Expression in Genesis 1, the Book
of John, and Acts 1, with timelines
I think the-civic-Jesus affirms the
message in Genesis 1:26-28 NIV: human being (verb) can& may choose& act,
in order to constrain chaos. In other words, the person who accepts being human
(verb) can& may behave to the-good and, thereby, aid lives on earth. I
specify NIV, because other versions allow while NIV intends humans
to control chaos in their ways of living. “Civic” herein means reliable in
human connections& transactions. Neither the-God nor government can usurp
civic-integrity.
In application, Phil Beaver accepts
Jesus’-influence and pursues comprehending& practicing the-civic-Jesus’
advice& examples. The book of John expresses John’s-Jesus yet reports
actions from which the generations may glean& improve Jesus’ civic influence
without lessening Jesus-appreciation, whether divine or not. The reader may
enjoy reading the NIV texts I cite below and consider their own opinions.
At age 80, I am serenely confident in my
appreciation for Jesus influence and would not accuse anyone who disagrees with
me of blasphemy: I cannot perceive Jesus’ unique influence on fellow citizens.
I intend to express the continuous presence of the-civic-Jesus in my daily
life.
Jesus affirms
Genesis 1, NIV
Here’s Genesis 1:26-28:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in
the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and
over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God
created mankind in his own
image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he
created them. God
blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and
subdue it. Rule over the
fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
(Emphasis mine.) [A side note on the mixed pronouns: Only female& male mates can independently “increase
in number”. Singles and same-sex partners cannot independently “fill the
earth”. Also, the pronoun-bemused image of God is an androgynous pair. The
heterosexual choice is civic: the androgynous pair retains responsibility to
their progeny. Individuals who are inspired to challenge the civic-integrity
are free to do so. Progeny who are destined to choose heterosexual monogamy
need practical observation of civic-heterosexual-living. Same-sex parents may
try to provide the observations by soliciting willing assistants. The progeny
are subjected to third-parties.]
Not everyone can& may believe in God or in Jesus. Considering
that NASA plans to locate a colony on either the moon or Mars by 2035, it seems
past time for humankind to take responsibility to increase civic-reliability on
earth. The war on poverty might be redirected to a war on depravity. It seems
almost everyone is defying Genesis 1:26-28 NIV. And the Book of John offers
awareness worthy of consideration.
Interpretation& possible action in light of recent
discoveries
To apply Genesis-1, the combination of 2 thoughts, “in our image”
and “so that they may rule”, implies that “mankind” can choose to accept responsibility to earth and to life. They may accept motivation& inspiration,
in order to “be fruitful and increase”. In other words, every human can choose
to be reliable: but some don’t.
A feral infant is not likely to consider& interpret Genesis 1
on their own. The community can& may facilitate& encourage individuals
to responsibly pursue their happiness during their opportunity to consider&
evaluate what I call responsible-human-independence (RHI). I prefer each
reader’s responsible-happiness-to-them: “RHI” is for simplicity rather than to impose
my preference.
In an RHI-culture, civic-citizens reliably accommodate each
other’s responsible-pursuit of the happiness-to-them each one perceives rather
than impose an alien happiness. But not every citizen participates. A referee
is needed for cases wherein one citizen imposes demands for another to forego
RHI. Therefore, a RHI-government funds statutory-justice& its enforcement.
I know of no society that has no RHI-offenders – both arbitrary dependents and
willing tyrants. However, the amendable 1787 U.S. Constitution abstractly
proffers an RHI-society. The civic-faction of We the People of the United
States may yet pursue RHI instead of Anglo-American traditional-tyranny.
To accomplish this, the-civic-citizens must rebuild Education
Departments so as to aid youth and immigrants in the quarter-century transition
from ignorance to RHI, more than to train the workers the U.S. thinks it needs.
For example, taxation can& may not-be-used to manipulate consumers to favor
the wealthy: taxation can& may facilitate& encourage RHI.
Possible RHI-impacts on a person’s journey in life
1.
The young adult who
comprehends& intends RHI has the chance to embrace& fulfill Genesis-1 civic-intentions
before dying.
a.
They observe that not
every person advocates RHI, so they aid statutory-justice.
b.
They observe that some people want religion, in order to inspire&
motivate their RHI-practice and happily
appreciate hate-free religious-opinion.
c.
They observe that the-God (whatever doctrinal-Gods answer to) is a
mystery and reserve humility to
whatever constrains the consequences of human choice.
i.
Perhaps it’s the-God
according to the-God.
ii.
Perhaps it’s
the-laws-of-physics& progeny: mathematics, weak& strong forces, waves,
chemistries, biology, psychology, imagination: everything.
iii.
Rationalization fails – neither
puts a person on the moon nor specifies the-God to the-God’s satisfaction.
iv.
Revelation is unreliable.
v.
Nevertheless, motivations&
inspirations -- emotions, is part of human being (verb) and must be both
accommodated& constrained. For example, sex
is for heterosexual bonding, which promiscuity
destroys. Same-sex-partners pursue civic-reliability and choose gratifying sex
acts.
d.
Pursuing RHI is a journey,
and different people are on different paths, at different ages, each with
unique potentials for their personal
perfection.
i.
Some people don’t accept
their body, mind, and person – seek something more.
ii.
Some people either never
encounter or don’t accept, much less adopt, RHI.
iii.
Some people live& die,
never envisioning their opportunity to pursue their happiness.
iv.
Tradition overlooks that
RHI is a self-interest: civic-integrity is rewarding.
2.
The RHI government practices,
facilitates& encourages fellow citizens to pursue RHI, promotes reform to
offending-dissidents, and admits that some people oppose RHI.
a.
The RHI-citizen is civic –
reliable in every human connection& transaction.
b.
Non-RHI behavior – offenses --
include religious arrogance, indolence, passivity, hate, crime, tyranny, evil,
and worse.
c.
The fellow-citizen who is non-RHI
ought neither serve government nor vote.
3.
Statutory-justice is based on
ineluctable-evidence.
a.
“Ineluctable” means not to be
avoided, changed, escaped, neglected, rationalized, or resisted.
The-ineluctable-truth can& may be discovered. Otherwise, “We don’t know” expresses
actual-reality.
b.
Only humankind can conduct the
research to discover evidence (ineluctable) on which to discern
the-ineluctable-truth.
i.
The-God cannot usurp RHI.
ii.
Government cannot usurp RHI.
iii.
