These are all rather straightforward. In Colossians Paul uses the word pleroma two times in reference to Christ—each occurrence is a powerful statement of the deity of Christ. Colossians 1:19: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him”; and Colossians 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” The fact that Paul uses the word pleroma, which later became a prominent term in Gnostic theology, has led some to infer that Paul was a Gnostic and then, in turn, to try to interpret his writings, especially Colossians, in a Gnostic fashion. In Gnostic writings, “the Pleroma” takes on a technical meaning. The Pleroma is that spiritual perfection that is in contrast to physical deficiency. (Gnostics believed that matter was evil.) In Gnosticism, the Pleroma descended upon Christ at His baptism and left Him at the crucifixion before His death. Gnostics also hope to be able to experience the Pleroma themselves as they progress in Gnostic teaching. In the New Testament, the pleroma is the fullness of God, the complete set of divine attributes that were incarnated in Christ. Christ is fully God and fully man and will forever inhabit a glorified human body. He is the unique Son of God (ED: THE MEANING OF "MONOGENES") in this way. Although sons of God by faith will inherit a glorified body and are complete in Christ (as in Colossians 2:10) and indwelt by the Spirit of God, Christ is unique in His deity and sonship. In Gnosticism, “the Pleroma” is a spiritual fullness or perfection that descended upon Christ temporarily and can descend upon other human beings as well. The Pleroma will never be permanently attached to a physical body because matter is considered evil—only the spiritual is good. Therefore, the Gnostic understanding the Pleroma as it applies to both the uniqueness of Christ and the goodness of created matter is at odds with biblical teaching. WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED GRACE UPON GRACE We have all received (lambano) - John is not advocating universalism, the false teaching that everyone is a child of God, that everyone will go to heaven and that no one will go to hell. John has just used received (lambano) in Jn 1:12 of those who received Jesus Christ as Savior and who thereby became children of God. All of those who received Jesus, receive His grace upon grace. Remember that salvation is not something we achieve but something we receive. By grace we receive it and by grace we live it out (grace upon grace, so to speak). Kent
João 1:15
Phillips: And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!"
João 1:16
Phillips: Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches - there is a grace in our lives because of his grace.
João 1:16
Phillips explained the fullness of the Holy Spirit in another way: "Every time we say, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit,' we mean that we believe that there is a living God, able and willing to enter human personality and change it." Speaking of the entire church of Jesus Christ, British preacher and writer John Stott said: "Before Christ sent the church into the world, He sent the Spirit into the church. The same order must be observed today." (New Testament Words in Today’s Language) We have all received (lambano) - John is not advocating universalism, the false teaching that everyone is a child of God, that everyone will go to heaven and that no one will go to hell. John has just used received (lambano) in Jn 1:12 of those who received Jesus Christ as Savior and who thereby became children of God. All of those who received Jesus, receive His grace upon grace. Remember that salvation is not something we achieve but something we receive. By grace we receive it and by grace we live it out (grace upon grace, so to speak). Kent
João 1:17
Phillips: For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. I
João 1:18
Phillips: it is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known.