RHI does not respond to
rationalization, revelation, or other human-construct.
c.
The responsible religious
institution maintains doctrine that aids statutory-justice.
4.
Fellow citizens can& may
consider political philosophies under the above principles.
a.
Citizens may work to comprehend
primitive& ancient philosophies in their vernacular then avoid repeating
past mistakes in present& future living.
b.
Some scholars promote RHI more
than compete for marketable opinion
or network to abuse the
civic-integrity-faction.
c.
The civic-citizen chooses to earn
opinion and has the authority to pursue RHI.
d.
Tradition attempts to suppress
RHI.
So far, the words and
phrases used are new to society, and it takes time to absorb new expressions
and consider their value to the reader. I caution readers to take that time
before attempting to understand my speculations about the views of characters
in the Book of John regarding the historical-Jesus they met. I am available in
seek to improve my opinions and expressions.
Participants in
John’s writing about Jesus, or “John’s-Jesus”
In this study of the book of John, I seek to understand
John’s representation of people and history in their appreciations to the
authentic Jesus. I don’t take the Bible to be the literal word of the-God to
the-God’s satisfaction, but don’t object to civic-citizen who do take it
literally as they view the expressions. Was Jesus a man with exceptional
insights on the history he learned, as expressed, for example, by Ralph Waldo
Emerson, especially, in “Divinity School Address” (1838)? Was Jesus both the
Son of Man (a king) and the Son of God (the gate to eternal life), as reported
by John?
Was Jesus the-God? If the universe
began before the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago, what was Jesus’ role? What
do Jesus’ relationships with other people and events depicted in the book of
John suggest?
For this purpose, I arrange
quotations from the Book of John under relational categories I perceive. If
anyone reads this, I hope they will suggest improvements on my study. I seek to
learn from the contemporary “ourselves and our Posterity” (the pivotal phrase
in the U.S. Constitution).
Jesus in the
universe
The void invokes the universe before the Big Bang, 13.7
billion years ago. The earth emerged 4.6 billion years ago, and the-God, the-spirit,
and Jesus may express the-good that humankind can& may pursue on earth,
whatever that may be.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. 10 [The true light]
was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did
not recognize him.
1:14 The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one
and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
5,500
years ago
Mesopotamian civilizations were polytheistic&
perceived the gods left to them responsibility to constrain chaos in their way
of living, so wrote law codes. Dead commoners went to the ground, whereas some
nobles received provisions for afterlife including sacrificed-slaves to
continue their service. Sumerians were succeeded by Semitic Akkadians.
4,000
years ago
Monotheisms substantially displaced polytheisms. About
3,100 years ago, Israel prophesized their kingdom on earth led by an anointed
one or messiah. The Greek, khristós (χριστός) came with interpretation for
Jews in Egypt about 2,300 years ago. Old English “crist” emerged perhaps 1350
years ago, “christ” about 500 years ago, “Christ” about 300 years ago.
2,300 years ago
The Greeks in Egypt interpreted the Hebrew Bible.
2,000
years ago
Humankind still had neither accepted nor intended
responsibility to the-good. Jesus was born.
1,930
years ago
John wrote his book.
1700
years ago
Bible canon started emerging, and in the New
Testament, “Jesus” was sometimes modified to “Jesus Khristós” rather
than the awkward Jesus Messiah. Most
Jews do not accept Jesus as a substitute or as the Messiah. Some Jews consider Jesus, a Jew, as the
Messiah and preserve Jewish ritual. A few
Jews convert to Christianity.
1600
years ago
The Latin Vulgate Bible with both
Hebrew and Christian texts was published.
600
years ago
The Bible in Middle English was
published.
It is important to consider that
the above timeline approximates availability of commentary about history. The
timeline of Bible events is different, and here are a few key times from Bible Timeline (biblehub.com). I write approximate years ago,
skipping the before-Jacob such as Noah:
·
3900 Jacob, named
Israel, begot 12 sons with 2 wives and a few concubines
·
3500 Moses
·
3000 David brings ark
to Jerusalem
·
2700 Isaiah
prophesies a child to be born
·
2600 Jerusalem falls
·
2400 people resettle
Jerusalem
·
2000 Jesus is born.
It seems clear that the modern person is obliged to either
apply RHI regarding Bible comprehension or admit: I do not know, which I claim.
Returning now to the NIV, NT published in 1973, OT in 1978 and our
present topic “Jesus in the universe”,
3:16 For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal
life. 17 For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and
only Son. [The
prospect “to save the world” lacks the Son’s commitment, because salvation
hinges on belief by the “condemned already”. This definitive promise of
conditional eternal life dissuades some people from the importance of RHI.
Expecting eternal life, this life is less important to them, I think
erroneously so.]
[In
a long, difficult sermon] 5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a
time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and
come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be
condemned. [I think
this passage affirms the importance of RHI and Genesis 1 denies the notion that
“the image of God” can be condemned.]
6:38 For I have come down from
heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I
shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the
last day. [Mysteries in this verse include
heaven and Father and Son who are the same according to John 1:1. “Raise them
up in the last day” refers to eternal life, which does not comport to Genesis
1:26-28’s “image of God”. It purports to defeat death.]
8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” [The Jews
responded] “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said
to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “Very truly I
tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I
am!” [“Before
Abraham” stretches beyond before Adam to before the Big Bang. I doubt this
claim yet do not know and have no desire to attempt to limit Jesus.]
10:34 Jesus answered them, “Is it
not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If
he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot
be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father
set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do
you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do
not believe me unless I do the
works of my Father [In John 6:39, “the works” is defined as not losing
one Jesus-advocate]. [I
think this lower case “gods” refers to Genesis 1:26-28’s “likeness”, where the
commission to humankind is to bring order& prosperity to life on earth
rather than to defeat death. I think miracles create competitive chaos, because
of many contradictions. For example, why heal only one blind man? Why make wine
for only one wedding? To whom does the report of miracles appeal? Can actual
miracles usurp RHI? I commend the-civic-Jesus, the man who seeks RHI rather
than John’s Jesus (JJ), the adversarial miracle-demonstrator. The
above passage makes sense if Jesus the man is expressing that the-good mankind
can choose always existed, and St. John just doesn’t get it.]
12:23 Jesus [said], “The
hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very
truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies [John did not understand seed
germination, and we have no need to accommodate his metaphor.], it
remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. [Dry seeds can but dead seeds cannot germinate.]25 Anyone
who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep
it for eternal life. [Maybe
so, but I doubt it.] 26 Whoever serves me
must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will
honor the one who serves me. 27 “Now my soul is
troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this
hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father,
glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it,
and will glorify it again.” 30 Jesus
said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now
is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this
world will be driven out. [Maybe so, but I doubt it.] 32 And
I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to
myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death
he was going to die. [Perhaps
“glorified” means taken up to heaven to be with God. If so, it seems in
conflict with coming down from heaven to save the humankind that has not seen
fit to accept and practice the commission stated in Genesis 1:26-28. And
indeed, even now, after 1700 years, Christianity, much less humankind does not
accept that duty.]
12:44 Then Jesus cried
out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one
who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing
the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world
as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47 “If
anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the
world, but to save the world. 48 There is a
judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words [I think the
laws-of-physics& progeny enforce the-ineluctable-truth on earth.] ;
the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [Maybe so, but I doubt it: not appreciating the-laws-of physics invites
immediate, negative consequences.] 49 For
I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say
all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command
leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told
me to say.” [John’s Jesus
bemuses rather than clarifies. However, the-civic-argument came full circle:
Jesus advocates RHI, and persons throughout history who pursue RHI fulfill the
commission to humankind. According Genesis 1:26-28, humankind can& may
pursue the-good, and those who do can& may employ Jesus’ guidance&
example as affirmed by experience& observation but not John’s thoughts.]
In
presenting the above timeline including Bible works, I suggested an omission in
that the Old Testament (OT) is addressing human thought from before, such as
Sumerian political philosophy. Additionally, I mentioned the OT translation
work for the Greeks, some say done in Alexandria, Egypt. They say the NT was
written in Greek, translating literature in other languages.
They say
that John wrote during his exile in Patmos, Greece, in the Aegean Sea, 500
miles by sea from Alexandria. There seems Greek influences separated in time
and space. In my meagre Greek studies, I perceive Bible-writers mimicking Greek
literature. For example, Agathon, a speaker in Plato’s “Symposium”, 460 B.C.,
seems to deviate from erotic love to describe agape. Reading his speech gave me
the first notion that Jesus could acquaint himself to anyone in history he
chose to, for example, Agathon. I had a couple other rationalizations. First,
what existed “before Abraham was born” was each human-being’s opportunity to
perfect their unique person. In other words, Jesus intended us to know we can perfect ourselves. Second, Bible
writers got ideas from Greek mythology. For example, Iphigenia miraculously
survives sacrifice. Both eternal life and resurrection are features of ancient
Greek religion; Resurrection
- Ancient Greek Religion (liquisearch.com). However, resurrection
after body decay is novel to the NT. In summary, I do not believe reports of
miracles and claim I do not know the-ineluctable-truth.
Moses and
Moses’ law
1:17 For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [This is 1 of 2 times “Jesus Christ” occurs in the
Book of John and none quoting Jesus. “Jesus” occurs 285 times.]
5:17 [Regarding work on the
Sabbath] “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and
I too am working.” [I
don’t know where the list of Jesus’ corrections to Moses’ law begins, but this
is the first I note herein, accepting that the messiah dispute is yet
unresolved.]
5:46 If you believed Moses, you would
believe me, for he wrote about me.
7:19 Has not Moses given you the
law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 “You
are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” [Jesus affirms Moses’ law
against killing people. The crowd seeks reliability, and JJ does not seem to
care.]
7:21 Jesus said to them, “I did
one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet,
because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from
Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.
9:2 His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?” [I note a
second correction of Moses’ law.]
9:28 Then they hurled insults at [the
healed blind man] and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples
of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but
as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” [The healed blind
man argued the healing proved Jesus is from God but the Jewish leaders accused
him and threw him out.]
Acts 1:16 [Peter] said, “Brothers and
sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit
spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for
those who arrested Jesus.
Hebrew
kingdom& Messiah
1:6 There
was a man sent from God whose name was John. 19 . . .
when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask [the
Baptizer] who he was, [he] confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 23 John
replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in
the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
1:36 When
[John] saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
1:41 The first thing Andrew did was to
find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the
Christ).
1:45 Philip found Nathanael and
told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about
whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
4:25 The woman said, “I know that
Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain
everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the
one speaking to you—I am he.” [I think this is the first time John’s-Jesus claims he is the Messiah. He
did not claim “Christ”.]
7:27 But we know where this man is
from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
7:41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does
not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and
from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus
the people were divided because of Jesus.
9:22 [The previously-blind man’s]
parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who
already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah
would be put out of the synagogue.
10:24 The Jews who were there
gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are
the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 30 I and the Father are
one.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to
stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have
shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they
replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
11:27 “Yes, Lord,” [Martha] replied, “I
believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into
the world.”
12:14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat
on it, as it is written:15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter
Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
12:37 Even after Jesus had performed so
many signs [miracles] in their presence, they still would not believe in
him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the
prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of
the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could
not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He
has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see
with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I
would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw
Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
13:18 “I am not referring to all of
you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage
of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’
15:24 If I had not done among them the
works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is,
they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But
this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without
reason.’
17:12 While I was with them, I protected
them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been
lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be
fulfilled.
18:7 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they
said. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there
with them.) 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that
I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men [the 11 disciples?] go.” 9 This
happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not
lost one of those you gave me.” [This may not be an Old Testament prophesy. Also, “those you gave me”
differs from “those I have chosen” in 13:18 yet may be the 11 disciples.]
19:24 “Let’s decide by lot who will get
it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They
divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”
19:33 [The priests wanted the crosses
cleared for the Sabbath.]But when they came to Jesus and found that he was
already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead,
one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden
flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw
it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he
tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These
things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his
bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture
says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
Acts 1:18 (With the payment he received
for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body
burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone
in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their
language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,”
said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of
leadership.’” 26 Then
they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven
apostles.
In summary, the relationship between Jesus and
people who believed in Moses seems stained. People who gain comfort& hope
from their religious beliefs don’t appreciate anyone lessening their
confidence. Yet both the crowds and the Jewish leaders sought understanding.
The most aware person in the story, Jesus, is depicted as an impulsive aggressor
– frustrated with apparent resistance – striking-out and presenting miracles.
The Father
17:2After Jesus said this, he looked
toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your
Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you
granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal
life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life:
that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have
sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by
finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now,
Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with
you before the world began.
17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom
you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and
they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that
everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For
I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with
certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I
pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have
given me, for they are yours. [This human-kind division may express JJ and Jesus. But it is not
the-civic-Jesus.] 10 All I have is yours,
and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. [JJ wants attention.] 11 I
will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I
am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the
name you gave me [I doubt
that name involves “Christ”.], so that they may be one as we are
one.
17:13 “I am coming to you now, but
I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the
full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have
given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am
of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take
them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They
are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify [purify, make holy] them
by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me
into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For
them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
17:20 “My prayer is not for [the
disciples] alone. [An
improvement on 17:9.] I pray also for those who will believe in me through
their message, 21 that all of them may be
one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [This is John’s rationalization,
not a conversation by the Son to the Father.] 22 I
have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are
one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be
brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and
have loved them even as you have loved me. [This is John’s rationalization, not a conversation by
the Son to the Father.]
17:24 “Father, I want those you have
given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the
glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
17:25 “Righteous Father, though the
world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent
me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will
continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in
them and that I myself may be in them.”
John depicts Jesus as a promoter, praying to his
secret authority so that the crowd might hear and be impressed. I think
demonstrating reliability is a better approach and don’t get reliability from
JJ. The above dialogue does not suggest performance that should be approved by
the-God. I think Jesus is reliable.
Spirit
Genesis 1:1 . . . the Spirit of God was hovering over
the waters.
John 31:32 Then John gave this testimony: “I
saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I
myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with
water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is
the one who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit.’
3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I
tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and
the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be
surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The
wind blows wherever it
pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where
it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 34 For
the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the
Spirit without limit.
4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the
Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit
and in truth.” [Perhaps accept Genesis 1:26-28 and perfect
your civic-morality.]
6:63 The Spirit gives life; the
flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the
Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who
do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them
did not believe and who would betray him.
7:38 Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers
of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By
this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later
to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had
not yet been glorified.
11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and
the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in
spirit and troubled.
13:21 After he had said this, Jesus was
troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you
is going to betray me.”
14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you
and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot
accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him,
for he lives with you and will be in you. 25 “All this I
have spoken while still with you. 26 But the
Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and
will remind you of everything I have said to you.
15:26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father—the Spirit of truth who
goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.
16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of
truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet
to come. 14 He will glorify
me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is
mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make
known to you.”
19:30 When he had received the drink,
Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave
up his spirit. [Jesus’
spirit may be the most critical& need capitalization.]
20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be
with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And
with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:1 In
my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and
to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to
heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had
chosen. 7 He said to them: “It is not
for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own
authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you
. . . 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers
(a group numbering about a
hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers
and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long
ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who
arrested Jesus.
In
Genesis 1, there’s “the Spirit of God”. In John there are 23 “Spirit”, 3 “the
Holy Spirit”, 3 “Spirit of truth, 0
“Spirit of Jesus”, and 1 “his spirit”, with no capitalization referring to his
(Jesus’). In Acts 1 there are 4 “the Holy Spirit”. I don’t wonder why John felt
Genesis 1’s citation was insufficient. But am motivated to study each of the
synoptic gospels like this.
Jesus’ mother
and brothers
2:4 “[To his mother at Cana] Woman,
why do you involve me?” [Why
did he allow her to?]
7:2 But when the Jewish Festival of
Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’
brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see
the works you do. 4 No one who wants to
become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself
to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not
believe in him. 6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My
time is not yet here . . . 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I
testify that its works are evil.
[I mistrust John and doubt
Jesus ever accommodated the word “hate”. Directly accusing people always meets
resistance. We’re in 2023 mutual censoring.]
19:25 Near the cross . . . Jesus
saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby,
he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and
to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” [I don’t trust John in this slight of Jesus’ 4 brothers,
sisters, and mother. Perhaps this is part of John’s rivalry with Peter. I
wonder if Peter drove competition with John.]
Jesus’
disciples
4:34 “My food,” said
Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his
work.
6:66 From this time many of his
disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You
do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon
Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to
know that you are the Holy One
of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not
chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He
meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was
later to betray him.) [John
only assumes Judas could not have changed his mind, despite prophesy.]
11:2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus
now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his
feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters [Martha, too]
sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When
he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so
that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 17 On
his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four
days. 25 Jesus said to [Martha], “I
am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me
will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in
me will never die. Do you believe this?” 35 Jesus
wept. [Was it human for
Jesus to resurrect someone he loved, much as selectively changing water to
wine? What about other people in need?] [Never die? How so?]
12:3 Then Mary took about a
pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet
and wiped his feet with her hair. 7 “Leave her
alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this
perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always
have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” [This must not be the divine
Jesus basking in banality. It is not the-civic-Jesus I advocate. Maybe it’s
Mary’s banality and John’s-Jesus is merely placating her.]
13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put
all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was
returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer
clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After
that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’
feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his
clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for
you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and
‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now
that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that
you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly
I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger
greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you
know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. [It seems the meal started with dusty feet all
round – not too hygienic.]
13:23 One of them, the disciple whom
Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon
Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus [whether John is homophobic or
not, this seems excessive], he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus
answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I
have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it
to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As
soon as Judas took the bread, Satan
entered into him. [Entered
differs from prompted.] 2 The evening meal was in
progress, and the devil had
already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. [Following Genesis 1:26-28, Judas had the God-likeness to choose not to
betray anyone, and the-God could not usurp Judas’ choice.]
31 When [Judas] was gone, Jesus
said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in
him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will
glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My
children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and
just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. 35 By this everyone will
know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon
Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am
going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter
asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Then
Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I
tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
14:1 “Do not let your hearts be
troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My
Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that
I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be
with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know
the way to the place where I am going.” [The disciples continued to try to
understand, and Jesus responded about “the Father” and their reliability and
glory.] 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give
you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the
Spirit of truth. [The-civic-Jesus’ influence is forever.] 26 But
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I
have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I
do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid. [I am happily inspired,
motivated, and restless to pursue the-good. I cannot imagine what “my peace” is
yet accept it in the way, space, and time Jesus offers it.]
15:1 “I am the true
vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts
off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You
are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain
in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it
must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I
am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If
you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown
into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in
me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done
for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that
you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As
the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If
you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have
told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My
command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this:
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [I think a
greater love is to forego religion in order to appreciate the-civic-Jesus and
his impact on followers.] 14 You are my
friends if you do what I command. 15 I no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have
called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made
known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will
last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This
is my command: Love each other. [If a person believes religion is the path to eternal life in heaven,
to lay down religion in order to appreciate civic-citizens seems greater love
than to lay down one’s life.]
15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind
that it hated me
first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would
love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. [I think this is John’s pride: the world did not hate
either: the disciples or Jesus.] 20 Remember
what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted
me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will
obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way
because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If
I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but
now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. [I cannot imagine authentic
Jesus using the word “hate”.]
15:26 “When the Advocate comes,
whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he
will testify about me. 27 And you also must
testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. [What’s wrong with “the Spirit
of God”? And why not capitalize “truth”?]
16:1 “All
this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the
synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service
to God. 3 They will
do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their
time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell
you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent
me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with
grief because I have said these things. 7 But
very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go
away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to
you. 8 When he comes, he
will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not
believe in me; 10 about
righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me
no longer; 11 and about judgment,
because the prince of this world now stands condemned. [In 2000 years, there has been
no spirit to substitute for the-civic-Jesus.]
16:12 “I
have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of
truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet
to come. 14 He will glorify
me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is
mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he
will make known to you.” [JJ’s
promise of a surrogate is no substitute for the-civic-Jesus.] 16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a
little while you will see me.”
16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you
will receive, and your joy will be complete.25 “Though
I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no
longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I
am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because
you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the
world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
16:29
Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and
without figures of speech. 30 Now
we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have
anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” [When a leader speaks
the-ineluctable-truth, there is not need for miracles.]
17:20 “My prayer is not for [the
disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their
message, 21 that all of them may be
one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
18:27 [A third time] Peter denied it,
and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
19:38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked
Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With
Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He
was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at
night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five
pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them
wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial
customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was
crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one
had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish
day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus
there.
20:1Early on the first day of the
week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw
that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So
she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved . .
. 9 (They still did not understand from
Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 14 [Mary]
turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that
it was Jesus. 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She
turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means
“Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and
tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and
your God.’”
20:19 On the evening of that first day
of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus
came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After
he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were
overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus
said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them
and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you
forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
20:28 [After touching Jesus’ wounds]
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus
told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
20:30 Jesus performed many other
signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this
book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
his name. [John’s reporting
does not inspire or motivate me.]
21:15 When they had finished eating,
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than
these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus
said, “Feed my lambs.”16 Again . . . “Take
care of my sheep.” 17 The third time . . . Peter was
hurt . . . “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I
tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted;
but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress
you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus
said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify
God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
21:20 Peter turned and saw that the
disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had
leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to
betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked,
“Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I
return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because
of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not
die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want
him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” [I don’t think Jesus
returned before John died. Moreover, I don’t think that notion came from Jesus
to John. Also, the-civic-Jesus never departed or died.]
Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and
asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He
said to them: “It is not
for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
[The-God’s authority is
continuous.] 8 But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After
he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him
from their sight. [During
these 1700 years since churches canonized the New Testament, the kingdom of
Israel has not experienced the physical return of Jesus, even though the Nation
Israel exists as of 1947. And how could the kingdom exist when the Jewish
leaders did not accept Jesus as the messiah? I don’t trust John and Luke.]
Acts 1:10 They were looking intently up into
the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood
beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” [Nazareth, Jesus’ headquarters,
is in Galilee, now northern Israel and 70% Arab.] they said, “why
do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken
from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go
into heaven.”
When Jesus chose them, the apostles, the
12, seemed convinced that they had an opportunity. As events unfolded, they
expressed belief that Jesus was the Messiah, the king of Israel -- their king.
As the promise of eternal life emerged, the original concept seemed obscured.
Even the miracles were not convincing against the changes in perspective, the
promise of hate, and expectations to be killed. Most of the apostles abandoned
Jesus during his trial and crucifixion.
Even as JJ reminded the Jews of Genesis
1, he did not argue that they can pursue order& prosperity to life on
earth, and while the individual choice to do so is theirs, neither the-God nor
government could usurp that duty. I glean from other NT books guidance from
the-civic-Jesus and am motivated to mimic this study with other books. If so,
I’ll start with the Book of Matthew, wherein I am aware of some valuable
Jesus-lessons.
The Jews
1:47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here
truly is an Israelite in
whom there is no deceit.” [John:
why “Israelite” instead of “Jew”? Bartholomew in synoptic gospels?]
2:18 The Jews then responded to
him, “What sign [miracle] can you show us to prove your authority to do
all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this
temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” [The Jews tried to
understand, but Jesus did not share that he was talking about his death and
resurrection in 3 days.] [I
don’t accept that Jesus was coy in these dialogues. He came to aid humankind,
not antagonize them. It makes no difference that the Old Testament prophesied
some parallels in the Jesus story: Jesus had civic-integrity. It is true,
though, that people are slow to consider new ideas.]
2:25 He did not need any testimony about
mankind, for he knew what was in each person. [This is John’s-Jesus. Jesus expected sinners who
met him to stop sinning, rather than to fulfill Hebrew scripture as in John-the-Baptist’s
case or worse: Judas Iscariot. That is, Jesus knew people were free to make
civic choices.]
3:25 An argument developed between some
of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing [or
baptism]. [A lecture
by John about the Baptizer not the messiah.] 35 The
Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal
life, [“Eternal
life” is new to Jews, Greeks, and Mesopotamians. It can be viewed as a
political “topper” to all previous ideas, including reincarnation.] but
whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. [Verse 36 affirms my contention that “God”,
“Spirit”, “Christ”, and other scriptural noise bemuses people who don’t
appreciate the-civic-Jesus, who does not depict the-God as wrathful. Physics
has no wrath, even though its forces can destroy. V 36 can be interpreted, whoever pursues the-good enjoys better
consequences in life.]
6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I
am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and
whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But
as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives
me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For
I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of
him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who
sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but
raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s
will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have
eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” 41 At
this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the
bread that came down from heaven [manna to a Jew].” 52 Then the
Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?” [The-civic-Jesus,
IMO, explains metaphors on the spot, in order to help people understand,
whereas Christ is egocentrically competitive with the messiah. Notice that John
does not cite “Jesus Christ”. Regarding
V 37-39, I feel I have always been influenced by the-civic-Jesus, and his
reliability has guaranteed I would never stop. It would not have happened
without my family experience: Husband to one wife and our 3 children.]
7:12 Among the crowds there was
widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied,
“No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would
say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. 14 Not until
halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to
teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed . . . 7:19 Has not Moses given you the
law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill
me?” 20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying
to kill you?” [Fear
of the church is the object of Bible canon to this day.]
7:25 At that point some of the people
of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here
he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the
authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 7:27 But
we know where this man is
from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
[Jesus responded that he was sent by authority he knew. They tried to seize
him.]
8:22 This made the Jews ask . . . he
continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I
am not of this world. [The-civic-Jesus
expressed that he represented both inspiration and practical life.] 24 I
told you that you would die in
your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die
in your sins.” [Jesus continued preaching with “the Father” thoughts the Jews
could not comprehend.] [Springing from Genesis 1:26-28,
this passage affirms Jesus wants human-being to avoid errro for life.]
8:33 They answered him, “We are
Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you
say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus
replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. [Continuing the “the Father”
thoughts.] [The Jews used
the term “our Lord God” rather than “the Father”: Did John intend to confound
Jews in 70 AD?] 39 “Abraham is our father,” they
answered. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill
me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham
did not do such things. [John
is unreliable here. Abraham did terrible
things.] 41 You are doing the works of your own
father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father
we have is God himself.” [This
contradicts the claim to Abraham as father in this passage.]
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would
love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my
own; God sent me. 43 Why
is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I
say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want
to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning,
not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks
his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet
because I tell the
truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can
any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you
believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what
God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” [This is typically proud banter. John’s animosity
peaks when he invokes “the devil”. I do not accept that John expresses Jesus’
arguments. John presents JJ as weak when
speaking the truth must be backed by miracles.]
8:59 At this, [the Jews] picked up stones to stone him, but
Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. [So far, the dialogue with “the Jews” expresses that even miracles
cannot discourage a person’s religion! It’s a reminder of the U.S. Civil war’s
instigation by erroneous Christian ministers.]
11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had
come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in
him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and
told them what Jesus had done.
12:34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard
from the Law that the
Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of
Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35 Then
Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while
you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in
the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe
in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of
light.” [Again, the-civic-Jesus
would explain metaphors.]
18:38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went
out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge
against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to
release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to
release ‘the king of the Jews’?” 40 They shouted back,
“No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising. [History shows that scholars do
not pursue “truth”. This student pursues either the-ineluctable-truth or “we
think but don’t know”. “Ineluctable” means not to be avoided, changed, escaped,
neglected, rationalized, or resisted.]
In these passages, the Jewish crowd
shows curiosity to comprehend Jesus. Salvation of souls to eternal life is a
new concept that bemuses Jesus’s references to Genesis 1’s RHI and challenges
Jesus as the king of Israel and the Messiah. Crowd-members who are also Jewish
leaders, lawyers, and Synagogue keepers are doubly perplexed, because the
foundation of their institution is being challenged. The consequence is that
Jesus’ message -- develop perfect civic-integrity -- was hidden, perhaps
forever. I work to reform Judeo-Christian neglect of political philosophy
grounded in the-laws-of-physics& its progeny: everything.
Other Semite
persons
4:7 When a Samaritan woman came to
draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (Jews do
not associate with Samaritans.) [Jesus toyed with her regarding “living water”
to eternal life. She imagined relief from water carrying.] 17 “I
have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her . . . you have had five
husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” 19 “Sir,”
the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 22 You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
4:25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called
Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then
Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” [Notice that “Christ” is perhaps
John’s 70 AD comment canonized perhaps 1700 years ago in Greek equivolent and
600 years ago in English.]
4:39 Many of the Samaritans from that
town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.
Jesus,
who spoke an ancient-Semitic language, was not an anti-Semite.
The Greeks
7:35 The Jews said to one another,
“Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our
people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? [Jesus could have explained that
he was going to heaven.]
12:20 Now there were some
Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival . . . “we would
like to see Jesus.”
Perhaps
these were Greek-speaking Jews living in Egypt.
Gentiles and
civic examples
2:14 In the temple courts he found
[commerce and] said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s
house into a market!”
3:19 This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates
the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be
exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes
into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has
been done in the sight of God. [This passage affirms my
commitment to express what I think, because what I think is known by Jesus,
anyway. If I want Jesus’ approval of my thoughts, my thoughts must motivate
perfect behavior. It also supports my thought that civilizations construct
monotheisms in order to feign innocence while preserving darkness.]
4:27 Just then his disciples
returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. [This
reflects Judeo-Christian subjugation of women.]
5:14 . . . Stop sinning or
something worse may happen to you.”
5:17 [Regarding work on the
Sabbath] “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and
I too am working.”
8:7 “Let any one of you who is without
sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” . . . Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No
one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus
declared. “Go now and leave
your life of sin.”
8:51 Very truly I tell you, whoever
obeys my word will never see death. [Death is inevitable, but accomplishment survives. An RHI culture
collaborates to terminate evil and propagate the-good.]
In public dialogue, Jesus facilitated&
encouraged admission of error, regret, and reform without prejudice.
Levites,
Pharisees, teachers of the law, Jewish leaders
1:24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned
[the Baptizer], “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor
Elijah, nor the Prophet?” here1
3:1 Now there was a Pharisee . . . a
member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to
Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no
one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”3 Jesus
replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless
they are born again.” [The
Pharisee honestly inquired how this could be and John’s Jesus responded with metaphors
-- spirit as breath, born again, and Moses lifting up a snake.]
4:1Now
Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing
more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but
his disciples. 3 So he left Judea
5:10 . . . the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed,
“It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” [Apparently, other people could
help the blind man (V.7).] 14 Later Jesus found
him . . . The man went away and told the Jewish
leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. 18 .
. . they tried all the more to kill [Jesus]; not only was he breaking the
Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think
that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that
testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to
me to have life. [I don’t think Jews before Jesus
expected eternal life, and don’t trust John on this issue. See https://momentmag.com/is-there-life-after-death/. In other words, for a drastic change
such as eternal life, plenty sincere dialogue must occur.]
5:42 . . . you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I
have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else
comes in his own name, you will accept him. Your accuser is Moses, on
whom your hopes are set. 47 But since you do not
believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (JJ is too vague.)
7:1After
this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea
because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. [This
is John’s bias, based on either his false story, or after the killing
certainty. In other words, at this point in the story and even beyond, John
could not know the Jewish leader’s minds.]
7:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him.
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
7:45 . . . the chief priests and the
Pharisees . . . asked [the temple guards], “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 “No
one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. 47 “You
mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have
any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No!
But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” 50 Nicodemus
[a Pharisee], asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him
to find out what he has been doing?” 52 They
replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a
prophet does not come out of Galilee.” [An honest legal debate persisted.]
8:3 The teachers of the law and the
Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the
group 4 and
said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In
the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you
say?” 6 They were using this question
as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
13 The Pharisees challenged him,
“Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two
witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for
myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” [JJ’s argument does not civically stand, because
the Father is a mystery-witness.]
9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This
man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How
can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
9:39 Jesus said, “For judgment I
have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who
see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with
him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” [Just more metaphor antagonism
by JJ.]
10:1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does
not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a
thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the
gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees
did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore
Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the
sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my
sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the
Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep that are not
of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my
voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The
reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 19 The Jews who heard these
words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He
is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man
possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” [Here, even JJ is explaining his
metaphor. However, the play on sacrifice is false, because Jesus’s eternal life is certain. In other words, the Jewish
leaders expected a king, not someone who would be sacrificed, and they deserved
clear explanation of “sacrifice to redeem sins”. Regardless, mystery is hard to
sell.]
11:47 [After Lazarus’ resurrection] the
chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. .
. . “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If
we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans
will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then
. . . Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up . . . Jesus would die for the Jewish
nation . . . but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together
and make them one. 53 So from that day on
they plotted to take his life. 57 But the chief priests
and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was
should report it so that they might arrest him. [Resurrection after Lazurus’ decay had set in seems to be
pivotal regarding Sanhedrin-fear of loss of power: I agree: for me to believe
such an event requires denial of what I think. I know that the-civic-Jesus knows my thoughts, and therefore, I happily
cannot deny them – do not fear them.]
12:10 So the chief priests made plans to
kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of
him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. [Intentional, illegal murder is
unforgiveable. Note that later on the Jewish leaders tell the prince that they
have no authority to execute a person. See V. 18:31.]
12:42 Yet at the same time many even
among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they
would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human
praise more than praise from God. [Anyone who professes God/Jesus/Holy Spirit deserves
difference by the church. That is, no one should hold another civic-citizen’s no-harm
religion to be blasphemous.]
18:3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a
detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the
Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus,
knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked
them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they
replied.
18:12 Then the detachment of soldiers
with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound
him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the
father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas
was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man
died for the people. [U.S. congresspersons employ
this phrase to impose political deceit, and the other party smiles in wokism.]
18:19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned
Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 “I have
spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in
synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said
nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those
who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” 22 When
Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the
face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. 23 “If
I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong.
But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24 Then
Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. [I don’t support Jesus not answering direct
questions. In the second place, it sets a bad example.]
18:28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus
from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early
morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the
palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So
Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this
man?” 30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would
not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said, “Take
him yourselves and judge him by your own law “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they
objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus
had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
19:21 The chief priests of the Jews
protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man
claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”
The keepers of Jewish law and attendants to the
Synagogue had sincere obligation to uphold Jewish law and to be alert for the
unpredictable-expected Messiah. JJ’s story of sacrifice to redeem past sins,
mysterious Father, physical miracles, kingship of another world, and eternal
life based on “Jesus” threatened more than civil and religious authority. It
threatened the meaning of order. Such political change demanded the mutual
exercise of the Genesis 1:26-28 commission: pursue order& prosperity to
live beings and to the earth. I don’t trust John in imposing breech of Genesis
1 on Jesus. Perhaps the authentic man taught the-good that is possible when
most people accept that they were born with psychological likeness to the-God,
and therefore can& may perfect their person. I don’t know. Nevertheless, I
accept Jesus’ mysterious “my peace”, work& talk to discern the-civic-Jesus
(where "civic" means reliable in human connections& transactions), and
continuously behave to reflect Jesus’ presence.
The magistrate
7:46 “No one ever spoke the way this
man does,” the [temple] guards replied.
14:30 I will not say much more to you,
for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but
he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what
my Father has commanded me. [JJ conflicts with Genesis
1:26-27. A civic person does all they can to aid the prince in the pursuit of
order& prosperity on earth.]
16:11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now
stands condemned. [God
could accommodate Pilot releasing Jesus instead of Barabbas.]
18:33 Pilate then went back inside the
palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 “Is
that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about
me?” 35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people
and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36 Jesus
said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would
fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. [I doubt Jesus uttered such an idea.] But now
my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king,
then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into
the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth
listens to me.” 18:38 “What is truth?” [This remains a universal question, because lawyers& judges don’t
share “ineluctable”.] retorted Pilate. With this he went out again
to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against
him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to
you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the
king of the Jews’?” 40 They shouted back, “No, not him!
Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
19:19 Pilate had a notice prepared and
fastened to the cross. It read: jesus
of nazareth, the king of the
jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign,
for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign
was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
John depicts the-God, whatever that may
be, as bound to Hebrew tradition, a pursuit. JJ arrogantly attacks if not shatters Jewish tradition for the mystery of eternal
life rather than works for order&
prosperity on earth. Perhaps 5,500 years’ arrogance toward both ancient
experience& observations and the-laws-of-physics& progeny has brought
humankind to 2023’s chaos. The-civic-Jesus has no part in it, and I think
Jewish leaders did& do their best, never having been educated to accept the
Genesis-1 RHI. I work to change that.
Jesus to come
again before John dies
Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at
this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He
said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has
set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends
of the earth.”
Acts 1:10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men
of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
JJ delivers mystery, after having promised
salvation. It was up to the disciples to admit John was mistaken and the
authentic Jesus had given his all. Proceeding under his influence was their
responsibility, as spelled out in Genesis 1 and affirmed by Jesus. More
evidence of my claim is needed, and I must similarly study the book of Matthew
to start presenting that evidence.
Themes I perceive in John’s writing
1.
John seems to use multiple approaches to present
Jesus:
a. Mysteriously
at the creation of earth (4.6 billion years ago): Jesus seems each Son, spirit,
and God.
b. Spirit
come down from heaven as a man with superpowers to mysteriously enlighten
humankind even though the truth was proffered in Genesis 1.
c. Correcting
errors in the law of Moses.
i.
Jesus’ grace and truth (no antipathy needed) would
amend Moses’ law.
1. Life
goes on during the Sabbath, e.g., John 9:16.
2.
d. Direct-miracle
worker as in ancient times.
e. To come
again before John dies.
f.
Fulfillment of the prophesies of Moses, Isaiah, and
other Jews.
i.
Beginning with John the Baptist as fulfillment of
Isaiah prophecy, John constructs a case for Jesus as the predicted Messiah,
king of the Jews.
1. Jesus
first claims “son of man” and later attests to being the Son of God and
the-God.
a. I see
“son of man” as civics to Genesis-1-RHI.
b. Perhaps
divinity expresses authorship of Genesis-1-RHI.
2. By the
end of the book, Jesus is God, as claimed in the first chapter.
a. Perhaps
the-civic-Jesus advocated “the-good” rather than “light”.
3. The need
for John to interject “Christ” into this debate is not evident.
a. Perhaps
“Christ” is a revision after John’s death.
g. I work
to glean from John aspects of the-civic-Jesus.
2.
John’s Jesus seems gradually adversarial to the
Jews.
a. Jesus
and his associates, including parents, friends, and disciples are Jews, who
would introduce to humankind the opportunity to improve.
i.
John depicts competitive political practices among
Jews, e.g., John 2:10.
ii.
John’s Jesus seems antagonistic toward other people.
b. The
Jewish community questioned yet accommodated the chief priests’, Pharisees’,
and Levites’ intentions to murder Jesus and to commandeer the Synagogue.
i.
Murder breaks one of Moses’ 10 commandments.
ii.
Religious institutions can& may aid RHI.
iii.
Perhaps the leaders were evil: Phil’s Jesus was not.
3.
John seems obsessed with miracles to present Jesus
as mystery rather than a man with insights about the image of God (Genesis-1).
Note that Genesis-1 expresses Sumerian
political philosophy. Polytheism operates another world, leaving humankind
independently responsible to constrain chaos on earth.
a. John’s 7
miracles express Jesus as supernatural.
i.
Are other invalids alienated when Jesus choose one
to heal?
ii.
Does life-error really disable people?
b. Jesus heals
some with instruction to not repeat erroneous living.
i.
Did some Old Testament healers simply heal without
citing sin?
Miracles or “signs”
1:48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael
asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree
before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 1:51[To
Nathanial] Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the
fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” [then] added, “Very
truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of
God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
2:4 “[To his mother] Woman, why do you
involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 2:11 [Water
to wine] in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs [miracles] through
which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
4:49 [In Cana, a] royal official said,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus
replied, “your son will live.” 54 This was the
second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
5:8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get
up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
6:10 . . . (about five thousand men
were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave
thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish. [There were leftovers.] 15 Jesus,
knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew
again to a mountain by himself. [As if he could not say, No.]
6:19 . . . they saw Jesus . . . walking
on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But
he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then
they were willing to take him into the boat.
6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very
truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at
the last day.
9:2 His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents
sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God
might be displayed in him. [This
anecdote does not refute the normal passing-of-sin-to-sons argument.]
Definitions by John
1:1 the Word was God.
1:13 children of God— children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but
born of God. [Does
“husband’s will” slight the Genesis-1-woman?]
1:14 the Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only
Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [These thoughts seem to express
Jesus is spirit and God.]
3:32 God is truthful.
4:24 God is spirit, and
his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
4:34 “My food,” said
Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his
work.
6:33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from
heaven and gives life to the world. [“The world” is not exclusive to the Jews.]
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he
said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” [Invoking manna.]
17:3 Now this is eternal life:
that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have
sent.
7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has
said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By
this he meant the Spirit
Word study:
Afraid 5 :
Advocate
4: all the spirit
Believe 96: Believe in 11: - in God 1; - in him 4; - in me 3; - in
the light 1; - in the one 1; - in the Son of Man 1;
Blasphemy
2:
Children 7: - of God 2; - of light 1; Abraham’s – 1; illegitimate
– 1; scattered – 1: My – 1;
Chosen 6: - One 1;
Christ 4: Jesus – 2: - Jesus 0
Devil 3: Satan 1; You belong to your father, the
devil
Die 24: -d 7; -in 3; -with 1; - for 2; . 5; -s 5;
Eternal life 17:
Fear 5: for – 4; of the leaders 1; -of
the Jewish leaders 1; of error 1; -ed 1; afraid of the Jewish leaders 1;
Festival 17: Passover 11; Tabernacles 1; the - 10; Dedication 1; Jewish festivals 1;
Fulfilled
6:
Glor 41: glory 21; glorif 20; glorifie 10; - d 9; -y 10; -s 1;
God 87: believe in – 1; born of – 1; children of – 2; from – 12;
glorify – 1; glory of – 1; Holy one of – 1; Kingdom of – 3; my – 2; service to
-1; Son of – 5; true – 1; will of – 1; works of – 1; your – 2; - sent me 1;
Israel 6: -ite 1; -‘s 1;
Jesus 285: - loved 5; - wept 1;
Jew 64: -s 35; -ish 26; 3;
king 22: - of the Jews 6; - of Israel 2; . 1;
your – 3; the – 10; kingdom 6; my – 2; the – 4; -dom 6;
law 17; -of Moses 1; the –
10; our – 2; your own – 2; your – 1; their – 1; a- 1; that – 1;
Levites 1
Light 25: - of 4;
man 120: son of -13;
Messiah 17:
Moses 13
Passover 11:
Pharisees 21:
Priest 22; -s 11;
Rabbi [which means teacher] 8:
Sanctify 2:
Spirit 33: the- 17; (lower case) to -1; is – 1; his – 1; in – 2; Spirit of 4: - God 1 only in Gen 1; - Jesus 0:
- truth 3; Holy – 7, 4 in Acts 1;
Synagogue 5: out of the – 3;
Tabernacles 1:
Teacher 9; teachers 1;
the one who sent me 8: him who sent me 7: lose none 1; the will of him who
sent me 3;
the son of God 5:
the son of man 10:
thirst 6: -y 5; 1
regarding Jesus thirsty after death.
Truth 28: the –
15; no – 1; of – 5; is – 3;
word 38: the – 16; a – 1; my – 2; your - 3; this – 1; sent – 1;
his – 2; -s 17; the – 8; . 4;
Summary:
It’s good to read professional summaries, such as John Summary (biblehub.com)
and Book of John
Overview - Insight for Living Ministries. And for people who still
seek the Messiah, The
Messiah of Israel: Who Are the Jewish People Expecting
(israelmediaministries.org).
Phil Beaver, February 2, 2023
Copyright©2023 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved.
Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this
paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.
